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Mapa, plataa, charta, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant reduction ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba entirely included in one expoaur* ara filmad baginning In the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa required. The following diagrama illuatrata the method: Lea cartea, planchaa, tabi««aux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAa A dee taux de riduction diff Arents. Loraqua la document eat trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle aupArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de iMut en liea, en prenant la nombra d'imagee nAceaaaira. Laa diagrammea auivanta iiluatrant la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I / tr \ HUMAN SUFFEEING (. m A^D W^ s HEAVENLY SYMPATHY: PREACHED AT THE CATHEDBAL, MONTREAL, February 15, 1852, BY THE RE?. W. AGAR ADAMSON, D.C.L., CHAPLAIN TO THE EONORABLE THE UB0I8LATIYE COUNCIL OF CANADA. " RECTE FACIENDO SECURUS. 3) MONTREAL : PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 1852. n-ii----- ■■ "Wr.-s.V! ii. If I 1 k III yp" MoNTEEAL, 2nd March, 1862. To the Rev. W. A. Adamson, D. C. L., cfec. lint 6 blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised ; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." The Holy Jesus *^ came to his own, but His own received Him not ;" and so leaving Nazareth, the place "where He I d been brought up," He came to Caper- liu m, where the people were no less iuto^ished at His doctrine than amazed at Rib deeds. ** What a word is this," said they among thjmselves ; " with what authority and power He commandeth the unclean Spirits, and they come out." Continuing His journey, we may, in spirit, linger for a while beside the Lake of Gennesaret, and there listen to His holy lessons, or, with St. Simon, " launch out into the deep," and share that dis- ciple's fears as the miraculous draught of W i \ ■ 'i ' i n J I r fishes threatened to sink his frail boat. Thence, again, we may accompany our Lord in His pilgrimage of charity, noting, as we pass, the memorials of His tender- ness, when the leper was cleansed, the palsied healed, the paralytic restored, when mourning hearts were made happy as the *^ bright beams '' of His compassion were softly shed upon them. Arriving at that " second Sabbath after the first," may we not, with the great multitude of people " out of Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon," take our " place on the plain," lifting to Heaven the secret prayer, that the supreme Author of the Christian faith would " incline our hearts to keep His Lawl" Can we, my brethren, stand beside those early called disciples, and as their divine Master « lifted up His ^yes upon them," feel that we are the inberitpirs of thm jpyl Cm we apply to our own hearts the warm words of affection that fell upon their ears : " Blessed are ye poor, for yourn is tlie king- dom of Heaven V Ca^ we fojlow the discourse of the Redeemer wi.thout a sigh at our own proud hearts, so alien to the grace of charity, so unlike the meekness that dwelt in the breast of Jesus ? Can we listen without a pang to the searching inter- rogatories of our Lord 1 Do we love our enemies, and do good to them who hate pj^l Dp we ble«s them that curse us, and pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us ? Are we merciful and for- givii^g, jiot alone for our own sakes, but from a regard to Him who is kind unto the unthankful and the evil? The Holy Jesus did not only exhort ys sas jr ) r :i*^ 'm jr ) r iM r to well doing,— did not only give us with His lips the epitome of the Christian Law, but He also illustrated in his life the man- ner in which that Law should be applied ; thus enforcing by example, as well as by precept, the divine rule of conduct, that each one of us should, according to his means and opportunity, strive to attain to a high standard of virtue and goodness ; that each of us should, according to his station and ability, do his utmost to as- suage human suffering and to lighten human care ; that in every way, by counsel and by sacrifice, we should endeavour to suc- cour, help and comfort, all that are in danger, necessity, and tribulation. The power of the Saviour being al- mighty, it was oftentimes manifested in acts which the Deity alone could achieve 5 but then it was also adorned by words— kind words, my brethren, which the humblest among us can bestow, and the highest appreciate. Whether we consider the case of the Centurion, whpse faithful servant was " sick and r^ady to die," or the cir- cumstances of the Widow of Nain, whose only son was dead and about to be buried, we find the Saviour's compassion as con- spicuous in His vyords of tenderness as in His acts of power— in His regard for the teipporal trials of flis brethren, as in His concern for their everlasting happiness ; for, while wq may observe that the Cen- turion^s servant was rsstored to health in reward for the faith of his master, so ajso we cannot fail to notice that the sou of, th^ Widow', was raised to lifo again in virtue only of the sorrows of his mother. Of a truth was it said, tiiat He who vsfas « anointed to preach l^e gospel to the J 1 ■i f •» ) .< n it i ■91 poor," was sent also to « heal the broken^ hearted." « And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples went with Him, and much people. Now, when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, thfere was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow : and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her. He had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not. And He came and touched the bier, and they that • bare him stood still. And he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began td speak. And He delivered him to his mother." How affecting are human wretchedness and divine benignity when brought into contrast ! Still, let us remember that the affliction which called forth the compassion of Jesus is met with in every city, in every parish, and in every street. Nain is not the only place where may be found the widowed wife and^the childless mother--- where the train of mourners may be mex by the children of song-where themorta remains of a perished affection may be passed by the unthinking companies of youth and joy. This funeral has become memorable, not because the solitary mourner had to undergo a sorer trial than many bereaved onesbefon and since her day, but because it was me' by Him who is the " resurrection and th( life " even « God manifest in the flesh,'^ It served not only to attest His divine power, but to exemplify the consonance between human suffering and heavenly sympathy. It served, moreover, to snew^ ti ;! i li I "1^ J. \\ ■ . i ' ■ I I '11 y ot ta b€ of not rgo 'on mei tht ih: vine mce enly lew? 1 ■I fi i I* I that while the mission of the Saviour had not for its declared object to rescue us from pain, sickness, poverty, disappoint- ment, or distress, still that it was agreeable to the heavenly character of the Redeemer's advent,— to the salvation of souls, which was its object,— that He should condescend to our weak estate, and pour the oil of wine and gladness upon the bruised and broken hearts of men— that while He forgave all our iniquities. He could also heal all our diseases— could <^ call forth our life from destruction," and " cover us with loving- kindness and tender mercies.'' It should, therefore, be always borne in mind, that while Christ our Lord is indeed the atoning sacrifice, the " one offering for sin and uncleanness," He is also the " en- sample of godly life." Not only is He the great object of present faith and future bliss, but the great pattern for personal imitation and immediate study. It is true, my brethren, we cannot heal the corrosions of disease by a touch, nor awake from death the silent heart by a word ; but we may, in view of His mercy, who " shall wipe all tears from every eye,'' say to the sorrowing Christian, "Weep not.'* We may, in view of His promise, who has " opened the kingdom of Heaven to all believers," direct the mourner's gaze from the small mound which marks the lost one's grave, along the glory bow of hope that based in human dust, stretches to immortality and is lost in Heaven. We may speak of the coming end of time, when there shall be no more death, when the '' corruptible shall put on iiicorruption," and the spirit of the bereaved be evermore united to the soul of the departed in love ar e^ i je th * te y th d( 1 ei t of 1 at ■ * th \ th cc \ if th k ri< ' sp de fn 5> V and joy extatical. We should not, how- ever, satisfy ourselves by suggesting sub- jects of spiritual solace only. It happens —how frequently, many of you know, and the clergy of your Church can but too well testify — that the mourner, having witnessed th^ conflict with death, and " buried the dead out of sight," has immediately to engage in an unequal struggle for the battle of life, for the very means of subsistence ; and it is, therefore, with a view to alleviate the earthly bitterness of an earthly loss, that I desire to offer some suggestions of counsel and forethought, which may seem, if not *^ to bind up the broken heart " of the bereaved, at least to furnish necessa- ries to supply their temporal wants, and to spare them the i^in, the bitter pain, of from the grudging hand of charity. It will require no effort of imagination to suppose that the case of the Widow of Nain may include these features of general suffer- ing which but too frequently attend bereave- ment. The fond husband, the loving parent, has been removed by death, and she who was a wife but yesterday, has now to mourn the loss of him in whom the love of her youth was treasured — of him who was the stay of her weakness and the support of her strength — in whose heart her own griefs were hushed, her joys heightened, heir counsellor, her companion, her protec- tor, the object of her purest affection, the father of her children. Widowed, solitary, and heaitstricken, she has to wrestle with the rough world for bread,for bread wherewith to support those dear pledges which her husband has be- fi 1 - ■ — 'i- ■■ r - •- - - t" I 11 qucathed to her care— too often his only- bequest. My friends, is not such a spectacle an object of sufficient power to move the Christian man to think— the Christian minister to counsel and advise ? The storehouse of personal experience • will supply abundant illustrations conse- quent on bereavement, of . the sudden transition from affluence to destitution, from competence to penury, from decent respectability to abject poverty ; and these reverses, be it remembered, are not so much the result of crime, dissipation, or waste- fulness, as they are of thoughtlessness, pro- crastination, and neglect. Every husband and every parent is im- pressed with the paramount duty of making some provision for his wife and children in caseotuia aecease > oui me iIttlulallvv^^ v. b2 life, and the hope of enjoying many days-^ bright, blissful hope—borrowing its hues of the enchanting future from the fascinating present, precludes thought of the morrow, and defers, until death makes the duty imr possible, taking measures for sheltering the dearest objects of mortal affection from the wounds and buffettings of a cold, unpitying world. Some, from the lack of natural affection, or from inherent selfishness, will make no present sacrifice for the future good of those for whom they affect to cherish a pure, but, alas ! it too often proves, a counterfeit affec- tion ; they will eat, drink, and indulge in the superfluities of life, pampering their appetites, feeding their foibles, inventing variety for personal enjoyment, and are willing to consign their families to the care xL. Oi ti*e CiiSritable 3 guuiuing meir consciences, I' 1 \l u it may be, with the hope that something may turn up for their benefit, of which, however, they are constrained to confess they have no present knowledge, no well- grounded expectation. Some, too, from the very love of money, the greed of gain, lay out their plans for a long life of accumulation, and at the end descry a pyramid of fancied gold wherewith to enrich their descendants ; but the " can- ker-worm and the palmer-worm,'' God's great army, visit them, causing their " gar- ments to be moth-eaten," and their " gold to become dross ;" or, peradventure, the summons, as of old, is heard at a moment when they look not for it : " This night shall thy soul be required of thee ;^' and he dies, leaving but the rust of the miser's heap to adorn his memory, and to maintain his heirs. Not, however, to multiply the causes from which the same sad effects may flow, I venture now to suggest some considera- tions which have occurred to my own mind as being worthy of the most attentive regard. There are, I have no doubt, many who may think that this is neither the place nor the occasion for treating of the subject which I propose to bring before you ; but to all such objectors I may be permitted to to remark, that it does appear to me to be the peculiar province of the clergy, not only and primarily to attend to the spiritual interests of their flocks, but also to take notice of the various plans, contrivances, and associations, which, in these days of prolific invention, are presented to the sym« pathies and suffrages of men, and if they can discover J amid a mass of imposition 21 «• and imposture, that there are some one or more of these associations whose object it is, and who have the ability, to ameliorate human suffering and promote human hap- piness, it is then within the sphere of their sacred duties to foster and cherish and encourage societies so commendable. When, moreover, to these hallowed aims is to be added the higher and holier one of stimulating Christian charity, then all ques- tions of propriety merge into the question of duty ; to speak is no longer blame- worthy, for silence under the weight of such convictions would be sin. Of the two kinds of mutual benefit soci- eties, which do not withdraw men from their hom^s and families, and which are, therefore, more favourably presented to our regard, Savings' Banks and Life Assur- ance Companies ; I incline to prefer the latter, because the end sought to be attained is, I think, more secure, and the means of attaining it less sordid, and, therefore, more consonant to the Christian Law. A Life Assurance Company may be briefly stated to be a body of individuals who contribute a common fund for a com- mon and certain purpose, in which, how- ever, it is agreed that the first and greatest sufferer shall receive the earliest benefit. If the Company is composed of men of probity and honour, they will be guided by those rules which experience has estab- lished as the true basis of calculation, in ascertaining the mean duration of a given number of lives ; and this principle Sv^cias to demonstrate that while it is a matter of uncertaintj ivhen any individual may die, it is a fac*t ulmost within the comnass of arithmetical computation, thisit the deaths o{ a given number of individuals will be found upon comparison to ''onform to a fully- understood and well established ratio, making it therefore a question of little diff) :ul1y to appraise the exact quota which each contributor, according to his age, should make to the common fund. This being a fact within the reach of proof, it is no longer a question of hazard or venture for an individual to become a con- tributor towards the object which these Companies are established to assure. In truth, it would seem that of the various modes to which men resort of providing for their successors, there are none less liable to disappointment, nor less open to the sus- picion of an uncertain equivalent, than the investment in Life Assurance. I do not wish, however, to be understood as recommending this plan as a substitute for Ihe modes of accumulating property, to which men more commonlj resort ; but I am desirous of communicating, these im- pressions derived alike from observation and experience, vs^ith a viev/ of suggesting whether it is not safe and advisable for every parent to adopt to some extent the principle of Life Assurance, as a means of immediately securing those whom he most fondly loves, against the reverses and poverty which his sudden decease would bring upon them. It is almost imperative upon those who derive their support from annual salaries or annuities to adopt the principle ; and the fluctuations of trade, and the uncertainty in the value, combined with the difficulty of converting real property, make it, I think, most desirable for those who are engaged in the former, or who are in possession of I' It SESC 25 the lattet, to consider.its importance. It, at once,-affQrds to the widow and children of the deceased those means of support, •which, if obtained at all. from, other spurq^s, are but too frequently «eGured by greatand irretrievable sacrifices. Sorrowing ^^i> .vivors are often disabled by the press-o^e <3ff immediate and urgent necessity from trea- suring their properties till the period arrives for disposing of them without loss . When we think, moreover, not .only of the immediate, but of the remote injme& which follow from the neglect of making this provision— injuries aver which you yourselves would weep could you bwti^a- shadow them— in your son, the inheritor of your name, uninstructed, uncared for, aaad eariy made familiar with vice,— in your daughter, whom your manhood would shelter and preserve from danger, exposed >^,^»H»Mfcjfcj mil l|iir III ynm*aM in her young and trustful days, with a heart full of feeling, but with a mind untaught and uninformed, in a world full of sin, obliged either to eat the bitter bread of dependence, or to earn it at the hands of rude, unfeeling, unthinking, and uncaring strangers ! Remember your boy and your girl in their orphanhood, and blame me not for having claimed the privilege which this holy day and this solemn service affords of making some practical suggestions for the benefit of widows and of orphans. I have said that the adoption more generally of the principle of Life Assurance would have the effect of stimulating Chris- tian charity. The uncertainty and variable- ness of trade are often urged as reasons for withholding contributions from God^s Church and God's poor. The profits of the good year, it is said, are required io *1 -^»i •Iti i\ meet the losses of the bad one, till, imper- ceptibly at first, the practice of hoarding is acquired, the vice of acquisitiveness has succeeded the principle of prudence, and thus beguiled by the plea of providing for their families, men come to defraud God of His dues, and pile up their wealth, only to increase by their avarice the difficulty of dying, and enhance by their parsimony the terrors of eternity. Now, it does seem obvious to me, that, if by the annual investment of a compara- tively small amount, a sum certain could be realized at the death of an individual for the benefit of those most dear to him, he would be less anxious for the morrow, more incUned to do something for his generation before he falls asleep, more disposed to smooth the journey of life by scattering along its path the blessings and fjsSi tas^aaat -irnn-iinniin Mini i 38 graoe8ioflcharity>^> and less hindered iiihiu fiiith by the alloy and dcoi* ofi^« things that perish in the u^ng;" These" fl^nnual pay- ments would^ I think, i^ we wei5e suflBi- ciently penetratedwith the loving^kindness of out heavenly Father,- weai* the appear- atioe af thank-offerings to Him who blesses us with length of days ;and the- instinctive^ love of life whibh' all possess, wouldi effect-* ually prevent the feeling of cupidity in' i^egardito those who, by ea^ly death , . may be said to withdraw,' fbr the benefit' of sut^ vivors, a lai^er sliare of thO' comtnoa fluids Oh, no ! the sorrowing relativeis who have been early called to bear the weight of bereavement, would not be regarded with' envy by those contributors " who are' alive and remain,'^ especially by those who- have fblt the force of the Apostolical injunc-^ %t lllj J,. W J I I I I I ' 1 * ■ i vn I { I 4 KESS am 29 tion: •^Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ/'- In considering the suggestions which prudence may dictate in regard to the temporal well-being of our survivtfps, espe- cially of those of our own household j, let us ever bear in mind the strict and solemn account which we must one day give at thejudgment seat of Christ. The days of mourning for each ohe of us are approach^ ing. apace ; the time also is coming to all of us, when the Lord shall " complete the number of His elect, and accomplish Hisr kingdom," when He shall as surely say to each of us, as of old He said to the Widow's son, " Arise," Oh! brethren, to what shall we arise? To shame and everlasting contempt, or to bliss and joy for ever ? Will the Holy Jesus deliver us, then, " to our Father which is in heaven,'* as, of old, He restored the arisen son to the arms of his widowed mother upon earth ? Or, having seen our Lord, shall we be permitted only to hear the fearful words: *