nothing about humoring the selfishness of the heart, of adopting plans of beneficence that will be scarcely felt.  Its language is, “Crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts.”  It directs us to die unto sin or self.  It makes no compromise with covetousness.  It bids us not rock it to sleep, but slay it.  Let every one then stand up in the lofty sternness of his spirit, and adopt that system as to frequency in giving, which, other things being equal, is most crucifying to the carnal heart.

But a system of almost continued contributions will not be peculiarly crossing to our avaricious desires, if trifling sums are given, or those greatly disproportionate to property.  In this case, selfishness, instead of being disturbed, may be rather cajoled into a species of benevolence; though a species as sickly and unsubstantial as the vine that grows amid the damps of a vault, never aspiring to heaven as the place of its nativity.  But when the sums are so large as to demand personal sacrifice, the self-appropriating principle feels it keenly.  The uninterrupted repetition of such gifts is a continued draught on its life-blood.  Its remains even in the Christian’s breast are galled and lacerated by the repeated attacks, and sometimes writhe as in “the dying strife.”  Especially is this the case with one who has amassed his property by almost daily additions;—­by sums, perhaps, smaller in amount than those which the calls of humanity now claim almost as frequently at his hand.  He sees his wealth going nearly the same way in which he acquired it, and he feels that its very pillars are giving way.  Thus frequency in contributions, if sufficiently large, is usually most crossing to selfishness, and most destructive to avarice; and as a system of beneficence is instituted mainly to combat these evil principles, we should allow but short intervals between our deeds of charity.

3d. We should give so frequently as to form a habit of giving.  Jeremiah says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.”  This shows the susceptibility of our natures to the formation of habits; and their controlling power over us.  The injunction of Solomon, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” is founded on the same mental tendency.  Habit, indeed, governs half the world; it is like a self-moving machine, when once started, continuing, of its own accord, in the same direction and with the same velocity.  Let one accustom himself to harden his heart in view of genuine objects of sympathy, and it will be exceedingly difficult to unlock his bosom to the loudest calls of benevolence.  On the contrary, he, who accustoms himself to spend his money as fast as he acquires it, will never be likely to hoard for future supplies.  A habit of giving would follow the same law, and greatly assist us in the duties of charity.