"III. I shall inquire how far liberality ought to be carried. "IV. Shall consider the duty of charity in particular." p. 4. The definition of an evangelical motive, under the first head, is excellent: "If you ask what it is to act from an evangelical motive, I answer, It is to act from an affectionate regard to the authority of the true God, and from a believing and grateful respect to Christ." P. 4. This definition is illustrated very satisfactorily, and at considerable length. The second head of discourse is occupied in proving and enforcing the important truth, that a beneficent spirit is indispensably requisite to the existence of true religion. If the preacher is right in this point, as we think he is beyond question, it becomes a matter of serious concern with many professed Christians to ascertain whether they really possess a beneficent character. If they are found wanting in this great matter, they can never plead in excuse that the Scriptures are not sufficiently, plain on the subject. The parable of the good Samaritan is introduced as directly in point. The following sentences constitute the substance of the argument deduced from it. "No one doubts that our Savior meant to hold up the priest and levite as hypocrites. Then certainly he in tended so to construct the story as to furnish proof against them. But the only proof exhibited was their neglect of a suffering brother. This parable, then, is an eternal testimony, that all the feelings, zeal, and devotion in the world cannot raise a man above the character of a hypocrite, while he neglects the sufferings of his brethP. 12. ren." This argument is complete in all its parts, and the conclusion is inevitable. Indeed, we have no doubt that some professors of strict religion, (we hope the number is small,) do in fact exhibit to the world as decisive evidence against their religious character by their habitual covetousness, as they could do by a course of habitual fraud, drunkenness, or profaneness. Should this assertion be deemed harsh, we hold ourselves pledged to support it by undeniable facts, and to defend the conclusion from these facts by the infallible testimony of Scripture. We have often been distressed while observing a class of men who can talk йuently and loud on the subject of religion, and yet do not consider that the Bible much more frequently commands them to act religiously, than to talk so. It is quite a popular opinion, that only the rich, and those in flourishing worldly circumstances,are required to give money in charity; whereas the truth plainly is, that all are required to give who are not themselves dependent on the charity of others: and even these are bound to discharge every charitable office in their power. After having stated that the sacrifice of property to God, in token of homage, is one of the appointed forms of worship,' the preacher observes, "Giving to the Lord, with those who have any thing that they can call their own, is as essential to salvation as any other part of worship. Do you say that others can better afford to give? You may as well say that others can better afford to do your part of prayer, and attend public worship in your stead. You may as well think of being holy by proxy, and being saved by proxy. Do you plead that you have nothing to spare? You may as well plead that you have no time to do that for which all time was given you." pp. 13, 14. The duty of performing acts of beneficence habitually, the advantages of benevolent societies, and the lamentable defectiveness of Christians in the practice of charity, are stated with force in the following paragraphs: "But it is not enough to give, now and then, in a paroxysm of passion; you must do it habitually, as you pray, and transact business, and prac tise the other moral virtues. The promises of the Gospel, as well as its threatenings, are made, not to partic. ular acts, but to general characters,characters formed by nothing less than habitual conduct. The man who prays only when he is sick, or in peril, is not, in the eye of scripture, devout. And the man who only gives once or twice a year, as passion or caprice dictates, has no claim to the character or rewards of the liberal. Your liberality must be as habitual as love, and as systematic as a well regulated conscience. As far as possible it should be reduced to a permanent system, extending through every month in the year, and through every year of your lives. It would promote such regularity to devote, as some have done, a fixed proportion of your income to God. And here I cannot but remark, that benevolent societies, because they do the work of charity upon settled principles, have the first claim to our aid. The irregular impulse of private charity may conduct us to the impudent solicitations of the street-beggar, or the whining im pertinence of the besotted vagrant, while it overlooks retired and modest want. A society formed upon system, which inquires, and deliberates, and feels a responsibility to the pub lic for every act, is the best depositary of our gifts. "It is matter of deep lamentation that this duty is so shamefully neglect. ed. Multitudes, who were it not for this neglect would be esteemed Christians, manifestly have souls too contracted for God to inhabit. They seem never to have awaked from the dream that they can be saved without this essential part of religion. While they would shudder at the thought of breaking the laws which God has enacted against theft and they are living in contempt of premurder, they scarcely suspect that cepts equally binding. This is one of the crying sins of our land, and one of the greatest blots upon our churches. How many professors of religion, especially among the laboring clas impossible to extort a few farthings ses of society, from whom it is to feed the poor, to support a religious magazine, or to send missionaries to the heathen. And yet they dream such a spirit prevails among the that they are Christians! Where churches, it is as deplorable a mark of the declension of religion, as the neg. lence of false doctrines. The enemies lect of family worship, or the preva of the Gospel have the boldness open. ly to say, that if they were in distress, they would sooner apply to the men of the world than the church. O time for the church to arise, and wipe "tell it not in Gath!" It is high off this foul aspersion. "Take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people." If such is the character of the church, it is no longer the church of Christ. But it is a libel; a libel doubtless; though it must be confes sed with tears and blushes, that too much occasion has been given for this humiliating charge." pp. 15, 18 While we lament that just cause exists for the foregoing observations, it ought not to be forgotten, that there are in our country some men who practically acknowledge that the silver and the gold belong to God. There are rich men, who cheerfully put their hands to every good work. There are also men in more moderate circumstances, who sacrifice a large part of their money, and their time, to public and charitable purposes. May the number be greatly increased. It is to be considered, likewise, that much of the sin of Christians in this matter is to be imputed to ignorance. They seem to have just begun to learn the best and noblest use of money. The religious world are now invited to engage in a new and unexampled career of beneficence; and it must take time for the mass of professed Christians to become acquainted with the objects which demand these extraordinary sacrifices. We have strong hopes that all real Christians, who will take suitable pains to get information, will unite cordially in patronizing the great purposes of charity which now claim their attention. The question "How far should our liberality be carried?" which forms the third head of discourse, cannot be answered otherwise than in general terms. Still the conscientious inquirer will here find many directions, which will greatly assist him in making up a judgment. The preacher states that the Israelites were specifically commanded in their law to give at least four tenths of their income to public and charitable purposes; of which three tenths were devoted to the support of religion and government, and at least another tenth to the poor. This statement is explained at large in a note, where the passages of Scripture are cited to support it. There is another important note in this part of the Sermon, p. 23, in which 'the author defends the arts and ornaments of life.' This note has been understood as countenancing luxury. For ourselves, we can find no position in it, which is not perfectly tenable. It exhibits, in our opinion, a just and enlarged view of the progress of society, and of the great utility of the arts. It was introduced to explain what had been said in answer to an objection frequently started on this subject; namely, that if all men were to devote their property to liberal and charitable uses, reserving to themselves only what is necessary to sustain life, the useful arts would be suppressed, and civilized society would relapse into barbarism. The duty of charity, or almsgiving, is enforced by many quotations from Scripture, and by a powerful array of religious motives; and the Sermon concludes with an eloquent appeal to the compassion of the audience in favor of the orphans to be provided for by the Female Asylum. This Sermon is a plain, practical, and very able discussion of a most important subject. We recommend it to all classes of readers, but especially to those who read attentively, and reflect seriously, with a view to act conscientiously and systematically. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. ABSTRACT CONTINUED. A Benevolent Society has been formed in London for visiting and reliev ing cases of great distress, chiefly among the numerous poor of Spitalfields and the vicinity. The Rev. Josiah Pratt is president, and John Kincaid, Esq. treasurer. There is no part of the metropolis which calls so feelingly for assistance. Christian charity will not limit itself to the temporal necessities of the poor It will take advantage of that access which the relief of these necessities opens to the heart, to instruct the ignorant, and to warn and counsel those who neglect God. Every subscriber will be entitled to recommend such cases of real distress as come under his observation, in order to their being inquired into. The Society for the support and encouragement of Sunday Schools in England, Wales, Ireland, and adjacent islands, had its annual meeting on the 17th of April last. The Čommittee reported that 88 schools had been added to those which were previously upon the Society's list. The zeal for conveying instruction through the medium of Sunday schools, they state to have in no degree abated. Of their beneficial effects, long demonstrated by indisputable evidence, the committee have received many pleasing and unequivocal testimonies. The Society's patronage appears to have produced happy results in every place where it has been bestowed. The Society for Missions to Africa and the East held its annual meeting on the 4th of June last, when the Rev. Melville Horne delivered a very eloquent sermon. This society was instituted in 1800 by members of the Established Church. Upwards of fifty persons, adults and children are dependent upon it in Africa, at the Society's settlements on the Rio Pongas. Six are either now preparing for future labors under the Rev. Thomas Scott, D. D. or are waiting a passage to Africa; and three have sailed as settlers, under the direction of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, in New Zealand. A new Magdalen Asylum has been instituted at Edinburgh, above 13,000 dollars having been raised by volun. tary contributions for that purpose. It appears, that notwithstanding the frequent sickness of the women in the house, and the ignorance of many of them on their first admission, the fruits of their industry do more than pay for their maintenance; a produce from female labor which is rarely to be found, and unprecedented in the history of charitable institutions. A Seminary for furnishing parochia! Schoolmasters for Ireland has been sometime in operation, patronized by Mr Wilberforce and men of a kin. dred spirit. Henry Thornton, Esq. M. P. is the Treasurer. Twentyone young men, educated since 1806 at the seminary, have been sent out to superintend parochial schools; and the committee are happy to record the high testimony which has been borne by their various employers to their virtues and talents. Letters to this effect from several most respect. able clergymen are in the hands of the secretaries. Letters dated November, 1810, have been received from the Rev. Samuel Marsden, the indefatigable and excellent senior chaplain of the colony at New South Wales. From these it appears, that the influence of religion is operating powerfully in checking the profligacy and wick edness which have hitherto prevailed in that colony. Some remarkable instances of conversion had taken place among the Roman Catholics, and others, who seemed the most unlike ly to profit by religious instruction; and who had, for months before the letters were sent off, conducted themselves in a manner consistent with their professions. The other cleryg· men, and the schoolmasters who went over with Mr. Marsden, are actively and usefully employed. All the children in the colony, who are old enough to attend the schools, are now receiving religious instruction, as well as instruction in the rudiments of other branches of useful knowl edge. One school of a hundred children is established near Mr. Marsden's residence, in order that he may himself superintend the religious educa. tion of those children. At the time the letters left Botany Bay, Mr. Marsden had with him Duaterra, and two other New Zealand chiefs; through whose means he hopes to be able, ere long, to introduce the knowledge of Christianity among the New Zealanders. REVIVAL OF RELIGION IN NEW IPSWICH, (N. H.) A letter from an authentic source, dated New Ipswich, October 7, 1811, contains the following intelligence. "There is in this place a very powerful and general revival of religion,as also in Townsend, a neighboring town. There is likewise much unusual seriousness in several other towns in this vicinity. In this town there are about fifty, who have recently obtain. ed hopes. It is good to be here." THE SEVENTH REPORT OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. (Continued from p. 332.) Your Committee have also the satisfaction to lay before the Members of the Society, a prospect of a still more ample diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, in various eastern dialects which have not been enumerated, and in which they have never appeared. Dr. Leyden, whose extensive knowledge of these dialects is unrivalled, has submitted to the Corresponding Committee of Calcutta proposals for procuring versions in the following languages; the Siamese, Macassar, Bugis, Afghan, Rakheng, Maldivian, and Jagatai; comprehending the colloquial dialects in use, from the eastern boundary of Bengal to the Islands of Borneo and Celebes, inclusive. The expense of translating the four Gospels into each of these dialects, is estimated at about 800 rupees; and the Corresponding Committee, anxious to take advantage of Dr. Leyden's proposal, expressed their ap probation of it, and agreed to pay the sum of 200 rupees on receiving a copy of each Gospel in any of the dialects enumerated. This engagement has been fulfilled with respect to four of the proposed versions; that of the Gospel of St. Matthew having been. completed in the Pushto or Afghan dialect, and the Maldivian, excepting the two last chapters, together with versions of the Gospel of St. Mark, in the Bugis and Macassar. As a very considerable part of the expense attending the printing of the Holy Scriptures in India, arises from the excessive dearness of paper there; your Committee have therefore judg ed it expedient to provide against any unnecessary expenditure in this arti cle, by sending very large supplies of it will be required. A considerable paper to those parts of India where quantity has been consigned to Bom. bay, for printing the New Testament in the Malayalim language at that setadvanced, (a printed copy of the Gostlement. This work is considerably pel of St. Matthew having been laid before your Committee,) and the completion of it is anxiously expected by the members of the ancient Syrian church. It may be mentioned as a singular and not uninteresting circumstance, that a native of India, and a Hindoo, has subscribed 100 rupees to the funds of the Society, and has addressed a letter to your Committee, acquainting them with it. Your Committee, having thus de. tailed the proceedings now carrying on in India, for promoting the diffu. sion of the Scriptures, have only further to add, that they have consider. ed it their duty to aid them by pecuniary supplies, commensurate to their extent and importance. They have accordingly, in addition to the 50001. granted for the disbursements of the preceding five years in translating and printing the Scriptures in India, voted 20001. annually, for the three successive years. |