THE

UNITED SECESSION MAGAZINE,

FOR FEBRUARY, 1844.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

CAPABILITY AND DUTY OF THE UNITED SECESSION CHURCH IN REGARD TO PERMANENT BENEVOLENT OPERATION.

THE recent combined effort of the Secession churches to relieve their poor brethren has been very satisfactory. It has afforded the evidence of fact as to what our church can accomplish at once and with ease; it has imparted great pleasure to donors of all classes, a pleasure, however, not unmixed with the pain of contrition, because this labour of love was not performed long ago; it will refresh and invigorate many a suffering band of brethren, not a few of whom will be excited to become benefactors of others in their turn; and the standard of benevolent effort has become so much higher, as to secure, under the blessing of God, that we shall soon see greater things than these. We shall

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find that the way of the Lord is strength to the upright," and "we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint."

I heartily approve of occasional simultaneous efforts, such as occurrences in the course of Providence demand. It is fit that there should be occasions on which there shall be diffused through the entire church a simultaneous consciousness of its unity, and that, with the joy and the strength which this consciousness inspires, the body should make an effort, in some measure commensurate with its capabilities.

But it is not by such occasional efforts that the work of christian benevolence is to be done. It is a law of mind pre-eminently applicable to mind sanctified, that its characters, in order to acquire their full development and power, must not only act at distant intervals, but must be brought into daily exercise, and become the habits of the soul. Piety could not be sustained by an annual, or monthly, or even weekly exercise; it must become our daily work, and we must learn, would we be truly devout, to live by faith, and to walk, with God. It must be so with benevolence also, that regard to our fellow-men, and our brethren in the Lord, which prompts us to seek the promotion of their interests, whether temporal or spiritual. By the daily and habitual exercise of self-love, it is that this principle acquires such power within us; and if we would keep the second great commandment of the law,

NO. II. VOL. I.

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and love our neighbour as ourselves, benevolence must operate with the regularity of the selfish principle. By regular exercise under the influence of the truth, we must nourish it into healthful and mature vigour, until we feel it dwelling within us in its strength, until we are conscious that its exercise is identified with our happiness, and we can no more reconcile ourselves to live in the neglect of the duties to which it leads, than we can in the omission of those which are essential to our own welfare.

I am well aware that benevolence has many other modes of exercise than ecclesiastical contribution. It may burn with much power in the breasts of the poor, who are constrained by necessity to receive rather than to give. It may utter itself in fervent prayers to the Father of mercies, and may thus be the instrument of drawing down both temporal and spiritual blessings on many from the Divine source of good. But I confine myself in this paper to the mode of its exercise which I have just indicated; and, before I state my plan, let me notice the objects for which it is meant to provide.

These are of two classes-Home and Foreign Evangelization.

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Under the former I include, first, The permanent and effectual aid of weak congregations. I need hardly say, that there are, and will probably ever be, many congregations connected with the Secession church whose members are too few or too poor to enable them to raise, by their own efforts, a sum sufficient for the decent and comfortable support of a pastor, and for defraying the other expenses, however small, necessary to the maintenance of a place of worship, and the administration of the ordinances of the gospel. By the effort now made, it is hoped such congregations will be freed from the pressure of debt, but still the other payments remain; and if nothing is done to enable them to augment these, and to place their pastors in more fortable circumstances, I feel a deep conviction that little comparatively will have been effected, and that much sin will attach to the great body of the church, from the neglect of our brethren still left in poverty. I know that the ، Synod's Fund" is meant to provide for such cases, and that good has been effected by that fund. But who knows not that its disbursements are paltry, that they are doled out in miserable pittances, that the relief afforded is scarcely worthy of the name, and that, from the smallness of the contributions to that fund, this parsimony is unavoidable. Besides, nothing has been, in general, done to stimulate the efforts of these poor congregations. They feel that they are poor, and they are in danger of waxing spiritless; the result of which is, that, in too many cases, their members are far from doing what they can. There are often in such little communities, two or three individuals, perhaps one, who, were they aniinated by the same spirit, and exercising the same liberality which distinguish church members (in circumstances no better than theirs), belonging to more numerous and active churches, could do with ease as much as is now done by the whole congregation. The distributions of the new fund have been wisely made on the principle, that if the congregation to be relieved raise a certain amount, the fund will supply the rest; and the spirit thus generously excited, and the contributions made, have been wonderful. Let this principle be adopted in any new measures for im

proving the circumstances of our weak congregations, not to lay upon them burdens they cannot bear, but simply to induce them to do what they can, and the result will be similar.

Under Home Evangelization, I include next, Home Missions. From the increased number of labourers in this field, those especially connected with our brethren of the Free church, it is not improbable that we shall have less to do in this department. But, during the 110 years of its existence, the Secession church has been incessant in Home Missionary labours, and in no work has it been more abundantly owned of God. I trust, therefore, that, encouraged by the past and animated by christian compassion for our country men, we shall endeavour to abound in this work of the Lord, desirous of his approving testimony, "for my name sake, thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted."

Home objects may also come to include Educational efforts; but I may emit these in this sketch.

Foreign Evangelization sufficiently explains itself. On this great subject it is enough for me to say, that no church is at liberty to disregard it, that every pastor, every other office-bearer, every churchmember, is under law to Christ in this matter, and is bound, to the extent of his ability and opportunity, to take part with his fellowchristians in obeying this appointment given to the whole body, "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"-that by restraining the spirit of extensive supplication, by repressing the expansive benevolence of her members, by impairing their conformity to their great Head, by depriving themselves of the honour of being his instruments in the accomplishment of the work for which he bled, and reigns, and makes intercession, the church injures herself in proportion as she relaxes in the godlike efforts by which she seeks the conversion of the world to God-and that, although the Secession church has been enabled to make a commencement in this department of christian beneficence, it is manifestly incumbent on her to "forget those things which are behind, and to reach forth unto those things which are before."

Such are the objects of the plan, which I now take the liberty of suggesting, and by which, I hope to show, that without difficulty, thirty thousand pounds at least, may be raised by the Secession church, annually, for their accomplishment.

I do not know the number of persons in full communion in the Secession church; but taking the estimate of Dr M'Kerrow as very near the truth, it may be assumed as not less than 125,000, nor more than 130,000. From this number deduct 25,000 as poor, or immovable on the matter of contribution to any public object, and consider 100,000 as the number to be looked to. Suppose that each one of this number shall be induced to contribute at the rate of one farthing a day on each working day, and you have an annual sum of L.32,500. To realize this sum, I do not even assume that each member shall actually pay a farthing daily; but that the average of daily payments shall amount to this. I cannot persuade myself that this will seem

Very many will pay at the rate of one half-penny, not a few of one penny, and some at a far higher rate daily," as the Lord hath prospered them."

to any one an extravagant proposal; or that to the great body of our people it will appear in any other light than small and easy. Shall it be said, that our people will not charge themselves at the rate of one farthing a day on the average, for this great work of the Lord,— home and foreign evangelization? Shall they be willing to have this stigma attached to our church, that we will not make the sacrifice, shall I call it, of one farthing a day, for sustaining and promoting the cause of God in our own country and in foreign regions? Then, assuredly, we must be told it is not because we cannot, but solely because we will not.

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The mode of raising this contribution, I would suggest, should be the following:-Let the sum be set apart with religious fidelity and care by each member daily or weekly; but let there be no arrears beyond the week. Punctuality is essential to efficiency, nor is there any department of human action, in which more exact punctuality should be practised, than in "the things that are God's." In these things, above all others, it becomes us to be "faithful in that which is least." Let the daily or weekly donation of the individual or of the family, be laid aside at the time of morning or evening prayer. It will be a fit memorial to the donors of the sacred objects, for which the donation is given; it will be pleasant to come before the Lord and bring the offering with them. It will naturally direct their prayers to those objects for which they present their offerings; and if these donations, how small soever, are presented to God from willing and grateful hearts, and if those prayers are presented in the name of Christ, God will be honoured, and the devout offerers will be blessed. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." Benevolence would thus be nursed by piety and by practice. The rich would thus feel that God has a daily claim on their wealth, and they who toil that he has a daily claim on their labour. Nor is this consideration a mere sentimental conception; it accords with the word of God, it is enforced by his authority. The following words of Paul in regard to a converted thief are full of instruction, "Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth :" Eph. iv. 28. I quote these words solely to show that secular labour, even by the man who works with his hands, is to be engaged in, not on the principles of selfishness only, not only for his own interests, but on the principles of piety, and of benevolence also; of piety, or devout regard to God who enjoins it, and of benevolence, or an affectionate regard to our poor brethren, for whose necessities our labour is to provide.

The weekly sums being thus set apart in every dwelling, a body of collectors must be obtained to make a weekly call for the contributions. These collectors must be persons whose hearts are in the work, who will account it a pleasure to devote a little portion of their time to the cause of Christ and of their poor brethren, who will be as punctual with their calls as the donors with their donations, and who will not weary in well-doing. Indeed, by assigning to each only a few families, and by the families having the contributions ready at the expected hour of call, little time will be necessary.

Should this scheme meet with general approbation, I would venture

to add the following suggestions:-Might not presbyteries, without delay, at some hour set apart for conference and devotion, give it the sanction of their approbation, and recommend it to the session and congregations under their charge? Might not sessions lend to it the influence of their sanction, and pastors bring it affectionately and zealously before their respective flocks? Might not congregations assemble for deliberation and prayer, pledge themselves to make the effort, and without delay commence?

What cause of gratitude to God, and of joy to the brethren, were this annual tribute for the sake of the gospel willingly rendered by the members of the Secession church! Ten thousand pounds judiciously bestowed yearly on our weak congregations, and on our home missions, would effectually lift them out of all their difficulties, as far as money can be the means of doing so, would draw the bonds of brotherly kindness closer among the various churches of the association than we have ever yet felt them, and would cause, on the part of all, thanksgivings to God. Twenty thousand pounds bestowed annually on foreign evangelization would be no inconsiderable offering to the great missionary cause, and would place the Secession church in a favourable position among the churches of Britain and America, as a fellow-worker with them for the high end of the world's salvation. We should then largely share in these blessings promised, in such circumstances, to the church: "And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations....... Ye shall be named the priest of the Lord, men shall call you the ministers of our God; ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves :" Isa. lxi. 4. 6.

But I am persuaded that in order to this, and to every other good undertaking going on auspiciously, we must labour to have active personal piety diffused and maintained among our ministers and our church-members. On no other basis than genuine personal godliness, can christian enterprise, under the divine favour, be securely placed. O for such a spirit among all our churches as the pious captives in Babylon breathed! "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the root of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy :" Ps. cxxxvii. 5, 6. O for that grace to descend upon us in plentiful showers, which visited so abundantly the poor churches of Macedonia of old!" Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For, to their power (I bear them record), and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves :" 2 Cor. viii. 1-3. Let us ask and we shall receive this grace from God; "for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened:" Mat. vii. 8.

Glasgow, Dec. 16, 1843.

H. HEUGH.