"me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and

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ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, "and ye came unto me.-And inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. It is not necessary to understand this passage as a literal account of what will actually pass on that day. Supposing it only a scenical description of the rules and principles by which the Supreme Arbiter of our destiny will regulate his decisions, it conveys the same lesson to us; it equally demonstrates of how great value and importance these duties in the sight of God are, and what stress will be laid upon them. The apostles also describe this virtue as propitiating the Divine favour in an eminent degree. And these recommendations have produced their effect. It does not appear that, before the times of Christianity, an infirmary, hospital, or public charity of any kind, existed in the world whereas most countries in Christendom have long abounded with these institutions. To which may be added, that a spirit of private liberality seems to flourish amidst the decay of many other virtues not to mention the legal provision for the poor, which obtains in this country, and which was unknown and unthought of by the most polished nations of antiquity.

St. Paul adds upon the subject an excellent direction, and which is practicable by all who have any thing to give :-" Upon "the first day of the week (or any other stated time) let every 86 one of you lay by in store, as God hath prospered him." By which I understand St. Paul to recommend what is the very thing wanting with most men, the being charitable upon a plan; that is, from a deliberate comparison of our fortunes with the reasonable expenses and expectations of our families, to compute what we can spare, and lay by so much for charitable purposes in some mode or other. The mode will be a consideration afterwards.

The effect which Christianity produced upon some of its first converts, was such as might be looked for from a divine religion

* Matthew, xxv. 31.

coming with full force and miraculous evidence upon the consciences of mankind. It overwhelmed all worldly considerations in the expectation of a more important existence :-" And the "multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and of one "soul; neither said any of them that aught of the things which "he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common. "-Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many

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as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought "the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down "at the Apostles' feet, and distribution was made unto every "man according as he had need." Acts, iv. 32.

Nevertheless, this community of goods, however it manifested the sincere zeal of the primitive Christians, is no precedent for our imitation. It was confined to the Church at Jerusalem ; continued not long there; was never enjoined upon any; (Acts, v. 4.;) and, although it might suit with the particular circumstances of a small and select society, is altogether impracticable in a large and mixed community.

The conduct of the Apostles upon the occasion deserves to be noticed. Their followers laid down their fortunes at their feet; but so far were they from taking advantage of this unlimited confidence, to enrich themselves, or to establish their authority, that they soon after got rid of this business, as inconsistent with the main object of their mission, and transferred the custody and management of the public fund to deacons elected to that office by the people at large. Acts, vi.

II. The manner of bestowing bounty;—or the different kinds of charity.

Every question between the different kinds of charity, supposes the sum bestowed to be the same.

There are three kinds of charity which prefer a claim to attention.

The first, and in my judgment one of the best, is, to give stated and considerable sums, by way of pension or annuity, to individuals or families, with whose behaviour and distress we ourselves

are acquainted. When I speak of considerable sums, I mean only that five pounds, or any other sum, given at once, or divided amongst five or fewer families, will do more good than the same sum distributed amongst a greater number in shillings or halfcrowns; and that, because it is more likely to be properly applied by the persons who receive it. A poor fellow, who can find no better use for a shilling than to drink his benefactor's health, and purchase half an hour's recreation for himself, would hardly break into a guinea for any such purpose, or be so improvident as not to lay it by for an occasion of importance, for his rent, his clothing, fuel, or stock of winter's provision. It is a still greater recommendation of this kind of charity, that pensions and annuities, which are paid regularly, and can be expected at the time, are the only way by which we can prevent one part of a poor man's sufferings,-the dread of want.

2. But as this kind of charity supposes that proper objects of such expensive benefactions fall within our private knowledge and observation, which does not happen to all, a second method of doing good, which is in every one's power who has the money to spare, is by subscription to public charities. Public charities admit of this argument in their favour, that your money goes further towards attaining the end for which it is given, than it can do by any private and separate beneficence. A guinea, for example, contributed to an infirmary, becomes the means of providing one patient at least with a physician, surgeon, apothecary, with medicine, diet, lodging, and suitable attendance; which is not the tenth part of what the same assistance, if it could be procured at all, would cost to a sick person or family in any other situation.

3. The last, and, compared with the former, the lowest exertion of benevolence, is in the relief of beggars. Nevertheless, I by no means approve the indiscriminate rejection of all who implore our alms in this way. Some may perish by such a conduct. Men are sometimes overtaken by distress, for which all other relief would come too late. Beside which, resolutions of

this kind compel us to offer such violence to our humanity, as may go near, in a little while, to suffocate the principle itself, which is a very serious consideration. A good man, if he do not surrender himself to his feelings without reserve, will at least lend an ear to importunities which come accompanied with outward attestations of distress; and after a patient hearing of the complaint, will direct himself by the circumstances and credibility of the account that he receives.

There are other species of charity well contrived to make the money expended go far; such as keeping down the price of fuel or provision, in case of a monopoly or temporary scarcity, by purchasing the articles at the best market, and retailing them at prime cost, or at a small loss; or the adding a bounty to particular species of labour when the price is accidentally depressed.

The proprietors of large estates have it in their power to facilitate the maintenance, and thereby encourage the establishment of families (which is one of the noblest purposes to which the rich and great can convert their endeavours,) by building cottages, splitting farms, erecting manufactures, cultivating wastes, embanking the sea, draining marshes, and other expedients, which the situation of each estate points out. If the profits of these undertakings do not repay the expense, let the authors of them place the difference to the account of charity. It is true of almost all such projects, that the public is a gainer by them, whatever the owner be. And where the loss can be spared, this consideration is sufficient.

It is become a question of some importance, under what circumstances works of charity ought to be done in private, and when they may be made public without detracting from the merit of the action, if, indeed, they ever may; the Author of our religion having delivered a rule upon this subject which seems to enjoin universal secrecy :-" When thou doest alms, let not "thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thy alms "may be in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly." Matt. vi. 3, 4. From the

preamble to this prohibition I think it, however, plain, that our Saviour's sole design was to forbid ostentation, and all publishing of good works which proceeds from that motive :--"Take heed "that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; other"wise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven: "Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet "before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the "streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto "thee, they have their reward," ver. 1, 2. There are motives for the doing our alms in public beside those of ostentation, with which, therefore, our Saviour's rule has no concern; such as to testify our approbation of some particular species of charity, and to recomend it to others; to take off the prejudice which the want, or, which is the same thing, the suppression of our name in the list of contributors might excite against the charity, or against ourselves. And, so long as these motives are free from any mixture of vanity, they are in no danger of invading our Saviour's prohibition: they rather seem to comply with another direction which he has left us : "Let your light so shine before "men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your "Father which is in heaven." If it be necessary to propose a precise distinction upon the subject, I can think of none better than the following: When our bounty is beyond our fortune or station, that is, when it is more than could be expected from us, our charity should be private, if privacy be practicable; when it is not more than may be expected, it may be public for we cannot hope to influence others to the imitation of extraordinary generosity, and therefore want, in the former case, the only jus tifiable reason for making it public.

Having thus described several different exertions of charity, it may not be improper to take notice of a species of liberality, which is not charity, in any sense of the word: I mean the giving of entertainments or liquor, for the sake of popularity; or the rewarding, treating, and maintaining, the companions of our diversions, as hunters, shooters, fishers, and the like, I do not