Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-05-10
ON GIVING AIMS.

literary journal published in Philadel-
phia.
ON GIVING AIMS.
Among the practical duties enjoined
in the New Testament, we find few, il
any, more frequently or forcibly i'm
pressed, than the giving of aims. -
The poor, We are told, We have always
with US, and experience fully confirms
the declaration. Hence there must al
ways be objects upon whom the virtue
Of charity may be exercised. Our Sa-
vior, when reproying the superstitious
lormaity of the pharisees, as manifest
ed by their needless washings, enjoined
them TO give aims ofsuch things as they
had, and behold all things were clean
unto them. Connected with the sol
emn admonition to his disciples, TO seek
the kingdom OF God, and rely on divine
protection in regard to the necessary
supplies for their physical wants, is en-
joined the duty Of giving aims. Cor
nelius is described as a devout man,
who feared God with all his house, gave
much aims to the people, and prayed to
God always. When visited by an
heavenly messenger, he was assured
that his aims, as well as his prayers,
were come up for memorial before
God. The account which is given us
Of Dorcas, her good works, her aims
deeds, and of the lamentation' Of the
widows upon her death, is particularly
beautiful and pathetic. I'm the descrip-
ton which our Lord has given us ofthe
final judgment of the righteous and the
wicked we find the care Of the former
to administer to the wants of those who
were in distress, from poverty, sick
ness, or Imprisonment, brought con-
spicuously into view, and the service
thus rendered to the meanest members
of the human family, accepted as rem
dered to the Saviour himself. But on
the other hand, the selfish disregard OF
the wicked to the distresses of others,
is charged as a neglect of the Master.
The Apostle John explains this passage
without referring to it, in tlsat pointed
question Whose hath this world
goods and seeth his brother have need
and shutteth up his bowels of compass
sion from him, how dwelleth the love
of God in him And this love, whose
absence is indicated by selfish hardness
OF heart, is the great point on which
hang all the law and the prophets. In
other words, il is this love, steadily
maintained, with its inseparable con-
comitant, the love of man, which leads
to lulfilment Of all the righteousness
which the law and the prophets were
designed to establish.
From this view of the subject, we
may clearly infer, that disposition Uf
heart from which acts Of charity and
mercy unavoidably flow, is absolutely
requisite to our acceptance in the Di-
vide sight. We are not, however, to
suppose, that acts even Of charity and
mercy will give us right, by purchase
to seat in the region of blessedness
If we are saved it is owing to the mcr-
cy of God, but if we are lost, our per-
dition will be of ourselves. And the
man whose affections are concentrated
on himself, whose love Of the world il
not counteracted and overpowered by
the love of the Father-whose faith
never breaks ont in works of benevo.
| tlence to his fellow man,-has little rea-
son to expect that his place will be al
lotted among those on the right hand
Of the King, when he comes in all his
glory.
When we come TO examinezour duty
in relation to aims, as practical qlics-
tion, it is found to be less simple than n
hasty thinker would imagine. The
great object at which we ought to aim,
is to preserve a mind properly alive to
the sutierings of others, and to be will
ling to bear as great part of their bur-
dens, as our religious duty requires
The man who gives his money, withou,
examination or inquiry, to any sturdy
beggar he meets, for the sake of get.
ting clear Of importantly, acts par
nearly as selfish as the man who with.
holds his charity altogether. Those
conqucrors of the earth, who, during
the middle ages, frequently spent grea
part of their lives in war and rapine
and, having spread desolation and ruin
wherever they went, at last devoted q
portion Of their plunder to the founding
of monastcries or erection of churches,
have not, in the view of posterity, any
claim to the character ofgivers ofalms.
And those, in the common walks oflife,
who accumulate wealth by grinding the
faces of the POORLY hard deaiing-by
the rigid eXaction of their ducs-by
pressing down the wages ofthose whom
they employ to a minimum grade-and
by all the arts of selfish and exclusive
policy; aud afterwards devote portion
of the wealth thus acquired to works OF
ostentatiOus charity, have us little claim
to deeds of genuine benevolencc, a.
those men ofplundcr and blood-though
their conduct, indeed, is not so glaring-
ly odious. This kind Of charity, we
generally allow, has little or no affinity
to that species Of aims which the sacred
pages enjoin. But are not the aims
usually given by those Of reputable
character, TOO often mingled with sellisl,
ingredients :
There are two very different classes
who may become the receivers of aims.
The absolute paupers, who rather ex-