Chap. II ]

CHRISTIAN CHARITY.

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danger, are unquestioned, they enjoy all the happiness which isknown to their state of life. As society advances, agricultureis improved, the arts and sciences flourish, manufactures are in-vented, commerce is introduced, and physical suffering disappears,or is greatly diminished. In the progress of these advances, thefeelings become refined, the sensibilities become cultivated, and,as physical suffering diminishes, these feelings and these sensi-bilities become sources of suffering in their turn. In the presentstate of the arts of industry, cases must be very rare, in whichany one seriously suffers from hunger, thirst, scanty raiment, orexposure to the elements ; but cases cannot be uncommon inwhich men suffer very severely by having their feelings and sen-sibilities injured.

Hence, it may be as great an offence against Christian charityin one age, in one country, and in one state of society, unneces-sarily to wound the feelings and sensibilities of others, as it isin another age, another country, and another state of society, towithhold the means of satisfying hunger and thirst, and of sup-plying raiment and protection from exposure to the elements.An unkind look, a harsh expression, an ungenerous imputation,often causes severe pain. There must be piany, to whom unkindsuspicions, unfeeling witticisms, and unmerited sarcasms, havegiven more pain, than hunger, thirst, and exposure, during theirentire lives. Malicious persons know this, and never fail todirect their shafts where they will inflict the most acute pain.With the temper which they indulge, it is not strange theyshould do this ; it is the most effectual of all ways, to renderall around them unhappy. Such dispositions, however, in theorder of Providence, are never permitted to go unpunished ;their punishment, unlike that of some other offences, is noteven delayed for a season ; the very indulgence of such a tem-per is a most severe retributive punishment. Who has not suf-fered from the outbreakings of this cruel temper ? Who hasnot been guilty of visiting others with its inflictions ? Somepersons habitually or occasionally do this, who would considerthemselves much injured by the charge, that they live in the ha-bitual or frequent violation of Christian charity. Still, who candoubt, that the charge is, with the utmost justice, fixed uponthem ?