The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1848-12-23
CHRISTIAN PHILANTHROPY.
Correspondence Of tte Spy.

Rev. Henry Beecher, of Brooklyn, N Y, de-
liyered very able discourse on Sabbath morn
ing, in Mt. Vernon Chruch, on Christian philan-
thropy. He said regard for the poor was dis
tinguishing feature in the Saviour's mission.
The despised fishermen, the blind leprous, and
insane, found in him a sympathising friend, and
to the poor, everywhere, he preached the Cos
pel-glad tidings OF salvation
Benevolence, he said, had two elements,-an-
tcapatory and remedial; and sympathy might be
either independent or secondary. The sympa-
thy OF the highest benevolence, or independent
sympathy, flowed from the pure towards the i'm
pure, and the greater the impurity the greater
the sympathy of pure benevolence.
The Infinite One was not being wrapped up
in himself But, as gushing fountain, gives
out water from every seam and crevice,-so the
Gospel, the embodiment of his heart to man,
gives out benevolence in every page and verse.
God sustained to all noble, unsued minds
complacent sympathy, -but TO man, ruined ny
transgression the sympathy OF benevolence.
All genuine, Christian philanthropiss, he said,
had two points OF sympathy,-one with the Au-
thor of all good, and one with men. There were
indeed philanthropists, who had no sympathy
with God; but though they might do much to
alleviate human wretchedness, they failed to
reach its causes. Such philanthropy was a cloud
that aUould rain, but had no water, being separa-
IL.
py was mere sympathy with man as related to
this world. Christian philanthropy was sympa-
thy both with the Creator and man, as his degen-
crate ruined child When the phianthropist
was imbued with the spirit OF universal beneV-
olence, redoent with the love of Jesus Christ,
then and not TIL then, would he ever become
the minister OF SdlUation wherever he went.
Such one had call to go about doing good =
as the moon had call to shine when the sun
poured the effulgence Of his rays upon it.
A human soul with sympathy towards God and
none for man, was like beautiful lake embosom-
ed with hills, rejecting back to heaven the light
that shone upon its CLASSY surface, but which
sends down no streams TO beautity and cheer the
valleys below. These two great commands,
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy
heart, and thy neighbOr as thyseE" he said
were grapped together as firmly as the loving
Heavenly Father could bind them.
And as mans wickedness was the ground of
Gods sympathy, the procuring cause of that in
estimable gift OF his own son, the only Great
Physician of the SOULS maladies, so the true phi
lanthropist pitied the errors of men and loved
the erIing Whatever made men more philoso-
piers than phianthropists, made them less in
accordance with the spirit of Infinite wisdom and
benevolence.
For a wandering child, the parents heart is
ready to burst with intense emotions,-its yearn.
ihgs go out after the erring one and cannot be
satisfied till he is brought back to his place in the
domestic circle.
The soul, in sympathy with the divine mind
pours out its heart to him in view of his pertec
tons and learns to feel as he feels towards those
who are out of the way, and to engage with al
the tenderness of its nature and all its energies
for their restoration. This, he said, was the
teaching of Chr stanity-th was true greatness
this gave life its highest signi6cancy--th
made man feel responsible for the sins db0u
| him.
| There were many causes which separated III
| from this Godike compassion for the vicious One
| was absorption IN the study of the Creator. In
telectual study, of any kind, improved the mind
but not always the heart. God might be studied
as an architect studied cathedral, or as an as
tronomer the far off worlds, without any emotion
of the heart-with mere admiration. 1t was not
the diameter OF the sun, nor its splendor, tina
made it object OF interest to this world, but the
light and heat it sends FORTH what it u.s. blu
1Dhat 1t does The mere contemplative mine
does not comprehend the highest attributes of the
Divine Mind, but he that sympathizes actively
with an ever living, moving, loving, regenerat
ing spirit, does.
The noblest form of contemplation included de
sire OF conformity to the Saviour of men in his
remedial character. But the mind that take God
abstractly for porton-the mind conscious o.
high characteristics naturally retires and is otter
shut out from sympathy with society. Had such
an one sympathized with the active benevoence
OF the Infinite, he might have diffused purity and
happiness over a wide circle around him.
A. D.