In the dim twilight, the stiffened corpse of the Mess hung loosely from the cross. His life, upon that day of t ror, had been made a sacrifice. The gaping and indi rent crowd had dispersed. The enemies of Jesus, who triumphantly witnessed his death, and satisfied their venge with his blood, had retired to Jerusalem to celebra their victory.

The timid friends of the Saviour did not dare to a proach the sacrifice through fear of the mob. They wit drew, weeping and sorrowful, and concealed themselves their rude houses. Lonely and deserted was Golgoth But footsteps broke upon the silence of the hour; and m came hurrying from Jerusalem, with hearts full of lov Among them was Joseph of Arimathea, one of the riche and most respectable citizens of Jerusalem, a member the high council, and honored by Pilate the Roman gover There also came one of the most worthy and est mable of the Pharisees, called Nicodemus, whose servant carried with them myrrh and aloes. The body was en wrapped, with these spices, in clean linen, and carried to Joseph's garden, where it was placed in a new sepulchre formed in a rock. And there followed, weeping, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, who beheld afar off the resting place of his beloved body.

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While poverty is compelled to remain silent, the voice of the wealthy may still be heard. What could not be accomplished by the needy disciples of Christ, was easily performed by two rich men of the land. What the Roman governor would have denied to the tears of Mary, the mother of the crucified, he readily granted to a member of the high council of Jerusalem. The inspired writers, instead of despising all to whom God has given great riches, seemed to have particularly honored the memory of these men, who distinguished themselves by such a provident use of their wealth; and to represent them as a counter-part to the youth, who enquired, what he might do to become more perfect, and went away sorrowful, because he was commanded to give up his worldly possessions. But our Saviour did not mean by this, that it was indispensible for a man to give up all his riches for the benefit of the poor,

before he could enter into the kingdom of heaven: he only wished to make manifest the many dangers and hindrances arising from wealth, rather than that virtue and piety could not be associated with it. David was one of the most powerful and wealthy princes of the world, and at the same time possessed a noble and godlike mind. Then was it not foolishness-an enthusiasm of devotion, for kings and rich men of olden times, to give up their property and live in voluntary exile, to be more certain of heaven? Is it not also censurable at present, for bigots and fanatics, full of contemptible pride and unrelenting hate, to contend that the enjoyment of riches is a sin, or

Every thing that we receive from God is a blessing, unl the sinfulness of our own hearts wantonly convert it int

It is not the business of men, to enquire into the man that an individual shall make use of his property, provic it is not prostituted to the injury of social and civil ord In the latter instance it would be the province of the la to prevent and punish such pernicious use. It is common those who possess only limited fortunes, to censure the co duct, generally, of the more wealthy, and to make them c jects of their ridicule, because they enjoy a little more d tinction than themselves. Every one judges of the oth by his own arbitary opinion. The miser looks upon him a prodigal, whose expenses are equivalent to his income the ignorant censure those who expend their wealth f promoting the arts or sciences, or encouraging useful inst tutions; while the epicure would consider it the very acm of foolishness, to appropriate his riches for any other obje than that of savoury dishes.

Every affluent man in the world, who is governed by the precepts of wisdom and christianity, will consider his wealt as a loan from heaven; and that he is an agent, for th time being, to attend to its proper distribution. Soon or late it must all be left behind. Our possessions, to day, were those of some other person in a former age; and when we have mouldered into dust, they will be claimed by generations for centuries to come, who will know as little of us, as we knew of our predecessors. The riches of the earth remain forever the same. They neither increase nor diminish but constantly changed from one to another-some

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receiving more and some less. Each one, however, has a share, which is given him for the promotion of his own, as well as the happiness of others.

He, therefore, who administers only to his necessities, and with the residue of his wealth contributes to the happiness of those who are less fortunate, is a good and faithful servant of the Lord. Nor could he enjoy a more exalted pleasure, than, by making use of the wordly advantages he has received, in adding to the welfare of his fellow beings. What an extensive field for benevolence and philanthrophy is opened to him. By his unaffected kindness he seems to belong to a higher rank of beings-the immediate representative of God, appointed to scatter his blessings to all within his reach.

The individual who endeavours, with an intention like this, to increase his wealth, is not deserving of censure. He is not to be placed in contrast with those, who heap up riches for the sake of its possession only, or that they may indulge in the pomp and luxury of the world. He is not like the sensualist, who rejoices in his wealth, because it will gratify his pride, or cause his fawning parasites to bow, with submissive reverence, at the footstool of his vanity.

The true christian will estimate the advantages of his wealth, as a means afforded him, by the beneficence of the Almighty, to perfect the happiness of himself and others. Therefore, he takes no pride in his possessions, (which he rather considers as the property of God,) but asks himself how it may be disposed of so as most to benefit the world. In all at his suffering fellow creatures, he sees legitimate objects for his charity, and thinks himself the data

human race. He is truly the master of his own w while others are its slaves. To the fool, therefore, wealth or poverty may become a source of evil; bu wise man will be contented in either.

We sometimes observe an individual endeavouri remedy the miseries of others without a correspor He is unassisted by the rest of the worldcharitable designs receive not even a passing noticewith pain, he beholds the ignorance, selfishness and i tice of mankind. How exalted does the rich man ap in an instance like this; when he is ready to alleviate suffering of the needy-to fulfil the benevolent impulso his bosom--or to attend faithfully to the voice of wa and distress.

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Unmitigated poverty makes us spiritless. destitute, is not esteemed as one of the common orde mankind. He is oppressed and insulted by the power Nobody will listen to him. His advice is never aske received. His sociability would be regarded as an indis tion. He grows fearful-and he scarcely has the cou to insist upon his unquestionable rights. How enviable contrast, appears to us the man of wealth and power. Joseph of Arimathea, Pilate freely delivered the body the crucified Saviour; so that it might receive a decent rial, while the prayers and supplications of Christ's di ples, and even the tears and entreaties of his mother, w all urged in vain. The poor, be they ever so virtuous, unobserved. If they perform a praise worthy deed, th may receive a cold smile of approbation, or otherwise, h it spoken of merely as their duty. No one enquires wh