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A Sermon,
By
the Rev. M. N. Nathan, of Kingston, Jamaica.
Brethren!
The 31st verse of the 18th Psalm, furnishes the
text for elucidation and reflection on the present occasion. May God be
with us in this devotional hour, and incline our hearts to his law and
testimony. Amen!
:האל
תמים דרכו
אמרת ה צרופה
מגן הוא לכל
החוסים בו
"The
way of God is unchangeable, the word of the Lord is tried; He is a
shield to all who trust in him."
The
way of God is unchangeable and perfect, and the word
תמים expresses
both. Perfection implies impossibility of farther improvement, the
highest point of excellence, unattainable by any mortal,
incomprehensible to our understanding. The providence of God and his
works are eternal, and from the day that He pronounced the latter good,
bade the celestial orbs roll on in undeviating regularity, and the earth
and sea to bring forth and yield their stores, all which he created and
called into existence, has fulfilled and continues to perform its
destined purpose. He issued a decree which none should transgress;
"To the sea he said,
thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, and here shall thy proud waves
be stayed." "He commanded the morning, and caused the
dayspring to know his place; He alone knoweth where light dwelleth and
where is the place of darkness." And who but He understandeth them
now? who can improve what his wisdom has designed? who say, This is not
good, that might be better such a thing might be amended? Surely not
man, that weak, frail creature,
who alone, of, all creation, wanders and strays from the path wherein he
is directed to walk. Nought has been altered, and, amidst changes and
revolutions innumerable, the sun has not ceased to shine, nor have the
moon and stars withheld their light; the spheres have continued to
revolve, and the seasons to appear
and disappear at their appointed periods, refreshing and variegating the
verdant face of earth.
The
unalterable, nature of his ways is farther shown by the testimony which
Scripture affords, confirming what daily experience offers to our view.
Let man be the subject of our observation. God has proclaimed concerning
him, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth, subdue it, have
dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every
creature which moveth upon the earth." Which of these words has
remained unaccomplished? or, rather, have they not been and continue to
be fulfilled, to their utmost extent, daily ministering to the comforts
and supplying the wants of the human race? From the first pair created,
and, subsequently, from the single family which was saved from the wreck
of a sinful and rebellious world, has the face of the globe been
overspread, until the number of souls .cam scarcely be ascertained, save
by an uncertain mode of computation. Notwithstanding the crimes and
perverseness of mankind, the cruel and exterminating wars of mad
ambition, persecution and relentless oppression; notwithstanding the
sanguinary and ruthless acts of fanaticism, bigotry, and despotism, and
the innumerable hosts who have fallen victims to plague, pestilence, and
disease: the population of the habitable world has, in spite of all
these drawbacks, progressively and wonderfully increased, save in those
countries which, once teeming with inhabitants; were doomed to solitude
and desolation, and entailed on themselves the vengeance of the outraged
majesty of Heaven. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, of renowned
Babylon, of warlike Edom, of Tyre, whose princes were merchants, and of
many others, serves as an example and warning to deter later generations
from pursuing a like career. The dead stillness of that fearful lake,
under whose pitchy waters lie engulfed the myriads that once peopled the
four cities which it covers, the sterility which reigns over a tract
once beautiful to the eye, well watered by the Jordan, chosen by Lot to
pasture his numerous flocks when he parted from his kinsman Abraham, and
the proud capitals whose vast extent and magnificence were the theme of
every tongue, which have not a vestige left, and where no man abideth,
testify that God allows not guilt to pass unpunished;—that because his
word is unchangeable, man still fills and replenishes the earth, yet the
Deity will by no means suffer him to abuse the power wherewith he is
entrusted, to pollute the land, and defile it by his wickedness and
impiety. God never will fail to humble the pride of nations and their
rulers, who seek to domineer over and subjugate their fellow-creatures;
he restrains their lust of
conquest, and bridles their desire for universal dominion. Yet while
ancient empires have been subverted, the monuments of their former
glory, the wrecks of their stupendous edifices, hath He suffered to
stand, as evidences of his truth and eternity, and the mutable and
transitory nature of man, who is exalted to the pinnacle of prosperity,
but overthrown when he presumes to step beyond the boundaries appointed
by the Supreme; he may scale the summit of fortune's height with the
permission and favour of divine goodness, but falls headlong down the
steep the instant these are withdrawn. Again, where barbarism and
ignorance once prevailed, there civilisation, refinement, and knowledge
have now attained their meridian, because there clarity, kindness, and
tolerance dwell; the laws and government are just and merciful, the
nations are peaceful and friendly in their intercourse with their
fellow-creatures, and therefore are they blessed, their undertakings
prosper, and their sway and dominion are enlarged. The population of a
country may often be found redundant,
owing to legislative defects; but nowhere has the Deity unpeopled
a land, in which the principles of benevolence, goodness and religion
were upheld.
And
where shall the spot be found, which the foot of man has pressed, where
he has chosen to abide and settle, wherein he has fixed and established
communities to become in time powerful and mighty states, whence the
wild animals of the wood, savage beasts of the jungle have not
retrograded, flying from the face of him who the Almighty said should
bear rule over every living thing that exists, whose fear and dread
should tame and subdue the fiercest creature? We shall seek in vain for a proof to demonstrate that the divine
assurance has not been literally observed. Even our own limited
experience, without reference to past history, furnishes abundant
evidence. The vast American continent, where primeval forests are daily
disappearing before the enterprise and industry of the hardy pioneer and
settler, affords a remarkable instance of the truth of the words of
Scripture. But wherever the turpitude of man has rendered him unworthy
of Heaven's choicest gifts, and banished him from the place which he
desecrated, there desolation prevails, whilst the intractable and fierce
tenants of the waste, the lordly lion, the prowling tiger, the venomous
serpent, there fix their dwellings, and "doleful creatures howl and
cry" in the deserted city, the once fertile plains and valleys, the
shady groves, and by the murmuring streams, where formerly "the
busy hum of men" resounded, where the cheerful labourer awoke at
early dawn, and the toiling mechanic enjoyed the blessings, of a
gracious Providence.
If
nature, then, continues her course uninterruptedly, if all preserve the
same unbroken regularity, if no deviation from those great laws which
govern the universe is traceable, if man fails not to reap the fruits of
the advantages which the Almighty gave him, and finally if the
inspirations of prophecy, the words which the Eternal put in the mouths
of his chosen messengers, never failed in predicting circumstantially
the fate of the disobedient: can we withhold acknowledging that the ways
of God are perfect and unchangeable, that "He is not man who lies,
or the son of man who deceives?"
This
is universally conceded; for who will deny what the most simple child
may discover without the aid of human assistance, when he rises in the
morning and beholds the glorious orb of day, when he retires to rest by
the light of the silvery moon, when he beholds the incessant routine of
the works of the Omnipotent? And while all must admit the unalterable
nature, and perfection of the ways of the Deity, no one can remain
unconvinced of the truth of the Psalmist's words, "That God is good
to all, and that his mercy extendeth over all his works, that the eyes
of all look expectantly to Him, that He giveth them their food in its
due season, and that his love and compassion
are boundless." Shall, then, the justice of the Almighty be
arraigned when man is distressed and afflicted? when he feels the
chastening hand of his Creator? and because we feel the smart, and are
unable to fathom his designs and the depths of his wisdom, murmur when
He punishes, or, rather, when He permits the consequences of our
wilfulness and wantonness to recoil on ourselves? "As high as the
heavens are above the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, ands
his thoughts than our thoughts." Let man look to himself when
judgment overtakes him; search into and examine his actions; when the
rains cease to descend in fertilizing showers; when famine stalks
through the land,—when the tide of prosperity and success is
checked,—when pestilence, which walketh in darkness, assails him, and
death snaps asunder the tender ties of love,—anarchy and civil broils
keep his mind in anxious fear;—when he rises daily with troubled
breast, and lies down at night, not to sleep in conscious security, but
to count the hours with gloomy forebodings. Is a land thus afflicted
with drought, scarcity and poverty, does disease, tainting the
atmosphere with its mephitic breath, infect the healthy current of life,
is the beam of the scales of justice kicked rudely by violence, the
majesty of the laws contemned, property at the tender mercy of the
robber and incendiary, and the peace of society disturbed by the the
lawless,—then, while these cannot be mistaken as dire and terrible
inflictions, their causes must be sought for among those who experience
their effects, and not be attributed to the desire of the beneficent
Creator to pain his creatures, whom He would fain crown with all the
happiness which He has to provided for those who fear and serve Him in
truth and faithfulness.
In
bestowing whatever could contribute to the joys, the comforts, and wants
of life, the Deity, in his wisdom, while He laid down unerring rules for
the government of the universe, thought proper to retain in his own
hands, without subjecting them to fixed laws, certain invaluable and
precious gifts, whose bestowal should assure us of the goodness and
favour of our Maker, as their withdrawal would admonish us that we had
erred and incurred his displeasure. The chief of these is, the rain of
heaven. There are seasons when its descent may be expected, to water and
moisten then parched ground, infuse strength into and quicken the growth
of vegetation; but its coming is arbitrary and uncertain, unlike day and night, cold and heat, summer and
winter, which were ordained
never to cease "while the earth remained." We therefore
supplicate and pray, especially for this fertilizing blessing, and
entreat that it may be granted, hoping for, but unable unable to reckon
upon it indubitably. We know that clouds are formed from watery vapours; but it is no easy matter to account
for the long continuance of very opaque clouds without
dissolving, or to give a reason why the vapours, when they have once
begun to condense, do not continue to do so until they at last fall to
the ground in the form of rain. Rain, however, ranked foremost among the
number of celestial blessings which were promised to Israel before
occupying the chosen land of inheritance. "I will give you the
rains in their seasons," and the threat to withhold it in the
denunciation "And the heavens above thy head shall be brass, and
the earth below thee shall be iron," was foretold as a punishment
for transgression. God alone has the keys where it is treasured; at his
command alone are the storehouses opened, and their contents diffused
over different parts of the earth, either, as is expressed, "for
correction or for mercy."—Job 37.13. Wherever the word rain
occurs in Scripture, in conjunction with God, it teaches us the
undeniable fact that the Lord restraineth its showers, or, benevolently
letteth them descend in genial streams.
Is
then a country deprived for a period by the Almighty of this refreshing
fluid,—are its fields parched,—its soil calcined by glowing beat,
or, in the beautiful language of the Bible, its rain powder and
dust,—do its cattle perish, is the herbage withered, and does gaunt
famine threaten with its horrors;—some aggravating cause must exist
to call forth such calamities. "If ye will hearken to my
commandments, says the Eternal, I will give you the rain of your land in
its due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest
gather in thy corn, thy wine, and thine oil." He whose glory is his
goodness, whose ways are unchangeable, whose word is tried, who is a
shield to those who trust in him, is not wroth from caprice, or
manifests his dread and awful power from insufficient or vindictive
motives. "He is long-suffering, slow to anger, and plenteous in
mercy." The cause is on earth, not in heaven, the
fault lies with man, not with God. some evil agency must
be at work in that particular quarter where the deprivation is felt.
"I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three
months to the harvest, and I caused it to rain upon one city, and suffered it not to rain upon another
city, one piece was rained
upon, and the piece, whereupon it rained not, withered, so two or three
cities wandered unto one city to drink water, but they were not
satisfied, and yet have ye not returned unto me saith the
Lord."—Amos 4.7, 8.; Here lies the secret: men wander, following
the inclinations of their heart and eyes; they try to weary God as they
do each other! Who violates natural duty and moral obligation? who is
ungrateful for the favours of his Maker? who prostitutes his heaven-born
soul to vice and intemperance? who abuses virtue, whose dictates, if
obeyed in a spirit of love and inclination, would ensure him happiness
above and below? Who, in the pride of his reason, thinks religion and
the precepts it inculcates beneath his notice? Is it not
man—ungrateful man? And
yet, notwithstanding his backsliding, his iniquities, let him return
with grief and sadness, reformed and penitent, acknowledge the justice
of the infliction, amend the errors that called it forth, bend the
stubborn knee, and soften the flinty heart, and will he not be received?
And then if he purge with tears of contrition, remorse and repentance,
the "sins red as scarlet," shall they not be washed white as
snow by the showers yielded by the beneficence of his Judge, who pardons
and forgives?
We
need no additional argument to demonstrate the immutability of God's
ways, so apparent, as before remarked, to the humblest mind; let us
therefore consider the second portion of our text: "The word of the Lord is tried," to show the justice of
the Omnipotent. In our outset on the journey of life, what is there to
impede our progress if we guide ourselves by the word of the Lord? Has
the Almighty thrown any obstruction in our way? has He not rather
furnished us with every requisite to accomplish what we desire to
undertake? have we not freedom of will to choose the course we mean to
adopt, a range of action for which the whole earth affords scope? are we
not at liberty to devise and mature plans for our especial benefit, and
gifted with energy of purpose, decision of character, and capacity to
comprehend the use of all things destined for our service? We look to every division of the world, and see no obstacle to
our career; except what our fellow-man presents. We plough the main,
traverse distant and unknown lands, penetrate into the bowels of the
earth, explore the mine and force it to yield its useful ores and
precious metals, trace with ingenious skill the wonderful designs of
Providence as exhibited in every production of nature, develop her
inexhaustible resources and their utility to man, and behold in the
system which God displays to us, nothing but what may teach, improve,
and render us happy and contented. With conscience as a monitor to warn
us when we make a false step, with religion as a guardian angel to
admonish us when we deviate from the right path, we may undauntedly
brave and conquer every danger or difficulty which prevents us from
attaining the summit and goal of our hopes. Whether riches, honours,
fame, or knowledge be the prize we are anxious to obtain, success will.
attend our efforts provided we are not unmindful of the Author of our
life, the Master of our destinies.
But
does the fortunate in general reflect through whom, by whose goodness,
he enjoys the reward of his labour? does not an opposite idea rise
uppermost in his mind, and, far from imitating the example which the
Almighty displays to his creatures, none of whom are too insignificant
to merit his attention, is not the being who erroneously supposes
himself the architect of his own fortunes, arrogant and haughty to his
less prosperous competitors? He thinks himself released from all
obligation to a higher Power, fails in obedience to his Father and
Sovereign, which as a child and subject he is bound to yield; but enacts
from his inferiors in worldly prospects the deference, the homage which
his pride and vanity covet. "Unhappy indeed is that land where
wealth is the sole passport to respect, the sole object deemed worthy of
attainment." There knowledge languishes; there virtue and honour
are valueless, if clad in the garb of poverty, whilst vice is not
considered loathsome, provided it be arrayed in rich apparel. There people are found, "whose outward circumstances are gigantic,
but who are dwarfs in soul." Ah, could we read with the eye of
Omniscience the thoughts of such hearts, the misery which there lies
hid, there would be nought to envy, but much to pity and compassionate.
"The little that a good man hath is better than the substance of
such." It is folly to rail against the rich or their possessions,
seeing they are the gifts
of God, to be specially employed in his service, to be thankfully
enjoyed in meekness and humility; but nothing is more contemptible, more
despicable in the eyes of God and man, than the conduct of those who
boast and are proud of their wealth, or apply it to their own selfish
indulgences and propensities. The faults of the charitable and
munificent maybe extenuated; but who will plead for him who regardeth
not the poor, or who relieveth them from motives of ostentation to gain
the applause of the world? "Wealth, without a judicious
application, is food without salt." And can we wonder that the tide
of prosperity ebbs, and poverty overflows a land, when servility and
homage are rendered to idols of gold, and the knee is not bent to God?
Is it surprising that the sources of commercial enterprise fail, when
every one seeks to draw from them? that its broad channels are
obstructed when every one launches his bark on their waters, because he
envies the prosperity and covets the luxuries of his neighbour's house?
"Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he
may exalt himself on high, that he may be delivered from the power of
misfortune."— (Ezekiel.) If the necessary equilibrium between the
spiritual and temporal, between the condition of the rich and poor be
not maintained; if every one studies to be rich and no one is content
with a middle station: distress must, in the natural course of events,
ensue, compel the majority to be less immoderate in their desires, and
the few, who make so ill a use of their glittering hoards, to part with
their acquisitions which corrupt, but do not benefit society; which
excite cupidity and murmuring, but do not call forth emulation, content,
and blessing. And who holds the scales in equal poise, who will depress
the few and raise the many, who lift the poor from the dust, and the
needy from the dunghill, but God? Will his justice not remedy the evils
of so unequal a distribution? will He permit the proud to retain that
which swells their arrogance and presumption? Thankless heirs shall
dissipate it, or the thousand accidents to which worldly wealth is
liable shall scatter it among those to whom the Deity shall assign its
future possession. When, therefore, the tide of prosperity and success
is checked, and ruin threatens, some moral evil will be found of long
existence, which, like a cancer, has been spreading in all directions, until its effects
are universally felt, and nothing but divine skill can eradicate the
corrupting mass.
"The
Lord saveth those who are lowly in spirit." He recalled the
denunciations uttered by his prophet against the City of Nineveh, when
its inhabitants fasted and prayed, and covered themselves with sackcloth
as tokens of their contrition. "He lifteth not his hand against the
humble, and executeth not judgment against those who repent of their
deeds and amend their ways." When, therefore, to blight and a
brazen sky, to the gloom in monetary and commercial prospects,
pestilence is superadded, and it overtakes at length the devoted land or
city, intrudes into the dwellings of the people, and gorges itself with
the young, the smiling infant, the blooming child, the graceful youth
and modest maiden; when it selects the early buds of promise and
hope,—the blossoms of strength and beauty,—what does it indicate?
does it not say, as the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the
finger of God?" What! must there not be wickedness, and sin, and
transgression in a place which is no sooner free from one affliction,
than another comes in its stead? no sooner are property and substance
wasted, than disease, bringing death in its train, enters the abode and
carries off the choicest, the loveliest?" "There is no death
without sin." Life and death have their due proportions; but when
the mortality exceeds the ratio of births; when more go out of the world
than come in; when there is scarcely a house "which hath not one
dead;" when every eye is suffused with tears, and nearly every
family laments the bereavement of some of its members; when the grave,
like the horse-leech, cries, "give, give," and petition
follows on petition, beseeching the Omnipotent to recall "his
destroying angel," to sheathe "his two-edged sword;" when
the science of medicine is baffled, and the whole arcana of nature are
ransacked for remedies to check the progress of the evil:—will it
still be maintained that there is no guilt, no iniquity, no moral
delinquency, no spiritual transgression? Are all righteous, all
innocent? does no breast harbour evil? does every mind glow with purity,
uprightness, and integrity? Is every word holy, every deed just, every
thought pious? Does every one love the Lord arid his neighbour? is there
no calumny, no deceit, no guile, no ingratitude to God and man? Is there
no unmerited hatred, and division of hearts? Does nothing of this exist,
and yet the smiter be sent forth to destroy? No, brethren; the love, the
mercy, the beneficence and benevolence of our gracious Father are
unbounded; He declares, "If thou wilt indeed hearken to the voice
of the Lord thy God, and give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of the evil diseases upon thee, which I put
upon Egypt, for I, the Lord, am thy healer." His way is immutable,
his word is tried, pure as seven times refined silver. If the absence of
these sicknesses signifies that man is obedient to the behests of his
almighty Sovereign; does not their presence imply that a contrary course
has been persevered in and maintained?
"It
is better to fall into the hand of the Lord, whose mercies are infinite,
than into the power of man," said David, when, in the plenitude of
his exaltation, he, the chosen servant of God, fell into sin, and
preferred that pestilence should rage, rather than that his people
should be punished by famine or the sword of their foes. His subjects
had not sinned, they had not incurred the chastening visitations of God. "It is I that have sinned and done evil indeed, but as for
these sheep, what have they done?" "Let thine hand, I pray
thee, O Lord my God, be on me and my father's house, but not on thy
people, that they should be plagued,'' exclaimed the humbled monarch.
And while the pestilence raged, he and his nobles clothed themselves in
sackcloth. He was penitent, and by his deep humiliation, sought to
appease the Almighty. The people were guiltless; but their king, who
dearly loved them, was punished by witnessing their sufferings. He who
had been raised for their salvation, was the cause of the loss of so
many lives. May we not argue in the same manner, that children have been
snatched away, and fallen victims for the misdeeds and errors of
parents, that the heart of the parent leas been struck through their
innocent offspring, and that the desolating plague selects the young
rather than the old, in order that the latter may return unto the Lord,
and worship Him in sincerity, acknowledge the justice of the
chastisement, and depart from the graves of their loved ones wiser,
better, repenting of the past, and upright in intention for the future?
"It
is the hand of God, let him do whatsoever He pleaseth," said the
high priest Eli, when a child was the instrument chosen to communicate
to him the downfall of his house; let us acknowledge the justice of that
Hand whose "palm holdeth measureless space, whose finger guideth
unnumbered worlds, and directeth their movements." In sorrow and
grief let us implore mercy for us and our little ones, that they may be
spared; if our heart has been diverted from the service and worship of
our heavenly Father, if it has been the slave of worldliness, and
abandoned the ways of salvation: let us not cease until every cause,
offensive to the Deity, has been removed, until we have put from the
midst of us pride, vanity,
folly, irreligion, and assumed instead the garb of humility,
earnestness, wisdom, and piety, in private as well as in public, in the
domestic circle, as in the house of prayer: Is it not unnatural when a
child, whom a mother has brought forth in pain and travail, nursed and
tended through all the helplessness of infancy, whom a father's toil and
labour have helped to sustain, clothe, and educate, upon whom the
tenderness and affection of both are lavished,—is it not unnatural,
when such a child throws itself into strangers' arms, forsakes its
parents and their caresses? and would it not justly excite the jealousy
of such parents?
God
is jealous of man's love, claims the affection and duty of his children,
(Ezek. 16. 42,) but "if we remember not the days of our youth, and
fret Him by our improprieties," "He also will recompense our
way upon our head." If reliance be fixed on lands and possessions,
God will make them valueless by restraining the rain of heaven; if on
gain, he will dry up or divert
its channels that no more shall flow; if these fail to teach man his
duty, he will send plague and pestilence, wailing and weeping shall be
heard in every dwelling; and if man still walk contrary, discord and
dissension shall prevail, there shall be perpetual fear, the ties which
bind society shall be torn asunder, there shall be no respect paid to
station or constituted authority, and civil commotion and its attendant
horrors shall affright the peaceful, drive sleep from every eye, and
slumber from every eyelid.*
In
these sad visitations, who have escaped? in these afflictions, who have
not suffered? The good and righteous have had their faith, their trust,
their sincerity in divine goodness tried and proved; for God testeth by
misfortune and adversity the inclinations of those who fear Him, whether
they do it from love or from the hope of reward; whilst the wicked, by
reverses and calamity, are taught that God is the Judge, who is not
blind to their doings, that He readeth their inmost thoughts, that He
will bend their stubbornness and perversity, humble their haughty
spirit, make them the
instruments of their own punishment, and cause them to drink the dregs
of that cup of mixture, which He poureth out over the inhabitants of the
earth. Yet will He welcome all, reinstate them in his favour, if they
atone for their errors; and every blessing shall descend on those "whose transgression, is forgiven,
whose sin is covered, who return unto God and crave his pardon in
lowliness and contrition."
"Happy
is he who considereth the poor, in the day of trouble, God will deliver
him." An onward step in the path of rectitude does he take who
relieveth those whom the course of events has reduced to poverty and
distress. In the abodes of plenty, sickness, however painful, is
alleviated by prompt attention, soothing care and skilful treatment. The
parent is nigh to watch, the relation and friend devote themselves to
smooth the ruffled pillow, to give the healing draught, to cool the
burning brow, to moisten the parched throat; the visitor treads lightly,
lest the slumbering patient should be disturbed, and all that care can
devise or suggest is practised to restore the sufferer and accelerate
his cure. How different is it in the hovel of the indigent! Where shall
he procure all these comforts, where shall he seek friends to tend his
bedside? They, alas! are poor as himself; they must go forth in the
morning and labour for daily bread until evening, when their tired limbs
require repose. Who, then, shall help the invalid in his mortal agony?
where shall he find the means to aid nature in its struggles with fell
disease? He has them not: chill penury, fetid air are in his close and
confined cabin; and the unfortunate sufferer expires, never having had a
chance of recovery. The laudable and praiseworthy exertions of the
faculty are now in full activity; and every minister of religion will
follow their example by appealing to the benevolent to aid the indigent,
and enable them to obtain those comforts so indispensably necessary in
the malady which devastates their homes and destroys their families.
When
was an appeal ever made to a Jewish heart on behalf of the poor, and the
petitioner denied assistance? When did the cry of the afflicted and
destitute come into the ears of the רחמנים בני רחמנים "Merciful children of merciful parents,"
which met not with ready attention? when did the wail of the orphan; the
sob of the widow resound, without being quieted by the active
consolation and assistance of the charitable? Of all the afflictions to
which our common nature is subject, there are few which lay claim to
human sympathy more directly than physical disease. Wealth cannot avert
it, poverty aggravates it a thousand fold. Many here have felt its
anguish, when money could not purchase
mitigation of agony, nor grandeur lull the throbs of the burning brain.
Ah, let them consider how their pangs might have been augmented, if
destitution of means and appliances had been superadded to physical
suffering, and then refrain, if they can, from contributing liberally
for the succour of those who are still doomed to endure the torture of
disease in the miserable huts of poverty and wretchedness. Am I
addressing any whom God in his mercy has hitherto exempted from this
pestilence? O let them not exult in their health to the exclusion of
pity for the sick, nor forget that the next moment may be to them the
harbinger of plague and death. Not to enter the abodes of squalor, to
behold the deplorable state of privation, the haggard forms of those who
surround us by thousands, but to alleviate the suffering which many will
not venture to inspect, do I upon this occasion make this humble but
zealous appeal. I do not call upon you to visit the bed of sickness on
the dwelling of disaster in person, but virtually; for others will be
the almoners and distributors of your bounty and beneficence.
Let
me, then, implore you to expand your hearts to the cry of the poor, to
open wide all that is generous and humane in your bosoms, to bring down
upon yourselves the blessing of him that "is ready to perish,"
to rejoice piously that you possess the means of doing good to others,
and to exult in the privileges which the Almighty has permitted you to
enjoy, particularly that whose exercise enjoins universal charity, in
that sublime command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself;" and rest assured that if to this you add "prayer and
repentance," which with "charity avert the evil decree,"
He whose way is immutable, whose word is tried, will fulfil the ending
of our text, by being "a shield to you who trust in Him." And
now, brethren, let us rise, and unitedly address God in prayer,
confessing our sins, and entreating his forgiveness.
Eternal
God, merciful and, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and
truth, Thou hast given us dominion over the earth, hast crowned us with
every blessing, hast given us thy holy law, which hath length of days in
its right hand, riches and honour in its left;—Thou hast endowed us
with reason and ability to
choose between good and evil, that our life might be long on earth, and
happiness attend us here and await us hereafter.
How
have we requited Thee? We have abused thy benevolence and deserved thy
afflictions. What can we say; or how shall we justify ourselves? Thou knowest our iniquities, Thou penetratest our vain thoughts.
Our presumption and insincerity are not hidden from thy all-seeing eye;
our own acts convict us, and daily is our sin increased, and we harden
ourselves therein, unmindful of Thee. O our Shepherd! how have we
wandered from Thee, who wouldst lead us into the green pastures of
holiness, beside the still waters of piety, and fallen into the pitfalls
of error, into the snares and gins of temptation. There is no soundness
in our flesh, our bones are filled with pain, and the angel passeth not
by our houses, but continueth to destroy. With drought, misfortune,
pestilence and anarchy hast Thou justly afflicted us, and our hearts are
full of anguish, by reason of the chastening of thy hand. Look down, we
beseech Thee, O our Father! pity thy children, exposed as we have been
to the punishments wherewith Thou hast visited us, and remove the
scourge from us, that plenty may again flow into our granaries,
prosperity attend our labours, that health may be in our dwellings, and
peace and tranquillity in
our city, and throughout the borders of the land.
Father
of mercies! who hast declared by the mouth of thy servant David, that
Thou wilt deliver him who hath compassion on the poor, endue the hearts
of all who are here assembled with commiseration for the sufferings of
their afflicted fellow-creatures. Let a double portion of thy pitying
spirit rest upon all, and let their sympathy be manifested by the
offerings which, with feeling hearts and grateful hands, they shall this
day contribute in aid of the sick and afflicted. And do Thou, Parent of
mankind, inspire all here assembled with reciprocal charity, that the
difference of religious opinion may not deter any from affording that
succour which their means enable them to bestow on the wants of the
destitute. May all thy servants who stand forth to plead in this holy
cause, reap a rich harvest, and do Thou, O God! Render their words
persuasive, their arguments convincing, their eloquence irresistible,
and their labours triumphant.
For
our beloved queen, Victoria, her royal consort, and infant children, for
our excellent governor and the authorities of the island and city, for
all and every community, whether of our own or other denominations,
whether here or throughout the world, we implore and crave thy blessing;
and may we and they discern the beauty of thy holiness, the mercies of
thy providence, the greatness of thy majesty on earth and in heaven.
Amen! |
