certain His
will, how He will have us use the proceeds of our calling. But is
this indeed the spirit in which the children of God generally are
engaged in their calling? It is but too well known that it is not the
case! Can we then wonder at it, that even God's own dear children
should so often be found greatly in difficulty with regard to their
calling, and be found so often complaining about stagnation or
competition in trade, and the difficulties of the times, though there
have been given to them such precious promises as: "Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you;" or, "Let your conversation (disposition or turn of
mind) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye
have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Heb. xiii. 5. Is it not obvious enough, that, when our Heavenly
Father sees that we His children do or would use the proceeds of our
calling, as our natural mind would desire, that He either cannot at
all intrust us with means, or will be obliged to decrease them? No
wise and really affectionate mother will permit her infant to play
with a razor, or with fire, however much the child may desire to have
them; and so the love and wisdom of our Heavenly Father will not,
cannot, intrust us with pecuniary means, (except it be in the way of
chastisement, or to show us finally their utter vanity,) if He sees
that we do not desire to possess them as stewards for Him, in order
that we may spend them as He may point out to us by His Holy Spirit,
through His word.--In connexion with this subject, I give a few hints
to the believing reader on three passages of the word of God. In I
Cor. xvi. 2, we find it written to the brethren at Corinth, "Upon the
first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as
God has prospered him." A contribution for the poor saints in Judea
was to be made, and the brethren at Corinth were exhorted to put by
every Lord's day, according to the measure of success which the Lord
had been pleased to grant them in their calling during the week. Now,
ought not the saints in our day also to act according to this word!
There is no passage in the word of God, why we should not do so, and
it is altogether in accordance with our pilgrim character, not only
once or twice, or four times a year to see how much we can afford to
give to the poor saints, or to the work of God in any way, but to
seek