APOSTOLIC GENEROSITY IN ENCOURAGING GOODNESS.

BY TRACTS FOR THE TIME

Acts xi. 22, 23.

" They sent forth Barnabas, that he sliould go as far as Antioch : who, when

he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them

all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."

The character in which St. Barnabas is here presented to us, is

that of a person greatly rejoicing in other men's goodness. He

was glad when he saw the grace of God in his brethren. Of his

doing so, there are several other instances ; indeed, almost the

whole of his conduct towards St. Paul is fall, from the besrinnine,

of such generous and affectionate joy.

He, you may observe, was the first person at Jerusalem, who

was able to convince himself of St. Paul's being truly converted.

When that great Apostle came to Jerusalem, where he was known

before only as a persecutor of the Name of Christ, "he assayed

to join himself to the Disciples, but they were all afraid of him,

and believed not that he was a Disciple. But Barnabas took him,

and brought him to the Apostles, and declared unto them how he

had seen the Lord in the way."

Alcnost ever afterwards, he continued the affectionate com-

panion and friend of St. Paul. Presently after the visit to Antioch,

in the text, we find him departing to Tarsus to seek Saul, and

when he had found him, bringing him to Antioch. No doubt he

was well aware that St. Paul was, humanly speaking, a much

124 APOSTOLIC GENEROSITY

ffreater and more noticeable person than himself; that by seeking

him, and bringing him forward, he was as it were throwing him-

self into the back-ground : according to what is said afterwards,

that wherever thev went, Paul was " the chief speaker." But this

made no difference to his affection for St. Paul, or his wish to have

him with him. He rejoiced to see the grace of God, even when

its light shone so brightly in others, as quite to eclipse and drown

his own light.

All this is the more to be observed, because this feeling in the

Apostle of Consolation is especially attributed bythe Holy Scripture

to the sanctifying Spirit of God. " He was glad when he saw the

grace of God, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they

would cleave unto the Lord : For he was a good man, and full of

the Holy Ghost and of Faith." So that the charity which en-

vieth not the spiritual attainments of others, is an especial token

"of the Holy Ghost and of Faith."

And it is worth observing, that by God's providence, and the

Church's order, this festival of St. Barnabas, in every year, comes

actually first of the Saints' days after Whit-Sunday, or however

nearest to that blessed day. As though this charitable, unenvious

mind, of which St. Barnabas was a pattern, were a grace which

the Holy Comforter especially delighted to honour, and by

which he would have those especially try themselves, who wish to

know if they are themselves walking by the Spirit, and not de-

ceiving their own hearts.

But concerning this disposition to rejoice in other men's good-

ness, it is much easier to see how amiable it looks in others, than

to practise it one's self in good earnest. Do not men envy others,

not merely for their outward advantages, but for their goodness

itself: especially for those parts of goodness which they them-

selves have not the heart to imitate ? It is an ancient story, told

of a virtuous heathen, that when a loud outcry was once raised

against him, and he was to be banished from his country, a person

of whom he asked a reason why he gave his vote against him, re-

plied, " I have no objection to you, but I am quite tired of hearing

every one call you the Just." Something of the kind, I fear,

takes place not seldom, even within the very kingdom of Charity,

the Church of our Lord and of His Spirit. Men wilfully im-

perfect themselves, are disquieted and grieved at having the good-

IN ENCOURAGING GOODNESS. 125

ness of others brought continually before their eyes. It is a

silent standing reproach to them.

For example, those who are determined wantonly to neglect

the holy duty of mortifying the flesh, cannot bear to see others

strict ; they are always inclined to seduce them from their rules

of self-denial, or otherwise to interrupt them; and if they cannot

do so, they generally get out of their sight. Persons of a sour

and morose temper are apt to be very greatly provoked by the

good humour and sweetness of those of a better mind. The

careless about truth, the detracting and slanderous tongue, is

not seldom the more restless, for observing that the hearer is

scrupulous, and afraid to join in any such conversation ; he wants

his neighbour, if not to partake of his sin, at least not to keep at

such a very great distance from the same. And so throughout

life, there is a disposition in the unrenewed heart, to grudge all

those graces which go too far beyond itself; a disposition the

very opposite to that, which the Holy Ghost wrought in St.

Barnabas by faith. He rejoiced, but these are sorry, on beholding

the grace of God.

It certainly must require no small faith to believe, that it is

better on the whole for others to do the good which you desire,

than for it to be done by yourself. St. Barnabas must have his

heart steadily fixed on the unseen rewards prepared on high, to

make him acquiesce thus joyfully in his companion, St. Paul, re-

ceiving so much more of the encouragement provided for aposto-

lical men in this life. Such a mind could hardly be, without deep

devotion and forgetfulness of self: such as one may see in St.

John Baptist, in his way of speaking of our Blessed Lokd, con-

cerning whom it was a matter of joy to him, to say and think,

" He must increase, but I must decrease :" such, again, as in the Old

Testament, we read of in the beautiful history of Jonathan, and

the way in which he so gladly yielded the first place in every

thing to David. Such self-denial, when regularly kept up, and

not only indulged now and then, out of laziness or partial afi'ec-

tion, is one of the clearest tokens that God's Holy Spirit is with

men, preparing them for eternal glory.

And it is seen in nothing so much, as in making persons continu-

ally watchful, to cherish and confirm one another in every good pur-

pose of heart ; in which respect the Spirit of the Gospel is most di-

1'26 APOSTOLIC GENEROSITY

rectly opposed to the evil and selfish spirit of this age. For I know

not how it is, but people, under pretence of liberty of one sort or

another, are come to be, very generally, quite indifferent about

the grace and salvation of others. They say, " it is a matter be-

tween God and each man's conscience ; it is no concern of theirs,

they cannot be accountable for other men." But surely words

like these, especially when uttered in scornful tones, are too like

the cruel and profane talk of the first murderer, Cain ; who, when

God enquired of him concerning his brother Abel, rudely an-

swered, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Surely the hard, indif-

ferent way in which too many of us treat the thought of our

neighbour's condition towards God, is sadly like Cain's way :

sadly like the temper which led to a brother's murder.

The Christian, Catholic, renewed heart is altogether different

from this ; it is not at all satisfied, as men of the world are, with

persons going on decently and quietly ; it wants them to be in-

wardly sound and pure ; first of all to have a good '• purpose of

heart," and then to persevere in that purpose, " cleaving" to our

Lord and Saviour continually. That anxiety about your neigh-

bour's soul, which Christian love causes you to feel, will be a con-

tinual, a watchful, a self-denying, but, for the most part, a

silent principle. It will show itself in deeds rather than in words,

in timely prevention of mischief, rather than in late and loud

remonstrance. It will not be very sanguine, nor reckon too much

on any good which appears to be done, knowing that we are all

by nature unstable as water. Nor yet will it be too soon dis-

heartened or disconcerted, knowing that there is hope even of the

worst, and that constant efforts and prayers, with the Church of

God to your aid, will, by the aid of His good Spirit, prevail

against every thing but hardened obstinacy.

Above all, this care of other's good purposes, to be at all like

that of St. Barnabas, must be accompanied with scrupulously

good example ; even as it is here said of this holy Apostle, very

emphatically, that " he was a good man."

And it will ever keep in view the growth of the Church and

kingdom of Jksus Christ, as being the one thing for which it

works ; and our Loud and Saviour Himself, as being the one

Master whom it serves. It works not for a sect or party, but

for the holy Apostolical Church herself: as St. Barnabas, not re-

IN ENCOURAGING GOODNESS. 127

garding his own or any other Apostle's name, laboured only to

have " much people added unto the Lord."

Consequently, such a labourer will never be ashamed to seek

out help, when he finds the work getting beyond him, or knows

that another will do it better : so St. Barnabas, as was before

observed, " departed to Tarsus to seek Saul," and brought him to

Antioch ; and thus doing, he was instrumental in providing all

the Churches of the Gentiles with the chiefest of all their

teachers.

All this refers, of course, more immediately to the office and

calling of Pastors in the Church of Christ. But every one of us

has a part in it, in such measure as we are at any time witnesses

of each other's good resolutions, and have the power, by God's

good Providence, of doing any thing towards confirming our

brethren. For example, as often as we offer ourselves to God in

the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, so often we see the

grace of God, bringing many persons, as we trust, with holy pur-

poses, to draw near their Lord and Saviour, in the way He

Himself ordained. It becomes us surely not only to be glad, but

to watch and pray afterwards one for another ; and if need and

occasion be, to " exhort one another," that " with purpose of

heart " all may " cleave to the Lord " Jesus ; all may keep their

holy vows, then and there renewed to Him and to His Church.

The Holy Communion received together, is a very special bond

between Christians, making it their duty to pray each for his

brother, and the duty of those, who are any how in authority, to

" reprove, rebuke, exhort " without fear : those, I say, who are

in authority ; for otherwise the office of censurer and reprover is

too grave, for any person to presume to take it lightly on

himself.

Finally, the good advice of St. Barnabas, here given to the

people of Antioch, may well serve as a kind of watchword for all

Christians of every station, in times when the Faith and the

Church are being violently assailed by their enemies. Then is

the time to practise a holy obstinacy ;' not to mind if you be not

able to give reasons, and talk knowingly about things, but " with

purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord ;" that is, to abide by

what the Church has taught you, let people say what tliey

will.

128 APOSTOLIC GENEROSITY IN ENCOURAGING GOODNESS.

This will be called bigotry and stubbornness : and they who

are wise in their own conceit will insist on your giving a reason

for every thing. Well, then, let your reason be given, not in

words, but in a holy life. Humbly and meekly, but with all

Christian boldness, let us strive to obey the Bible, the Church, and

the Praver-Book ; and so to put the enemies of truth to shame ;

and, by the whole course of our lives, to exhort those who are

partakers with us of the Gospel, that " with purpose of heart they

cleave unto the Lord " for ever.