meat; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet shall he rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of his salvation. Yea, when his heart and his flesh shall fail, and a vast eternity shall open before him, God shall be the strength of his heart and his portion for ever. And then farewell to sorrow and trial, to affliction and calamity! There none shall say I am sick, or complain of loss of property or loss of friends. Then, indeed, when the torrent of Divine wrath shall sweep away the whole confidence of the ungodly; when every Ninevah and every Babylon shall be utterly abased; then shall the righteous shine forth as the stars in the kingdom of their Father. They shall enter the heavenly Jerusalem. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat: but the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall lead them to living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. And, oh! what tongue can describe the joy of the wearied Christian pilgrim as he lays

down his sword; unbuckles his shield from his arm; and places his humble trophies at the feet of the great Captain of his salvation: while, amid the chorus of just men made perfect, and the anthems of Cherubim and Seraphim, he enters upon that peaceable habitation, that sure dwelling and quiet resting-place, which are reserved for him in the house not made with hands eternal in the heavens!

But let it not be supposed, that the religion of the Bible was intended only to comfort your hearts and to excite your hopes. Rest assured that it was designed also to direct your practice, and to summon all your energies to the service of Him who hath called you to glory and virtue. The concluding verse of the chapter remains yet for consideration. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the This leads me to feet of the ox and the ass. notice, as the third division of our subject,

III. THE PROMISED BLESSING.

This is pronounced upon such as devise schemes for extensive good, and, at the

same time, adopt those preparatory measures which may be most conducive to the attainment of the proposed end.—What is it then to sow beside all waters? I answer, It is to be up and doing; to be labouring in season and out of season, for the moral benefit of man;-to be actively engaged in circulating the Scripture, that incorruptible seed of the Word, in all the languages and dialects of the human race; -to be sending forth, or aiding in sending forth, the heralds of mercy, the messengers of the cross of Jesus, to all " Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics;"-to be active in every scheme of benevolence and piety, which may tend to alleviate the temporal or spiritual wants of our friends, our neighbours, our country, and the world at large;-in fine, to buy up every moment; to improve every talent; to embrace every providential opening; that we may deposit that seed of Divine truth which may spring up and produce fruit, when the person who scattered it rests from his labours, and sleeps in the dust.

My brethren, were there more of this

spirit among professed Christians, there would not be such frequent complaints of the increase of religious charities, and of the demands made upon the public. Did men feel as they ought in this matter; did they consider it, as it really is, a very exalted honor to be fellow-workers together with God, in the execution of those purposes, which He could accomplish unassisted and alone, without human agency; did men daily and hourly look back to Christ's cross and precepts, and forward to his second coming and final glory; did they thus think, and thus feel, they would shew that they considered it a great favor to lend their feeble assistance to a cause so noble and so divine. They would sow beside all waters, and they would find the blessing spoken of in the text. The blessing of such as were ready to perish would come upon them. Many a poor wanderer, turned by their instrumentality from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, would heap his blessing upon their heads. While from heaven should be pronounced the benediction of the spi

ritual Aaron, the great High Priest of the church; The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Which benediction they shall experience in all its latitude and glory, on the morning of the resurrection; when they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

But not only do we find a blessing promised in the text, to such as devise schemes for extensive good, but also to those who adopt the preparatory measures. Blessed, not only are they who sow beside all waters, but blessed too such as send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass, to prepare the way for the deposit of the seed. Without any fanciful interpretation of Scripture, I think we may here see an emblem of the important, but often wearisome and laborious, task of Christian education. If the seed of the word is not to lie uncovered upon the surface of the heart; if it is designed to sink deep, in order that it may take