The Mutability of Created Things a Reason for

Active Benevolence.

SERMON,

DELIVERED BEFORE

THE HOWARD BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

OF BOSTON, JANUARY 12TH, 1820.

BY

RICHARD S. STORRS, A. M.

PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN BRAINTREE.

PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF INDIVIDUAL HEARERS.

BOSTON :

PRINTED BY MUNROE AND FRANCIS,

No. 4, Cornhill.

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turned and saw under the Sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise nor riches to men of understanding, but time and chance happeneth to all ;" i. e. these events are regulated on no other known principle, than that such is the will of God.

Who art thou, O man! basking in the sunshine of prosperity, while thy poor brother bends under the pressure of affliction? thy head is erect, while his is bowed like the bulrush; thine eyes sparkle with pleasure, while his are suffused with tears, thy heart expands with joy, while his bursts with grief; brilliant prospects animate your every movement, overhanging darkness causes him to shrink from effort, and hide him from the world. "Who hath

made thee to differ?" It is God, that blesses thee-"What hast thou, that thou hast not received."

2. Whatever God hath given us ought to be used agreeably to the design for which it was bestowed. The gifts of God are so many talents committed to us for improvement, and whether they be ten, five, or one, he will call us to an account for our stewardship. Our obligations in this case are not founded on any voluntary mutual contract between him and us. They result from subsisting and indissoluble relations. Our own will has no concern with them. If the relation of parent and child necessarily involves authority on one side, and obedience on the other; if the relation of Ruler, necessarily involves the right to command, and the relation of subject the duty of submission; then the relations between God and man, as Creator and creature, as Father and children, as King and subjects, necessarily involves the right of unlimited control

or the duty of unreserved submission on the other. These relations will not be denied to exist, and, of course, our obligations to improve whatever we possess, agreeably to the will of God, ought to be admitted.

But does not every sentiment of gratitude likewise, require us to govern ourselves according to the pleasure of our Supreme Benefactor? Who of us should not reprobate the conduct of a beneficiary enriched by our bounty and directed by our superior wisdom how to improve our benefaction, if he should immediately devote it to the gratification of some brutal lust? Nothing is plainer than that his conduct proceeds from a destitution of principle, warranting us to withhold from him entirely, or requiring us to bestow with new restrictions in future. Let it be remembered then, that Gratitude requires a holy improvement of all we enjoy.

3. It is the will of God, that the bounties of his Providence, should be devoted by those who enjoy them; to the relief of the destitute. This relief is by no means to be restricted to their temporal necessities, for these, when most extreme, are of trivial importance compared with their deliverance from the bondage of sin, and from the fearful curse of a violated law.

But even to gain access to the heart of the obstinate transgressor-to draw from his eye the tear of penitenceto lift his hands to Heaven in prayer, and dispose him to ❝lay hold on the hope set before him," it is necessary to shew him that you have a heart which can participate his woes, or sympathize in his unalleviated sorrows, or extend the bounty that he needs for immediate relief. Show

him that you have a brother's heart-convince him that the tender mercies of Religion are not cruelty, then-you may point him to the bleeding Saviour, to the incorruptible inheritance-and he will look-he will listen-he may believe, and be saved.

But what saith the Lord? "A good man showeth favor and lendeth; he hath dispersed and given to the poor; his righteousness endureth forever." "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee." And has not God said, " deal thy bread to the hungry; bring the poor that are cast out, to thine house; when thou seest the naked, cover him; hide not thyself from thine own flesh ?""Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away." "If ye do good to them which do good to you, or lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thanks have ye for sinners do also even the same. Timothy is commanded to charge them that are rich in this world, that they do good-that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate. James. in defining " pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father," declares it is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." You are aware, that these are but a few of testimonies of the Holy Spirit, to the will of God on this subject. There is no point of practical piety more clearly established, more variously exhibited, more fully explained in the Sacred Volume; and we are never more surprized by any aberrations of the human understanding, than those we often discover in relation to this very point.