on such security. They are in the habit of lending liberally, and they wonder Christians do not. They hear us also repeating and admiring that sentiment,

It is more blessed to give than to receive." Must they not think us insincere in our commendations of this sentiment, or else that we have very faint aspirations after the more blessed part, when they look on and see with how much more complacency and good humor we receive a great deal, than give a little.

But about the parsimony of Christians. I do not hesitate to say, having well considered the import of iny words, that men are not so mean (I must use the word) to any cause as Christians, in general, are to Christ's cause. They give more sparingly to it than to any other. Just think of the American Bible Society receiving scarcely one hundred thousand dollars a-year from these United States, to give the Bible to the country and to the world. There is one fact for you. More is often given to carry a political election in a single limited district; and some professors of religion will give more to promote such an object than to help on the conversion of the world. I should not wonder if this article were read qy, some who have done so this very year.

Many persons never give until they have done every thing else; and when any pressure occurs, it is the first thing they stop doing. They go on spend ing, not only for necessaries and comforts, but even for luxuries, never minding the pressure. They only

stop giving; commencing retrenchment with their donations, and generally ending it with them. They are liberal still for every thing but charity. You could never suppose, to look at their dress, equipage, furniture, table, &c. that the times were any way hard. No, they forget that, till they are called on to give; then they feel the pressure of the times.

The manner in which some persons give is worthy of no very commendatory notice. They say, when applied to, "Well, I suppose I must give you something." Mark the word must, where will ought to be; and give, where contribute, or strictly speaking, yield up, should have been; and you-give you. It is no such thing. The man is no beggar. He is not asking any thing for himself. He has himself given to the same object; and more than money-his time and thought, his cares and efforts. Nay, perhaps has given his own person to the service which he saks others to aid by their pecuniary contributions. Christians, so called, talk of giving to support missionaries, as if they laid the missionaries under some obligation to them. Preposterous! How it sounds to hear a British Christian indulge such a remark in reference to the richly-gifted, and profoundly learned Martyn, who, when he might have shone at home, went into the sickly East to hold light of life in those dark places! To call men who give themselves to the work of the Lord, and to labor and die for their fellow-men, the protegees, ben

up

the

eficiaries, and obligated dependants of us who live and luxuriate at home, is really too bad; men, who when the alternative is to go or send, consent to the weightier branch of the alternative, and go; that they should be looked upon as inferior to us, who choose the lighter part of the alternative, and only send! I say it is too bad. "I must give you something!" Really!

I do not wonder, for my part, that God does not give "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," to the present generation of saints. Their souls are not suf ficiently expanded to receive it. It will require a race of Christians of great hearts to take possession of the world in the name of Jesus-Christians who shall be constrained by his love, and who shall feel the full force of the consideration presented in 2 Cor. 89. Many Christians now think they feel it; but is it feeling the force of that consideration for a man, who has an income of some thousands a-year, to give a few surplus dollars annually to support missions, or to circulate the Bible? I do not say, that because Christ impoverished himself, therefore all his followers ought literally to do the same; but I say they ought to come nearer to it than they do, If, being rich, they should not become poor, as he did, yet surely they ought to be more free with their riches. If the master gave his whole principal, certainly the disciples might give their interest. That

would not be too closely imitating him. If he emp tied himself, they at least might forego farther accumulation. They need not become poor; but why should they be so solicitous to become more rich? That is being as unlike the model as possible.

We had a meeting last night in one of our churches to raise the sum of one thousand dollars in aid of the American Tract Society's foreign operations. The notice was general in the churches; and to many individuals repeated in the shape of a printed request sent to them on the day of the mecting. The evening came, and it was one of the finest we ever have; not a cloud, and the moon shining forth in her fullest splendor-emulating, to her utmost, the light of the orb of day. We had not, however, a very large meeting.

Few, even of our church members, can be persuaded to adopt that sentiment of the Savior, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Many are unable to conceal the sceptical smile, when it is gravely advanced and urged as an argument for liberality. More blessed to give! There is nothing in

them that responds to that sentiment. Yet Jesus said it seriously. He meant what he said; and some of his dear followers know in their hearts that it is so. They experience the superior blessedness of giving. Far more delightful to them is the feeling when they communicate, than the feeling when they receive; and giving leaves an impression of pleasure on the soul which no other act does or can. To be capable of communicating! What a privilege! they exclaim. It is to be like God, who all things gives, but nought receives, save the gratitude and praise of his innumerable pensioners and dependants. These persons give now as they pray, almost forgetting it is a duty, so occupied are their souls with a feeling that it is a privilege.

But we met to promote a foreign object; and that made against us with some. The distance of the heathen from us was even pleaded by one as an argument against contributing. They are so far off. So far off my thoughts dwelt on these words-and I reflected thus: "They are not so far off from us, as angels are from men. Yet angels come over the distance to minister to men. No part of earth is so far from any other part, as earth from heaven; yet, did not the benevolence of the Son of God bring him across that long interval of space? How have we his spirit, if our benevolence cannot carry us the length and breadth of this little continuous earth? What if the object be foreign? Earth was more fo