When were the children of a bountiful man the worse for his bounty? He may leave them less of this world's good; but is it not seen that God's hand waits to prosper them, and watches over them for good? They are advanced, no man can tell why. An invisible charm works for them, and men in their blindness wonder at their good fortune. But, of all this the secret reason is, that God will fulfil His promise: "them that honour Me, I will honour." Let us then take Him at His word; without fear that it will ever be the worse for us or for ours. Let us honour Him, and He will provide for and honour us and them. And who is there that fears God, and knows the blessedness of His favour and the certainty of His truth, that would not rather choose that his father, by abundant bounty for Christ's sake, should leave him poor in this world, and rich in the promises and blessings of the Most High, than to inherit a mighty estate, won in the ways of this world, without the fear of God, and on which he could hardly hope for His blessing?
But it is not here, after all, that the Christian has his best hope or his richest reward. If the promise went no farther than this world, it would but offer us one hundredfold for what we give to God; but let us lift up our eyes and our hearts, and strive to take in something of the infinite and eternal reward in heaven, of which the earthly promise is but the type and shadow. And this is pledged to us in the word of God not
