Page:The pastor in his closet.djvu/77

 heart. Teach mine eyes and my soul to behold Thee when I behold the poor, that I may give unto them as unto Thee. Teach me so to give unto the hungry, and the thirsty, and the stranger, and the naked, and the widow, and the fatherless, and the captive, as though I saw Thee an hungered, and thirsty, and naked, and sick, and in prison; for then shall I be a true giver of alms, and obtain Thy great blessing, and rightly esteem the poor, as the representatives of Thyself. Lord, Thou hast made it a privilege and an honour to give alms, when Thou didst speak those most gracious words, “Verily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Henceforth make me forward to bear this cross, to glory in denying myself for the poor's sake that I may have to give to the poor who cannot recompense me, for I believe I shall be “recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

Grant also, Lord, that not on this day only, but always, I may keep myself from all self-indulgent ways, from all personal luxuriousness, from all superfluities in meat and drink and apparel, from all vain expenses, from all costly tastes, from all love of show and regard of appearances, from all worldliness in my style of