deeply. He offered the prayer, ate a little, and conversed cheerfully. But before the repast was ended, he said, with a serene and pleasant countenance, 1 must be carried to my bed; these walls will not prevent my union with you in spirit, although my body be absent. He was accordingly carried back to his bed, to rise no more. He lingered till the 27th of May, 1665, when in the "full possession of his reason, without a struggle or a gasp, his breath ceased, and the spirit of this great doctrinal luminary of the reformation departed, about the going down of the sun." He died in the fifty sixth year of his age, and the 29th of his ministry.

(To be Continued)

THE BENEFITS OF SYSTEM IN OUR RELIGIOUS CHARITIES.

A system of charity may be established by individuals for themselves alone; or by individuals associated together with a view to advance important objects. Individuals may establish a system of charity for themselves, by resolving to bestow a particular sum, every week. Thus the brethren, in the apostles' time, were directed to lay something by in store every Lord's day. And many, in modern times, have agreed to bestow a small sum every week in religious charity. Or individuals may resolve to bestow, statedly, a particular proportion of their regular income. Numbers now living bestow a tenth of all their income, for objects connected with the general diffusion of the gospel. Persons may establish a system of charity, by resolving to bestow a particular sum, or a particular proportion of their gains every month. Many in this way have made the contributions at the Monthly Concert, the medium of performing a regular course of religious charitable operations. Or persons may establish a system of charity, by resolving to bestow a particular sum every year. This mode of giving is at present so common, as to need no illustration.

Individuals, who are about establishing either of these systems of charity for themselves, may associate with others who are willing to 'do the same, and thus a regular charitable Society will be constituted. Where several of these societies exist in one vicinity, they may connect themselves together by a mutual agreement, and pour their united streams of charity into the treasury of the Lord. And where an object of great and common interest is presented, sufficient to excite a whole community, the whole may be divided into associations of this nature, and thus a general system of religious charity may be organized.

These remarks are intended to show what is meant by a system

of charity. I proceed now to point out some of the benefits of system, in our religious charitable operations. And,

1. More will in this way be given, and with less embarrassment, than could be obtained by any other means. Little sums, regularly laid by in store, accumulate almost insensibly, and soon swell to a considerable amount. A few cents every week amount to dollars in the course of a year. Or a small proportion of the gains of any person, who is in flourishing circumstances, reserved statedly for charitable purposes, would in a little time amount to a sum that would probably surprise him. “A number of persons in the city of Boston engaged years ago to contribute a dollar, at every Monthly Concert; and they fulfilled their engagement." And it is on this account, chiefly, that the contributions at the Monthly Concert in Boston have been more regular, and more productive, than perhaps at any other place. A gentleman, of whom I have read, " commenced business with very moderate prospects." He determined to set apart a certain proportion of every gain, to be sacredly "devoted to the service of God." And by this means he was enabled to support wholly, for some part of the time, and to assist constantly" in the support of an aged disciple" of Christ; "to contribute a weekly stipend for a poor and wretched family;" and in the course of six months to contribute fifteen dollars for the promotion of the general cause of religion. These instances, out of the many which might be mentioned, show how greatly and almost insensibly little sums, laid by for charitable purposes, increase; and make it evident, that by bestowing our charities according to system, more will be given, and with less embarrassment, than could be obtained in any other way.

2. By bestowing our charities in this way, we shall be likely to save as much as we give. This may seem paradoxical as first; but both experience and reflection show it to be true. The gentleman referred to under the last particular, who, by devoting a certain proportion of his gains to charitable purposes, was enabled to accomplish so much good, adds, "I have no doubt that the deductions made on every gain, have been saved in carefulness and economy." ." It cannot be doubted, I think, that they were; and that every person who should make the experiment, would come to the same result. He would find, that a systematical and consistent course of charitable operations would be a means of saving him as much as he bestowed. There are good reasons why it should be so. First of all, he would, if under a proper influence, secure for himself "the blessing of God which maketh rich," and which God has promised to bestow upon the consistently liberal. And besides; "whoever adopts a system, with respect to his charities, will be likely to do his other business systematically. Whoever is conscientious and exact in complying with charitable claims upon him, will be so in his other concerns; and this will lead to the truest and best economy. He who devotes one part of every gain to promote the cause of God in the world, will not be

inclined to spend the other part thoughtlessly, extravagantly, or wickedly. The bare fact of bestowing charity, provided it result from a proper motive, must have a moral influence on the heart, which will be felt and exhibited in the whole manner of living. And if these acts of Christian charity are carried into the common business of life, and multiplied to the number of any person's gains, they must so bring into view, and hold up before the mind, the Gospel motives and rules of purity, honesty, and active diligence, as greatly to prevent poverty, and the numberless disappointments in pecuniary concerns, to which all men are liable." Such are some of the reasons which will satisfy every reflecting person, that by forming and pursuing a wise and proper system of religious charity, we shall actually save as much as we give. Our system of charity will probably be more a gain to us, than a loss.

3. If the charities of the Christian public are bestowed regularly and systematically, they can be expended to much better advantage. Every person, at all acquainted with business, knows, to how much better purpose he can employ his means, if he has them in his own hands, or if he has the means of knowing what they are, and at what time he may expect them, than though he is left, on these subjects, in suspense and uncertainty. Every such person will see, therefore, to how much greater advantage the charities of the Chistian public may be expended and applied, if they are bestowed according to some regular sytem. Those to whom they are entrusted, knowing very nearly what sums they are to expect, and when to expect them, will be able to form their plans with wisdom and foresight. They will be able to take the advantage of opportunities and circumstances, and to turn the means entrusted to them to the best account.

4. The friends of religious charity, by being associated and organized according to some general system, will inspire mutual confidence and strength. The work of diffusing the Gospel is one of great labor and difficulty; and were any individual engaged in it alone, or with only a few to countenance and assist him, he would be likely to be soon discouraged. Or were there numbers engaged in it, but all laboring separately, without plan or union, the strength and confidence, which they might mutually impart, would be much diminished. But when the great work of religious charity is undertaken systematically-when its friends and promoters become regularly organized-each moving in his proper sphere, and doing his own work; then they will appear and feel like the army of the Lord of hosts, will inspire mutual confidence and strength, and the noble work, in which they are engaged, will go forward with a steady and resistless progress.

5. System, among the friends and supporters of Missions, will serve to give confidence to the Missionaries themselves. Those beloved brethren and sisters, who have left their friends and homes

and perhaps their country, for the purpose of spreading the gospel among the heathen, are, under God, dependent on the churches and Christians whom they have left behind. And this dependence they must deeply feel. They feel that they are but the messengers of the churches, and can do little more than these churches, by their contributions, shall enable them to accomplish. With what interest, therefore, must they look to the contributions of the churches? And with what confidence it must inspire them in their arduous work, to find their brethren at home not only remenbering them with affection and prayer, but establishing for their benefit a great and general system of religious charitable operation, through which the means of their usefulness are to be regularly supplied, and the donations of the churches are to flow out in one continual and unbroken stream. Perceiving that, by such a measure, their earthly foundation is much strengthened, and their prospects of permanent usefulness increased; they will be encouraged to enlarge the sphere of their labors, to form and to execute new plans of benevolence, and to make longer and greater inroads upon the territory of the enemy of souls.

6. The friends and promoters of religious charity, by being systematically organized can be more directly addressed-can be made more minutely acquainted with circumstances—and their united strength can be more readily called forth, when special emergencies require it. If insulated or unconnected in their exertions, they will have no common centre of information and interest, and no individual among them will be able to make his voice heard, beyond the little circle in which he separately moves. But if their operations become digested into a regular system, their case will be much altered, and improved. They then can be addressed, directly and at once, on any subject or occasion which is thought necessary. They can be made acquainted with the same facts, the same plans, the same encouragements and wants. The same calls can be issued, and the same motives be made to bear, on all at once. The promoters of religious charity would resemble, in this case, a well regulated army, moving steadily onward to their purpose, and directing their united energies against the enemies of their Lord, in sure and certain prospect of a speedy and decisive victory.

7. A regular system of charitable operations would do away in great measure the necessity of special efforts.-Hitherto, the cause of religious charity has been sustained too much by efforts of this nature. A particular branch continues its expenditures, till it is brought into straits, perhaps to the borders of bankruptcy, when a vigorous and strained effort is made for its relief. From the several departments, these efforts follow each other, perhaps in quick succession, till the purses if not the patience of some good people are nearly exhausted. The times may have demanded efforts

such as these, and may still demand them; but they obviously ought to occur as seldom as possible. They are attended with danger to the cause, and in some instances have resulted in more harm than good. But how shall they be dispensed with, and still the good work be carried on, unless the whole be resolved into a regular systematic operation? Let every object have its place, and its time, when its claims shall be promptly met and answered, and special efforts may at once cease. The great moral machinery will move on without them, and without that danger from irregular shocks and disturbances to which they are now too frequently subjected.

8. By bestowing our charities according to system, they will be much more likely to be continued, and to be permanent. Without some regular digested system, Christians are liable to become careless and negligent in their contributions. Other calls are made, and are heeded, while the claims of the Lord's treasury are forgotten or disregarded. This accounts for it, that where there is no system of religious charity, the contributions are so fluctuating, and so little to be depended on. But when the charities of Christians are reduced to a system, there is more reason to hope they will be regular and permanent. The system established, if it be entered into with zeal and spirit, may be expected to move on in its appointed course. The stream of charity may be expected to run. Like the operations of nature, these benevolent operations will be steady and unfailing. The contributions of Christians may be expected to be continued, and so far as practicable, to be increased. In this way, the work of spreading the Gospel may be expected to cease, only when the necessity for it ceases. It may be expected to go forward, with increasing energy and success, till "the knowledge of the Lord shall have covered the earth as the waters do the sea."

I have here noticed several advantages which may be expected to result, from reducing the charities of the Christian public as much as possible to a system. They are, in the general, obvious, and such as can scarcely fail to be realized. In most other things, the advantages of system are universally acknowledged. But there is perhaps nothing to which system may be better applied, and from which the benefits of it will be greater, than the religious charitable operations of the present day.

It is to be hoped that this subject is beginning to be appreciated, and that the charitable operations of the day are gradually resolving themselves, more and more, into a regular, systematical form. Benevolent individuals are uniting themselves with others of a kindred spirit; smaller associations are combining their efforts, and constituting larger ones; while these are conveying the collected treasures of their charity to some greater and more general institution. By this means, the Christian community are coming