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"it to one of the leaft of these my brethren, ye "have done it to me." It is not neceffary to underftand this paffage as a literal account of what will actually pafs on that day. Suppofing it only a fcenical defcription of the rules and principles, by which the Supreme Arbiter of our destiny will regulate his decifions, it conveys the fame leffon to us; it equally demonftrates of how great value and importance thefe duties in the fight of God are, and what ftrefs will be laid upon them. Apostles also describe this virtue as propitiating the divine favour in an eminent degree. And thefe recommendations have produced their effect. It does not appear that, before the times of Chriftianity, an infirmary, hofpital, or public charity of any kind, existed in the world; whereas, moft countries in Christendom have long abounded with these institutions. To which may be added, that a spirit of private liberality feems to flourish amidst the decay of many other virtues: not to mention the legal provifion for the poor, which obtains in this country, and which was unknown and unthought of by the most humanized nations of antiquity.

St. Paul adds upon the fubject an excellent direction; and which is practicable by all who have any thing to give. "Upon the first day of the "week (or any other ftated time) let every one of

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you lay by in ftare, as God hath profpered "him." By which I understand St. Paul to recommend, what is the very thing wanting with moft men, the being charitable upon a plan; that is, from a deliberate comparifon of our fortunes with the reasonable expences and expectations of our families, to compute what we can fpare, and to lay by fo much for charitable purposes in fome mode or other. The made will be a confideration afterwards.

Matth, xxv. 31.

The

The effect, which Chriftianity produced upon fome of its first converts was fuch as might be looked for from a divine religion coming with full force and miraculous evidence upon the confciences of mankind. It overwhelmed all worldly confider. ations in the expectation of a more important existence." And the multitude of them that be"lieved were of one heart and of one foul; "neither faid any of them that ought of the things, "which he poffeffed, was his own; but they had "all things in common.-Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were "poffeffors of lands or houses fold them, and "brought the prices of the things that were "fold, and laid them down, at the Apoftles' feet; and diftribution was made unto every man, "according as he had need." Acts iv. 32.

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Nevertheless, this community of goods, however it manifefted the fincere zeal of the primitive Christians, is no precedent for our imitation. It was confined to the church at Jerufalem; continued not long there; was never enjoined upon any (Acts v. 4.); and, although it might fuit with the particular circumstances of a fmall and felect fociety, is altogether impracticable in a large and mixed com

munity.

The conduct of the Apoftles upon the occafion deferves to be noticed. Their followers laid down their fortunes at their feet: but fo far were they from taking advantage of this unlimited confidence to enrich themfelves or establish their own authority, that they foon after got rid of this business, as inconfiftent with the main object of their miffion, and transferred the custody and management of the public fund to deacons, elected to that office by the people at large. (Acts vi.)

II. The manner of bestowing bounty-or the different kinds of charity.

Every question between the different kinds of charity fuppofes the fum beftowed to be the fame.

There

There are three kinds of charity which prefer a claim to attention.

The first, and in my judgment one of the beft, is to give ftated and confiderable fums, by way of penfion or annuity, to individuals or families, with whose behaviour and diftrefs we ourselves are acquainted. When I speak of confiderable fums, I mean only, that five pounds, or any other fum, given at once, or divided amongst five or fewer families, will do more good than the fame fum diftributed among a greater number in fhillings or half crowns; and that, because it is more likely to be properly applied by the perfons who receive it. A poor fellow, who can find no better use for a fhilling than to drink his benefactor's health, and purchase half an hour's recreation for himself, would hardly break into a guinea for any fuch purpose, or be fo improvident, as not to lay it by for an occafion of importance, for his rent, his cloathing, fuel, or ftock of winter's provifion. It is a still greater recommendation of this kind of charity, that penfions and annuities, which are paid regularly, and can be expected at the time, are the only way by which we can prevent one part of a poor man's fufferings, the dread of want.

2. But as this kind of charity fuppofes that proper objects of fuch expenfive benefactions fall within our private knowledge and obfervation, which does not happen to all, a fecond method of doing good, which is in every one's power who has the money to fpare, is by fubfcription to public charities. Public charities admit of this argument in their favour, that your money goes farther towards attaining the end for which it is given, than it can do by any private and separate beneficence. A guinea, for example, contributed to an infirmary, becomes the means of providing one patient at least, with a phyfician, furgeon, apothecary, with medicine, diet, lodging, and

fuitable

fuitable attendance; which is not the tenth part, of what the fame affistance, if it could be procured at all, would cost to a fick perfon or family in any other fituation.

3. The laft, and compared with the former, the loweft exertion of benevolence, is in the relief of beggars. Nevertheless, I by no means approve the indifcriminate rejection of all who implore our alms in this way. Some may perifh by such a conduct. Men are sometimes overtaken by distress, for which all other relief would come too late. Befide which, refolutions of this kind compel us to offer fuch violence to our humanity, as may go near, in a little while to fuffocate the principle itself; which is a very ferious confideration, A good man, if he do uot furrender himself to his feelings without referve, will at least lend an ear to importunities which come accompanied with outward atteftations of diftrefs, and after a patient audience of the complaint, will direct himself, not fo much by any previous refolution which he may have formed upon the fubject, as by the circumftances and credibility of the account that he receives.

There are other species of charity well contrived to make the money expended go far; fuch as keeping down the price of fuel or provision, in case of a monopoly or temporary fcarcity, by purchafing the articles at the best market, and retailing them at prime coft, or at a small lofs; or the adding of a bounty to particular species of labour, when the price is accidentally depressed.

The proprietors of large eftates have it in their power to facilitate the maintenance, and thereby to encourage the establishment of families (which is one of the nobleft purposes to which the rich and great can convert their endeavours), by building cottages, fplitting farms, erecting manufactures, cultivating waftes, embanking the fea, draining marthes, and other expedients, which the fituation

of

of each points out. If the profits of thefe undertakings do not repay the expence, let the authors of them place the difference to the account of charity. It is true of almost all fuch projects that the public is a gainer by them, whatever the owner be. And where the lofs can be fpared, this confideration is fufficient.

It is become a queftion of fome importance, under what circumftances works of charity ought to be done in private, and when they may be made public without detracting from the merit of the action; if indeed they ever may, the author of our religion having delivered a rule upon this fubject, which feems to enjoin univerfal fecrecy. "When thou doest "alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right "hand doth; that thy alms may be in fecret, and "thy father which feeth in fecret, himself fhall re"ward thee openly." (Mat. vi. 3, 4.) From the preamble to this prohibition I think it, however, plain, that our Saviour's fole defign was to forbid oftentation, and all publishing of good works which proceeds from that motive. "Take heed that ye

do not your alms before men, to be feen of them; "otherwife ye have no reward of your father, which "is in heaven: therefore, when thou doelt thine "alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the "hypocrites do, in the fynagogues and in the streets, "that they may have glory of men. Verily I fay

unto thee they have their reward," v. 2. There are motives for the doing our alms in public befide thofe of oftentation, with which therefore our Saviour's rule has no concern: fuch as to teftify our approbation of some particular fpecies of charity, and to recommend it to others; to take off the prejudice, which the want, or, which is the fame thing, the fuppreffion of our name in the lift of contributors might excite against the charity, or against ourselves, And, fo long as thefe motives are free from any mixture of vanity, they are in no danger of invad

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