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A SERMON,

PREACHED IN ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH EDINBURGH,

BEFORE

THE SOCIETY

FOR

THE RELIEF OF THE DESTITUTE SICK,

APRIL 18, 1813.

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."—Psalm xli. 1.

THERE is an evident want of congeniality | respect is greatly impaired, since the wisbetween the wisdom of this world, and the dom of the man has taken so unaccountable wisdom of the Christian. The term "wis-a change in its object and in its direction? dom," carries my reverence along with it. It brings before me a grave and respectable character, whose rationality predominates over the inferior principles of his constitution, and to whom I willingly yield that peculiar homage which the enlightened, and the judicious, and the manly, are sure to exact from a surrounding neighbourhood. Now, so long as this wisdom has for its ob ject some secular advantage, I yield it an unqualified reverence. It is a reverence which all understand, and all sympathize with. If, in private life, a man be wise in the management of his farm, or his fortune, or his family; or if, in public life, he have wisdom to steer an empire through all its difficulties, and to carry it to aggrandizement and renown-the respect which I feel for such wisdom as this, is most cordial and entire, and supported by the universal acknowledgment of all whom I call to attend to it.

The truth is, that the greater part of the world feel no respect at all for a wisdom which they do not comprehend. They may love the innocence of a decidedly religious character, but they feel no sublime or commanding sentiment of veneration for its wisdom. All the truth of the Bible, and all the grandeur of eternity, will not redeem it from a certain degree of contempt. Terms which lower, undervalue, and degrade, suggest themselves to the mind; and strongly dispose it to throw a mean and disagreeable colouring over the man who, sitting loose to the objects of the world, has become altogether a Christian. It is needless to expatiate; but what I have seen myself, and what must have fallen under the observation of many whom I address, carry in them the testimony of experience to the assertion of the Apostle, "that the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned."

Let me now suppose that this wisdom has changed its object-that the man whom I Now, what I have said of the respectable am representing to exemplify this respecta- attribute of wisdom, is applicable, with alble attribute, instead of being wise for time, most no variation, to another attribute of the is wise for eternity-that he labours by the human character, to which I would assign faith and sanctification of the gospel for un- the gentler epithet of "lovely." The attriperishable honours-that, instead of listen-bute to which I allude, is that of benevoing to him with admiration at his sagacity, lence. This is the burden of every poet's as he talks of business, or politics, or agri- song, and every eloquent and interesting culture, we are compelled to listen to him enthusiast gives it his testimony. I speak talking of the hope within the veil, and of not of the enthusiasm of methodists and deChrist being the power of God, and the wis-votees-I speak of that enthusiasm of fine dom of God, unto salvation. What becomes sentiment which embellishes the pages of of your respect for him now? Are there not elegant literature, and is addressed to all her some of you who are quite sensible that this sighing and amiable votaries, in the various

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forms of novel, and poetry, and dramatic | ther, and this is the point at which he is entertainment. You would think if any mortified to find that his old coadjutors rething could bring the Christian at one with fuse to go along with him; and that instead the world around him, it would be this; and of being strengthened by their assistance, that in the ardent benevolence which figures he has their contempt and their ridicule; in novels, and sparkles in poetry, there or, at all events, their total want of sympawould be an entire congeniality with the thy, to contend with. benevolence of the gospel. I venture to say, however, that there never existed a stronger repulsion between two contending sentiments, than between the benevolence of the Christian, and the benevolence which is the theme of elegant literature-that the one, with all its accompaniments of tears, and sensibilities, and interesting cottages, is neither felt nor understood by the Christian as such; and the other, with its work and labours of love-its enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and its living not to itself, but to the will of Him who died for us, and who rose again, is not only not understood, but positively nauseated, by the poetical amateur.

The truth is, that the benevolence I allude to, with all its respectable air of business and good sense, is altogether a secular benevolence. Through all the extent of its operations, it carries in it no reference to the eternal duration of its object. Time, and the accommodations of time, form all its subject and all its exercise. It labours, and often with success, to provide for its object a warm and well-sheltered tenement, but it looks not beyond the few little years when the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved-when the soul shall be driven from its perishable tenement, and the only benevolence it will acknowledge or care for, will be the benevolence of those who have But the contrast does not stop here. The directed it to a building not made with benevolence of the gospel is not only at an- hands, eternal in the heavens. This, then, is tipodes with the visionary sons and daugh- the point at which the benevolence of the ters of poetry, but it even varies in some of gospel separates from that worldly benevoits most distinguishing features with the ex-lence, to which, as far as it goes, I offer my perimental benevolence of real and familiar cheerful and unmingled testimony. The life. The fantastic benevolence of poetry is one minds earthly things, the other has its now indeed pretty well exploded; and, in conversation in heaven. Even when the the more popular works of the age, there is immediate object of both is the same, you a benevolence of a far truer and more sub- will generally perceive an evident distincstantial kind substituted in its place the tion in the principle. Individuals, for exambenevolence which you meet with among ple, may co-operate, and will often meet in men of business and observation-the be- the same room, be members of the same sonevolence which bustles and finds employ-ciety, and go hand in hand cordially togement among the most public and ordinary ther for the education of the poor. But the scenes, and which seeks for objects, not forming habits of virtuous industry, and where the flower blows loveliest, and the good members of society, which are the stream, with its gentle murmurs, falls sweet-sole consideration in the heart of the worldly est on the ear, but finds them in his every- philanthropist, are but mere accessions in day walks-goes in quest of them through the heart of the great city, and is not afraid to meet them in its most putrid lanes and loathsome receptacles.

the heart of the Christian. The main impulse of his benevolence lies in furnishing the poor with the means of enjoying that bread of life which came down from heaNow, it must be acknowledged, that this ven, and in introducing them to the knowbenevolence is of a far more respectable ledge of those scriptures which are the kind than that poetic sensibility, which is power of God unto salvation to every one of no use, because it admits of no applica- who believeth. Now, it is so far a blessing tion. Yet I am not afraid to say, that, re- to the world that there is a co-operation in spectable as it is, it does not come up to the the immediate object. But what I contend benevolence of the Christian, and is at vari- for, is, that there is a total want of congeance, in some of its most capital ingredients, niality in the principle-that the moment with the morality of the gospel. It is well, you strip the institution of its temporal adand very well, as far as it goes; and that vantages, and make it repose on the naked Christian is wanting to the will of his mas- grandeur of eternity, it is fallen from, or ter who refuses to share and go along with laughed at as one of the chimeras of fanatiit. The Christian will do all this, but he cism, and left to the despised efforts of those would like to do more; and it is at the pre- whom they esteem to be unaccountable peocise point where he proposes to do more, ple, who subscribe for missions, and squanthat he finds himself abandoned by the co-der their money on Bible societies. Strange operation and good wishes of those who effect, you would think, of eternity, to dehad hitherto supported him. The Christian grade the object with which it is connected! goes as far as the votary of this useful be- But so it is. The blaze of glory, which is nevolence, but then he would like to go fur-thrown around the martyrdom of a patriot

an orthography for wandering and untutored savages. They have given a shape and a name to their barbarous articulations; and the children of men, who lived on the prey of the wilderness, are now forming in village schools to the arts and the decencies of cultivated life. Now, I am not involving

or a philosopher, is refused to the martyrdom of a Christian. When a statesman dies, who lifted his intrepid voice for the liberty of the species, we hear of nothing but of the shrines and the monuments of immortality. Put into his place one of those sturdy reformers, who, unmoved by councils and inquisitions, stood up for the religious liber-you in the controversy whether civilization ties of the world; and it is no sooner done, should precede Christianity, or Christianity than the full tide of congenial sympathy and should precede civilization. It is not to admiration is at once arrested. We have what has been said on the subject, but to all heard of the benevolent apostleship of what has been done, that we are pointing Howard, and what Christian will be behind your attention. We appeal to the fact; and his fellows with his applauding testimony? as an illustration of the principle we have But will they, on the other hand, share his been attempting to lay before you, we call enthusiasm when he tells them of the apos-upon you to mark the feelings, and the tleship of Paul, who, in the sublimer sense countenance, and the language, of the mere of the term, accomplished the liberty of the academic moralist, when you put into his captive, and brought them that sat in dark-hand the authentic and proper document ness out of the prison-house? Will they where the fact is recorded-we mean a misshare in the holy benevolence of the apos- sionary report, or a missionary magazine. tle when he pours out his ardent effusions We know that there are men who have so in behalf of his countrymen? They were at much of the firm nerve and hardihood of that time on the eve of the cruelest suffer-philosophy about them, as not to be repelled ings. The whole vengeance of the Roman from the truth in whatever shape, or from power was mustering to bear upon them. whatever quarter it comes to them. But The siege and destruction of their city form there are others of a humbler cast who have one of the most dreadful tragedies in the transferred their homage from the omnipohistory of war. Yet Paul seems to have had tence of truth, to the omnipotence of a name; another object in his eye. It was their souls who, because missionaries, while they are and their eternity which engrossed him. accomplishing the civilization, are labourCan you sympathise with him in this prin- ing also for the eternity of savages, have ciple, or join in kindred benevolence with lifted up the cry of fanaticism against him, when he says, that "my heart's desire them-who, because missionaries revere the and prayer for Israel is that they might be word of God, and utter themselves in the saved?" language of the New Testament, nauseate every word that comes from them as overrun with the flavour and phraseology of methodism-who are determined, in short, to abominate all that is missionary, and suffer the very sound of the epithet to fill their minds with an overwhelming association of repugnance, and prejudice, and disgust.

But to bring my list of examples to a close, the most remarkable of them all may be collected from the history of the present attempts which are now making to carry the knowledge of divine revelation into the Pagan and uncivilized countries of the world. Now, it may be my ignorance, but I am certainly not aware of the fact, that without a book of religious faith-without religion, in fact, being the errand and occasion, we have never been able in modern times so far to compel the attentions and to subdue the habits of savages, as to throw in among them the use and possession of a written language. Certain it is, however, at all events, that this very greatest step in the process of converting a wild man of the woods into a humanized member of society, has been accomplished by christian missionaries. They have put into the hands of barbarians this mighty instrument of a written language, and they have taught them how to use it.* They have formed

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We would not have counted this so remarkable an example, had it not been that missionaries are accomplishing the very object on which the advocates for civilization love to expatiate. They are working for the temporal good far more effectually than any adventurer in the cause ever did before; but mark the want of congeniality between the benevolence of this world, and the benevolence of the Christian; they incur contempt, because they are working for the spiritual and eternal good also. Nor do the earthly blessings which they scatter so

among the Eskimaux; the missionaries of Otaheite, and other South Sea islands; and Mr. Brunton, under the patronage of the Society for Missions to Africa and the East, who reduced the language of the Susoos, a nation on the coast of Africa, to writing and grammatical form, and printed in it a spelling-book, vocabulary, catechism, and some tracts. Other instances besides might be given.

the purer and the nobler principle which inspires them.

abundantly in their way, redeem from scorn | effectually to your patronage. My time will only permit me to lay before you a few of their advantages, and I shall therefore confine myself to two leading particulars.

These observations seem to be an applicable introduction to the subject before us. I. The man who considers the poor, inI call your attention to the way in which stead of slumbering over the emotions of a the Bible enjoins us to take up the care of useless sensibility, among those imaginary the poor. It does not say, in the text before beings whom poetry and romance have us, Commiserate the poor; for, if it said no laid before him in all the elegance of ficmore than this, it would leave their neces-titious history, will bestow the labour and sities to be provided for by the random ebul- the attention of actual business among the litions of an impetuous and unreflecting poor of the real and the living world. Besympathy. It provides them with a better nevolence is the burden of every romantic security than the mere feeling of compas-tale, and of every poet's song. It is dressed sion-a feeling which, however useful for out in all the fairy enchantments of imagery. the purpose of excitement, must be con- and eloquence. All is beauty to the eye trolled and regulated. Feeling is but a faint and music to the ear. Nothing seen but and fluctuating security. Fancy may mis- pictures of felicity, and nothing heard but lead it. The sober realities of life may dis- the soft whispers of gratitude and affection. gust it. Disappointment may extinguish it. The reader is carried along by this soft and Ingratitude may embitter it. Deceit, with delightful representation of virtue. He acits counterfeit representations, may allure it companies his hero through all the fancied to the wrong object. At all events, Time is varieties of his history. He goes along with the little circle within which it in general him to the cottage of poverty and disease, expatiates. It needs the impression of sen- surrounded, as we may suppose, with all sible objects to sustain it; nor can it enter the charms of rural obscurity, and where with zeal or with vivacity into the wants the murmurs of an adjoining rivulet accord of the abstract and invisible soul. The with the finer and more benevolent sensiBible, then, instead of leaving the relief of bilities of the mind. He enters this enthe poor to the mere instinct of sympathy, chanting retirement, and meets with a picmakes it a subject for consideration- ture of distress, adorned in all the elegance Blessed is he that considereth the poor-a of fiction. Perhaps a father laid on a bed grave and prosaic exercise I do allow, and of languishing, and supported by the lawhich makes no figure in those high bours of a pious and affectionate family, wrought descriptions, where the exquisite where kindness breathes in every word, and tale of benevolence is made up of all the anxiety sits upon every countenance-where sensibilities of tenderness on the one hand, the industry of his children struggles in and of all the ecstacies of gratitude on the vain to supply the cordials which his poother. The Bible reseues the cause from verty denies him-where nature sinks every the mischief to which a heedless or un-hour, and all feel a gloomy foreboding, thinking sensibility would expose it. It which they strive to conceal, and tremble brings it under the cognizance of a higher to express. The hero of romance enters, faculty-a faculty of steadier operation than and the glance of his benevolent eye ento be weary in well-doing, and of sturdier lightens this darkest recess of misery. He endurance than to give it up in disgust. turns him to the bed of languishing, tells It calls you to consider the poor. It the sick man that there is still hope, and makes the virtue of relieving them a matter smiles comfort on his despairing children. of computation as well as of sentiment; Day after day he repeats his kindness and and in so doing, it puts you beyond the his charity. They hail his approach as the reach of the various delusions by which footsteps of an angel of mercy. The father you are at one time led to prefer the in- lives to bless his deliverer. The family redulgence of pity to the substantial interest ward his benevolence by the homage of an of its object; at another, are led to retire affectionate gratitude; and, in the piety of chagrined and disappointed from the scene their evening prayer, offer up thanks to the of duty, because you have not met with the God of heaven, for opening the hearts of gratitude or the honesty that you laid your the rich to kindly and beneficent attentions. account with; at another, are led to expend The reader weeps with delight. The visions all your anxieties upon the accommodation of paradise play before his fancy. His tears of time, and to overlook eternity. It is the flow, and his heart dissolves in all the lux

office of consideration to save you from ury of tenderness.

all these fallacies. Under its tutorage, at- Now, we do not deny that the members tention to the wants of the poor ripens of the Destitute Sick Society may at times into principle. I want, my brethren, to press its advantages upon you, for I can in no other way recommend the society whose claims I am appointed to lay before you, so

have met with some such delightful scene to soothe and encourage them. But put the question to any of their visitors, and he will not fail to tell you, that if they had

never moved but when they had something | him into a thousand inconsistencies. He like this to excite and to gratify their professes to love the name and the semhearts, they would seldom have moved at blance of virtue, but the labour of exertion all; and their usefulness to the poor would and of self-denial terrifies him from athave been reduced to a very humble frac- tempting it. The emotions of kindness are tion of what they have actually done for delightful to his bosom, but then they are them. What is this but to say, that it is little better than a selfish indulgence-they the business of a religious instructor to give terminate in his own enjoyment-they are you, not the elegant, but the true represen- a mere refinement of luxury. His eye tation of benevolence to represent it not melts over the picture of fictitious distress so much as a luxurious indulgence to the while not a tear is left for the actual starvafiner sensibilities of the mind, but according tion and misery with which he is surto the sober declaration of Scripture, as a rounded. It is easy to indulge the imaginawork and as a labour-as a business in tions of a visionary heart in going over a which you must encounter vexation, op- scene of fancied affliction, because here position, and fatigue; where you are not there is no sloth to overcome-no avarialways to meet with that elegance, which cious propensity to control-no offensive or allures the fancy, or with that humble and disgusting circumstance to allay the unretired adversity, which interests the more mingled impression of sympathy which a tender propensities of the heart; but as a soft and elegant picture is calculated to business where reluctance must often be awaken. It is not so easy to be benevolent overcome by a sense of duty, and where, in action and in reality, because here there though oppressed at every step, by envy, is fatigue to undergo-there is time and disgust, and disappointment, you are bound money to give-there is the mortifying to persevere, in obedience to the law of spectacle of vice, and folly, and ingratitude, God, and the sober instigation of principle. to encounter. We like to give you the fair The benevolence of the gospel lies in ac- picture of love to man, because to throw tions. The benevolence of our fictitious over it false and fictitious embellishments, writers, in a kind of high-wrought delicacy is injurious to its cause. These elevate the of feeling and sentiment. The one dissi- fancy by romantic visions which can never pates all its fervour in sighs and tears, and be realized. They embitter the heart by idle aspirations-the other reserves_its the most severe and mortifying disappointstrength for efforts and execution. The ments, and often force us to retire in disone regards it as a luxurious enjoyment for gust from what heaven has intended to be the heart-the other, as a work and busi- the theatre of our discipline and preparaness for the hand. The one sits in indo- tion. Take the representation of the Bible. lence, and broods, in visionary rapture, Benevolence is a work and a labour. It over its schemes of ideal philanthropy-the often calls for the severest efforts of vigiother steps abroad, and enlightens by its lance and industrya habit of action not to presence, the dark and pestilential hovels be acquired in the school of fine sentiment, of disease. The one wastes away in empty but in the walks of business, in the dark ejaculation-the other gives time and trou- and dismal receptacles of misery-in the ble to the work of beneficence-gives edu- hospitals of disease in the putrid lanes of cation to the orphan-provides clothes for great cities, where poverty dwells in lank the naked, and lays food on the table of and ragged wretchedness, agonized with the hungry. The one is indolent and ca- pain, faint with hunger, and shivering in a pricious, and often does mischief by the frail and unsheltered tenement. occasional overflowings of a whimsical and ill-directed charity-the other is vigilant and discerning, and takes care lest his distributions be injudicious, and the effort of benevolence be misapplied. The one is soothed with the luxury of feeling, and reclines in easy and indolent satisfaction-the other shakes off the deceitful languor of contemplation and solitude, and delights in a scene of activity.-Remember, that virtue, in general, is not to feel, but to do; not merely to conceive a purpose, but to carry that purpose into execution; not merely to be overpowered by the impression of a sentiment, but to practise what it loves, and to

imitate what it admires.

To be benevolent in speculation, is often to be selfish in action and in reality. The vanity and the indolence of man delude

You are not to conceive yourself a real lover of your species, and entitled to the praise or the reward of benevolence, because you weep over a fictitious represen tation of human misery. A man may weep in the indolence of a studious and contemplative retirement; he may breathe all the tender aspirations of humanity; but what avails all this warm and diffusive benevolence, if it is never exerted-if it never rise to execution-if it never carry him to the accomplishment of a single benevolent purpose-if it shrink from activity, and sicken at the pain of fatigue? It is easy indeed, to come forward with the cant and hypocrisy of fine sentiment-to have a heart trained to the emotions of benevo lence, while the hand refuses the labours of discharging its offices-to weep for

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