"Go to the dark alleys and the darker dwellings of the poor. Go in the spirit of that God to whom the soul of the poor man is as precious as your own. Go in the spirit of Him who for our sakes was poor, and had no where to lay His head. Go in reliance on that omnipotent grace which can raise up the most fallen, cleanse the most polluted, enrich the poorest with more than royal wealth, console the deepest sorrows, and sanctify the sorest trials of life. Go cheerfully, for into the darkest dwelling you carry the light of life. And think not that you alone visit these humble habitations. God is there, -- Christ is there, -- angels are there. Feel their presence; breathe their love; and through your wise, unwearied, effectual labors, may the poor man's dwelling become a consecrated place, the abode of love, "The house of God and the gate of heaven." William Ellery Channing.