5. Is it allowable for Christians to carry this system, even when least objectionable, to its utmost; that is, is it proper for them to feel that they ought to make their children as rich as they can?

6. Is it not suitable to bring into calculation, the possible and often actual evil tendencies of parental accumulation to produce unsafe aspiring, extravagant habits, expensive and evil associations, improvidence

and inaction?

7. Is sacrificing the claims of God's cause to the worldly aggrandizement of children, doing honour to the kind and faithful Providence which stands engaged to recompense holy liberality? Is there meaning in the promise, "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine?"

8. If this method of saving for posterity, were strictly and to the full acted upon by all classes, where would be the cause of God?

These questions are not put in a spirit of invective, censoriousness, railing accusation, or uncharitable querulousness. They are asked in all affection and solemnity. Let them be weighed in all faithfulness, meekness, and cordial appeal to the great require; ment "to do all things to the glory of God."

To the same grand principle should the distributive proportions of our benefactions be subordinated. Suppose, for instance, a man should direct his benevolence to designs purely spiritual, to the entire, or almost entire, exclusion of temporal objects; we should judge that there is some defect in the principle-that something controls, far below a genuine

regard for God. We should be apt to suspect that this exclusive religiousness of purpose, is superstition, or the slavery of a self-justifying spirit pleasing itself with the idea of greater worth and merit in this spiritual appropriation, or lust of reputation for sanctity, or party aim, or "zeal without knowledge," or some other defective motive. But what shall we say if the partiality lies all on the other side? - If the present wants of men engross all our charity?—If the spiritual necessities of the world, and the claims of the cause of Christ, are denied a share in our beneficence ? Or if these receive a miserably small proportion? All cannot be right. Would it not appear in this case, that our benevolence was rather humane than godly? Would not our beneficence be evidential rather of amiableness than of piety? Would not our liberality be less distinctive? Would it not indicate the sympathies of our common nature rather than holy tendencies? Would it not seem as though we were more affected by the temporal ills of man than by his spiritual woes? Would it not appear as though we were looking with disproportionate anxiety to the transitory interests of man in this world, and undervalued and kept out of sight his everlasting welfare, and the glory of God as involved therein? Or might we not fear that we were seeking the honour that cometh from man, rather than the honour that cometh from God only?

Under the same all-comprehensive motive must fall the manner and spirit of religious munificence. Under what safer or better regulation can they be placed? This will secure purity of motive. We shall not do our alms to be seen of men. Our dona

tions will not be the mere payment for human ap-probation and applause. If our highest motive is anything below the divine honour, our most splendid gifts and our largest and most painful sacrifices are I defective in their character, and will be found unacceptable in their issue. Brought to this test, what a vast amount of much applauded beneficence will stand condemned! Weighed in these balances how many will be found wanting!

Our liberality misses its proper aim if we thereby self-righteously seek to recommend ourselves to God. If we found upon our donations a claim to divine acceptance, we are seeking to strike pecuniary bargains with God-we are endeavouring to carry on a mean and selfish trade for heaven-we are offering to stipulate for "glory, honour, and immortality," with pounds, shillings, and pence! We thus undervalue "the Gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord;" and we insult the “Giver of every good and of every perfect gift." Injured and affronted Majesty might well say to us, "thy money perish with thee, for that thoughtest that the gift of God might be purchased with money." The munificence which is to glorify God, must have a spring more generous, more free, more cordial, more disinterested, than a self-justifying temper.

Willingness, it can scarcely be necessary to prove, is essential to the godly character and certain acceptableness of our benefactions. We must not wait to be teazed or coaxed into giving. We must not stay to be stung into it by reproof-dragged into it by expostulation and entreaty-chafed and mortified into it by appeals to our vanity and pride-nor goaded by

public observation. What are such reluctant bestowments-such mere extortions of charity-worth in the eye of Him "who loveth a cheerful giver?" The directions on this subject are too specific and too reiterated to be mistaken or evaded. " Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, READY TO DISTRIBUTE, WILLING TO COMMUNICATE." It was the freedom, the cordiality, the spontaneity, and eagerness of the Philippians, which rendered their pecuniary remittances to Paul, when prisoner at Rome, "AN ODOUR OF A SWEET SMELL, A SACRIFICE, ACCEPTABLE, WELL-PLEASING UNTO GOD."

1 Tim. vi. 17, 18.

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CHAP. VI.

CONTINUATION OF THE INQUIRY ON THE EXTENT OF THE REQUIREMENT TO DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD.

IN the course of our investigations we have already seen that our general intercourse with men presents a wide field for the application of the all-important demand to do all to the glory of God-what ample room there is for the love of God to move us and the fear of God to guard us in all our converse, our transactions, our compacts with men. But besides the common relations in which we stand to the world around us, there are also special relations which as christians we sustain to the renewed and holy portions of mankind, whence arise peculiar obligations, and specific modifications of benevolence and piety. This opens a new sphere for the operation of the grand principle, the amplification of which we are endeavouring to point out. The glory of God therefore we proceed to shew is to be sought

X. In Christian Association. Of christian connexion and fellowship, love is the necessary bond and the essential life. But this love, if real, is godly in its character. It recognises something of God in its