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tue, the gospel preached to the poor and to every class, the ignorant instructed, the industrious labourer supplied with employment, the afflicted relieved, the wants of the destitute supplied, schools, churches, and commodious dwellings with garden plots, rising on every side; the desert cultivated, and the wilderness made to bud and blossom as the rose. Such a character would be as eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, and would cause the widow's heart to leap for joy. Wherever he appeared misery would smile, and his presence would be hailed with gratitude and joy. How many improvements of this description might be effected, and how much happiness diffused, by judiciously distributing in every district five thousand, or even one thousand pounds annually, on such objects? But where is the man or the Christian to be found who pants for such celestial enjoyment?

In the exercise of this disposition we become imitators of God, and are assimilated to his character. When he brought creation into existence, he could have no possible view, in lanching innumerable worlds into the depths of space, but to display the glories of his nature, and to confer benefits on their inhabitants. Could we wing our flight through the regions of immensity, and survey the various ranks of the population of the universe-could we mingle with the hosts of angels and archangels, and witness their enjoyments, we should find that all the arrangements of the Almighty, in reference to their situation and activities, have a tendency to contribute to their felicity-that his benevolence is displayed wherever matter exists, and wherever there are sentient and intellectual beings to participate of his bounty. He is not adored by the heavenly host, or by any of his creatures, "as if he needed any thing" to augment his glory," seeing he giveth to all, life and breath, and all things." He is declared in scripture to be "abundant in goodness," "good to all," continually "doing good," and that "his tender mercies are over all his works." Now, we are commanded to be imitators of God in his universal beneficence. "Be ye merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful; love your enemies, and do good to them that hate you; that ye

may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust." By acting in this character, we are likewise imitators of the blessed Redeemer, "who went about doing good” to all classes of men, without distinction of rank or nation. Though he was "the brightness of the Father's glory," yet, "for our sakes he became poor, and took upon him the form of a servant." His whole life was an uninterrupted series of beneficent actions. He had compassion on the ignorant and the distressed; he fed the hungry multitudes in a desert; he opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, made the lame man to leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing. He restored to disconsolate parents the children whom death had snatched from their embrace; he healed all manner of sickness and disease among the people, and none ever applied to him for relief, who was refused assistance or spurned from his presence. And now that "he has entered into heaven to appear in the presence of God for us," he is engaged in similar benevolent services. For, we are told, that "the Lamb in the midst of the throne feeds" the redeemed inhabitants, "and leads them to living fountains of water, and wipes away tears from every eye." We are, therefore, exhorted to "be followers of Christ as dear children, and to walk in love; for he hath set us an example that we should walk in his steps."

Again, in the exercise of the disposition to communicate happiness, we imitate the angelic tribes, who are incessantly engaged in similar services. Those glorious beings not only contribute to the happiness of each other, but rejoice to wing their downward flight to communicate messages of mercy to mankind. Although they dwell amidst the splendours of eternal day, they refuse not to descend for a season to our wretched world. They entered the lowly cot of the Virgin Mary, with a message of joy; they flew swiftly to Daniel, to explain his vision; they unbarred the prison gates to rescue Peter from his enemies; they comforted Paul with the assurance of divine protection, while tossing on the raging billows; and, in VOL. VI.

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numerous ways with which we are unacquainted, "they encamp around those who fear the Lord," and are “ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation." In short, heaven, whither we profess to be journeying, is a scene of pure beneficence. In that happy world, the spirits of the just will spend an immensity of duration, in an endless diffusion of benefits among countless orders of holy intelligences; and while they derive enjoyment from blessings conferred by kindred spirits, they will still find, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." For in so doing, we most nearly resemble the original source of felicity, who is "the blessed and only potentate," supreme in happiness, yet incessantly diffusing benefits among unnumbered beings, throughout the whole extent of his universal empire.

Were such dispositions to be generally prevalent among men, what a happy world should we look upon, compared with that which we now behold! Were it universally prevalent, into what a glorious scene would society be transformed! Heaven would descend to earth, and an image would be presented of the intercourses and the joys of the blessed above. And, what should hinder such a disposition from being universally displayed, but the selfishness and depravity of man? Why may not our world be filled with intelligent beings, devoted to such noble and god-like aims, as well as with tribes of selfish demons? There is no physical impossibility to prevent such a blessed transformation. But the WILL of man stands as a barrier; he perceives not in what his true happiness consists; "he loves darkness rather than light," and misery more than happiness, and will not bend his ears to the instructions of heavenly wisdom. No man, however, ought to assume the name of a Christian in whom this benevolent and godlike disposition does not exist. Were Christianity universally diffused, and its holy principles recognised as the basis of human action, we should, ere long, behold such displays of beneficence in all the regions of the globe, and among every kindred and tribe and people; and the sighs of the disconsolate, the groans of the oppressed, and the shouts of the warrior would be heard no more.

Let me beseech you, then, my Christian brethren, to cultivate this benignant principle, and show to the world that you are actuated by higher aims than the sons of avarice, and that you are of one heart and affection with the angels of light. To do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. And, if you are thus disposed, you will come forward, with cheerfulness, in every work of universal philanthropy, and will not grudge any of the small sacrifices we have now proposed. You will thus be instrumental in augmenting the sum of happiness on earth, and prepared for engaging in the benevolent employments of the inhabitants of heaven.

4. Consider the fleeting nature of earthly enjoyments, and how soon you may be called to part with every thing you now possess.

You may be disposed, at first view, to think it hard to part with a hundred or two hundred pounds for the good of others, while you do not know how much you may require for yourself and family, at some future period. But you ought to recollect, that we should be directed by what appears to be present duty, without looking forward to mere possibilities, or contingencies which may never happen, and should trust in God, as to all the future arrangements of our lot in this world. While we perplex ourselves with anxieties about futurity, that futurity, in relation to the present scene, may never arrive. In such an hour as we think not, the messenger of death may make his appearance to summon us to the world of spirits. So numerous are instances of this description, and so frequently reported in our daily records of intelligence, that no one can, with any show of reason, flatter himself that he shall certainly live to enjoy a long succession of months or years. And, should the grim messenger arrive at a time when you have been withholding your wealth from benevolent objects, and laying it up for future use, how many painful reflections may arise to embitter your comforts and shake your hopes, on the eve of your departure

-nay, to produce painful feelings, if that be possible, even on your entrance to the world of bliss.* When you have the immediate prospect of bidding a last adieu to all earthly riches and grandeur, they will appear of a very different value from that by which they are now estimated. At that period, you will look upon them in the light in which a great man in a neighbouring country, viewed some extraordinary mark of distinction and honour sent him as he lay on his death-bed. "Alas! (said he, looking coldly upon it) this is a mighty fine thing here in this country, but I am fast bound for a country where it will be of no service to me." Reflect then, my Christian friend, on the views you will have of riches, at the hour of death, and let this consideration excite you, while in the vigour of health, "to devise liberal things" in regard to the furtherance of every philanthropic object, so that no bitter regrets may disturb your last moments, and that "an abundant entrance may be ministered to you into the everlasting kingdom of your Lord and Saviour."

5. Consider the promises and declarations of God in reference to the certainty of temporal support.

There is scarcely any thing that causes so much anxious thought and perplexity to mankind in general, as the con

* It is not altogether improbable, that certain painful feelings or reflections, may occasionally arise in the mind, even in heaven itself. We have no reason to believe, that it is such a state of absolute perfection, at least on our first entrance to it, as entirely to prevent some transient uneasy reflections. The saints will carry with them into that state all their recollections in reference to their dispositions and conduct in the present world, and, therefore, it is not unlikely, that the sins they committed in this life, and particularly, the little zeal they displayed in promoting the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, after they were brought to the knowledge of the truth-may occasionally produce an unpleasant feeling in the midst of all their joys. This idea seems to be included in the representation given in the parable respecting the degrees of honour to which persons will be advanced in proportion to their zeal and activity in the cause of God, while upon earth. But all such uneasy reflections, should they arise, will only tend to lead the soul to higher admiration of the boundless and unmerited love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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