Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

sympathy, under a sense of our common necessities, as equally children of the same almighty Parent; and, being christians, as members of the body of Christ, and fellowheirs of the grace of life.

Christianity is the angel of celestial mercy to the sons of wretchedness, affliction, and woe; and that even where superstition has been mingled with it. "To the influence of christianity are to be attributed those asylums for the relief of the miserable, which humanity has consecrated as monuments of beneficence. Constantine was the first who built hospitals for the reception of the sick and wounded in the different provinces of the Roman empire. These establishments were multiplied in the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, in Italy, France, and Spain. They were afterwards so generally adopted, that, according to Matthew Paris, not less than 19,000 charitable houses for leprosy alone existed in the christian states in the tenth century. Rome contained forty hospitals for various charitable purposes. The number of similar establishments in Petersburg is almost incredible to those who recollect the sudden growth of that capital. Paris, besides private establishments, there were before the revolution, forty-eight public foundations for the relief of disease and indigence.*

In

The metropolis of our favoured country is eminently distinguished by such noble monuments of christian charity above every city in the world. In every part of it are to be seen hospitals, infirmaries, dispensaries, and asylums, built and endowed by the benevolence of christians; and provided to relieve the sick and the poor, the blind and the dumb, the aged and the orphan. The detail would show a list of some hundreds in our British capital, besides the incalculable numbers of the same refuges of mercy, which are found in every city and large town in the kingdom.

Christianity has given to us our inestimable sabbaths; thus sanctifying a seventh portion of our days, for the benign purposes of rest, instruction, and devotion. It

* Dr. Valpy's Sermon before the Royal Humane Society.

prescribes our social meetings on the day of the Lord, for cherishing fraternal affection, for increasing rational piety, and mutually to encourage our sublimest anticipations of a glorious immortality at the termination of our earthly sorrows.

The sacred exercises of the christian sabbath promote the purest, the most enlarged philanthropy; and they have been the means of constraining the disciples of Christ to care for the souls of others. The immortal welfare of their neighbours, of their fellow-countrymen, and of the whole earth's population, has engaged their benevolent solicitude. It is computed that more than fifty thousand children of the indigent, are, in Great Britain, supported and educated in the principles of the Bible, by means of the bounty of deceased christians! Not less than a million of the children, chiefly of the labouring and mechanical classes, are collected every sabbath; and by a hundred thousand disciples of Christ, they are gratuitously taught to read and understand the words of everlasting life. Thus they are directed in the paths of virtue by the gospel of salvation, and instructed how they may glorify God and enjoy him for

ever.

For the divine purpose of advancing knowledge and religion among all the families of mankind, British christians annually contribute largely. Among the degraded heathen they support some hundreds of apostolical missionaries, to learn their languages-to translate for them the sacred scriptures-to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ-to instruct their children in heavenly wisdom-to show forth to guilty nations the unspeakable blessings of redeeming grace—and by the only Mediator between God and sinners, to lead them to the possession of life everlasting!

Such is the noble spirit, and such the imperishable fruits of christianity, as contained in the Holy Bible. Its language still addresses equally every child of man; the monarch and the peasant-the rich and the poor-the learned and the illiterate-the master and the servantthe parent and the child, are alike invited and commanded

to return to the Lord our God, by repentance and faith, in humble sincerity. To believe with the heart the record which God has given of his Son Jesus Christ, is to possess an interest in eternal life; to reject or disbelieve the gospel, is to make God a liar; and how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

CH. XVI.-PLAN FOR THE ANNUAL READING THROUGH OF THE BIBLE.

"SEARCH the scriptures," is the authoritative injunction of our Lord and Saviour, in obedience to which every believer finds both profit and delight. While some appear contented to limit their attention to a few select chapters, the consistent christian feels his obligation to regard every part of the Divine Word. Te imitate the worthy example of eminent devout men of former days, many are commendably solicitous to read through the Bible at least once a year, but they have no plan for their direction. For the assistance of such, the following Tables have been compiled.

It will be readily perceived that the reading of each day is divided into three parts, containing generally a chapter each of the historical, the prophetical, and the devotional scriptures. While it is readily admitted, that some parts of the oracles of God, are far more important for devotional and family reading than others, it must not be forgotten that the apostle Paul has declared, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works," 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. To distinguish all the chapters and sections which are less necessary to be read, would be difficult on a small scale; a few, however, have been marked, and the rest must be left to the enlightened reader.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« PoprzedniaDalej »