SECTION III.

ASSISTANCE GIVEN IN THE WAY OF JUDICIOUS PATRONAGE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

Much good may be done in the way of patronage and encouragement judiciously bestowed on worthy persons, either by giving them business, introducing them to those who have business to give, furnishing them with loans of money to be repaid after some time, with or without interest, giving them an education, or aiding them in obtaining one, &c. Many, in every age, who have been eminently useful and successful in life, have testified, that they were indebted for all their success, and consequently for their usefulness, to the timely assistance given them by an individual, or a few individuals, in the way of business intrusted to them. A mere introduction and recommendation to men engaged in extensive business, and having much occasion, therefore, to employ others, has often led to the like result. On the other hand, thousands of meritorious young men, who might have been useful and valuable citizens, perhaps ornaments to their country, have sunk under depression, despondency, and despair, for want of the timely assistance and encouragement, which many had it in their power to bestow.

If it were necessary to do more than simply to advert to these ways of doing good, to show their importance, many interesting examples, illustrative of them, might be adduced. Instances must be within the recollection of every well-informed man, of many persons, who have been brought forward under the patronage of individuals, and by whose future career their country has been immensely advanced in the arts, in literature, in the sciences, in manufactures, in commerce, and in every other branch of useful or ornamental labor and enterprise. Many most useful inventions and discoveries have originated in similar patronage, bestowed on men of genius and enterprise by private individuals. Even the discovery of this continent sprung from the private patronage and encouragement bestowed on the enterprise by the queen of Spain. The records of history and biography are crowded with examples of genius, talent, and enterprise, encour

aged and cherished by private patronage. If there were no other instances, those of Arkwright and Fulton might suffice to recommend this way of being useful.

Again, in respect to the utility of loans, the celebrated Dr. Franklin ascribes all his success and usefulness in life to his being aided in this way. He says, in his Will, "I was assisted to set up my business in Philadelphia by kind loans of money from two friends there, which was the foundation of my fortune, and of all the utility in life that may be ascribed to me ; and I wish to be useful, even after my death, if possible, in forming and advancing other young men that may be serviceable to their country." To this end, he bequeathed £2000 sterling to be loaned to young artisans in perpetual succession, and on a plan which is a just subject of curious interest.*

But of all the methods, by which men may make themselves useful in their day and generation, no one is so fruitful in its returns of good, as gratuitous education, bestowed on those who must otherwise be without this blessing. All who have the command of money, may make themselves useful in this way. It is, also, in the line of the profession of clergymen, of the presidents and professors of our colleges, and masters of academies and schools, to benefit the community in the same way; and well have they used this talent intrusted to their guardianship. The number gratuitously educated by them has been very great. We have been accustomed, of late years, to hear many complaints; in regard to the abuse of bequests made to encourage education, and it is not to be denied, that there has been too much foundation for complaints of this kind. Any abuse of this class of trusts is injurious in a tenfold degree, as it tends to prevent the appropriation of private wealth to advance education, when, at the approach of death, it can no longer be enjoyed by its proprietors.

But flagrant abuses of this kind have been comparatively infrequent, much less have they been general; and, as a set-off against such abuses, there must be multitudes of instances, of an opposite character, scattered through the country, of which my limits

* Franklin's Works, Vol. I. p. 515.

permit me to cite but one. "About forty years since," says the present assistant Bishop of Virginia, "there died in this country, a pious man, who had spent his life in the instruction of youth, and thereby accumulated a handsome fortune. Having no family, he left the greater part of his property, viz. fifteen thousand dollars, to one of our colleges, directing that the interest of the same should be used in the education of poor and pious youths for the ministry of the Gospel. The will has been religiously observed, and some years since it was stated, that, by its means, one hundred and fifty pious youths had been admitted into the service of the sanctuary. And who shall estimate," continues the author, "the good which those preachers have done, and shall do, the thousands and hundreds of thousands, they have been, or will be, the instruments of converting, the hundreds and thousands of other pious youths, whom they may bring into the service of God, and all the good they also may do; and who shall say how much of the happiness of this exalted saint may come from the knowledge of all this good, how rejoiced his angelic spirit may be in the society of those who have been converted under the ministry of his own raising, and who are now among the redeemed above ?”*

SECTION IV.

ASSISTANCE IN THE WAY OF ALMSGIVING.

That it is a duty to relieve the suffering poor, can admit of no question in the mind of a Christian. No duty is more frequently or more earnestly insisted on in the New Testament than almsgiving. "Give alms of such things as ye have; and behold, all things are clean unto you." "Charge them," says St. Paul, that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good,

* Rt. Rev. William Meade's Sermon before the Convention of Virginia, 15th May, 1828.

+ Matt. xi. 41.

that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."* "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"t

Besides laying down the duty of almsgiving, in absolute terms, our Saviour has guarded us against bestowing alms from an unworthy motive, we are not to give alms to be seen of men. We are, moreover, to give alms upon a plan; § that is, upon a deliberate comparison of our means with the reasonable expenses and expectations of our families; to compute what we can spare, and to lay by so much for almsgiving in one way or another.

With these directions, guarding us against the unworthy motive most likely to beset us, and recommending the doing of the duty upon a plan most calculated to render it effectual, we are left to judge for ourselves, to consult our own reason and experience in regard to the limits of the duty, the proper subjects of it, the most suitable occasions for its exercise, and the manner and other circumstances of performing it. Almsgiving is a practical problem, and few, if any, practical problems in morals have been found more difficult than this; which is, to relieve the suffering poor effectually, and, at the same time, not to minister to vice and the increase of pauperism. With much diffidence, therefore, I present the results of careful study and reflection on this part of the subject.

I begin with observing, that the proper objects and principles of Christian almsgiving are among the great topics, which have lately engaged, and are now engaging, the attention of some of the best minds in Europe, and in our own country. A few years only have passed away, since the great questions respecting the poor were, what provision must of necessity be made for them in view of their increasing numbers, and of the consequent expense to be incurred for them? And, how are they most

* 1 Tim. vi. 17 - 19. § 1 Cor. xvi. 2.

† 1 John iii. 17.

Matt. vi. 1.

|| Paley's Moral and Political Philosophy, p. 142.

cheaply to be fed, and clothed, and saved from that desperation of want, under which lawlessness, and depredations, and every form of violence are to be apprehended? And the leading measures, resorted to for the resolution of these questions, were, as far as philanthropists were concerned with them, the establishment of institutions for feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, at the smallest possible cost; and, where eleemosynary provisions of this kind were found inadequate, legislative aid was invoked in the form of new poor laws, or the modification and fresh adaptation of those existing, to new demands, circumstances, and emergencies.

I do not mean to say, or to imply, that in the times to which I refer, there was not much very active and very wise almsgiving. But I do mean to say, that almsgiving was too generally under a very unwise direction; that the true principles of Christian almsgiving were not understood, as they are now understood; that incidental, but great evils had sprung up under this injudicious course of action, and were growing, and continually becoming more aggravated; that they were extensively and deeply felt, but that their true causes were not, until lately, extensively or clearly perceived. The conviction is now deep and strong in many minds, and is extending, that no great and permanent improvement of outward condition among the poor is to be expected, but through an improvement of character; that the best resources for improving their condition are within themselves; that they often need enlightenment respecting these resources much more than alms; that alms may be a means of perpetuating poverty, and even of ministering to vice.

I shall avail myself of the most successful and authoritative of the late investigations to which I refer; and attempt to combine and illustrate the results, which seem to be well established, or entitled to the greatest confidence. In doing this, I shall examine, I. The chief abuses of almsgiving. II. Discuss the chief modes of almsgiving, — which, if judiciously conducted, will unquestionably benefit the poor.

I. My general position, in regard to the abuses of almsgiving, may be laid down thus. Almsgiving is abused, whenever it ministers in any way to a neglect of forethought and providence ;