CHAPTER II. CHRISTIAN CHARITY. ST. PAUL not only calls charity "the bond of perfectness," and declares it to be "the fulfilling of the law"; but he assigns it a rank even higher than "faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," and the "hope, that maketh not ashamed, and is an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast."* Again, he says, "Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity," continues he, "never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." Moreover, he declares that the gift of tongues used by men and angels, the privilege of prophecy, universal knowledge of things human and divine, almsgiving to the exhaustion of our entire estates, and even the merit of submitting to martyrdom, by being burned for the truth and honor of our religion, without charity, are nothing worth. And, in the summary of the commandments made by Christ himself, the love of our neighbour is placed immediately after love to God, and is made inferior to this supreme duty only. Charity, then, is the distinguishing grace of the true Christian, the crowning glory of the Christian profession; and this preeminence given to it, over all other Christian duties except love to God, will fully justify me in analyzing it with precision, if possible, and illustrating it in all its branches. This may be done most conveniently under three * Colos. iii. 14; Rom. v. 5; xiii. 8-10; Heb. vi. 19; xi. 1. + 1 Cor. xiii. divisions. I. The chief particulars in which this duty consists. II. The chief cases in which it is violated. III. The limitations and qualifications applicable to the subject, and useful to guard against misunderstanding. I. Christian charity consists of several particulars. 1. It requires a conscientious regard to the temporal wants and interests of mankind. That branch of Christian charity, however, which consists in pecuniary relief administered to the poor, and which is appropriately called almsgiving, has been so fully discussed, that it will not be enlarged upon in this connexion.* The temporal welfare and interests of mankind consist not merely, nor principally, in the pecuniary acquisitions with which their industry and skill may be rewarded, but much more, and in a much higher sense, in their intellectual and moral culture, in the enlargement of their knowledge, the preservation of their health, in the habits which they acquire, and in personal comfort and improvement of every kind. Charity requires us to wish well to others, in all these respects, and to contribute to their attainment, as occasion and opportunity are presented. In these ways, and in reference to these objects, we may often be of the most essential service to others, without any disservice or even inconvenience to ourselves. A single suggestion or remark thrown out, in the course of conversation, by a person thoroughly intent on being useful to others, in regard to health, moral habits, education, or the culture of the understanding, has sometimes proved to be ultimately of more value, than the bestowing of thousands of gold and silver. How much do they contribute to the temporal welfare, and interests of mankind, who are instrumental in establishing institutions to promote education and good moral habits in the community to which they belong? It is not extravagant to say, that those who originated, and have urged onward, the temperance reformation in this country, influenced by that charity, which does not selfishly seek her own, have contributed to the highest temporal welfare (to omit all mention of their eternal interests) of hundreds of thousands of their countrymen thus far; and, if they * See above, pp. 233–255. shall fully accomplish their enterprise, it is not too much to say, that they will benefit, in the highest sense and degree, the estates, the health, the habits, and the morals of millions of this and the coming generations. What charity has ever been more disinterested in its origin, comprehensive in its aim, noble in its object, or exalted in its purpose, than this? What numbers might have been saved to themselves, to their families, and to society, if this enterprise of charity had been undertaken earlier by half a century? The same observations apply, with no diminished force, to the modern system of Sunday School instruction, one of the most unostentatious, but effectual ways of benefiting mankind, that have ever been devised in any age or in any country. No charity is more pure and elevated in its nature, more free from all possible objections, more fruitful in its consequences, or more encouraging in its returns of good, than gratuitous instruction. Many thousands of instructers, influenced by the love of God and mankind, are now imparting the first elements of education to hundreds of thousands of children, and are thus training up multitudes to be useful and respectable in life, who might otherwise, in all probability, be lost to themselves and to society. It would not be difficult to refer to other varieties of that branch of charity which respects the temporal welfare and interests of mankind, if my limits permitted. 2. Christian charity requires a sacred regard to the spiritual and eternal interests of our fellow-men. To aid in the dissemination of our pure and holy religion, among all estates and orders of men, not only in our own country, but throughout the earth, is one of the highest and most indispensable duties of every Christian. Religious instruction is a privilege, which multitudes in this and many other countries cannot procure for themselves; it must, therefore, be provided for them by those, who are sensible of the blessings which Christianity alone can confer, and are impressed with the importance and the duty of imparting Christian instruction to all those who do not, and without their aid cannot, enjoy its benefits. Hunger and thirst must be satisfied at all events, and those, who feel their pain, will be sure, in one way or another, to find the means of satisfying their cravings; but religion, although equally the highest duty and the highest interest of all men, is not usually felt by the many to be one of those immediate and pressing wants which cannot be neglected. Many have lived, and many continue to live, in utter neglect of religion. The more, and the longer, too, men live in the neglect of religious duty, and without the benefit of religious instruction, the less inclined are they to seek its privileges and estimate their value. By long habits of inattention, neglect, and indifference, men may become entirely insensible to the claims of religion, and may live and die almost as regardless of the concerns of the life to come, as the beasts that perish. This is true of no very small number who live in Christian lands, and must be almost universally true of those countries, which still sit in "the shadow and darkness" of false religion. No Christian, alive to the destination which awaits all men beyond the grave, who believes that there is a heaven of infinite and unchangeable happiness, and a hell of infinite and never-ending despair, can suppose his duty suitably performed, when he leaves men to proceed thus on the broad road to destruction, without making a single effort to save them from the end to which they are inevitably advancing. It is no sufficient ground on which to excuse ourselves from performing this duty, that persons in this situation are insensible to their danger. If our houses were burning over us, we should not be the less entitled to commiseration and relief, because we might be weighed down by the slumbers of midnight, and insensible to the danger impending over us. In such circumstances, it would be the height of cruelty to refuse or neglect to rouse and rescue us from the falling ruins of our consuming dwellings. No breach of charity can be so great, as to refuse to listen to the spiritual necessities, and consult the spiritual interests, of mankind. 3. Christian charity requires us to manifest a suitable and conscientious regard to the reputation of others. An established character for prudence, sound discretion, and good judgment and integrity, joined with suitable acquirements and skill in the walk of life which we have chosen to pursue, can only be obtained by long and painful efforts, and by persevering labor in acquiring those habits of mind and capacities for action, which are indispensable to usefulness. Difficult of attainment originally, reputation is equally difficult of preservation when it is attained. Unlike the possession of tangible property, which rests on a stable title, and is effectually protected by the law of the country, reputation is a possession which floats on the slight and airy foundation of public opinion and popular favor; and is, therefore, subject to the fluctuations of the uncertain element by which it is upborne. It is more valuable than any thing else which we can call our own. Still it is perhaps the most insecure of all human possessions. Frail in its foundation, slight in its structure, and delicate in its materials, it is peculiarly exposed to be injured by secret insinuations, and to be blasted by the poisoned shafts of misrepresentation and slander. There are certain classes of persons, who, by reason of sex, profession, or other peculiar circumstances in their condition, occupy a position in society so delicate, that the very breath of suspicion is absolute and perhaps irremediable ruin to all their prospects. To their usefulness and happiness it is indispensable, that their characters be, not only without just ground of reproach, but that they be equally above suspicion and above imputation. Such classes of persons are peculiarly exposed to the arts of the disingenuous, the malicious, and the vindictive. Forming their designs in secret, their attacks are unseen and unknown by the victim against whom they aim. Such practices are the very height of both injustice and cruelty. Of injustice, since the victim is accused, he knows not by whom, tried, he knows not when, and condemned, he knows not for what cause; - of cruelty, because his dearest possessions are taken from him without a crime and by an unseen hand. In this way, In this way, hundreds have found public confidence and respect, and even the attachment of their friends, gradually and silently withdrawn from them without any fault of theirs, to the ruin or lasting injury of themselves and all who were depending on them. Before we permit ourselves to assail the reputation of others by misrepresentation and calumny, or to undermine them by imputation and slander, we may well reflect on the value of the possession which we are so willing to destroy. An ordinary self-interest, if any are inaccessible to higher motives, might induce them to abstain from undermining the reputation of others by secret means, inasmuch |