The other great work of Homer is the Odyssey. This contains a history of the adventures of Ulysses, after the sacking of Troy, until his safe return and peaceable settlement in his native Ithaca. During his absence his wife is surrounded by numerous suitors, who in vain seek her hand. After various misfortunes he arrives unknown and as a beggar in Ithaca, where he has a fine opportunity of witnessing the conduct of these suitors, from whom, while still unrecognized, he receives the harshest treatment. The length of this article forbids a more full account of this work. It was evidently written many years after the Iliad, and was probably the last production of Homer's genius. Original. ON CHARITY. How sweet are the influences of beneficence! how salutary are its effects upon the disposition and the heart, and we may add, upon the soul! We are called to this chain of reflection by a letter from a friend, by which we have been soothed and consoled under the oppression of disagreeable circumstances and irritated feelings. But it is not our purpose to speak of our sorrows, but of one who kindly accords to us aid for redress. And putting away all inferior considerations, we would wish to present our helper in a specific point of view. Besides these two works, there are other smaller First: that of a Christian, so as to deduce the true, ones, viz., the "Margitis," the "Batrachomyomachia" natural impressions made on our mind, by his acts and or battle of the frogs and mice, the "Homeri Hymns," his course; what we believe to be the possible influand some epigrams and fragments, which have been ence of those within the Church, in effecting deeper attributed to Homer, but which are probably the pro-apprehensions and more important results of piety upon duction of a later age. those without the Church. And this we shall suppose to be done mainly by the methods and through the agency of consideration and charity. And here we mean not the mere appellative, spread over a widely diffused surface of various and undefined purposes, and which, like gold beaten to impalpable thinness, shall lose all its efficacy and its worth; but we do mean indeed the "fine gold," the kindness, the reality of help to our need, the liberal hand, the warm and comforting principle, which shall impart itself to the desolate and desponding heart. The genius of Homer is pre-eminently displayed in his description, both of scenes and characters. In this he stands unrivaled. His characters are varied, full of life, and all perfectly natural. There is a unity in the character of each, which, while it possesses a proper variety of incident, is in every case recognized as the same. Ulysses is never taken for Agamemnon, nor Agamemnon for Ulysses. Homer was held in high estimation by the ancients until about the second century after Christ. He was then attacked by the Christians, who regarded him as the great founder, or at least supporter of idolatry. Had they possessed the power, their burning zeal would have for ever deprived posterity of this rich treasure. His works, however, have outlived every stormhave maintained unimpaired their great and lasting reputation, and bid fair to concentrate upon themselves the eulogies of coming generations. Side by side will Shakspeare and Homer float down the stream of time, increasing at every step the host of their admi In this particular of a consistent charity, do any of the professors of righteousness think they pass free of comment? They mistake much if they do. A scrutinizing observation is fixed on them; a watchfulness, not the vigilance of sectarian jealousy alone, but the broader and freer seeing of the unregenerate, unconvinced questioner. The searcher after truth may err in his judgment of what is truth; but he will not be satisfied with any thing short of goodness in its professor; and he submits the question to the sensible tests of a kind heart and a liberal hand. Charity, we know, is a great text in the holy Book, preached about and often inculcated; but like all other precepts, it carries its most effectual argument in the practice of its apostle. The fulfilling of the law is of irrefragible authority. "Charity shall cover many sins;" it shall possibly also have the seal of many souls. Do the saints think of this? How great, how very great, are the importance and the result to the Church, in their win SOME well meaning Christians tremble for their sal-nings from without the fold, of such as may be so convation, because they have never gone through that valley of tears and sorrow, which they have been taught to consider as an ordeal that must be passed through, before they can arrive at regeneration. To satisfy such minds, it may be observed, that the slightest sorrow for sin is sufficient, if it produce amendment, and that the greatest is insufficient if it do not. Therefore, by their own fruits let them prove themselves; for some soils will take the good seed, without being watered by the overflowings of penitential tears, or harrowed up by affection.-Lacon. vinced, and so helped on? The merciful man and the giver shall say, Amen. Yes, how much does the lookeron, (constraining the best mood of mind to the consideration,) how conclusively does he decide by the test of heart and hand, whether, at least, he shall confide in the individual-whether there is consistency of precept and practice. If he trusts, he also adds, "I would fain imitate this man," in the beauty of his charity, in his moral demeanor, in his conduct of life. And to do this as he does it, I must enter the Church-the Church militant of sin and of weakness-I must be sustained CHARITY. as he is sustained—I must imitate his piety to God, to|| reap a like reward of sanctity. And such is the comment passed on the Christian's course. 'Tis not alone the cursory glance of the worldling. The collater of creeds the veritable seeker for right doctrines looks more closely-the serious and reflecting moralist, also a seeker after truth, says, "I must find his creed in his life, or else is his profession like 'sounding brass and a tinkling cymbol;' an argument not for, but against himself, and a dividing from himself and his Church. What he says is not substantial; for truth is of God, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."" And such inferences will for ever exist in the minds of unregenerate men, against those who would teach without a corresponding practice, above all of charity; and they will exist even to the hindering of their salvation. Could all the secret influences which sway men be laid open, (now a vailed mystery,) how well would it be known that not by preaching alone, nor by exhortation, nor by any outward hearing, was (often) the sinner called upon from time to time, and all along, to desire of holiness for himself—and varied they were after each manner of man. Here it was the influence of some timely aid bestowed upon the natural man, in his softened heart awakening with his gratitude some deeper sluices of soul—a comment on his benefactor, a furthering of piety, a desiring of grace, to thank and love, even the great giver, God. Yet this same, if denied, were peradventure stubborn, almost to reprobation. And must he then be coaxed to his own good? does his neighbor owe him a greater duty than he owes himself? O no-he was at need, sorely vexed and in want; and he asked for help, such help as he, unregenerate as he is, would have accorded a suffering brother; and the other must say whether in refusing him he denied a prompting, a discerning of the right, the violated principle of sustaining humanity. This, we know, does not excuse the first-it only suggests his apology. But this sentiment, and these motives, you say are peculiar and occult. Occult they are, and of a more precious sacredness for that. The Christian requires no Phyrric priest to interpret for him—no sooth-sayer to admonish. He hath a Book and his own soul. And let him venerate the records of both, so shall he find safety and an unction of belief. And We somewhere read the words, "God in us;" whether it is a special grace, or whether it is the stirrings of a Divine charity, we have no right to question, and none to doubt, for the brief moment which it abides with us. If we shape the prompting into faithfulness, we have done enough and well-if not, a speculation is uncalled for the Holy Ghost of charity hath passed away, and you may not stay the penalty. Again, shall we behold the man, not of want, for he is rich-neither wants he friends, nor the world's consideration in its sort. He has household felicities, and they cluster about him; he has abundance; his storehouses and his barns have been enlarged; and yet are other harvests ripening in his fields-his health is unbroken, and his strength is at prime. What wants he? 63 Verily, he compares himself to his poor neighbor, his meek and unassuming Christian acquaintance, and he says, "I am not as happy as he is! nor as good! I must look into this matter-for my power is greater than his in all earthly things. There is some root of bitterness in my soul! Ah, how do I admire his disinterested simplicity! Yet I cannot imitate it, I am so rich." Such is the grieving, the mental satiety of too much fullness. Yes, too much; for not only had he received, but he had garnered up-not store for himself, and his alone; but in his barns there lay reeking in the impurity of excess, the corn grains that should have fed the poor. He perceived, but he regarded not the "still small voice" from within, nor yet the quick, strong cry of him that was ready to perish! Was it strange that he felt not happy? Is the providence of nature no better arranged? Hath God deputed giving to but one source to the bosom of nature alone, or does humanity share the trust? Yes, let man, responsible man, beware of the after reckoning; beware that this unholy vampire greediness destroy not his own soul. If "charity covereth a multitude of sins," surely its omission is of commensurate naughtiness. If "greater than faith or hope," how great is charity? And do we venerate it? Absolute misers are rare; but how many are the misers in degree! He is a miser who, though he deny not himself or his own, yet with a tender heart suffers the infliction of want by what he withholds from others. Mania is the most common infatuation. See the father-he is old, even superannuated. He is beyond the solicitings of vanity or expense, yet he gripes hard and fast for lucre. Insensible of other cares, he is all alive to this. It is his besetting sin: a very money lust possesses his soul, albeit, near the parting hour. But he says, "I am careful for my children who come after me, that they may live." Hath he been equally careful in other sort for them? I wist not-for God and Mammon abide not together. Yes, but the superfluity denied to the claiming of his kind, he devises to his heirs. By scrip and bond, at best discretion, in the sacredness of the law, engrossed on parchment, he makes all sure. It is safe, and his care is no more about it. Yet his devices are but of human ingenuity. He guards against a world of craft and guile-a world of change and contingency, of involved and subtle fluc tuation-whose continual mutation being outfigured in its very self, day and night do continually certify of change to man. Yet all of these chances provided for, truly what is his advantage? Is there not One who can will stronger than thou? God hath said, “Thou shalt not covet," nor hide away from the hungry. There were a promise indeed to thy heir, if with simple faith thou hadst "cast thy bread upon the waters." Surely, after many days hadst thou found it again. More beautiful is the course of the poor. By moments does humanity assert herself, and the rich man is softened and affected as he compares himself to his poor, God-thrifty neighbor; he looks on and is made better. He sees how simple and how guileless is his course. He sees that in obedience to toil, he receives the allot- shall he not apprehend his imminent necessity-that ted pittance; he says it is enough for me and my chil- looking for of judgment to come? Yes, there is a dren: it is bestowed but day by day to keep us humble, principle within the soul of man sufficient, with proper but along with it is given us the grace to be thankful. aids and appliances, for his discernment of truth; but And the words which sanctify his table are, "Whether now he is vexed and aggrieved, and under a cloud; and more or less it is of thee, O Lord; thou rememberest now, will not the faithful pastor, the compassionate us; let us not forget Thee for ever." And this humble brother, soothe and help him-for many a sinner arrives grace shall find record above, and the lowly of heart at truth by the avenues of nature? The gentle vouchshall be entitled to a more honorable seat; verily he safings of sympathy can allure in some mood, when shall eat bread in his Master's kingdom. This is the the severity of faithfulness and of preaching might appoor pious man; for though the "poor have the Gospel pal and repulse. And though the ultimate of faith is preached to them," yet they do not all accept it. And not attainable by nature alone, yet its beginnings may when the death-angel shall spread his broad wings over be there; and these simple admonitions, if wisely folthat humble chamber, his thirst shall be satisfied, and lowed out, may be effectual of the more determinate his fever allayed, in mysterious sense, by that water, of counsels of revealed truth. Who is not softened and which "he that drinks shall never thirst again"-even subdued, almost to a looking for of grace, by a relief, a the water of eternal life. The rich man, we say, looks sympathy which is sufficient, a help and a rescue in our on and is converted from the error of his way-for the time of need? And our teacher, would he be faithful beauty of holiness, and even charity by self-denying and effectual, must identify himself, not with our weaksacrifice, was manifested in this lowly Christian disci-ness and our sins alone, but with our wants, natural as ple. But such examples are rare, and mostly found in spiritual. If he withhold himself from our necessity, places remote from the thoroughfares and the corrupt- and only give the gifts which cost him nothing, he loves ing influences of life. us not-he doth not even pity us, and we love not himwe disdain his gifts-from purer lips than his will we seek for truth; and so are we hindered in our progress in that better path which should divide us from our anxieties, and win us from our suffering and our sinning--which by grace should blot out the animosities of nature, and especially should admonish us of that obduracy in ourselves which is our greatest hindrance and our greatest crime. But it is of charity we would speak. All unrelieved human want has, if not its resentment, at least its alienating action against such as refuse of succor; and as naturally has it its gratitude of relief; and this shall be commensurate with the depth of heart which we find in the sufferer. And such an one (of worth and weight if gained) shall be most decidedly hindered by the adverse action of withheld relief. It is of necessity, not of craving, we speak, saying, I, with my unregenerate And whatever we have said, we would not attempt, heart, could not have resisted this appeal. And is a nor dare to excuse, on any ground, a withholding from harder person indeed holier than I? Along with the the Church. We would but offer, in extenuation, the averted affections we grant there is an unreasonableness necessities and the waywardness of nature, and its of inference; for a short-coming priesthood cannot im- blindness to those things which are spiritually discernpeach the holiness of truth, nor impair what is essen- ed. And particularly would we commend and place tially immutable and of God. But misery is often in relative view that Gospel charity which acts hand in both unreasonable and wicked; and no argument sus-hand with nature, and afford reciprocal advantage to tains them in withholding themselves from the Church, both. Charity, perhaps, shall win the sinner from the or in not endeavoring to obtain the blessing; but there error of his ways, and shall herself be blessed by that is a direct one for it, even their necessity itself. Yet effectual calling which shall add the seal of many souls to in the unregenerate bosom is sentiment stronger than her ministration. But who is the questioner-an idle reason or thought, and besides it wars in its own cas- and querulous complainer against the allotments of life? tle the fleshly heart of man-unrebuked of the alien No, not such an one; but one well tried by the hindranforces either of discretion or of duty. We hear, too, ces and engrossments of immediate cares-one knowof misanthropy from the same cause. Some are fluent ing the deteriorating influences of imperative necessity, in such talk, and dissertate, and would prevent the pa- even where the purpose and the determination is for a thetic and the picturesque of suffering; and this is the right seeking, and a supreme reverence for the better only way in which they touch the subject at all. But hope, which sustains against the world. We would we think not with them-we think sufferers' comment propose simply the argument of suffering, and the is not so wide of propriety. It is more specific and claim of charity, and would show the bearing and inmore positive. It alienates from a hard brother of fluences of each upon the unregenerate heart as it is. the Church, or turning selfward, it tends to obdurate the heart, which in human gain reposes only in insensibility, and without hatred of its kind is yet uncaring of hope or of safety. And is man, then, a mere creature—a being of sense and of will only? Without moral responsibility has he no monitor within, no conscience to stand betwixt his fellows and himself? And B. AVARICE has ruined more men than prodigality, and the blindest thoughtlessness of expenditure has not destroyed so many fortunes, as the calculating but insatiable lust of accumulation. |