The sermons of Henry Ward Beecher Author:Henry Ward Beecher Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE LAW OF BENEVOLENCE. " As we nave therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."—(! Al. vi., ... more »10. Th1s is only a special application of the great law of benevolence as it was interpreted by the Master, and which he represented to be the center and substance of religion, its animating spirit, as developed under the auspices of the old dispensation, and certainly the inspiring element of religion as to be developed still further under the auspices of his own spiritual kingdom. Do good to all men — that is the comprehensive law. 1. This doing good is an exceedingly wide thing. It may be, and in its highest form it is, conferring spiritual good, — so addressing yourself to men that they become wiser, purer, more just, more truly inspired with the whole spirit of Christian love and kindness. We are to lose no proper opportunity to inspire men with religious growth, distinctively so called. But it includes, also, all other forms of doing good. It includes ai! activity in the direction of material assistance. We are to do good to all men in their political relations as members of the State. We are to do good by public spirit, which is only another inflection of the general feeling of benevolence as applied to the welfare of the community. We are to seek to do good to all men in these various ways. As men are largely dependent for their culture upon that abundance out of which grows leisure for .higher inspirations, so. doing good to men in this general formula includes all benefits conferred of a commercial and business-like character. And all material assistance, whether it be helpfulness, whether it be advice,, whether it be the actual lending of your strength, your time, or your means, is likewise included....« less