"Good actions," as the admirable Achbishop Leighton remarks, "cannot well be hid; and it may sometimes be necessary for example and exciting others, that they know of it; but take heed that vanity creep not in under this. And further than either unavoidable necessity, or some evident further good of thy neighbour carries it, desire to be unknown and unseen in this. When it must be public, let thy intention be secret; take no delight in the eyes of men on thee; yea, rather count it a pain; and still eye God alone, for he eyes thee. And remember it even in public acts of charity, and other such like, _he sees in secret_; though the action be no secret, the spring, the source of it, is; and he sees by what weights the wheels go, and he still looks upon that, views thy heart, the bidden bent and intention of it, which man cannot see. So then, though in some cases thou must be seen to do, yet in no case do to be seen: that differs much; and where that is, even the other will be as little as it may be." There are other persons who, though they cannot in all cases be censured for penuriousness, have imbibed a very pernicious error. They plead that they have scarcely sufficient for themselves, that they cannot therefore afford to contribute even to a good cause; and that if they were to do any thing, it must necessarily be so little as to be useless. What, say they, could our insignificant donations avail in aid of a fund which requires the most liberal and constant supplies? Could our drop of charity materially increase the tide, or swell the ocean? Would it become us to take from our few necessities, what could not much augment the comforter minister to the wants of others? Or does God require that his cause should be sustained by the poor, and the poorest of the poor, when he can command the purses of the opulent, or turn the stones of the desert into gold. To this reasoning the instructive history we are considering is a direct reply. There were two circumstances in her lot, which not only merited compassion, but would have furnished as strong arguments against her contributing to the treasury as it is perhaps possible to adduce.