❝ contributions of the Christian people were

free and unconstrained, the abuse of their ❝ confidence could not be very frequent, and "the general uses to which their liberality 66 was applied, reflected honour on the reli"gious society. A decent portion was re"served for the maintenance of the Bishop " and his Clergy, a sufficient sum was al"lotted for the expences of the public wor"ship, the whole remainder was the sacred "patrimony of the poor. According to the ❝ discretion of the Bishop, it was distributed "to support widows and orphans, the lame, "the sick, and the aged of the community; ❝to comfort strangers and pilgrims, and to ❝ alleviate the misfortunes of prisoners and "captives; more especially when their suf"ferings had been occasioned by their firm "attachment to the cause of religion. A 66 generous intercourse of charity united the "most distant provinces, and the smaller "congregations

"congregations were chearfully assisted by "the alms of their more opulent brethren. "Such an institution, which paid less re"gard to the merit, than to the distress of "the object, very materially conduced to "the progress of Christianity. The Pagans, "who were actuated by a sense of huma"nity, while they derided the doctrines, ac"knowledged the benevolence of the new ❝ sect. The prospect of immediate relief, "and of future protection, allured into its "hospitable bosom many of those unhappy

persons, whom the neglect of the world "would have abandoned to the miseries of "want, of sickness, and of old age. There " is some reason likewise to believe, that "great numbers of infants, who, according

to the inhuman practice of the times, had "been exposed by their parents, were fre"quently rescued from death, baptized and "maintained by the piety of the Christians, " and

"and at the expence of the public trea

66 sure."*

The Roman Emperor Julian,

expressed himself mortified, that the Christian charity maintained not only their own, but also the heathen poor. He intended to set up schools in every town, and to erect hospitals, where the poor and the sick might be taken care of. The Christians, he said, had maintained themselves, and increased in the midst of persecutions, by such means, as much more proper to work upon the common people, than mere reasoning. He commands Arsatius, Pontiff of Galatia, that he, and the other magistrates of the province, should take care to erect infirmaries, in imitation of the Christians, for the sick and poor, and assigns part of the revenue of each province where such infirmaries should be erect

ed, for their support.

*Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 2, page 347.

Let

Let us now consider the example and injunctions of our blessed Saviour, and of his Apostles, to the performance of this duty. If the illiterate Pagan, whose mind never soared beyond this life, or whose ideas at all events were but uncertain respecting his future state, but, affected by the common dic tates of humanity, deemed it right to encourage such institutions, what should not the Christian feel, who is promised eternal happiness, as the reward of piety and true charity? Every word and action of our Saviour, was designed to promote brotherly love and compassion, his whole life was employed in acts of benevolence and mercy; witness the number of his miraculous cures, recorded by all the Evangelists, too numerous, and highly unnecessary here to enumerate. "Great "multitudes came unto him, having with "them those that were lame, blind, dumb, "maimed, and many others, and cast them

❝ down

"down at Jesus' feet, and he healed them; in

somuch that the multitude wondered when

"they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed

to be whole, and the blind to see; and

"they glorified the God of Israel." His exhortations to pity and charity are many; one -only I shall mention, that where he recom>> -mends in so forcible a manner to the notice

of Christians in all ages, the sick, the naked, the stranger, and the prisoner, and declares acts of kindness shewn to them, the same as

if done to himself. "Inasmuch (says he) 66 as ye have done it unto the least of these,

66

my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The great Apostle to the Gentiles says, “I "have shewn you all things, how that so la66 bouring, ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to "give, than to receive." In the gifts or favours which men usually bestow upon each

other