concerns! Faith, in an Almighty power, our own laudable exertions, and habitual industry of mind, will generally conquer those difficulties and evils which arise not from our own misconduct.

Cleave, therefore, to that which is good," and remember, that "He, who brought life and immortality to light

through the Gospel," "went about do

ing good;" was himself subject to the sorrows and suffering of human nature, and can duly estimate every effort of our fortitude, every effusion of Christian sensibility!

49

ON UNIVERSAL CHARITY.

"Charity never faileth *.

CHARITY is a subject on which much has been expatiated; on which eloquence has delighted to dwell, and which philanthropy has been gratified to practise. Taken in an extensive view, it includes all the social and moral duties of life, and widens the circle of benevolence in whatever direction it extends. St. Paul declares, that were we arrived at the perfection of human knowledge, possessing the gifts of prophecy, and understanding all mysteries, with faith to remove mountains, and have not charity, we are nothing. "That though

*C or.xiii. 8.

D

"we bestow all our goods to feed the "poor, and give our body to be burned, "and have not charity, it would profit us nothing.'

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To those who consider charity in its most limited sense, and conceive that to relieve the indigent from the superfluities of our fortune, comprehends the whole of the duty, St. Paul's assertion must appear extraordinary: but his advice and admonitions are not the words of vain declamation; they are founded in the spirit of genuine Christianity.

To relieve the wants and necessities of the poor and indigent, whose tale of woe vibrates on the chord of feeling; to be generous to the dependents on our bounty, or to the unfortunate companion of our dissipated hours! to prefix our name, and add to the means of any public charitable subscription, we will ever hope is the result of a liberal and well-disposed mind. It were derogatory

to the Christian or the Moraiist, to discourage such acts of benevolence; but yet they are only the outlines of that charity, which is enforced by our Saviour and his disciples: for unless charity be engrafted on more permanent principles than the mere impulse of feeling, unless it spring from a higher sense of duty to the commands of God, it will never be consistently or religiously practised. Justice and generosity would seldom assimilate, the humble claim of suffering merit would be frequently disregarded for the loud clamor of art or importunity; all would be liable to that imposition which contributes to harden the heart against the next suppliant of our assistance and bounty, and charity might be measured only by its extended influence, not by the motives from which it originates. For where there is no selfdenial, no luxury or comfort abridged in our donations to the poor, charity be

comes more a relief to the feelings of a generous nature, than a duty founded on the principles of religion; and we are taught to believe, that the widow's mite, and the cup of cold water given in the naine, and through the remembrance of Christ, was a more valued sacrifice in the sight of Heaven, than all the gifts of pride and ostentation.

How delightful and consolatory is this assurance to those whose minds are more capacious than their fortune, who feel the necessity of circumscribing pecuniary relief to their distressed or indigent neighbour. Our blessed Saviour justly reprobates all manner of ostentation in our gifts to the poor; and the Gospel affords such plain and decisive rules on the subject, that it is hardly possible for the true professor of Christianity to mistake their general import, or to fail in a due association of feeling and principle.