"Life is the Time to Dispense Charities."
By James Brewster
A BENEVOLENT gentleman in New Haven, Ct., Mr. James Brewster, having erected a building for an orphan asylum at an expense of $8,000, made at its dedication the following remarks: I should be wanting in sensibility were I indifferent to the kind expression of approval of my agency in the erection of this edifice. First, I beg leave to say that I disclaim all merit for what I have been enabled to do. Sure I am that I should be most miserable, were I sensible that I relied upon any works of mine as a ground of acceptance with God. I feel myself more than compensated in the pleasure I have derived, from the consideration that by the grace of God I have been enabled so far to overcome my natural selfishness as to do something in imitation of my blessed Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, who went about doing good, and who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." I believe that the true source of happiness is in making others happy, and in doing what we can to alleviate human suffering; for by an inevitable law of Providence, the poor we shall always have with us. Always there will be enough of human misery to make a test of character. And in regard to the investment I have made in this building, I would not sell out for fifty per cent. advance upon cost. It may be interesting to some of my friends to learn the moving cause of my agency in aid of this institution. Some thirty years since, before the Orphan Society was organized, I had the pleasure of teaching a class of from twenty to thirty children on the Sabbath, for some years, in yonder old building (then called the Alms House Chapel). I then formed the purpose of doing something (should God prosper me) in aid of establishing an Orphan Asylum in this city; and subsequently I incorporated in my will a bequest of $5,000, to be paid after my decease. Some eighteen months since, learning that the accommodations of the Asylum were inadequate to its necessities, and to the demands upon it—and that an attempt to raise funds for the erection of a building had been unsuccessful, I began to reflect upon the duty, as well as expediency of doing what I designed to do for the poor orphan, while living—prompted not only by the wants of the Asylum, but also by consideration of the frequent misapplication of funds left to be expended after one's decease, to say nothing of lawsuits and other causes by which the objects of the testator are often injured or totally defeated—I came to the decided conclusion, life is the time to dispense charities. My wife sustained me fully in this decision, as well as my children. One of my sons wrote me, "I believe that to be no charity which costs no sacrifice." Still, I confess, there was a conflict in my own mind between self and duty. When I placed my signature to the proposition to erect this building, like Bunyan's poor pilgrim, I felt relieved from a great burden; and then for the first time in my life, had I any adequate conception of the inherent and powerful selfishness of the human heart. I believe it to be the bane, and greatest obstacle to happiness here and hereafter. I believe it to be our bounden duty to bestow what we have to give in charity mainly while life lasts. I believe we may be mistaken as to the goodness of motives which prompt us to leave property for charities to be paid after our decease, when we can use it no longer.