SERMON fied the annals of former times. Let me

II.

afk, what is the language that we every day
hear? The articles of common life are
fo exorbitant, and people are required,
if they mean to live at all in the world,
'to keep up fuch an expensive appearance,
' that they cannot afford to do those pri-
'vate acts of bounty which their inclina-
'tions would otherwife lead them to.' This
is the language of the world; and its
practice is ordered accordingly. How
fmall a proportion does the alms-giving
of too many of us bear to the expence of
any one of our vices or our follies? Who
now, as in times which are hardly out of
the recollection of many of you, tythes
his income to feed the poor, and to raise
up the dejected? Who denies himself in
any luxury or artificial craving? Who
orders his affairs with frugality, that he
may be able to wipe away-not a tempo-

rary

1

to-morrow;

rary tear from a weeping eye-or to relieve that hunger which will rage again but to intercept the very fources of diftrefs, and to heal up a heart deeply wounded and ftricken? If fome feed they scatter, whose harvest they might expect to reap in Heaven, how fadly do they adulterate it with a large portion of tares, which choak it up!

Here I clofe my review of the subject: the conclufion I had rather trust to yourfelves, than affift you in drawing it.

Some of you, doubtless, will be surprised that I fhould have made this review in a place which furnishes me with an argument against the obvious tendency of it. But I trust that no man, who hears me, does good upon fo fhallow a foundation, as to be afraid to trace the motive, or to examine into the nature of his bounty; nor would I, for a moment, fuppose that

any

SERMON

II.

SERMON

II.

any man here could be fhaken in his charity, because there is such a thing as fpurious Benevolence in the world. Whoever knows the valuable effects of our inftitution; whoever confiders the fpecies of diftrefs which it relieves; and whoever views the affecting objects which it protects, must confefs, that the Benevolence which is here called forth, is one of the most lovely blossoms of our holy religion. Who then, that fees a wretched orphan received from the bed of an expiring parent into the arms of new fathers and new mothers; who fees an helpless and deferted female fnatched from ruin, nurtured with instruction, and then presented to the world with the best guards of innocence; who is there that witneffes the diffusion of such precious feed, but must with that it may grow up into a blessed harvest of eternal happiness to the benevo

lent

lent husbandman, and pour forth the fruits of everlasting joy an hundred fold into his own bofom? Impreffed with this fentiment, I exhort every man to analyse his Benevolence, to put it upon its true motive, and its true grounds, to confider it as a part, and not as the whole of his duty; that so, after having been inftrumental in faving others, he may himself not finally be caft away. My brethren, true Benevolence cannot exist without all other Christian graces: all virtues are of the fame family; they all spring from Piety. Love to our neighbour can only flow from the fountain of love to God. You will easily comprehend, that a good action is not the cause of religion, but the effect only* and religion does not direct its difciples to one or another good action,

* Vid. Estimate of the Religion of the Fashionable World.

SERMON but to all, and every one, where occafion

II.

calls, and opportunity presents itself. May

this, my brethren, be the nature of your

Benevolence; may

it be the univerfal Be

nevolence of the world! Then, and then only, may this be eminently termed The Age of Charity; and when your good works all flow from Piety, their reward shall be returned into your own hearts; and bleffed, and for ever bleffed shall ye be in the enjoyment of that reward in the kingdom of God!