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bour. Finally, we are to realize that God is especially glorified when good is done to mankind.

If these interesting considerations are continually kept in view and brought home to the heart, it seems hardly possible that we should not be well prepared to perform all those actions, which are included under the comprehensive name of Charity.

IV. Among the numerous motives to the performance of this duty, I shall select the following.

1. We shall preserve ourselves from the deplorable passion of ava

rice.

Cast back your eyes for a moment on the exhibition made of this attribute in the preceding discourse, and tell me, Which of you is willing to subject himself to the miserable bondage of its domination? Which of you is willing to sustain the character, which of you to perform the actions, which to receive the reward? Can any character be more unfit for a rational being, more odious or more contemptible in itself, or, in proportion to its means, more mischievous to mankind? How emphatically true is it, that the love of money is the root of all evil; that those who love it, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition; that they are seduced from the faith, and pierce themselves through, or, as in the original, all around, with many sorrows! Let every one of you who is a child of God, let every one of you who intends to become a child of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, and love.

But nothing seems better fitted to prevent, or to root out, this wretched passion, than an habitual performance of the duties of charity. He, who accustoms himself to give freely and to act kindly to others, especially to the poor and suffering, from whom he can rationally hope for nothing again, can scarcely fail in the end of being willing to give, and to give liberally. For a truly charitable man to be covetous, is impossible.

Let me add, that in this manner also we shall be secured from the imputation of avarice. Nothing will sooner or more perfectly destroy a good name, than this imputation, nothing more certainly awaken the hatred and the scorn of our fellow-men, nothing more certainly preclude us from any rational or desirable influence over them.

2. By a faithful performance of these duties, we shall secure to ourselves the Esteem of our fellow-men.

A good name, says Solomon, is better than great riches. Among all the things which are done by man, nothing more certainly assures us of the best reputation, than a regular and cheerful performance of charitable offices. Not only do the wise and good, but men of all inferior descriptions, also, readily acknowledge the worth of beneficence, peculiarly when administered to such as are in distress. Excellence in other forms is often doubted, denied, VOL. III.

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disrelished, and calumniated. In this, it seems always to be respected. The character acknowledged is not merely good: it is the best. The hardest heart acknowledges its worth; and the most niggardly tongue vibrates in its praise. How often, when the eye is wandering over published accounts, even fictitious ones, of beneficence administered to the poor and friendless, does the tear of tenderness and sympathy start, and the bosom warm with pleasure at this display of evangelical excellence! Whose voice does not delight to sound the praises of Howard; and how little do nobles, heroes, and princes appear at his side!

In the possession of such a character, we of course acquire a happy influence over our fellow-men; and this influence is the chief means of our usefulness. An indvidual acting alone can do little towards promoting the well-being of his fellow-men; while the same individual, by means of extensive influence, may become an important public blessing. Although, therefore, reputation, considered merely as a gratification of our pride, is of little consequence; its value, as the means of usefulness, is inestimable. In this view, a good name is indeed rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving-favour than silver and gold.

3. In the performance of these duties, we insure to ourselves the approbation of our own Consciences.

This is always the consequence of performing our duty; yet there are some duties, from which it springs in a peculiar degree. Among these, the administration of charity obviously holds a high station. As there is something eminently lovely in beneficence to the eyes of those who look on, so it is seen to be thus lovely by the eye of the benefactor. It is a glorious character of God that he is good, that he doeth good, and that his tender mercies are over all his works. This character we never so directly and peculiarly resemble, as when we do good with the spirit of the Gospel. Of this resemblance, and the beauty of it, the mind is conscious of course; and surveying the Divine image instamped upon itself, beholds its lustre and loveliness with a delight which is independent, serene, and incomparably superior to every thing which the world is able to give or to take away.

4. It secures the approbation of God.

Concerning this truth there can be no debate. Multitudes indeed suppose nothing else to be necessary for this purpose; and seem willing to consider it as supplying all deficiencies of repentance, faith, and love to God, even when their beneficence is that of the hands, and not that of the heart. This undoubtedly is an error, and a very dangerous one. Still it is certain, that Evangelical beneficence will secure to us the Divine approbation; for he, in whom it is found, will certainly possess every other evangelical attribute. In an eminent degree, is it obedience to very numerous commands of the Gospel; and, in a degree no less eminent, is it an object of Scriptural promises. Blessed is he that considereth the

poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble; the Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth: the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing. He hath dispersed; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever.

5. It is a striking resemblance to the character of the Redeemer. Jesus Christ, saith St. Peter, a man who went about doing good. How exact a description is this of our Saviour's life! To pass by the divine doctrines which he taught, how entirely were all his miracles directed to this single end! He healed the sick; he fed the hungry; he comforted the sorrowful; cleansed the leprous, cast out devils, and restored soundness to the lame, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead and still more wonderful were his sufferings. All the contradiction which he endured from sinners, all the agonies of the garden and the cross, and all the humiliation of the grave, he endured solely for the purpose of rescuing wretched apostates, condemned and ruined, from final perdition. How lovely, how glorious a character! Mine elect, saith God the Father, in whom my soul delighteth; my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. What Angel would not delight to make such a character his pattern! What Christian would not follow his example!

6. It will secure a Divine reward.

It is a most remarkable fact, that, in our Saviour's account of his administrations at the final day, he has founded his approbation of good men and their everlasting reward, upon their performance of the duties of charity. Come, ye blessed of my Father, will the Judge of the quick and the dead say to them on his right hand, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee; or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; naked, and clothed thee; or when saw we thee sick, and in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

On the other hand, the cause, expressly assigned for the condemnation of the wicked at the same awful day, is their omission of these very duties. How delightful, then, will it be, to go from this world with a consciousness that the duties of charity have been all performed by ourselves! How melancholy, how dreadful, to stand before the Judge with a conviction that they have all been neglected!

SERMON CXXXI.

TENTH COMMANDMENT.-AVARICE

1 TIMOTHY Vi. 9, 10.-They, that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For, the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many

sorrows.

IN the two preceding discourses, I examined the Nature, and Benefits of Contentment; the immediate object of Injunction in the Tenth Command: and of Charity; a duty which it obviously implies. The subject, which next offers itself to consideration, is the Covetousness, which is the immediate object of Prohibition in this precept. This I shall discuss under the two general heads of Avarice and Ambition.

The former of these shall occupy the present discourse.

The spirit of Covetousness extends, indeed, both its views, and desires, to the objects of Sensuality, as well as to Wealth, and Distinction. But, beside that these are not commonly considered as the proper objects of covetousness, I have already discoursed so extensively concerning several sensual gratifications, as to render it unnecessary again to bring them into a particular examination.

In the present discussion, it is my design to consider, 1. The Folly ;

II. The Guilt; and,

III. The Mischiefs; of Avarice.

All these subjects are directly mentioned in the Text. Of those, who will be rich, it is said, that they fall into many foolish lusts. These lusts are also said to be hurtful, and to drown men in destruction and perdition. It is further said, that the love of money is the root of all evil. Some, who had coveted after it, in, or before, the days of St. Paul, he declares, erred, or were seduced, from the faith; and pierced themselves through; wsgierigav, pierced themselves all around; with many sorrows. Here, we find the Folly, Guilt, and Mischiefs, of Avarice asserted in the strongest, as well as the most explicit, terms. What is thus testified by St. Paul, the common sense of mankind has, in every age and country, attested in the most ample manner. All nations, wherever wealth has existed, have declared Covetousness to be eminently foolish, sinful, and mischievous. A stronger specimen of this testimony can

hardly be given, than in the appropriation of the name, Miser, a wretch, to the avaricious man.

The proofs, which I shall give, at the present time, of the Folly of Avarice, are the following.

1. The pursuits of the Avaricious Man are attended by many unnecessary anxieties, labours, and distresses.

The mind of an avaricious man is always the seat of eager desire. So peculiarly is this the fact, that the words Covetous and Covetousness, although originally signifying any inordinate desire, denote in common usage, when unqualified by other phraseology, the inordinate desire of wealth; and are equivalent to the words Avaricious and Avarice. This fact, more strongly than any reasoning could, proves, that the love of riches is, usually, in an eminent degree, inordinate. But, whenever our desires sustain this character, the mind becomes proportionally anxious. Our attainment of the coveted object is, in most cases, necessarily uncertain. Between the fear of losing, and the hope of acquiring, it, the mind is necessarily suspended. As these desires are continually exerted, the suspense becomes, of course, continual also. A state of suspense is always a state of anxiety. Here, the anxiety is regularly great, and distressing; because the desires are incessant, eager, and sufficiently strong to control all the powers of the mind.

But this anxiety is unnecessarily suffered. All the prudence and industry, which can be lawfully exerted for the acquisition of wealth, may be employed, and all the property, which can be lawfully acquired, may be gained, without the exercise of a single avaricious feeling, and without the sufferance of a single avaricious anxiety. The contented man often becomes rich, to every desirable degree, amid the full possession of serenity, peace, and self-approbation.

Nor are the Labours of the avaricious man of a less unfortunate nature. His mind is continually strained with effort. The strength of his desires, goads him into an unceasing course of contrivances to gratify them. His thirst for property drives him to an incessant formation of plans, by which he hopes to acquire it. The fear of lessening what he has acquired, hurries him into an endless, and wearisome train of exertions, to secure himself from losses. Thus, a course of mental toil is voluntarily assumed by him, resembling, not the independent labours of a freeman, but the drudgery of a slave. The mind of an old miser is thus in a continual state of travail; and struggles through life under the pressure of an iron bondage.

A mind, hurried by eager schemes of effort, is always a tyrant to the body. Accordingly, the bodily labours of the miser commence before the dawn; worry him through the day; and scarcely permit him to lie down at night. A mere dray-horse, he is destined to a course of incessant toil. The only changes of life to him

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