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 COMPASSION 
 TO THE POOR RECOMMENDED. 
 
 A SERMON, 
 
 i 
 DELIVERED 
 
 IN THE 
 
 FIRST BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, 
 
 FEBRUARY THE FOURTH, 1810, 
 
 AND PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST AND FOR THE PROFIT 
 OF THE 
 
 FEMALE BAPTIST BENEVOLENT SOCIETY 
 
 IN SAID CITY. 
 
 $Y WILLIAM SIAUGHTON, D. D. 
 
 " All the widows stood weeping, an-1 shewing the coats and garments 
 " which Dorcas made while she was with them." Acts , c. 9. v. 29. 
 " Ubicunque homo est, ibi beneficio locus est." Seneca. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 PRINTED BY BARTHOLOMEW GRAVES 
 
 1810. 
 
SERMON. 
 
 {Jalatia7is, c. 1,-v. 10. Only they would that we should remem- 
 ber the floor ; the same that 1 also was Jorward to do. 
 
 " The poor shall never cease out of the land ."• « The 
 poor ye have always with you, and whensoever ye will ye may 
 do them good." f Such was the language in which God ad- 
 dressed the Israelites ; and such the Lord Jesus employed, 
 when the officious attention of a sincere penitent to his person, 
 was censured as an uncharitable profusion. 
 
 In every age the indigent have existed and have commonly 
 formed large portions of the mass of society. The character 
 and condition of man forbid the expectation that this state of 
 things, will ever be greatly reversed. He is a sinner. His 
 indolence, his pride, his dilatory temper, and his restless ap- 
 petite, his caprice and his imprudence would produce a state 
 of penury, though drunkenness and lust were not indulged. 
 Man is a sinner in society with others. In the community of 
 which he is a member, thieves are preparing to break through 
 and steal. The widows and the fatherless children have adver- 
 saries. The unsuspicious become victims of t'ie designing, 
 and the easy often remain to lament, in poverty, their ill-direct- 
 ed sympathies. 
 
 Sometimes the governments of the world, far from secu- 
 ring the interests of the commonwealth, their professed aim, 
 are productive of wretchedness to thousands. Is a sceptre 
 swayed by age and weakness, "out of prison an old and foolish 
 " king cometh to reign and he that is born in his king- 
 *' dom becometh poor."$ Is the supreme power at the con- 
 *rou! of a hero, who fills a nation with soldiery? The existence 
 
 * Deuteronomy, c. 15 v. 11 Mark, c. 14. v. 7- 
 \ Eccl. chap. 4. 14 verse. 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 and movements of vast armies always multiply the number 
 of the impoverished and the distressed. When Uzziah reigned 
 and Amos prophesied, God, by his prophet, declares his 
 determination to punish the armed men of Judah, because 
 " they sold the righteous, for silver, and the poor for a pair of 
 " shoes.* They are charged with " treading upon the poor ; ' 
 with taking from him " burdens of wheat," and selling" the 
 refuse." Strangers to humanity, they are to be contemplated as 
 beasts rather than men, " Hear this word ye kine of Bashan." 
 It is our mercy, my brethren, that from calamities, such as 
 these, the sovereign of nations has preserved us. 
 
 The affairs of mortals are under the direction of an uncon- 
 troulable providence. The divine hand is to be traced in 
 the varied lot of men. " The Lord maketh poor and maketh 
 rich."| of this truth the patriarch was sensible and was prepar- 
 ed to say " The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away." 
 
 A thousand occurrences, which man is incapable of foresee- 
 ing; or avoiding, may reduce him from affluence to want. On 
 the seas, storms and shipwrecks may devour his property ; on 
 the shorts, fire may suddenly consume it, " Except the Lord 
 • «' build the house, they labour in vain that build it : except the 
 *' Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is 
 " vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread 
 " of sorrows."* Sickness and age un-nerve the arm of indus- 
 try; the cold and snows of winter create new necessities; and 
 sometimes, the hand of death rends from a family its chief 
 supporter. In such an economy, the wisdom and goodness of 
 Jehovah are discernible. The rich are provided with a sphere 
 for benevolent exertion and the poor are taught to rely on his 
 p-.ovic^nce who clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the 
 fowls of the air; the sensibilities of the heart are awakened 
 
 * Amos, chap. 4. 5 verse, f Psalm 127, chap. 1. verse ?. 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 and men become powerfully allied to each other, by having 
 duties and dependencies intimately mingled. 
 
 It was. probably in relation to this last source of poverty, the 
 visitations of God, that our text was uttered. A little before 
 the sun of prophecy went down ; prophets came " from Jeru- 
 salem unto Antioch ; and there stood up one of them, named 
 Agabus, and signified by the spirit, that there should be great 
 dearth throughout all trie world; which came to pass in the 
 days of Claudius Cesar. Then the disciples, every man ac- 
 cording to his ability, determined to send relief unto the 
 brethren which dwelt in Judea."* These brethren felt the 
 calamity more severely, as on the effusion of the spirit at 
 the fea t of Pentecost * as many as were possessors of houses 
 an-! lands, sold, them," and laid " the prices of the things" at 
 the apostles feet, and as Judea was the seat of the first fierce 
 persecution that was directed against the followers of Christ. 
 
 At the time Paul addressed the churches in Galatia : two 
 things appear to have been circulated among them, by design- 
 ing men to his disadvantage. He was represented :is i i tig 
 his knowledge of the Christian system from the apostles ; and 
 it was insinuated that his doctrine, and that which the apostles 
 taught, were not iii harmony with each other. From the first 
 of these ideas, the inference was probably drawn, that as a 
 mere learner he was unfit to instruct ; and from the last, that 
 as a teacher of false doctrine, he was to be resisted or 
 shunned. But the apostle answers, " I certify you brethren, 
 that the gospel which is preached by me is not after man ; I 
 neither received it from man, nor wis I (aught it, but by the 
 revelation of Jesus Christ "f Had Paul learned the gospel 
 from others, it must have been before his conversion, or after 
 it.. .not before ; for then says he, u beyond measure I persecu- 
 ted the church of God. and wasted it". ..not after, for lie adds, 
 " when it pleased God to reveal his son in me that I might 
 
 * Acts 11, chap. 27, 29 verse, f 1 Chap. 12, 13 verse. 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 preach among the heathen, immediately, I conferred not with 
 flesh and blood ; neither went I up to Jerusalem to them who 
 were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and return- 
 ed again unto Damascus."* 
 
 The second imputation he disproves with equal facility and 
 effect. So far from any discord'existing between the doctrines 
 taught by him and by the apostles ; he says, when " James, 
 Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the 
 grace that was given unto mc, they gave to me and Barnabas 
 the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the heath- 
 en, and they unto the circumcision." * The right hand of 
 fellowship was an incontrovertible token that, their faith and 
 affection, their aim and ardour, their sufferings and consola- 
 tions were one. They would indeed that he should remember 
 the poor; meaning the poor saints at Jerusalem, the poor 
 scattered through the churches of Christ ; or, the poor of 
 every description, and wherever found. But as to this, no 
 difference of view existed : this service of Christian benevo- 
 lence, says Paul, was the same which " I also was forward te 
 » do." 
 
 For the purpose of exciting an equal readiness in your minds, 
 my brethren, to this labour of love you are requested to re- 
 flect ; 
 
 I. On the duty recommended. ...Remember the poor. 
 
 II. On the solicitude of good men, to have this duty faith- 
 fully discharged: " Only they would" that we should thus 
 act. And 
 
 III. On the example, furnished by the text, for our imita- 
 tion ; " I also was forward." 
 
 I. The duty in contemplation is obviously, 
 
 1. opposed to for getfulness. " Remember and forget not."t 
 The emotion which the remembrance of poverty and distress 
 exenes in the mind is a painful one ; Men treat it as the hea- 
 
 * Gal. c. 1. v. 16, 17. t Deuteron my, c. 9. v. 7- 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 then did the idea of a God. They dislike " to retain" it, 
 The current of our meditations is commonly directed by our 
 habits. In the depth of his adversities, the prophet says, 
 " I format prosperity."* In the same manner, in the midst 
 of prosperity, we are in danger of forgetting adverse scenes. 
 The divine majesty has placed the house of mourning " over 
 against" the house of mirth, that while in one, we enjoy ease, 
 competency, or it may be abundance, we may be reminded of 
 the duty of turning the eye and employing the heart on the 
 mansions of the other. When Joseph preferred his modest 
 but importunate petition to the chief butler, " think on me 
 " when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray 
 " thee make mention of me to Pharoah and bring me out of 
 « this house" ; it is highly probable that he received protes- 
 tations of sedulous attention, and with confidence waited their 
 fulfilment. "Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph 
 " but format him :"t so effectually is the kindling glow of 
 humanity quenched by the tides of affluence and honour. It 
 is well for us that the God of mercy " forgetteth not the cry 
 " of the humble/% The presence of a beggar at our door, 
 though he be perhaps an impostor, provokes our charity, by 
 reminding us of our duty. Be assured, Brethren, a thousand 
 cases of extreme indigence exisi where the subject "cannot 
 " beg." His sensibilities, or perhaps his sufferings, forbid 
 him. Let him not perish. Let it not be said, " Ye huve 
 " forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to you as unto 
 " children :" but, on the contrary, " Be not forgetful to en- 
 " tertain strangers." " To do good and to communicate 
 " forget not." 
 
 The duty we are contemplating stands 
 
 2. opposed to wilful neglect. If the patriarchs, says Paul, 
 " had been mindful (the word in our text translated remem- 
 
 • Lamentations, c. 3. v. 17. f Genesis, c. 40th. v. 23. Psalm 9-12. 
 \ Hebrews, c. 12th & 13th. 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 ber) ; " if they had been mindful of that country whence they 
 " came out, they might have had opportunity, to have re- 
 " turned."* But though the inhabitants of Canaan did not im- 
 pede their return, nor those of Chaldea forbid it, they resolutely 
 kept from the country they had left, and when driven by fa- 
 mine from the land of promise, sought relief in an opposite 
 direction, in Egypt and not in Assyria. This wilful neglect 
 evinced the greatness of their faith, but, the discovery, on 
 our part, of such a temper towards the poor, must determine 
 the absence of ours. The exterior sanctity of a Priest or a 
 Levite will not atone for the neglect of a Wounded man by the 
 way side. Pride and luxury may scorn the Lazar at the gate, 
 but the fire of Hell shall repay the inhuman procedure. 
 Insensibility to the condition of the wretched is a crime. 
 f < Thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from 
 u thy poor brother. "t In Philadelphia, let it never be seen 
 that " the poor is separated from his neighbour"|: — " The 
 n poor is hated even by his own neighbour."!) 
 The duty is 
 3. opposed to silence on the subject of the bounty of others. 
 To publish the gospel is by the apostle termed remember- 
 ing it § « By faith Joseph when he died," remembered, 
 (£ttv»/xo«!/<7») that is, he " made mention of the de- 
 parting of the children of Israel. "fl Subjects which employ 
 our recollection easily become themes of discourse. Let us 
 tiot suppose that the case of the poor is sufficiently urged in 
 apostolical exhortations and in occasional effusions from the 
 pulpit ; it should share the converse of the parlour. More 
 good may be effected in this way than we, at first, may ima- 
 gine. The poor are introduced into our company, and re- 
 lieved without pain to themselves. Who would not aspire 
 
 * Heb. c. 11. 15. t Deuteronomy, c 15. v. 7. J Prov. c 14 v. 20. 
 || Prov. c. 19. v. 4. §2 Tim. c 2. v. 8. H Heb. c 11. v. 22- 
 
( » ) 
 
 at the double honour of doing our own duty and inciting 
 others to accomplish theirs. Inducements to refuse are less- 
 ened, when the petitioner is known to be disinterested. 
 
 I remember, when a young man, in company with a belov- 
 ed and respected tutor, the Reverend Mr. Hughes, now of 
 Battersea, spending a day at the country seat of Miss Hannah 
 More. It was the seat of simplicity and elegance, of litera- 
 ture and piety. This excellent lady who has honoured her 
 country and her sex, and enriched the world and the church by 
 her instructive pages, was called out of the parlour, perhaps 
 for half an hour, in the interval between dinner and tea-time. 
 On her return she offered an apology. It was artless and 
 interesting. She had been administering to the relief of a 
 poor widow, who had several, I think ten children, and offer- 
 ing her counsel in some circumstances of extreme embarrass- 
 ment. She gave only a few outlines, but nature and truth, in 
 a moment, completed the picture. I never more regreted 
 that the sum, I had with me, was so trivial and never felt in an 
 equal degree anxious to be rich, for the purpose of sharing 
 the luxury of doing good. 
 Remembering the poor is 
 
 4. opposed to inactivity. Strictly speaking, the simple recol- 
 lection of a person contributes neither to his advantage nor his 
 injury ; but with a sound, a delicate, a virtuous mind the mere 
 recurrence of distress brings motive sufficient for imparting 
 relief. Ancient servants of God were satisfied that it was 
 necessary, in their afflictions, only " to put" the Lord " in re- 
 membrance." His love would attend to the rest. Of this 
 kind, was the repeated prayer of Nehemiah, when reforming 
 the offices of the sanctuary. " Remember me, O my God, 
 for good".* Thus too, Job, in his calamity, cried unto the Lord 
 " Oh that thou wouldest remember me."f " Lord remember 
 u me"4 was the comprehensive petition of the malefactor on 
 
 * Nebsmiah.c. IS.v.SJ* f Job, c. 14. r. 13. t ^" ke » c 93. v. 41. 
 
( io ) 
 
 the cross. The benificence of Jenovah which created man a 
 littie lower than the angels, and which crowned him with 
 glory and honour David ascribes to his being " mindful of 
 " him."* Remembering the poor, then, includes in it be- 
 nevolent action. 
 
 We must make a reserve for them..." Let every one of you 
 *' lay by him in store as God hath prospered him."t If we are not 
 able, like the generous Watts, when supported in the family 
 of an Abney, to apply a third part of our income to the poor, a 
 conscientious appropriation of some portion of our property 
 to this service, highly becomes us. Paul employs the same 
 wordt to express fellowship and alms-giving. Our morsel is 
 not to be eaten alone. An economical and regular reserva- 
 tion will be followed with many advantages. In urgent cases 
 we shall be prepared and " ready to communicate." The 
 false estimate we are prone to make of the magnitude of our 
 charities will be corrected, and the extremes of parsimony and 
 imprudence alike avoided. 
 
 We must dispense to their necessities. This duty is express- 
 ed by the terms scattering,|| dispersing, § opening the hand,fl 
 drawing out the soui,** sowing,-^ watering.JI Of the Pa- 
 rents of Job, the divine word makes no express mention : but 
 their knov. ledge of the human heart and of the influence of 
 early habits on subsequent life ; their devotedness to God and 
 their desire for the welfare of their son may be inferred from 
 {.lie Patriarch's own assertions, "from my youth he (the father- 
 " less) was brought up with me as a father ; and I have gui- 
 " dpd her (the widow) from my mother's womb " O ye Pa- 
 
 * Psalm 8. A. f 1 Cor. 17, 2. }Ko»ya>»,« Comp, 2 Cor, 6, 14. with 2 
 Cor. 9, 13. and in other places. |j Prov. 11. 24. S Psalm. 112. 9. 
 i DeuL 15. 11. •• Isaiah, 58. 10. ft 2 Cor. 9. 6. \\ Prov. 11. 25. 
 
( 11 ) 
 
 rents, we beseech you, habituate your children to acts of bene- 
 volence. Intrust them with small sums for the purpose. Take 
 them with you by the hand into the chambers of sorrow. 
 Teach them to weep with them that weep. ...You will by such 
 means form them for a reputable and an useful life. The 
 course into which this good man had been guided in his youth 
 became the easier, when the fear of God took possession of 
 his heart. ...of his table " the fatherless did eat." The ' loins" 
 of the poor " blessed" him for they were warmed with the 
 fleece of his sheep. When "the wicked" like amontter of prey 
 would devour the indigent he " brake his jaws" and " dejive- 
 u red the spoil out of his teeth." Well did he deserve 
 the character of " a father to the poor." And shall not we, 
 my brethren, aspire at a similar honour ? " Give" I beseech 
 you " to him that needeth." Is he hungry ?" feed him ; is he 
 thirsty ? give him drink ; is he naked ? clothe him ; is he 
 sick ? visit him, and take with you the reviving cordial or the 
 requisite medicine. Is he ignorant ? instruct him. Is he in 
 perplexity ? be his counsellor. Is he in his sins ? pray for 
 him. Tell him what the grace of a mediator can accomplish 
 The duty we are contemplating is 
 
 5. opposed to an inconstant temper of mind. Alas! we 
 are prone to be weary in well doing. Strong temptations to 
 this, I acknowledge, may sometimes present themselves. 
 Perhaps our good is evil spoken of; and our motives misre- 
 presented. Perhaps our charities have proved unwisely be- 
 stowed ; or have been returned with ingratitude. Perhaps 
 the benevolence of others, whose capacity equals or exceeds 
 our own, is seen to fail ; or, it may be, because the number of 
 cases of distress far exceeds our ability to relieve, we 
 shrink from the magnitude of the object, and conclude on do- 
 ing nothing. But, we should keep in memory, that neither 
 calumny nor applause, unthankfulncss nor gratitude, is ouy 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 rule of action. If we have erred in past contributions, let us 
 grow wiser from our mistakes. Should others fail in their 
 services; the call is the louder for ours. If our means are 
 limited ; so is our duty. « If there be first a willing mind, it 
 " is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according 
 " to what he hath not. '** The mite of the widow was greater in 
 the estimation of the Son of God, than the abundance of the 
 rich. " See" said Paul to the Corinthians, " that ye abound in 
 thisgrace"T God is not unrighteous to forget your work and 
 labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his name : in 
 that ye have ministered unto the saints, and do minister ; and 
 we desire every one of you do shew the same diligence, to 
 the full assurance of hope unto the end."| 
 
 The importance of the duty before us, will more fully dis- 
 cover itself while 
 
 II. We reflect on the solicitude of the Apostles to have it, 
 with fidelity, fulfilled. " They would that we should " re- 
 member the poor." Some circumstances might have indu- 
 ced them to fear lest this office by Paul, should have remain- 
 ed undischarged ; particularly as it related to the poor saints 
 at Jerusalem. He was about to go to the Gentiles, but as the 
 prejudices of the Jews against the Gentiles were great, it 
 was to be feared lest the Gentiles should indulge corres- 
 ponding ones. Besides, as Paul was on the eve of travel- 
 ling, they knew not how far, probably to Illyricum, or his 
 zeal might propel him to Spain ; there was some ground for 
 suspecting that distance might diminish his sympathies, or 
 new objects of concern occupy the place of former ones. Paul 
 and Barnabas seemed as like to become " pillars" among 
 the Gentiles, as were James, and Cephas, and John, among 
 the Jews. If the poor were by them neglected, the influence 
 of their example would be pre-eminently injurious. Few of 
 
 Corinthians 8. 12. f 2 Cor. 8. 7. \ Heb. 6. 10, 11. 
 
 # o 
 
( 13 ) 
 
 the actions of public characters, can be considered as private 
 ones. 
 
 There are, however, other reasons for the solicitude the 
 Apostles expressed, than those, which originated in the circum- 
 stances of Barnabas and Paul. Compassion to the poor is 
 recommended by nature itself. If the instances of this, fur- 
 nished by nations, who were never blessed with the oracles of 
 God, be but few, and contain more of the proud privations of 
 the patriot than the tender emotions of the man, it is to be as- 
 cribed chiefly to the creed, their false religion suggested. It 
 cannot be surprising that such should be without " natural af- 
 fection"* who could offer, without remorse their children to 
 Moloch, or sacrifice an aged parent, to spare themselves the 
 inconvenience of maintaining him.f Can it be expected that 
 the eye which calmly sees a babe exposed to the swell of the 
 Ganges, or suspended on a branch to become a feast for a 
 jackall, will melt at human woe ? Will that hand open itself to 
 relieve affliction, which has just been administering flame to 
 the pyre, on whose summit were stretched a dead and a living 
 parent ? But where superstition has not converted the hear: 
 into iron, man feels compassion for man. ...Thousands are to 
 be found whose minds are enmity against God, who yet fly 
 to alleviate distress. Atheists, who would persuade us they 
 disbelieve the divine existence, and infidels who mock the 
 page of inspiration, are willing to convince us they can com- 
 miserate calamity. But, this should not surprise us. At- 
 tachment to its kind commonly pervades all the varieties of 
 animated nature. 
 
 Some speculative writers on ethicks have contended, that 
 benevolence is " instinct or a determination of our nature an- 
 
 * 2 Rom. 3. c. 3 v. f Grotius quotes a striking passage from Taci- 
 tus who, when comparing Jewish and Roman institutions, say.Necare 
 quemquam ex agnatis, nefas. The Jews thought it unlawful to kill a 
 relative. 
 
( 1" ) 
 
 « tccedent to all reason from interest ;" that man is governed 
 in his charity, by the same kind of law, which induces the 
 eagle to build a nest, or a lion to protect its young. If this 
 were true, I need say no more, to night, than follow nature .'.. 
 be men ."Others find the origin of this affection in " self love;" 
 while some resolve it into " the finer sensibilities of the heart." 
 Were such constructions admitted, I might content myself 
 with the exhortation, be happy ! be eminent* I It is, however, 
 better for us to assert that God commands the duty, thata heart 
 governed by his fear, delights to fulfil it, and that his wisdom 
 and mercy have assigned a present and final reward. 
 
 The institutions, enjoined by the Lord, during the Mosaic 
 economy, tenderly respected the condition of the poor. In- 
 vidious distinctions were guarded against. How much soever 
 the Hebrews might differ from each other, as to personal pro- 
 perty, their souls were of equal value. Hence the injunction : 
 " The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less 
 " than half a shekel ; when ye give an offering unto the Lord, 
 " to make an atonement for your souls."* A little salt, a tur- 
 tle dove, a young pigeon or a lamb, according to the ability of 
 the offerer, proved an acceptable oblation. In harvest time 
 the corners of the field were forbidden to be reaped ; the fallen 
 ears to be collected ; and a forgotten sheaf to be fetched home. 
 These, with the gleanings of the vineyard, were to be left " for 
 " the poor and the stranger. "t Every seventh year the land 
 must * rest and lie still, "\ that the poor of the people might 
 eat. 
 
 From the dispensation of the gospel a thousand incentives 
 to charity, unknown before, may be collected. Here, we have 
 a display of the liberality of God, and are called to offer thanks 
 to his name, for the unspeakable gift of the Saviour. To awa- 
 ken our attention to the indigent, an apostle reminds us, that 
 
 * Exodus, c. 30. v. 14. f Levit, c. 19. J Exod c. 23. v. 10. 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 he that was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we, through 
 his poverty, might be rich. Shall we share the blessings of 
 the gospel without imbibing its spirit ? What was our native 
 state? poverty, nakedness, hunger, thirst, misery. What does 
 the gospel furnish ? gold tried in the fire. ...garments of salva- 
 tion.. .the bread of life and the water of life. It spreads before 
 us a feast of marrow and fat things, with wines on the lees well 
 refined. On what terms may these blessings be obtained ? 
 On terms worthy their glorious nature, worthy the sovereign 
 giver, and precisely adapted to our helpless condition " with- 
 " out money and without price." If the indulgence of an un- 
 forgiving temper towards our brethren have in it enough to 
 alarm us, lest God should not forgive us our trespasses, to be 
 unconcerned for the poor should alarm us no less. The deter- 
 mined churl may spare himself the service of asking mercy from 
 God, for " whoso stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor, he 
 " also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard."* It is the 
 privilege of the believer to receive, as from a mould, the 
 impress of the gospel of Jesus. ..He takes his character from 
 its heavenly nature, and learns to be merciful, as his father 
 who is in heaven is merciful. Love to God, to the saints, to 
 our enemies, and to the poor, is the spirit of the religion of the 
 cross. " But 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 ?"f The gospel 
 thunders as well as the law. " He shall have judgment with- 
 M out mercy that hath shewed no mercy."! 
 
 The circumstances of the action itself, recommended in the 
 text, supply a mass of motives to abound in it. Let me refer 
 you to four, the donation, the giver, the rcci/iie?it, and the ob- 
 servers. Consider the nature of the gift you are requested to 
 confer. It is only " this world's goods." Gold that can be 
 
 * Prov.C. 21. v. 13. f John, c. 3 v. 17. \ James, c. ?. v. 13. 
 
( 16 ) 
 
 corrupted. ..meat that perisheth, garments that, iflong retained, 
 will become moth eaten. Yet even these are not properly 
 your own. It was a Nabal, a fool, who exclaimed " shall I 
 k ' take my bread, and my water, and my flesh and give it."* 
 The blessings of providence we enjoy are not ours, improper- 
 ly to withold, much less ours to abuse. We are stewards and 
 of our stewardship we must give an account. The talent well 
 occupied, may conduce to the comfort of ourselves and others, 
 but buried or wasted, must prove a curse. 
 
 But. of whom do I solicit contributions this evening? Is it 
 of a race of beings who have no need of charity ? who are un- 
 der no obligations to the poor I whose condition is above vi- 
 cissitude ? whose present station is an immortal one ? Ah! my 
 brethren, you know your situation is quite the reverse of all 
 this ! you are pensioners on the liberality of another. If your 
 daily bread were not given you, you must perish. You are un- 
 der a law which appeals to your self love, as a motive and rule 
 of action. Ask yourselves, what would you wish from 
 others were you, this evening, afflicted and destitute, and let 
 your answer govern your conduct. The suns that now bright- 
 en your path ; the landscapes that exalt your raptures and 
 sustain your hopes, may soon be succeeded with darkness and 
 desolation. Forget not, my brethren, that you are yet in the 
 body. Say not to thy neighbour, " go and come again and to- 
 morrow I will give."f Alas ! to-morrow is not thine, to-mor- 
 row thy heart may be harder than to-day. To-morrow the 
 power of doing good may be wrested from thy possession. 
 To-morrow thou mayest be a child of penury and sickness, 
 ,*iid in the bitterness of thy soul, thyself neglected, be heard 
 crying, u As I have done, so God has requited me."^ To- 
 luoriow thou mayest never see. 
 
 T Samuel, c. 25. v. 11. \ Proverbs, c. 3. r. 28. \ Judges, c. 1. v. 7. 
 
( 17 ) 
 
 Art thou rich? OwHa a field opens before thee for use* 
 ful exertion. What an opportunity for becoming (as Dr. 
 Barrow happily expresses it) " virtuously voluptuous." Art 
 thou poor ? if thou art not able to communicate, thou canst 
 sympathise and pray; but, let me give thee a caution : never 
 oppress thy fellow. " A poor man that oppresseth the poor 
 ** is like a sweeping rain, which leaveth no food."* Above 
 all, art thou a christian ? Never forget that attention to " the 
 " fatherless and widows in their affliction" is an important 
 branch of " pure religion and undefiled before God and the 
 M Father."! How does the character of a Fenelon rise in our 
 esteem ; how amiably is the spirit of the gospel, in him ex- 
 emplified, who, when informed, that his library was consumed 
 by fire, exclaimed, " I had rather it were in ashes, than the 
 " cabin of one poor family." Let such, in the assembly, as 
 sustain or aspire after the character of " the virtuous woman'* 
 whose " price is above rubies," recollect the fine trait in her 
 picture, " She strctcheth out her hand to the poor, yea she 
 " reacheth forth her hands to the needy. "f 
 
 Look at the poor man who is ready to perish. He is ouv 
 brother ; bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. " Did not 
 " he that made me in the womb make him ? And did not one 
 " fashion us in the womb ?"§ Created by the same arm, he is 
 the subject of the same immortality as we. His feelings are 
 as alive as ours to neglect or kii d >ess. He stands in the 
 same class of sinners, is destined to appear before the same 
 awful tribunal, and can enter into life eternal through the 
 grace of the same divine Saviour as we are concerned with. 
 His poverty and our competence are but mere incidents in 
 our existence. Neither the animal, nor the spiritual life of a 
 man consists in the abundance of his possessions. If that 
 same poor man is a disciple of Jesus, notwithstanding his ne- 
 
 ♦ Prov. 28. 3. f James, 1. 27- J Prov. 31. 20. <> Job, 31. 15 
 C 
 
( 18 ) 
 
 cessities he has durable riches ; notwithstanding his thread-worn 
 garment, he has robes of salvation and glory; notwithstanding 
 his want of a place where he may lay his languid head, he 
 has a mansion in the skies ; he is heir to an inheritance in- 
 corruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. He is a 
 brother of the Lord of the universe, who in all his afflictions 
 is himself afflicted ; who has permitted him to be poor, to 
 give us an opportunity of testifying our obedience and our 
 love to himself ; and, who will not suffer a cup ot cold water, 
 administered to him, 5 in the name of a disciple, to lose 
 its reward. But, suppose he is not a servant of God, it 
 is enough that he is in distress. Judgment is the Lord's, and 
 not ours. Besides who can tell what advantages may spring 
 from pity and relief. The divine spirit often blesses benevolent 
 efforts to the destroying of prejudice, and the production of a 
 desire to become acquainted with that religion which has an in- 
 fluence, so benign, on the hearts of its professors. 
 
 The observers of our conduct, my brethren, are numerous. 
 There are many in the visible world. Ungodly men have 
 their eyes upon us. Let us shew them that faith and charity 
 are kindred graces. Let us put to silence their ignorance and 
 their misrepresentation. The eyes of the saints are upon us. 
 Let us copy the example of those noble Corinthians, whose 
 benificence excited the gratitude, the prayers, and the affec- 
 tion of their brethren all around. Hear how Paul describes 
 their generous course: " the administration of this service, 
 not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but is abundant 
 also by many thanksgivings unto God ; while by the ex- 
 periment of this ministration they glorify God for your pro- 
 fessed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal 
 distribution unto them, and unto all men. And by their pray- 
 er for you, which long after you, for the exceeding grace of 
 God in you."* 
 
 * 2 Corinthians, 9, 12. 14. 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 We have, moreover, good reason for believing, that in the 
 \vorld, which is to us, as yet, invisible, many an attentive 
 spectator of our conduct exists. 
 
 The prince of darkness takes a malignant pleasure in im- 
 poverishing the bodies as well as in ruining the souls of 
 mankind. He is a destroyer, and it appears to him, of little 
 consequence, in what way his mischiefs are produced.* To 
 do evil is the dreadful consolation of his existence. Could he 
 ■sink every one of us in an abyss of poverty, could he oppress 
 us with the most deplorable diseases he would do it. No 
 sooner had God said, to him, concerning Job," behold all that 
 u he hath is in thy power," than he instantly enters the Sabc- 
 ans and Chaldeans, who fall upon the oxen and the camels, 
 and slay the servants with the edge of the sword. He gives 
 
 * The remarks of Mr. Baxter on this subject are such as must 
 inipiess forcibly every feeling mind. 
 
 "I have, among men of my own acquaintance, observed such 
 " admirable frustrations of many designed excellent works, by such 
 " strange unexpected means, and by such variety of them, and so 
 " powerfully carried on, as hath itself convinced me, that there is 
 " a most vehement invisible malice permitted by God to resist 
 " mankind, and to militate against all good in tlie world." " To 
 " hinder the successes of godly magistrates and ministers, in their 
 " reformings and their writings for the winning of souls, it were 
 " endless to shew, the strange unexpected iifficulties which occur, 
 " and lamentably frustrate the most laudable attempts. I have 
 " known men that have had resolute designs to build an Alms House, 
 " or a School House, or to settle some public charitable work, thai 
 " when all things seemed ready, and no difficulty appeared, haw 
 " been hindred, in despight of their best endeavours ad their days, 
 '* or many years : Yea, men that purposed but to put it in their wills 
 " to do some considerable work for charity, have been so delayed, 
 " hindred, and disappointed, that they were never able to effect their 
 " ends. By all which it is very perceivable, to an observing mind, 
 " that there is a working invisible enemy still seeking to destroy a! 1 
 ' goodness and hinder men's salvation." 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 fury to lightnings and winds ; burns up the sheep; throws 
 down the house, in which the children of the patriarch were 
 sitting, and rejoices to see them buried in its ruins. When 
 permitted to touch the body of the sufferer, to the very extent 
 of his permission, he carried his mischief. He smote him, 
 maliciously " smote him with sore biles, from the sole of 
 11 his foot unto his crown."* 
 
 When suffered, about the time of our Lord's incarnation, in 
 some instances, to abuse the bodies of men, the wanton pro- 
 duction of dumbness, of deafness, of madness, or of any thing, 
 by which the subject might be " grievously vexed," was his 
 delight. His malevolence continues as vigorous as ever. 
 He is tempting thousands, with fatal success to indolence, in- 
 toxication, uncleanness and discord, until "pov erty come as one 
 " that travelleth, and want as an armed man."f Would you 
 gratify the powers of hell, I will suggest to you an easy expe- 
 dient. Let your hearts be adamant, when the receptacle for 
 your contributions is presented give little — give nothing 1 
 
 But, there are holy and benevolent invisible intelligen- 
 ces, as well as fallen ones. " Because of the angels"| 
 is an argument used by Paul, when exhorting to glory and 
 virtue. These rejoice not in the ruin, but in the repentance 
 of a sinner. To administer " a cake baken on the coals and a 
 " cruse of water"]! to a prophet in his distress ; affectionately 
 to importune his rising and eating, correspond with the cha- 
 racter of an angel of God. You, my brethren, who arc 
 born from above, are hoping to spend an eternity in their 
 society. Let them see that you possess their temper. Let 
 such as are present bear to the multitudes in Heaven, the 
 transporting information, that the trees, which God hath 
 planted, arc bending with the fruits of righteousness and 
 love. 
 
 Above all, be assured, that God is an observer. He now 
 sees what attention you are paying to his sovereign com- 
 
 • Job, chap. 1 Jt 2. fProv. 6. 11. i Cor. 11. 10. I! 1 Kings, 1?. 6. 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 mand : but not as needing any thing from you. He can raise 
 up " the poor from the dust" and " the beggar from the dung- 
 hill;" he can « set them among princes" and u make them in- 
 herit a throne of glory,"* without your concurrence ; for ,% the 
 " world" is his " and the fulness thereof."t But he is now 
 waiting, awful idea ! waiting to witness, how far his authority 
 shall produce reverence, or his threatenings alarm ; whether 
 his promises shall be received with confidence, and his conde- 
 scending example, for he is himself " very pitiful,"^ constrain 
 imitation. May your alms «• come up as a memorial" before 
 him, " an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well 
 pleasing to God.^ 
 
 To awaken and encourage you to the duty before us, I 
 might point you to the holy men, who had evidently lived un- 
 der the ideas we have been mentioning, and whose memory, 
 the word of God embalms. I might select precedents from 
 the history of the confessors, and martyrs of the church; or 
 refer you to the Howards and Thorntons, on each side the At- 
 lantic, of modern times : but I ask your attention only, 
 III. To the example of Paul, 
 
 Several circumstances contributed to abridge our apostles 
 capacity of exhibiting a splendid liberality. ..He was a poor 
 man. With the rest of his brethren he could say " Even unto 
 " this present hour we both hunger and, thirst and are naked, 
 " and are buffetted, and have no certain dwelling place. "11 
 Though he was convinced that the law of nature teaches that 
 the soldier is to be publickly supported, and that the planter of 
 a vineyard and the feeder of a flock are entitled to a portion of 
 the wine and the milk : though the law of Moses commanded 
 that the ox should not be muzzled which trod out the corn, 
 
 • 1 Samuel, 2 8. f Psalm. 50. 12. i James, 5. 11. 
 § Phil. 4. 18. ^1 Cor. 4. U. 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 and that the priests should be supported from the altar ; in- 
 junctions which were as much intended for the profit 
 of the christian as of the jew ; though Christ himself 
 expressly ordained that they which preach " the gos- 
 « pel, should live of the gospel ;* and though the rest of the 
 apostles drew their support from the churches they had plant- 
 ed, and it were absurd to imagine that he only, and fiamabas, 
 had no such power : yet he appears early to have adopted, 
 and without deviation, to have maintained the resolve to be 
 " chargeable to no man."t We are not, however, without am- 
 ple proof of his charitable temper. His assiduity in his oc- 
 cupation, as a tent maker ; his urgent and ingenious exhorta- 
 tions ; his long and fatigueing journis for the service of the 
 poor, are sufficient indications of the bounty of his heart. 
 
 The term w forward"! in the text, imports contrivance, 
 toil, the bending of the mind, an earnest pressing. Proposing 
 himself as " an ensample" of " well-doing" to the Thessaloni- 
 ans, Paul mentions his working " with labour and travail by 
 «« night and day." Exhorting the Ephcsians, ho says, " Let 
 " him that stole, steal no more, but rather let him labour, 
 " working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may 
 " have to give to him that needeth." No man could possess 
 a fairer pretence than cur apostle for an exemption from the 
 duty before us. Yet he does not, for a moment, avail himself 
 of excuses which cares, and toils, and poverty, might have 
 suggested. A part of the pittance which he earned, he con- 
 sidered as sacred to the poor. Is it thine to labour, my hear- 
 er, for thy daily bread, remember there are poor who cannot 
 
 * 1 Cor. 9. f 1 Cor. 11. 7- 
 \ Schleusner translates the verb b* studeo, operam do, incumbo, 
 sedulo ago, studium et operam sedulam in rem impendo, urgeo ; and 
 as the sense of the apostle in the text, uses the words, quod ut a mc 
 c-fliceretur, omnem operam dedi ; that I might assist the poor I have 
 exerted myself to the utmost. 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 labour ! Arc thy earnings small, there are such as can earn 
 
 nothing ! Imitate the pattern I exhibit. It will be pleasant 
 
 to reflect, that thy donation is the fruit of labour, and that 
 the bread thou castest upon the waters is fairly thy own. 
 
 Men are, usually, ready to exhort others to the duties which 
 themselves arc engaged in. Conviction of their propri- 
 ety and importance, creates a wish for associates. In every 
 epistle, Paul has written, tenderness and charity are urged ; 
 but in his address to the Corinthians, he expatiates on these 
 themes more than in any other. The munificence of the 
 churches in Macedonia, and their expectation of the same 
 concern for the poor, in Corinth ; the peculiar circumstances 
 of the Corinthians, as- having commenced their course of 
 charity, and as abounding in other christian graces ; the con- 
 duct of God in permitting him who sows bountifully, to reap 
 bountifully, and His ability amply to repay whatever in his 
 service we expend ; the example of Christ, the honour of 
 God, the profit of the poor, are arguments produced and man- 
 aged with heavenly wisdom, and glowing energy. 
 
 When the Grecian churches had collected a sum for those 
 saints, among the Hebrews, who had been spciled of their 
 goods for the profession of the gospel, and who were, from 
 other causes, suffering, they were at no loss for a proper 
 person, to whose care it might be intrusted. Paul was the 
 man.... His heart was too enlarged in the cause of the poor to 
 admit an objection to the service. He had purposed visiting 
 Rome and Spain, but he is willing to defer his journies. As 
 deacons to attend to the poor, in each church, were appoint- 
 ed, it might have appeared to a mind less noble, than his, a de- 
 viation from Ids office, to become a public almoner, or, at least 
 a measure which another might as well fulfil. But he had 
 his fears lest the unhappy prejudices of the Jewish brethren, 
 might prevent their acceptance of a donation from gentiles ; 
 or, if received, that it might not sufficiently bo understood to 
 
( 24 ) 
 
 be an effusion of Christian love; an:l an intimation that saints, 
 in every part of the world, are one in Christ Jesus. He is 
 not heard saying, 1 have done my duty in successfully urging 
 tliK christians of Philippi, Thessa!o:ica, and Corinth to com- 
 bine their bounty: if the belie v n.;- Jews refuse it, let their 
 sufferings chastise their folly. Far from this, he resolves on 
 every toil, on every danger and sacrifice for their good. He 
 entreats the Romans to assist him by their prayers; a most 
 happy mode of provoking their charity also: " I beseech you, 
 brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of 
 the spirit, that ye strive together with me, in your prayers to 
 God for me. that I may be delivered from them that do not be- 
 lieve in Jui'ea, and that my service which I have for Jerusa- 
 lem, may he accepted of the saints."* He could not be satis- 
 fied until, as he expressed it " this fruit" was " sealed ;" the 
 wishes of Achaia gratified, his trust discharged, the poor 
 relieved, and the harmonizing spirit of the gospel promoted 
 and confirmed. 
 
 Distinguished as was Paul as a bright example of charity, 
 he is cautious to rank the duty in its proper place. He 
 carefully maintains that a sinner's salvation is not by 
 works of righteousness that we have done, but by the wash- 
 ing of regeneration ; the renewing of the holy ghost ; the 
 blood and righteousness of the lamb of God. Does charity 
 " cover a multitude of faults,"t they are faults in the object 
 and not in the person that administers. It is a fruit of the 
 spirit, not a passport to heaven. If we bestow all our goods 
 to feed the poor and have not that charity, that genuine love 
 of God in our hearts, which is the supreme characteristic of a 
 real disciple of Jesus, our boastings are empty as the sounding- 
 brass and the tinkling cymbal. 
 
 . " Rom. 15. f"On 1 Tet. 4. 8. compare, snys Mr. I'arkhurst, 
 Pro erbs, 10. 12. and then judge how groundless is that dangerous. 
 but, I fear, common notion of atonirg sin by aims-giving." 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 Let me open to you a channel, in which your benevolence 
 may now diffuse itself. In August, 1807, several of the fe- 
 male members of this church, conceived it would conduce to 
 their mutual profit and to the profit of others to form them- 
 selves into a friendly society. Their aims were to advance 
 their own spiritual edification, and to lay up some small funds 
 for the relief of the poor, against the severities of the winter 
 season. They soon became organized ; many of their female 
 friends united with them. It is their desire that the number 
 may be increased. The present is the third winter in which 
 their charity has been in operation. Many are the poor and 
 the sick whom they have supplied with food and fuel, with 
 clothing, and whatever their exigencies might require. I will 
 give you a short extract from the rules- of the society, which 
 will assist you in judging of the claims they have on your 
 liberality. 
 
 Without limiting their efforts to this church and congrega- 
 tion, their distributing committee is commissioned " to cn- 
 " quire into any case of distress, that may come within the 
 " notice of any sister, and to distribute such articles as may be 
 " in possession of "the society, with prudence, affection, and 
 ** sympathy." That their « funds may be made as useful, 
 " and extend as far as possible," the committee is authorized 
 " to dispose of them to the best advantage, in the purchase of 
 " groceries, clothing, or any articles found necessary." 
 Money is not given, excepting " in very particular cases" of 
 which the committee is deemed " competent to judge." I 
 will only add, that the calls on the society, at the present pe- 
 riod, are numerous, loud, and affecting. 
 
 Other societies formed upon similar principles, exist in 
 our city ; and we wish them prosperity : but as the poor are 
 always and every where to be found, the number cannot well 
 be too great. As the spirit of the gospel is the common pa- 
 rent of them all, and as they ever multiply in proportion to 
 its diffusion, we ought rather to regard their rise as an auspi- 
 cious event. 
 
 D 
 
C 26 ) 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE SOCIETY. 
 
 13 c encouraged, ray christian sisters, members of the Soci- 
 ety, to persevere in your beneficent course. It is well you 
 have united yourselves for the good of the wretched. Let no 
 lions in the way, tempt you to loose hands : expect discourage- 
 ments and surmount them. Let your meetings be frequent, 
 and your consultations harmonious. Renew your exertions. 
 Aspire at the blessedness of being rich in good works. You are 
 not without a present reward. The transports you will feel, 
 when welcomed to everlasting habitations, by the pious poor, 
 you shall have relieved, it were folly to attempt to describe. 
 The congregation, I trust, is about to afford you a conviction 
 of the high sense they possess of the amiableness and impor- 
 tance of your labours of love, by the largeness of its contri^ 
 butions. 
 
 What more shall I add, my brethren, to excite your libe- 
 rality ? Could I take you, severally, into some of the mansions 
 of misery in our city, and shew you the pallet where the 
 child of want and sorrow is lying ; whose former condition in 
 life makes the idea of an Aims-House afflicting, and whose 
 distresses are cheered only by the hopes, that spring will 
 bring better days, and that christian bosoms are not dead to 
 sympathy ? Could I place before your eyes the shivering in- 
 fant, the starving grandsire, the poor widow forsaken, neglect- 
 ed, forgotten, or even the repenting tattered profligate, I know 
 you would melt.. ..in spite of all the apologies self-love might 
 suggest, your charity would abound. 
 
 Two boats, some time ago, were sent out from Dover to 
 relieve a vessel in distress. The fury of the tempest overset 
 one of them, which contained three sailors, and a companion 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 sunk. The two remaining sailors were floating on the deep; 
 to one of them, from the other boat, a rope was thrown, but he 
 refused it, crying out, Jling it to 7om, he is just ready to go 
 down, I can last some time longer. They did so ; Tom 
 was drawn into the boat. The rope was then flung to the 
 generous tar, just in time to save hiai from drowning. Look 
 on the boisterous sea of our world. You have your conflicts, 
 we acknowledge, but there are some who cannot last like you. 
 Throw out immediately to their assistance, or it may be too 
 late. Accomplish now, what I persuade myself, you thought 
 of yesterday, during the cold and heavy snow storm. Come, 
 my brethren, discharge your duty, adorn the gospel, disap- 
 point the devil, gratify angels, and revere a present GOD. 
 
 FINIS.