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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing tocommunicate ; laying up in store for themselves a good founda-tion against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternallife.” * “ 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

Besides laying down the duty of almsgiving, in absoluteterms, our Saviour has guarded us against bestowing alms froman unworthy motive, — we are not to give alms to be seen ofmen4 We are, moreover, to give alms upon a plan; § that is,upon a deliberate comparison of our means with the reasonableexpenses and expectations of our families ; to compute what wecan spare, and to lay by so much for almsgiving in one way oranother. ||

With these directions, guarding us against the unworthy mo-tive most likely to beset us, and recommending the doing ofthe duty upon a plan most calculated to render it effectual,we are left to judge for ourselves, to consult our own reasonand experience in regard to the limits of the duty, the propersubjects of it, the most suitable occasions for its exercise,^nd the manner and other circumstances of performing it.Almsgiving is a practical problem, and few, if any, practicalproblems in morals have been found more difficult than this ;which is, to relieve the suffering poor effectually, and, at thesame time, not to minister to vice and the increase of pauperism.With much diffidence, therefore, I present the results of carefulstudy and reflection on this part of the subject.

I begin with observing, that the proper objects and principlesof Christian almsgiving are among the great topics, which havelately engaged, and are now engaging, the attention of some ofthe best minds in Europe, and in our own country. A fewyears only have passed away, since the great questions respectingthe poor were, what provision must of necessity be made forthem in view of their increasing numbers, and of the consequentexpense to be incurred for them ? And, how are they most

* 1 Tim. vi. 17 -19. t 1 John iii. 17. [ Matt. vi. 1.

§ 1 Cor. xvi. 2. || Paley’s Moral and Political Philosophy, p. 142.