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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

ESSAYS TO DO GOOD;
ADDRESSED
TO ALL CHRISTIANS.
WHETHER IN
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE CAPACITIES

FY Ttl L" I.ATF

COTTON MATHER, D.D. F.R.S.

TO DO GOOD, AND TO COJIMU^VICATE, TOR'G ET SOI. H<*6. Xlii. l(j.

REVISED AND IMPROyED,
BY
GEORGE BVRDER,

THE SECOXD EDITION.

LONDON: >
PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR ;
By J. Bennett, Union Buildings, Leather Lane.
SOLD BY WILLIAMS AND SMITH, BUTTON, CONDER,,
R. OGLE, AND C. TAYLOR.
1803.

!Vi •' &&

'i'j

CONTENTS.

THE Editor's Preface, with a Sketch of
the Author's Life  v — xii
Preface  * •  1
Sect. I. Much occasion fot doing good  16
II. The excellence of well-doing  17
III. The reward of well-doing  19
IV. Humiliation for having done so little good 20
V. The diligence of wicked men in doing evil 24
VI. The true nature of good works  27
VII. On seeking opportunities todo good  33
VIII. Oninternalpiety, and self-examination . . 35
IX. On doing good to our children, &c  41
X.  — Neighbours  60
XI. Social meetings for religion  67
XII. Associations of young men  71
XIII. Proposals to the ministers of the Gospel 74
XIV- The duties of schoolmasters  89
XV. Proposals to Churches for doing good .... 94
XVI.  :  Magistrates  97
XVII.  Physicians  105
XVIII.  The rich  115
XIX.  Various officers  130
XX.  Gentlemen of the law  133
XXI. Societies for reformation  144
XXII. A catalogue of desirables  150
Conclusion  156

EDITOR'S PREFACE.

J. he following Essays were first published by
Dr. Cotton Mather, at Boston in New England, in
the vear 1710. The desipri of the author is thus
expressed in his title-page — ' Bomfacius. An
' Essay upon the Good that is to be devised and
' designed, by those who desire to answer the
' Great End of Life, and to Do Good while they
' live. A Book offered, First, in general, unto
' all Christians, in a Personal Capacity, or in a
' Relative : Then more particularly, Unto Ma-
* gistrates — Ministers — Physicians — Lawyers — -
' Schoolmasters — Gentlemen — Officers — Churches,
' and unto all Societies of a religious character and
' intention : wii.li humble Proposals of unexeep-
f tionable methods to Do Good in the world.
In the present Edition, this title is abridged, and
the Running Title, used by the author in the origi
nal work, is substituted — Essays to do Good,
or, 'Attempts to do Good,' which was probably the
author's intention in the use of that phrase j or
the reader may consider this little volume as com
posed of ' A Set of Essays' on the noble subject
of doing good in this present evil world.
The various methods-of doing good, here pro
posed to the public, derive no small recommenda*
tion from the example of the excellent author,
whose whole life was a practical comment on the
a 3

VI
subject, and who might have said to the readers of
his own days — ' Be ye followers of me.' To those
who may not have had an opportunity to perase
his Life, the following slight sketch of it may be
acceptable. Dr. Cotton Mather, who was born, February 12,
1663, at Boston, in New England, was honourably
descended from families whose eminent piety, and
sufferings for righteousness'1 sake, rendered them
' the excellent of the earth.' Dr. Increase Ma
ther, his father, was pastor of the North Church,
in Boston, and President of Harvard College; his
mother was the daughter of the renowned Mr.
John Cotton, a minister of exalted religion and
uncommon learning.
At twelve years of age, our author had attained
a considerable kno.wledge of Latin, Greek, and
Hebrew ; he was admitted into the college at six
teen ; at eighteen, took his first degree; and before
he was nineteen, proceeded Master of Arts.
From his earliest years, he discovered a love to re
ligion ; he prayed much in private, and constantlv
icad fifteen chapters of the Bible in a day. At
fourteen, he kept days of private fasting and prayer;
devoted a tenth of his little income to pious uses ;
and at sixteen, became a member of the church.
At this early period of life, he adopted it as
a maxim, ' that a power and an opportunity to
do good, not only gives a right to the doing of it,
but makes the doing of it a duty.' On this maxim
he determined to act, and continued to do so
throughout his whole life.
In the execution of this noble design, he began in
his father's family, to do all the good in his power to
his brothers, his sisters,, and the servants. He iuw

vn
posed on himself a rule, never to enter any com
pany, where it was proper for him to speak, with
out endeavouring to be useful in it ; and in doing
this, he found that promise fulfilled, ' to him that
hath shall be given ;' for on the faithful improve
ment of his talents, his opportunities of usefulness
were gradually increased, till he became a blessing
to whole churches, towns, and countries.
In the management of his very numerous affairs,
he was a man of uncommon dispatch and activity;
but he was obliged to improve every moment of his
time ; and that he might not suffer by impertinent
and tedious visitors, he wrote over his study-door
in large letters, Be Short.
The writer of his Life, Mr. Samuel Mather, his
son, gives us the following specimen of his sur
prising activity, in the review of a single year ; in
the course of which, ' he preached seventy-two
public sermons, and about half that number in
private. Not a day passed without some contri
vance to do good, which he registered ; beside
many, probably, not noticed in his diary. Not a
day passed, without his being able to say at the
close of it, that some part of his income had been
distributed for pious purposes. He prepared and
published, in this year, about fourteen books ; and
kept sixty-two fasts, and twenty-two vigils.'
When he was about nineteen, he was choseu Co-
Pastor with his father; from which time, till his
death, he continued a laborious, zealous, and use
ful minister of \he glorious gospel. He continued
also a close and diligent student, acquiring a pro
digious fund of the most valuable knowledge : and
that his usefulness might extend beyond the limits
of his- own country, he learned the French and

viu
Spanish languages, and in his forty-fifth year took
the pains to acquire a knowledge of the Indian
(Iroquois) tongue, in each of which he published
useful treatises.
The greatest genius in the world would have -
found it impossible to effect so much, without a
sacred regard to method ; in this Dr. Mather was
studiously exact. That all his pursuits might have
their proper places, he used to propose to himself a
certain question in the morning of every day, in
the following order :
Sabbath morning. What «hall I do, as a pastor
of a church, for the good of the flock under my
charge ?
Monday. What shall I do in my family, and
for the good of it ?
Tuesday. What shall I do for my relations
abroad ?
Wednesday. What shall I do for the churches
of the Lord, and the more general interest of reli
gion in the world ?
Thursday. What good may I do in the several
societies to which I belong ?
Friday. What special subjects of affliction,
and objects of compassion, may 1 take under my
particular care, and what shall I do for them ?
Saturday. What more have I to do for the in
terest of God, in my own heart and life ?
By this careful observation of method, by the
readiness of his invention, and his peculiar celerity
in the dispatch of business, he was enabled not
only to perform all the duties of the pastoral office,
and to assist in the formation and support of nu
merous societies, but also to compose an. uncom-

IX
mon number of books. His biographer gives us
a catalogue of no less than — Three hundred ami
eighty-two. Some of these were indeed small, but
others were considerable in size, and some volu
minous, particularly his famous work, ' Magnalia
Christi Americana,' or ' The Ecclesiastical His
tory of New England ;' beside which, and other
large treatises which he published, he made very
copious preparations for his ' .American Bible :'
in this great labour he was engaged for fiftv years ;
but we apprehend that it was never published.
In addition to his other engagements, he kept
up a "literary correspondence with eminent men in
various countries, among whom were Mr. Waller,
Dr. Chamberlain, Dr. Woodward, Dr. Jurin, Pro
fessor Frank, Lord ChancellorKing, Dr. Whis-
ton, Dr. Desaguliers, Sir Richard Blakemore, Dr.
Watts, and many others.
After a life of singular piety and activity, he
was taken ill at the close of December, 1727 ;
when he felt a strong persuasion that his sickness
would be unto death, and told his physician so.
The grand desire of his heart was, that 'his own
will might be entirely swallowed up in the will of
God.' At that time he had some things in hand,
which he would gladly have lived to finish ; but,
said he, ' I desire to have no will of my own.'
When the physician intimated his apprehensions
of the fatal issue of his disorder, he immediately
said, lifting up bis hands and eyes — ' Thy will
be done on earth, as it is in heaven !' and, a tew
hours before his departure, said, ' Now I have
nothing more to do here ; my will is entirely swal
lowed up in the will of God.' He frequently ex
pressed the good hope he. enjoyed ; that he was

going to eat the bread and drink the water of life
freely ; that all tears would soon be wiped from his
eyes; that it was impossible he should be lost ; and
that his views of the heavenly world were glo
rious.' He had a hard cough, an asthma, and
fever; yet he felt but little pain; was favoured
with sweet composure of mind ; and obtained an
easy dismission from the body : — blessings which
he had often prayed for with great fervency. He
died Feb. 13, 1728, having just completed his
sixty-fifth year.
Such a life, and such a death, will afford to the
serious reader, a powerful recommendation of the
following pages. ' The proposals for doing good
which they present, are not the idle speculations
of an ingenious theorist, but the faithful transcript
of a holy life. The author, by reducing them to
practice, has demonstrated their practicability to
others ; and encourages every individual reader,
whatever be his share of capacity, or the sphere in
which he moves, to believe that he may do some
good in the world, if he be so disposed.
The late celebrated Dr. Franklin, -who, when a
youth, had the privilege of being acquainted with
Dr. Mather, considered himself under the greatest
obligations to his instruction and example ; and
though we cannot conclude that Dr. Franklin con
curred with him in his evangelical views, yet he
was certainly a philanthropist and a philosopher.
The testimony which he bore to the excellence
of this little volume, will enhance its value in the
estimation of many of its readers. That renowned
statesman informs us, that all the good he ever.
did to his country, or to mankind, he owed to
a small book which he accidentally met with,'

XI
entitled c Essays to do Good.' This little book,
he studied with care and attention, laid up the
sentiments in his memory, and resolved, from
that time, which was in his early youth, that he
would make doing good the great purpose and bu
siness of life.*
Those who are acquainted with the style of Dr.
Mather, will readily allow that some alterations
were necessary to render it agreeable to a modern
reader. The Editor has therefore exchanged
many quaint and obsolete phrases, for others more
agreeable and intelligible ; the Latin sentences are
translated ; and the whole is adapted to more ge
neral usefulness.
The Editor only adds, that it will afford peculiar
delight to the benevolent reader to find, as he
peruses the following pages, that many of those
public schemes of usefulness, which were projected
by the author a century ago, have within these few
years, been recommended, adopted, and carried
into effect in this free and happy country ; and
* In a letter from Dr. Franklin to Dr. Mather , son of the Author,
dated Passy (in France), Nov. 10, 1779, we have the following
paragraph. Referring to a paper of Advice to the people of the United States,
just published by Dr. M. he says,
' Such writings, though they may be lightly passed over by many
" readers, yet, if they make a deep impression on one active mind
• in a hundred, the effects may be considerable.
' Permit me to mention one little instance, which, though it
* relates to myself, will not be quite uninteresting to you. When I
* was a boy, I met with a book, entitled ' Essays to do good,'
* which I think was written by your father. It had been so little
* regarded by its former possessor, that several leaves of it were torn
* out ; but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking, as lo have
* an influence on my conduct through life ; for I have always set a
¦ greater value on the character of a doer of good, than any other kind
' of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful
¦ citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.'
Dr.Franklin's Works, vol. iii. page 478.

XII
every year gladdens our hearts with the establish
ment of some new Institution — some new ' Essay
to do Good.' May the God of all goodness smile
on every attempt to promote his glory, by pro
moting the happiness of his creatures ! - Much yet
remains to be done ; and should the perusal of
this Volume tend to raise the holy flame of. benevo
lent zeal in the hearts of sincere Christians, or
wisely direct its operations, it wili afford a rich
recompence for the labour of THE EDITOR.

SECOND EDITION.
So acceptable to the Religious Public luere these
Essays to do Good, that the first impression was
disposed of in six months. This affords some en
couragement to hope that there are many amona us
sincerely inclined to be useful.
The Second Edition has received several improve
ments, from the hints of Friends and Evcinters.

PREFACE.

-iViUONG the various customs of the world with
which it is almost necessary to comply, this is one —
That a book must not appear without a Preface :
and this little book willingly submits to the cus
tomary ceremony. It comes with a Preface ; how
ever it shall not be one like the gates of Mindus.
But there is a greater difficulty in complying with
another usage, — that of ' A-Dedication.' Dedica
tions are become such foolish and fulsome adula
tions, that they are almost useless : Frequently they
answer no other purpose than to furnish the critics
on ' the manners of the age,' with matter of ridi
cule. The excellent Mr. Boyle employed but a just
expression in saying, c It is almost as much out of
fashion in such addresses to omit giving praises (I
may say unjust ones,) as it is to believe the praises
given on such occasions.' Sometimes the authors
themselves live to see their own mistakes, and
acknowledge them. Austin makes the flourishes
which he had once used in a Dedication, an article
of his Retractations : and Calvin revokes a Dedica
tion, because he finds he had made it to an un
worthy person. I may add, that at other times,
every one perceives that authors, in fact, write for
themselves, while they flatter other men. Another
course must now be steered.
If a book of Essays to do Good were to be de
dicated to a person of quality, it should seek a patron
s

who is a true man, of honour, and of uncommon
goodness. Thy patron, O book of benefits to the
world, should be a general and generous benefactor
to mankind; one. who never accounts himself so
highly advanced as when stobping to do good; one
whose highest ambition is to abound in useful con
descensions : a stranger to the gain of oppression;
the common refuge of the oppressed and the dis
tressed ; one who will know nothing that is base ;
a lover of all good men in all persuasions ; able to
distinguish them, and loving them without any
distinction. Let him also be one who has nobly
stripped himself of emoluments and advantages,
when they would have encumbered his opportuni
ties to serve his country. Yea, presume upon one
who has governed and adorned the greatest city on
the face of the earth, and so much ' the delight of
that city,' that she shall never account her honour
or welfare better consulted, than when he appears
for her as a Representative in the most illustrious
assembly in the world. In a word — A man of ' a
public spirit.' Let him therefore, and on more
than all these accounts, be
Sir William Ashhurst.
For, as of old, the poet observed on mentioning the
name of ' Plutarch,' that the echo answered ' Phi
losophy:' so now, ' a public spirit' will immedi
ately be the echo, in the sense of all men, and with
a repetition more frequent than that at Pont-Chare-
ton, if the name of Sir William Ashhurst once
be mentioned. He it is whom the confession of
all men brings into the catalogue with Abraham
and Joseph, and those other ancient blessings, who
are thus excellently described by Grotius : * Men

born to serve mankind, who reckon it their greatest
gain to have it in their power to do good *.' Ame
rica, afar off, also knows him ; the American colo
nies have their eye on the efforts of his goodness
for them. Nations of christianised Indians like
wise pray for him, as their Governor. To him, the
design of such a book will be acceptable, whatever
may be the defective manner of treating its noble
subject. To him it wishes that all the blessings
of those who devise good, may be for ever multi
plied. I shall be pardoned, I trust, if I take leave tev
join with him, in the testimonies of our great es
teem, for an honourable disposition to love good
men, and to do good in the world, his excellent
hrother-in-law. The well-known name of a
Joseph Thompson
has long been valued, and shall always be remem
bered, in the country where this book is published.
God will be glorified for the piety which adorns
him, and for the 'pure religion,' which, in the midst
of the world and of temptations from it, keeps him
so ' unspotted from the world.' It was the maxim
of a pagan Asdrubal in Livy, c Men distinguished
by their prosperity, are seldom remarkable for their
virtue f.' Christianity will, in this gentleman, give
to the world a happy experiment, that the maxim-
is capable of a confutation. Because a book of
Essays to do Good will doubtless be acceptable to
one of so good a mind ; and the treasurer of a cor
poration, formed to effect, in America, that good
- * Homines demerendis hominibus uati, qui omnem beneficii collo.
candi occasionem ponebant in lucro.
t Raro simul hominibus,, bona fort una, bonaque mens datur.

4
which is of all the greatest, of which Sir William
Ashhurst is the Governor, he also has a part in the
humble tender of it ; and it must wish unto him
' all the blessings of goodness.'
The book now requires that some account be
given of it. It was a passage in the speech of an
envoy from his Britannic majesty to the duke of
Brandenburgh, some years ago. ' A capacity to
do good, not only gives a title to it, but also makes
the doing of it a duty. Tnk were too vile a liquor
to write that passage. Letters of gold were too
mean to be the preservers of it. Paper of Amyan-
thus * would not be precious and durable enough
to perpetuate it.
To be brief, Reader, the book now in thy hands,
is nothing but an illustration of that memorable
sentence. As gold is capable of a wonderful dila
tation ; (experiment assures us it may be so dilated,
that the hundred thousandth part of a grain maybe
visible without a microscope;) this golden sentence
may be as much extended : no man can say how
much : this book is but a beating upon it. At
the same time it is a commentary on that inspired
maxim, ' As we have opportunity, let us do good
unto all men.' Every proposal here made upon it,
hopes to say, ' When I am tried, I shall come
forth as gold.'
I am well aware that all the rules of discretion
and behaviour are included in that one word, Mo
desty. But it will be no breach of modesty to be
very positive in asserting, That the only wisdom of
* Amyanthus, or Asbestos, a sort of native fossil stone, which may
te split into threads, and made into cloth or paper. It is not injured
by the fire. Pliny says he has seen napkins made of it thrown into
the fire after a feast, and by that means better scoured than ii they
had been washed iu water. Sec Encyclop. Brit.

man lies in conversing with the great God, and his
glorious Christ; and in engaging as many others as
we can to unite with us in this happiness; thereby
promoting his kingdom among the children of men;
and in studying to do good to all about us ; to be
blessings in our several relations ; to heal the dis
orders, and alleviate the distresses of a miserable
world, as far as ever we can extend our influence.
It will be no trespass upon the rulds of modesty,
with all possible confidence to assert, That no man
begins to be wise till he makes this the main pur
pose and pleasure of his life : yea, that every man
will, at some time or other, be so wise as to own,
that every thing without this is but folly : though,.
alas ! most men make the conclusion too late.
Millions of men, in every rank, besides those
whose Dying thoughts are collected in ' The Fair
Warnings to a careless World,' have at length de
clared their conviction of it. It will be no immo
desty in me to affirm, that the man who is not
satisfied of the wisdom of making it the work of
his life to do good, is always to be noticed with the
pity due to an idiot. No first principles are more
firmly to be adhered to. Or, do but grant — a judg
ment to come, and my assertion is presently vic
torious. I will not be immodest,, and yet I will boldly say,
He is worse than a Pagan, who will not allow that
' a good man is a common good *;' and 'None
but a good man is really a living man; and the
more good any man does, the more he really lives f.'
AH the rest is death, or belongs to it. And you
• Vir bonus est commune bonum.
t Vivit is qui mulfis estusui ; and, Utilitate hominum, nil debat
esse homini aatiquius.
B 2

6
must excuse me if I say, the Mahometan also shall
condemn the man who admits not this principle ;
for I think it occurs no less than three times in the
Koran ; ' God loves those that are inclined to do
good.' As to this way of living, if the present generation-
will cry, ' He is a fool who practises it,' as the
Rabbins say it will be in the generation wherein the
Messiah comes ; yet there will be a wiser genera
tion, and ' Wisdom will be justified of her chil
dren.' Among the Jews there has been an Ezra,
whose head they called The throne of wisdom.
Among the Greeks there had been a Democritus,
who was called Sophia in the abstract. The later
ages knew a Gildas, who wore the surname of Sa
piens : but it is he whose temper and aim it is to
do good, that is the wise man after all. And in
deed, if a man had the hands of a Briareus, they
would all be too few for the purpose ; he might
find occasion for more than them all. The Eng
lish nation had once a sect of men called Bons
Homines, or Good Men. The ambition of this
book is to revive and enlarge a sect that may claim
that name ; yea, to solicit that it may extend be
yond the bounds of a sect, by the admission of all
mankind into it.
Of all the trees in the garden of God, which
among them does not envy the Palm, out of which
alone, as Plutarch tells us, the Babylonians derived
more than three hundred commodities ? Or the
Cocoa-tree, so beneficial to man, that a vessel may
be built, and rigged, and freighted, and victualled
from that alone ? To plant such trees of righteous
ness, and to prune them, is the object of the pre
sent work.

The men who devise good, will now give me
leave to remind them of few things, by which
they may be fortified for their grand intention ; for
they must encounter a host of enemies in their ge
nerous undertaking.
Misconstruction is one thing against which
you will do well to arm yourselves both with -pru
dence and patience ; — prudence to prevent it, and
patience to endure it. You will unavoidably be
put upon attempting many good things, which
other persons will see but remotely, and be unac
quainted with your motives and methods ; yea,
they may imagine their own purposes opposed in
what you attempt; and this will expose you to their
censure. In your essays to do good, you may also
happen to be connected with men whose power is
superior to their virtue. It may be needful, as well
as lawful, for you to soften them with acknowledg
ments of what is commendable in them ; and for
bear to notice, at present, what may be culpable.
In this, your only aim is to be more able to do
them/good ; or to do good to others by their
mep.ns : and yet, if you are not very cautious,
yr'ur civility may be construed to your disadvan
tage ; especially if you should be obliged to change
your opinion, or blame their conduct. The injus
tice of these censures may be as if St. Paul, rebuking
Felix for his unrighteousness and unchastity, should
be reproached with inconsistency, because he had
before complimented him qn his acquaintance with
the affairs of his nation. But you must not be
uneasy if you should be thus unjustly treated. Je-
rom had written highly of Origen, as a man of
bright endowments ; he wrote afterwards as se
verely against some things with which he was (per-

8
haps unjustly) accused. Jerom was charged with
levity, yea, with falsehood : but he despised the
calumny, and replied, 'I commended what I thought
was excellent, and now I condemn what I find to
be evil in him.' Where is the contradiction ? I
say, Be cautious ; but I say again, Be not uneasy.
You must be above all discouragements. Look
for them ; and, with a magnanimous courage,
overlook them.
Some have observed, that the most concealed,
and yet the most violent of all our passions, is, idle
ness. It lays adamantine chains of death and dark
ness upon us. It holds in chains that cannot be
shaken off, all our other inclinations, however im
petuous. That no more mischief is done in the
world is owing, in great measure, to a spontaneous
lassitude on the minds of men, as well as that no more
good is effected. Pharoah will do us no wrong if
he tell us, 'Ye are idle, ye are idle!' We have
usually more strength to do good, than we have
inclination to employ it. Sirs, Be up, and be do
ing ! It is, surely, too soon for the inscription—
* Here he lies.'
If you meet with vile ingratitude from those
whom you have greatly obliged, do not wonder at
it. Into such a state of turpitude is man fallen, that
he would bear any weight rather than that of obliga
tion. Men will acknowledge small obligations,
but return wonderful malice for such as are extra
ordinary. They will render it a dangerous thing to
be very charitable and beneficent. Communities
will do it, as well as individuals. Excess of desert
turns at length into a kind of demerit. Men will
sooner forgive great injuries than great services.
He that built a matchless castle for the Poles, had

9
his eyes put out that he might not build such an
other. These things are enough to make one sick
of the world ; but, my friend, they should not
make thee sick of essavs to do good in the world.
A conformity to thy Saviour, and a communion
with him, will be sufficient to carry thee through all 1
It will be impossible to avoid envy, ' For a
right work,' and for a good one, and especially if
a man do many such, ' he shall be envied of his
neighbour.' It is almost incredible what power
there is in the pride of men to produce detraction !
pride, working in a sort of impatience, that any
man should be, or do more than themselves. ' The
minds of men,' as one says, ' have got the vapours;
a sweet report of any one throws them into con
vulsions ; a foul one refreshes them.' You must
bear all the outrage of it; and there is but one sort
of revenge to be allowed you. ' There is no re
venge more heroical than that which torments envy
by doing good.'
It is a surprising passage, which a late French
author has given us ; ' That a man of great merit
is a kind of public enemy. And that by engross
ing a multitude of applauses, which would serv£
to gratify a great many others, he cannot but be
envied ; and that men naturally hate what they
highly esteem, yet cannot love.' But let us not
be surprised at it. You have read, who suffered
the Ostracism at Athens, and what a pretty reason
the country-fellow offered why he gave his voice
for the banishment of Aristides : — ' Because he was
every where called The Just :' and for what reason
the Ephori laid a fine on Agesilaus : — ' Because he
possessed, above all other men, the hearts of the
Lacedemonians.' You have read why the Ephe-

10
sians expelled the best of their citizens ; ' If any
arc determined to excel their neighbours, let -them
find another place to do it *.' You have read that
he who conquered Hannibal saw it necessary to re
tire from Rome, that the merit of others might be
more noticed. My authors tell me, that 'At all
times nothing has been more dangerous . among
men than too illustrious a degree of merit.' But
the terror of this envy must not intimidate you. I
must press you to do good, and be so far from af
frighted at it, you shall rather be generously de
lighted with the most envious deplumations.
I wish I may prove a false prophet when I fore-
tel one discouragement more which you will have
to contend with ; I mean — derision. And pray
let not my prediction be derided. It was long
since noted,
' That ridicule shall frequently prevail,
And cut the knot, when graver reasons failf.*
Banter and ridicule are more effectual means of dis
couraging all goodness, than fire and faggot. No
cruelties are so insupportable to humanity ' as cruel
mockings.' It is extremely probable that the devil
being somewhat chained up, in several plaees, from,
other ways of persecution, will more than ever apply
himself to this. Essays to do good shall be derided
with all the art and wit that he can inspire into his
Janizaries. Exquisite profaneness and buffoonery
shall try their skill to laugh people oat of them.
The men who abound in them shall be exposed on
the stage ; libels, and lampoons, and satires, the
most poignant that ever were invented, shall be
* Nemo de nobis unus excellat ; sed si quis extiterit, alio in loco
et apud alios sit.
t Ridiculum acri fortius ct melius magnas plerumque secat res.

11
darted at them ; and pamphlets full of lying stories
be scattered, with a design to make them ridiculous.
'But let this rather increase your boldness and zeal*.'
' Despise the shame,' whatever ' contradiction of
sinners' you meet with ; you know who did so be
fore you. ' Quit you like men, be strong :' you
know who gives you the direction. Say with reso
lution, ' The proud have had me greatly in derision,
yet have not I declined to do as much good as I
could !' If you should arrive to a share in such
sufferings, I will humbly shew you my opinion
about the best conduct under them; it is neglect and
contempt. I have a whole university on my side.
The university of Helmstadt, on a late abuse offered
to it, had this noble passage in a declaration ; ' Re
solved, That we use no other remedy in this affair,
than a generous silence and a holy contempt f .
Go on to do good; and ' Go well, — comely in
your going,' like the noble creature, which ' turn-
eth not away for any.' A life spent in industrious
essays to do good will be your powerful and perpe
tual vindication. It will give you such a well-esta
blished interest in the minds where conscience is
consulted, that a few squibbing, impotent accusa
tions will never be able to extinguish it. I remem
ber that Valerianus Magnus being abused by a Je
suit, who had laboured to make him ridiculous,
made no other defence, but only on every stroke
adjoined, ' It is a most impudent falsehood J !'
and such an answer may very properly be given to
every line of some stories which were brewed by
* Sed tu contra audentior ito.
t Visum fuit, non alio remedio, quam generoso silenlio, et pio con
tempt-, ulendum nobis esse.
i Mentiris impudentissiine !

\1
another who is no Jesuit. But even so much an
swer to their folly, is too much notice of it. It is
well observed that ' The contempt of such dis
courses discredits them, and takes away the plea
sure from those that make them.' And ' That
when those persons of whom we have heard evil,
are found upon trial to be very good, we naturally
conclude that they have a merit which is trouble
some to some other people.' The rule then is, Be
very good ; yea, Do very much good, and cast a
generous disdain upon contumelies— the great re
medy against them. If you want a pattern, I can
give you an Imperial one ; it was Vespasian, who,
when a person spake evil of him, said, ' While I
do nothing that merits reproach, these lies give me
no uneasiness * :' and I am deceived if it be -not an
easy thing to be as honest as Vespasian !
Sirs l An unfainting resolution to do good, and
an unwearied well-doing, are the things which are
now urged upon you : and may this little book be
so happy, as herein to perform the office of a mo
nitor. Though I have not spent so many weeks in com
posing this book, as Descartes, though a profound
geometrician, spent in studying the solution of one
geometrical question ; yet the composure has ex
ceeded the limits which I intended ; but there is
not a single proposal in it, which would not, if
well pursued, afford a more solid and durable satis
faction to the mind, than the solution of all the
problems in Euclid, or in Pappus. It is a vanity
in writers to compliment the readers with — ' I am
sorry it is no better.' Instead of which, I freely
" Ego, cum nihil faciam diguum propter quod contumelia afficiar,
mendacia nihil euro.

13
tell my readers, that I have written what is not un-.
worthy of their perusal. If I did not think so, I
certainly would not publish it ; for no man living
has demanded it of me ; it is not published to gra
tify the importunity of friends, as authors are used
to say, but it is to use importunity with others, in
a point, on which I thought they needed it : and
I will venture to say, there is not one whimsey in
all my proposals, I propose no object concerning
which the conscience of every good man will not
say, It were well if it could be accomplished. That
author was in the right who said, ' I cannot con
ceive how any honest man can print a book, and
yet profess that he thinks none will be the wiser or
the better for reading it.' Indeed I own that my
subject is worthy to be much better treated ; and
my manner of treating it is not such as to embolden
me to affix my name to it *, as the famous painter
Titian did to his pieces, with a double fecit,, fecit ;
as much as to say, Very well done ! and I must
have utterly suppressed it, had I been of the same
humour with Cimabus, another famous painter,
who, if himself or any other detected the least fault
in his pieces, would utterly destroy them, though
he had bestowed a twelve-month's pains upon
them : yet I will venture to say, that the book is
full of reasonable and serviceable things ; and it
would be well for us if such things were regarded ;
and I have done well to propose them.
Who the author is, there is no need of enquiring.
This will be unavoidably known in the vicinity :
but his writing without a name (as well as not
for one) will conceal it from most of those to whom
* This treatise was originally published without the name of the
author. C

14
the book may come : and the concealment of his
name he apprehends,' may be of some use to the
book ; for now, not who, but what, is the only
thing to be considered.
It was extreme vanity in a certain author to de
mand, ' Ubi mea legis, me agnosce.' In plain,
unblushing English, ' Reader, whatever you do,
account the author somebody.' But, pray, sir,
who are you, that mankind should be at all con
cerned about you ? He was almost as great a man
as any ecclesiastical preferments could make him,
who yet would not have so much as his name in
his epitaph ; he would only have ' Hie jacet, um
bra, cinis, nihil*:' there shall be no other name
on this composure, c Hie scribit (vel scripturire stu-
det et audet) umbra, cinis, nihil f.'
However, he is very strongly persuaded, that there
is a day very near at hand, when books of such a
tendency as this, will be the most welcome things
imaginable to many thousands of readers %, and have
more than one edition § : yea, great will be the army
of them that publish them ! M.DCC.XVI. is
coming || .
A vast variety of new ways to do good will be
invented ; ' Paths' which ' no fowl' of the best
flight at noble designs ' has yet known ;' and which
the vulture's most piercing eye has not yet seen •
* Here lies a shadow — ashes — nothing.
t Here is a book written, or rather atteiapted, by one who is a sha
dow — ashes — nobody.
+ The day is cuna'. We have the happiness to live in an a<*e and
in a country, wherein schemes of usefulness; are not only proposed
¦and accepted, but executed.
§ The first English edition of this work was sold off in .a few montlts.
Editor. || What the author's expectations were of the year'1716, arc -not
known to the editor.

15
and which lions of the strongest resolution have
never passed.
In the mean time, North Britain will be dis
tinguished (pardon me, if I use the term, Goshe-
nized,) by irradiations from heaven upon it, of such
a tendency. There will be found a set of excellent
men in that reformed and renowned church of
Scotland, with whom the most refined and exten
sive essays to do good will become so natural, that
the whole world will fare the better for them. To
these, this book is humbly presented by a great
admirer of the good things daily doing among
them ; as knowing, that, if no where else, yet
among them, it will find some reception ; they will
' not be forgetful to entertain such a stranger !'
The censure of ' writing too much,' (though he
should go as far as Terentianus Carthaginensis
tells us Varro did,) he accounts not worth answer
ing. — And pray, why not also ' preaching too
much ?' — But Erasmus, who wrote more, has
furnished him with an answer, which is all that he
ever intends to give ; ' Accusant quod nimiurn
fecerirn ; conscientia mea me accusat, quod minus
fecerim, quodque lentior fuerim.' In plain Eng
lish — The censure of others upbraids me that J
have done so much ; my own conscience con
demns me that I have done so little : the good
God forgive my slothfulness !

ESSAYS
TO. BO GOOD.

SECTION I.
Much Occasion for doing Good.
Ouch glorious things are spoken in the Oracles of
God concerning those who devise good, that a
book of good devices may reasonably demand
attention and acceptance from those who have any
inipressions of the most reasonable religion upon
them. I am devising such a book ; but at the
same time offering a sorrowful demonstration, that
if men would set themselves to devise good, a
world of good might be done more than is now
done, in this ' present evil world.' Much is re
quisite to be done that the great God and his
Christ may be more known and served in the
world ; and that the. errors which prevent men
from glorifying their Creator and Redeemer may
be rectified. Much is necessary to be done that
the evil manners of the world, by which men are
drowned in perdition, may be reformed; and man
kind rescued from the epidemical corruption which
has overwhelmed it. Much must be done that the

n
miseries of the world may have suitable remedies
provided for them ; and that the wretched may be
relieved and comforted. The world contains, it is
supposed,, about a thousand millions of inhabitants.
What an ample field do these afford, for doing
good ! In a word, the kingdom of God in the
world calls for innumerable services from us. To
do such things is to do good. Those men devise
good, who form plans which have such a ten
dency, whether the objects be of a temporal or
spiritual nature. You see the general matter,
appearing as yet but a chaos, which is to be
wrought upon. O ! that the good Spirit of God
may now fall upon us, and carry on the glorious
work which lies before us !
SECT. II.
The Excellence of Well-doiti" .
It may be presumed that my readers will readily
admit, that it is an excellent thing to be full of
devices to bring about such noble designs. For
any man to deride or despise my proposal, That we
resolve and study to do as much good in the world
as we can, would be the mark of so black a cha
racter, that I am almost unwilling to suppose its
existence. Let na man pretend to the name of a
Christian, who does not approve the proposal of a
perpetual endeavour to do good in the world. What
pretension can such a man have to be, a follower
of the Good One ? The primitive Christians gladly
accepted and improved the name, when the Pagans,.-
by a mistake, styled them Chrestians ; because it
signified,, useful ones. The christians who have no
ambition to be such, shall be condemned by the
G3

18
Pagans ; among whom it was a title of the highest
honour to be termed, A Benefactor; — To have
done good, was accounted honourable. The phi
losopher being asked, Why every one desired to
gaze on a fair object ? answered, that it was the
question of a blind man. If any man ask, Why it
is so necessary to do good ?' I must say, it sounds
not like the question of a good man. The Spiritual
taste of every good man will give him an unspeak
able relish for it. Yea, he is unworthy to be
deemed a man, who is not for doing good among
men. An enemy to the proposal, That mankind
may be the better for us, deserves to be reckoned
little better than a common enemy of mankind.
How cogently do I bespeak a good reception of
what is now designed! I produce not only religion,
but even humanity itself, as full of a ' fiery indig
nation against the adversaries' of the design. Ex
cuse me, sirs ; I declare, that if I could have my
choice, I would never eat of drink, or walk with
such a one as long as I live, or look on him as
any other than one by whom humanity itsdf is de
based and blemished. A very wicked writer has
yet found himself compelled, by the force of rea
son, to publish this confession. c To love the
public ; to study the universal good ; and to pro
mote the interest of the whole world, as far as it is
in our power, is surely the highest goodness, and
constitutes that temper, which we call divine.'
Arid he proceeds — ' Is doing good for the sake 'of
glory so divine ?' (alas ! too much human I) ' or,
is it not more divine to do good, even where it may
be thought inglorious ; even to the ungrateful,
and to those who are wholly insensible of the good
they receive ?' A man must be far gone in wicked-

19
ness, who will open his mouth against such max
ims and actions ! A better pen has remarked it ;
yea, the man must be much a stranger to history,
who has not made the remark. ' To speak truth,
and to do good, were in the esteem even of the
heathen world, most God-like qualities.' God
forbid, that there should be any abatement of es
teem for those qualities in the christian world I
SECT. III.
The Reward of Well-doing.
I will not yet propose The Reward of well
doing, and the glorious things which the mercy
and truth of God will perform for those who devise
good ; because I would have to do with such as
esteem it a sufficient reward to itself. I will sup
pose my readers to be possessed of that" ingenuous
temper, which will induce them to account them
selves well rewarded in the thing itself, if God will
permit them to do good in the world. It is an inva
luable honour to do good ; it is an incomparable
pleasure. A man must look upon himself as digni
fied and gratified by God, when an opportunity to
do good is put into his hands. He must embrace
it with rapture, as enabling him to answer the
great end of his being. He must manage it with
rapturous delight, as a most suitable business, as a
most precious privilege. He must ' sing in those
ways of the Lord,' wherein he cannot but find
himself while he is doing good. As the saint of
old sweetly sang, f I was glad when they said
unto me, let -us go into the house of the Lord ;'
so ought we to be glad when any opportunity of
doing good is presented to us. We should need no

20
arguments to incline us to entertain the offer; but
should naturally fly into the matter, as most agree
able to that divine nature of which we are made par
takers. It should gratify us wonderfully, as much as
if an ingot of gold were presented to us ! We should
rejoice as having obtained the utmost of our wishes.
Some servants of God have been so intent on this
object, that they have cheerfully proposed to make
any recompence that could be desired, to a friend
who would supply the barrenness of their own
thoughts, by suggesting any special methods by
which they mightbe useful. Certainly, to do good,
is a thing that brings its own recompence, in the
opinion of those who deem information on this
head worthy of a recompence. I will only say,
that if any of my readers are strangers to such a
disposition as this, and do not consider themselves
enriched and favoured of God when he employs.
them in doing good— with such persons I have
done, and would beg them to lay the book aside :
it will be irksome to carry on any further conver
sation with them. I will be content with one of
Dr. Stoughton's introductions ; ' It is enough for
me, that I speak to Wise men, whose reason shall
be my rhetoric ; to Christians, whose conscience
shall be my eloquence.' SECT. IV.
Humiliation for having done so little Good.
Though the assertion may fly like a chain-shot
among us, and rake down all before it, I will again
and again assert, That every one of us might do
more good than he does : and therefore this is the
first propo-sal I would make— To be exceedingly

21
humbled that we have done so little good in the
»vorld. I am not uncharitable in saying, that I know
>ot one assembly of Christians on earth, which
ought not to be a Bochim, on this consideration.'
Sirs ! let us begin to be fruitful, by lamenting our
past unfruitfulness. Verily, sins of omission must
be confessed and lamented, or else we add to their
number. The most useful men in the world have
gone out of it, crying, Lord forgive our sins of
omission ! Many a good man, who has been pecu
liarly conscientious about the profitable employ
ment of his time, has had his death-bed rendered
uneasy by this reflection, The loss of time now lies
heavy upon me ! Certain it is, that all unregenerate
persons are unprofitable persons ; and they are pro
perly compared to thorns and briars, to teach us
what they are. An unrenewed sinner ! alas, he
never performed one good work in all his life ! In
all his life, did I say ! I recall that word. He is
' dead while he liveth' — he is ' dead in sin;' he
has not yet begun to ' live unto God ;' and as he
is himself dead, so are all his works — they are
' dead works.' O, wretched, useless being ! Won
der, wonder, at the patience of heaven, which yet
forbears to cut down such ' a cumberer of the
ground !' O that such persons may immediately
acknowledge the necessity of turning to God ; and
how unable they are to do it ; and how unworthy
they are that God should make them able. O
that they may cry to God for his sovereign grace to
quicken them ; and let them plead the sacrifice of
Christ for their reconciliation to God ; seriously
resolve on a life of obedience to God, and resign
themselves to the Holy Spirit, that he may lead
them in the paths of holiness. No good will be

11
done,; till this be done. The. first-lorn of all de
vices to do good, is in being born again.
But as for you, who have been brought home to
God ; you have great cause not only to lament the
dark days of your unregeneracy, in which you pro
duced' only ' the unfruitful works of darkness ;*
but also that you have done so little since God ha*
quickened you, 'and enabled you to do better. How
little have you lived up to those strains of gratitude
which might justly have been expected from you,
since God brought you into his marvellous light.'
The best of us may mourn in his complaints, and
say, O Lord, how little good have I done, com
pared wdth what I might have done ! Let the sense of
this cause us to loathe and judge Ourselves before
the Lord ; let it fill us with shame, and abase us
wonderfully. Let us, like David, ' water our
couch with tears,' when we consider how little good
we have done. ' O that our heads were waters,'
because they have been so dry of all thoughts to do
good. ' O that our eyes were a fountain of tears,*
because they have looked out so little for occasions
to do good. For the pardon of this evil-doing, let
us fly to the great sacrifice, and plead the blood of
that Lamb of God, whose universal usefulness is
one of those admirable properties on account of
which he is styled a Lamb, The pardon of ojir
barrenness of good works being thus obtained, we
shall be rescued from condemnation to perpetual
barrenness : the dreadful sentence Let no fruit grow
on thee for ever, will then be prevented. A true
evangelical procedure to do good, must have this
Repentance laid in the foundation of it. We do
not ' handle the matter wisely' if a foundation he
not laid thus low, and in the deepest self-abasement.

23
How full of devices are we for our own secular
advantage, and how expert in devising many little
things to be done for ourselves ! We apply our
thoughts with mighty assiduity to the old question
'What shall we eat and drink, and wherewithal shall
we be clothed ?' With strong application of mind
we inquire, What shall we do for ourselves, in our
marriages, in our voyages, in our bargains ¦? We
anxiously contrive to accomplish our plans, and
avoid numerous inconveniences, to which, without
some contrivance, we should be obnoxious. We
carry on the business of our personal callings, with
numberless thoughts how to perform them well ;
and to effect our temporal affairs we ' find out
witty inventions.' But, O rational, immortal, hea
ven-bom soul, are thy wonderous faculties capable
of no greater improvements — no better employ
ments r Why should a soul of such high capaci
ties — a soul that may be clothed in the ' scarlet' of
angels, yet ' embrace a dunghill ! ' O let a blush,
deeper than scarlet, be thy clothing, for being found
so meanly occupied. Alas, in the multitude of
thy thoughts within thee, hast thou no disposition
to raise thy soul to some such thoughts as these —
What may be done for God, for Christ, for my
own soul ; and for the most important interests of
mankind ? How many hundreds of thoughts have
we for ourselves, to one for God, his cause, and his
people in the world ! How then can we pretend
that we love him, or prove that a carnal, a criminal
self-love has not dominion over us ? I again come
to a soul of heavenly extract, and smite it, as the
angelsmote the sleeping prisoner, and cry, Awake !
shake off thy chains. Lie no longer fettered in a
base confinement ! Assert the liberty of thinking

24
on the noblest question in the world' — ,f What
good may I do in the world ?' There was a time
when it was lamented by no less a man than Gre
gory the Great, the Bishop of Rome—' I am sunk
into the world !' — This may be the complaint of a
soul that minds every thing else, and rarely recol
lects that noblest question. Ah ! ' star fallen from
heaven,' and choked in dust, rise and soar up to
something answerable to thy origin. Begin a
course of thoughts, which will be like a resurrec
tion from the dead ; and pursue the grand inquiry
How may I become a blessing to the world ? and,
What may I do, that righteousness may dwell on
the earth ? SECT.V.
The Diligence of wicked Men in doing Evil.
How much mischief may be done by one wicked
man! Yea, sometimes, one wicked man, of slender
abilities, becoming an indefatigable tool of the
devil, may effect incredible mischief in the world.
We have seen some wretched instruments, of
cursed memory, ply the intention of doing mischief
at a strange rate, till they have ruined a whole
country. It is a melancholy consideration, and I
may say, an astonishing one ; you will hardly
find one of a thousand who does half so much to
serve God and his own soul, as you may see done
by thousands to serve the devil. A horrible thing !
O my soul, thy Maker, and thy Saviour, so
worthy of thy love — a Lord, whose infinite good
ness will follow all thou dost for him, with remu
nerations, beyond all conception glorious ; how
little, how little is it that thou dost for him ! At

25
the same time, look into thy neighbourhood. See
there, a monster of wickedness, who, to his utter
most, will serve a master that will prove a destroyer
to him, and whose wages will be death : he studies
how to serve the devil ; he is never weary of his
drudgery ; he racks his invention to go through
with it. Ah ! he shames me ; he shames me
wonderfully. ' O my God, I am ashamed, and
blush to lift up my face unto thee.'
We read of a man ' who deviseth mischief upon
his bed ; who setteth himself in a way that is not
good.' Now, why should not we be as active, as
frequent, as forward in devising good ? Why
should not we be as wise to do good, as he is to do
evil ? - I am sure that we have a better cause, and
better reasons for it. Reader, though, perhaps,
thou art one who makest but a little figure in the
world, ' a brother of low degree,' yet, behold a
vast encouragement ! A little man may do a great
deal of harm ; and pray, why may not a little man
do a great deal of good ? It is possible that ' the
wisdom of a poor man' may start a proposal which
may ' save a city' — serve a nation ! A single hair,
applied to a flyer that has other wheels depending
on it, may eradicate an oak, or pull down a house.
It is very observable, that when our Lord Jesus
Christ would recommend zeal for the kingdom of
heaven, he did not propose for our imitation, the ex
ample of honest wisdom: no, but that of an unrigh
teous and scandalous dishonesty — that of the un
just Steward. The wisdom of our Lord herein is
much to be observed. His design is not only to re
present the prudence, but the industry, the inge
nuity, the resolution, the heroic efforts of th_ soul,
necessary in those who would seek, and serve, the
D

26- -
kingdom of God. We seldom, if ever, perceive
among men that vivacity of spirit in lawful actions,
which we observe in unlawful ones. The ways of
honesty are plain, and require not so much pains in
pursuing them ; but your thieves and cheats follow
courses that are full of difficulties ; the turns and
tricks which they require are innumerable : hence
you find among such people the exercise of extraor
dinary subtilty: you find no such cunning and appli
cation anywhere else. How emphatical then is it,
to borrow from these, the colours of heavenly wis
dom ! What I aim at is this — Let us try to do good
with as much application of mind, as wicked men
employ in doing evil. When wickedness proceeds
from the wicked, it is done ' with both hands, and
greedily.' Why then may not we proceed in our
useful engagements with both hands, and greedily
watching for opportunities ? We have no occasion
for any sinister arts in effecting our designs ; God
forbid that we should ever attempt the union of
such inconsistencies ? But why cannot we prose
cute our designs with as much deep and copious
thought as the men of evil arts ? And why may
we not engage our minds with as transporting a
vigour to do what is acceptable to God and profit
able to men, as those wretches manifest, when they
' weary themselves to commit" iniquity ?' To re
prove certain ecclesiastical drones, who had little
inclination to do good, Father Latimer used a
coarse expression to this effect : ' If you will not
learn of good men, for shame^ learn of the devil ;
he is never idle.' Indeed, the indefatigable prose
cution of their designs, who are styled ' the chil
dren of the devil,' may put us to the blush. Our
obligations to do good are infinite : they do evil

27
against all obligations. The compensation which
will be made to them who do good, is encouraging
beyond calculation : they who do evil will get
nothing to boast of; but ' evil pursueth the sin
ners.' If the devil ' go about,' and the people
inspired by him ' go about,' seeking what harm
they may do ; why may not we go about, and
think, and seek where and how we may do good ?
Verily, it were worthy of a good angel so to do !
O thou child of God, and lover of all righteous
ness, how canst thou find, in thy heart, at any time,
to cease from doing all the good that can be done,
in ' the right ways of the Lord ? ' . Methinks^ that
word of the Lord may be a burden to us, , and if
we have a sense of honour in us, will be so — ' The
children of this world are in, (and for) their gene
ration, wiser than the children of light ;' yea, they
pursue ' the works of darkness' with more vigour
than any of us ' walk in that light' with, which
our great Saviour hath favoured us.
SECT. VI.
The true Nature of good Works.
To the title of Good Works belong those Essays
to do Good, which we are. now urging. To pro
duce them, the first thing, and indeed, the one
thing needful is — A. glorious work of grace on
the soul, renewing and quickening, it, purifying
the sinner, and rendering him ' zealous of good
works ;' — ' a workmanship of God' upon us,
' creating us anew, by Jesus Christ, for good
works : ' and then, there is needful, what will ne
cessarily follow such a work, — a disposition to
perform good works, on true, genuine, generous,

28
and evangelical principles. These principles must
be stated before we proceed.
In the' first place, it must be taken for granted,
that the end for which we perform good works is
not to provide the matter of our justification before
God : indeed, no good works can be done till we
are justified ; before a man is united to Christ, who
is our life, he is a dead man, and what good works
can be expected from him ? ' Severed from me,'
saith our Lord, ' yc can do nothing.' The justi
fication of a sinner, by faith, before good works, and
in older to them, is one of those doctrines which
may say to the popish innovations, ' With us are
the grey-headed, and very aged men, much elder
than thy father.* It was an old maxim of the faith
ful, ' Good works follow justification ; they do
not precede it*.' It is the righteousness of the
good works done by our Saviour and surety, not
our own, that justifies us before God, and answers
the demands of his holy law upon us. By faith,
we lay hold on those good works for our justifying
righteousness, before we are able to perform our
own. It is not our faith itself, either as producing
good works, or being itself one of them, which en
titles us to the justifying righteousness of our Sa
viour : but it is faith, only as renouncing our own
righteousness, and relying on that of Christ pro
vided for the chief of sinners, by which we are jus-,
tified. All our attempts at good works will come
to nothing, till a justifying faith in the Saviour
shall carry us forth unto them. This was the di
vinity of the ancients. Jerom has well expressed
it. ' Without Christ all virtue is but vice f.'
* Bona opera sequuntur justificatum, non pracceduntjustificandum,
t Sine Christo omrris virtus est in vitio.

29
Nevertheless ; first, you are to look upon it as a
glorious truth of the gospel, that the moral law
(which prescribes good works) must, by every
christian living, be the rule of his life. ' Do we
make void the law through faith ? God forbid :
yea, we establish the law.' The rule by which we
are to glorify God, is given us in that law of good
works which we enjoy (I will so express it) in the
Ten Commandments. It is impossible for. us to be
released from all obligations to glorify God by a
conformity to this rule : sooner shall we cease- to
be creatures. The conformity to that rule, in the
righteousness, which our Saviour by his obedience
to it has brought in to justify us, has for ever
'magnified the law, and made it honourable.'
Though our Saviour has furnished us with a perfect
and spotless righteousness, when his obedience to
the law is placed to pur account; yet it is sinful in
us to fell short in our personal obedience to the
law. We must always judge and loathe ourselves
for the sin. We are not under the law as a cove
nant of works : our own exactness in performing
good works is not now the condition of entering
into life ; (woe be to us if it were) but still, the
covenant of grace holds us to it as our duty : and,
if we are in the covenant of grace, we shall make it
our study, to perform those good works which were
once the condition of entering into life. ' Every
law of religion still remains *'— that was the divi
nity of Tertullian's days ! Such must be the esteem
for the law of good works for ever retained in jus
tified persons — a law never to be abrogated or abo
lished. And then, secondly, Though we are justified by
* Manet lex tota pictatis.
D 2

30
e precious faith in the righteousness of our God
and Saviour,' yet good works are required of us to
justify our faith ; to demonstrate that it is indeed
' precious faith.' A justifying faith is a jewel
which may be counterfeited : but the marks of a
faith which is not a counterfeit, are to be found in
those good works to which a servant of God is, by
his faith, inclined and assisted. It is by the rege
nerating power of the Holy Spirit, that faith is
wrought in the hearts of the chosen people : now
the same grace which in regeneration disposes a
person to fly by faith to the righteousness of Christ,
will dispose him also to the good works of a chris
tian life : and the same faith which applies to the
Saviour for an interest in his righteousness, will also
apply to him for strength to perform the good works
which are ' ordained that we should walk in them.'
If our faith be not of this kind, it is a lifeless faith,
and such as will not bring to life. A workless
faith is a worthless faith.
Reader 1 suppose "thyself standing before the
judgment-seat of Christ — a necessary, a prudent
supposition ; it ought to be a very frequent one.
The Judge demands — ' What hast thou to plead,
for a portion in the blessedness of the righteous ?'
The plea must be — ' O my glorious Judge, thou
hast been my sacrifice. O thou Judge of all the
earth, permit dust and ashes to say — My righte
ousness is on the bench. Surely, in the Lord have
I righteousness. O my Saviour, I have received it,
I have secured it oil thy own gracious offer of it.'
The Judge proceeds — ' But what hast thou to
plead that thy faith should not be rejected as the
faith of the hypocrite?' Here the plea must be,
¦ O Lord, my faith was thy work. It was a faith

31
which disposed me to all the good works of thy
holy religion. It sanctified me. It brought me to
thee, my Saviour, for grace to perform the works
of righteousness : it embraced thee for my Lord as
well as Saviour : it caused me, with sincerity, to
love and keep thy commandments, and with assi
duity to serve the interests of thy kingdom in the
world.' Thus you have Paul and James reconciled. Thus
you have good works provided for. The aphorism
of the physicians is, ' By a man's outward acts of
vigour, you judge of his internal health *.' The
actions of men are more certain indications of what
is within, than all their sayings.
But there is yet another consideration upon which
you must be zealously affected to good works. You
must consider them as a part of the great salvation
which is purchased for you by Jesus Christ. With
out a holy heart you cannot be fit for a holy hea
ven — ' meet for the inheritance of the saints in
that light,' which admits no works of darkness ;
where none but good works are done for eternal
ages : But a holy heart will induce a man to do
good with all his heart. The motto on the gates
of the holy city is, ' None but the lovers of good
works to enter here;' it is implied in what we read
— ' Without holiness no man shall see theXord :'
yea, to be saved without good works, were to be
saved without salvation. Much of our salvation
consists in doing good works. Heaven is begun
upon earth when we are so engaged ; and doubtless,
no man will get to heaven who is not so persuaded.
I shall mention but one more of those principles
from which good works proceed : it is that noble
* Per bracliium fit judicium de corde.

32
one of Gratitude. The believer cannot but in
quire, ' What shall I render to my Saviour?
The result of the inquiry will be—' With good
works to glorify him.' We read, that ' faith
worketh bv love.' Our faith will d1Scover the
matchless and marvellous love of God m saving
us ; and the faith of this love will work on our
hearts, till it hath raised in us an unquenchable
flame of love to him who hath so loved and saved
us. These, these are to be our dispositions—' O
my Saviour, hast thou done so much for me! now
will I do all I can for thy kingdom and people in
the world. O ! what service is there that I may
now perform for my Saviour and his people in the
world?' These are the principles to be proceeded on: and
it is worthy of special observation, that there are
no men in the world who so much abound in good
works, as those, who above all others, have aban
doned every pretension to the merit of their works.
There are Protestants who have exceeded Papists in
our days, as well as in those of Dr. Willet. No
merit-mougers have exceeded some holy christians,
who. have performed good works on the assurance
of being already justified, and entitled to eternal
life. I observe that our apostle, throwing a just con
tempt on the endless genealogies, and long, intricate
pedigrees, which the Jews of his time dwelt so
much upon, proposes in their stead ' Charity, out
of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith
unfeigned ;' as if he had said, ' I ,will give you a
genealogy worth ten thousand of theirs' — first,
from faith unfeigned proceeds a good conscience ;
from a good conscience a pure heart ; and from a

33
pure heart, charity to all around us. It is admi
rably stated ! SECT. VII.
On seeking Opportunities to do good.
It may justly be feared that we too rarely inquire
after opportunities to do good. Our opportunities
to do good are our talents. An awful account
must be rendered to the great God concerning the
use of the talents with which he has intrusted us
in these precious opportunities. Frequently we do
not use our opportunities, because we do not con
sider them : they lie by unnoticed and unimproved.
We read of a thing which we deride as often as we
behold it — ' There is, that maketh himself poor,
and yet hath great riches.' This is too frequently
exemplified in our opportunities to do good, which
are some of our most valuable riches. Many a man,
seems to reckon himself destitute of these talents,
as if there were nothing for him to do ; he pretends
that he is not in a condition to do any good. Alas !
poor man, what can he do ? My friend, think
again ; think frequently : inquire what your oppor
tunities are : you will certainly find them to be
more than you were aware of. ' Plain men, dwell
ing in tents' — persons of a very ordinary rank in
life may, by their eminent piety, prove persons of
extraordinary usefulness. A poor John Urich may
make a Grotius the better for him *. I have read
* John Urich was a poor, but very devout man, who lived in the
neighbourhood of the learned Grotius, and who used to spend eight
hours of every day in prayer and other religious exercises, eight' in
his daily labour, and eight in sleep, eating, Sec. Grotius, on being
Complimented on his own extraordinary industry and admirable per
formances, replied — ' Ah, my friends ! I have lost -my days in
laborious trifling ; I should be glad to exchange my condition with
poor John Urich!'

34
of a pious weaver, of whom some eminent persons
would say, ' Christ walked as it were, alive on the
earth, in that man.' A mean mechanic — who can
tell what an engine of good he may become, if
humbly and wisely applied to it.
This, then, is the next proposal. Without abridg
ing yourselves of your occasional thoughts on the
question—-' What good may I do to-day ?' fix a
time, now and then, for more deliberate thoughts
upon it. Cannot you find time (say — once a-week,
and how suitably on the Lord's day) to take this
question into consideration —
What is there that I may do for the service of the
glorious Lord, and for the welfare of those for ivhom
I might to be concerned P
Having implored the direction of God, the father
of lights, consider the matter, in the various aspects
of it. Consider it, till you have resolved on some
thing. ' Write down your resolutions. Examine
what precept and what promise you can find in the
word of God to countenance your resolutions. Re
view these memorials at proper seasons, and see
how far you have proceeded in the execution pf
them. The advantages of these preserved and re
vised memorials, no rhetoric will be sufficient to
commend, no arithmetic to calculate. There are
some animals of which we say, They know not
their own strength; Christians, why should you
be like them ?
Let us now descend to Particulars ; but let it
not be supposed that I pretend to an enumeration
of all the good devices that may be conceived. Not
a thousandth part of them can now be enumerated.
The essay I am making is only to dig open the se
veral springs of usefulness, which, having once

35
begun to flow, will spread into streams, that no
human foresight can comprehend. ' Spring up,
O well !' will every true Israelite sing, upon every
proposal here exhibited ; and ' the nobles of Israel'
can do nothing more agreeable to their own cha
racter, than to set to work upon it. Perhaps every
proposal that may be made, will be like a stone
falling into a pool ; One circle and service will pro
duce another, till they extend — who can tell how
far ? Those who devote themselves to good devices,
and who duly observe their opportunities to do
good, usually find a wonderful increase of their
opportunities. The gracious providence of God
affords this recompence to his diligent servants, that
he will multiply their opportunities of being ser
viceable : and when ingenious men have used them
selves to a little contrivance, in pursuing the best
intentions, their ingenuity will sensibly improve,
and there will be more expansion in their diffusive
applications. Among all the dispensations of a
special providence in the government of the world,
none is less interrupted than the accomplishment
of that word — ' Unto him that hath shall be given.'
I will say this, O useful man ! take for thy motto,
' Habenti dabitur' — ' To him that hath shall be
given ;' and, in a lively use of thy opportunities to
do good, see how remarkably it will be accom
plished. See what accomplishment of that word
will at last surprise thee — ' Though thy beginning
he small, yet thy latter end shall greatly increase.'
SECT. VIII.
Of internal Piety, and Self -Examination.
Why should not the charity of which we are
treating, begin at home ? It observes not a due

36
decorum if it doth not ; and it will be liable to,
great exceptions in its pretensions and proceedings *.
This then, is to be made an early Proposal.
First* Let every man devise what good may be
done for the correction of what is yet amiss, In
his own heart and life. It is a good remark
of the witty Fuller ; ' He need not complain of
too little work, who hath a little world in himself
to mend.' It was of old complained, ' No man
repented him, saying, What have I done ?' Every
man upon earth may find in himself something
that wants correcting ; and the work of repentance
is to inquire, not only, What we have done ? but
also, What we have to do ? Frequent self-exa
mination is the duty of all who would know them
selves, or would- not lose themselves. The great
intention of self-examination is to find out the
points wherein we are to amend our ways. A
christian that would thrive in Christianity, must be
no stranger to a course of meditation. This is one
of the masters which are requisite to make a ' man
of God.' One article and exercise in our medita
tion should be to find out the things wherein a
greater conformity to the truths on which we have
been meditating, may be attempted. If we would
be good men, we must often devise how we may
grow in knowledge and in all goodness. Such
an inquiry as this should often be made : What
shall I do, that what is yet lacking in the image of
God upon me, may be perfected ? What shall I
do, that I may live more perfectly, more watchfully,
more fruitfully before my glorious Lord ? And
why should not these meditations conclude with
» Odi sapientem qui sibi non sapit. — Call not that man wise whose
wisdom begins not. at home.

37
JSome resolution ? Devise now, and resolve upon
something to strengthen your walk with God.
It is the practice of some devout hearers of the
word, when they have heard a sermon, to consider
What good thing have I now to ask of God with
a peculiar importunity ? They are also accus
tomed to call upon their children, and make them
answer this question : Child, what blessing wilt
yoif rtow ask of the glorious God ? After which;
they charge diem to go and do accordingly.
In pursuance of this piety, why may not this be"
one of jhe exercises which shall conspire to form a
good evening for the best of days ? Let it be a
part of our work on the Lord's-day evening, se
riously to ask ourselves the following question :
' If I should die this week, what have I left un
done, which I should then wish I had been more
diligent in performing ? My friend, place thyself
in dying circumstances ; apprehend and realise thy
approaching dissolution. Suppose thy last, so
lemn hour arrived : thy breath failing, thy throat
rattling, thy hands with a cold sweat upon them, —
only the turn of the tide expeeted for thy expira
tion. In this condition, What wouldst thou wish
to have done more than thou hast already done*
for thy own soul, for thy family, or for the people
of God ? Think upon this question, and do not
forget the result of thy thought* ; do not delay to
perform what thou hast resolved upon. How much
more agreeable and profitable would such an exer-»
cise be on the Lords-day evening than those vani-.
ties to which that evening is too commonly pros
tituted, and by which all the good of the past day
is defeated ! And if such an exercise were often
performed, O how much would it regulate out
E

38
lives; how watchfully, how fruitfully would it
cause us to live; what an incredible number of
godd works would it produce in the world !
Will you remember, sirs, that every christian is
a ' temple of God !' It would be of great service
to Christianity, if this notion of its true' nature
were more frequently and clearly cultivated. But
certainly, there yet remains very much for every
one of us to do, that the temple may be carried" on
to perfection; that it may be repaired, finished,
.purified, and'the topstone of it laid, with shout
ings *of 'Grace, Grace !' unto it.
As a branch of this piety, I will recommend a
serious improvement of the various dispensations
of divine providence which we have occasion to
notice. More particularly : Have you received any
special blessings and mercies from the hand of
God ! You do not suitably express your thankful
ness ; you do not render again according to the
benefit that is done unto you, unless you set your
self to consider, What shall I render unto the
Lord ? You should contrive some signal thing to
be done on this occasion ; some service to the
kingdom 6f God, either within yourself, or among
others, which may be a just acknowledgment and
memorial of what a gracious God has done for
you. This is an action, to which the goodness
of God leadeth you. And I would ask, How can
a good voyage, or a good bargain be made without
some special -returns of gratitude.to God ? I would
have a portion of your property made a thank-offer
ing, by being set apart for pious uses.
Whole days of thanksgiving are to be kept,
when the favours of God rise to a more- observable
height. Christians of the finer wioaldkeep their

39
private ones, as well as bear part in the public ser
vices. One exercise for such a day is, to take a
list of the more remarkable succours and bounties
with which our God has comforted us; and then,
to contrive some suitable acknowledgments of him,
in endeavours to serve him ; and this by way of
gratitude for these undeserved comforts.
On the other hand ; you meet with heavy and
grievous afflictions. Truly, it is a pity to be at
the trouble of suffering afflictions, and not get good
by them. We get good by them, when they awaken
us to do good ; and I may say, never till then T
When God is distributing sorrows to you, the sor
rows still come upon some errands ; therefore, the
best way for you to find that they do not come in
his anger, is to consider what the errands may he.
The advice is, that when any affliction comes upon
you, you immediately inquire, To what special acf
of repentance does this affliction call me;! What
miscarriage does this affliction find in me, to be
repented of ? And then, while the sense of the af-
fliction is yet upon you, seriously inquire. To wha£
improvement in holiness and usefulness does this
affliction call me ? Be" more solicitous to gain this
point than to escape from your affliction. O the
peace that will compose, possess, and ravish your
minds, when your afflictions shall be found yielding
these fruits of righteousness ! Luther did well to
call afflictions, The theology of christians.
This may be a proper place to introduce one
direction more. We are travelling through a mali
cious and abusive world. Why should not malice be
' a good informer ?' We may be unjustly defamed;
it will be strange if we are not frequently so. A
defamation is commonly resented as a.prQvocatiom

40
My friend, make it only a provocation to do good
works ! Upon any reproach being offered, instead
of being transported into a rage at Shimei, retire
and patiently inquire, Has not God bidden such a
reproach to awaken me to some duty ? To what
special seryice of piety should I be awakened, by
the reproach which is cast upon me ? One thus
expresses it: ' The backbiter's tongue, like a mill-
clack, will be still in motion, that he may grind
thy good name to powder. Learn, therefore, to
make such use of his clack as to make thy bread
by it ; I mean, so to live, that no credit shall be
given to slander.' Thus all the abuses you meet
with, may prove to you, in the hand of a faithful
God, no other than the strokes which a statuary
employs on his ill-shaped marble ; only to form
you into a more beautiful shape, and make you
fitter to adorn the heavenly temple. Thus you are
informed how to ' shake off a viper' most advan
tageously ! Yea, I am going to inform you, how
you may fetch sweetness out of a viper. Austin
would have our very sins numbered among the
* all things that work together for our good.'
Therefore, I propose that our former barrenness
may now be considered as-an obligation and incite
ment to greater fruitfulness.' But this motion is
too general ; I must be more particular. I would
look back on my past life, and call to mind what
particular acts of sin have blemished it, and have
been the reproach of my youth. Now, by way of
thankfulness for that grace of God, and that blood
of Christ, through which my crimes have been par
doned* I would set myself to think, What virtues,
what actions, what achievements for the kingdom
of God, will be the most contrary to my former

41
blemishes ? And wdiat efforts of goodness will be the
noblest and most palpable contradiction to my former
miscarriages ? Yet more particularly, What signal
thing shall I do to save others from dishonouring
the great God by such miscarriages as those into
which I myself once fell ? I will study such things;
and perhaps the sincerity and consolation of repen
tance cannot be better studied than by such a con
duct. Give me leave to press this one more point of
prudence upon you. There are not a few persons
who have many hours of leisure in the way of their
personal callings. When the weather takes them
off from their business, or when their shops are
not full of customers, they have little or nothing
todo. Now, sirs, the proposal is ' Be not fools,
but redeem this time' to your own advantage — to
the best advantage. To the man of leisure as well
as to the minister, it is an advice of wisdom, Give
thyself unto reading. Good books of all sorts may
employ your leisure, and enrich you with treasures
more valuable than those which you might have
procured in your usual avocations. Let the bane
ful thoughts of idleness be chased out of our minds*
But then also, let some thoughts on that subject,
What good may I do ? succeed them. When
you have leisure to think on that subject, you can
have no excuse for neglecting it.
SECT. IX.
Of doing Good to our Relations, Children, &c.
The usefid man may now with much propriety
extend and enlarge the sphere of his exertiou. My
next proposal therefore shall be, Let every man
E2

42
consider theTRELATlON in which God, the sovc-
veign ruler, has placed him ; and let him devise
what good he may do, that may render his rela
tives the better for him. One great way to prove
ourselves really good, is to be relatively good. Tt
is by this, more than by any thing else, that we
adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. It would
be a piece of excellent wisdom in a man, to make
the interest which he has in the good opinion and
affection of any individuals, an advantage for do
ing good to them. He that has a friend will shew
himself friendly indeed, if he think Such a one
loves me, and will hearken to me ; to what good
shall I take advantage from hence to persuade him?
This will take place more particularly where the
endearing ties of natural affection give us an inte
rest. Let us call over our several relations, and let
us devise something that may be called heroical
goodness, in our discharging them. Why should
we not, at least once or twice a week make this
relative goodness'the. subject of our inquiries and of
our purposes ? Especially, let us begin with domes
tic relations, and ' provide for those of our own
house,' lest we deny some glorious rules and hope6
of the christian faith, by our negligence.
First ; In the conjugal relation, how agree
ably may they who are thus united, think on these
words ; ' What knowest thou, O wife, whether
thou shalt save thy husband ? or, How knowest
thou, O man, whether thou shak save thy wife ? '
The husband will do well to think, ' What
shall I do that my wife may have cause for ever to
bless God for having brought her to me ? And,
What shall I do, that in my deportment "towards

43
my wife, the kindness of the blessed Jesus towards
his church, may be exemplified ? That this ques
tion may be the more perfectly answered, sir, ask
her to assist you in the answer ; ask her to tell you
what she would have you to do.
But then, the wife also, will do well to inquire;
Wherein may I be to my husband a wife of that
character  ' She will do him good and not evil
all the days of her life ?'
With my married friends I will leave an excel
lent remark which I find in the Memorials of Ger-
vase Disney, Esq. ;  ' Family passions cloud
faith, disturb duty, darken comfort.' You will
do the more good to one another, the more this
sentence is considered. When the husband and
the wife are always contriving to be blessings to
each other, I will say with Tertullian, ' Where
shall I find words to describe the happiness of that
state * !' O happy marriage !
Parents ! How much ought you to be devising
for the good of your children. Often consider,
how to make them ' wise children ;' how to carry
on a desirable education for them, an education
that may render them desirable ; how to render
them lovely and polite, and serviceable to their ge
neration. Often consider how to enrich their minds
with valuable knowledge ; how to instil into their
minds generous, gracious, and heavenly princi
ples ; how to restrain and rescue them from the
paths of the destroyer, and fortify them against
their peculiar temptations. There is a world of
good that you have to do for them. You are with
out the natural feelings of humanity if you are not
in a continual agony to do for them all the good
* Unde suificiam ad enarrandam fa-licitalem ejus matrimonii !

44
that lies in your power. It was no mistake of
Pacatus Drepanius, in his panegyric to Theodosius;
' Nature teaches us to love our children as our-
selves * '
I will prosecute the subject, by transcribing a
copy of parental resolutions, which I have
somewhere met with f-
1. At the birth of my children, I would use all
due solemnity in the baptismal dedication and con
secration of them to the Loid. I would present
them to the baptism of the Lord, not as a mere
formality ; but, wondering at the grace of the in
finite God, who will accept my children as his, I
would resolve to do all that I can that they may be
his. I would now actually give them up to God,
entreating that the child may be a child of God
the Father, a subject of God the Son, and a temple
of God the Spirit ; that it may be rescued from the
condition of a child of wrath, and be possessed and
employed by the Lord, as an everlasting instrument
of his glory.
2. As soon as my children become capable of
attending to my instructions, I would frequently
exhort them to be sensible of their baptismal en-
«aoements to the Lord; often remind them of
their baptism, and of the duties to which it binds
them. I would often say to each of them, Child, you
have been baptized ; you were washed in the name
of the great God ; now you must not sin against
him ; to sin is to do a very filthy thing. You
must every day cry to God that he would be yoiir-
- Instituente nature plus fere filios quam nosaietipsos -iligimus, .
t Probably composed by the author himself, though expresses "m
this modest manner.

45
Father, your Saviour, your Leader ; in your bap
tism he promised that he would be so, if you
prayed to him. Child, you must renounce the
service of Satan, you must not follow the vanities
of this world ; you must lead a life of serious reli
gion; in your baptism you were bound to the ser
vice of your only Saviour. What is your name ?
— You must sooner forget this name that was given
you in your baptism, than forget that you are a
servant of Jesus Christ, whose name was then put
upon you.
3. Let me daily pray for my children with the
greatest constancy and fervency ; yea, let me daily
mention each of them by name before the Lord.
I would importunely beg for all suitable blessings
to be bestowed upon them ; that God would give
them grace, and give them glory, and withhold
no good thing from them; that God would smile on
their education, and give his good, angels charge
over them," and keep them from evil, that it may
/lot grieve them ; that when their fadier and mo
ther shall forsake them, the Lord may take them
up. Most earnestly would I plead that promise in
their behalf; ' The heavenly Father will give his
.Holy Spirit to them that ask him.' O happy chil
dren, if by asking, I may obtain the Holy Spirit fos
them !
4. I would early entertain the children with de
lightful stories out of the Bible. In familiar con
versation I would go through the Bible, when the
' olive-plants about my table' are capable of being
so watered. But I would always conclude the
history by some lessons of piety, to be inferred
from them.
5. I would single out some scriptural sentences

46
of the greatest importance ; and some also that
contain special antidotes to the common errors and
vices of children. They shall quickly get these
golden sayings by heart, and be rewarded with sil
ver or gold, or some good thing, when they do so.
Such" sentences as the following :
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Psalm cxi. 10.
What is a man profited, if he gain, the whole
world, and lose his own soul ? — Matt. xvi. 26.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,,
of whom I am chief. — 1 Tim. i. 15.
Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut
•thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.—
Matt. vi. 6.
God shall bring every work into judgment, with
€very secret thing. — Eccles. xii. 14.
Put away lying, speak every one the truth,—
Eph. v. 25.
The Lord hath respect unto the lowly,, but the
proud he knoweth afar off. — Psalm cxxxviii. 6.
Recompence to no one evil for evil. Dearly be
loved, avenge not yourselves. — Rom. xii. 17. 19.
They bring wrath upon Israel, by prophaning
the sabbath. — Nehem. xiii. 18.
A Jewish treatise, quoted by Wagenseil, tells us,
that among the Jews, when a child began to speak,
the father was bound to teach him that verse,
Deut. xxxiii. 4. ' Moses commanded us a law, even
the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.' O,
let me betimes make my children acquainted with
the law which our blessed Jesus has commanded
us ! It is the best inheritance I can give them.

47
6. I would cause my children to learn the cate
chism. In catechising them, I would break the
answer into many smaller questions ; and by their
answer to them, observe and quicken their under
standings*. I would connect with every truth,
some duty and practice ; and expect them to con
fess it, consent to it, and resolve upon it. As we
go on in our catechising, they shall, when they are
able, turn to the proofs, read them, and inform me,
what they prove, and in what manner. Then I will
watch an opportunity to put more nice and difficult
questions to them, and improve the times of con
versation with my family, for conferences on reli
gious subjects.
7. I would be anxious, till I may be able»to say
of my children, Behold they pray ! I would there
fore teach them to pray. But after they have
learned a form of prayer, I will press them to pro
ceed to points which are not in their form. I will
shew them the state of their own souls ; and on
every discovery will inquire of them, what they
think ought now to be their prayer. I will direct
them every morning totake one or two texts out of
the sacred Scriptures, and thence to form a desire,
which they shall add to their usual prayer. When
they have heard a sermon, I will repeat to them the
main subject of it, and ask them thereupon, what
they have now to pray for. I will charge them with
all possible cogency, to pray in secret, and often
say to each of them, Child, I hope you do not for
get my charge to you about secret prayer ; your
crime is very great, if you do.
* The Assembly's Catechism, broken into short questions in this
manner, was ¦ lately re-published by the Editor, and entitled The
Assembly's -Categhism. .Dissected ; sold y the Publishers of this
book.

48
8. I would betimes do what I can to produce a
temper of benignity in my children, both towards
one another and towards all other persons. I will
instruct them how ready they should be to commu
nicate to others a part of what they have ; and they
shall not want for encouragement when they dis
cover a loving, courteous, and benevolent disposi
tion. I will give them now and then a piece of
money, that with their own little hands, they may
dispense something to the poor. Yea, if any one
has hurt or vexed them, I will not only forbid all
revenge, but will also oblige them to do a kindness,
as soon as possible, to the vexatious person. All
coarseness of language or behaviour in them, I will
discountenance. 9. I would be solicitous to have my children ex
pert, not only at reading with propriety, but also
_.t writing a fair hand. I will then assign them
such books to read, as I may judge most agreeable
and profitable ; obliging them to give me some
account of what they read ; but will keep a strict
eye on what they read, lest they should stumble
on the Devil's library, and poison themselves with
foolish romances, novels, plays, songs, or jests,
' that are not convenient.' I will direct thern also,
to write out such things as may be of the greatest
benefit to them ; and they shall have their blank
books neatly kept, on purpose to enter such pas
sages as I recommend to them. I will particularly
require them now and then to compose a prayer,
and bring it to me, that so I may discern what
sense they have of their own everlasting interests.
10. I wish that my children may, at a very early
period, feel the principles of reason and honour
working in them ; and that I may proceed ki their

^9
education, chiefly on those principles. Therefore
I will wholly avoid that fierce, harsh, crabbed usage
of the children, that would make them dislike and
tremble to come into my presence. I will treat them
so, that they shall fear to offend me, and yet heartily
love to see me, and be glad of my returning home
when I have been abroad. I would have it con
sidered as a severe and awful punishment for a crime
in the family, to be forbidden for a while to come
into my presence. I would excite in them a high
opinion of their father's love to them, and of his
being better able to judge what is good for them,
than they are for themselves. I would bring them
to believe that it is best for them to be and to do
as I would have them. Hence I would continually
insist upon it, what a charming thing it is, to know
the things that are excellent, and how much better
still to do the things that are virtuous. I wish them
to propose it to themselves as a reward of good be
haviour ; I will now go to my father, and he will
teach me something that I never knew before. I
would have them afraid of doing any base thing,
from a horror of the baseness there is in it. My
first animadversion on a smaller fault shall be an
exclamation of surprise and wonder, vehemently
expressed before them, that ever they should be
guilty of acting so foolishly, with an earnest ex
pectation that they will never do the like again. I
will also endeavour to excite in them a weeping re
solution to this effect. I will never use corporeal pu
nishment, except it be for an atrocious crime, or
for a smaller fault obstinately persisted in. I would
ever proportion chastisements to faults ; not punish
severely for a very small instance of childishness,
and only frown a little for some real wickedness.
F

50
Nor shall my chastisements ever be dispensed in
passion and fury ; but I will first shew them the
•command of God, by transgressing which, they
have displeased me. The slavish boisterous man
ner of education too commonly used, I consider
as no small article in the wrath and curse of God
upon a miserable world.
11. As soon as we can, we will advance to still
higher principles. I will often tell the children
what cause they have to love a glorious Christ who
has died for them ; how much he will be pleased
with their well-doing ; and what a noble thing it
is to follow his example, which example I will de
scribe to them . I will often tell them that the eye
of God is upon them ; that he knows all they do,
and hears all they speak* I will frequently remind
them that there will be a time, when they must
appear before the holy Lord ; and that they must
do nothing now which may then be a source of
grief and shame. I will set before them the de
lights of that heaven which is prepared for pious
children ; and the torments of that hell which is
prepared for wicked ones. I will inform them of
the kind offices which the good angels perform for
children who fear God, and are afraid of sin ; hovy
the devils tempt them to do bad things ; how they
hearken to the devils, and are like them when they
do such things ; what mischiefs these evil spirits
may obtain permission to do in the world, and how
awful it would be to dwell among the devils, in the
* place of dragons.' I will cry to God, that he
may make them feel the power of these principles.
12. When the children are of a proper age for
it, I will sometimes take them with me alone, and
converse -with them about the state of their souls •

51
their experiences, their proficiency, their tempta
tions ; obtain their declared consent to every article
in the covenant of grace ; and then pray with
them, earnestly entreating that the Lord would be
stow his grace upon them : and thus make them
witnesses of the agony with which I am travailing
to see the image of Christ formed in them. Cer
tainly they will never forget such exercises as these!:
13. I would be very watchful and cautious about
the companions of my children. I would be very
inquisitive to learn what company they keep. If
they are in danger of being ensnared by vicious
company, I will earnestly pull them out of it, as
' brands out of the burning ;' and will tiy to pro
cure for them fit and useful associates.
14. As in catechising the children, so in the
repetition of the public sermons, I would use this
method : I would put every truth into the form of
a question, to be answered with Yes,, or No. By*
this method I hope to awaken their attention, as
well as enlighten their understandings. And thus
I shall have an opportunity to ask, Do you desire
such and such a grace ? with other similar ques
tions. Yea, I may by this means have an oppor
tunity to demand, and perhaps to obtain, their
early, frequent, and, I would hope, sincere consent
to the glorious articles of the new covenant. The
Spirit of grace may fall upon them in this action,
and they may be seized by him, and possessed by
him as his temples, through eternal ages.
15. When a Day of Humiliation arrives, I will
make them know the meaning of the day; and
after some time given them to consider of it, I will
require them to tell me, what special afflictions-
they have met with, and what good they hope to

52
get by those afflictions. On a Day of Thanksgiving,
they shall also be made to know the intent of the
day ; and after consideration, they shall inform
me, what mercies of God to them they take special
notice of, and what duties to God, they resolve to
perform under such obligations. Indeed, for some
thing of this importance, to be pursued in my con
versation with them, I would not confine myself
to the solemn clays, which may occur too seldom
for it ; but, particularly, when the birth-days of
any of the children arrive, I would take them
aside, and remind them of the age, which, having
obtained help of God, they have attained ; and tell
them how. thankful they should be for the mercies
of God, upon which they have hitherto lived; how
fruitful they should be in all goodness, that so they
may still enjoy their mercies. And I would inquire
of them, whether they have ever yet begun to
minu the work which God sent them into the
world to perform ; what attempts they have made
towards it-; and how they design to. spend the
rest of their time, if God continue them in the
world. 16. When the children are in any trouble, whe
ther sickness or otherwise, I will take advantage
of the occasion, to set before them the evil of sin,
the cause of all our trouble : and will represent to
them, how fearful a thing it will be, to be cast
among the damned, w ho are in unceasing and end
less trouble. I will set before them the benefit of
an interest in Christ, by which their trouble will be
sanctified to them, and they will be prepared for
death, and for fulness of joy in a happy eternity
after death.
17. I wish, that among all the branches of a

53
polite education, which I would endeavour to give,
my children, each of them, the daughters as well
as the sons, may have so much acquaintance with
some profitable avocation (whether it be painting,
or the law, or medicine, or any other employment
to which th-eir owr inclination may the most lead
them,) that they may be able to obtain for them
selves a comfortable subsistence, if by the provi
dence of God, they should ever be brought into
destitute circumstances. Why should not they be
thus instructed as well as Paul, the Tent-maker ?
Children of the highest rank, may have occasion
to bless their parents who made such a provision
for them. The Jews have a sayino; on this subject,
which is worthy to be mentioned : ' Whoever
teaches not his son some trade or business, does in
reality teach him to be a thief*.'
18. As early as possible, I would make my
children acquainted with the chief end for which
they are to live ; that so their youth may not be
altogether vanity. I would shew: them that their
chief end must be to acknowledge the great God,
and to bring others to acknowledge him ; and
that they are never acting wisely nor well, but
when they are so doing. I would shew them,
what these acknowledgments are, and how they
are to be made. I would make them able to
answer the grand question, For what purpose do
you live ; and what is the end of the actions that
employ your lives ? I would teach them, how their
Creator and Redeemer is to be obeyed in every
thing, and how every thing is to be done in obe
dience to him ; I would instruct them in what
* Quicunque filium suum non docet opificium, perrode est ac si
•lira docet latrociniuin. F 2

54
manner even their diversions, their ornaments, and
the tasks of their education must all be managed,-
to fit them for the further service of Him to whom
I have devoted them ; and how, in these also, his
commandments must be the rule of all the}' do.
I would therefore sometimes surprise them with
an inquiry, Child, what is this for ? Give me a
good account why you do it. How comfortably
shall I see them ' walking in the light,' if I may
bring them wisely to answer this question; and
what ' children of the light' they will be !
19. I would sometimes oblige the children to
retire, and ponder on that question ; What should
I wish to have done, if I were now dying ? After
they have reported to me their own answer to the
question, I will take occasion from it to inculcate
upon them the lessons of Godliness. I would
also direct and oblige them, at a proper time, seri
ously -to realise their own appearance before the
awful judgment-seat of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
to consider, what they have to plead that they may
not be sent away into everlasting punishment ;
what' they have to plead, that they may be admitted
into the Holy City. I would instruct them what
plea to prepare : first, shew them how to get a part
in the righteousness of him who is to be their
Judge, by receiving it with a thankful faith, as the
gift of infinite grace to the distressed and unworthy
sinner : then shew them how to prove that their
faith is genuine by their continual endeavour in all
things to please Him who is to be their Judge, and
to serve his kingdom and interest in the world.
And I would charge them to make this preparation.
20. If I live to see the children arrive at a mar
riageable age, I would, before I consult with heaven

55
or earth for their best accommodation in the mar
ried state, aim at the espousal of their souls to their
only Saviour. I would, as plainly and as fully as I
can, propose to them the terms on which the glo
rious Redeemer will espouse them to himself, in
righteousness and judgment, favour and mercies
for ever ; and solicit their consent to his proposal
and overtures : then I would proceed to do what
may be expected from a tender parent for them, in
their temporal circumstances.

From these parental resolutions, how reasonably,
how naturally, may we pass on to say, 
Children, the fifth commandment confirms all
your other numberless and powerful obligations
often to inquire Wherein may I be a blessing to my
parents? Ingenuousness of disposition would make
this the very summit of your ambition, to be a credit
and a comfort to your parents ; to sweeten, and it
may be, to lengthen the lives of those, from whom,
under God, you have received your own. And
God the Rewarder, usually gives to such a conduct,
even in this life, a most observable recompence.
But it is possible, you may be the happy instru
ments of more than a little good to the souls of
your parents. Yea, though they should be pious
parents, you may, by some delicate methods, be the
instruments of their growth in piety and preparation
for the heavenly world. Happy, thrice happy chil
dren, who are thus favoured ! Among the Arabians,
a father sometimes takes his name from an eminent
son, as well as a son from his reputable father.
Truly, a son may be such a.blessing to his father,
that the best sirname for the glad father would be,
The father of such an one.

56
Masters, yea, and Mistresses too, must have
their devices, how to do good to their Servants ;
how to make them the servants of Christ, and the
children of God. God, whom you must remember
to be ' your master in heaven;' has brought them
to you, and placed them under your care. Who
can tell for what good he has brought them ?
What if they should be the elect of God, fetched
from different parts, and brought into your families,
on purpose, that by means of their situation, they
may be brought home to the shepherd of souls ? O
that the souls of our servants were more regarded
by us ; that we might give a better demonstration
that we despise not our own souls, by doing what
we can for the souls of our servants ! How can we
pretend to Christianity, when we do no more to
christianise our servants ! Verily, you must give
an account to God concerning them. If they
should be lost -through your negligence, what an
swer can you make to God, the Judge of all ? Me-
thinks, common principles of gratitude should in
cline you to study the happiness of those, by whose
labours your lives are so much accommodated.
Certainly, they would be the better servants to you,
more faithful, honest, industrious, and submissive
for your bringing them into the service of your
common Lord *.
I have somewhere met with a paper under this
title, the resolution of a master ; which may
be properly inserted in this place f.
1. I would always remember, that my servants"
• In the original work, some observations are made in this place
with respect lo the usage of slaves, but as the subject has happily no
connection with our country, (he passage is here omitted.
t The modesty of the author thus expresses, probably, lis ow»
production.

57
are, in some sense, my children; and by taking
care that they want nothing which may be good
for them, I would make them as my children ;
and, as far as the methods of instilling piety into
the mind, which I use with my children, may be
properly and prudently used with my servants, they
shall -be partakers in them. Nor will I leave them
ignorant of any thing, wherein I may instruct them
to be useful to their generation.
2. I will see that my servants be furnished with
Bibles, and be able and careful to read the lively
oracles. I will put Bibles and other good and pro
per books into their hands ; will allow them time
to read, and assure myself that they do not mis--
pend this time. If I can discern any wicked
books in their hands, I will take away from them
those pestilential instruments of wickedness. They
shall also write as well as read, if I may be able to
bring them to it. And I will appoint them, now
and then, such things to write, as may be for their
greatest advantage.
3. I will have ray servants present at the reli
gious exercises of my family; and will drop either
in the exhortations, in the prayers, or in the daily
sacrifices of the family, such passages as mav
have a tendency to quicken a sense of religion in
them. 4. The article of catechising, as far as the age
or state of the servants will permit it to be done
with decency, shall extend to them also. And
they shall be concerned in the conferences in
which I may be engaged with my family, in the
repetition of the public sermons. If any of them,
when they come to me, shall not have learned the
Catechism, I will take care that they do it, and

58-
will give them a reward when they have accom
plished it.
5. I will be very inquisitive and solicitous about
the company chosen by my servants ; and with all
possible earnestness will rescue them from the snares
of evil company, and forbid their being the com
panions of fools.
6. Such of my servants as may be capable of
the task, I will employ to teach lessons of piety
to my children,- and will recompence them for so'
doing. But I would, by z particular artifice, con
trive them to be such lessons as may be for their
own edification too.
7. I will sometimes call my servants alone,
talk to them about the state of their souls ; tell
them how to close with their only Saviour ; charge
them to do well, and ' lay hold on eternal life ;'
and shew them very particularly how they may
render all they do for me, a service to the glorious
Lord ; how they may do all from a principle of obe
dience to him, and become entitled to the ' reward
of the heavenly inheritance.'
To these resolutions I add the following passages
as an Appendix :
Age is nearly sufficient, with some masters, to
obliterate every letter and action in the history of a
meritorious life; and old services are generally bu
ried under the ruins of an old carcase. It is a
barbarous inhumanity in men towards their ser
vants, to account their small failings as crimes
without allowing their past services to have been
virtues. Gracious God, keep thy servant from
such base ingratitude !
But then, O servants, if yon would obtain the
reward of the inheritance, each of you should set

59
yourself to inquire — How shall I approve myself
such a servant, that the Lord may bless the house
of my master the more for my being in it ? Cer
tainly, there are many ways in which servants may
become blessings. Let your studies, with your
continual prayers for the welfare of the families to
which you belong, and the example of your sober
carriage, render you such. If you will but re
member four words, and attempt all that is com
prised in them 
obedience — honesty — industry— -piety,
you will be the blessings, and the Josephs of the
families in which you live. Let these four words
be distinctly and frequently recollected; and cheer
fully perform all your business on this considera
tion — that it is an obedience to heaven, and from
thence will have a recompence. It was the ob
servation even of a Pagan, ' That a master may
receive a benefit from a servant ;' and, ' That what
is done with the affection of a friend, ceases to be
the act of a mere servant*.' Even the maidservants
of the house may render a great service to it, by
instructing the infants, and instilling into their
minds, the lessons of goodness. Thus, by Bilhah
and Zilpah, may children be born again; thus,
the mistresses, by the travail of their handmaids,
may have children brought into the kingdom of
God. I proceed — Humanity teaches us to take notice
of all our kindred. Nature bespeaks what we call
a natural affection to^ali who are a-kin to us : to
be destitute of it is a very bad character ; it is a
brand on the worst of men, on such as forfeit the
• Quod fit affectu amici, _esioit essejniuisteiiuBi."

6o
name of man. But Christianity is intended to
improve it. Our natural affection is to be im
proved into a religious intention. Reader, make a
catalogue of all your more distant relatives. Con
sider them one by one ; and make each of them
the subject of your good devices. Ask this ques
tion : How may I pursue, the good of such a rela
tive ? — By what means may I render such a relative.
the better for me ? It is possible that you may do
something for your relatives which may afford them
cause to bless God for your relation to them.
Have they no calamity under which you may give
them relief ? Is there no temptation against which
you may give them some caution ? Is there no ar
ticle of their prosperity to which you may be sub
servient ? At least, with your affectionate prayers,
you may go over your catalogue ; you may pray
for each of them successively by name ; and why
may you not put proper books of piety into their
hands, to be durable memorials of their duties to
God, and of your desires for their good ?

SECT. X.
On doing Good to our Neighbours.
This excellent zeal should be extended .to the
neighbourhood. Neighbours! you stand related
to each other ; and you should contrive how
others should have reason to rejoice in your neigh
bourhood. ' The righteous is more excellent than
his neighbour ;* but we shall scarcely allow him to
be so, unless he be more excellent as a neighbour :
he must excel in the duties of good neighbourhood.
Let that man be better than his neighbour, who

6l
labours most to be a better neighbour — to do most
good to his neighbour.
And here, first, The poor people that lie wounded,
must have oil and wine poured into their wounds.
It was a charming trait in the character of a mo
dern prince—' To be in distress, is to deserve his
favour.' O good neighbour ! put on that princely,
that more than royal quality. See who in the
neighbourhood may thus deserve thy favour. We
are told that ' pure religion and undefiled (a jewel
not counterfeited, and without a flaw,) is to visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction.' The
orphans and the widows, and all the children of
affliction in the neighbourhood, must be visited
and relieved with all suitable kindnesses.
Neighbours ! be concerned that the orphans and
the widows may be well provided for. They meet
with grievous difficulties, with unknown tempta
tions. When their nearest relatives were living,
they were, perhaps, but meanly provided for : what
then must be their present solitary condition? That
condition should be well considered ; and the re
sult of the consideration' should be—' I delivered
the orphan who had no helper, and I caused the
widow's heart to sing for joy.'
By the same rule — All the afflicted in the neigh
bourhood are to be considered. Would it be too
much for you, once in a week at least, to think
-'-What neighbour is reduced to pinching and
painful poverty, or impoverished with heavy losses ?
— —What neighbour is languishing with sickness,-
especially with severe disease;, and of long continu
ance ?  What neighbour is broken- hearted with
the loss of a dear and desirable relative ?-  What
neighbour has a soul violently assaulted by the

62
enemy of souls ? And then, consider, What can
be done for such neighbours ?
In the first place, You will pity them. The
evangelical precept is, e Have compassion one of
another — be pitiful.' It was of old and ever will
be a just expectation, ' To him that is afflicted,
pity should be shewn ;' and let our pity to the
distressed, be expressed by our prayer for them.
It would be a very lovely practice for you in the
daily prayer Of your closet every evening to jhink,
What miserable object have I seen to-day, for
whom I may do well now to entreat the mercies
of the Lord ? But this is not all ; it is possible,
May probable, that you may do well to visit them ;
and when you visit them, comfort them ; carry
them some good word, which may raise gladness
in a heart stooping with heaviness.
And, lastly : Render them all the assistance
which their necessities may require. Assist them
by your advice ;. assist them by obtaining the help
of other persons on their behalf ; and, if it be
needful, bestow your alms upon them; 'Deal thy
bread to the hungry ; bring to thy house the poor
that are cast out; when- thou seest the naked, cover
him:' at least, exercise Naxfcinzen's charity; — •
'If you haxe nothing else to bestow upon the mi
serable, bestow a tear or two upon their miseries*.'
This little is better than nothing.
Woidd it be amiss for you, always to have lying
by you, a lis* of the poor in your neighbourhood,
or of those whose calamities may call for the as
sistance of the neighbourhood ? Such a list would
often furnish you with matter for useful conversa
tion, when you are conversing with your friends,
* Si nihil babes, da lacrynuriam.

63
wJiom you may hereby provoke to love and to
good works.
I will go on to say, Be glad of opportunities *o
do good in your neighbourhood : yea, look out
for them ! lay hold on them with a rapturous assi
duity. >Be sorry for _11 the sad circumstances of
your neighbour which render your exertions neces
sary ; yet, be glad, if any one tell you of them.
Thank him who gives you the information, as
having therein done vou a very great kindness.
Let him know that he could not, by any means,
have obliged you more. Cheerfully embrace every
opportunity of shewing oivility to your neighbours,
whether by lending, by watching, or by any other
method in your power. And let the pleasantness
;of your countenance prove that you do this wil
lingly : ' Let your wisdom cause your face to
•shine.' Look upon your neighbours, not with a
cloudy, but with a serene and shining face ! and
shed the rays of your kindness upon them, with
such affability, that they may see they are welcome
to all you can do for them*. Yea, stay not until
you are told of opportunities to do good, but in
quire after them, and let the inquiry be solicitous
and unwearied. The incomparable pleasure which
attends the performance of acts of benevolence, is
worth a diligent inquiry.
There was a generous Pagan, who counted a day-
lost, in which he had not obliged some one f . 0
Christian, let us try whether we cannot do some
thing for one or other of our neighbours, every day
that passes over our heads. Some do so ; and
with a better spirit than ever actuated Titus Vespa
sian. Thrice, in the scriptures, we find the good
* Cum munere vultura. -} Amici, diem perdidi!

64
angels rejoicing; it is always at the good of others :
to rejoice in the good of others, and especially in
doing good to them, is angelical goodness.
In promoting the good of the neighbourhood, I
wish above all, that you may consult their spiritual
good. Be concerned lest the deceitfulness of sin
should destroy any of your neighbours. If there
be any idle people among them, take pains to cure
them of their idleness : do not nourish and harden
them in it, but find employment for them ; set
them to work, and keep them to vtork ; and then
be as bountiful to them as you please.
If any poor children in the neighbourhood are
totally destitute of education, do not suffer them to -
remain in that state. Let care be taken that they
may be taught to read, to learn their catechism,
and the truths and ways of their only Saviour.
Once more. If any persons in the neighbour
hood are taking to bad courses, affectionately and
faithfully admonish them : if any act as enemies
to their own welfare, or that of their families, pru
dently dispense your admonitions to them : if there
be any prayerless families, cease not to entreat and
exhort them, till you have persuaded them to com^
mence domestic worship. If there be any service
of God or his people, to which any one is back
ward, tenderly excite him to it. Whatever snare
you perceive a neighbour exposed to, be so kind as
to warn him against it. By furnishing yourneighr
hours with good books or tracts, and obtaining
their promise to read them, who can tell how
much good may be done* ! It is possible, that in
t There is now an Institution in London, called the Religious
Tiact Society, whose excclk-nt, numerous, and vcru cheap publication's
are sold by Mr. Burditt, Paternoster Row.

.65
this way, you may administer with ingenuity and
efficacy, such reproofs as your neighbours may
need, and without hindering your personal conversa
tion with them on the same subjects, if they need
your particular advice.
Finally, If there be any bad houses, which
threaten to debauch and poisqn your neighbours ;
let your charity induce you to exert yourself as
much as possible for their. suppression.
That my proposal to do good in the neighbour
hood, and as a neighbour, may be more fully
formed and followed, I will conclude iby reminding
you that much self-denial will be requisite in the
execution of it ; you must be armed against all
selfish intentions in these generous attempts. You
must not employ your good actions as persons use
water, which they pour into a pump, to draw up
something for yourselves. Our Lord's .direction
is, ' Lend, hoping for .nothing again *,' and do
good to such as you are never likely to be the better
for. But then, there is something still higher to be
required ; that is, ' Do good to those neighbours
who have done you harm ;' so saith our Saviour,
' Love -your enemies ; bless them that curse you ;
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
that despitefully use you, and persecute you.'
•* To lend a thing, is, properly, to hope that we shall receive it
again ; .and this probably -refers to the _ha.nismos, or Collation,'
used -among the Ancients, pf which w e find frequent mention in his
tory. If any man by a fire, shipwreck, or other disaster, had lost
his estate, his- friends used-tolend him a considerable sum, to be re
paid, notat a pertain jlay, .bat when he should find himself able, with
convenience, to repay it. Now persons would jarely lend on such
occasions, unless they had some reason to hope tliey should again
receive, their money, and that the person, to whom it was lent, should
also reauite their, kindness, if they should ever need it.
g 3

66
Yea, if an injury have been done you by any one,
consider it as a provocation to confer a benefit on
him. This is noble ! It will afford much consola
tion. Some other method might make you even
with your froward neighbours ; but this will place
you above them all. It were nobly done, if in
your evening retirement, you offer a petition to
God for the pardon and prosperity of any person
who has injured you in the course of the day : and'
it would be excellent if, in looking over the cata
logue of such as have injured you, you should be
able to say, (the only intention that can justify
your keeping such.a catalogue,) There is not one
of these, to whom I have not done, or attempted'
todo, a kindness. Among-the Jews themselves,
the Hasideans offered this daily petition to God,
' Forgive all who trouble and harass us *. Chris
tians, exceed them : Justin Martyr tells us they
did so in primitive times — they prayed for their
enemies. But I must not stop here;- something higher still
is requisite. Do good to those neighbours who
will speak evil of you for doing so ; c Thus,' saith
our Saviour, ' ye shall be the children of the
Highest, who is kind to the unthankful, and to
the evil.' You will constantly meet with Monsters
of Ingratitude ; and if you distinguish a person,
by doing far more for him than for others, that
very person perhaps will do you an injury. O the
wisdom of Divine Providence, by which this is
permitted, that you may learn to do good on a
divine principle — good, merely for the sake of
good ! ' Lord, increase our faith !'
There is a memorable passage in the Jewish re-
* Rsmitte et condona omnibus qui vexant nos.

67
cords. A certain gentleman was remarkably gene
rous, and many persons were constantly relieved by
his bounty. One day he asked the following ques
tion ; ' Well, what do our people say to-day ?' The
answer was, ' Sir, the people partook of your fa
vours, and blessed you very fervently.' ' Did they
so ?' said he, 'Then I shall have no great reward
for this day.' At another time, he asked the same
question — ' Well, and what say our people now ?'
They replied, ' Alas ! good sir, the people enjoyed
your favours to-day, and after all, they did nothing
but rail at you.' < Indeed !' said he, ' then for this
day I am sure that God will give me a good and a
great reward.' Thus then, though vile construc
tions and harsh invectives should be the present
reward of your best offices for the neighbourhood;
yet be not discouraged : ' Thy work shall be re
warded,' saith the Lord. If your opportunities to
do good extend no further, yet I will offer you a
consolation, which a certain writer has thus ele
gantly expressed : ' He who praises God only on a
ten-stringed instrument ; whose authority extends
no further than his own family, nor his example
beyond his own neighbourhood, may have as thank
ful a heart here, and as high a place in the celestial
choir hereafter, as the greatest monarch, who
praises God upon an instrument of ten thousand
strings, and upon the loud sounding organ, having
as many millions of pipes as there are subjects in.
his empire.'
SECT. XI.
Social Meetings for Religion.
We cannot dismiss this part of the subject, with
out offering a Proposal, to animate and regulate

68
Social Meetings of religious persons, for the exer
cises of religion. It is very certain that, when such
meetings have been well conducted, the Christians
who have composed them have, like so many coals
of the altar, kept one another alive, and been the
means of maintaining a lively Christianity in the
neighbourhood. Such societies ,have been strong
and approved instruments to maintain the power
of godliness. The disuse of such societies has been
accompanied with a visible decay of religion : in
proportion as they have been discontinued or dis
regarded in any place, the less has godliness flou
rished. The rules observed by some Associated Families,
may be. offered with advantage, on this occasion.
They will shew us what good may be done in a
neighbourhood, by the establishment of such so
cieties. I . It is proposed, That a select number of fami
lies, perhaps about twelve, agree to meet, (the men
and their wives) at each other's houses alternately,
once in a fortnight or a month, or otherwise. as shall
be thought most proper, and spend a suitable time
together, in religious exercises.
2. The exercises of religion proper for such a
meeting are; for the brethren in rotatiqn to com
mence and conclude .with prayer; for psalms to be
sung ; and for sermons to be repeated,
3. It were desirable, for the: ministers, now and
then, to be present at the meeting, 'and pray with
them, instruct and exhort them, as they may sec
occasion. 4. Candidates .for the ministry may do well to
perform their, fiw t offices here, flndthereby, prepare
themselves for further services.

09
5. One special design of the meeting should be,
w ith united prayers to ask the blessing of heaven on
the family where they are assembled, as. well as on
the rest : that with the wonderous force of united
prayers, ' two or three may agree on earth, to ask
s\ich things' as are to be done for the families, by
' our Father which is in heaven.'
6. The members of such a society should con
sider themselves, as bound up in one bundle of love;
and count themselves obliged, by very close and
strong bonds, to be useful to each other. If any
one in the society should fall into affliction, all the
rest should immediately study to relieve and sup
port the afflicted person in every possible way. If
any one should fall into temptation, the rest should
watch over him, and with the spirit of meekness,
with meekness of wisdom, endeavour to recover
him. It should be like a law of the Medes and
Persians to the whole society, — that they will, upon
all just occasions, affectionately give and receive
mutual admonitions on account of any thing which
they may see amiss in each other,
7. It is not easy to calculate the good offices
which such a society may do to many other persons,
besides its own members. The prayers of such
well disposed societies, may bring down marvellous
favours from heaven on their pastors ; their lives
may be prolonged, their gifts augmented, their
graces brightened, and their labours prospered, in
answer to the supplications of such associated fa
milies. The interests of religion may be also
greatly promoted in the whole flock, by their fer
vent supplications; and the Spirit of grace copiously
poured out on the rising generation ; yea, the
country at large may be the better for them.

70
8. The society may, on peculiar occasions, set
apart days for fasting and prayer. The success of
such days has been sometimes very remarkable, and
the savour which they have left on the minds of
those who have engaged in them, has been such,
as greatly to prepare them to show forth the death
of the Lord, at his holy table ; yea, to meet there
own death, when God has been pleased to ap
point it.
9. It is very certain, that the devotions and con
ferences carried on in such a society, will not only
have a wonderful tendency to produce the ' com
fort of love' in the hearts of good men towards each
other ; but that their ability to serve many valuable
interests will also thereby be much increased.
1-0. Unexpected opportunities to do good will
arise to such a society; and especially if such a plan
as the following were adopted : — That the men
who compose the society, would now and then
spend, half an hour by themselves, in considering
that question — JV-fiat good is there to be done? —
More particularly, —
Who are to be invited to do their duty, in coming
to special ordinances ?
Who are in any peculiar adversity; and what
may be done to comfort them ?
What contention or variance may there be
among any of our neighbours ; and what may be
done for healing it ?
What open transgressions do any live in; and
who shall be desired to carry faithful admonitions to
them? Finally; What is there to be done for the advan
tage and advancement of our holy religion ?
In the primitive times of Christianity, much use

71
was made of a saying, which was ascribed to Mat
thias the Apostle : ' If the neighbour of an elect,
or godly man, sin, the godly man has also sinned.
The intention of that saying was, to' point out the
obligation of neighbours watchfully to admonish
one another. O how much may Christians asso
ciated in religious societies effect, by watchful and
faithful admonitions, to prevent their being ' par
takers in other men's sins !' The man who shall
produce and promote such societies, will do an
incalculable service to the neighbourhood.
SECT. XII.
Associations of Young Men.
I proceed to mention another sort of society;
namely, that of young men associated.
Societies of this description, duly managed, and
countenanced by the Pastor, have been incom
parable nurseries to the churches. Young men
are hereby preserved from very many temptations ;
rescued from the paths of the Destroyer;1 con
firmed ha the right ways of the Lord ; and much
prepared for such religious exercises, as will be ex
pected from them, when they shall themselves be
come householders,
I will here lay before the reader, some orders
which have been, obseiryed in some societies of this
nature. I. Let there be two hours at a time set apart for
the purpose ; in which, let two prayers be offered
by the members in rotation; and between the
pfayersf let there be singing, and the repetition of
a sermon. 2. Let all the members of the society resolve to

11
be charitably watchful over one another; never to
divulge each others infirmities ; always to give. in
formation of every thing which may appear to call
for admonition, and to take it kindly whenever it
is given.3. Let all who are to be admitted as members of
the society, be accompanied by two or three of the
rest, to the minister of the place, that they may
receive his holy counsel and directions, and that
every thing may be done with his approbation :
after which, let their names be added to the roll.
4. If any person thus enrolled among them, fall
into a scandalous iniquity, let the rebukes of the
society be dispensed to him ; and let them forbid
him to come among them any more, until he give
suitable evidence of repentance.
. 5. Let the list be once a quarter called over;
and then, if it appear that any of the society have
much absented themselves, let some of the mem
bers be sent to inquire the reason of their absence ;
and if no reason be given, but such as intimates an
apostacy from good beginnings, and if they remain
obstinate, let them be dismissed, . with kind and
faithful admonitions.
6. Once in three months, let there be a collec
tion, if necessary, out of which the unavoidable
expences of the society shall be defrayed ; and the
rest be employed for such pious purposes, as may
be agreed on.
7. Once in two months, let the whole time be
devoted to supplications for the conversion and sal
vation of the rising generation ; and particularly for
the success of the Gospel in that congregation to
which the society belongs.
8. Let the whole society be exceedingly careful

73
that their conversation, while they are together^
after the other services of religion are concluded,
have nothing in it that borders on backbiting,
or vanity, or that, in the least degree, relates to the
affairs of government, or to things which do not
concern them, and are not likely to promote their
advantage : but let their conversation be wholly on
matters of religion ; and those also, not disputable
and controversial subjects, but points of practical
piety. For this purpose, questions may be pro
posed, on which every one, in order, may deliver
his sentiments ; or, they may go through a cate
chism, and every one, in rotation, may hear all
the rest recite the answers ; or they may be di
rected by their Pastor, to spend their time profit
ably in some other manner.
9. Let every person in the society consider it as
a special task incumbent on him, to look out for
some other hopeful young man, and to use all
proper means to engage him in the resolutions of
godliness, until he also shall be united to the
society. And when a society shall in this manner
be increased to a fit number, let it use its influence
to form other similar societies, who may hold a
useful correspondence with each other.
The man who shall be the instrument of estab
lishing such a society in a place, cannot compre
hend what a long and rich train of good conse
quences may result from his labours. And they
who shall in such a society carry on the duties of
religion, and sing the praises of a glorious Christ,
will have in themselves a blessed earnest that
they shall be associated together in the heavenly
city, and in the blessedness that shall never have
an end. H

M
SECT. XIII.
Proposals to the Ministers of tlie Gospel.
Hitherto my discourse has been a more ge
neral address to persons of all conditions and capa
cities. I have proposed a few devices which are
equally applicable to. private persons, as to others.
We will now proceed to address those who are in a
more public situation. And because no men in the
world are under such obligations to do good as the
ministers of the gospel ; ' it is necessary that
the word of God should be first spoken unto them.'
I trust therefore, my fathers and brethren in the
ministry will ' suffer the word of exhortation.'
It must be admitted, that they who are ' men of
God,' should be always at luork for God. Cer
tainly, they who are dedicated to the special ser
vice of the Lord, should never be satisfied, but
when they are in the most sensible manner serving
him. Certainly, they whom the Great King has
brought nearer to himself than other men, should
be more unwearied than others, in endeavouring
to advance his kingdom. They whom the word
of God calls Angels, ought certainly to be of an
angelical disposition ; always disposed to do good,
like the good angels : — ministers ever on the wing
to do His pleasure. It is no improper proposal,
that they would seriously set themselves to think,
What are the points wherein I should be wise and
do good, like an angel of God ? Or, If an angel
were in the flesh, as I am, and in such a post as
mine, what methods may I justly imagine that he
would use to glorify God ? What wonderful offices
of kindness would the good angels cheerfully per
form for such their ' fellow servants.'

/o
We must call upon our people, ' to be ready to
every good work.' We must go before them in
it, and by our own readiness at every good work,
show them the maimer of performing it. ' Timo
thy,' said the Apostle, ' Be thou an example of
the believers.' It is a true maxim, and you can
not think of it too frequently ; — ' The life of a
minister is the life of his ministry.' There is also
another maxim of the same kind ; — ' The sins of
teachers are the teachers of sins.'
Allow me, sirs, to say that your opportunities
to do good, are singular. Your want of worldly
riches, and generally of any means of obtaining
them, is compensated by those opportunities to do
good, with which you are enriched. The true spi
rit of a minister will cause you to consider your
selves enriched, when those precious things are con
ferred upon you, , and to prize them above lands,
or money, or any temporal possessions whatever.
' Let me abound in good works, and I care not
who abounds in riches *.' Well said, brave Me-
lancthon !
It is to he hoped, that the main principle which
actuated you, when you first entered upon the
evangelical ministry, was a desire to do good in
the world. If that principle was then too feeble
in its operation, it is time that it should now act
more vigorously, and that a zeal for doing good
should now ' eat up' your time, your thoughts,
your all.
That you may be good men, and be mightily
inspired and assisted from heaven to do good,
it is needful that you should be men of prayer.
* In operibus s'rt abtmdaHtia mea; diritii» per mc licet, abundet,
quisquis volucrit,

76
This, my first request, I suppose to be fully ad
mitted. In pursuance of this intention, it appears
very necessary that you should occasionally set
apart whole days for secret prayer and fasting, and ,
thus perfume your studies with extraordinary de
votions : such exercises may be also properly ac
companied with the giving of alms, to go up as a
memorial before the Lord. By these means, you
may obtain, together with the pardon of your un-
fruitfulness, (for which, alas ! we have such fre
quent occasion to apply to the great sacrifice,) a
wonderful improvement in piety and sanctity ; the
vast importance of which, to form a useful minister,
none can describe ! ' Sanctify them in (or for)
thy truth,' said our Saviour. They should be
sanctified, who would become instruments for the
propagation of the truth. You may obtain, by
prayer, such an influence from heaven upon your
minds, and such an indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
as will render you grave, discreet, humble, ge
nerous, and worthy to be ' greatly beloved.' You
may obtain those influences from above that will
dispel the enchantments, and conquer the tempta
tions which might otherwise do much mischief in
your neighbourhood. You may obtain direction
and assistance for the many services requisite to be
performed, in the discharge of your ministrv. Fi
nally, you may fetch down unknown blessinos on
your flocks, and on the people at large, for whom
you are to be the Lord's remembrancers.
Your public prayers, if suitably composed, will
be excellent engines to do good. The more judi
cious, the more affectionate, the more argumenta
tive you are in them, the more you will teach
your people to pray. And I would ask, how

77
can you prosecute any intention of piety among
your people more effectually, than by letting them
see you praying, weeping, striving, and in an im
portunate agony before the Lord, in order to obtain
the blessing for them ? The more appropriately
you represent the various cases of your people in
your public prayers, the more devoutly sensible
you will make them of their own cases ; and by
this means they will obtain much consolation.
The prayers you offer at baptisms, may be so
managed as greatly to awaken in the minds of all
present, a sense of their baptismal obligations.
What effusions of the Holy Spirit may your people
experience, if your prayers at the table of the Lord,
should be such as Nazianzen describes his father's
to have been; — ' Made by the Holy Spirit of God.'
Your sermons, if they be well studied, as they
ought to be, from the consideration of their being
offerings to God, as well as to his people, will do
good beyond all expression. The manner of your
studying them, may very much contribute to their
usefulness. It is necessary that you carefully con
sider the state of your flocks; and bring them such
truths, as will best suit their present circumstances.
In order to this, you will observe their condition,
their faults, their snares, and their griefs, that you
may speak a word in season ; and that, if any re
markable providence occur among your people, you
may make a suitable improvement of it. It will be
useful to consider the different ages and circum
stances of your people, and what lessons of piety
may be inculcated on each ; what exhortations
should be given to the communicants, to those
• who are under the bonds of the covenant ; what
advice should be addressed to the aged ; what ad-
h _

78
monitions to the poor, to the rich, to the worldly,
and to those who are in public situations ; what
consolations should be afforded to the afflicted ; and
what instruction may be necessary, with respect to
the personal callings of your hearers. Above all,
the young must not be forgotten : you will em
ploy all possible means to cultivate early piety.
Yea, you may do well to make it understood, that
you would willingly be informed, by any persons
or societies in your flocks, what subjects they may
wish to hear explained. By giving them sermons
on such subjects, you will at least very much edify
those who requested them, and it is probable, many
other persons besides.
In studying your sermons, it might be profitable,
at the close of every paragraph, to pause, and en
deavour with ejaculations to heaven and self-exa
mination, to feel some impression of the truths
contained in that paragraph on your own mind,
before you proceed any farther. By such a prac
tice, the hours which you spend in composing a
Sermon, will prove to you so many hours of devo
tion : the day in which you have made a sermon,
will even leave upon your mind such a savour as a
day of prayer commonly does. When you come
to preach the sermon, you will do it with great li
berty and assurance ; and the truths thus prepared
will be likely to come with more sensible warmth
and life upon the auditory ; — from the heart, and
to the heart ! A famous preacher used to say, ' I
never dare to preach a sermon to others, till I have
first got some good by it myself.' And I will add,
that such a method is most likely to render it use
ful to others. Let the saying of the ancients be
remembered j * He that trifles in the pulpit shall

79
weep in hell * ;' and the modern saying ; ' Cold
preachers make bold sinners.'
How much good may be done, sirs, by }Tmr
visits ! It would be well for you to impose it as a
law upon yourselves, Never to make an unprofitable
visit. Even when you pay a visit merely for the
sake of civility or entertainment, it would be easy
for you to observe this law ; That you will drop
some sentence or other, which may be good for the
use of edifying, before you leave the company.
There have been -pastors who have been able to say,
that they scarce ever went into a house among their
people, without some attempt to do good in the
house before they left it.
The same rule might properly be observed with
such as come to us, as well as with those whom
we visit. Why should any of our people ever come
near us, without our contriving to speak something
to them that may be for their advantage ? Peter
Martyr having spent many days in Bucer's house,
published this report of his visit ; ' I can truly af
firm, that I' never left his table, without some ad
dition to my knowledgef.' I make no doubt that
the observation of this rule, may be very consistent
with an affable, and as far as is suitable, a facetious
conversation. But let it be remembered, that ' What
are but jests in the mouth of the people, are blas
phemies in the mouth of the priest J.'
But, sirs, in your visits you will take a particular
notice of the widow, the orphan, and the afflicted,
and afford them all possible relief. The bills put
up in your congregation will in some measure, as
sist you to find out who need your visits.
* Qui ludit in cathedra, lugebit in gehenna.
t Ausim affirmare, me ab illius mensa, semper discessisse doctiorem!
f Qua; sunt in ore populi nugee, sunt in ore sacerdotis blasphemiae.

80
When any peculiar calamity hath befallen any
one, it is a suitable time to visit such a person, to
direct and persuade him to hear the voice of God in
the calamity, and to comply with the intent and
errand upon which it comes. Another very proper
time for a visit is, when any special deliverance has
been received. Those who have been thus favoured
should be admonished to contrive some remarkable
manner in which they may express their thankful
ness for the deliverance. : nor should you leave them,
until such a determination be -made. The hand
maids of the Lord, who are near the hour of diffi
culty and danger, may on this account be very pro
per objects for your visits. At such a time they
are in much distress ; the approaching hour of
trouble threatens to be their dying hour. The
counsels that shall exactly instruct them. how to
prepare for a dying hour, will now, if ever, be at
tentively heard : and there are precious promises of
God, upon which they should also now be taught
to live. To bring them these promises, will be the
work of a good angel, and will cause you to be
welcomed by them as such.
Catechising is a noble exercise ; it will insen
sibly bring you into a way to do good, that sur
passes all expression. Your sermons will be very
much lost upon an uncatechised people. Nor will
your people mind so much what you address to
them from the pulpit, as what you speak to them
in the more condescending and familiar way of ap
plying the answers of the catechism. Never did
any minister repent of his labour in catechising ;
thousands have blessed God for the wonderful suc
cess which has attended it. The most honourable
man of God should consider it no abasement or
abatement of his honour, to stoop to this way of

81
teaching. Yea, some eminent pastors in their old
age, when other labours have been too hard for
them, have, like the famous old Gerson, wholly
given themselves up to catechising ; though there
have been others, of whom that renowned chan
cellor of Paris, in his treatise, 'Of bringing children
to Christ *,' makes a sad complaint ; ' In the opi
nion of many, it would be degrading for our divines,
or literary characters, or dignitaries in the church,
to apply themselves to this kind of work t.'
Those pastors who so love a glorious Christ as to
regard his word, ' Feed my lambs,' will vary their
methods of carrying on this exercise, according to
particular circumstances. Some have chosen the
way of pastoral visits ; and from the memorials of
of one who long since did so, and afterwards left
his advice to his son upon this subject. I will
transcribe the following passages.
Directions for Pastoral Visits.
You may resolve to visit all the families belong
ing to your congregation ; taking one afternoon in
a week for that purpose : and it may be proper to
give previous notice to each family, that you intend
at such a time, to visit them. On visiting a fa
mily, you may endeavour, with addresses as forcible
and respectful as possible, to treat with every person
particularly about his everlasting interests.
First, you may discourse with the elder people
upon such points as you think most proper for
them . Especially charge them to maintain family-
prayer, and obtain their promise of establishing it,
* De pueris ad Christum trahendis.
t Adeo jam indignum videtur apuc multos, si quis ex theologis, aut
famatus in Uteris, vel ecclesiaslica dignitatc prajditus, ad hoc opus se
mclmaverit.

82
if it has been hitherto neglected ; yea, pray with
them> that you may shew them how to pray, as
well as obtain their purposes for it. You may like
wise press upon them the care of instructing their
children and servants in the holy religion of our
Saviour, to bring them up for him.
If any with whom you should have spoken, are
absent, you may leave a solemn text or two of the
sacred Scripture, such as you may think most suit
able for them ; desiring one of the family affec
tionately to remember you to them, and from you
to recommend to them that oracle of God.
You may then call for the children and servants;
and putting to them such questions of the cate
chism as you think fit, you may, from the answers,
make lively applications to them, for engaging
them to the fear of God. You may frequently ob
tain from them promises relating to secret prayer,
reading the Scriptures, and obedience to their pa
rents and masters. You may also frequently set
before them the proposals of the New Covenant,
after you have laboured for their conviction and
awakening ; till with floods of tears, they expressly
djclare their consent to it, and their acceptance
of it.
Some of the younger people you may order to
bring, their bibles, and read to you from thence two
or three verses, to which you may direct them :
this will try, whether or not they can read well.
You may then encourage them to think on such
things as you rcmark-from the passage, and never
to forget those ' faithful sayings' of God. You
may sometimes leave with them some serious ques
tion, which you may tell them they shall not an
swer to you, but to themselves: such as the for-

83
lowing : ' What have I been doing ever since t
came into the world, about the great errand upon
which God sent me into the world?' 'If God
should now call me out of the world, wh;it would
become of me throughout eternal ages ?' ' Have I
ever yet by faith carried a perishing soul to my only
Saviour, both for righteousness and salvation ?'
You will enjoy a most wonderful presence of
God with you in this undertaking ; and will sel
dom leave a family without having observed many
tears of devotion shed by all sorts of persons in it.
As you can seldom visit more than four or five
families in an afternoon, the work may be as labo
rious as any part of your ministry.
My son, I advise you to set a special value on
that part of your ministry, which is to be dis
charged in pastoral visits. You will not only do
good, but also get good, by your conversation
with all sorts of persons, in thus visiting them
from house to house. And you will never more
' walk in the Spirit,' than when you thus walk
among your flock, to do what good you can amongst
them. In your visits an incerdible deal of good may be
done, by distributing little books of piety- You
may, without much expence, be furnished with
such books to suit all persons and circumstances :
books for the old and for the young — for persons
under afflictions or desertions — for persons who are
under the power of particular vices — for those who
neglect domestic religion — for sea-faring persons —
for the erroneous — for those whom you would
quicken and prepare to approach the table of the
Lord — for those who are about to have their chil
dren baptised ; and catechisms for the ignorant.

84
You may remarkably enforce your admonitions', by
leaving suitable books in the hands of those with
whom you have conversed ; you may give them to
understand, that you would be still considered as
conversing with them by these books, after you
have left them, And in this way you may speak
more than you have time to do in any personal-
interview ; yea, sometimes, more than you would
wish to do. By good books a salt of piety is scat
tered about a neighbourhood.
Pastors ! uphold and cherish good schools in
your towns, and be prevailed upon occasionally to
visit the schools. That holy man, Mr. Thomas
White, expressed a desire, ' That able and zealous
ministers would sometimes preach at the schools ;
because preaching is the converting ordinance ;
and the children will be obliged to hear with more
attention in the school than in the public congre
gation ; and the ministers might here condescend
to such expressions as might work most upon
them, and yet-not be so fit for a public congrega
tion.' I have read the following account of one,
who was awakened by this advice to act accord
ingly : ' At certain times he successively visited
the schools. When he went to a school, he first
offered a prayer for the children, as much adapted
to their condition, as he could make it. Then he
went through the Catechism, or as much of it as
he thought necessary ; making the several children
repeat the several answers: but he divided the ques
tions, that every article in the answers might be un
derstood by them ; expecting them to answer, Yes,
or No, to each of these divisions. He also proposed
to them' such questions, as would make them see
and own their duties, and often express a resolu-

85
tiou to perform them. Then he preached a short
sermon to them, exceedingly plain, on some suitable
Scripture, with all possible ingenuity and earnest
ness, in order to excite their attentive regard.
After this, he singled out a number of scholars,
perhaps eight or ten, and bid each of them turn to
a certain Scripture, which he made them read to
the whole school ; giving them to see, by his brief
remarks upon it, that it contained something which
it particularly concerned children to take notice of.
Then he concluded with a short prayer, for a
blessing on the school and on the tutors.'
While we are upon the subject of visiting, I
would observe that you will not fail to visit the
poor as well as the rich ; and often mention the
condition of the poor, in your conversation with
the rich. Keep, sir, a list of them. Recollect
that although the wind does not feed any one, yet
that it turns the mill which grinds the corn, the
food of the poor. When conversing with the rich,
you may do this for the poor who are on your list.
In visiting the poor, you will take occasion to
dispense your alms among them. These alms,
you will, with as much contrivance as possible,
use as vehicles for conveying to them the admoni
tions of piety ; yea, means and instruments of ob
taining from them, some engagements to perform
certain exercises of piety. All ministers are not
alike furnished for alms, but all should be disposed
for them. They that have small families, or large
incomes, ought to be shining examples of libera
lity to the poor, and pour down their alms upon
them, like the showers of heaven. All should en
deavour to do what they can in this wav. What
says Nazianzen of his reverend father's alms-deeds?
i

86
They will find that the more they do (provided it
be done with discretion) the more they are able to
do : the loaves will multiply in the distribution.
Sirs, this bounty of yours to the poor will procure
a wonderful esteem and success to your ministry*.
It will be an irrefragable demonstration that you
believe what you speak concerning all the duties of
Christianity, but particularly those of liberality, a
faithful discharge of our stewardship, and a mind
weaned from the love of this world: it will demon
strate your belief of a future state ; it will vindicate
you from the imputation of a worldly man ; it will.
embolden and fortify, you, when you call upon
others to do good, and to abound in those sacrifices
with which God is well pleased f.
You will do well to keep a watchful eye on the
disorders which may arise and increase in your
neighbourhood. Among other ways of suppressing
these things, you may form societies for this pur
pose : obtain a fit number of prudent, pious, well-
disposed men, to associate with this intention, and
employ their discretion and activity, for your as
sistance in these holy purposes.
One of the rules given for the minister is, ' Give
thyself to reading.' Sirs, let Gregory's Pastoral,
and Bowles' Pastor Evangelicus, form part of your
reading. Also if you read Church History much,
particularly the Prudcntia Veteris Ecclesiae, written
by Vedelius, together with the lives of both an
cient and modern divines, you will frequently find
methods to do good, exemplified. You will then
consider how far you may ' go and do likewise J.'
* Suadet lingua, jubct vita. t Et sic cxempla parantur !
X Modern times have lurnished the ministers of the gospel with a
treat variety of most valuable works, which need not here be particu
larised.'

87
How serviceable may ministers be to one anor
ther, and to all the churches, in their several asso
ciations. Indeed, it is a pity that there should ever
be the least occasional ' meeting of ministers,'
without something useful proposed in it.
Nero took it veiy ill, that Vespasian slept at his
music : it is very much to be wished that the sin
of sleeping at sermons were more guarded against
and reproved in your sleepy hearers ; if indeed it
is proper to call those hearers who miserably lose
the good of your ministry, and perhaps, the good
which you might have particularly designed for
them. Finally, After all the generous essays and labours
to do good that may fill vour lives, your people
will probably treat you with ingratitude. Your
salaries will be meaner than those at Geneva. They
will neglect you ; they will oppress you ; they will
withhold from you what they have engaged, and
you have expected. You have now one more op
portunity to do good, and so to glorify your Saviour.
Your patience, O ye tried servants of God, your
patience will do it wonderfully ! To bear evil, is to
do good. The more patient you are under ill
usage, the more you exhibit the glorious Saviour
to your people, in your conformity to him. The
more conformed you are to him, the more prepared
you are, perhaps, for some amendment of your
condition in this world — most certainly for the
rewards of the heavenly world, when you shall ap
pear before the Lord, who says, 'T know thy
works and charity, and service, and faith, and thy
patience.' It was said of Ignatius, ' that he carried Christ
about with him^ in his heart :' and this I will say,.

if to represent a glorious Christ to the view, the
love and the admiration of all people, be the grand
intention of your life ; if you are desirous to be a
star to lead men to Christ ; if. you are exquisitely
studious that the holiness, and yet the gentleness
of a glorious Christ may shine in your conversa
tion; if in your public discourses you do with rap
ture introduce a glorious Christ in every paragraph,
and on every occasion where he is to be spoken of;
and if in your private conversation you contrive to
insinuate something of his glories and praises,
wherever it can with propriety be done ; finally,
if when you find that a glorious Christ is the more
considered and acknowledged by your means, it
fills you with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and
you exclaim, Lord, this is my desired happiness !
tmly, you then live to good purpose — you do good
emphatically !
There was a worthy minister, whom the great
Cranmer designed for preferment, and he gave this
as the reason of his design — ' He seeks nothing,
he longs for nothing, he dreams about nothing,
but Jesus Christ*.' Verily, such ' men of Christ,'
are ' men of God ;' they are the favourites of
heaven, and shall be favoured with opportunities
to do good above all men in the world : they-are
the men whom the king of heaven will delight to
honour. If I reserve one thing to be mentioned after
finally, it is because I doubt whether it ouo-ht to
be mentioned at all. In some Reformed Churches
they do not permit a minister of the Gospel to
practise as a physician, because either of these
callings is generally sufficient to employ him who
* Nihil appetit, nihil ardct, nihil somninr, nisi Jesuia Christum.

89
faithfully follows it : but, the priests of old, who
preserved in the archives of their temples the re
cords of the cures which had been thankfully ac
knowledged there, communicated from thence di
rections for cures in similar cases among their
neighbours. Nor has it been uncommon in later
ages for clergymen to be physicians. Not only
such monks as Aegidius, Atheniensis and Constan-
tius Afer, but bishops, as Bochelt and Albicus,
have appeared in that character. Thus Mr. Herbert
advises that his ' Country minister' (or at least
his wife) should be a kind of physician to the
flock; and we have known many a country minister
prove a great blessing to his flock by being suchi
If a minister attempt this, let him always make it a
means of doing spiritual good to his people. It is
an angelical conjunction, when the ministers of
-Christ, who do his pleasure, become also physicians
and Raphaels to their people. In a more populous
town, however, you will probably chuse rather to
procure some religious and accomplished physician
to settle in your neighbourhood, and make medical
studies only your recreation ; yet with a design to
communicate to your Luke whatever you meet
with worth his notice, and at times unite your
counsels with him for the good of his patients.
Thus you may preserve the lives of many persons,
who themselves may know nothing of your care
for them. SECT. XIV.
The Duties of Schoolmasters .
From the tribe of Levi, let us proceed with our
proposals to the tribe of Simeon ; from which
i 2

90
here has been a- frequent ascent to the former.
The Schoolmaster has many opportunities of doing
good. God make him sensible of his obligations!
We read, that ' the little ones have their angels.'
It is hard work to keep a school ; but it is God's
work, and it may be so managed as to be like the
work of angels : the tutors of the children may be
like their tutelar angels. Melchior Adams properly
styled it ' An office most laborious, yet to God
most pleasing*.
Tutors ! will you not regard the children under
your wing, as committed to you by the glorious
Lord with such a charge as this ? — ' Take them,
and bring them up for me, and I will pay you your
wages?' Whenever a new scholar comes under
your care, you may say — ' Here, my Lord sends
me another object, for whom I may do something,
that he may be useful in the world.' Suffer little
children to come unto you, and consider what you
may do, instrumentally, that of such may be the
kingdom of heaven.
Sirs, let it be your grand design to instil into
their minds the documents of piety. Consider it as
their chief interest, and yours also, that they may
so know the Holy Scriptures as to become wise to
salvation. Embrace every opportunity of dropping
some honey from the rock upon them. Happy
the children, and as happy the master, where they
who relate the history of their conversion may say,
' There was a schoolmaster who brought us to
Christ.' You have been told — ' Certainly, it is
a nobler work to mske the little ones know their
Saviour, than know their letters. The lessons, of
Jesus are nobler things than the lessons of Cato.
* Molestissimam, sed Deo longe gratissimam funclionem.

91
The sanctifying transformation of their souls would
be infinitely preferable to any thing in Ovid's Me
tamorphoses.' Catechising should be a frequent, at least a
weekly exercise in the school ; and it should be
conducted in the most edifying, applicatory, and
admonitory manner. In some places the magis
trate permits no person to keep a school, unless
he produces a testimonial of his ability and dis
position to perform the work of Religions Cate
chising * .
Dr. Reynolds, in a funeral sermon for an emi
nent schoolmaster, has the following passage, wor
thy to be written in letters of gold : ' If grammar-
schools have holy and learned men set over them,
not only the brains, but also the souls of the chil
dren might there be enriched, and the work both
of learning and of grace be early commenced in
them.' In order to this, let it be proposed, that
you not only pray with your scholars daily, but
also take occasion, from the public sermons, and
from remarkable occurrences in your neighbour
hood, frequently to inculcate the lessons of piety
on the children.
Tutors in the Colleges may do well to converse
with each of .their pupils alone, with all possible
solemnity and affection, concerning their internal
state, concerning repentance for sin, and faith in
Jesus Christ, and to bring them to express resolu
tions of serious piety. You may do a thousand
things to render your pupils orthodox in senti ¦;
ment, regular in practice, and qualified for public
service. I have read of a Tutor, who made it his con-
* Aptidudinis ad munus illud imprimis puerorum catechisationem.

93
stant practice in every recitation, to take occasion,
from something or other that occurred, to drop at
least one sentence that had a tendency to promote
the fear of God in their hearts./ This method
sometimes-cost him a good deal of study, but the
good effect sufficiently recompensed him for it.
I should be glad to see certain authors received
into the grammar schools as classical, which are
not generally admitted there, such as Castalio in
the Latin tongue, and Posselius in the Greek; and
I could wish, with some modern writers, that ' a
north-west passage' for the attainment of Latin
might be discovered ; that instead of a journey
which might be dispatched in a few days, they
might not be obliged to wander, like the children
of Israel, many years in the wilderness. I might
recite the complaint of Austin, ' that little boys
are taught in the schools the filthy actions of the
Pagangods, for reciting which, said he, I was called
a boy of promise * ;' or the complaint of Luther,
' that our schools are Pagan rather than Christian.'
I might mention what a late author says, ' I knew
an aged and eminent schoolmaster, who, after
keeping a sehool about fifty years, said with a sad
countenance, that it was a great trouble to him that
he had spent so much time in reading Pagan au
thors to his scholars; and wished it were customary
to read such a book as Daport's verses on Job
rather than Horner, &c. ; I pray God, to put it
into the hearts of a wise parliament to purge our
schools ; that instead of learning vain fictions, and
filthy stories, they may become acquainted with
the word of God, and with books containino- o-rave
sayings, and things which may make them truly
* Ab hoc banas spei puer appellabar.

93
wise and useful in the world.'— But I presume
little notice will be taken of such wishes as these.
It is with' despair that I mention them.
Among the occasions for promoting religion in
the scholars, one in the Writing Schools deserves
peculiar notice. I have read of an atrocious sinner
who was converted to God, by accidentally reading
the following sentence of Austin written in a win
dow : ' He who has promised Pardon to the peni
tent sinner, has not promised Repentance to the
presumptuous one.' Who can tell what good may
be done to the young scholar by a sentence in his
copy-book ? Let their copies be composed of sen
tences worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance
— of sentences which shall contain the brightest
maxims of wisdom, worthy to be written on the
fleshly tables of their hearts, to be graven with a
point of a diamond there. God has blessed such
sentences to many scholars ;• they have been useful
to them all their days.
In the Grammar School also, the scholars may be
directed, for their exercises, to turn into Latin such
passages as may be useful for their instruction in
the principles of Christianity, and furnish them
with supplies from the ' tower of David.' Their
letters also may be on subjects which may be friendly
to the interests of virtue.
I will add, it is very desirable to manage the Dis
cipline of the school by means of rewards, rather
than of punishments. Many methods of reward
ing the diligent and deserving, may be invented ;
and a boy of an ingenuous temper, by the expec
tation of reward, will do his best. You esteem
Quintillian. Hear him : 'Use stripes sparingly;
rather let the youth be stimulated by praise, and by

94
the distinctions conferred on his classmates *.' If
a fault must be punished, let instruction, both to
the delinquent and to the spectator, accompany the
correction. Let the odious name of the sin which
enforced the correction be declared; and let nothing
be done in anger, but with every mark of tender
ness and concern.
Ajax Flagelliferf may be read in the school ; he
is not fit to be the master of it. Let it not be said
of the boys, they were brought up in ' the school
of Tyrannus.' Pliny says, that bears are the better
for beating; more fit to have the management of
bears than of ingenuous boys, are those masters
who cannot give a bit of learning without giving a
blow with it. Send them to the tutors of the fa
mous Lithuanian school at Samourgan. The harsh,
Orbilian way of treating children, too commonly
used in the schools, is a dreadful curse of God on
our miserable offspring, who are born ' children of
wrath.' It is boasted sometimes of a severe school
master, that such a brave man had his ..education
under him ; but it is never said how many who
might have been brave men, have been ruined by
him; how many brave wits have been dispirited,
confounded, murdered by his barbarous way of ma
naging them.
SECT. XV.
Proposals to Churches for doing Good.
We have already proposed to the Pastors of
Churches various ways for doing good ; we shall
now lay before the Churches themselves some pro-
* Carcudum a plagN, scd potius laudc, aut .il'orum prurlstione,
urgendns esl pner.
t 4ji,x tut; Tiouger.

95
posals of objects, in which they may do well to
join their pastors.
Days of Prayer, occasionally observed, for the
express purpose of obtaining the sanctifying influ
ences of the Spirit of God on the rising generation,
have had a marvellous efficacy in producing a reli
gious" posterity in the land, and ' a seed, accounted
to the Lord for a generation.' Such an acknow
ledgment of the necessity and excellency of super
natural grace,- would be a very probable preparative
and introduction to the communication of it. And
when the children see their parents thus earnestly
seeking the grace of God for them, it would have a
natural tendency to awaken them to an earnest
seeking of it for themselves. The sermons also
preached by the ministers on such solemn occa
sions, would, probably, be very awakening ones.
That this proposal has been so little regarded, is
lamentable and remarkable : but — ' They all slum
bered and slept.'
There is another Proposal which has been ten
dered to all our churches, and regarded by some of
them :  That the several churches, having in an
instrument proper for the purpose, made a cata
logue of such things as have indisputably been
found amiss among them, do with all seriousness
and solemnity pass their votes, That they account
such things to be very offensive evils, and that re
nouncing all dependence on their own strength to
avoid such evils, they humbly implore the help of
divine grace, to assist them in watching against the
said evils both in themselves and in one another :
And that the communicants resolve, frequently to
reflect on these their acknowledgments and protes
tations, as perpetual monitors to them, to prevent

96
thejniscarriages by which too many professors are
so easily overtaken. It has been judged, that such
humble recognitions of duty will not only be ac
cepted by our God, as declarations for him, upon
which he will declare for us ; but also, that they
are the way of the new covenant, for obtaining as
sistance to perform our duty.
A particular -church may be an illustrious pillar
of the truth, by considering what important truths
may call for special, signal, open testimonies ; and
they may excite their pastors to the tomposing of
such testimonies, and likewise assist them in the
publication of them. It is probable that God would
accompany such testimonies with a marvellous effi
cacy to suppress growing errors and evils. A pro
posal of this nature may be worthy of some con
sideration. 1 . It were desirable that every particular church
should be furnished with a stock, that may be a
constant and ready fund for the propagation of re
ligion ; and that every minister would use his best
endeavours, both by his own contribution, accord
ing to his ability, and by applying to well-disposed
persons under his influence, to increase the stock ;
either in the way of public collections made at cer
tain periods, or in that of more private and occa
sional communications.
2. This evangelical treasury may be lodged in the
hands of the Deacons of the respective churches in
which it is collected ; who are to keep exact ac
counts of the receipts and disbursements ; and let
nothing be drawn from it, without the knowledge
and consent of the church to which it belongs.
3. The first and main intention of this evangeli-
cal treasury is to be, the propagation of religion :

97
and therefore, when any attempts of usefulness are
to be made on uncvangcliied places, the neighbour
ing ministers may consult each of the churches,
what proportion they may allow out of their evan
gelical treasury, towards the support of so noble an
undertaking. 4. This evangelical treasury may be applied to
other pious uses, and especially to such as any par
ticular church may think fit, for the service of re
ligion in their own vicinity. Such as the sending
bibles and catechisms to be dispersed among the
poor, where it may be thought necessary. Likewise,-
giving assistance to new congregations, in their
first attempts to build meeting-houses for the pub
lic worship of God with scriptural purity.
Query — Our churches have their sacramental col
lections, and. it is not fit indeed that they should be
without them. The primitive Christians did the
same : Justin Martyr informs us of the ' collec
tions,' and Tertullian of the 'gifts of piety' which
were made on such occasions. But would not our
churches do well to augment their liberality in their
grateful and joyful collections at the table of the
Lord, and to resolve that what is now collected
shall be part of their evangelical treasury ; not only
for the supply of the table and the relief of the poor,
but also for such other services to the kingdom of
God as they may, from time to time, find occasion
to countenance ?
SECT. XVI.
Proposals to Magistrates.
From ecclesiastical circumstances, which, in such
a subject as the present, may with the utmost pro-

98
priety claim the precedency, yve will make a transi
tion to political. Now—' Touch the mountains,
and they will smoke !' O when shall wisdom visit
princes and nobles, and all the judges of the earth,
and inspire them to preserve the due lustre of their
character, by a desire to do good on the earth, and
a study to glorify the God of heaven ! The oppor
tunities to do good, which rulers possess, arc so
evident, so. numerous, and so extensive, that the
person who addresses them, cannot but be over
whelmed with some confusion of thought, scarcely
knowing where to begin, when to conclude, or bow
to assign a fit order to his addresses. Indeed, the
very definition of government is, A care for the
safety of others. Sirs, from whom have you re
ceived this power ? ' You could have no power at
all, except it were given you from above,' Cer
tainly what is thus received from God, should be
employed for God. ' Be wise now therefore, O ye
kings ; be instructed, ye judges of the earth : serve
the Lord with fear,' lest you forget and offend him
who has made you what you are. Kiss the feet of
the Son of God, lest he be displeased at the neglect
of your duty. Do not kindle the wrath of him
who is ' the blessed and only Potentate, the King of
Kings, and Lord of Lords.' What is the name of
a magistrate ? The name which he that made him
has given him is, ' the minister of God for good.'
His empty name will produce a sad crime, if he do
not set himself to do good, as far as ever he can
extend his influence. Is he a vicegerent for God,
and shall he do nothing for God ? Gross absurdity!
black ingratitude ! Is he one of those whom the
word of God has called ' gods ?' Gods who do no
good, are not worthy of that honourable appellation,

99
but another name too horrible to be mentioned, be
longs to them : such rulers we may call gods, ' that
have mouths but they speak not ; eyes but they see
not; noses but they smell not ; aud hands but they
handle not !' Government is called, ' The ordinance
of God ;' and as the administration of it is to avoid
those illegalities which would render it no other than
a violation of the ordinance ; so it should vigorously
pursue that noble and blessed end for which it is
designed — the good of mankind. Unworthy of all
their other flourishing titles, are those rulers who
are not chiefly ambitious to be entitled ' bene
factors.' The greatest monarch in Christendom,
one who by computation has fourscore millions of
subjects, and whom the Scripture styles, ' The head
over many countries,' is in the sacred prophecies
called ' a vile person :' and such indeed is the cha
racter of every magistrate who does not aim to do
good in the world. Rulers who make no other use
of their superior station than to swagger over their
neighbours, command their obsequious flatteries,
enrich themselves with their spoils, and then wal
low in sensual and brutal pleasures, are the basest
of men. From a sense of this, the Venetians,
though they allow concubines, yet never employ a
tradesman whom they observe to be excessively ad
dicted to sensual gratifications ; esteeming such a
character a mere cipher. Because a wretched world
will continue averse to the kingdom of the glorious
and only Saviour, and say of our Immanuel, ' We
will not have this man to reign over us;' it is there
fore very much put into the hands of such selfish,
sensual, and wicked rulers. While the deserved
curse of God remains upon an impious and infa
tuated world, but few rulers will be found who will

100
seriously and strenuously devise its good, and seek
to be blessings to it. Many, alas ! there are, whose
lives are not worthy of a prayer, nor their deaths of
a tear. Athanasius has well answered the question,
Whence it is that such worthless and wicked men
get into authority : ' It is, says he, because the
people are wicked, and must be punished with men
after their own hearts.' Thus, when a Phocas was
made emperor, a religious man complaining to
heaven, ' Why hast thou made this man em
peror ?' was answered, ' I could not find a worse.'
Evil rulers are well reckoned by the historian,
among the effects of divine vengeance : they may
go into the catalogue with the sword, the pesti
lence, and fire. One man may be worse than all
three. Such bring up the rear in the train of the
' pale horse' — ' the beasts of the earth.'
' O cur God, cur God, \\hen will thy compas
sion to a miserable world appear in bestowing upon
it good rulers, able men, men of truth, fearing
God, and hating covetousness ! O that the time
were corne, when there shall be a ruler over men,
the Just One, thy Jesus, ruling in the fear of
God ; he shall be as the light of the morning,
when the sun riscth ; under him the mountains
shall bring peace to the people, and the litlle hills
by righteousness. Hasten it in thy good time, 0
Lord 1 How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge, and make the kingdoms of this
world thy own, and remove them that corrupt the
earth, and in a great chain bind up him who pre
tends that the kingdoms of the world are his, and
those who are the rulers of the darkness of this
world ! — All you that love God, add your Ameu,
to hasten the coming of this day of God.

101
In the mean time it cannot be expressed how
much good may be done by the chief magistrate
of a country who will make ' doing good,' his
chief intention : witness a Constantine, a Theo-
dosius, or a Gratian. The first of these, notwith
standing the vast cares of the empire to engage
his time, yet would every day, at stated hours, re
tire to his closet, and on his knees offer up his
prayers to the God of glorv. And that he might
recommend this duty to the world, this admirable
emperor caused his image on all his gold coins,
and his pictures and statues, to he made in a
praying posture, with his hands extended, and his
eyes lifted up to heaven. O imperial piety ! to
bjhold such a prince thus publicly espousing the
cause of religion, one would think were enough to
convert a world ! It would be so if it were not
for the dreadful energies of one, who is become by
the wrath of God, ' the prince of this world !'
The virtuous example of such a monarch as we
have just described, is almost cnou_h to reform
whole nations: it carries with it irresistible charms,
by which the whole world is attracted and won
upon. A prince exemplary for piety, like the
sun shining in its meridian strength, sheds the
fays of heaven with a most penetrating force
upon the people, ' rejoicing under his wings.'
Such an instance is now uncommon ; but it will
not he sorin the approaching age, when the 'Kinos
of the earth shall bring their glory and honour'
into the holy citv. A little piety in princes makes
a glaring show ; the eyes of their subjects are
dazzled, and their minds ravished with it. What
then would be done by a degree of piety in them,
that should bear a proportion to the degree of their
K 2

•102
dignity, and if their piety were as much above that
of other men as their station ? Roll on, ye ages, to
bring about such admirable spectacles !
What a vast influence might such princes have
on the reformation of the world, and consequently
on its felicity, by dispensing preferments and em
ployments to none but such as were recommended
to them by their virtue ! If good men generally
were put into commissions, and none but such
made commanders at sea, or on shore, what a
great change for the better would the world imme
diately be blessed with ! I will beg leave to say
that it- would be a most comprehensive service to
a nation to get them unfettered from any test that
may render honest and faithful men incapable of
serving them. And I will take the liberty of say
ing, that displacing a few officers on account of
their vicious character, would do far more to im
prove the state of a depraved and afflicted nation,
than a thousand proclamations against vice, not
followed with such regulations.
Good laws are important engines to prevent
much evil ; indeed, they reach none without do
ing some good- to them : all, therefore, who have
any concern in the legislation, should be active in
promoting such laws as may prove of permanent
sdvantage. The representatives of a people will
do well to enquire, What is there still defective in
our laws," leaving the iniquities or the necessities
of men unprovided against ? and What further
laws may be proposed, to advance the reio-n of
righteousness and holiness ? There have been laws
(and sometimes none of the best,) which have
rendered the names of their authors immortal : but
the remembrance of the man who first proposed

103
a good law, is far more honourable than a statue
erected to his memory. But, sirs, if your fellow
men forget such an action, it will not fail of a
recompense in God's remembrance, or vour own.
You know whose prayer it was — ' Think upon
me, my God, for good, according to all that I
have done for this people.'
Magistrates may do incredible good by coun
tenancing worthy ministers. To settle and sup
port such men of God in a place, is to become, I
may say, the grandfathers of all the good which
those men do in the place. Their consultations
and combinations with able, faithful, zealous mi
nisters, may produce better effects than any astro
loger ever foretold of the most happy conjunction.
When. Moses and Aaron unite to do good, what
cannot they effect ? Oueen Elizabeth admired the
happiness of Suffolk, in her progress through the
country, where she observed a remarkably good
understanding to subsist between virtuous magis
trates and faithful ministers.
Briefly : We will observe a decorum in our pro
posals, and not suppose inattention or incapacity
in the persons to whom we offer them. It shall
only be proposed, that, since magistrates are usu
ally men of abilities, they would sometimes retire
to a serious contemplation on that generous ques
tion, What good may I do in the world ? and to
observe what they are themselves able to invent,
(assisted by the implored grace of heaven,) as part
of that good which they are to perform in serving
their generation.
I mistake if old Theognis * had hot a maxim,
* An ancient Greek poet of ?.Ifgara in Achaia. He flourished
about 144 3 ears B. C. A iyoial work of his is extant, containing a
summary of precepts, &c.

104
which ought never to be forgotten, ' when the ad
ministration of affairs is placed in the hands of
men, proud of command, and devoted to their
own private emolument, depend upon it the people
will soon become a miserable people.' I propose
that this maxim be carefully remembered, and this
mischief avoided,
I add one thing more — ' Thinkest thou this,
O man that judgest, that thou shalt escape the
judgment of God ?' Let the judges of the people
remember that God will one dav bring them into
judgment*. O that rulers would realise this to
themselves — that they must give an account to
God of the-.administration of their government.
Sirs, the great God, before whom the greatest of
you all is but a worm, will demand of you — Whe
ther you were faithful in the discharge of your of
fice ? — What you did for his kingdom in your
.office ? Whether you did what you was able that
the world might be the better for you ? If you
would frequently take this subject into vour consi
deration, it. could not but stimulate you to the
performance of many actions, which would be
' no grief of heart' to you, another day. He was
•one of the best rulers in the world, who thus ex
pressed himself, ' What shall I do when God
riseth up ; and when he shall visit, what shall I
answer him ?' Even Abubeker, the successor of
Mahomet, when his people expostulated with him
for walking on foot, when he reviewed his annv,
said, ' I shall find my account with God for these
steps.' He has less Christianity than a Mahometan,
who is utterly unmindful of the account he must
give to God for the steps which he takes.
* Judex nuper erani.; jativjudicor, 1 was but lately a judge) now
I am at the bar.

105
How prosperously did, the affairs of Nero-Ca;-
saria proceed, when Basil, who resided there, could
give this account of .the governor — ' He was a
most exact observer of justice ; yet very courteous,
obliging, and easy of access to the oppressed. He
was equally at leisure to receive the rich and the
poor ; hut all wicked men were afraid of him. He
utterly abhorred the taking of a bribe ; and his
design was, in brief, to raise Christianity to its pri
mitive dignity.' A Mahometan captain-general,
whose name was Caled, once said to a christian —
' It does not at all become men in eminent sta
tions, to deal deceitfully, and descend to tricks.'
It is a miserable thing indeed, when christians, in
eminent stations, will do such things !
SECT. XVII.
Proposals to Physicians.
The Physician enjoys many opportunities of
doing good, and so rendering himself, ' a beloved
physician;' for this purpose we shall offer our
advice. Zaccuth, the Portuguese, who, among many
other works, composed ' A history of the most
eminent physicians,' after he was settled in Am
sterdam, submitted to circumcision, and thereby
evinced, that for the thirty preceding years of his
life, he had only dissembled Christianity at Lisbon;
yet, because he was very charitable to poor patients,
he was highly esteemed : we now apply ourselves
to those whose love to Christianity is, we hope,
' without dissimulation.' From them may be ex
pected a charity and a usefulness, which may en
title them to a remembrance in a better history

106
than that of Zacutus Lusitanus — in that ' book of
life,' in" which a name will be deemed far more
valuable than any which are recorded in 'The lives
of illustrious physicians *.'
By serious and shining piety in your own exam
ple, you will bear a glorious testimony to the cause
of God and religion. You will glorify the God of
nature, and the only Saviour. Your acquaintance
with nature will indeed be your condemnation, if
you do it not. Nothing is so unnatural as to be
irreligious. ' Religio Medici,' (the religion of the
physician) has the least reason of any under hea
ven to be an ' irreligion.' They have acted the
most unreasonable part, who have given occasion
for that complaint of christians — ' Where there
are three physicians, there are three atheists f .' It
is sad to reflect," that when we read about the state
of the Rephaim in the other world, the physicians -
are, by so many translators, carried into it. It is
sad to reflect, that the Jews should imagine they
have reason to say — ' The best of the physicians
go to hell +.' For this severe sentence, they assign
the following cause — ' For he is not warned by
diseases ; he fares sumptuously, and humbles not
his heart before God. Sometimes he is even acces
sary to the death of men, when he neglects the ,
poor, whom he might cure §.' — A sad story, if it
be true !
Gentlemen, you will never account yourselves
such sdepts as to be at a stand in your studies, and
* Vita; lllustrium Medicorum, by Peter Castellanus.
t Ilbi tres mc.'.i.i, tres athei.
J Optinms inter medicos ad gehennam.
§ Non enim nietuit a morbis; vescitur laute, nee confringit cor
suum Deo ; aliquando eliam intevficit iioinines, quando paupeies quos
posset, non sanat.

107
make no further progress in your inquiries into the
nature of diseases and their remedies. ' A physi
cian arrived at his full growth' — looks dangerously
and omniously. Had the world gone on with
merely an Esculapius, furnished only with a goat
whose milk was pharmacy, and a dog, whose tongue
was surgery, we had been in a miserable state.
You will be diligent — studious — inquisitive ; and
continue to read much, to think more, and to pray
most of all : and be solicitous to invent and dis
pense something very considerable for the good
of mankind, which none before you had disco
vered : — be solicitous to make some addition to the
treasures of your noble profession. To obtain the
honour of being a Sydenham may not be in your
power *; yet ' to do something' is a laudable am
bition. By the benefit they expect from you, and by the
charms of your polite education and manners,
you are sometimes introduced into the familiar
acquaintance of great men : persons of the first
quality entertain you with freedom and friendship :
probably you become, under the oath of Hippo
crates, a kind of confessors to them, (indeed for
several ages, the confessors were usually the phy
sicians of the people) — What an advantage does
this furnish you with for doing good ! The poor
Jews, both in the east and west parts of the world,
have procured many advantages by means of- their
countrymen, who have risen to be physicians to the
princes of the countries in which they resided.
Sirs, your permission ' to feel the pulse' of eminent
persons, may enable you to promote many a good
work : you need not be told what : you will soon
* Non cuivis homini coii!in"it.

108
perceive excellent methods, if you will only deli
berate upon it : — ' What proposals may I make to
my patient, by attending to which, he may do good
in the world ?' If you read what Gregory Nazianzen
writes of his brother Caesarius, a famous and re
spectable physician, , you will doubtless find your
desires excited to act in this manner. 'You know
how ready the sick are to hear of good proposals ;
and how seasonable it is to urge such upon them;
when the commencement of recovery from sick
ness, calls for their gratitude to the God of their
health. And for persons also who are in health,
you may find ' Favourable seasons to drop a hint *.'
Physicians are frequently men of universal learn
ing: they have sufficient ability, and sometimes op
portunity to write books on a vast variety of sub
jects, whereby knowledge and virtue may be greatly
advanced in the world. The late Epic poems of a
Blackmore, and Cosmologia Sacra of a Grew, are
recent examples : mankind is much indebted to
those learned physicians ; their names are immor
talised ; they need no statues, nor need they mind
the envy of a modern Theophrastus. A catalogue
of books written by learned physicians, on various
subjects, besides those of their own profession,
would in itself almost make a volume. In the r.obl_
army of learned physicians who have published
their labours on the 'word which the Lord has
given,' and for the service of his church, and of
the world, I humbly move, that the incomparable
Zuinger and Gesner, may appear as field-officers.
A city Tauris were too mean a present for physi
cians of such distinguished merit. I propose ihem
to imitation, that many may follow such examples.
* JIullissima tempore fundi.

log
You know that Freher has brought on his theatre,
nearly five hundred famous physicians, with some
account of their lives and works ; there are very
few Britons among them, and none at all that lived
to the end of the former century. What a vast
addition might there be since made to that list of
honour, from the British nations ! May an excel
lent ambition to be enrolled in it, excite those who
have ability, to ' do worthily!'
Physicians have innumerable opportunities to
assist the poor, and to give them advice gratis.
It was a noble saying of Cicero, ' A man cannot
have better fortune than to be able, nor a better
temper than to be willing, to save many *.' But
I will set before you a higher consideration than
that, with which a Pagan Kirker was ever ac
quainted. Sirs, the more charity, compassion,
and condescension with which you treat the poor,
the nearer will you approach to the greatest and
highest of all glories; — an imitation of your ador
able Saviour. You will readily say, ' Why should
I think that to be mean, whioh reflected honour on
Christ t-' In comparison of this consolation, it
will be a small thing to say to you, that your
coming among the poor, will be to them like the
descent of the Angel of Bethesda. We will not
presume to prescribe to you, what good you shall
do to the poor ; but beg leave to enter an objection
against your taking any fees on the Lord's day ;
because the time is not yours, but the Lord's.
When we consider how much the lives of men
are in the hands of God ; what a dependence we
* Nihil habet fort una melius, quam ut possis, neque natura prse^
stautius, quam ut velis, servare plures,
t Quod decuit Christum, cur mihi turpe putem?
L

110
have on the God of our health for our cure when
we have lost it; what strong and remarkable proofs
we have had of angels, by their communications
or operations, contributing to the cure of the dis
eases with winch mortals have been oppressed;
and the marvellous efficacy of prayer for the reco
very of the sick brother who has not sinned a ' sin
unto death -.'—what better thing can be recom
mended to a physician who desires to do good than
this— to be a man of prayer. In your daily and
secret prayer, carry every one of your patients, as
you would your own children, to the glorious Lord
our healer, for his healing mercies ; place them, as
far as your prayers will do it, under the beams of
the Sun of Righteousness. And as any new case
of your patients may occur, especially if there be
any difficulty in it, why should you not make your
particular and solicitous application to heaven for
direction : — ' O Lord, I know that the way of
man is not in himself, nor is it in man that walketh,
to direct his steps ;' nor in man that healeth to
perform his cures. Hippocrates advised physicians,
when they visited their patients, to consider whe
ther there might not be something supernatural in
the disease*. Truly, in some sense, this is always
the case, and should be so considered. What a
heavenly life might you lead, if your profession
were carried on with as many visits to heaven, as
you pay to your patients ! One Jacob Tzaphalon, a
famous Jew of the former century, published at
Venice, a book entitled ' Precious stones.' There
are several prayers in the book, and among them a
pretty long one, ' For physicians when they go to
visit their patients.' That expression of the Psalmist,
* Divinum quMdaui in morbo.

Ill
* Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies,'
may be read, ' Thou hast made me wise from mine
enemies.' ' We ought to learn, even from an ene
my*.' Surely Christianity will not, in her devo
tions, fall short of Judaism !
We read that ' Heaviness in the heart of man,
maketh it stoop ; but a good word maketh it glad.
A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine ; but
a broken spirit drieth up the bones.' Baglivi is
not the only physician who has made the obser
vation, ' That many of our diseases, either arise
from a weight of cares lying on the minds of
men, or are thereby increased. Some diseases that
seem incurable, are ea-rily cured by agreeable con
versation. Disorders of the mind first bring dis
eases on the stomach ; and so the whole mass of
blood gradually becomes infected : and as long as
the mental cause continues, the diseases may in
deed change their forms, but they rarely quit the
patients.' Tranquillity of mind will do wonderful
things towards the relief of bodily maladies. It
is not without reason that Hosman, in his dis
sertation, ' Des Moyens de Vivre Long-temps,'
insists on tranquillity of mind as the chief among
the ' means to promote longevity ;' and says, that
this is the meaning of that passage ; ' The fear
of the Lord tendeth to life.' They who have
practised the ' art of curing by expectation,' have
made experiments of what the mind will do towards
the cure of the body : this may be also known by
practising the ' art of consolation.' I propose
then, that the physician endeavour to find out, by
all possible ingenuity .of conversation, what matter
of anxiety there may have been upon the mind of
* Fas est, et ab hoste.

112
the patient, that has rendered his life burdensome.
Having discovered the burden, use all possible
ways to remove it. Offer him such thoughts as
may be the best anodynes for his distressed mind ;
especially the ' right thoughts of the righteous,'
and the means of obtaining composure of mind
upon religious principles. Give him a prospect;
if you can, of some deliverance from his distresses,.
or some abatement of them. Excite in him as
pleasing thoughts as possible : scatter the clouds,
and remove the loads with which his mind is per
plexed ; especially by representing and magnifying
the mercy of God in Christ to him. It is possible,
sir, that in this way also, you may find abundant
opportunities of usefulness, by doing yourself, or
by bringing others to do kindness to the miserable.
What should hinder you from considering the
souls of your patients ; their spiritual health ; what
they have done, and what they have to do, that
they may be on good terms with heaven ? You
may take occasion, from their natural disorders, to
affect your own mind, and theirs also, with a sense
of our corresponding moral ones. You may make
your conversation with them, a vehicle for con
veying such admonitions of piety, as may be most
needful for them : that they may be found neither
unprepared for death, nor unthankful and unfruit
ful, if their lives should be prolonged. This you
may do, without any intrusion on the office of the
minister : on the contrary, you may at the same.
time do a very good office for the minister, as well
as for the patient ; and may inform the minister,
when, where, and how he may be very serviceable
among the miserable, with whose cases he might
otherwise remain unacquainted. The art of heal-

113
ing was, you know, first brought into a system, by
men who had the ' care of souls :' and I know
not why they who profess that noble art should
wholly cast off that care. Perhaps you remember to
have read of a king who was also a physician, (for
other crowned heads, besides Mithridates, Hadria-
nus, and Constantinus Pogonatus have been such,)
and who gave this reason why the Greeks had dis
eases among them which remained so much un-
cured ; ' Because they neglected their souls, the
chief thing of all.' For my part, I know not why
the physician should wholly neglect the souls of
his patients.
I will not detain you much longer. You are
not ignorant, that medicine once was, and in many
unevangelised parts of the world is still esteemed a
thing horribly magical. Celsiis relates, as a part
of the Egyptian philosophy current in his time,
that the body of man was divided into thirty-
six parts, each of which was the peculiar allotment
and possession of a demon ; and this demon was
invoked by the Magi to cure diseases of the part
that belonged to him. Even in Galen's time we
find Egyptian Legerdemain * practised : he him
self writes of it. From Egypt other countries be
came acquainted with this art : hence medicines
were called Pharmacia f. The Oriental nations had
their Teraphim for the cure of diseases : hence
the same Greek word, signifies both to worship and
to cure ; and the cure of diseases is reckoned by-
Eusebius as one main article of the Pagan theology.
God used all proper means to prevent his people
from having any thing to do with such sort of
* Prestigiaturas iEgyplias.
t Phannacos, in Greek, being a Sorcerer.
L 2

114
men or of means. He recommended to them the
study of nature, and of natural remedies. Thus,
after the example of Solomon, they studied botany,
and had their apothecaries, who were to furnish
them with materials for medicines. The princes
ofJudeahad, as Pliny informs us, their medicinal
gardens. Probably Naboth's vineyard might have
such a one in it ; and this might be the reason
why Ahab so coveted it. Joram, the son of Ahab,
repaired thither to be cured of his wounds. An
excellent Physician, in a late composition with
which he has favoured the public, supposes that
the sin of Asa, when he ' sought not unto the
Lord, but unto the physicians,' was both occa
sioned and aggravated by this circumstance, that
there were at that time none but magical physi
cians. But others have thought that some of Asa's
ancestors had been medically disposed, and were
students in the art of healing. From hence might
come the name of Asa, which in Chaldee, means
physician. On this account the king might have
the greater esteem for those who were skilled in
medicine, and might put such a confidence in
them as to neglect the glorious God, the only au
thor and giver of health. What I aim at in this
paragraph, is to encourage a conduct the reverse of
all this ; that my honourable Asa, (such the son
Sirach has taught me to call him) would himself
continually go to God our Saviour, and as far as
possible, bring all his patients to him also.
Finally — An industrious and ingenious gentle
man of your profession, has a passage in his Phar
macopoeia Buteana, which I will here insert, because
very many of you can speak the same language ;
and by inserting it, I hope to increase the number.

1]5
' I know no poor creature that ever came to
me, in the whole course of my practice, that once-
went from me, without my desired help, gratis.
And I have accounted the restoration of such a
poor, and wretched creature, a greater blessing
to me, than if I had procured the wealth of both
the Indies. I cannot so well express myself con
cerning this matter, as I can conceive it ; but I
am sure I should have been more pleased, and had
a greater satisfaction in seeing such a helpless crea
ture restored to its desired health, than if I had
found a very valuable treasure. As I can never
repent of the good which I have done .this way,
so I resolve to continue the same practice, for I
certainly know that I have had the signal bles
sing of God attending my endeavours.'
SECT. XVIII.
Proposals to the Rich.
' 1 will get me unto the rich men, and will
speak unto them,' for they will know the ways to
do good, and will think what they shall be
able to say when they come into the judgment of
their God. A person of quality, quoting that
passage, ' The desire of a man is his kindness,'
invited me so to read it, ' The only desirabje
thing in a man is his goodness.' How happy.
would the world be, if every person of quality
were to become of this persuasion ! It is an article
in my commission, ' Charge them that are rich
in this world, that they do good, that they be
rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to
communicate.' In pursuance thereof, I will re-.
mind rich men of the opportunities to do good,

116
with which God, who gives power to get wealth,
has favoured and enriched them. It is a very good'
account that has been sometimes given of a good
man ; ' As to the wealth of this world, he knew
no good in it, but the doing of good with it.'
Yea, those men who have had very little good
ness in them, yet in describing the manners of
the age, 'in which perhaps they themselves have
had too deep a share, have seen occasion to sub
scribe and publish this prime dictate of reason ;
' We are none the better for any thing, barely
for the propriety's sake ; but it is the application
of it that gives everything its value. Whoever
buries his talent, betrays a sacred trust, and de
frauds those who stand in need of it.' Sirs, you
cannot but acknowledge that it is the sovereign
God who has bestowed upon you the riches which
distinguish you. A devil himself, when he saw a
rich man, could not but, make this acknowledg
ment to the God of heaven ; ' Thou hast blessed
the work of his hands, and his substance is en-
creased in the land.' It is also to be hoped, that
you are not unmindful that the riches in your
possession are some of the talents, of which you
must give an account to the glorious Lord who*
has entrusted you with them ; and that you will
give your account with grief, and not with joy, if
it should be found that all your property has been
laid out to gratify the appetites of the flesh, and'
little or nothing of it consecrated to the service of
God, and of his kingdom in the world. It was
said to the priests of old, when the servants were
assigned them ; ' Unto you they are given as a
gift for the Lord;' This maybe said of all our
estates :' what God gives; us, is not given us for

117
ourselves, but ' for the Lord.' ' When God's
gifts tons are multiplied, our obligations to give
are multiplied *.' Indeed there is hardly any pro-
lessor of Christianity so vitious that he will not
confess that all his property is to be used for ho
nest purposes, and part of it for pious ones. If
any plead their poverty to excuse and exempt them
from doing any thing this way : — O thou poor wi
dow with thy two mites, eternised in the history
of the Gospel, thou shah ' rise up in the judg
ment with this generation, and shall condemn it ;"
and let them also know, that they take a course
to condemn and confine themselves to eternal po
verty. But the main question is, what proportion of a
man's income is to be devoted to pious uses ? And
now, let it not seem a hard saying, — if I tell you
that a tenth part is the least that you can bring
under a more solemn dedication to the Lord ;
for whom, in one sense, we are to lay out our all.
A farthing less would make an enlightened and con
siderate christian suspicious of his incurring the
danger of sacrilege. By the pious uses for which
your tenths are thus challenged, I do not intend
only the maintenance of the evangelical ministry,
but also the relief of the miserable, whom our mer
ciful Saviour has made the receivers of his rents;
together with all that is to be more directly done
for the preserving and promoting of piety in the
world. Since there is a part of every man's reve
nues due to the glorious Lord, and to purposes of
piety, it is not fit that the determination of tvhat
part it must be, should be left to such hearts as
ours. My friend, thou hast, it may be, too high
* Cum crescuut dona, crescunt etiam rationes donoruui.

IIS
an opinion of thy own wisdom and goodness, if
nothing but thy own carnal heart is to determine
what proportion of thy revenues are to be laid out
for Him, whom thou art so ready to forget when
he has filled thee. But if the Lord himself, to
whom thou art but a steward, has fixed on any
part of our usual income for himself, as it is most
reasonable that he should have the fixing of it,
certainly a tenth will be found the least that he has-
called for. A tenth is the least part in the first
division of numbers, which is that of units, Gro
tius remarks it, as the foundation of the laws of
tithes-: ' Almost all nations reckon by tens *.' It
is but reasonable, and the very light of nature will
declare for it, that the great God, who with a se
venth day, is owned as the Creator, should with a
tenth part be acknowledged as the possessor of all
things. We do not allow him so much as the
least, if we withhold a tenth from him : less than
that, is less than what all nations make the least.
Certainly to withhold this, is to withhold more
than is proper. Sirs, you know the tendency of
this. Long before the Mosaic dispensation of the
law, we find that this was Jacob's vow : ' The
Lord shall be my God, and of all that thou
shajt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto
thee.' It seems we do not sufficiently declare
that ' the Lord is our God,' if we do not give.
a tenth to him. And how can we approve our
selves ' Israelites indeed,' if we slight such an
example as that of our father Jacob. I will as
cend a little higher. In one text we read that
our father Abraham, ' gave Melchisedek the tenth
of all.' In another text we read of our Saviour
* Numerus denariu« gentibus forme cunctis numerandi finis est.

ii9
Jesus, ' Thou art a priest for ever after the order
of Melchisedek.' From hence I form this con
clusion : the rights of Melchisedek belong to our
Jesus, the royal high priest now officiating for
us in the heavens. The tenths were the rights of
.Melchisedek ; therefore the tenths belong to our
Jesus. I do in my conscience believe that this
argument cannot be answered ; and the man who
attempts it, seems to darken the evidence of his
being one of the true children of Abraham.
I now renew my appeal to the light of nature j
to nature thou shalt go ! It is very certain that the
Pagans used to decimate for sacred uses. Pliny tells
us, that the Arabians did so. Xenophon informs
us, that the Grecians had the same practice. You
find the custom to be as ancient as the pen of He
rodotus can make it. It is confirmed by Pausanias
and Diodorus Siculus, and a whole army of authors
besides Doughty, have related and asserted it. I
will only introduce Festus, to speak for them all :
' The ancients offered to their gods the tenth of
every thing *.' Christian, wilt thou do less for thy
God than the poor perishing Pagans did for theirs ?
' O, tell it not' — but this I will tell ; that they who
have conscientiously employed their tenths in pious
uses, have usually been remarkably blessed in their
estates, by the providence of God. The blessing
has been sometimes delayed, with some trial of their
patience : Not for any injustice in their hands ;
their prayer has been pure : and, their belief of the
future state has been sometimes tried, by their
meeting with losses and disappointments. But
then, their little has been so blessed as to be still a
¦competency ; and God has so favoured them with
* Decima quseque vetoes Diis. suis offerebant.

120
contentment, that it has yielded more than the
abundance of marty others. Very frequently too,
they have been rewarded with remarkable success
in their affairs, and increase of their property r and
even in this world have seen the fulfilment of those
promises ; ' Cast thy grain into the moist ground,
and thou shalt find it after many days.' ' Honour
the Lord with thy substance ; so shall thy barns
be filled with plenty.' History has given us many
delightful examples of those who have had their
decimations followed and rewarded by a surprising
prosperity of their affairs. Obscure mechanics and
husbandmen have risen to estates, of which once
they had not the most distant expectation. The
excellent Gouge, in his treatise, entitled, The
surest and safest way of thriving, has collected
some such examples. The Jewish proverb, ' Tithe,
and be rich *,' would be oftener verified, if more
frequendy practised. ' Prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not pour out a
blessing upon you.'
But let the demand of ' liberal things' grow
upon you : a tenth I have called the least ; for
some, it is much too little. Men of large incomes,
who would not ' sow to their flesh, and of the
flesh reap corruption,' may and will often go be
yond this proportion. Some rise to a fifth ; and
the religious Countess of Warwick would not stop
at any thing short of a third. Gentlemen of for
tune, who are my readers, would perhaps excuse
me if I were to carry them no higher than this,
and to say nothing to them of a Johannes Elee-
mosynarius, who annually made a distribution of
¦all to pious uses ; and having settled his affairs,
* Decilna, ut dives fias.

121
said, ' I bless God that I have now nothing left
but my Lord -and Master, Christ, whom I long to
be with, and to whom I can now fly with uneh-
tangled wings.' Yet I will mention to them the
example of some eminent merchants, who, having
obtained moderate and competent estates, have
resolved never to be richer. They have carried on
brisk and extensive trades, but whatever profits
raised their incomes above the fixed sum, they
have entirely devoted to pious uses. Were any
of them losers by this conduct ? Not one.
The Christian emperor Tiberius II. was famous
for his religious bounties : his empress thought
him even profuse in them. But he told her that
he should never want money so long as, in obedi
ence to a glorious Christ, he should supply the
necessities of the poor, and abound in religious
benevolence. Once, immediately after he had
made a liberal distribution, he unexpectedly found
a mighty treasure, and at the same time tidings.
were brought to him, of the death of a very rich
man who had bequeathed to him all his wealth.
And men in far humbler stations can relate very
many and interesting anecdotes of this nature, even
from their own happy experience. I cannot for
bear transcribing some lines of my honoured Gouge
on this occasion :
' I . am verily persuaded that there is scarcely
any man who gives to the poor proportionably to
what God has bestowed on him ; but, if he ob
serve the dealings of God's providence towards
him, will find the same doubled and redoubled
upon him in temporal blessings. I dare challenge
all the world to produce one instance, (or at least
any considerable number of instances,) of a mer*
M

122
ciful man, whose charity has undone him. On
the contrary, as the more living wells are exhausted,
the more freely they spring and flow ; so the sub
stance of charitable men frequently multiplies in
the very distribution : even as the five loaves and
few fishes multiplied, while being broken and dis
tributed, and as the widow's oil increased by being
poured out.'
I will add a consideration which, methinks, will
act as a powerful motive upon the common feel
ings of human nature. Let rich men, who are
not rich towards God, especially such as have
no children of their own to make their heirs, con
sider the vile ingratitude with which their succes
sors will treat them. Sirs, they will hardly allow
you a tombstone ; but wallowing in the wealth
you have left them, and complaining that you left
it no sooner^ they will insult your memory and
ridicule your economy and parsimony. How much
wiser would it be for you to do good with your
estates while you live, and at your death to dispose
of them in a manner which may embalm your
names to posterity, and be for your advantage in
the world to which you are going. That your
tjouls may enjoy the good of paradisaical reflections,
at the same time that others are inheriting what
you have left to them.
I will only annex the compliment of a certain
person to his friend, upon his accession to an
estate J ' Much good may it do you ; that is,
much good may you do with it.'
I hope we are now ready for Proposals; and
that we shall set ourselves to devise liberal things.
Gentlemen! To relieve the necessities of the
poor is a thing acceptable to the compassionate-

123
God, who has given to you what he might have
given to them ; and has given it to you that yon
might have the honour and pleasure of imparting
it to them ; and who has said, ' He that hath
pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord.' The
more you regard the command and example of
a glorious Christ in what you do this way, the
more assurance you have that in the day of God
you shall joyfully hear him saying, ' You have
done it unto me.' And the more humble, silent,
reserved modesty you express, concealing even from
the left hand what is done with the right, the
more you are assured of a great reward in the hea
venly world, Such liberal men, it is observed,.
are generally long-lived men * ; and at last they
pass from this into everlasting life.
The true Lady is one who feeds the poor, and
relieves their indigencef. In the days of primitive
Christianity, ladies of the first quality would seek
out the sick, visit hospitals, see what help they
wanted, and assist them with an admirable alacrity.
What a good report have the mother and sister
of Nazianzen obtained from his pen, for their un
wearied bounty to the poor! Empresses themselves
have stooped to relieve the miserable, and never,
appeared so truly great as when they thus stooped.
A very proper season for your alms is, when
you keep your days of prayer : that your prayers
and your alms may go up together as a memorial
* Gathering the fruit relieves the tree. — Fructus liberat arborem.
t The following is supposed to be the etymology of the. word Lady.
It was at first Leafdian, from Leaf or Laf, which signifies a loaf of
bread, and D'ian to serve. It was afterwards corrupted to Lafdy,
and at length to Lady. So that it appears; the original meaning of
the term implies, one Mo distributes bread.

124
before the Lord. Verily, there are prayers in
alms: and, ' Is not this the fast that I have chosen,
saith the Lord ?' The expression of the beggar
among the Jews was ; ' Deserve something by
me:' among us it might be; < Obtain something
by me.'
There is a certain city, in which every house
has a box. hanging by a chain, on which is written,
' Remember the poor ;' and they seldom conclude
a bargain without putting something into the box.
The deacons have the key, and once a quarter go
round the city, and take out the monev. When
that city was in imminent danger, a man of moderate
character was heard to say, ' That he was of opi
nion, God would preserve that city from being
destroyed, if it were Only for the great charity
which its inhabitants express to the poor.' It is
the richest city of the richest country, for its size,
that ever existed: a city which is thought to spend,
annually, in charitable uses, more than all the re
venues which the fine country of ,thc Grand Duke
of Tuscany brings in to its arbitrary master*.
When you dispense your alms to the poor, who
know what it is to pray, you may oblige them to
pray for you, by name, every day. It is an excel
lent thing to have the blessing of those who have
been ready to perish, thus coming upon you. Ob
serve here, a surprising sense in which you may
be ' praying always.' You are so, even while you
are sleeping, if those whom you'have thus obliged
are praying for you. And now look for the accom
plishment of that word : ' Blessed is he that con
sidered the poor; the Lord will preserve him, and
* The hands of the poor arc the treasury -bu.v of Christ. — Manus
pauperum est Chrlsti gazophylacium.

125
keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the
earth.' Very frequently your alms are dispersed among
such persons as very much need admonitions of
piety. Cannot you contrive to mingle a spiritual
charity with your temporal bounty ? Perhaps you
may discourse with them about the state of their
souls, and may obtain from them, (for which you
have now a singular advantage,) some declared re
solutions to do what they ought to do. Or else
you may convey to them little books, or tracts,
which they will certainly promise to read, when
you thus desire them.
Charity to the souls of men is undoubtedly the
highest, the noblest, and the most important cha
rity. To furnish the poor with catechisms and
bibles, is to do for them an incalculable service.
No one knows how much he may do by dispersing
books of piety, and by putting into the hands of
mankind such treatises of divinity as may have a
tendency to make them wiser or better. It -was a
noble action of some good men, who, a little while
ago, were at the charge of printing thirty thousand
of Alleiu's Alarm to the Unconverted, to be given
awav to such as would promise to read it. A man
of no great fortune has been known to give away
without much trouble, nearly a thousand books of
piety, every year for many years together. Who
can tell, but that with the expence of less than a
shilling, you may ' convert a sinner from the error
of his ways, and save a soul from death.' A worse
doom than to be ' condemned to the mines,' rests
upon that soul who had rather hoard up his money
than employ it on such a charity.
He who supports the office of the evangelical
M 2

126
ministry, supports a good work, and performs one;
yea, in a secondary way performs what is done by
the skilful, faithful, and laborious minister. The
servant of the Lord who is encouraged by you, will
do the more good for your assistance : and what
you have done for him, and in consideration of the
glorious Gospel preached by him, you have done
for a glorious Christ ; and you shall receive a pro
phet's reward. Luther said ; ' What you give
to scholars, you give to God himself*.' This is
still more true, when the scholars are become godly
and useful preachers.
I have somewhere met with the following pas
sage : ' It was for several years the practice of a
worthy gentleman, in renewing his leases, instead
of making it a condition that his tenants should
keep a hawk or a dog for him, to oblige them to
keep a bible in their houses, and to bring up their
children'to read and to be catechised.' Landlords !
It is worth your consideration whether you may not
in your leases, insert some clauses that may serve
the kingdom of God. You are his tenants in those
very freeholds in which you are landlords to other
men. Oblige your tenants to worship God in their
families. To take a poor child, especially an orphan, left
in poverty, and to bestow a liberal education upon
it, is an admirable charity; yea, it may. draw after
it a long train of good, and may interest you in all
the good that shall be done by him whom you
have educated.
Hence also, what is done for Schools, for Col
leges, and for Hospitals, is done for the general
good. The endowment or maintenance of these is
at once to do good to many.
• Si quid scholasticis confers, Deo ipsj contulisti.

127
But, alas ! how much of the silver and gold of
the world is buried in hands, where it is little
better than conveyed back to the mines from
whence it came ! How much of it is employed
to as little purpose as what arrives at Hindoostan,
where a great part of it is, after some circulation,
carried as to a fatal centre, and by the Moguls
lodged in subterraneous caves, never to see the
light again. ' The christian, whose faith and
hope are genuine, acts not thus *.'
Sometimes elaborate compositions may be pre
pared for the press, works of great bulk, and of
still greater worth, by which the best interests of
knowledge and virtue may be considerably pro
moted ; but they lie, like the impotent man at the
pool of Bethesda, in silent neglect : and are likely
to continue in that state, till God inspire some
wealthy persons nobly to subscribe to their publica
tion, and by this generous application of their pro
perty, to bring them abroad. The names of such
noble benefactors to mankind ought to live as long
as the works themselves ; and where the works
do any good, what these have done towards the
publishing of them, ought to be ' told for a me
morial' of them.
I will pursue this subject still farther. It has
been said that ' idle gentlemen, and idle beggars,
are the pests of the commonwealth;' The saying-
may seem affronting, but they who arc offended at
it must quarrel with the ashes of a bishop, for it
w,as Dr. Sanderson's. Will you then think, sirs,
of some honourable and agreeable employments ?
I will mention one. The Pythagoreans forbade
* Talia non facit bona: fidei & spei Christianus.

128
men's ' eating their own brains,' or, f keeping their
good thoughts to themselves.' The incomparable
Boyle observes, that ' as to religious books, in ge
neral, those which have been written by laymen,
and especially by gentlemen, have (cseteris paribus)
been better received, and more effectual, than those
published by clergymen.' Mr. Boyle's were cer
tainly so. Men of quality have frequently attained
such accomplishments in languages and science,
that they have become prodigies of literature. Their
libraries also have been stupendous collections, ap
proaching towards Vatican or Bodleian dimensions.
An English gendeman has been sometimes the
most ' accomplished person in the world.' How
many of these (besides a Leigh, a Wolsely, or a
Polhill,) have been benefactors to mankind by their
admirable writings ! It were much to be wished
that persons of wealth and elevation would qualify
themselves for the use of the pen as well as of the
sword, and ¦ deserve this eulogium — ' They have
written excellent things.' An English person of
quality, in his treatise, entitled, ' A View of the
Soul,' has the following passage, — ' It is certainly
the highest dignity, if not the greatest happiness,
of which human nature is capable in the vale be+
low, to have the soul so far enlightened, as to be
come the mirror, or conduit, or conveyer of God's
truth to others.' It is a had motto for a -man of
capacity — ' My understand ing is unfruitful.' Gen
tlemen, consider what subjects may most properly
and usefully fall under your cultivation. Your
pens will stab atheism and vice more effasrfiiaally
•than other men's. If out of your ' Tribe' there
come forth ' those who handle the pen of the
-writer,' they will do uncommon execution. One

120
of them has ingenuously said — ' Though I know
some functions, yet I know no truths of reli
gion, which, like the Showbread, are only for the
priests *.'
I will present to you but one proposal more,
and it is this, That you would wisely chuse a
friend of good abilities, of warm affections, and
of excellent piety. (a minister of such a character
if you can) and iutrcat him, yea oblige him to
study for you, and to suggest to you, opportunities
Jto do good. Make him, as Ambrosius did his
Origen, your Monitor. Let him advise you, from
time to time, what good vou may do. Let him
see that he never gratifies you more than by his
advice on this head. If a David have a Seer to
perform such an office for him, one who may
search for occasions of doing good, what exten
sive services may be done for the temple of God in
the world !
Let me only add, that when gentlemen occa
sionally meet together, why should not their con
versation correspond with their superior station ?
They should deem it beneath them to employ
the conversation on trifling subjects, or in such a
way that, if it were secretly taken in short hand,
they would blush to hear it repeated f. Sirs, it
becomes a gentleman to entertain his company
with the finest thoughts on the finest themes ; and
certainly there cannot be a subject so worthy of a
gentleman as this — What good is there to be done
in the world ? Were this noble subject more fre^
quently started in the conversation of gentlemen,
incredible good might be achieved.
* ."Matt, xii. i.
t ' Nihil sed uugie, et risns ct verba profcruntur in ventum.'—
Nothing but jesting, and laughing, and words scattered by the wind.

1 3D
I will conclude by saying — You must accept of
any public service, of which you are capable, when
you are called to it. Honest Jeans has this pun
gent passage : ' The world applauds the prudent
retirement of those who bury their parts and gifts
in an obscure privacy, though they have a fair call,
both from God and man, to public engagements :
but the terrible censure of these men by Jesus
Christ at the last day, will prove them to have
been the most arrant fools that ever lived on the
face of the earth.' The fault of not employing
our talent for the public good, is justly styled, ' A
great sacrilege in the temple of the God of Na
ture/ It was a sad age of which Tacitus said*
f Indolent retirement was wisdom *.'
SECT. XIX.
Proposals to various Officers.
It will berecollected, that one of cur first proposals
was, that every qne should inquire ' What can I do
for the service of God, and the welfare of man?'
It may be hoped that all officers, as such, will
conform to what has been proposed. It should be
the concern of all officers, from the emperor to the
enomotarch, to do all the good they can ; there is,
therefore, the less occasion to make a more parti
cular application to inferior officers of various kinds,
all of whom have opportunities to do good, more or
less, in their hands. However, they shall not all
have reason to complain of being neglected.
In some churches there are elders f, who 'rule
well,' though they do not ' labour in the word and
* Inerlia fuit snpientia.
t In primitive times, Ecclcsia seuiofes habuit— the church had ils
elders.

131
doctrine.' It becomes such persons often to in
quire, ' What shall we do to prevent strife, or any
other sin that may become a root of bitterness in
the church ; and that Christ and Holiness may
reign in it; and, that the ministry of the Pastor
may be countenanced, encouraged, and prospered?'
Their visits of the flock, and their endeavours to
prepare the people for special ordinances, may be
of great advantage to the state of religion.
There are Deacons also, with whom the tem
poral qffairs of the church are entrusted. It would
be well, if they would frequently inquire : — ' What
can we do that the treasury of Christ may be in
creased? What may we do that the lite of our faith
ful Pastor may be rendered more comfortable ?
What members of the flock are deficient in their
contributions to support the interests of the Gospel,
and what shall we say ' with great boldness in the
faith' to them, on this subject ?
In the State there are" many officers, to whom
the most significant and comprehensive proposal
that can be made would be, To consider their oaths.
If they would seriously reflect on the duties to which
their oaths oblige them, and would carefully perforrfi
those duties, a great deal of good would be done.
But we must a little particularise.
As the Representatives of any place have op
portunities to do good to the people at large, so
they should be particularly solicitous for the good of
that place which has elected* them. The inquiry of
each should be, ' What motions may I bring for
ward which will be for the public good, or for the
advantage of my constituents ?'
Those whom we call the ' select men' of a

132
town, will disappoint the expectations which are
justly formed of them, if they do not diligently con
sider, 'What shall we do that we may be blessings
to the town which we are to serve ?'
Grand-jurymen may very profitably inquire,
' What growing evils or nuisances do we discover,
which we shall' do well to make public?' They
should hold their consultations on these matters, as
men in earnest for the good of the country. Indeed
all jurymen should be good men. Our old compel-
lation of a neighbour by the. title of goodman, has
this origin; it was as much as to say, one qualified
to serve on a jury. Let such therefore answer their
original designation, by doing good, and by con
triving how they may do it.
Why should Constables be excused from these
obligations ? Their name (Constabularius) was first
derived from the care of making unruly horses
stand together in the stable. Sirs, you have it in
your power to do much good by being c Masters of
restraints,' in your walks and otherwise, to unruly
cattle. What are vicious persons, though perhaps
in honourable stations, but like the beasts ! Well-
disposed constables have done wonderful things in
a town, to promote good order. I must therefore
beg them to put to themselves the same question •
' What good may we do ?'
Where Tithing- men are chosen and sworn,
they have an opportunity of doing more than a little
good, if they will conscientiously perform their duty.
Let them well study the laws which lay down their
duty, and let them also make the same inquiry :
' What good may we do ?' 'Let them consult with
one another at certain times, in order to find out

133
what they have it in their power to do, and to
assist and strengthen one another in doing it. I
have now done with the civil list.
Military Commanders have their opportuni
ties to do good. They do. this in an eminent de
gree when they support exercises of piety in their
several companies and regiments, and when they
rebuke the vices of the camp with due severity.
Might not societies to suppress these vices be
formed in the camp, to very good purpose, under
their inspection ? If the soldiers ask, What shall
we do ? all my answer at present is, Sirs, consider
what you have to do.
Commanders at sea have their opportunities
also. The more alsolute they are in their com
mand, the. greater are their opportunities. The
worship of God seriously and constantly main
tained aboard, will have a very happy effect. A
body of good orders hung up in the steerage, may
produce consequences for which all the people in.
the vessel may have reason to be thankful. Books
of piety should also be taken aboard, and the men
should be desired to retire for the perusal of them,
and for other pious exercises,
SECT. XX.
Proposals to Gentlemen of the Law.
But while our book seems to have so far dis
charged its office of a. Counsellor, as to leave no fur
ther expectations, a considerable number of persons
present themselves to our notice, who- would have
just cause for complaint, if among proposals to do
good, they should remain unnoticed. Some whom
we do not find among those who addressed the
N

134
blessed morning-star of our Saviour for his direc
tion, yet are now found among those who inquire,
' And what shall we do ?' — I refer to the gentle
men of the law — who have that in their hands,
the end of which is, to do good ; and the perver
sion of which from its professed end is one of the
worst of evils.
Gentlemen, your opportunities to do good are
such, that proposals of what you are able to do,
cannot but promise themselves an obliging recep
tion with you. You have considerable advantages
for this purpose, arising from your liberal educa
tion : for with respect even to the common pleaders
at the bar, I hope that maxim of the law will not
be forgotten : ' The situation of the lawyer is so
dignified, that none should be raised to it from a
mean condition in life*.' Things are not come to
so bad a state that an honest lawyer should require
a statue, as the honest publican of old did, merely on
the score of rarity. You may, if you aim at it, be
entitled to one on the score of universal and me
ritorious usefulness.
In order to your being useful, it is necessary
that vou should be skilful ; and that you may ar
rive at an excellent skill in the law, you will be well
advised vvhat authors to study : on "this point, it
may be of the utmost consequence to be well ad
vised. The knowledge of your own Statute-law is
iiicontestibly needful. The same may be said of
the Common-law, which must continually accom
pany the execution of it. Here, besides useful
dictionaries, you have your Cook, Vaughan.,- Wind-
gate, &c &c. with whom you may converse. I
* Dignitas advocatorum nan pslilur ut in earn reripiatur, quiantea
literal vilioris condition^.

135
am sorry to find a gentleman, about the middle of
the former century, complaining of the English
law, ' that the books of it cannot be perused with
any deliberation, under three or four years, and
that the expence of them is enormous.' I do not
propose so tedious a task ; for the civil law must
also be known by those who would be fully ac
quainted with legal proceedings. Huge volumes,
aud loads of them, have been written upon it;
but among these, two small ones, at least should
he consulted, and digested by every one who
would not be an ignoramus — I mean the Enchiri
dion of Corvinus, and Arthur Duck's Treatise De
usu et authoritate juris civil'is*. I will be still
more free in declaring my opinion. Had I learn
ing enough to manage a cause of that nature, I
should be ready to maintain it at any bar in the
world, that there never was, under the cope of h a-
ven, a more learned man, than the incomparable
Alstedius. He has written on every subject in
the whole circle of learning, as accurately and as
exquisitely as those who have devoted their whole
lives to the cultivation of any one particular sub
ject. The only reason why his compositions are
not more esteemed is, the pleonasm of his worth,
and their desert of so much esteem. To hear some
silly men ridicule his labours by a foolish pun on
his name — All's tedious, is to see the ungrateful
folly of the world ; for conciseness is one of his
peculiar excellencies. They might more justly
charge him with any thing, than with tediousness.
* Concerning the use and authority of the common law, [A cen
tury has certainly produced other books of great value to the gen
tlemen of the law, but it was thought proper to retain the author's
advice on this subject, as well as on others.]

136
This digression only serves to introduce a recom
mendation of his ' Jurisprudential as one of the
best books in the world for a lawyer. I shall wrong
it if I say It is much in a little ; I would rather
say It is all in one.
A lawyer should be a scholar. It is vexatious
that the emperor Justinian, whose name is now
on the laws of the Roman empire *, is, by Suidas,
called ' AnalphabeLos— one who scarcely knew
his alphabet.' It is vexatious to find Accursius,
one of the first commentators on the laws, fall
into so many gross mistakes, through his igno
rance f- But, when you are called upon to be
wise, the design is, that you may be wise to do
good. Without this disposition, ' Doth not their
excellency which is in them go away ? They die
even without wisdom.' A foundation of piety
must first be laid; an inviolable respect to the holy
and j list and good law of God. This must be the
rule of all your actions ; and it must particularly
regulate your practice of the law. You are sensible
that it was always the custom of the civil law to
begin with — ' To the most high and gracious God J;'
nor was it unusual for the instruments of the law
to begin with the first two letters of the name of
Christ, in Greek characters. The life of the lawyer
should have its beginning there, and be carried on
with a constant regard to it. The old Saxon laws
* They bear his name, because it was by his order that Tribonian
made his hasty, and some say fallacious, collection of them, from the
two thousand volumes, into which they bad been growing for a thou
sand years.
t When a sentence of Greek occurred in the text, he was able to
¦afford no better gloss than this, ' Hrec Graica sunt, qua? nee legi, nee
intelligi possnnt — This is Greek, which can neither be read nor ex
plained.' ,} A Deo optimo raaximo.

137
had the Ten Commandments prefixed to them — Ten
Words of infinitely greater value than the famous
Twelve Tables so much admired by Tully and
other ancient writers ; in the fragments of which,
collected by Baldwin, there are some things hor
ribly. unrighteous and barbarous. These are to be
the first laws with you : and, as all the laws that are
contrary to these are ipso facto null and void, so, in
the practice of the law, every thing disallowed by
these, must be avoided. The man whom the Scrip
ture calls a lawyer was a Karaite, or one who strictly
adhered to the written law of God, in opposition to
the Pharisee and the Traditionist. I know not why
every lawyer should not still he, in the best sense,
a Karaite. By manifesting a reverence for the di
vine law, both that of reason and that of super
added Gospel, you will do good in the world beyond
what you can imagine. You will redeem your
honourable profession from the inuiry which bad
men have done to its reputation ; and you will ob
tain a patronage for it very different from that which
the Satyr in the idle story of your Saint Evona has
assigned to it.
Your celebrated Ulpian wrote seven books, to
shew the several punishments which ought to be
inflicted on christians. It is to be hoped that you
"will invent as many services to be done to the
cause of Christianity, services to be performed for
the kingdom of your Saviour, and methods by
which to demonstrate that you yourselves are among
the best of" christians.
1 am not sure that our Tertullian was the. gentle
man of that name, who hath some Consulta in the
-Roman tyigesta; which Grotius and others will not
admit : yet Eusebius tells us that h* was well skilled
N 2

138
in the Roman laws : and in hisy writings you will
find' many law terms, particularly ' Prescriptions
against Heretics,' which were, as we learn from
Cjuintillian and others, the replies of defendants to
the actions of the plaintiffs. I propose that others
of the faculty study all possible Prescriptions against
those who would injure the cause of Christianity,
and ' Apologies' for the church and cause of our
Saviour. But, sirs, it must first of all be done in
your own virtuous, exact, upright conduct, under
all temptations. The miscarriages of some indi
viduals must not bring a blemish on a noble and
useful profession.
But although the profession in general must not
be blamed for the faults of a few, yet many will al
low the justness of the following remark, which
occurs in a late publication, entitled ' Examen Mis-
cellaneum :' 'A lawyer who is a knave, deserves
death more than the man that robs on the high
way ; for he profanes the sanctuary of the distressed,
and betrays the liberties of the people.' To avoid
such a censure, a lawyer must shun all those indi
rect ways of ' making haste to be rich,' in which a
man cannot be innocent : such ways as provoked
the father of Sir Matthew Hale to abandon the prac
tice of the law, on account of the extreme difficulty
of preserving a good conscience in it. Sir, be pre
vailed upon constantly to keep a coturt of chancery in
your qwn breast ; and scorn and fear to do any thing
but that which your conscience will pronounce con
sistent with, and conducing to — ' Glory to God in
the highest, peace on earth, and good-will towards
men.' The very nature of your profession leads
you to meditate on ' a judgment to come.' O that
you would so realise and antedate that judgment, as

130
to do nothing but what ypu verily believe will be
approved in it !
This piety must operate very particularly, in the
Pleading of Causes. You will abhor to appear in
a dirty cause. If you discover that your client has
an unjust cause, you will faithfully advise him of
it,. The question is, ' Whether it be lawful to use
falsehood and deceit in contending with an adver
sary*?' It is to be hoped that you have deter
mined this question like an honest man. You will
be sincerely desirous that truth and justice should
take place. You will speak nothing which shall
be to the prejudice of either. You will detest the
use of all unfair arts to confound evidences, to
brow-beat witnesses, or to suppress what may give
light in the case. You have nothing to object to
that old rule of pleading a cause : ' When the guilt
of the party is clearly proved, the counsel ought to
withdraw his support f.' I remember that Schus-
terus, a famous lawyer and counsellor, who died at
Heidelberg in the year 1672, has an admirable pas
sage in his epitaph : ' When at the point of death
he could say, I never in the whole course of my
practice gave an opinion of which I now repent J.'
A lawyer who can leave the world with such lan
guage as this, proves a greater blessing to the world
than can be expressed.
I cannot encourage any gentleman to spend much
time in the study of the C^non laiv; which Bap-
tista a Sancto Blasio has found to contradict the
* Utrum fallaciis et deceptionibus ad convincendum adversarium
uti liceat ?
t Cognita iniquitate, a suscepto ejus patrocinio advocatus desistera
debet. + * Morti proximus vocera emisit ;
Nihil se unquam suasisse consilio.
¦Cujus jam jam moriturum peniteret.'"

140
ciyil law in two hundred instances. The decrees;
the decretals ; the Clementines, and extravagants,
which compose the hideous volumes of that law,
would compel any wise man to make the same apo
logy for his aversion to it which such a one once
made : ' I cannot, sir, feed on that which is vile*.'
Agrippa, who was a doctor of that law, said of it,
' It is neither o/God nor for Him : nothing but
corruption , invented it; nothing but avarice has
practised it.' Luther began the reformation with
burning if. Nevertheless -there is one point much
insisted on in the canon law, which well deserves
your serious consideration; that is, — restitution.
When men have obtained riches without right, or
have heaped up wealth in any dishonest and crimi
nal ways, a restitution will be a'nee'essary and essen
tial part of that repentance which alone will find
acceptance, with heaven. The solemnity of this
thought may stand like an ' angel with a drawn
sword' in your way, when you may be under a
temptation to leave the path of duty, to go after
the wages of unrighteousness.' Our law was once
given to us in French. Many of you, gentlemen,
know the modern French as well as the ancient.
Mons. Placette has given you a valuable treatise of
Restitution, in which there is a chapter, ' Of the
cases in which counsellors are obliged to make res-
titutiont.' In that chapter some persdns will find
a sad Bill of Costs taxed for them; and among
other assertions, this is one : ' Excessive fees must
be disgorged by restitution J .' This should be con
sidered. * Nan possum, doraine, vesci stercqre humano.
t Des cas ou les avocats sont obliges a restittter.
f S'il exige unc recompense excessive et disproportion^ & ee qu'il
fait, il est oblige a reslituer ee qu'il proud de trop.

141
It is an old complaint, ' that a good lawyer is sel
dom a good neighbour.' You know how to con
fute it, gentlemen, by making your skill in the law
a blessing to the neighbourhood. It was affirmed
as long ago as in the time of Sallust, ' Towns
were happy formerly, when there were no lawyers ;
and they will be so again when the race is ex
tinct * ; but you may, if you please, be a vast
accession to the happiness of the places where you
reside. You shall have some of my proposals for it, in
an historical exhibition. In the life of Mr. John
Cotton, the author relates the following, concern
ing his father, who was a lawyer. ' That worthy
.man was very remarkable in two most admirable
. practices. One was, that when any one of his
neighbours wishing to sue another, applied to him
for advice, it was his custom, in the most persua
sive and affectionate manner imaginable, to attempt
a reconcilia.tion between both parties ; preferring
the consolation of being a peace-maker, to all the
fees which he might have obtained by blowing up
the differences. Another was, he was accustomed,
every night, to examine himself, with reflections
on the transactions of the past day ; and if he
found that he had neither done good to others, nor
got good to his own soul, he was as much grieved
as Titus was, when he complained in the evening —
' My friends 1 I have lost a day f.'
What a noble thing would it be for you to find
out oppressed widows and orphans ; and as such
can appear only ' in forma pauperis ;' and are ob
jects, in whose oppression ' might overcomes,
right,' generously plead their cause ! ' Deliver the
* Sine Causidicis sati< fwlices ohm fuere, futuraque sunt urbes,
t Amici, diem perdidi!

142
poor and needy, and rid them out of the hand of
the wicked' — it will be a glorious and a godlike
action !
Affluent persons, about to make their wills,
may frequently ask your advice. You may em
brace the opportunity of advising them to such
liberality in behalf of pious purposes, as may
greatly advance the kingdom of God in the world.
And, when you have opportunity, by law, to rescue
' the things that are God's' from the sacrilegious
hands that would ' rob God,' it may be hoped
that you will do it with all possible generosity and
alacrity. O excellent imitation of our glorious
Advocate in the heavens !
Is there nothing to be amended in the laws ?
Perhaps you may discover many things yet want
ing in the laws ; or mischiefs in the execution or
application of them, which ought to be provided
against ; or mischief's which annoy mankind,
against which, no laws are yet provided. The re
formation of the laws, and more laws for the re
formation of the world, are loudly called for. I do
not affirm that our laws could be so reduced,
that, like those of Geneva, they might be con
tained in five sheets of paper ; but certainly the
laws may be so corrected, that the world may
more sensibly and generally enjoy the benefit of
them. If some lawyers, ' men of an excellent
spirit,' would direct their attention this way, and
call the attention of the legislature to them, all
the world might feel the benefit of it. A worthy
man, more than fifty years ago, wrote ' An Exa
mination of the English Laws "*,' which deserves
consideration in the present day.
Your learning often qualifies you to ' write ex-
t Examen Legum Angliae.

143
cellent things,' not only in your own profession,
but also on many other entertaining and edifyiuo-
themes. The books which have been written by
learned lawyers, would, in number, almost equal
an Alexandrian library. Judge by a Freherus'
catalogue, or by a Pryn's performances. What
valuable works have been produced by a Grotius,
a Hale, a Selden ! Gentlemen, you may plead the
cause of religion and of the reformation, by your
well directed pens ; and perform innumerable ser
vices to the public. There is one*, at this day,
who, in his ' History of the Apostles Creed,' has
obliged us to say, ' he has offered like a king to
the temple of the King of heaven.' May the Lord
his God accept him !
Should you be called, sir, to the administration
of justice, in the quality of a judge, you will pre
scribe to yourself, rules, like those which the re
nowned Lord Chief Justice Hale so religiously
observed, as to become a bright example for all
who occupy the seat of judicature. The sum of
those rules is as follows :
' That justice be administered uprightly, deli
berately, resolutely.
' That I rest not on my own understanding,
but implore the direction of God.
' That in the execution of Justice, I carefully
lay aside my own passions, and not give way to
them, however provoked.
' That I be wholly intent on the business I am
about. ' That I suffer not myself to be prepossessed
with any judgment at all, till all the business, and,
both parties are heard.' * Lord Chancellor King.

144
In the pursuance of such methods to do good,
to serve the cause of righteousness, and introduce
the promised age, in which ' the people shall all
be righteous,' the least of those glorious recom-
pences you may expect, will be the establishment
of your profession, in such a reputation, that the
most prejudiced persons in the world, when seek
ing to find blemishes in it, will be obliged to bring
in an Ignoramus.
SECT. XXI.
Societies for Reformation.
Societies for the reformation of man
ners, and for the Suppression of Vice, have be
gun to grow into esteem, and it is one of the
best omens that appear in the world. 'Behold,'
how great a matter a little (of this heavenly) fire
kihdleth !' Five or six gentlemen in London,
associated, with a heroic resolution, to oppose
that torrent of wickedness which was carrying all
before it. More were soon added to their num
ber ; and though they met with great opposition
from ' wicked spirits,' incarnate, as well as invi-;
sible ones, and some in ' high places' too, yet
they proceeded with a most honourable and in
vincible courage* Their success, if not propor
tioned to their courage, was yet far from con
temptible. In the punishments inflicted on those
who transgressed the laws of morality, many thou
sands of sacrifices were offered to the holiness of God.
Hundreds of houses, which were the porches of
hell, and the scandal of the earth, were soon shut
up. A remarkable check was given to the raging*
profanation of the Lord's name; and the Lord's

145
day was not so openly and horridly abused as be
fore. Among other essays to do good, they scat
tered many thousands of good books among tho
people, which had a tendency to reform their
manners. It was not long before this excellent
example was followed in other parts of the British
empire. Virtuous men of various ranks and per
suasions, became members of the societies. Per
sons high and low, churchmen and dissenters,
united ; and the union became formidable to the
powers of darkness. The report of the societies
flew over the seas, and the pattern was imitated in
other countries. Wise men, in remote parts of
Europe, made this joyful remark upon them, ' that
they occasion unspeakable good, and announce a
more illustrious state of the church of God, which
is to be expected in the conversion of Jews and
Gentiles.' America too, begins to be irradiated
with them.
I shall here recite an account, formerly pre
sented to the public, of what may be effected by
such societies. ' What incredible benefits will
accrue to religion from reforming societies, if the
disposition to promote them should not unhap
pily languish. A small society may prove an in
valuable blessing to a town, whose welfare should
become the object of their watchful attention :
they may be as a garrison to defend it from the
worst of its enemies : they may soon render it ' a
mountain of holiness, and a dwelling of righteous
ness.' The society may assist in promoting the
execution of those wholesome laws, by which vice
is discouraged. Offenders against the law may be
kept under such vigilant inspection, that they shall
not escape punishment ; and censured sinners will

146
he reclaimed from their sins ; or, at least, the
judgments of God, which may be expected where
such sins are indulged, will be diverted. ' When
we judge ourselves, the judgments of God will
be averted.' Swearing and cursing will not infect
the air. Men will not reel along the streets,
transformed into swine by drunkenness. The cages
of unclean birds will be dissipated. They whom
idleness rendered dead while they lived, will have
an honest employment provided for them. And
the Lord's day will be visibly kept holy to the
Lord* ' Vice is a cowardly thing ; it will soon shrink
before those who boldly oppose it. If any laws
necessary to remedy what is amiss, be yet wanting,
the society may apply to the legislative power to
procure them. What is defective in the bye-
laws of the town, may soon be supplied. The
election of such officers as may be faithful, and
useful to the public, may be influenced by the so
ciety. If any persons be notoriously defective in
their duty, the society may, by suitable admoni
tions and remonstrances, cause those defects to be
amended. If any families live without family wor
ship, the pastor may be informed, who will visit
them, and exhort them no longer to remain in
their atheism. If any are in danger of being led
away by seducers, or other temptations, care may
be taken to warn them, Schools of various kinds-
may derive advantage from such a society. Cha
rity schools may be erected, inspected, and sup
ported. Books and tracts, containing the salt of
heaven, may be sprinkled all over the land, and
the savour of truth, be diffused about the country.
Finally the society may find out who are in ex-

147
treme necessity, and by their own liberality, ot
that of others, may procure assistance for them.
' We know that a small society may effect these
things, because we know that they have been done,
and yet the persons who did them have been con
cealed from the world. To minds elevated above
the dregs of mankind, and endued with any gene
rosity, no other argument to form such a society
will be needful, than the prospect of so much
usefulness. This will strongly recommend the
design to well-disposed persons, and they will think
it an honour to belong to such a society.'
The recital of these passages may be sufficient
to introduce the following proposal :
That a proper number of persons in a neighbour
hood, whose hearts God hath inclined to do good,
should form themselves into a society, to meet
when and where they shall agree, and to consider
— ' What are the disorders that we may observe
rising among us ; aud what may be done, either
by ourselves immediately, or by others through
our advice, to suppress those disorders ?' That
they would procure, if they can, the presence of a
Minister with them ; and every time they meet,
present a prayer to the Lord to bless, direct, and
prosper the design. That they would also pro-.
cure, if possible, a Justice of the Peace, to be a
member of the society. That half-yearly they
qhuse two Stewards, to dispatch the business and
messages of the society, and manage the votes in
it, who shall nominate their successors when their
term is expired. That they would have a faithful
Treasurer, in whose hands their stock of charity
may be deposited ; and a Clerk to keep a suitable
record of their transactions and purposes : and,

148
finally, that they carry on their whole design with
as much modesty and silence as possible.
In a town furnished with several such societies,
if has. been usual for them all to meet together
once a year, and keep a day of prayer ; in which
they have humbled themselves for doing so little
good, and intreated the pardon of their unfruitful-
ness, through the blood of the great Sacrifice; and
implored the blessing of heaven on those essays
to do good which they have made, the counsel,
and conduct of heaven for their further attempts,
¦and such influences of heaven as may accomplish
that reformation which it was not in their power
to effect.
I will conclude this Proposal by reciting those
Points of Consideration, which may be read to the
societies, at their meetings from time to time, with
a proper pause after each of them, that any mem
ber may offer what he pleases upon it.
] . Is there any remarkable disorder in the place,
which requires our endeavours for the suppression
of it ? and, In what good, fair, likely way may
we attempt it ?
2. Is there any particular person, whose disor
derly behaviour may be so scandalous, that it may
be proper to send him our charitable admonition ?
or, Are there any contending persons whom we
should exhort to quench their contentions ?
,3. Is there any particular service to the interests,
of religion, which we may conveniently request
our ministers to take notice of?
4. Is there any thing which we may do well to
mention and recommend to the magistrates, for
the further promotion of good orderv?
5. Is there any sort of officers among us who

140
are so unmindful of their duty, that we may pro
perly remind them of it ?
6. Can any further methods be devised that ig- .
norance and wickedness may be chased from our
people in general; and that domestic piety, in par
ticular, may flourish among them ?
7. Is there any instance of oppression orfraudu-
lence, in the dealings of any sort of people, which
may call for our efforts to prevent it in future ?
8. Is there any matter to be humbly recom
mended to the legislative power, to be enacted into
a law for the public benefit ?
9, Do we know of any person languishing under
heavy affliction, and what can we do for the suc
cour of that afflicted neighbour ?
10. Has any person a proposal to make, for the
further advantage, assistance, and usefulness of
this society ?
Reader — ' Look now towards heaven, and tell
the stars, if thou be able to number them ;' yea,
tell first the leaves of the Hercynian forest, and the
drops of the Atlantic Ocean — then tell, how many
good things may be done by societies of good men,
having such points of consideration before them.
And yet, after all, wdien such societies have
done all the good they can, and nothing but good,
and walk on in a more unspotted brightness than
that of the moon in heaven, let them expect to be
maligned and libelled as ' a set of scoundrels who
are maintained by lying, serve God for unrighteous
gain, ferret out whores for subsistence, and are not
more zealous against immorality in their informa
tions, than for it on their own practice ; avoiding
no sin in themselves, and suffering none in other
people,' I suppose that they who publish their
o 3

150
censures on The manners of the age. will thus
express their malignity, because they have done so.
Sirs ! ' add to your faith, courage,' and be armed
for such a trial of it.
SECT. XXII.
A Catalogue of Desirables.
We will not propose that our essays to do good
should ever come to a close ; but we will now put
a close to our tender of Proposals for them ; I shall
therefore conclude with a Catalogus Desideratorum,
or a mention of some obvious and general services
for the kingdom of God among men, to which
it is desirable that religious persons should be
awakened *•
The propagation of the holy and glorious re
ligion of Christ ; a religion which emancipates
mankind from the worst kind of slavery and mi
sery, and wonderfully ennobles it ; and which
alone prepares men for- the blessedness of another
world. Why is this no more attempted by its
professors ? Protestants, will you be out-done by
Popish idolaters ? O the vast pains which those
bigots have taken to carry on the Romish mer
chandize and idolatry ! No less than six hundred
clergymen, in the order of the Jesuits alone, have,
within a few years, embarked for China, to win
over that mighty nation to their bastard Christi
anity. No less than five hundred of them lost
their lives in the difficulties of their enterprize, and
yet the survivors go on with it, expressing a sort
* Difficilem rem optas, generis huraani innocenfiam : If you long
for the reformation of mankind, you are longing for that which- it is
diiiicuit to accomplish.

151
of regret that it fell not to their share to make a
sacrifice of their lives in attempting the propagation
of their religion. ' O my God, I am ashamed,
and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God !'
Who can tell what great things might be done if
our trading companies and factories would set
apart a more considerable part of their gains lor
this work, and would prosecute it more vigorously.
The proposal which Gordon has made at the end
of his Geography, that all persons of property
would appropriate a small part of their wealth to
this purpose, should be more attentively considered.
What has already been done by the Dutch mis
sionaries at Ceylon, and the Danish missionaries
at Malabar, one would imagine sufficient to excite
us to imitate them.
If men of zeal for evangelising and illuminating
a miserable world, would learn the languages of
some nations which are yet unevangelised, and
wait on the providence of heaven to direct them to
some apostolical undertakings, and to bless them
therein, who can tell what might be done ! We
know what Ruffinus relates concerning the con
version of the Iberians, and what Socrates mentions
concerning the things done by Frumentius and
Aedesius in the inner India.
In this subject there are two things worthy of
remark :
1. It is the opinion of some Seers, that until
the Temple be cleansed, there will be no general
appearance of the nations to worship in it. And
the truth is, there will be danger until then,
that many persons active in societies for the propa
gation of religion, may be more intent on propa
gating their own little forms, fancies, and interests,

152
than the more weighty matters of the gospel. Yea,
it will be well if they be not, unawares, imposed
upon, to injure the cause of Christianity where it
is well established, while places in the neighbour
hood wholly unevangelised may he neglected.
Let us therefore do what we can towards the re
formation of the Church, in order to its enlargement.
2. It is probable that the Holy Spirit will be
again bestowed on the Church for its enlargement,
in operations similar to those which, in the first
ages of Christianity, were granted, for its plan
tation. The Holy Spirit who has withdrawn from
the apostate Church will come and abide with us,
.and render this world like a watered garden. His
irresistible influences will cause whole nations to
be born in a day. He will not only convert, but
unite his people. By him, God will dwell with
men. Would not our heavenly Father give his
Holy Spirit if he were more earnestly entreated of
him !
It is lamentable to observe the ignorance and
wickedness yet remaining, even in many parts
of the British dominions ; in Wales, in the High
lands of Scotland, and in Ireland. Are the Gouges
all dead ? There are pretended Shepherds in the
world, who will never be able to answer before ths
Son of God, for their laying so little to heart the
deplorable circumstances of so many persons whom
they might, if they were not scandalously negli
gent, bring to be more acquainted with the only
Saviour. Why is nothing more effected for the poor
Greeks, Armenians, Muscovites, and other Chris
tians, who have little preaching, and no printinc
among them ? If we were to send them Biblee,

153
Psalters, and other Books of Piety in their own
language, they would be noble presents, and God
only knows how useful.
Poor sailors and poor soldiers call for our
pity. They meet with great troubles, and yet
their manners seldom discover any good effects
of their trials. What shall be done to make them
a better set of men ? Besides more books of piety
distributed among them, other methods must be
devised. ' An as? falls, and the first who comes
lifts htm up : a soul is on the brink of ruin, and
not a hand is stretched out.' Let Austin awaken
us *.
The Tradesman's library should be more en
riched. We have seen ' Husbandry spiritualized;'
the employment of the ' Shepherd spiritualized ;'
'Navigation spiritualized;' and the 'Weaver,'
also furnished with agreeable meditations. To
spread the nets of Salvation for men in the way
of their personal callings, and to convey pious
thoughts in the terms and branches, of their per
sonal callings, is a real service to the interests of
piety. A book also that shall be an ' Onomato-
logia Monitoria,' a ' Remembrancer from names,'
and shall advise persons how to«makc their names
the monitors of their duty, might be of much use
16 the christened world. And a book which shall
be ' The Angel of Belhcsda," giving instructions
in what manner to improve in piety, by the several
maladies with which any may be afflicted ; and
at the same time informing them of the most ex
perimental, natural, and specific remedies for their
disorders, might be very useful to mankind.
* Cadit asinus, & est qui sublcvaf : peril anitna, el non est qu
mamnu appemat 1

154
Universities which shall have more Collegia
Pietatis in them, like those of the excellent Franc-
kius in the Lower Saxony. O that such institu
tions were more numerous ! Seminaries, in which
the scholars may have a most polite education, but
not be sent forth with recommendations for the
evangelical ministry, till, upon a strict examination,
it be found that their souls are fired with the fear
of God, the love of Christ, a zeal to do good, and
a resolution to bear poverty, reproach, and all sorts
of temptations, in the service of our holy religion.
Such characters would be the wonders of the
world ; and what wonders might they do in the
world !
Let Charity-schools also ' increase and multiply:'
Charity-schools which may provide subjects for
the great Saviour, blessings for the next generation:-
Charity-schools, not perverted to the ill purpose
of introducing a defective Christianity.
It is the part of wisdom to observe and pursue
those things which, so far as we understand by the
books of the sacred Prophecy, are to be the ivOrks
of our day. When the time had arrived that An
tichrist should enter his last ' half-time,' one
poor monk proved a main instrument of wresting
from him half his empire. Thus to fill in with
the designs of Divine Providence, is the way to be
wonderfully prospered and honoured. The works
of our day I take to be as follows :
1. The Revival of Primitive Christianity : to en
deavour to restore every thing of the primitive cha
racter. The apostacy is going off. The time for
cleansing the temple comes on. More Edwards
would be vast blessings, when the primitive doc
trines of Christianity are corrupted.

155
2. The persuading of the European powers to
shake off the chains of popery. Let this argument
be used : there is no popish nation but would, by
embracing the protestant religion, not only intro
duce itself into a glorious liberty, but also would
double its wealth immediately. It is strange that
this has not been more attended to. Let it be pro
secuted with more demonstration. A certain writer
has shown, that the abolition of popery in England,
is worth at least eight millions sterling to the nation,
annually. Let this argument, arising from interest,
be tried with other nations.
3. The formation and quickening of the people
who are to be ' The stone cut out of the mountain.'
In this thing, as in some others, ' None of the
wicked shall understand ; but the wise shall under
stand.' God will do his own work in his own time
and manner ; and Austin says, ' It is adviseable to
withhold part of what I meant to say, because of
men's incapacity to receive it *.'
* Utile est ut taceatur aliquod verbum, propter incapaces.

156

CONCLUSION.
' The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform
these things :' a zeal inspired and produced by the
Lord of Hosts in his faithful servants, will put them
upon the performance of such things. Nothing has
yet been proposed that is impracticable : ' I men
tion not things of great difficulty, but such as are
within our power *.' But Eusebius has taught me,
' That it is truly noble to do great things, and yet
to esteem yourself as nothingf.' Sirs, while pur
suing such a course of actions as has been de
scribed above ; actions which are far more glorious
than all the achievements of which those bloody
plunderers whom we call conquerors have made a
wretched ostentation ; — still humility must crown
the whole. Without this they are all nothing :
nothing, without a sense that you are nothing, and
a willingness to be so esteemed. You must first,
most humbly acknowledge to the great God, ' that
after you have done all, you are unprofitable ser
vants ;' that you have not only done that which
was your duty to do, but also, that you have fallen
exceedingly short of your duty. If God should
abase you with very dark dispensations of his pro
vidence, after all your indefatigable and disinterested
' essays' to glorify him, humble yourselves before
him; yet abate nothing of your exertions. Perse
vere, saying, my God will humble me, yet will I
glorify him. Lord, tnou art righteous. Still will
I do all I can to promote thy glorious kingdom.
* Non fortia loquor, sed possibilia.
t Vere magnum est magna facere, 6c teipsum putare nihil,

&

157
This act of humiliation is indeed comparatively
easy. There is one to be demanded of you, of much
greater difficulty; that is, that you humbly submit
to all the discredit which God may appoint for you
among men. Your adorable Saviour was one who
always went about doing good. Mankind was never
visited by a benefactor like him ; and yet neyer was
any one so vilified. Had he been the worst male
factor in the world, he could not have been treated
in a worse manner. He expostulated with them,
and inquired, ' For which of my good works dp you
thus treat me.' Yet they continued the same con
duct : they hated him, they reproached him, they
murdered him. Austin very truly said, ' A sight
of our Lord's cross is a certain cure for pride*.' It
will also he a remedy for discouragement : it will
keep you from sinking, as well as from being lifted
up. You are conformed to your Saviour in your
watchful endeavours to do good, and to be fruitful
in every good work. But your conformity to him
yet wants one point more to render it complete ;
that is, to be ' despised and rejected of men ;' and
patiently to bear the contempt, the malice, and the
abuse of a perverse generation. One of the fathers,
who sometimes wanted a little of this grace, could
6ay ; ' Nothing makes us so acceptable in the sight
of God and man, as to rise high by our good ac
tions, and yet sink low in humility f.'
It is an excellent thing to come to nothing in
your own esteem. If you hear the hopes of un
friendly men. that you will come to nothing ; hear
it with as much satisfaction as they can hope for
* Remedium elationis est contuitus Dominica? crucis.
t Nihil est nos ita et hominibus et Deo gratos facit, quam si vitas
merito magni, et humilhatc inlimi simus.

158
it. In this sense embrace exinanition and annihi
lation. A person who had been a famous bene
factor, was much affected with the picture of a
devout man, to whom- a voice came down from
heaven, ' What wouldst thou have me do for
thee?' To which he replied, ' Nothing, Lord,
hut that I may be permitted to suffer contempt for
thy sake *. Sirs, let it be seen somewhere else
than in picture ; be yourselves the reality : and
thus let patience have its perfect work.
I hope you are too wise to imagine that, because
you are never weary of well-doing, you will
therefore be. universally well spoken of. No ; it
will be just the contrary. To do well, and to bear
evil, is the common experience, and should be our
constant expectation. And for this unreasonable
thing), many reasons may be given. It will be
impossible to do much good without some persons
accounting themselves injured by what you do.
You will unavoidably serve more interests to which
others are inimical.. It is also the nature of mad
¦men. to take up strange prejudices against, their
best friends ; and. to be averse to.none so. much. as
to them. Now we may every where see those
concerning whom we are told; 'Madness is- in
their hearts.' This will appear in their unac
countable prejudices against those who most of all
seek their good. Then ' he teareth me in his
wrath who hateth me: he. gnasheth upon me
with his teeth : mine enemy sharpeneth hisieyes
upon me.' A. benefactor will perhaps be honoured
as the Lindians worshipped Hercules*, by cursino-
and throwing stones. The wrath of God. agains't
* ' Quid vis fieri pro te ?' ' Nihil, Doniine, nisi pati et coutemni
pro te ?

159
** sinful and miserable world, is likewise discovered
in this matter. If men who are always intent on
doing good, were so generally beloved and esteemed
as they ought to be, they would become instru
ments of doing more good than the justice Of
heaven can yet allow to be done for a sinful world.
The world is neither worthy of them, nor of the
good which they endeavour to perform. To de
prive the world of that good, mankind must be
permitted to entertain a strange aversion to those
persons who would fain perform it. This cramps
and fetters them, and defeats their excellent pur
poses. Nor is the great adversary idle on this occasion.
The man who shall do much good, will thereby
do much harm to his empire. It would be sur
prising if the devil should not seek to devour,
or take an exquisite revenge upon such men of
God. And unless God should lay an uncommon
restraint upon that wicked one, such is the power
of the adversary, and so great an influence has he
over the minds of multitudes, that he will bitterly
revenge himself upon any remarkable doer of good :
he will procure him a troop of enemies, and whole
vollies of reproaches. But O thou servant of God,
by Him thou shalt ' run through a troop ; by thy
God thou shalt leap over a wall.' We should be
so far from wondering that wicked men are enraged
at the man who does much good; that they spread
so many false reports, and write so many libels on
his character, that we ought rather to wonder the
devil does not make this world hotter than a Baby
lonish furnace for him ; too hot for his continuing
in it. Sirs, if you will do much, it is very likely
that the devil may sometimes raise upon your op-

i6o
portunities to do good, such a horrible tempest as-
may threaten their utter ruin. You may fear to
have your serviceableness — the ' apple of your eye'
struck out : you may be driven to prayers, to tears,
and to frequent fasting in secret, on this account.
Prostrate in the dust, you must offer up your sup
plications with strong crying and tears, to Him
that is able to save your ' opportunities of useful
ness from death :' you must cry out, ' O deliver
my soul, (my serviceableness,) from the sword,
my darling from the power of the dog 1' The
words of the great Baxter are to the purpose, and
worthy to be introduced on this occasion :
' The temptations and suggestions of Satan, yea,
and often his external and contrived snares are
such as frequently to give men a palpable discovery
of his agency. Whence is it that such wonderful,
successive trains of impediments are set in the
way of almost every man that intends any great
and good work in the world ? I have, among men
of my own acquaintance, observed such wonderful
frustrations of many designed excellent works, by
such strange unexpected means, such a variety of
them, and so powerfully carried on, that I have
been convinced there is a most vehement invisible
malice permitted by God to resist mankind, and
to militate against all good in the world. Let a
man have any work of the greatest natural impor
tance, which tends to no great benefit to man
kind, and he may proceed without any extraordi
nary impediment. But let him have any great de
sign for the common good, in things that tend to
destroy sin, to heal divisions, to revive charity, to
increase virtue, and to save men's souls, yea, or
to the public common felicity ; and his impedi-

i6i
ments shall be so multifarious, so far-fetched, so
subtil, so incessant, and in spite of all his care
and resolution, usually so successful, that he shall
seem to himself like a man that is held fast hand
and foot, while he sees no one touch him ; or that
sees a hundred blocks brought and cast before him
in his way, while he sees no one do it.'
I have transcribed this passage that such oppo
sition mav not come upon any one unexpectedly,
O thou doer of good, expect a conflict with
wicked spirits in high places, to clog all the good
thou dost propose to do. Expect that they will
make ceaseless endeavours to overwhelm thee by
instilling into the minds of men vile ideas concern
ing thee, and by putting into their mouths calum
nies against thee. These will be some of their de
vices to defeat all thy proposals : ' Be not ignorant
of Satan's devices.'
Yea, and if the devil were asleep, there is ma
lignity enough in the hearts of wicked men them
selves, to render a man who wishes to do good,
very offensive and troublesome to them. They are
the offspring of him who ' slew his brother, be
cause his works were righteous ;' and they will
malign a man because he is useful to other men.
Indeed, ' To be spoken ill of by the wicked is to
he praised *' Wicked men will curse a man be
cause he is a blessing. Base and wicked dispo
sition !
I happened once to be present in the room where
a dying man could not leave the world until he had
lamented to a Minister, whom be had sent for on
this account, the unjust calumnies and injuries
which he had often cast upon him. The Minister
9 Malls displicere est laudari.
P 2

162
asked the poor penitent what was the occasion of
his abusive conduct ; whether he had been imposed"
upon by any false reports. The man made this
horrible answer : ' No, sir ; it was merely this ; I
thought you were a good man, and that yOu did
much good in the world, and therefore I hated you.
Is it possible, is it possible, said the poor sinner,
for such a wretch to find pardon ? ' Truly, though
other causes may be assigned for the spite and rage
of wicked men against a person of active benevo
lence, yet I shall not be deceived if I fear that a se
cret antipathy to the kingdom of God lies at the
bottom of it. Or, in proud men it may frequently
be pale envy, enraged that other men are more use
ful in the world than they, and vexing themselves
with more than Sicilian torments, at the sight of
what God and man unite to perform. 'They see
it and are grieved.' ' He is not a good man who
has not goodness enough to call forth envy and
hatred *.' But you must not think strange of the
trial, if men speak evil of you, after you have done
good to many, yea to those very persons who thus
speak. It will not be strange if you should ' hear
the defaming of many ;' if the men who do not
love the holy ways of the Lord in his churches,
should have no love to you; if javelins should be
thrown at you with the most impetuous rage ; and
if pamphlets filled with falsehood and slander should
be published against you. God may wisely and in
much faithfulness permit these things to hide pride
from you. ' O how much of that deadly poison,
pride, still remains within us ; for which nothing-
short of poison is an antidotef !' Alas ! while we
* .Non bonus est qui non ad invidiam usque bonus est.
1 0 quantum est venenuni superbias, quod non potest nisi vcneno curari

163
still carry about us, the grave-clothes of pride, these
rough hands are the best that can be employed to
pull them off. If you should meet with such things,
you must bear them with much meekness, much
silence, great self-abasement, and a disposition to
forgive the worst of all your persecutors. ' Being
defamed, you must entreat.' Be well pleased if
you can redeem any opportunities to do good. Be
ready to do good even to those from whom you
suffer evil. And when you have done all the good
in your power, account yourself well paid if you
escape as well as the crane did from the wolf; if
you are not punished for what you do. In short,
be insensible of any merit in your performances.
Lie in the dust, and be willing that both God and
man should lay you there. Endeavour to recon
cile your mind to indignities. Entertain them
with all the calmness and temper imaginable. Be
content that three hundred in Sparta should be
preferred before you. When envious men can fix
upon you no other blemish, " they will say of you,
as thCy said of Cyprian, that you are a proud man,
because you do not jog on in their heavy road of
slothfulness. Bear this also, with a still more
profound humility. It is the last effort usually
made by the dying ' pride of life,' to bear the
charge of pride with impatience.
Ye useful men, your acceptance with your Sa
viour, and with G°d through him, and your re
compence in the world to come, are to carry you
cheerfully through all, your essays at usefulness;
To be ' reprobate for every good work' is a cha
racter from which it will be the wisdom of all
men to fly, with the greatest dread imaginable.
And to be ' always abounding in the work of the

164
Lord' is the truest and highest wisdom, ft is the
' wisdom which is from above, full of mercy and
good fruits.' The sluggards who do no good in
the world, are wise in their own conceit ; but the
men who are diligent in doing good, can give such
a reason for what they do, as proves them to be
really wise. Men ' leave off , to be wise,' when
they leave off to ' do good.' The wisdom of it
appears in this : it is the best way of spending our
time; that time is well spent which is employed
in doing good. It is also a sure and pleasant way
effectually to -bespeak the blessings of God on our
selves. Who so likely to find blessings as the men
that are blessings ? It has been said, 'He who
lives well, always prays * ;' and I will add, ' He
who acts' well, prays well f ' Every action we per
form for the kingdom of God,, is, in effect, a prayer
for the blessing of God. While we are at work
for God, certainly he will be at work for us and
ours. He will do for us far more than we have
done for him; more than we can ask or think.
There is a voice in every good action ; it is this ;
¦* O do good unto those that are good.' Yea, and
there may be this more particular effect of what we
do.; while we employ our invention for the inte
rests of God, it is very probable that we shall
sharpen it for our own. We shall become the
more wise for ourselves, because we have been wise
to do good. And of the man who is compared to
a tree that brings forth fruit, we read, ' Whatso
ever he doeth shall prosper.' Nor can a man take
a readier way to ' live joyfully all the days of the
life of his vanity, which God hath given him under
the sun:' for, in this case our life will not be
*' Qui bene vivit, semper oral. t Qui bene agit, bene oiat.

165
thrown away in vanity, nor shall we live in vain.
My friend, ' Go thy way, and be joyful, for God
accepteth thy works.' Our few and evil days are
rendered much less so, by our doing good in every
one of them, as it rolls over our heads : Yea, the
holy Spirit of God, who is the quickener of those
who do good without ceasing, will also be their
comforter. Every day in which we are active for
the kingdom of God, will be in some measure a
day of Pentecost to us ; a day of the holy Spirit's
coming upon us. The Consolations of God, will
not be small with the man who is full of contri
vances for God, and for his kingdom. In short,
we read, ' the vallies are covered over with corn ;
they shout for joy, they also sing.' We may be in
low circumstances, in the valley of humiliation,
but if we abound in the fruits of well doing, we
shall find this valley covered over with corn.
When this is the case, we shall shout for joy, and
also sing. The consciousness of what we do, and
of what we aim todo, will be a' continual feast.
' Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con
science.' ' A good action is its own reward *.'
Indeed the pleasure that is experienced in the per
formance of good actions, is inexpressible, is un
paralleled, is angelical : it is a most refined plea
sure, more to be envied than any sensual gratifica
tion. Pleasure was long since defined, ' The re
sult of some excellent action.' This pleasure is a
sort of holy luxury. Most pitiable are they who
will continue strangers to it !
When the useful man comes to his Nunc di-
mittis, then he who lived beloved, shall die la
mented. It shall be witnessed and remembered of
him,' ' That he was one who did good in Israel :'
* Rccte fecisse merces e^t.

166
— An epitaph, the glory of w-hich is far beyond
that of the most stately pyramid. Then the ca
lumniators who once endeavoured to destroy his
reputation, shall have nothing to reflect upon but
the impotence of their own defeated malice. A
Thersites will not have a more disadvantageous ar
ticle in his character than this, That he was an
enemy to such a Ulysses.
But what shall be done for this good man in the
heavenly world ? His part and his work in the city
of God are at present incomprehensible to us : but
the ' kindness' which bis God will shew to him
in the ' strong city,' will be truly '. marvellous.'
Austin, -writing on this subject, exclaimed, ' How
great will be the felicity of that city, where no evil
will be seen, no good concealed * !' The attempts
which, the Christian has made to fill this world
with ' righteous things,' are so many tokens for
good to him, that he shall have a portion in that
world wherein shall dwell nothing but righteous
ness. He will be introduced into that world,
with a sentence from the mouth of the glorious
Jesus, which will be worth ten thousand worlds :
— ' Well done, good and faithful servant !' And,
O ! what shall be done for him ? He has done
what he could for the honour of the King of Hea
ven ; and every thing shall be done for him that
can be done for one whom the King of Heaven de-
lighteth to honour.
I will give you the whole summed up in one
word : ' Mercy and truth shall be to them that de
vise good.' Ye children of God, there is- a cha
racter of mercy and truth in all the good that you
devise. You devise how to deal mercifully and
* Quanta erit ilia felicitas, ubi nullum evil malum, nullum latehit
; p.. 1 1 1 1 ,i 1 1

167
truly with every one, and to induce every one to da
so too. And the mercy and truth of v God, which
are for ever engaged on your behalf, will suffer you
in this life to ' lack no good thing,' and will here
after do you good beyond what the heart of man
can yet conceive. A faithful God has promised
it — ' The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.'
I remember what Calvin said when the order for
his banishment from ungrateful Geneva was brought
to him : ' Most assuredly, if I had merely served
man, this would have been a poor recompence :
but it is my happiness that I have served Him who
never fails to reward his servants to the full extent
of his promise*.'
I will conclude with a declaration which I will
boldly maintain : It is this : Were a man able to
write in seven languages ; — could he daily converse
with the sweets of all the liberal sciences to which
the m6st accomplished men make pretensions ; —
were he to entertain himself with all ancient and
modern history ; and could he feast continually on
the curiosities which the different branches of learn
ing may discover to him ; all this would not afford
the ravishing satisfaction which he might find in
relieving the distresses of a poor miserable neigh
bour ; nor would it bear any comparison with the
heartfelt delight which he might obtain by doing
any extensive service to the kingdom of our great
Saviour in the world, or by exerting his efforts to
redress the miseries under which mankind is gene
rally languishing.
* Certe si hominibus servivissem, mala mihi merces persolveretur :
sed bene est, quod ei inservivi, qui nunquam non servis suis rependit,
quod semel promisit.
THE END.
Printed by J. Dennett, Leather Lane.

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