A few motives to Systematic Beneficence may be appropriately presented here.1. A regard for their own interest and happiness should prompt Christians to a course of this kind. No man serves God without receiving a reward. This reward, it is true, is "of grace and not of debt" - still it is a reward. Every act of obedience to the divine commands results beneficially to the actor.It is not a romantic hypothesis that God takes special care of the temporal interests of those who are liberal in their contibutions to his cause. What romance is there in the following quotation? "There is that scatters and yet increases; and there is that withholds more than is meet, but it tends to poverty. The liberal soul will be made fat, and he that waters will be watered also himself." [Proverbs 11:24-25] It is, however, to the spiritual interests of Christians that I more particularly refer.It has been shown that systematic giving is a divine requirement. If, then, Christians would promote their own spiritual welfare, they must comply with this requirement. Every beneficent act will weaken their attachment to their earthly possessions - elevate their affections to celestial objects - and remind them that the way to "use this world as not abusing it," [1 Corinthians 7:31] is, during their sojourn in it, to "lay up treasure in heaven." [Matthew 6:20] If he who gives to a disciple a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, will not lose his reward, it is surely a reasonable inference that every act of pecuniary beneficence which proceeds from a proper motive, will rebound to the spiritual benefit of him who performs it. "Whatsoever a man sows that will he also reap." [Galatin 6:7] "He that sows bountifully will reap also bountifully." [2 Corinthians 9:6]
A regard for their own happiness should likewise render Christians systematically beneficent. That is a memorable saying of the Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." [[Acts 20:35] It is a compendious definition of the philosophy of happiness. The meaning of the expression manifestly is. there is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Doing good is essential to happiness. The most beneficent persons are the most happy. Who is miserable, if not the man that considers it the great business of his life to accumulate wealth - to hoard up his bags of gold and silver - and who gives nothing to supply the wants of suffering humanity? Such a man is a stranger to happiness, and must necessarily be, as long as his feelings of avarice predominate over those of benevolence. There is a happiness in doing good, known only to the beneficent. The remembrance of every act of beneficence is productive of pleasure. Who can describe the satisfaction enjoyed by Job, even in his affliction, when in referring to the course he pursued in the days of his prosperity, he said, "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out." [Job 29:11-16] Who would not rather feel the emotions excited by such a retrospect than to sit on a Monarch's throne and wear a Monarch's crown? The idea is not visionary that there is a luxury in doing good. It is sober reality. The very regard, therefore, which Christians have for their own interest and happiness should render them systematically beneficent.
2. The desire they feel to glorify God, and to be conformed to his image, should excite in Christians a spirit of beneficence.To do good is the injunction both of the Old Testament and the New. It is involved in the requisition. "You will love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 5:43] If then God requires all men, and especially his people, to do good, or to be beneficent, it follows that when the command is disregarded, he is dishonored. His authority as Lawgiver is trampled under foot, and an insult is offered to his majesty. If God is dishonored by disobedience, he is glorified by obedience. Hence the desire Christians feel to glorify God, should render them beneficent, for beneficence is promotive of his glory. But this is not all. God himself is beneficent. "He does good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." [Psalm 145:9] He is the Supreme Benefactor of the world. "He makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." [Matthew 5:45] To be like God is to be beneficent. Man's true dignity and glory consists in the resemblance he bears to his Maker. He approximates perfection as he approximates conformity to the divine image.
It is characteristic of Christians that they desire to be like God. Let them then be beneficent; for he is beneficent. Let them be systematic in their beneficence; for he acts upon a plan, and confers his benefits with the utmost regularity. "The eyes of all wait upon him, and he gives them their meat in due season. He opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing." [Psalm 145:14-16]
3. The example of Christ is well adapted to promote a spirit of beneficence. He is the personification of beneficence. His benevolence embraced in its comprehensive grasp the ruined sons of men, and his beneficence is seen in the fact that he did something for their salvation. Benevolence of itself was not sufficient. It must lead to beneficence in order to man's redemption. And this was the case. The eternal Word became incarnate - laid aside the glory he had with the Father before the world was - relinquished his scepter and crown - gave up the hosannas of angels for the execrations of men - and exchanged the brighte throne in the universe for an ignominious cross. During his humiliation he ever went about doing good. I will have more to say of the Savior's beneficence in my next.============ [From the Tennessee Baptist, March 24, 1860, p. 2, from CD edition. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
More on J. M. Pendleton
Baptist History Homepage