f V BV 4500 .M35 1815 Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728 Essays to do good (%t^ it it, %». ^ ♦ ^0kSi>Ailr, :,N' ESSAYS TO BO GOOB. ADDRESSED ■ ^^ 4C( ^m$um$s WHETHER IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE CAPACITIEa BY THE LA.TE COTTON MATHER, D. D. F. R. S. To do good, and to communicate, forget not. Hebi\ xiii. 16. A NEW EDITION, IMPROVED BY GEORGE BURDE Frotn the latest Boston and London edition. PRINTED AND SOLD BY CHILD & CLAPP, No. 2, Market-Street, I. i 18l5o m. RECOMMENDATIONS. Messrs, CHILD 6: CLdPP, Gentlemen Hearing that you proposo to p\ab- lish an edition oCKasays to do good''* by Dr. COT. TON MATHER, I take the liberty of expressing the high oj>inloii I entertain of that book, on account of its inlrinsic value, and especially as adapted to be useful in this part of the country, at the present time. I think the [)ubIication of it will tend greatly to enlarge the minds of the benevolent, who are williDg to do good, but need something to give direclion, and adi vigor to tiieir exertions. Every family v/onld find it an invaluable treasure, and many that are young migbi receive such direction as would be essential to an use- fal and a happy life. Wishing every success to vour undertaking, I subscribe myself yours, &c. ELISHA YALE, Pastor of the Congregational Church in Khig.^- borou2h, N, York. Messrs. CHILD &z CLdPP, I have slightly examined the work of that father of the New-England churches, COTTON MATHER, entitled '•^Bonifacius^'' or '^Essays to do good^^ and most freely do I assure you that it meets my cordial approbation, as a work calculated to effect what the title imports. Many items in his " catalogue of desir- able things" have received since his death, marked and serious attention from the christian world ; but as much remains to be done, perhaps the most probable ir. Recommendations. means of accomplishing the whole, -svill be the re* publication of his '-'■Bonifacius,^'* I sincerely hope that in re-priuting this work j^^ou may not only call the attention of others to well doing, but procure to youJ> selves temporal and spiritual benefits. JOHN M. BRADFORD, Tastor of the R^Jbrmed Dutch Church, Mbany. Albany^ MarcJi 1015. Dr. Cotton Mather's ^^Essays to do good,''' is a work, In my opinion of real merit. I admire equally the design and the execution. The author was a rjaan of learning and piety. His own practice was a living e-s amplification of what he proposes to others. These Essays comprise a vast amount of i)racticalinstriiclion, written in a small compass. Messrs. Child & Clap-p, of Johnstown, now offer to the public a new edition of tjiis little volume. I sincerely wish them success in the undertaking ; and earnestly recommend it to the blesfcing of God, and to the patronage of all those persons who would wish tobe imliators of that Divine. Ezarnpler, ''who ivent aJboid doi?iggood" WILLIAM NEILL, Pastor of the }st Freskyterian Church inMbamj, I heartily concur in the above recommendation. SAMUEL BLATCHFORD, Pastor of the U. Slates Presbyterian Church m Law- singburgh a>ul Walerford, A* York, I heartily concur in the above recommendations. SIMON HOSACK, Pa.Hrfr of Iht Presbyterian Church, Johnstowf^ V. THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. THE following Essiys were first published by Br. Cotton Mather, at Boston in New-England, in the year 1710. The design of the author is thus express- ed in his title-pnge, " Bonifacius." An Essay upcz?. tlie Good that is to be devised and designed, by those who desire to answer the great end of life, and to D(* Good while they live. A book offered, first, in gen- eral, unto all christians, in a personal capacity, or in a i-elative; Then more particularly unto magistrates, ministers, physicians, lawyers, schoolmasters, gentle- men, officers, churches, and unto all societies of a re- ligious character and intention : vrith humble proposals of unexceptionable 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 original work, is substituted, Essays to do good, which the reader mny understand to signify, "attempts to do good;" which was probably the author's intention in the use of that phrase;, or, he may consider this little volume as composed of a set of Essays, on the noble subject of doing good in this present evil world; The various methods of doing good^ here proposed, to the public, derive no small recommendation from the example of the excellent author, whose v/hole life was a practical comment on the subject, and who niigitt have said to the readers of his own days, " be ye fol- lowers of me." To those who may not have had am opportunity to peruse his life, the following slight sketch of it may be acceptable. Dr. Cotton Blather, who was born, February, 12, 1 003, at Boston, ia New-EigUnd, was bojaorably de- A. ?i. Edilors^ Vi'cface. scended from families ^vliose eminent piety, ?ind suffer' ings for rigliteousuess' sake, rendered tiiern "the excel lent of the earth." Dr. Increase Mather, his father, was pastor of the North Church, in Boston, and Presi- dent of Harvard College ;Jiis mother was the daughter of the renowned Mr. John Cotton, a minister of exalt- ed religion and uncommon learning. At twelve years of age, our author had attained a con siderable knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew; hfr •was admitted into the college at sixteen; at eighteer*. took his first degree;, and before he was nineteen, pro- ceeded Master of Arts. From his earliest years, he discovered a love to relig- ion; he prayed much in private, and constantly read 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, i>ecame 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 (he good in his power to his brothers, his sisters, and the servants. He imposed on. himself a rule, never to enter any company, where it was proper for him to speak, without endeavoring to be wsefal in it ; and in doing this, he found that promise fuL filled, "to him that hath shall be given;" for on the faithful improvement of his talents, his opportunities of usefulness were gradually iacreased, till he became a J&lesbing to whole churches, towns, and countries. Editors Preface, ' w .. Ill the managemeut of his verj'^ numerous affairs, he was a man of uncommon dispatch and activity ; but he was oblig't'd 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 soa^ gives us the folio wings pecimen of his surprising activi- ty, in the review ofa single year; in the courseof which, . he preached seventy-two^public sermons, and about half, that number in private. IS"ot a day passed without some contrivance to do good, which he registered ; be, side 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 aboiit nineteen, he was chosen co-pas* tor with his father; from which time, till his death, he continued a laborious, zealous, and useful minister of the glorious gospel. He continued also a close and diligent student, acquiring a prodigious fund of the ciost valuable knowledge: and that his usefulness might extend beyond the limits of his own country, he learned the French and Spanish languages, and in his forty-fifth year took the pains to acquire a knowl- edge of tlie Indian (Iroquois) tongue, in each of which he published useful treatises. The greatest genius in the world woukl have found it impossible to effect so much, without a sacred re- gard to method ; in this. Dr. Mather was studiously exact. That all his pursuits might have their proper pFaces, he used to propose to himself a certain qiiestioQ m the morDlDg of ejery day, in the following order ; viit Editor'' s preface. Sabbath morning. What shall 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 Hie Lord, and the more general interest of religion in the world ? T'hursday. What good may I do in the several so- cieties to which I belong ? Friday. What special subjects of affliction, and objects of corapassioHj may I take under my particular care, and what shall I do for them ? Saturday. What more have I to do for the interest of God, in my own heart and life ? By this careful observation of method, by the read* iness of his invention, and his peculiar celerity in the dispatch of business, he was enabled not only to per- form all the duties of the pastoral office, and to assist in the formation and support of numerous societies, but also to compose an uncommon number of books. Hi» biographer givey us a catalogue of no less than thi'es hundred and eighty two* Some of these were indeed small, but others were considerable in size, and some voluminous, particularly his famous work, "Magnalia Ghristi Americana," or "The Ecclesiastical History of New-England ;" beside which, and other large treatises which he published, he made very copious prepara- tions for his ^'American Bible :" in this great labor he was engaged for fifty y€ars ; but we apprehend that it was never published.* * The publishersof this edition have asccrtaind, that "The JBiblia Jmertcana*' was never published. It was too large a, ■vrork to print at that time, in New^England, The dissents Editor'' s Preface, \\., In addition to his other engagements, he kept up a. literary correspondence with eminent men in various countries, among wliom were Mr. Waller, Dr. Cham- berlain, Dr. Woodward, Dr. Jurin, Professor Frank, Lord Chancellor King, Dr. AVhiston, Dr. Desaguliers, Sir Richard Blakemore, Dr. Watts, and many others. After a life of singular piety and activity, he v/as ta- ken ill at the close of December, 1727; when he felt a strong persuasion that his sickness would be unto* death, and told his physicians so. The grand desire of his heart was, that '*hls own will might be entirely swallowed up in the will of God." At that time he- iiad some things in hand, which he would gladly have lived to finish ; but, said he, "1 desire to have no will of my own." When the physician intimated his ap- preiiensioM of ihe fatal issue of his disorder, he imme- diately said, lifting up his bands and eyes, "thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven ! and, a few hours. before hh departure, said, "now I have nothing more io do here; my wsll is entirely swallowed up in the will of God." Ke frequently expressed the good hope he enjoyed; 'that he wasgoing to eat the bread and drink the water 4)r life freely ; that all tears would soon be wip- ed from his eyes; that it was impossible he Elioiild 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 favored with a sweet composure of mind; and obtained an easy dismission from the body : blessings which he had often prayed ing ministers of London, who corresponded with Dr. Mather* were desirous to huve it {u;Mishcd on that side uf the At- lantic, but did not succeed in g'aininga subscription. The manuscrij.t, written in a fair, legible Iiand, i'S deposit ed in the Musbachusetls Historical Libiury. K. Editor^s Prfface. for with great fdrvency. He died February 13, 172Sy having just completed bis sixty-fifth year. Such a life, and such a death, will afford to the se» rious reader a powerful recommendation of the follow- ing 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 demonstrat- ed 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 Df; Franklin, who, when a youth, had the privilege of being acquainted with Dr. Mather, considered himself under the greatest obli- gations to his instruction and example ; and though we cannot conclude that Dr. Franxlin concurred witb 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 inhance 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 Vrhich he accidentally met with, entitled, " Essays to do good,'^ This little book he studied with care and attention, laid up the senti- ments in his memory, and resolved, from that time, which was In his early youth, that he would make e/o> inggood the great purpose and business of his life.'"* * 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. Mather, he says. Editor'' a Preface. xi. Those who are acquainted with the style of Dr. Mather will readily allow that some alterations were ^lecessary to render it agreeable to a modern reader. The Editor was obliged to change may quaint and ob- solete words and phrases, for others more intelligible and pleasant ; the Latin sentences were translated by >a learned friend,* and the whole adapted to more gen- eral usefulness. The Editor only adds, that it will afford peculiar ilelight to the benevolent reader to find, as he peru- ses the following pages, that many of those publie 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 every year gladdens our hearts with the establishment of some new institu- tion; some new "Essay to do good," May the God *' Such writings, though they may be lightly passed over by many readers, yet, if they make a deep im- pression 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 uninter- esting to you, " When I was a boy, I met with a book, entitled ^^Essays to do %ood^^ which I think w as "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 to 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." Br, Franklin^ s works, Vol. 3, page 478. • ITotg' In the present Boston Edition, the translation? are generally inserted in the text, and the Latin preserved in the Marginal notes* X4I. Editor's Preface. of all goodness smile on every attempt to promote his glory, by promoting the happiness of his creatures I 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 will afford a rich recompense ibr the labour of THE EDITOR. London, April 27^ 1807, PREFACE. AMONG the many customs of the world, with ^hicli it is ahuost necessary to comply, this is one. That a book must not appear without a Preface : and this little book willingly submits to the customary cer- emonyo It comes with a Preface; however, it shall not be one like the gates of Mindus. But there is a greater difficulty in complying with another usage, that of "An Epistle Dedicatory." Dedications are become such foolish and fulsome adulations, that they are al- most useless : frequently they answer no other purpose than to furnish the critics on " the manners of the age" with matter of ridicule. The e^^cellent Mr. Boyle employed but a just expression in saying, "It is almost as much out of fashion in such addresses to omit giving praises, (I may say, unjust ones) lis it is to believe the praises given on such occasions." Sometimes the au- thors themselves live to see their own mistakes, and acknowledge them. Austin makes the flourishes which he had once used in a "Dedication," an arti- cle of his ''Ftetractions ;" and Calvin revokes a dedica- tion, because he finds he had made it to an unworthy person. I may add, that at other times, every one perceives what the authors aim at, and that, in fact, they 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 dedicated to a person of quality, it should seek a patron who is a true man of honor, and of uncommon goodness. Thy patron, book of benefits to the Avorld, should be a general and generous benefactor to mankind, one who never accounts himself so well advanced, as in stoop- ing to do good, one wiiose highest ambition is to abound in serviceable condescensions; a stranger to the gain of oppression, the common refuge of the op- B, xlr. Prrjhce. pressed and the distressed ; 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 strip- ped himself of emoluments and advantages, when Ihey would have encumbered his opportunities to serve his country. Yea, presume upon one who has governed and adorned the greatest city on the face of the earth, ? tianity wiU in llils gentiejnaii give to i\\Q world au happy expeilmeat, tliatlhe maxiai is capable of a cor:- fulrition. iUH-atisc a book of "E.-says to do good'' wiil d()ub(k:-« be acceptable to one of so jiooda mind ; and the trea^ttrev of a corporation ibrni-2d on the iaterdioit to do hi America thrd good ^vlilch is of all Ihegreatesty of which Sir VViiiiHni Ashhiirsl is the governor, ho also has a part in the humble tender of it ; and it mubt wish nnto him •'all the biesiirigs of goodness." The booknow^ reo'iires that some acco:int be givenof it. It was a passage in the speech of an envoy fiom his Brit uiiLj jNiajesty to the (hike of Brandenbiirgh, some years ai-'O : A capacity to do goo;l, not only "gives a title to ir, but also mukes the doing of it a duty." Ink were too vile a liq-ior to write that passage. Letters of gold were too mean to be tlis preservers of it. Pa- per of Amyanthus f w^ould not be precious and pereu- nous enougli to perpetuate it. *Raro simul hoir.lnibus, banafortuna, bonaqe mens datur . |,\myanlhus or Asbestos, a sort of native fossil stone which may be split iiUo threads, mhI rnadc into cloth or pa- pj-r. It is not injured by the iii-e. Pliny siys he has seen Napkias made of it thrown into the fu'c after a feast, aiKt by that means better scoured than if th^jy had bscn waiihed ill water. See Iiuc}clopedia.. Biit^ xvi. PxJ'act. 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 dilatation, (experiaient has told us it may be so dilated, that the hundred thousandth part of a grain may be visible without a nii- ^^Toscope) this -'golden sentence" may be as much exten- ded : no man can say how much. This book is but a beating upon it. And at the same time it is a coni- inentavy on tliat inspired maxim, "As we have oppor- itinity, let us do good unto all men." Ga!. vi. 10. Ev- ery proposal here made u})on it hopes to be able to say, ''when I am tried, I shall come forth as s;old." I am well aware that all the rales of discretion andT behaviour are includetl in that one v.'ord, modestij. But it will be no breach of modesty to be very posi- tive in asserting, that the only wisdom cf man lies ia conversing with the great God, and his glorious Christ, and in engaging as many others as we can to joisi \\\ h !js in this our blessedness ; thereby' j)romoting his king- dom among the chikh-4'n of men ; and in studying to do good to all about us; to be blessings in our several re- lations; to heal the disorders, and help the distresses of a miserable vrorld, as far as ever we can extend our influence. It will be no trespass upon the rules of modesty, with all possible assurance to assert that no man begins to be wise till lie come to make this the main purpose and pleasure of his life : yea, that every man will at some time or other be so wise as to own, th^.t every thing without this is but folly ; though, alas ! most men come to that conclusion too late. Millions of men, in every rank, besides those whose dying ihoiights arc collected in "The Fair Warning* 10 a careless world " have at length, declared their con- viction of it. It will be no immodesty in me to say^ that the man who is not satisfied of the wisdom of ma- king it the work of his life to do good, is always to be noticed v»ith the pity due to an ideot. No first prin- ciples are more peremptorily to be adhered unto. Or, do but grant "A judgment to come," and uiy assertion is presently victorious. I will not be immodest, and yet I will boldly say. The mail is worse tiian a Pajran, who will not cojun. Preface. xviiv hiio this notion of things, "Vir bonus est commune bo- iium ;"* and "Vivit is qui niultis est usui ;" and '-Util- ilate homininum, nil debet esse homiiii antiquius." *\\one but a good man is really a living man ; and the more good any man does, the more he really lives."* All the rest is death ; or belongs to it. Yea, you must excuse me, if I say, the Mahometan, also, &]iall con- demn the man \\\\o comes not into the principles oL' this book ; for I think it occurs no less than three times in the Koran j God loves those that are inclined to do good." For this way of living, if we are fallen into a gene- ration, wherein men will cry, (Sotah !) "He is a fool," that practises it, as the Rabbins fortel it will be in the generation wherein the Messiah comes ; j^et there will be a wiser generation, and "wisdom will be justi- fied of her children." Among the Jews there has been an Ezra, uhose head they called "The throne of wisdom." Among the Greeks there has been a Demo- Vritus, who was called Sophia in the abstract. The ?iter ages knew a Gildas, who wore the surname of Sapiens: but it is the man whose temper and intent it is "to do good," that is the wise man after all. And indeed, had a man the hands of a Briareus, they would all be too few to do good; he might find occasions ta call for more than all of them. The English nation had once a sect of men called "Bons homine-," 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 beyond the bounds of a sect, by the coming of all men into it... Of all the 'trees in the garden of God," which i* there that envies not the Palm-tree, out of which alone, as Plutarch informs us, the Babylonians derived more than three hundred commodities ? Or the Cocoatree, so beneficial to man, that a vessel may be built, ami rigged, and freighted, and victualled from that alone ? To plant such "trees of righteousness," and prune them is the object of the book now before us. The men who devise good, will now give me leare * A good man is a common ^ood, B2. j^viii. Tcefme, to reniiail tliem of few things, by which they imy be a little fortiSed for their grand intention ; for, Sirs, yot* are to pass between "'Bozez" or (dirty,) and 'Seaeh," (or thorny) and encounter an host of things worse than PhiJistiaes, in your undertaking. Misconstruction is one thing against which, you v.ill do well to furnish yourselves with the armour both of prudence and of patience ; prudence to prevent it, pa- tience to endure it. You will unavoidably bs put up- on doing many good things, which other people will see but at a distance, and be unacquainted Avitn the motives and methods of your doing them ; yea, they may imagine their own purposes crossed in what you do ; and this will expose you to their censures. Yet more particularly. In your essays to do good, you may happen to be concerned with persons whose pow- er is greater than their virtue. It may be needful as well as lawful, for you to mollify them with acknowl- edgements of those things in them, which may render them honorable or considerable ; and forbear to take notice, at present, of what may be cul[)able. In this you may aim at nothing, but merely to be more able 4o do them good, or, by their means, to do good to oth- ers : and yet, if you are not very cautious, this your civility may be construed to your disadvantage : espe- cially if you find yourselves obliged either to change Vour opinion of the persons, or to tax any miscarriage ta them. The injustice of the censures upon you, may i)e much as if Paul, rebuking Felix for his unrighteous- .»>e3s and unchastity, should have been reproached with liis inconsistency in having so lately complimented Mm on his accomplishments and acquaintance Avilh the aiTiii's of his nation. But you must not be uneasy ifj^ou should be thus unju&tly treated. Jerom had written highly of Origen, as a man of bright endow- liients ; at another time he wrote as severely against «iome things that he was (perhaps unjustly) accused of. They chaiged Jerom with levity, yea,with falsehood: but he despised the caluranj^ and replied, "I did com- mend what 1 thought Avas great in him ; and now I con- demn what I find to be evil in him." Where is tiie contradiction > I say, be cautious j but I say again, be J3ct iineasy. Prc/dcc. xiv. Wlial I add, i-3, tluit you inuit be above al! ilJ^ifoiir" npMiienle. hbok I'or them, and \vith a iiiagaatiiuiodi eom'croduce detraction ! pride, working in a sort €if impatience, that any n:iaa should be, or do more * K-:re lies Ir/.^rrod; x.\- Preface. than themselves. "The nihids of men," as one says, *']iave got the vaj)0ur3; a sweet report of any one throws them into convulsions,* a foul one refreshes them.*' You must bear all the outrage of it; and there is but one sort of revenge to be allowed 3'ou. "There u not any revenge more heroical, than that which tor- ments envy, by doing good.'' It is a surprising passage, Avhicb a late French au- thor has given us ; '°tbata man of great merit is a kind of [tublic enemy. And that by engrossing a multitude of applauses, which would serve to gratify a great ma- ny others, he cannot but be envied ; and that men nat- urally hate, what they highly esteem, yet cannot love.'* But, my readers, 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 lie gave his voice for the banishment of Aristides ; ^'Because he was every where alwaj^s called The Just;" and for what reason tiie Ephori laid a fine on Agesi- laus; "because he possessed, above ali other men, the hearts of the Lacedffimonians." You have read the reason why the Ephesians expelled the best of their citizens ; "if any are deteraiined to excel their neigh- bors, let them find another place to do it."'* You have read that he, who conquered Hannibal, saw it neces- sary to retire 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, my rea- ders, the terror of this envy must not inlimidate you. I must press you to do good, and be so far from af- fVighted at it, you shall rather be generously delighted with the most envious deplumations. I wish 1 may prove a false prophet when I foretel one discouragement more which you will have to con- tend with ; I mean — derision. And pray let not my prediction be derided. It was long since noted, For ridicule shall frequently prevail, And cut the knot when graver reasons fail-f Francii;. * Nemo de nobis unasexcellat ; sed si quis extiterit, alio in loco, et apud alios sit. f Ridicuium agri fortius et melius niagnas plerumque se»- cat res. Preface. xxL It is a thing of late starteil, that the way of banter ami ridicule, or, the "Bartholomew-Fair-method," as they call it, is a more effectual way to di.-courage all good- ness, and put it out of countenance, than fn-e and lagsot. No cruelties are so insupportable to humanity as -'cruel moclvings." It is extremely probable that the devil being somewhat chained up, in several places^ IVoni other ways of persecution, Avill more than ever ap,'>ly himself to this. Essays to do good shall be de- rided with all the art and wit that he can inspire into his Janizaries: (a yani cheer, or, a new order, the grand seignor of hell has instituted.) Exquisite pro- taneness and buffoonery shall try their skill to laugh people out of them. The men who abound in them shall be exposed on the stage ; libels> and lampoons, .'nid satires, the most poignant that ever vrere invent- < d, sliall be darted at them ; and pamphlets full of lying stories be scattered, with a design to make them ri- diculous. "In this the devil may be discovered at work."* The devil will try ^\htther the fear of being luighed at will not scare a zeal to do good out of the v^orid "But Set this rather increase your boldness and zeal.'' t Sirs, "despise the shame," whatever "contra- tiictlon of sljiners" you meet with ; you know what ex- ample did so before you. "Quit you like men, be strong;" you know who gives you the direction. Say v.ith resolution, "the proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have not I declined to do as much good ai» I could 1" If you should arrive to a share in such f^ufferingf, I will humbly "shew you mine opinion** a- bout the best conduct under them; it is, neglect and contempt. I have a wliole universit}^ on my side ; the njiiversity of Hehnstadt, upon a late abuse offered to it, bad this noble passage in a declaration ; "Resolved, that we use no other remedy in this affair, than a gen- erous silence and a holy contempt.'*}: Go on to do good ; and ''go well, comely in your going," like the noble creature, which *'tarneth not away for any." A * Hie se aperit dlabolus ! fSed tu coitva audenlioi- ito. i Visum fuit, non alio remedio, quam g-cr.eroso silcntio, et pio contevpptu, utcnJani ncbls esse. sxii. Preface, iife spent in iudustiious essays to do good will be jour powerful and perpetual viridication. It will give yoa such a Avell-established interest in the minds where conscience is consulted, that a few squibbing, silly, impotent accusations, will never be able to extinguish it. If they ridicule you in their printed excursions, your name will be so oiled that ink will not adhere to it. I remember that Valerianus Magnus being abus- ed by a Jesuit, who had labored (by a '-modest inqui-- ry," you may be sure !) to make him ridiculous, made no other defence, but only on every stroke adjoined, ''Mentiris impudentissime t" "It is a most impudent lie !" And such an answer might very truely be given to every line of some stories that I have seen else- where brewed by another, who is no Jesuit. But even so much answer 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 tiie pleasure from those that make them." And it is another olssrva- tion, "that when they of whom we heard \tcY ill, are yet found upon trial to be very good, we naturally conclude that they have a merit which is troublesome to some other people." The rule then is, be very good ," yea, do very much good ; and cast a generous disd.iin upon contumelies; the great remedy 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 reproaclij these lies give me no uneasiness."* And I am deceiv- ed if it he not an easy thing to be as honest a man as a Vespasian ! Sirs ! An unfalnting resolution to do good, and ^n unwearied well-doing, is that which is now urged upon^ you. And may tiiis little book be so happy, as here- in to perform the olliee of a monitor to the reader. I do not find that I have spent so many weeks in composing the book, as Descartes, thougli a profourul geometrician, spent in studying the solution of one geometrical question : yet the composure has exceed- ed the limits which I intended ; and there is not asln- * Ego, cum nihil faciam dignum propter quod coatume'xia afficiai', mendacia nliiil euro. Preface, xxiii, gle propo??il in it, -which woul(| not, if well pursuftl, aflbnl a more solid and durable satisfaction to the mind, than the solution of all the problems in Euclid, «rin Pappus, li is a vanity in writers to compliment the readers with, "1 am sorry it is no better." Instead of which, I freely tell my readers, "1 have written what is not unworthy of their perusal." If I did not think so, truly, I would not publish it : for no man liv- ing has demanded it of me ; it is not published "to gratif}^ the importunity of friends," as your authors are used to say ; but it is to use importunity w ith 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 writer was in the right who said, "1 cannot understand how any lionest man can print a book, and yet profefs that he thinks none will be the wiser or better for the read- ing it. Indeed I own that my subject is worth}'- 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, Jecit ; as much as to say, "Very well . US, and if we have a sense of honor in us, will be so, *'ihe children of this world are in, (and for) their gen- eration, wiser than the children of light ;" yea, they pursue "the works of darkness" more vigorously than any of us *'walk in that light'* with which our great Savior hath favored us. TJie true nature of good works. To the title of good works belong those Essays to do Good, which we are now urging. To produce them, the Jirst thing, and indeed the one thing need, ful, is — a glorious work of grace on the soul, renewing jind quickening it, purifying the sinner, and rendering Jiim '*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, and evangel- ical principles. These principles must be stated be* fore we proceed. In the first place, it must be taken for granted, that the end for which we perform good works is not to pro- vide the matter of our justification before God : indeed, no good w^orks 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 feim ? "Severed from me/' saith our I^ord, *'ye can do ESSAYS TO DO OOOB, Si? nothing.'* The justification of a sinner by faith, be- fore good 7vorhs, and in order to them, is one of tliosc doctrines whicli may say to the Popish innovations, "with us are the grey-headed, and very aged men much ehler than thy father." It was an old maxim of the fiiitliful, ''good works follow justification; they do not precede it.* It is the righteousness of the good works done by our Savior and surety, not our own^ that justifies us before God, and answers the demands of his hoiy law upon us. By faith we lay hold on those good works for our justifying righteousness, be- fore 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 entitles us to the justifying; righteousness of our Savk/i'; but it is faith, only as re. iiouncins? our own righteousness, and relying on thai of Christ, provided for the c'lief of sinners, by which we are justified. All our attempts at good works wiU come to nothing, till a justifying faith in the Savior shall carry u.s forth unto them. This was the divinity of the ancients. Jerom has well expressed it; "with« out Christ all virtue is but vice."t Nevertheless, first, you are to look upon it as a glo^ rious truth of the gospel, that the moral law (which prescribes good works) must, by GYevj Christian aiivcj 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 Gou is given us in that law of good works which we enjoy (I will so express it) in the ten commandments. It is impossi- ble for us to be released from all obligations to glorify • Bona opera sequunturjustificatum, non pracedunt jus- tllicandum. t Sine Christo omnis virtus est in vitio. 40 iiSSATS TO DO GOOD. God, by a conformity to this rule: sooner shall we cease to be creatures. The couforniity to tliat rule, m the righteousness, which our Savior by his obedience to it has brought in to justify us, has for ever *'magni- fied the law and made it honorable." Though our tSavior has furnished us with a perfect and spotless righteousness, wlien his obedience to the law is placed ^0 our account; yet it is sinful in us to fall 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 covenant of rccrks : our own exactness ia performhig good works is not now the condition of en- tering into life; (wo 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 wdiich were once the con- dition of entering into life. "Every law of religion gtill remains.*" That was the divinity of Tertuliian^s days! Such must be the esteem for the law of good %vork8 forever retained in justified persons ; a law nev- er to be abrogated or abolished. And then, secondly, though we are justified by "pre- cious faith in the righteousness of God our Savior," jet gootl works are required of us to justify our faith ; to demonstrate that it is indeed "precious faith." A justi- fyirtg faith is a jewel which may be counterfeited ; but the marks of a faith, whicli 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 regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, that faith is wrought in the hearts of the chosen people : now the same grace which in regeneration dispose? a pcr-oii t® ^ Ala:iQt lex tola pletatis.' ESSA.7S TO DO GOOD. ^1 fiy by faith to the riJG^hteousness of Chrfst, will dispose Mm also to the good works of a Christiau life; and the same faith which applies to the Savior 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, suppose thyself standing before the judg- ment seat of Christ ! a necessary, a prudent suppo. sitiou ; 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 righteousness is on the bench. Surely, in the Lord have I righteousness. O my Savior, I have received it, I have secured it on thy own gracious of- fer of it." The Judge proceeds; *'but what hist thou to plead that thy faith should not be rejected as the faith of the hypocrite ?" Here the plea must be "O Lord, my fciith was thy work. It was a faith which disposed me to all the good works of thy holy religion. It sanctified me. It brought me to thee,, my Savior, for grace to j>erform the works of righte- ousness ; it embraced thee for my Lord as well as Sa- vior; it caused me, witli sincerity, to love and kcei> thy commandments, and with assiduity to serve the interests of thy kingdom in the world." Thus you have Paul and James reconciled.. Tha? you have good works provided for. The aphorism oi the physicians, is, "By a man's outward acts of vigor, you judge of his internal jbealth."* The actions of *rer brachium fit judicium d'e corde* D2. 4^ EBSATS TO DO G00»« men are more certain indications of what is withia than all their sayings. But there is yet another consideration upon whicb you must be zealously affected to good works. You must consider them as apart of the great salvatioiz. which is purchased for you by Jesus Christ. Without a holy heart you cannot be fit for a holy heaven, *'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 w ill 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 helioess no man shall see the Lord :'* yea, to be saved without good works, were to fce 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 iviil get to heaven who is not so persuaded. I shall mention but one more of those princi- ples from which good works proceed : it is that noble one of Gratitude. The believer cannot but inquire "What shall I render to my Savior ?" — the result of the inquiry will be, "with good works to glorify him." We read, that "faith werketh by love." Our faith will discover the matchless and marvellous love of God in 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 Savior ! hast thou done so much for me ! now will I do all I caii: for (by kingdom and people in the world. O ! what service is there that I may now perform for my Sayiw and his people in the world ?" ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 43t These are the prinGi[)les 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, a& those, who, abave all otlieps, have abandoned 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-mongers have exceeded some holy christians, who have per- formed good works on the assurance of being already; justifted, and entitled to eternal life.. I observe, that our apostle, throwing a just contempts on the endless genealogies, and long, intricate pedi- grees, which the Jews of his time dwelt so muchupon^. 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 thous-- and of theirs"— 5rst, from faith unfeigned proceeds a good conscience ; from a good conscience a pure heart 5. and from a pure heart, charity tg all around U3. It i& admirably stated t; It may justly be faared that we too rarely inquirer' after Opportunities to do goodi Our opportunities to do good are our talents. An? awful account must be rendered to the great God con- cerning the use of the talents with which he has in- tf usted U3 ia. these precious opportunitiej}. Frequent- 44 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. ly we do not use our opportunities, because we do not consider them : they lie by unnoticed and unimproved. We read of a thing which we deride as often as we behold it. "There is that inaketh himself poor, and yet hath great riches." This is too frequently exem- plified in our opportunities to do good, which are some ©f 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 opportunities are : you will certainly find them to be more than you were aArare of. ''Plain men dwelling in tents," persons of a very ordinary rank in life, may, by their eminent piety, prove per- sons of extraordinary usefulness. A poor John Urich may make a Grotius the better for him. I have read 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 abridge ingj'ourselves of your occasional thoughts on the ques- tion, "What good may I do to day i*" fix a time, now and then, for more deliberate thoughts upon it. Can- not you find time (say, once a week, and how suitabFy on the Lord's day) to take this question into consider- tion : * What is there that I may do for the service of the glo^ rioiis Lord, and for the welfare of those for whom ought to be concerned ? Having implored the direction of God, "the Fathar of lights," consider the matter; ia the yarious aspects of ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. it. Consider it, till you have resolved on aomething. Write down your resolutions. Examine what precept anl what promise you can find in the word of God to countenance your resolutions. Review these memo- vials at proper seasons, and see how far you have pro- ceeded in the execution of them. The advantages of these preserved and revised memorials, no rhetoric will be sufficient to commend, no arithmetic to calculate* There are some animrds of which we saj', "they know not their own strength ;" christians, why aUould 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 several springs of usefulness, which, having once began to flow, v»ill spread into streams, that no human foresight caa comj)rehend. "Spring up, O well t" will every true Israelite sing, upon every proposal here exhibited ; and "the nobles of Israel" can do nothing more agreea- ble to their own character, than to fall to work upon it* Perhaps everj^ proposal that may be made will be like a stone falling into a pool — One circle and service will produce another, till they extend — v.ho can tell how far ? Those who devote themselves to good devi|» ces, and who duly observe their opportunities to do good, usually find a wonderful increase of their oppor- tunities. The gracious providence of God affords this recompense to bis diligent servant-, that lie will muUi- 4$ ESSAYS TO DO GOOD* ply their opportunities of being serviceable : and when- ingenious men have used themselves to a little con- trivance, in pursuing the best intentions, their ingenu- ity will sensibly improve, and there will be more ex- pansion in their diffusive applications. Among all the dispensations of a special providence in the govern- ment of the world, none is less interrupted than the accomplishment of that word, "Unto him that hath fihall be given.'*^ I will say this, "O useful man ! take for thy motto, Ilabenti dabitur'— "To him that hath shall be given ;" and, in a lively use of thy opportu- nities to do good, see how remarkably it will be ac- complished ; see what accomplishment of that word will at last suprise thee, "Though thy beginning be gaiall, yet thy latter eiid shall greatly increase." ®w Internal piety and seffexaminatioyu Why should not the charity of which we are treat- ing "begin at home ?" It observes not a due deco- rum if it doth not^ and it will be liable to great ex- ceptions in its pretensions and proceedings. *'Call not that man wise whose wisdom begins not at home."* 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 * Qdi sapLentena qui sibi con sapit. ESSAYS TO ho GOOD. 47 Fuller; **he necfl 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 re- pentance is to inquire, not only, "what we have done," but also, "what we have to do." Frequent self-exam' inaiion h the duty of all who would know themselves, or would not lose themselves. The great intention of self-examination is to find out the points wherein we are to "amend onr 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 meditation should be to find out the things wherein a greater conformity to the truths upon which we have been meditating, may be attempted. If we would be good men, we w.vxst 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 our meditation, when we retire to that profitable engagement, conclude with some re- solution? Devise now, and resolve something to strengthen your walk with God. With some devout hearers of the word, it is a prac° lice, when they have heard a sermon, to think, "what good thing have I now to ask of God with a peculiar importunity ?" They are also accustomed to call upon their children, and make them answer this question: *'€hild, what blessing will you laow ask of the glorioug 4*3 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. God?" After \vhich, tliej charge them te go and do accordingly. In pursuance of this piety, why may not this b€ one 6f the exercises which shall conspire to form a good evening for the best of days ? Let it be a part of our work on the IjORD's-day evening, seriously to ask our- selves the following question: "if I should die this week, what have I It^ft undone, which I should then wish I bad been more diligent in performing ?" My friend, place thyself in dying circumstances; apprehend and realize thy approaching dissolution. Suppose thy last, solemn hour arrived : thy breath failing, thy throat rattling, thy hands with a coM sweat upon them — only the turn of the tide expected for thy expi- ration. 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 peo[)le of Ood?" Think upon this question, and do not forget the result of thy thought:^ ; do Dot delay to perform what ihon hast resolved upon. How much more agreeable and profitable would such an exercise be on the Lord's day evening than those vanities to which that evening IS too commonly prostituted, and by which all the good lof the past day is defeated ! And if such an exercise were often performed, O ! how much would it regulate our lives ; how w atchfully, how fruitfully would it cause ITS to live ; what an incredible number of good 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 Chris- tianity, if this notion of its true nature were more fre- quentl}'^ 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 ESSAYS TO DO «00D. 4© rtiay be tepaired, finished, purified, and the topstonc of it laid, with the shoutings of "grace, grace !" unto it. As a branch of this piety, I will recommend a seri- ous and fruitful improvement of th€ various dispensa- tions 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 thankfulness ; yoa do not render again according to the benefit that is done unto you, unless you set yourself to consider, **What shall I render unto the Lord ?" Yen should con- trive some signal thing to be done on this occasion i some service to the kingdom of God-, either within yourself, or among others, which may be a just con- fession 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 spe- cial returns of gratitude to God ? I would have a por- tion of your property mad^ a thank-offering, by being set apart for pious uses. Whole days of thattksgiving are (o be kept, wliett the favors of God rise to a more observable height. Christians of the finer mould keep their private ones, as well as bear part in the public services. One ex- ercise for auch a day is, to take a list of the more re- markable succors and bounties with which our Go» 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 otlier hand ; you meet with heavy and grlev„ ous afflictions. Truly, it is a pity to be at the trou- ble of suffering afBictions, and cot get good by thsm so ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, We get good by them, when they awaken m "to do good;" and 1 may say, never lill then ! When God is distributing sorrows to you, the sorrows stiil come up- on soine errands ; therefore, the best way for you to find that they do not come in his anger, is to consider what the errands may be. The advice is, that when any affliction comes upon you, you immediately re- flect, '"to what special act of repentance does this af- tliction call me? What miscarriage does tiiis affliction find in rne, to be repented of?" And then, while the sense of the affliction is yet upon j^ou, seriously in- quire, "to what improvement in holiness and useful- xiess does this aftliction call me ?" Be more solicitous to gain this point than to escape from your affliction. A) I the peace that will compose, possess, and ravish your minds, when your afflictions shall be found yield- ing; these ''fruits of righteousness !'' Luther did well to call afflictions, "theologiam chr'istianorum''— ''the theology of christians." This may be a proper place to introduce one direction more. We are travelling through a malicious, a calumnious, and abusive world. Why sliould not malice be a "good Informer ?" We may be unjustly defamed ; it wi!l be strange if we are ubt frequently so. A defamation is commonly resented as a provocation. My friend, make it only a provocation to do good works ! The thing to be now directed is this : Upon any reproach Ibeing ofTered, instead of being transported into a rage at Shimeif retire and patiently inquire, "Has not God hidden such a reproach to awaken me to some duty ? To what special service of piety should I be awaken- ed, by the reproach vdiich is cast upon me ?" One thus expresses it: "The backbiter's tongue, likeamill- «iiack, will be still ia motion, that he may grind thy ESSAYS TO no GOon. 51 good name to powder. Learn, therefore, to make such use of his chick as to muke thy bread by it ; I mean, so to live, that no credit shall be given to slan- der." 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 niter to adorn the heavenly temple.— Thus you are informed of a way to "shake o^'a viper'' most advantageously ! Yea, I am going to inform you, how yuu may fetch sweetness out of a viper. Jiisthi "would have our very sins numbered amongst the "all things" that are to "work together for good." There- fore, first, I propose, that our former barrenness may now be looked upon as an obligation and incitement to greater fiuitrulnes3. But this motion is too general ; I must be more particular. I would look back on my past life, and call to mind what singular acts of siu have blemished it, and been the reproach of my youth. Now, by way of thankfulness for that grace of God, and that blood of his Christ, through which my crimes have been pardoned, I would set myself to think, " What virtues, what actions, and whatachiev- ments for the kingdom of God, will be the most contra- ry to my former blemishes ? And what efforts of good- ness will be the noblest and most palpable contradic- tion to the miscarriages with which I have been charge- able ?" Yet more particularly, *-What signal thing shall I do, to save others from dishonoring the great God by such miscarriages as those into which I my- self once fell .^" I will study such things ; and perhaps the sincerity and consolation of repentance cannot be better studied than by such a conduct. Give me leave to press this one more poiat of pru-^ S3 BSSAY9 TO BO OOOD. dcnce Hpon yoir. There are not a i'ew person* wh© have many hours of leisure in the way of their person- al callings. When the weather takes them off from> their business, or when their shops are not full of cus- tomers, they have little or nothing to do. 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 yoa might have procured in your usual avocations. Let the baneful 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, yoa «an have no excuse for neglecting so to do« On doing good to our relationSy children^ &(a The useful man may now with much propriety ex- tend and enlarge the sphere of his exertiofj. My next proposal therefore shall be : let every man consider the TdaiioYiy in which God, the sovereign Ruler, has placed him; and let him devise what good he may do^ that may render his relatives the better for him. One great way to prove ourselves really- good, i& to be rela- tively good. It is by this, more than by any thing else, that we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour." It •\VQ«ld b« a piece of excellent wisdom ia a man, to ESSA.TS TO DO HOOD. 53 make the interest wliich 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 lo me ; to what good shall I take advantage from hence to persuade him ?" This will take place more particularly where the emlearing ties of natural affection give us an interest- 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 enquiries and of our purposes? Especiat ly, let us begin with domestic relations, and '^provide for those of our own house," lest we deny some glori- ous rules and hopes of the christian faith, by our neg- ligence. First. In the conjugal rela.tion, how agreeably may they, who are thus united, think on these words ; "what knowest thou, O wnfe, whether thou shalt save thy husband ? or, how knowest thou, man, w hether thou shalt 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 towaixls my wife, the kindness of the blessed Jesus towards his church, may be exem- plified ?" That this question may be the more perfect- ly 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 enquire . ''wherein may I be to my husband a wife of that char- acter — "she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life?" E2. S4 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. With my married friends I will leave an excellent remark, which I find ia the memorials of Gervasc Bis- ney, 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 \\'ith TertuUiarif "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 desira« ble education for them, an education that may render ihem desirable ; how to render them lovely and polite^ and serviceable to their generation. Often consider how to enrich their minds with valuable knowledge; iow to enstil into their minds generous, gracious, and heavenly principles; how to restiain and rescue them from the "paths of the destroyer," and fortify them a- gainst their peculiar temptations. There is a world of good that you have to do for them. You are without the natural feelings of humanity if you are not in a continual agony to do for them ail the good that lies: in your power. It was no mistake of Packatas Dre- panius, in his panegyric to Tkeodosius ; "nature teach- es us to love our children as ourselves/'f I will prosecute the subject, by transcribing a copy of parental resoliUionSj which 1 have somewhere met with.l * Unde sufficiam ad enarrandam fjeUcltatem ejus matri- monii ! f Instituente natura plus fere filios quam nosmetipsos dll-. igimus. # Probably composed by the author himself, though ej* pressed in ikis naodest manner, ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 59 I. At the Lirth of my chiMi-en, I wo^iM use all due solemnity in Ihe baptismal dedication and consecration of them to the Lord. I would present them to the baptism of the liORD, not as a mere formality; but, wondering at the grace of the infinite 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 actual- ly 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 everlast- ing instrument of his glory. II. As soon as my children become capable of at- tending to my instructions, I would frequently admon- ish them to be sensible of their baptismal engagement:^ to the Lord ; often remind them of their baptism, and; of the duties to whfch it binds them. 1 would often say to each of them, child, you have been baptised ; you were washed in the name of the great God ; now you must not sin against him; to sia is to do a very filthy thing. You must every day cry to God that he would be your Father, your Savior, your leader; in your baptism 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^ religion ; in your baptism you were bound to the ser- vice of your only Savior. What is your name ? You: must sooner forget this name that was given you in your baptism, than forget that you are a servant ot Jesus Christ, whose name was then put upon you. HI. Let me daily pray for my children with the greatest constancy aad fervency j yea, let me daily 56 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. mention each of them by name befere the Lord. I would importunately 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 educa- tion, and give his good angels charge over them, and keep them from evil, that it may not grieve them ; that when their father and mother shsll forsake them, the Lord may take them up. Most earnestly would I plead that promise in their behalf; "the heavenly Fa- ther will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him." O happy children, if by asking, I may obtain the Holy Spirit for them ! IV. I would early entertain the children with de- lightful stories out of the Bible. In familiar conver- sation I would go through the Bible, when the *^olive- jdants about my table'' are capable of being so water- ed. But I would always conchide the history by some lessons of piety, to be inferred from them. V. I would single out some scriptural sentences 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 say- ings by heart, and be rewarded with silver or gold, or some good thing, when they do so. Such sentences a» the following. Psalm cxi. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom* Matthew xvi. 26. What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? 1 Timothy i. 15. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners ®f whom I am chief. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 5t Matthew vi. 6. Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy ioor, pray to thy Father, which is in secrete Eccles. xii. 14. Qoil shall bring every work into judgment, with tvery secret thing. Ephesians v. 25. Put away lying, speak every one the truth. Psalm cxxxviii. 6. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, but the- proud he knoweth afar off. Romans xii. 17. 19. Recompense to no one evil for evil. Dearly bc« loved avenge not yourselves. Nehemiah xiii. 1 S. They bring wrath upon Israel, by profaning th©^ Sabbath. A Jewish treatise, quoted hy 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 m« betimes make my children acquainted with the law which our blessed Jesus has commanded us I It is the best inheritance I can give them. VI. I would cause my children to learn the cate- chism. In catechising them, I would break the an* gwer into many smaller and appropriate questions* and by their answer to them observe and quicken their understandings.* I would connect with every truth, some duty and practice; and expect them to * The Assembly's Catechism, broken into short questions in th's manner, was lately rc-published by the Editor, iiai entitled "The Assembly's Catechism Dissected," 53 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. confess it, consent to it, and resolve upon it. As we go on in our catechising, they shall, Tvlien 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 conversa- tion with my family, for conferences on religious sub- jects. VII. I would be anxious, till I may be able to say of my children, behold, they pray ! I would therefore teach them to pray. But after they have learned a form of prayer, I will press them to proceed to points ■which are not in their form. I will shew them the state of their own souls ; and on every discovery wilJ inquire of them, what they think ought now to be their prayer. I will direct them every morning to take 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 thererpon, 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 forget my charge to you about secret prayer ; your crime is very- great, if you do. VIII. I would betimes do v,iiat 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 commuaicate to others a part of what they have ; and they shall not want for encouragement when they discover a loving, courteous, and benevolent disposition. I will giv© them now and then a piece of money, that with their ©wn little hands, they may dispense something to the B8SATS TO DO COOD. 59 poor. Yea, if any one has hurt or vexed thorn, I will not only forbid all revenge, but will also oblige them (o do a liindnesi?, as soon as possible, to the vexatious person. All coarseness of language or behavior in them, I will discountenance. IX. I would be solicitous to have my children ex* pert, not only at reading v/ith propriety, but also al writing a fair hand. I will then assign them such books to read, as I may judge most agreeable and prof" itable: obliging them to give me some account of what they read ; bat will keep a strict eye on wliat they read, lest they should stumble on the devil's li- brary, and poison themselves with foolish romances, novels, plays, songs, or jests, " that are not conven- ient." I will direct them also, to write out such things as may be of the greatest benefit to them ; and they shall have their blank books neatly kept, ou pur- pose to enter such passages as I recommend to them. I will particularly reqisire them now and then to com- pose a Prayer, and biing it to me, that so I may dis- cern what sense they have of their own everlasting in- terests. X. I wish that my children may, at a very early period, feel the principles of raason and honor work- ing in them; and that I may proceed in their educa- tion, chiefly on those principles. Therefore I wiff wholly avoid that fierce, harsh, crabbed usage of the children, that would make them dislike and tremble to come into my presence. I v/ould treat them so, that they shall fear to ofiend me^ and yet heartily love to see me, and be glad of my returmng home when I have been abroad ] would have it considered as a severe and awful punishment for a crime in the family, to be forbidden for a while to come into my presence. X^SAYS TO DO COOS. I would excite in them a high opinion of their fathef'^ 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 behavior ; *' 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 ani- madversion on a smaller fault shall be, an exclamation of surprise and wonder, vehemently expressed before them, that ever they should be guilty of doing so fool» ishly, with an earnest expectation that they will nev- er do the like agaia. I will also endeavor to excite In them a weeping resolution to this effect. I will never use corporeal punishment, except it be for an atrocious crime, or for a smaller fault obstinately per- sisted 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 rea[ wickedness. Nor shall my chastisements ever be dis- pensed in passion and fury ; but I will first shew them the command of God, by transgressing vv^hich, they have displeased me. The slavish, boisterous manner of education too commonly used, I consider as no small article in the wrath and curse of God upon a tnisrrable world. XI. As soon as we can, we will advancfe to still bigher principles. I will often tell the children what cause they have to love a glorious Ghaist who haa ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. dl died for them ; bow much he will be pleased with their tveli tloing ; and what a noble thing it is to follow his example, which example I will describe 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 now do nothing which may then be a soui-ce of grief and shame to them. I will set be* fore them the delights of that heaven which is pre- pared for pious children ; and the torments of tiiat hell which is prepared for wicked ones. I will inform them of the kind offices which the good angels perform fer children who fear God, and are afraid of sin ; how 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 theni feel the pov/er of these principles. XII. When the children are of a proper age for it, I will sometimes have them with me alone, and con- Terse with them about the state of their souls ; their experiences, their proficiency, their temptations ; ob. tain their declared consent to every article in the covenant of grace ; and then pray with them, earnestly entreating, that the I^ord would bestow his grace upon them, and thus make them witnesses of the agony with ■which I am travailing to see the image of Christ for- med in them. Certainly they will never forget such exercises as these ! Xin. I would be very watchful and cautious about tke companions of my children. I would be very iu^ fS ESSAYS To 2:J0 GOOD^ € iiisilive to Icam what company they keep. If thef are ia daoger of being ensnared by vicious company, I win earnestly pull them out of it, as "brands out of the burning;'' and wiU try to procure for them fit and ustful associates. XIV. As in catechising the chiklrcn, so in the re- petition of the public sermons, I would use this meth- od : I would put every truth into the form of a ques- tion, 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 oppor- tunity to ask, do you desire such and such a grace ? with other siiiiilar questions. Yea, I may by this means have an opportunity 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 tliey may be seized by him, and possessed by him as bis temples, through eternal ages. XV. When a day of humiliation arrives, 1 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 get by those afflic- tions. On a day of thanksgiving, they shall also be made to know the intent of the day ; and after consid- eration, they shall inform me, what mercies of God to them they take special notice of, and what duties to God, they confess and resolve to perform under such obligations. Indeed, for something of this importance, to be pursued in my conversation with them, I would not confine myself to the solemn days, which may oc- cur too seklora for it ; but, particularly, when the birth' day?, of any of the children arrive, I would take ESSAY"? TO DO GOOD* C,?> them a^iile, and remind them of the age, v,hicli, hav- ing obtained help of God, they have attained ; and tell them how thankful they should be for the mercies of God, u{)OU \Yhich they have hitherto lived ; and how fruitful they should be in all goodness, that so they may still enjoy their mercies. And I would inquire oi them, whether they have ever yet begun to mind the work which God sent them into the world to perform ; what attempts they have made to\Yards it ; and how they design to spend the rest of their time, if God cou' tinue them in the world. XVI. 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; aod will represent to them, how fearful a thing it will be, to be cast among the damned^ who are in unceasing and endless 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 deatli, and for fulness of joy in a happy eternity after deatho XVI lo I wish, tliat among all the branches of a polite education, which I would endeavor to give my children, each of them, the daughters as well as the sons, may have so much acquaintance with some pro- fitable avocation (whether it be painting, or the law, or medicine, or any other employment to which their own inclination may the most lead them,) that they may be able to obtain for themselves a comfortable subsistence, if by the providence 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 ©ccasien to bless their parents who made such a pro- 6^ ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. vision for them. The Jews hare a saying on this sub- ject, which h worthy to be mentioned : "Whoever teaches not his sou some trade or business does in reality teach him to be a thief.'** XVIII. 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 w isely 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 an- swer 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 obedience to him ; I would instruct them in what manner even their diver- sions, their ornaments, and the tasks of their educa- tion, 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 they do. I would therefore sometimes sur- prise them with an inquiry, "child, what is this for? Give me a good account why you do it." How com- fortably 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 ! XIX. 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 * Qjiicunque fi'ium suum non docet opificiuii), pcrlnde est ac 51 eum docet latrociaiura. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 65 fliall have reported to me their own answer to the question, I will take occasion from it, to inculcate up- on them the lessons of godliness. I would also direct and oblige them, at a proper time, seriously to realize their own appearance before the awful judgment-=eai of the LordJesus Christ, and to consider, what they bave to plead that they may not be sent away intck everlasting punishment ; what they have to plead, that they may be admitted into the holy city. I would in- struct them what plea to prepare : first, shew them liow to get a part in the righteousness cf him who is to be their Judge, by receiving it with a thankful faith as the gift of intinite grace to the distressed and un >Yorthy sinner: then shew them how to prove that their faith is genuine by their continual endeavor iit 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. XX. If I live to see the children arrive at a mar- liageable age, I would, before I consult with heaven or earth for their best accommodation in the married state, aim at the espousal of their souls to their only Savior. I would, as plainly and as fully as I can, pro- pose to them the terms on which the glorious Redeem- er will espouse them to himself, in righteousness and judgment, favor and mercies forever ; and solicit their consent to his proposal, and overtures : then I would proceed to do what may be expected from a tendec parent for them, in their temporal circumstances. From these parental resolutions, how reasonably, how naturally, may we pass on to say, Ckildten, the fifth commandment confirms all youi other numberless and [)owerful obligations often to iu- tiuire, "Wherein may I be a blessins: to my parents ?"' F2. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. Ingenuousness of di3position would make this the tei tr summit of your ambition, to be a credit and a comfort to your parents ; to sweeten, and it may be, to length- en the lives of those, from whom, under God, you have received your own. And God, the Rew^arder, usually gives to such a conduct, even in this life, a most o(3« servable recompense. But it is possible, you may be the happy instruments 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 prepara- tion for the heavenly world. Happy, thrice happy children, w ho are thus favored ! 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 le for the glad father would be, " the father of imters, yea, and Mi^fi-esscs too, must have their devTffes, how to do good to their servants; how to make them the servants of Christ, and the chikhen of Gotl. God, whom you must remember to be "your Master in heaven," has brought them to you, and pla- ced 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 demon- stration 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 christiaoise our servants ! Yerily, you must give an K83AY3 10 DO GOOU. 67 account to God concerning their. If lliey should be lost through your negligence, uhat answer can you make to "God, the Judge of all ?" Mtthinks, comiuoii principles of gratitude should incline you to study tiie liaj>[)iiiess of those, by v.hose labors your lives are so much accommodated. Certainly, they would be the better servants to you, more faithful, honest, industri- ous, and submissive, for your bringing thena into the service of your cooimoa Lord.* On doinsr 2:ood to our strvmiU, -to to I have somewhere met with a paper under this title, the resolution of a master ; which rway be properly in- serted in this place t I. I would always remember, that jny servants,- 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 miod, 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. • In the original work, some observalions are made in this place wiih respect to the usage of slaves ; but as tha subject has happily no connexion with our country, the pas- sage is here omitted, f The modesty of the autbor thus expresses, probably, tis own proUugtion, 63 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. II. I will see that my servants be furnished with Bibles, and be able and careful to read the lively ora- cles. I will put Bibles and other good and proper books into their hands ; will allow them time to read, and assure myself that they do not mispend this time. If I can discern any wicked books in their hands, I Xiill take away from them those pestilential instru* liients 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. III. I will have my servants present at the religi- ous exercises of my family ; and will drop, either in the exhortations, in the prayers, or in the daily sacri- fices of the family, such passages as may have a ten- dency to quicken a sense of religion in them. IV. The article of catechising, as far as the age or state of the servants will permit it to be done with de- cency, shall extend to them also. And they shall be concerned in the conferences in which I may be en- gaged with mj^ familj'', 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 will give them a reward when they have accomplished it. V. I will be very inquisitive and solicitous about the company chosen by m}' servants; and with all possible earnestness will rescue them from the snares of evil company, and forbid their being the "compan- ions of fools." VI. Such of my servants as may be capable of the task, I will employ to teach lessons of piety to my children, and will recompense them for so doing. But I would, by a particular artifice, coatrive them ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 69 to be such lessons as may be for their own edificatioa too. VII. I will sometimes call my servants alone; talk to them about the state of their souls , tell them how to close with their only Savior ; 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 obedience to him, and be- come entitled to the '^reward of the heavenly inherit- ance." To these resolutions I add the following passages as an Appendix. Age is nearly sufficient, with some masters, to ob- literate every letter and action in the history of a me* ritorious life; and old services are generally buried under the ruins of an old carcase. It is a barbarous inhumanity in men towards their servants, 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 you would obtain **the reward of the inheritance," each of you should set yourself to enquire — "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 ?" Certainly, 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, ren- der you such. If you will but remember four words, and attempt all that is comprised in them. Obedience, Honesly, Industry, and Piety, you will be the blessi?igs and the Josephs of the fam> to ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. lies in which you live. Let these four words be (lis* tinctly and frequently recollected; and cheerfully per- form all your business, on this consideration — that it is an obedience to Heaven, and from thence will have a recompense. It was the observation even of a Pa- gan, "that a master maj'" receive a benefit from a ser- vant ;^ and, "what is done with the aaection of a friend, ceases to be the act of a mere servant."* Even tlie Alaid Servants 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 Bil- hah and Zllpah, 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 ftll our kindred. Nature bespeaks what we call a *'natural affection" to all ivho 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 name of man. But Christianity is intended to improve it. Our nat- ural affection is to be improved into a religious intention. Reader, make a catalogue of all your more distant relatives- Consider them one by one; and make each of them the subject of your "good devices." Ask this question : "how may I pursue the good of such a rel- ative : 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 re- lief.^ Is there no temptation against which you may give them some caution ? Is there no article of their ^ Q^iod (it. affectu anVici, dcsinil esse rolnistcrium. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 'II prosperity to which you may be subservient ? At least, tvilh your affectionate prayers, you may go over your catalogue ; you may pray for each of them successive- ly by name ; and Avhy may you not put propec books of piety into their hands, to be durable memorials of their duties to God, and of your desires for their good ? On doing good to our neighbors. This excellent zeal should be extended to the neighborhood. Neighbors ! you stand related to each other; and you should contrive how others should have reason to r?joice in your neighborhood. "The right- eous is more excellent than his neighbor ;" but we shall scarcely allow him to be so, unless he be more excellent as a neighbor : he must excel in the duties of good neighborhood. Let that man be better than his neighbor, who labors most to be a better neigh- bor — to do most good to his neighbor. 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 modern prince — "To be in distress is to deserve his favor." O good neighbor! put on that princely, that more than royal quality. See who in the neighborhood may thus deserve thy favor. We are told that '7)ure reli- gion and undcfiled (a jewel not counterfeited, and without a flaw,) is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." The orphans and the widows, and Tf F.SSAYS TO DO OOOW all the children of affliction in the neighborhood, must be visited and relieved with all suitable kiridsiess. Neighbors ! be concerned that the orphans and the widows may be well provided for. They meet with grievous difficulties, with unknown temptations; W li«n 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 result of the con- sideration 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 neighbor- hood are to be considered. Would it be too much for you omce in a week, at least, to think "What neighbor is reduced to pinching and painful poverty, or impov- erished with heavy losses ? What neighbor is languish- ing with sickness, especially with severe disease, and of long continuance ? What neighbor is broken-heart- ed with the loss of a dear and desirable relative ? What neighbor has a soul violently assaulted by the enemy of souls ?" and then consider, "What can be done for such neighbors ?" In the first place, you will pitif them. The evan- gelical precept is, "Have compassion one t)f another — be pitiful.'* It was of old and ever will be a just ex- pectation, "to him that is afflicted, pity should be shewn ;" and let our pity to the distressed be express- ed by our prayer for them. It would be a very love- ly practice for you in the daily prayer of your closet every evening to think, "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 posibible, nay probable, that you may do well to visit ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 73 them ; and when you visit them, comfort them ; carry them some good word, which may raise gladness in a hPHft stooping with heaviness. And, lastl}^ : Render them all the assistance which their necessities may require. Assist them by your advice 5 assist them by obtaining the help of other persons on their behalf; and, if it be needful, bestow your AL5IS upon them ; "deal thy bread to the hungry ; bring to thy house the poor that are cast out ; when thou seest the naked cover them :" at least, exercise ^'azianzen''s charity; **Si nihil habes, da lacrymu- lam;" "if you have nothing else to bestow upon the miserable, bestow a tear or two upon their miseries.—' This little is better than nothing. Would it be amiss for you, always to have lying by you, a list of the poor in your neighborhood, or of those whose calamities may call for the assistance of the neighborhood ? Such a list would often furnish you with matter for useful conversation, when you are conversing with your friends, w^hom you may hereby "provoke to love and to good works." I will go on to say, be glad of opportunities to do good in your neighborhood ; yea, look out for them ; lay hold on them with a rapturous assiduity. Be sor- ry for all the sad circumstances of your neighbor which render your exertions necessary ; yet, be glad, if any one tell you of them. Thank him who gives you the information, as having therein done j'ou a rery great kindness. Let him know that he could not, by any means, have obliged you more. Clieer- fully embrace every opportunity o'l shewing civility to your neighbors, whetlier by lending, by watching, or by any other method in your power. And let the pleasantness of your countenance prove that you do G. 74" SSSATS TO DO CGOW, this willingly : "Cum munere vultum." *'Let your %\isdom cause your face to shine." Look upon your ueighbors, not with a cloudy, but with a serene and shining face ; and shed the rays of your kindness up- on them, with such affability, that they ntiay see they are welcome to all you can do for them. Yea, stay not until you are told of opportunities to do good, but inquire after them, and let the inqiury 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, "Friends, I have lost a day I"* O christian, let us try whether we cannot contrive to do somethiog for one or other of our neighbors, every day that passes over our heads. Some do so ; and with a better spirit than ever actuat- ed Titus Vespasian. Thrice, in the scriptures, we find the good angels rejoicing ; it is alv>rays at the good of others. To rejoice in the good of others, and espe- cially in doing good to them, is angelical goodness. In promoting the good of the neighborhood, I wish above all, that you will consult their spiritual good. Be concerned lest "the deceitfulness of sin" should destroy any of your neighbors. 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 work ; and then be as bountiful to them as you please. If any poor children in the neighborhood are totally destitute of education, do not suffer them to remain ia ♦ Amici, diem perdldi. ESSITS TO DO GOOD. 75 that statcl Let care be taken that they may be taught to read, to learn their catechism, and the truths and ways of their only Savior. Once more. If any persons in the neighborhood are taking to bad courses, affectionately and faithfully admonish them : if any act as enemies to their own welfare, or that of their families, prudently dispense your admonitions to them : if there be any prayerless families, cease not to entreat and exhort them, till you have persuaded them to commence domestic worship. If there be any service of God or his people, to which any one is backward, tenderly excite him to it. What ever snare you perceive a neighbor exposed to, be so kind as to warn him against it. By furnishing your neighbors 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 this way, you may administer with ingenuity and efficacy, such reproofs as your neighbors may need, and without hindering your personal conversation with them on the same subjects, if they need your particular advice. Finally, if there be any bad houses, which threaten to debauch and poison your neighbors ; let your chari- ty induce you to exert yourself as much as possible for their suppression. That ray proposal "to do good in the neighborhood, and as a neighbor," may be more fully formed and fol- lowed, I will conclude by reminding you that much tdf-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 pamp, to draw up something for yourselves. Our Lord's 76 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, direction is, *'Iend, 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 re- quired ; that is, "do good to those neiglibors who have done you harm ;" so saith our Savior, "love your ene- mies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you." Yea, if an injury have been doue you by any one, consider it as a provocation to confer a benefit on him. This is noble! It will afford you much consolation. Some other method might make you even with your froward neighbors ; 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 catalogue 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 iiot done, or attempted to do, a kindness. Among the Jews themselves, the Hasideans offered this daily pe- tition to God, "forgive all who trouble and harass us.**| *To /f.W a thing-, is, properly, to Aoj&e that we shall re- ceive it again ; and this properly refers to the ehanismoi, or Collation^ usual anp.ong' the uncients, of which we find ire = quent mention in history. If any man by a fire, shipwreck, or other disaster, had lost his estate, his friends used, to lend him a considerable sum to be repaid, Siot at a certain day^ but when he should find himself able, with convenience to repay it. Now persons would rarely lend on such occasions » unless they had some reason to hope they should ag-am ie> ceive their money, and that the person to wham it w\a^ lent, should also requite their kindness, if they should ever need it. i Ilemitte et ccndona omnibu-- qui vcsant ncs. BSSATS T* DO eooD. 77 Christians, exceed them : Justin Martyr tells us they did so in primitive times — "they prayed for their ene- Biies." But I must not stop here ; something higher still is requisite. Do good to those neighbors who will speak evil of you for doing so : "Thus," saith our Savior, "ye shall be the children of the Highest, who is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil." You will constant- ly meet with monsters of ingratitude ; and if you dis- tinguish a person, by doing far more for him than foe 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* cords. A certain gentleman was remarkably gener- ous, and many persons were constantly relieved by bis 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 favors, and blessed you. very fervently." "Did they so?** said he, "then I shall have no great reward for this iiay." At another time, he asked, the same question — "Well, and what say our people nov, ?" They replied, "Alas ! good sir, the people enjoyed your favors to- day, and after all, they did nothing but rail at you.'* *'Indeed!" said he, *'then for thi^ day i am sure that God will give me a good and great reward." Thug then, though vile constructions and harsh invectives should be the present rew. Once in three months, let there be a coHection, ESSAYS TO DO COOB. 83 if necessary, out of which the unavoidable expenses of the society shall be defrayed, and the rest employed for such pious purposes, as may be agreed upon. 7. Once in two months, let the whole time be de- Toted to supplications for the conversion and salvation of the rising generation ; and particularly for the suc- cess of the gospel, in that congregation to which the society belongs. 8. Let the whole society be exceedingly ^careful that their conversation, while they are together, after the other services of religion are over, have nothing in it, that may have any taint of backbiting or vanity, or the least relation to the affairs of government, or to things which do not concern them, and are not likely to promote their advantage. But let their conversa- ition be wholly on matters of religion, and those also, not disputable and controversial subjects, but points of practical piety. For this purpose, questions may he proposed, on which every one, in order, may deliver his sentiments ; or, they may go through a catechism. and every one, in rotation, may hear all the rest recit the answers ; or they may be directed by their pastor to spend their time profitably in some other manner, 9. Let every person in the society consider it as . special task incumbent on him, to look out for som? other hopeful young man, and to use all |)roper meant. to engage him in the resolutions of godliness, until he also shall be united to the society. And when a soci- ety 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 establishing such a society in a place, cannot comprehend what a S4 ESSAYS TO DO G0033. long and rich train of good consequences may result from his labors. 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. Proposals io the Ministers of the Gosfich Hitherto my discourse has been a more general address to persons of all conditions and capacities. I have proposed a few devices, but those 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 tirst 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 nork for God. Certainly, they who are dedicated to the special service 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 him- self than other men, should be more unwearied than others, in endeavoring to advance his kingdom. — ESSAYS TO t)6 r00D» S5 They, whom the word of God calls angels, ojght cer- lauily to be of an angelical dispcsition ; always dispos- ed 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 kiudnes> would the good angels cheerfully perform for such their "fellow servants T' We must call upon our people, "to be ready to eve- ry good work." We must go before them in it, and by our own readiaess at every good work, show them the manner of performing it. *'Timothy," said the apostle, *'be thou an example of the believers." It is a true maxim, and you cannot think of it too fre- quently; "the life of a minister is the life of his minis- try." 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 oppoituaities to do good are singular. Your want of worldly richee, and generally of any means of obtaining them, is compen- sated by those opportunities to do good, with which you are enriched. The true spirit of a minister will cause you to consider yourselves enriched, when those precious things are conferred upon you, and to prize them above lands, or money, or any temporal possess- ions whatever. "Let me abound in good works, and I* care not who abounds in riches."* Well said, brave BJelancthon ! * In opei-ibus sit abundantia tnea; div-tiis per nie lleit, abundet, qulaquis volu«rit. ESSAYS TO DO GOODi It is to be hoped, that the main principle which ac- tuated you, ^vhen you first entered upon the evangel- ical ministry, was a desire to do good in the Nvorld. If thit principle was then too feebJe 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 alh That you may be good men, and be mightily in- spired and assisted from Heaven lo do good, it is needful that you should be 7nen of jiTayer. This, my first request, I suppose to be fully admitted. In pur- suance of this intention, it apjiears very necessary that you should occasionally set apart Avhole days for secret prayer and fasting, and thus perfume your stu' dies with extraordinary devotions: such exercises may be also properly accompanied witii the giving of alms, to go up as a memorial before the Lord. By these means, you ui'iy obtain, together with the par- don of your unfruitfulness, (for which, alas! we have such frequent occasion to apply to tbe great Sacrifice) a wonderful improvement in piety and sanctity ; the vast impo.'tanoe of which, to form a useful minister, none can de^rrihe! "Sanctify ih^m in (or for) thy truth," said our Savior. They should be sanctified^ ivho would become instruments for the pro))agation of the truth. You may obtain, by prayer, such an iuHu- ence from Heaven upon your minds, and such an in- dvv'elling of the Holy Spirit, as vnW render your grave, tliscreet, humble, generous, and worthy to be "g^-eatly beloved." You may obtain those infiueaces from above that will dispel the ecchantments, and conquer the temptstioas which might otherwise do much mischief ia your neighborhood. You may obtain direction and aJsistaoce f^r the many services requisite to be per- ESSAYS TO PO GOOD. "7 formed, in the discharge of your ministry. Finally, you may fetch down unknown blessings on yoar flocks, and on the peojile 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 judicious, the more affectionate, tiie more argumentative youarfj in them, the more you will teach your people to pray. And I would a^:ic, how can you prosecute any inten- tion of piety among your people more eSectualry, than by letting them see yon praying, weeping, striving, and in an importunate agony before the Lord, in order to obtain tlie blessing for them? The more appropri- ately you represent the various cases of yoar people in your public prayers, the more devoutly sensible you will make them of their own cases; aad by this means the}'- will obtain m)ich consolation. The prayers you offer at baptisms may be io managed as greatly to av.aken in the minds of ail present, a sense of thei;' baptismal obiigations. What effusions of the Holy Spirit may your people experience, if your prayers at the table of the Lord, should be sacli 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 oughi 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 1=^ necessary that you carefully con?ider the state of your flocks; and bring them such truths, as will best suit their present circunistauces. In order to this you will observe their condition, their fault?, their snares, and their griefs; that you may '-speak a word in season ;" 88 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. and that, if any remarkable providence occur among your people, you may make a suitable improvement of it. It will be useful to consider the different ages and circumstances 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 iihould he addressed to the aged ; what admonitions to the poor, to the rich, to the worldly, and to those who are in public situations ; what consolations should be af- forded 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 forgot- ten : you will employ all possible means to cultivate early piety. Yea, you may do well to make it under- stood, that you v/ould willingly be informed, by any persons or societies In your flocks, what subjects they may wish to hear explained. By giving them ser- mons on such suljects, you will at least very much edify those who requested them ; and it is piobable^ many other persons besides. In studying your sermons, it might be profitable at the close of every paragraph, to pause, and endeavor, with ejaculations to Heaven and self-examination, to feel some impression of the truths contained in that paragraph on your own mind, before you proceed any farther. By such a practice, the hours which you spend in composing a sermon, will prove to you so many hours of devotion; the day in which you have made a sermon, will even leave upon your mind such a savor as a day of prayer commonly does. When you come to preach the sermon, you will do it with great liberty and assurance ; and the truths thus pre- pared will be likely to come with more sensible ESSAYS TO DO GOOD.' 89 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 mysehV And I will add, that such a method is most likely to render it useful to others. Let the saying of the ancients be remen> bered: "He that trifles in the pulpit shall weep ia hell;''* and the modern saying, *'cold preachers make bold sinners." How much good may be done, sirs, by your visits t It would be well for you to impose it as a law upon yourselves; "never to make an unproiitable visit." Even when you pay a visit merely for the sake of ci- vility or entertainment, it would be easy for you to observe this law ; "that you will dope some sentence or other, which may be good for the use of edifying, before you leave the company." There have beea pastors who have been able to say, that they scarce ever went into a house among their people, without gome essay to do good in the house before they left it* The same rule might properly be observed with 2uch as come to us, aa well as vrhh 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 i Peter Martyr having spent many days in Bucer's house, published this re- port of his visit ; *'I can truly affirm, that I never left his table, without some addition to my knowledge !"| 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- * Qui ludit in cathedra, lug'ebit in gehenna, t Ausim affirraare, Tn§ ab iiliua iiisnsa, senopcr disces« lliSS doctiorem; Ji2. to ESsATd TO D© GOOCJ remembered, that, "What are but jests in the moutl^ «^f the people, are blasphemies in the mouth of the priest."* But, Sirs, in your visit? you will take a particular notice of the widow, the orpha;i, and the affiicted, and afford them all possible relief. The bills put up ii& jour congregation will, in some measure, assist you to find out who need your visits. 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 ca^ lamity, and to comply with the intent and errand up- on which it comes. Another very proper time for & visit is, when any special deliverance has been receiv- ed. Those who have been thus favored should he suh monished to contrive some remarkable manner io which they may express their thankfulness for the de. liverance : nor should you leave them, until such a de- termination be made. The handmaids of the Lord, \\ho are near the hour of difficulty and danger, may ou this account be very proper objects for your visits. At such a time they are in much distress; the ap- proaching 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 attentively heard : anil there are precious promises of God, upon which they should also now be taught (o live. To bring them these promises will be the work ©f a "good angel," and will cause you to be welcomed by them as such. Catechising is a noble excerciae ; it will insensibly^ bring you into a way "to do good," that surpasses all * Qi;ae sunt in ore populi nugae, sunt in ore 5%f«rdc>tb blasphemij?. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. Qt expression. Your sermons will be very much lost up- on an uncatechised people. Nor will your people mind so much what you address to them from the pulpit, a* what you speak to them in the more condescending and familiar way of applying the answers of the cate- chism. Never did any minister repent of his labor ia catechising ; thousands have blessed God for the won- derful success which has attended it. The most hon* orable man of God should consider it no abasement or abatement of his honor, to stoop to this way of teach- ing. Yea, some eminent pastors in their old age, when other labors 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 chancellos of Paris, in his trea- tise, *'of bringing children to Christ,"* makes a sad complaint; "in the opinion of many, it would be de- grading for our divines, or literary characters, or dig- nitaries in the church, to apply themselves to this kind of work.' t Those pastors who so love a glorious Christ as to re- gard his word, "Feed my lambs," will vary their me- thods of carrying /on this exercise, according to parti- cular circumstaMes. Some have chosen the way of pastoral visits ; and from the memorials of one who long since did so, and afterwards left his advice to his son upon this Bubject, I will tfanscribe the following passages : * De pueris ad Chrif-tuTn trahendis. f Adeo jam indjfynum videtur apud multos, si quis ei theologis, aut famatus in literis, vel ecclesiastics oigniU»« |>r«ditos, a'vi hoc opu^ se iugUnav«nt, ESSAYS TO DO CiOOl?. Directions fer Pastoral Visits. You may resolve to visit all the families belonging to your congregation ; taking one afternoon in a week for that purpose : and it may be proper to give previ* ©us notice to each family, that yo{\ intend at such a time to visit them. On visiting a family, you may endeavor, with addresses as forcible and respectful aa possible, to treat with every person particularly about their everlasting interests. first, you may discourse with the elder people up- on such points as you think most i>roper with them. Especially charge them to maintain family-prayer ; and obtain their promise of establishing it, if it has been hitherto neglected ; yea, pray with them, that yoa may shew them how to pray, as well as obtain their purposes for it. You may likewise press upon them the care of instructing their children and ser- vants io the holy religion of our Savior, to bring them up for him. If any with whom you should have spoken are ab- sent, you may frequently leave one or two solemn texts of the sacred scripture, which you may think most suitable for them ; desiring some one present af- fectionately 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 catechism as you think fit, you may, from the answers, make lively applications to them, for engaging them to the fear of God. You may frequejatly obteiia from theis: ESSA.YS TO DO GOOD. 93 promises relating to secret prayer, readini^ of the scriptures, and obedience to their parents and mas- ters. You may also IVequently set before them the proposals of the new covenant, after you have labor- ed for their conviction and awakening; ; till with tloods of tears, they expressly declare their consent to it, and their acceptance of if. Some of the younsjer people you may order to bring (heir 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 tJie'i encourage them to think on such things as you remark from the passage, and never to forget those "faithful sayings" of God. You may sometimes leave with them some serious question, which you may tell them they shall not answer to you, but to themselves; such as the following : "What have I been doing ever since I came into the world, about the great errand upoQ which God sent me into the world ?'* "If God should now call me out of the world, what would become of me throughout eternal ages ?" "Have I ever yet by faith carried a perishing soul to my only Savior, both for righteousness and salvation ?"' i ou will enjoy a most wonderful presence of God with you, in this undertaking ; and will seldom leave a family wiihout having observed many tears of devo- tion shed by all sorts of persons in it. As you can sel- dom visit more than four or five families in au after- noon, the \\ork may be as laborious 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 discharged in pastoral visits. You will not only do good, but also ^et good, by your conversation with all sorts of per-' 94' ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. sons, in thus visiting them "from house to house.^^ And you will never more "walk in the Spirit," than when you thus walk among yonr fiock, to do what good you can amongst them. In j^our visits an incredible deal of good may be done, by distributing little books of piety. You may, •without much expense, be furnished with such books to suit all persons and circumstances : books for the old and for the young — for persons under aiSictions or desertions — for persons who are under the power of particular vices' — for those who neglect domestic reli- gion — for sea-faring persons— -for the erroneous — for those whom you v.ould quicken and prepare to ap- proach the table of the Lord — for those who are about to have their children baptised : and catechisms for the ignorant. You may remarkably enforce your ad- monitions, 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 h!\ve left theai. 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 scattered about a neighborhood.* Pastors, uphold and cherish good schools in your towns ! And be prevailed upon occasionally to visit the schools. That holy man, Mr. Thoaias White, expressed a desire, "T-tat able and zealovs ministers would sometimes preach at the scliooL ; because * A few years asj^o a society was esabiished In London, enUlled, " Thf Religious Tract Socte'y," by whom a g.'; at number and variety of tracts huve been published, and al sl very cheap rate. These productions are very liappily adapU ed to the pious purpose proposed by ourauUior. ES3AVS TO DO GOOD. j>reachin^ is the converting ordinance ; and the chil- dren will ha obliged to hear with more atteiition in the school than in the public congregation ; and the ministers might here condescend to such expressions as might work most upon them, and yet not be so fit for a public congregation." I have read the following account of one, who was awakened by this advice to act accordingly : "At certain times he successively visited the scliools. When he went to a school, lie first offered a prayer for the children, as much adapt- ed to their condition, as he could make it. Then he went through the catechism, or as much of it as he thought necessary ; m^tyou wiil not fdil to visit the poor as wel! as the rich ; and often mention the condition of tlie poor, in your couversatica with the rich. Keep, Sir^ m^ ESSAYS TO DO GOODv ?» list of them^ R rcoHect that although the -witld doP3 not feed any one, yet that it turns the mill which grinds the corn, the food of the poor. When convers- ing with the rich, you may do this for the poor who are on your list. In visiting the poor, you will take occasion to dis- pense your alms among ihem. These alms, you will, with as much contrivance as possihle, w?e as vehicles for conveying to them the admoniiions of piety ^ yea, means and instruments of obtaining 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 interests, ought to be shining exam- ples of liberality to the poor, and pour down their alms upon them, like the showers of heaven.. All should endeavor to do what they can in this way. What ^ays Nazianzan of his reverend father's alms-deeds ? 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 pooi will procure a wonderful esteem and success to you- ministry; "Suadet lingua, jubet vita." It will be aii irrefragable demonstration that you believe wliit you speak concerning all the duties of christiasiity, but particularly those of liberal- ity, a faithful discharge of our stewardship, and a mind weaned frOm the love of this world ; it will demonstrate your belief of a future state ; it will vindicate you from the imputation of a worldly man ; it will embolden and fortify yoii, whien you call upon others to do good, and to abound in those sacrifices with t\'hich God is well pleased. Et sic exehipla parantur ! You will do well to keep a watchful eye on the ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, St dhorJers wliich may arise and increase in your neigh- borhood^ Among other ways of suppressing these things, you may form societies for this purjiose : obtain a fit number of prudent, pious, well-disposed men, to as- sociate with this intention, and employ their discretion and activity, for your assistance in these holy purposes. One of the rules given for the minister is, "give thyself to reading." Sirs, let Gregory's Pastoral and Bowie's Pastor Evangelicus, form part of your read- ing. Also, if you read Church History much, par ticularly the Prudentia Veteris Ecclesiae, written by Vedelius, together with the lives of both ancient and modern divines, you will frequently find "methods to do good" exemplified. You will then consider how far you may "go and do likewise " How serviceable may ministers be to one another, and to all the churches, in their several associations. Indeed, it is a pity that there should ever be the least occasional "meeting of ministers,'* without some use^ iu\ thing proposed in it. Nero took it very 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 prop- er to call those hearers who miserably loose the good of your ministry, and perhaps the good which you might have particularly designed for them. Will no vinegar help against the narcotics that Satan has giv- en to your poor Eutychuses ? or cannot you bring that civility into fashion among your hearers, to wake one another ? Finally, After all the generous essays and labors to do good that may fill your lives, your people will pro- bably treat you with ingratitude. Your salaries will 98 ESSAY3 TO DO GOOD. 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 opportunity to do good, and so to glorify your Savior. Your patience, O ye tried servants of God, your palienc© will do it wonderfully I To "bear evil" is to *'do good." The more patient you are under ill usage, the more you exhibit a glori- ous Christ to your people, in your conformity to your adorable Savior. The more conformed you are to him, the more prepared you are, perhaps, for some amend- ment of your condition in this world, most certainly for the rewards of the heavenly world, when you shall appear before the Lord, who says, "1 know tby vv^orks and charity, and service, and faith, and tby patience." It was said of Ignatius, "that he carried Christ a- bout 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 b© 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 ho- liness and yet the gentleness of a glorious Christ may shine in your conversation ; if in your public discours- es 3'ou do with rapture bring in the mention of a glo- rious Christ in every paragraph, and on every occa- sion where he is to be spoken of; and if in your pri- vate conversation you contrive to insinuate something of his glories and praises, wherever it may be decent- ly introduced ; 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 excleim, "Lord, this is my desired happiness I" Truly, you then live to good purpose, you *'do good" emphatically ! ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 39 There was a -worthy minister, whom the great Cran- mer designed for preferment, and he gave this reason of his design — "He seeks nothing, he longs for nothing, he dreams about nothing, but Jesus Christ."* Verily, such "men of Ciirist" are 'Unen of God ;*' they are the favorites of Heaven, and shall be favored with oppor- tunities to do good above any men in the worhl : Ihey are the men whom the King of heaven will delight to honor, and they are the Gaons of Christianity. If I reserve oae thing to be mentioned n^ier finally* it is because I doubt whether it ought to be mentioned at all. In stjme Reformed Churches they do not per- mit a minister of the gospel to practise as a physician, because either of these callings is generally sufficient to employ him who faithfully follows it : but, the priests of old, who preserved in the archives of their temples the records of the cures v/hicli had been thank- fully acknowledged there, communicated from thence directions for cures in similar cases atiiang their neigh- bors. Nor has it been uncommon in later ages for clergymen to be physicians. Not only such monks as Aegidius Atheniensis and Constantius Afer, bat bi- shops, as Bochelt and Albicus, have appeared in that character. Thus Mr. Herbert advises that his "coun- try minister," (or at least his wife) should be a kind of physician to the ilock; and we have known many a country minister prove a great blessing to his flock by being such. If a minister attempt this, let him al- ways make it a means of doing spiritual good to his people. It is an angelical conjunction, when the min- isters of Christ, who do his pleasure, become also phy- sicians and Ra[)haels to their people. In a more po° * Nihil appetit, nihil ardet, nihil soraniat, nisi Jesum Christum.' jlOO ESSAYS TO DO GGOB. pulous town, however, you will probably choose ra- Iher to procure some religious and accomplished phy- sician to settle in your neighborhood, and make medi- cal 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 ^ith him for the good of his patients. Thus you may save the lives of many persona, who themselves may know nothing of yoar care for them-. The duiies of Schoolmasters, Fhom the tribe of Levi, let us proceed with our pro- posals to the tribe of Simeon ; from which there has been a frequent ascent to the former. The SchoQl- master has many opportunities of doing good. God make him sensible of his obligations I We read, that *'the little ones have their angels." It is hard w^ork to keep a school ; but it is God's work, and it may be so managed as to be like the v^ork of angels : the tu- tors of the children may be like their "tutelar angels." Melchior Adams properlj'^ styled it "An ofSce most laborious, yet to God most pleasing."* Tutors ! wiK you not regard tlie children Under your wing, as committed to you by the glorious *Lord with such a charge as this ? "Take them, and bring * Molestisshnam^ sedDeo longe gratissimam fuQctioneiSa ESSAYS TO DO GOOD* 101 tiiem 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, iustrumentally, 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 j'ours 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 th'^ master, where they who relate the hlsto- ly of their conversion may say, *'tiiere was a school- master who brought us to Christ." You have been told, "certainly, it is a nobler work tc make the little ones know their Savior, than know their letters. The lessons of Jesus are nobler things than the lessons of Cato. The sanctifying transformation of their souls would be in&iiitely preferable to any thing in Ovid's Metamorphoses." Catechising should be Sificquent, at least a ne&ldy €:sercise in the school ; and ii should be conducted in the most editying, appllcatory, and admonitory man- ner. In some places the magistrate permits no person to keep a school, unless he produces a testimonial of his ability and disposition to perform the work of rdi- gious catechising.* Dr. Reynolds, in a funeral sern^on' for an eminent schoolmaster, has the following passage, worthy to be * Aptitudinis ad munus illud imprimis pu^roruoi c»t€«iii- 12. 102 BssATs TO no aoo&.' written in letters' of gold : "If grammar schools have holy and learned men set over them, not only th« brains, but also the souls of the children might there be enriched, and the work both of learning and oi' grace be early commenced in them." In order to do 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 neighborhood, frequently to inculcate the lessons of yitij on the children. Tutors ill the colleges may do well to converse witli ^ach of their pupils alone, with all possible solemnity and affection, concerning their internal state, concernr icg repentance for sin, and faith in Jesus Christ, and fcO bring them to express resolutions of serious piety. You may do a thousand things to render your pupils orthodas in sentiment, regular in practice, and quali- fied for public service. I have read of a tutor^ who made it his constant 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 ^ good deal of study, but the good effect sufficiently recompensed him for it. I should be glad to see certain authors received in- to the grammar schools as classical, which are not gen» erally admitted there, such as Castalio in the Latin tongue, and Posselius in the Greek; and I could wish, with some modern writers, that "a northwest 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 ia the >vilderiie§^^ ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 106 I might recite the complaint of x\ustin, "that littl« boys are taught in the schools the filthy actions of the Pagan gods, for reciting which," said he, "I was call- ed a boy of promise ;"* or the comphiiut of Luther, *'that our schools are Pagan rather than Christian." 1 might mention what a late author says, "1 knew an aged and eminent schoolmaster, who, after keep- ing a school about fifty years, said with a sad coun- tenance, that it was a great trouble to him that he had spent so much time in reading Pagan authors to his scholars ; and wished it were customary to read such a book as Duport's verses on Job, rather than Homer,- &c. I pray God, to put it into the hearts of a wise parliament to purge our schools ; tliat instead of learn- ing vain fictions, and nlthy stories^ they n:ay become acquainted with the word of God, and with books con- taining grave sayings, and things which may make them truly wise and useful in the world." But I pre- sume little notice will be taken of such wishes as thes«. It is with despair that I mention them. Among the occasions for promoUng religion in th« scholars, one in the writing schools deserves peculiaf notice. I have read of an atrocioijs sinner who was converted to God, by accidentally reading the follow- ing sentence of Austin, written in a window : "He, who has promised pardon to the penitent 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 cojiy-book ? Let their co- pies be composed of sentences worthy to be had ia everlasting remembrance — of sentences which shall contain the brightest maxims of wisdom, worthy to fe« * Ab hoc bonw »pei puer appelUbar. 10^ ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. written ou the fleshly tables of their hearts, to be gra- ven with the point of a cliamond there. God ha« blessed such sentences to many scholars .; they have been useful to them ail their days. In the grammar school, also, the scholars may be directed, foi- their exercises, to turn into Latin such passages as may be useful for their instruction in the^ principles of Christianity, and furnish them with sup- plies from "the tower of David." Their letters alsa may be on subjects which may be friendly to the inter- ests of virtue^ I will adiJ, it is very desirable to manage the €Usci- pline of the school, by means of rewards, rather than cf punishments. Many methods of rewarding the dili- gent aiK} deserying may be invented ; and a boy of aa ingenious temper, by the, expectation of reward, (ad palm£& cursurus honores) will do his best. You csieem Quintiilian. Hear him : "Use stripes sparing' \y ; rather let the youth be stimulated by praise, and by the distinctions conferred on his classmates."* ]f a fault must be punished, let instruction, both to the deiinqiient and to the spectator, accompany the cor- rection. Let the odious name of the sin which en- forced the correction, be declared ; and let nothing be done in anger, but with every mark of tenderness and concern. Ajax Flageliifer may be read in the school ; he is aot fit to be the master of it. Let it not be said of the boys, they were brought up in the '^school of Tyran- nus." Pliny says, that bears are the better for beat- ing : More fit to have the management of bears than ®f ingenious boys, are those masters who cannot give * Cavendum aplagis, sed poti\l8 Uu4e> fejlt aUorUID pr^ lationc; urg(;iidus est pusr. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. iQlj a bit of learning without giving a blow with it. Send them to the tutors of the famous Lithuanian school at Samourgau. Tlie harsh Orbilian way of treating children, too commonly used in the schools, is a dread- ful curse of God on our miserable offspring, who are born '^children of wrath." It is boasted sometimes of a .schoolmaster, that such a brave man had his educa- tion 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, con- founded, murdered by his barbarous way of managing them. VroposaU to Churches for doing good* We have already proposed to the Pasfcrs of Churcli^ es various ways of doing good; we shall now lay be- fore the Chiirclies themselves some proposals of ob- jects, in which they may do well to join their pas- tors. Bays of Prayer, occasionally observed, for the ex- press purpose of obtaining the sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God on the rising generation, have had a marvellous efficacy in producing a religious posterity in the land, and "a seed accounted to the Lord for a generation." Such an acknowledgment of the neces- sity and excellency of supernjtural grace would be a very probable preparative and introduction to the com- munication of it. And when the children «ee their jpareutg thus earnestly seeking the grace eC God fbr 1Q3 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD; them, it wouM have a natural tendency to awakea them to an earnest seeking of it for themselves. The sermons also preached by the ministers on such solemn occasions, woukl, probably, be very awakening ones. That this proposal has been so little attended to, is la- mentable and remarkable i but, "they ail slumbered and slept." There is another proposal which has been tendered to all our churches, and regarded by some of them: That the several churches, having in an instrument proper for the purpose, made a catalogue 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 renouncing 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 c And that the communicants resolve, frequently to re-" fleet upon these their acknowledgments and protesta- tions, as perpetual monitors to them, to prevent the miscarriages by which too many professors are so easi- ly overtaken. It has been considered, that such humble recogni- tions of duty will not only be accepted by our God, as declarations for him, upon which he will declare for us; but also, that they are the way ef the new cove- Bant, for obtaining assistance to perform our duty. A particular church may be an illustrious pillar of the truth, by considering what important truths m^y call for special, signal open testimonies ; and they may excite their pastors to the composing of such testimo- nies, and likewise assist them in the publication of theoi. It is probable that G od would accompany such ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. lOT testimonies with a marvellous efficacy to suppress growing errors and evils. A proi)osaI of this nature may be worthy of some consideration. 1. It were desirable that every particular church should be furnished w4th a stock, that may be a con- stant and ready fund for the propagation of religion ; and that every minister would use his best endeavors, both by his own contribulion, according to his ability, and by applying to well-disposed persons under his in- fluence, to increase the stock, either in the way of pub^ lie collections made at certain periods, or in that of more private and occasional communications. 2. This evajigelical treasury mhy be lodged in the hands of the deacons of the respective churches in which it is collected; who are to keep exact accounts 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 evangelic- al treasury is to be, the propagation of religion ; and therefore, when any attempts of usefulness are to be made on unevangelised places, the neighboring min- isters may consult each of the churches, what propor- tion they may allow out of their evangelical 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 partic- ular church may think fit, for the service of religion in their own vicinity : Such as the sending of Bibles and catechisms to be dispersed among the poor, where it may be thought necessary. Likewise, giving as- sistance to new congregations, in their first attempts to build meeting-houses for the public worship of Goei with scriptural purity. Ids EaSATS TO CO GOOD. Query — Our churches have their sacramental col* lectioas, and it is not fit indeed that they should be "without them. The primitive christians did the same : Justin Martyr informs us of the "collections," 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 re- solve 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? Proposals to Magktraies. FkoM ecclesiastical circumstances, which, in sucli a subject as the present, may with the utmost propri- ety claim the precedency, we will make a transition to politicah 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 opportunities to do good, which rulers possess, are so evident, so numerous, and so extensive, that the person who addresses them, can- not butbte overwhelmed with some confusion of thought, scarcely knowing where to begin, when to conclude, or how to assign a fit order to his addresses. Indeed, the ESSAYS 10 DO GOOD. 109 very definition of government is, **a care for the safety of others." Sirs, from whom have you received this power? "You could have no power at all, except it were given you from above." Certainly v.hat 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 yom 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 bim has given him is, "the minister o? God for good." His empty name will produce a sad crime, if he Ao not set himself to "do good," as far as ever he can extend his influence. Is he a vicegerent for God, and shall lie do nothing for God ? Gross absurdity ! black ingrat- itude ! Is he one of those whom the Avord of God has called gods ? Gods who do no good, are not worthy of that honorable appellation, but another name, too hor- rible to be mentioned, belongs to them : such rulers we way call Gods "that have mouths, but they speak not; eyes, but th^y see not ; noses, but the}"^ smell not ; and hands, but they handle not I" Government is called, •'the ordinance of God ;" and as the admifiistration of it is to avoid those illegalities wliich 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 taot chiefly ambitious to be entitled benefactors. The greatest monarch in Christendom, one who by compu- tation has fourscore millions of subjects, and whom the 110 ESSAYS TO DO GOOPr scripture styles, "the head over many countries;" is in the sacred prophecies called "a vile person :" and such indeed is the character 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 neighbors, command their obsequious tlatte- riesj 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 addicted to sen- sual gratifications ; esteeming such a character a mere cypher. Because a wretched world will continue averse to the kingdom of the glorious and only Sa- vior, and say of our Immanuel, "we will not have tliis man to reign over us;" it is therefore very much put into the hands of such selfish, sensual, and wicked rulers. While the deserved curse of God remains up- on an impious and infatuated world, but few rulers will be found who will 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 is it that such worthless and wicked men get into authority ? "It is," says he, "be- cause the people are wicked, and must be punished with men after their own hearts." Thus, when a Pho- cas was made emperor, a religious man complaining to heaven, "why hast thou made this man emperor I*" 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 pestilence, and fire. One man IK ay be worse than all three. Such bring up tke rear in ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. Ill the train of the "pale horse" — "the beasts of the earth.'' "O our God, our God, when will thy compassions 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 come 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 sua riseth ; under him the mountains sliall bring peace to the people, and the lit- tle hills by righteousness. Ilagtenit in thy good time, O Lord! How long, O 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 pretends that the kingdoms of the world are his, and those who are the rulers of the darkness of this world '." Ail you that love God, add your amen, to hastea the coining of this day of God. In the meantime it cannot be expressed how much good may be done by the chief magistrate of a country who will make the "doing of good" his chief inten- tion : witness a Constantine, a Theodosius, or a Gra- llan. The first of these, notwithstanding the vast cares of the empire to engage his time, yet would every day, at stated hours, retire to his closet, and on his knees offer up his prayers to the God of glory. And that be might recommend this duty to the world, this admira- ble emperor caused his image on all his gold coins, and his pictures and statues, to be made in a praying pos- ture, with his hands extended, and his eyes lifted up to heaven. O imperial piety ! to behold such a prince thus publicly espousing the cause of religion, one would think were enough to convert a w orld ! It would be so, if it were not for the dreadful energi^ of one^ who is jiil ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, ■ \ become by the wrath of God> "the prince of this world !'* The virtuous example of such a monarch as we have just described is ahiiost enough to reform whole na- tions : 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 his merid° Ian strength, sheds the rays of heaven v>'lth a most pen- etrating force upon the people, "rejoicing under his wings.'* Such an instance is now uncommon; but it ivill not be so in the approaching age, when the "kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor'' into the iioly city. 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, tliat should bear a propor- tion to the degree of their 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 spec-^ tacles ! AYhata vast influence might such princes have o» Ihe reformation of the world, and consequently on its felicity, by dispensing preferments and employments io none but such as v.'ere recoii^mended to them by their Tirtue ! If good men generally were put into commis- sions, and none but such made commanders at sea, or on shore, what a great change for the better would the world immediately be blessed with ! I will beg leave to s^y that it would be a most comprehensive service to a nation to get tliem unfettered from any ieit that may render honest and faithful men incapable of serv- ing them. Ami I will take the liberty cf saying, that displacing a Jew ojficers, on account of their vicious character, would do far more to improve the state of a tlepvavcd and aMicted naiion, than a thousand |7rec/v'orId, I humbly move, that the incomparable Zuinger and Gesner may appear as field-officers, A city Tau- ris were too mean a present for physicians of such distinguished merit. I propose them to imitation, that many may follow such examples. You know that Freher has brought on his theatre, nearly five hundred famous physicians, w^th 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 for- mer century. What a vast addition might there be since made to that "list of honor," from the British no- tions ! May an excellent ambition to be enrolled in itj excite those who have ability, to "do worthily!" Physicians have innumberable opportunities to as- sist the poor, and to give them advice gratis. It wa» 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 acquainted. Sirs, the more charity, compassion, and condescension with which you treat the poor, the nearer will you approach to the greatest • Nil habet fortuna melias, qiiam ut possis, neque natura |)r2estantnjs, quam ut ye lis, servure plures. 120 ESSAYS TO J>0 GOOD. and higbest of all glories; — an imitation of yoar adora* hie Savior. Yon will readily say, "why should I esteem that mean, which reflected honor on Christ ?* In comparison of this consolatioa, 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 hand of God ; what a dependence we 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 diseases with which mortals have been oppressed; and the marvellous ef- ficacy of prayer for the recovery of a sick brother who has not sinned a *'sin unto death : ' — what better thing can be recommended 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 pa- tients as you would your own children to the glorious Lord our healer, for his healing mercies : place them, as far as your prayers w ill 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 partiC" ular and solicitous application to Heaven for direc- tion ?— "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 healelh to perform his cures." * Quod decult Christum, cur mihi turpe putem .* F«SAYS TO DO GOOD. i2l Hippocrates aOvised physicians, when they Tisited their patients, to consider whether there might not be something supernatural in the disease: "Divinuni quiddani in morbo." 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 Taaphalon, a famous Jew of the former century, published at V^e- nice, 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, "thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies," may be read, "thou hast made me v/ise from mine enemies." "We ought to learn, even from an enemy ; Fas est et ab hoste." 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 physi- cian who has made the observation, "that a great many of our diseases, either arise from a weight of cares ly- ing on the minds of men, or are thereby increased. Some diseases that seem incurable are easily cured by agreeable conversation. Disorders of the mind first bring diseases on the stomach; and so the whole mass of blood gradually becomes infected : and as long as the mental cause continues, the diseases may indeed change their forms, but they rarely quit the patients." Tran- quility of mind mil do wonderful things towards the* relief of bodily maladies. It is not without reason that Kosmau, in his dissertation, "De» Meyens de lit 122 SSSATS TO 1)0 GOOB. Vivre Long-temps," insists on tranquility of m'md as the chief among the "means to promote longevity;-^ aad says, that this is the meaning of that passage ; *'the fear of the Lord tendeth to life." They w ho 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 prac- tising the art of consolation." I propose then, that the physician endeavor to find out, by all possible in- genuity of conversation, what matter of anxiety there may have been upon the mind of the patient, that has rendered his life burdensome. Having discovered the burden, use ail possible ways to take it off. Offer him such thoughts as may be the best anodynes for his dis- tressed mind; especially the "right thoughts of t6* righteous," and the means of obtaining composure or 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 tlioughts as possible : scatter the clouds, and remove the loads with which his mind is perplexed : especial«= ly 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 useful- ness, by doing yourself, or by bringing otheti to do kindness to the miserable. What should hinder you from considering the souh of your patients ; their spiritual health ; what they hav« done, and what tbey have to do, that they may be ou good terms with heaven 1 You may take occasion, from their natural disorders, to affect your owh mind and theirs also, with a sense of our corresponding mora! ones. You may make your conversation with them, a vehicle for eoiiveylng such admonitions of piety, ae ESSAYS TO DO GOOB. J2S may be most neeeful for them : that they may be found neither unprepared for death, nor unthankful and un- fruitful, if their lives should be prolonged. This you may do, without any iutrusion on the office of the min- ister ; on the contrary, you may at the same time do a very good office for the minister, as well as for the pa- tient ; and may inform the minister when, where, an'i how he may be very serviceable among the miserable, with whose cases he might otherwise remain unac- quainted. The "art of healing" was, you know, first brought into a system, by men who had the "care of souls :" and 1 know not why they who profess that no- ble "art" should wholly cast off that "care.'* Perhap<» you remember to have read of a king who was also a physician, (for other crewned heads, besides Mithri- dates, Hadrianus, and Constautinus Pogonatus have been so) and who gave this reason why the Greeks had diseases amo&g them which remained so much uncur- ^d : ''because they neglected their souls, the chief thino of all." For my part, I know not why the physician should wholly neglect the souls of hii patients. I will not detain ycu much longer. Yoa are not ig- norant, that medicine once was, and in many unevan- gelised parts of the world is still esteemed a thing hor- ribly magical, Celsus relates, as a part of the Egyp- tian philosophy current in his time, that the body of a 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 dis- eases of the part that belonged to him. Even in Ga- len's time we find Egyptian Legerdemain* practised i he himself writes of it. From Egypt other countries * Prestigiaturas -€gyptias. 124 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. became acquainted with this art: hence medicines were called j^harmaca,* The Oriental nations had their Teraphim for the cure of diseases : hence the same Greelc 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 men or of means. He re- commended to them the study of nature, and of natu- ral 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 of Judea had, as Pliny informs us, their medicinal gardens. Probably, Naboth's vineyard might have such a one in it; and this might be the rea- son why Ahab so coveted it. Joram, the son of Ahab, repaired thither to be cured of his wounds. Aa t'xcelient Physician, in a late composition with which lie hao favored the public, supposes that the sin of Asa, wiien he "sought not unto the Lord, but uuto the phy- sicians," wa3 both occasioned and aggravated by this circiunsttince, that there were at that time none but magical physicians. 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 v* ho were skilled in medicine, and might put such a confidence in them as to neglect the glorious God, the only author and giver of health. What I aim at in this paragraph is, to encourage a con- duct the reverse of all this ; that my honorable Aga> * Pharmacos, in Creek, being a sorGevsr ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 125 (such the SOU of Sirach has taught me to call him) ivould lumself continually go to God our Savior, aad as far as possible bring all his patients to him also. Finally — An industrious and ingenious gentleman of your profession has a passage in his Pharmacopoeia Bu- leana, which I will here insert, because very many of you can speak the same language ; and by inserting it, I hoi)e to increase the number. *'I know no poor creature that ever came to me, ia the whole course of my practice, that once went from me, without my desired help, gratis. And I have ac- counted the restoration of such a poor and wretched creature, a greater blessing to me, than if I had pro- cured the wealth of both the Indies. 1 cannot so well express myself concerning this matter^ as I can con- ceive it ; but I am sure I should have been more pleas- ed, and had a greater satisfaction in seeing such a helpless creature restored to his desired health, thau if 1 had found a \evy valuable treasure. As I can never repent of the good which 1 have done this way, so 1 resolve to continue the same practice, for I cer- tainly knovv^ that I have had the signal blessing of God Btteudijig my endeavors.*'* Proposals io Rich Men. **l WILL get me unto the rich men, and will speali unto them," for they will know the ways to "do good," and will think what they shall be able to say when L2. 1'26 ESSATS TO DO G00I7. iiiey come into the judgment of their God. A per=os of quality, quoliiig tliat passage., "the desire of a m^ri is his Idadiiess," invited me so to read it, "the only de- sirable thing in a man is his goodness." How happy ■would the world be, if every |}erson of quality were to become of this persuasion 1 It is an article in my com- KiissioD, '^charge them that are rich in this world, that they do good that they be rich in good vforks, ready to distribute, willing tocomraumcate.'* In pursuance there- of, I will remind rich men of the opportunities to "do good," with which God, who gives power to get wealth, has favored and enriched them. It is a very good ac- count that has been soriietimes 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 goodness in them, yet in describing *'the manners of the age," in which perhaps they them- selves have had too deep a share, have seen occasion to subscribe 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 every thing its value. "Whoever buries his tal' ent, betrays a sacred trust, and defrauds those who stand in need of it." Sirs, you cannot but acknowl-. edge that it is the sovereign God who has bestowed upon you the riches which distinguish you. A devit himself, when he saw a rich man, could not but make thia acknowledgment to the God of heaven : "thou hast blessed the w^ork of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." It is also to be hoped, that you are not unmindful that the riches in your possess- ion are some of the talents of which you must give aa account to the glorious Lord who has entrusted yoa; -iYith tiieoi; and that you will give your account witic FftSAYS TO DO GOOD. 12T grief, and not with joy, if it should be found that all your properly 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 kingdo.'n in the world. It was said to the priests of old, wlieu the servants were assigned them ; "unto you they are given as a gift for the Lord." This may be said of all our estates : w hat God gives us is not given us for oui'selves, but ''for the Lord." "When God's gifts to us are multiplied, our obligations to give are niulti[)lied."* Indeed there is hardiy any professor of Christianity so vicious that he will not confess that all his property is to be used for honest purposes, and part of it for pious ones. If any plead their poverty to excuse and exempt then* from doing any thing this way : O thou poor widow with thy two uiites, eternised in the history of the gos-- pel, thou shalt "rise up in the judgment with this gen- eration, and shall condemn it ;" and let them also know^, that they take a course to condemn and confine them- selves to eternal poverty. But the main question is, what proportion of a manV income is to be devoted to pious uses "^ And now, let it Dofseem a "hard saying,"' if I tell you that a tenth part is the least that yon can bring under a more sol- emn dedication to the Lord; for whom, in one sense, we are to lay out our all. A farthing less would make an enlightened and considerate christian suspicious of his yicurring the danger of sacrilege. But the pious uses for which your tenths are thus challenged, I do not in- tend only the maintenance of the evangelical minis- try, but also the relief of the miserable, whom our mer- ciful Savior has made the receivers of his rents ; to- ^ Cum crescunt dona, crescunt etlam rationes donoruro. 12S ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, gether vdth 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 revenues due to the glo- rious Lord, and to purposes of piety, it is not tit that the determination of what part it must be, should be left to such hearts as ours. My friend, thou hast, it may be, too high an opinion of thy ow n wisdom and goodness, if nothing but thy own carnal heart is to de- termine what proportion of thy revenues are to be laid out for Him, whom thou art so ready to forget when he has tilled thee. But if the Lord himself, to whom thou art but a steward, has fixed on any part of our usual in* eome 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. Grotius 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 seventh. 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 dispensa- tion of tlje law, we find tliat this was Jacob's vow ; "the Lord shall be my God, and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." It seems we do not sufficiently declare that ''the Lord is cur God," if we do not give a tenth to him. And how caa • Numcr^^ deaarliw gentibua fgrme Gun*ti§ cuuierandj- finis cit» ESSAYS TO DO GOOU. 129 we approve oureslves '^Israelites indeed," if we slight such an example as thai of our father Jacob. I will ascend a little higher. In one text we read that our father Abraham "gave Melchisedeli the tenth of all." In another text we read of our Savior Jesus, "thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek." From hence I form this conclusion : the rights of Melchise- dek belong to our Jesus, the royal high priest now offi- ciating 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 ar- gument cannot be answered ; and the man who at- tempts 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 : 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 cus- tom to be as ancient as the pen of Herodotus can make it. It is confirmed by Pausanias and Diodorus Sicu- Ills, and a whole army of authors besides Doughty, have related and asserted it. I will only introduce Festua to speak for them all : "the ancients otTered to their gods the tenth of every thing."* Christian, wilt thou do less for thy God than the poor perishing Pagans did for theirs? "0 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 fu* * Decima quseque veteres Diis suis ofierbaatu J39 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. ture state has been sometimes tried, by their meeting with losses and disappointments. But then, their little has been bo blessed as to be still a competency ; and God has so favored them with contentment, that it has yielded more than the abundance of many others. Very frequently too, they have been rewarded with remarkable success in their affairs, and increase of their property ; and even in this world have seen the fulfilment of those promises ; "cast thy grain into the moist ground, and thou fihalt find it after many days."^ "Honor the Lord with thy substance ; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty." History has given us ma- ny delightful examples of those who have had their decimations followed and rewarded by a surprising prosperity of their affairs. Obscure mechanics and busbandmen 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, "decima, ut dives fias — tithe, and be rich," would be oftener verified, if more fre- quently practised. "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hostSjif I will not pour out a bkssing 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 Hot "sow to their flesh, and of the fiesh reap corrup- tion,'* may and will often go beyond this proportion. Some rise to a Jifth ; and the religious countess of War- wick would not stop at any thing short of a third.^- Gentlemen of fortune, who are my readers, would per- haps excuse me if I were to carry them no higher than Ibisj and to say nothings to them of a Johaanes Elee* E98AYS T« no SOOll. 15 1 inosynariu?, who annually made a distribution of aZ^ to jiious uses ; and having settled his affairs, said, "I bless God that 1 have now nothing left but ray Lord and Mas- ter, Chiist, whom I long to be with, and to whom I can now fly with unentangled 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 ie %iho distributes bread, M. 154 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. poor'. Empresses themselves have stooped (o relieve the miserable, and never appeared so truly great as "when they thus stooped. A very proper season for your alms is, when yon keep your days of prayer ; that your prayers and your alms may go up together as a memorial before the liord. Verily, there are prayers in alms : and, "is not this the fast that I have choseii, saith the Lord." The expression of the beggar among the Jews was ; "deserve something by me :" Among us it might be ; **obtaia something by me." MiscellaneGUs proposals to Gentlemen* There is a certain city, in which every house lias a box hanging by a chain, on which is written, "re- member 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 money. When that city was in im- minent danger, a man of moderate character was hearil to say, "that he was of opinion, 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 revenues which the fine country of the grand duke of Tuskaoy brings into its arbitrary master. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. ISS *'The hands of the poor are the treasury-box of Chrisl."^ When you dispense your ahna to the poor, ^vho know what it is to pray» you may oblige them to pray for you by name every day. It is an excellent thing to have the blessing of those who have been ready to perish, thus coming upon you. Observe here a sur- prising 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 accomplishment of that word : **B!essed is he that considereth the poor : the Lord will preserve him, and 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 spirilual charity with your temporal bounty ? Perhaps you may discourse with them about the state of their souls, and may ob- tain from them, (for which you have now a singular advantage) some declared resolutions to do what they ought to do. Or else you may convey to them little book', or tracts, which they will certainly pror.nse to read, when you thus desire them. Charity to the souls of men is undoubtedly the high- est, the noblest, and the most important charity. To « furnish (lie 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 hy putting into the hands of mankind such treatises of di- vinity as may have a tendency to make them wiser or better. It was a noble action of some good men, ^'ho, a little while ago, were at the charge of printing * Manus pauperum est Christi ^azophylaciunif 136 ESSAYS TO DO GOOfi. thirty thousand of the "Alarm to the Unconverted," written by Joseph Allein, to be given away 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 ex- pense of less than a shilling, you may "convert a sin- ner 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 oHice of the evangelical min- istry supports a good work, and performs one ; yea, in a secondary way, performs what is done by the skil- ful, 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 sbail "receive a prophet'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 passage : *'it was for several years the practice of a worthy gen^ tleman, in renewing his leases, instead of making it a condition that his tenanfs should keep a hawk or a dog for him, to oblige them to keep a Bible in their houses, antj to bring up their children to read and to be catechised." Landlords ! It is worth your considera- tion 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 * Si q^ld scholas'dcis confers, Deo ipsi contulhti. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 137 landlords to other men. Oblige your tenants to wor- ship God in their families. To take a poor child, especially an orphan, left in poverty, and to bestow a liberal education upon it, i« an admirable charity ; yea, it may draw after it a long train of good, and may interest j^ou in all the good that shall be done by him whom you have educated. Hence also, what is done for schools, for colleges, and for hospitals, is done for the general good. The endowment or maintenance of these is at once to do good to many. But alas ! how much of the silver and gold of the world is buried in bands, where it is little better thaa conveyed back to the mines from whence it came t How much of it is employed to as little purpose as what arrives at Hindbostan, where a great part of it is, af- ter 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 prepared for the press, works of great bulk, and of still greater ivorlh, by which the best interests of knowledge and Tirtue may be considerably promoted ; but they lie, like the impotent man at the pool of Bethseda, in si- lent neglect; and are likely to continue in that state, till God inspire some wealthy persons nobly to sub- scribe to their j)ublication, and by this generous appli- cation of their property, 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 • Talia non facit botije fidei S; spei ChrlsUanusr 13S ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. publishing of them, ought to be "told for a memorial * of them. I will pursue this subject still farther, it has beeii said that "idle gentlemen, and idle beggars, are the pests of the commonwealth." The saying may seem affronting, but they who are offended at it, must quar- rel with the ashes of a bishop, for it was Dr. Sander- son's. Will you then think, sirs, of some honorable and agreeable employments? I will mention one : The Pythagoreans forbade men's "eating their own brains," or 'keeping their good thoughts to themselves." ' The incomparable Boyle observes, that "as to religious books, in general, those which have been written by laymen, and especially by gentlemen, have (cs3(eri& parii us) been better received, and more effectual, than those published by clergymen." Mr. Boyle's were certainly so. Men of quality have frequently attained such accomplishments in languages and science, that they have become prodigies of literature. Their li- braries also have seen stupendous collections, ap- proaching towards Vatican or Bodleian dimensions. An English gentleman has been sometimes the most *'accomnIished person in the world*" Hovyt many of these (besides a Leigh, a Wolsely, or a Polhill) have been benefactors to mankind by their admirable writ- ings t 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 eulO" gium, "they have written excellent things" An Eng- lish person of quality, in his treatise, entitled, '-A View of the Soul," has the following passage : ''It is certain- ly the highest dignity, if not the grealest happiness, of which human nature is capable in the vale below, to have the soul so far enlightened, as to become the iric- ESSAYS TO no GOOD, JjO ror, or conduit, or conveyor of God's Initli to otliers." It is a bad motto for a man of capacity, "my under- standing is unfruitful." Gentlemen, consider what SHlyects may most properly and usefully fall under your cultivation. Your pens will stab atheism and vice more effectually than other men's. If out of j'oiir "Tribe" there come forth "those who handle the pen of the writer," they will do uncommon execution. One of them has ingeniously said, "though I know some func- iions, yet I know no truths of religion, which, like the shew bread, are only for the ])riests."* I will present to you but one proposal more, and it is this, that you would wisely choose a friend of good abilities, of warm affections, and of excellent piety, (a minister of such a character if you can) and entreat liira, yea, oblige him to study for you. and to suggest to you opportunities to do good. Make him, as .ini" brosius did his Origen^ your Monitor. Let him advise you from time to time, what good you may do. Let iiim see that he never gratifies you. more than by hi? advice on this head. If a David have a Seer to per- form such an office for him, one who may search for occasions of doing good, what extensive services may be done for the temple of God in the world t Let me only add, that when gentlemen occasional- ly meet together, why should not their conversation 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 se- cretly taken ia short hand, they would blu?h to hear it repeated f Sirs, it becomes a gentlemen to enter- • • * Malt. xli. 4. f *'Nihil scd nug-se, et risus, et verba proferuntur in vent- iim" — iVothins^ but jesting, and lavighi-ig-j and v/urds scat- tered by ibc wind, 140 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. tain his company with the finest thoughts on the finesf 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, in- credible good might be achieved. I will conclude by saying, yoH must accept of any public service, of which you are capable, when you are called to it. Honest Jeans has this pungent passage : '*The world applauds the prudent retirement of those ■who bury their parts and gifts in an obscure privacy, tliough 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 Nature." It was a sad age of which Tacitus said, ^vas wisdom."* Prciposals to Churchy Civil and Military Officen, It will be recollected, that one of our first proposals was, that every one should consider, *'what can I do for the service of God, and the welfare of man?'* It * T.nertla fuit sapkntia. ESSAYf! TO DO G©OD. 141 may be hoped that all officers, as such, will conform to what has been proposed. It should be the concern of all officer.-*, from the emperor to the enomotarch, to do all the good they can; there is, therefore, the less oc- casion to make a more particular application to hifcn- or officers of various kinds, all of whom have opportu- nities io do good, more or less, in their hands. How- ever, they shall not all have reason to complain of be- ing neglected. In some churches there are eldei'S,^ wlio "rule well," though they do not "labor in the word and doctrine." It becomes such persons often to ioquire, "what shall I do to prevent strife, or any other sin, that may be- come a root of bitterness in the church ; and that Christ and holiness may reign in it; and that the min- istry of the pastor may be countenanced, encouraged, and i)rospered ?" Their visits of the flock, and their en- deavors to prepare the people for special ordinances, may be of great advantage to the state of religion. There are Deacons also, with whom the temporal aj- fairs of the church are entrusted. It would be well, if they would frequently inquire, "what may I do that the treasury of Christ may be increased .^ What may I do that the life of my faithful pastor may be rendered more comfortable ? What members of the flock do I think deficient in their contributions to support the interests of the gospel, and what shall I say "with great bold- jif ss in the faith" to them, on the subject ?" In the State there are many officers, to whom the most significant and comprehensive proposal that can he made would be, to consider their oaths. If they would seriously reflect on the duties to which their •j In primitive times, Ecclesia sciaores habuit— the church JuvdiLs elders. 142 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. oaths oblige them, and would carefully perform those duties, a great deal of good would be done. But we must a little particularize : As the representatives of any place have opportuni- ties to do good to the people at large, so they should be particularly solicitous for the p"ood of that place which has elected them. Their inquiry should be> "what motions may I brn^ forward which will be for the public good, or for the advantage of my constitu- ents ?" Those, whom we call the ^^select men"' of a town,, will disappoint the expectations which are justly form- ed of them, if they do not diligently consider, "what shall I do that I may be a blessing to the town which I am now to serve ?" Grand] ury men may ve\y profitably inquire, "what growing evils or nuisances do I discover, which I shali do well to make public ?" They should hold their con- sultations upon these matters, as men in earnest for the good of the country. Indeed all jurymen should be good men. Our old compellation of a neighbor by the title of goodman ha&thi& origin; it was as much as to say, one qualified to serve on a jury. Let such there- fore answer their original designation, by doing good, and by contriving bow they may do it. Why should Constables be excused from these obli- gations ? Their name (Constabularius) was first deriv- ed from the care of "making unruly horses stand well together in the stable." Sirs, you have it in your pow- er to do much good by being "masters of restraints,'* in your walks and otherwise, to unruly cattle. What are vicious persons, though perhaps in honorable sta- tions, but like the beasts ! Well disposed constables kave done wonderful things in a town, to promote good ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, 143 order. I must therefore beg them to put to themselves the same question ; "what good may I do ?" Where tithing-mcn 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 I do ?" Let them consult with one another at certain limes, in order to (ind out 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 opportunities io *'do good." They do this in an eminent degree when they support exercises of piety in their several compa- nies 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 absolute they are in their command, the greater are their opportunities. The worship of God seriously and constantly maintained 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 at last 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. 34i ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, Proposals to Lawyers. But whilst our book seems to have so far dischargee! lis office and intention of a counsellor, as to leave no further 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 blessed morning star of our Savior for his direction, yet ^re now found^^mong those wlio inquire, "and what shall we do?" I refer to the gentlemen of the law, who have that in their hands, the end of which is "to do good;" and the perversion of which from its professed end is one of the worst of evils. Gentlemen, your opportunities to do good are such, tiiat proposals of what you are able to do, cannot but promise themselves an obliging reception with you. You have considerable advantages for this purpose, arising from your liberal and gentlemanly education : for with respect even to the common pleaders at the bar, I hope that maxim of the law will not be forgot- ten : "the situation of a 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 univer- sal and meritorious usefulness. * Dlgnitas advocatorum non patitur ut in earn reclplatur; q^ui antea fuerat viJJoris conditionis. ASSAYS TO DO GOOD. 115 In oTtler to your being useful, sirs, it is necessary that you should be skilful ; and that you may arrive at an excellent skill in the law, you will be well advised what authors to study: on this point, it maj'^ be of the utmost consequence to be well advised. The knowl- edge of your own statute lam is inconfestibiy needfuK The same may be said of the common law, which musL tiontinually accompany the execution of it. Here, besides useful dictionaries, you hare your Cook, Vaug- han, Windgate, and their desert of so much esteem. To hear some silly men ridicule his labors by a foolish pun on hia name — AlVs tedious^ is to see the ungrateful folly of the world ; for conciseness is one of his peculiar excellen- cies. They might more justly charge him with any thing, than with tediousness. This digression only serves to introduce a recommendotion of his "Jurispru- dentia," as one of the best books in the world for a lawyer. I shall wrong it if I say "it is much in a lit* tie;'' 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 ''Analpha- betos — one who scarcely knew his alphabet." It is vexatious to find Accursius^ one of the first commen- tators on the laws, fall into so many gross mistakes, through his ignorance.! But when you are called up- on to be wise, the design is, that you may be wise to do good. Without this disposition, "doth not their ex- cellency 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 just and good law of God. This must be the rule of all your actions ; and it must particularly regulate your prac- tice of the law. You are sensible that it was always * They bear his name, because it was by his order that Tr'ibonian made his hasty, and some say fallacious, collection of them, from the two thousand volumes, into whi»h they had been growing- for a thousand years. + When a sentence of Greek occurred in the text, he was able to aflbrd no better gloss than this, "Hxc Graica sunt, quince leg!, necintelilgi possunt— This is Greek, which caa tse'tther b« readj nor «.xpUincd." ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 147 the custom of the civil law to begin with, "to the most high and gracious God :"* nor was it unusual for the instruments of the law to begin with the first two let- ters 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 had the ten commandments prefixecl to them — Ten words of infinitely greater value than the Yimous Twelve Tables so much admired by Tulty and other ancient writers ; in the fragments of which, col- lected by Baldwin^ there are some things horribly un- righteous and barbarous. These am to be the Jirst laws with you : and, as all the laws that are contrary to these are ipso facto, null and void, so, in the prac- tice of the law, every thing disallowed by these must be avoided. The man whom the scripture calls a law- yer was a Karaite, or one who strictly adhered to the written law of God, in opposition to the Pharisee and the Traditiomst. I know not why every lawyer should not still be, in the best sense, a Karaite. By manifesting a reverence for the divine law, both that of reason and that of superadded gospel, you will do good in the world beyond what you can imagine. You will redeem your honorable profession from the injury which bad men have done to its rej)utation ; and you ^vill obtain a patronage for it very different from that %vhich the Satyr in the idle story of your Saint Evona has assigned to it. Your celebrated TJlpian 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, T A Dwo optlrao maximo. }^ ESSAYS TO DO GOOD,^ services to be performed for the kingdom of your Sav,^ ior, and methods by which to demonstrate that you yourselves are among the best of Christians. . I am not sure that our Tertullian was the gentleman of that name, who hath some Consulta in the Roman Digesta ; w hich Grotius and others will not admit : yet Eu^ebius tells us that he was well skilled in the Ro- man laws : and in his writings you find many law terms, particularly ^^Prescriptions against Heretics," which were, as we learn from Qaintillian and others, the re- plies 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 christiaoity, and "apologies" for the church and cause of our Savior. But, sirs, it must first of all foe done in your own virtuous, exact, upright conduct, under all temptations. The miscarriages of some in- (dividuals must not bring a blemish on a noble and use- ful profession. But although the profession in general must not be blamed for the. faults of a few, yet many will allow the justness of the foUowing remark, which occurs in a lalo pubiicatioc, entitled, *'Examen Miscel laneum :'* "a lav*^- yer who is a knave deserves death more than the man that robs on the highway; for he profanes the sanctu- ary of the distressed, and betrays the liberties of the people/' To avoid such a censure, a lawyer must shun ail those indirect ways of "making haste to be rich," in w^hlcli a man cannot be Innocent : such ways as provoked the father of Sir Matthew Hale to aban- don the practice of the law , on account of the extreme difficulty of preserving a good conscience in it. Sir, be prevailed upon constantly to keep a court of chan^ ■Berij in your own breast : and scoro aad icai io d© ap J ESSAYS TO DO GOOD, Uf* thing but that which your conscience will pronounce consistent 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 med- itate on "a juilgment to come." O that you would so realize and antedate that judgment, as to do nothing but what you verily believe will be approved in it ! This piety must operate, very particularly, in the pleading of causes. You will abhor, sir, 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 adversary ?"* It is to be hoped that you have determined this question like an I honest man. You will be sincerely desirous that truth and justice should take place. You will speak noth- ing which shall be to the ppejudice of either. You will detest the use of all unfair arts to confound evi- dences, to browbeat witnesses, or to suppress what; may give light in the case. You have nothing to ob" ^ jectto 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 Schuste- rus; a famous lawyer and counsellor, who died at Hei» delberg in the year 1672, has an admirable passage ia his epitaph: *'Morti proximus vocem emisit; Nihil se unquam suasiesse consilio,, Cujus jam jam moriturum peuiteret." —"When at the point of death he could say, I never in the whole course of my practice gave an opinion of * Utrum failaclis et dcceptionibus ad Gonvincendum ad= vcrsarium utili ceat ? f Cognita iniquitate, a susc^pto ejus patrociriio adyoc&tlis clesistcrj d^bet. N2, IbO £S»AYS TO DO GOODo whicli I now repent." A ia\vyer, who can leave t!ie world with such language as this, proves a greater bless- ing to the world than caa be expressed. I cannot encourage any gentleman to spend much lime in the study of the canon law ; which Baptista a Sancto Blasio has found to contradict the civil law in two hundred instances. The "decrees," the "decre- tals,** the "Clementines," and "extravagants," which compose the hideous volumes of that law, would com- pel any wise man to make the same apology for his aver*- sion to it which such a one once Eflade : ""l cannot, sir^ feed on that which is vile."^ Agrippa, who was a doc- tor of that law, said of it, "it is neither of God novfor him : nothing but corruption invented it ; nothing but avarice has piactised it" Luther began the reforma- jJion with burxiing it» Nevertheless there is one point touch insisted on in tlie canon law, which well deserves- your serious consideration ; that is — restiiulion . When jnen have obtained riches without right, or have heap- ed up wealth in any dishonest and criminal ways, a res- titution will be a necessary and essential part of that repentance which alone will find acceptance with Heaven* The soicmnity of this thought may stand like an "angel with a drawn sword" in your way, when you may be uuder 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, IMons. Placeite has given you a valuable Ireatise of Restitution, in which there is a chapter, *'Des cas ou les Avocats sont obliges a restituer— Of the cases in which counsellors are obliged to make res- titution." In that chapter some persons will find a, * Non possuw, domine, vcsci stercorQ humano. ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 151 sad bill of costs taxed for them ; and among otiier as- sertions, this is one : ^'Excessive fets must be dii^ofg« ed by restitution."* This should be considered. It is an old complaint "that a good lawyer is seldom a good neighbor." You know how to confute it, gen- tlemen, by making your skill in tiie law a blessing to the neighborhood. It was affirmed as long ago, as in the time of Sal lust, 'towns were happy formerly, when there were no lawyers ; and they will be so again when the race is extinct ;"t but you may, if you please, be a vast accession to the happiness of the places where yon reside. You shall have some of my proposals for it, in a his- torical exhibition. In the life of Mr; John Cotton, the author relates the following, concerning his father, who was a lawyer. "That worthy man was very remark- able in two most admirable practices. One was, that when any one of his neighbors wishing to sue another, applied to him for advice, it was his custom, in the most persuasive and affectionate manner imaginable^ to attempt a reconciliation between both parties ; pre- ferring 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, ev- ery 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 hia own soul, he was as much grieved as Titus was, when lie complained in th^ evening — "roy friends ! I have lost a day.'":^ •^ S'il exig-e une recompense excessive et dlsproportlonec a ce qu'il fix'it, ilest oblige a restituev ce qu'il prend de trop. . t Sine Causidicis satis fcelices olim fnQre, fuluraequesu:^ Wi-bes. i Amicij, diem perdidi. 152 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. What a noble thing would it be for you to find out oppressed widows and orphans; and as such can ap- pear onlj^ "in forma pauperis;" and are objects, in whose oppression "might overcomes right," generous- ly plead their cause ! "Deliver the poor and needy, and rid them out of the hand of the wicked" — It will be a glorious and a Godlike action t Affluent persons, about to make their wills, may fre- quently ask your advice. You may embrace the op- portunity 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 opportu- nity, 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 I Is there nothing to be amended Id the laws ? Per- haps you may discover many things yet wanting; in the laws, or mischiefs in the execution or application of them, which ought to be provided against; or mis- chiefs which annoy mankind, against which no laws are yet provided. The reformation of the laws, and more laws for the reformation of the v/orld, 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 io five sheets of paper; but certainly the laws may be so corrected, that the world may more sensibly and generally eojoy the benefit of them. If some law- yers, "men of an excellent spirit," would direct their attention this way, and call the attention of the legis- lature to them, all the world might feel the benefit of it. A worthy man, more than fifty years ago, wrote an "Examen Legum Aogliee — An Examination of the ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. ] 53 English Laws," -which deserves consideration in the present day. Your learning often qualifies you to "write excel- lent things," not only in your own profession, but also on many other entertaining and edifying themes. The books which have been written by learnexl law- yers would, in number, almost equal an Ahxaiidriaii library. Judge by a Freherus' catalogue, or by a Pryn's performances. What valuable works have been produced by a Grotius, a Hale, a Seldcn ! Gentle- , men, yon may plead the cause of religion and of the reformation, by your well directed peas ; and perform innumerable services 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 diking to the temple of the King of heaven." May (he Lord his God accept him ! Should you be called, sir, to the administration of justice, in the quality of a Judge, you will prescribe to yourself rules like those which the renowned Lord Chief Justice Hale so religiously observed, as to be- come a bright example for all who occupy the seat of judicature. The sum of (hose rules is as follows : ''That justice be administered uprightly, deliberate- ly, 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, iiowever provoked. "That I be wholly intent on the business I am abouf. "That I suffer not myself to be prepossessed with any judgment at all, tiii all the business, and bi^ih |)artie$ are heard.'* 154 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 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 right- eous," the least of those glorious recompences you may- expect will be the establishment of your profession, in such a reputation, that the most prejudiced persons in the world, when seeking to find blemishes in it, will be obliged to bring in an Ignoramus* SociBriEsj^r the Rejormation of Manners, and for the Suppression of Vice, have begun to grow into es- teem, and it is one of the best omens that appear ia the world. **Eehoid, how great a matter a little (of this heavenly) fire kindieth !" Five or six gentlemen in London, associated, with a heroic resolution, to op- pose that torrent of wickedness which was carrying all before it. More were soon added to their number; and though they met with great opposition from "wick- ed spirits," incarnate, as well as invisible ones, and some in "liigh places" too, yet they proceeded with a most honorable and invincible courage. Their suc- cess, if not proportioned to their courage, was yet far from contemptible. In the punishments indicted on those who transgressed the laws of morality, many thousands 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 profana- E9SA.TS TO DO GOOD. 153 tion of the Lord's name ; and the Lord^s day was not so openly and horribly abused as before. Among oth- er essays to do good, they scattered many thousands of good books among the 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 tanks and persuasions, became members of the societies. Per- sons high and low, churchmen and dissenters, united; and the union became formidable to the powers of dark- ness. 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 re- mark 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 conver- sion of Jews and Gentiles." America, too, begins to be irradiated with them. I shall here recite an account, formerly presented 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 fchould not unhap|)ily languish. A small society may prove an invaluable 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 righteousness," The so» ciety may assist in promoting the execution of those vholesome laws, by which vice is discouraged. Of- fenders against the law may be kept under such vigil- ant inspection, that they shall not escape punisliment; arid censured sinners will be reclaimed from their sins; or, at least, the judgments of God, which may be ex* 156 ESSAYS TO EO GOOD. pected where such sins are indulged, Will be diverted. *'When we judge ourselves, the judgments ot 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 ren- dered dead while they lived, will have an l\onest em- ployment provided for them. And the Lord's day will be visibly kept ho'y to the Lord. "Vice is a cowardly thing; it will soon shrink be* fore those who boldly oppose it. If any laws neces- sary to remedy what is amiss, be yet wanting, the so- ciety may apply to the legislative power to procure Ihem. What is defective in the bye-laws of the town rnay soon be supplied. The election ©f such officers hs may be faithful and useful to the public may be in- fluenced by the society. If any persons be notorious- ly defective in their duty, the society may, by suita- ble admonitions and remonstrances, cause those defects to be amended. If any families live without family worship, 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 ad- vantage from such a society. Charity schools may be erected, inspected, and supported. Books and tracts, containing the salt of heaven, may be sprinkled all over the land, and the "savor of truth" be diifused about Ihe country, Finally, the society may find out who are in extreme necessity, and by their own liberalityj or that of others, may procure assistance for them. "We know that a small society may effect these things, because we knovf that they have been done, ESSAYS TO BO GOOD. 157 and yet the persons who did them have been conceal* ed from the world. To minds elevated above the dregs of mankind, and endued with any generosity, 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 per- sons, and they will think it an honor to belong to such a society." The recital of these passages may be suificient to introduce the following proposal. That a proper number of persons in a neighborhood, 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 ; and what may be done, either by ourselves immediately, or by oth^ ers through our advice, to suppress those disorders?^* That they would procure, if they can, the presence of a qiiuister w ith them ; and every time they meet, pre- sent a prayer to the Lord to bless, direct, and prosjier the design. That they would also procure, if possible, a justice of the peace, to be a member of the societyo That half-yearly they choose 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 re- cord of their transactions and purposes^; and, finally, that they carry on (heir w^hole design with as much modesty and silence as possible. In a town furnished with several such societies, it has been usual for them all to meet together once a year, and keep a day of prayer j in which they have O. 158 EJSATS TO DO GOOD. humbled themselves for doing so little good, and en- treated the pardon of their unfruilfulness, through the Mood of tlie great Sacrifice; and implored the blessing of hcaren on those essays to do good which they have Kiade, the counsel and conduct of heaven for their fur- ther 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 ;7om/.7 cf consideration, which may be read to the societie?, at their meetings from time to time, with a proper pause after each of them, that any member may offer what h© pleases upon it. 1. Is there any remarkable disorder in the place, •which requires our endeavors for the suppression of it ? and, in what good, fair, likely way, may we at- tempt it ? 2. Is there any particular person, whose disorderly behavior may be so scandalous, that it may be proper io send him our charitable admonition ? or, are there any contending persons whom we shc^ild exhort id f^uench their contentions ? 3. Is there any particular service to the inferests of religion, which we may conveniently request our min- isters to take notice of? 4. Is there any thing which we may do well to men- tion and recommend to the magistrates, for the further promotion of good order ? 5. Is there any sort of oflTicers among us who are so unmindful of their duty, that we may properly remind them of it ? 6. Can any further methods be devised that igno- rance and wickedness may be chased from our people in general ; and that dome-.tic piety, in particular, may flourish among them ? ESSAYS TO DO 600D. J SO 7. Is llirre any instance of oppression or frau lulencc, in the dealings of any Fort of people, which inay call for our efforts to prevent it in future ? 8. Is there any matter to be humbly recomnieri(]ed to the le^^Iative power, to be enacted into a law for Ihe public benefit. 9. Do we know of any person languishing under heavy affliction, and what can we do for the succor of that afflicted neighbor? 10. Has any perron a proposal to nrmke, for the further advantage, assistance, and usefulae-s of Ihli so- ciety ? Reader — "Look dov/ towarcb heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number thero ;** yea, tell first the leaveE of a Hercynian forest, and the drops of the Atlantic ocean — then tell bow many good things r/iay be done by societies of good men, having such points cf consideration before them. And yet, after all, when such societies have done ali the good they can, and nothing but good, and walkoa 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 rnaintaioed by lying, serve God for unrighteous gain, fenet wliores for huI^ fcistence, and are not more zealous against immorality in their information h, than for it in their own practice; avoiding no tin in themselves, and suffering norye in other people**' 1 suppose that they who publish their censures on *'the manners of the age" fvill thus txi^ress their niaiigaity, becaur^e they tuive done =o. Sirs ! "add to your faith, courage/' and be armed for such a trial of it* 160 ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. A Catalogue of Desirable Things, We win not propose that our essays to ffo^'oo^Z should ever come to a close ; but we will now put a close to eur tender o^ proposals for them ; I shall therefore con- clude wiih a Catalogus Desideratorum, or a mention of some obvious and general services for the kingdom of Clod among men, to which it is desirable that religious persons should be awakened,* I. The propagation of the holy and glorious religion of Christ ; a religion which emancipates mankind from the worst kind of slavery and misery, and wonderfully ennobles it ; ami which alone prepares men for the blessedness of another world. Why is this no more at- tempted by its professors ? Protestants, will j'ou 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 cler- gymen, in the order of the Jesuits alone, have, within a fe%v years, embarked for China, to win aver that migh- ty nation to their bastard Christianity. No less than live hundred of them lost their lives in the difficulties of their enterprize, and yet the survivors go on with it, expressing a sort of regret that it fell not to their share to make a sacrifice of their lives in attem.pting the propagation of their religion. "O ray God, I ara ashamed, and blush to lift up ray face to thee, my God I'' Who can tell what great things might be done if our trading companies and factories would set apart a more * Difficilem rem optas, generis humanl mnocent'iaTn ; If you long for the reformation of mankind, you ar§ longing for Ihat which it is difacuil to aecompiisU, E3S AYS TO DO GOOD. IQi considerable part of tlieir gains for this work, and would prosecute it more vigorously. The proposnl 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 atten- tively considered. What has already been done by the Dutch missionaries at Ceylon, and the Danish mis- sionaries 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 na- tions which are yet unevangelised, and wait on the providence of Heaven to direct them ^o some apostoli- cal undertakings, and to bless them therein, who can tell what might be done t We know what Ruffinus re- lates concerning the conversion of the Iberians, and what Socrates mentions concerniug the things done by Frumentius and Aedesius in the inner India. In this subject there are tvro things worthy of re- Buark : First, it is the opinion of gome Seers, that until the temple be cleansed, there will be no general appear- ance of the nations to worship in it. And the truth is? there will be danger until then, that many person?; ac- tive in societies for thepropagationuf religion, may be more intent on propagating their own little forms, fan- cies, and interests, than the more weighty matters of Ihe gospel. Yea, it will be well ii" they be not, una- wares, imposed upon, to injure the eau^e of christian- itj?- where it is^ well established, while places in the neighborhood, wholly unevanj^eiised, may lie neglect- et^ Let us therefore do wliat we can towards the rfformaiion of the churchj in order to its enlari^'c- tiznt, 2i 162 3S6SAYS TO DO GOOD, Secondly, 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 plantation. The Ho- ly Spirit, who has withdrawn from the apostate church, vail 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 ^'ili not only convert, but unite his people. By hint, Cfod will "dwell with men.'* Would not our heaven- ly Father give his Holy Spirit if he were more earnest* Jy entreated of him ! II. It is lamentable to observe the ignorance and wickedness jei remaining, even in many parts of the Sritish dominions t in Wales, in the Highlands of Scotland, and in Ireland. Are the Gouges all dead ? There are pretended shepherds in the world, who will saever be able to answer before the Son of God, for their laying so little to heart the deplorable circum- stances of so many persons whom they might, if they were not scandalously negligent, bring to be more ac- quainted with the only Savior. in. Why is nothing more effected for the poor Greeks, Armenians, Muscovites, and other Christians, who have little preachii^, and no printing among them? If we were to send them Bibles, Psalters, and other books of piety in their own language, they would be noble presents, and God only knov/s how useful. IV. Poor sailors and poor soldiers call for our pitjr. 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 ? Be- sides more books of piety distributed among theiiSj otli- ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 163 er methods must be devised. "An ass falls, and the first who conies lifts him U[) : a soul is on the brink of ruin, and not a hand is stretched out."* Let Austin awaken us. V. The Tradesman's library should be more enrich- ed. We have seen ''husbandry spiritualized ;'* the em- ployment of the "shepherd spiritualized;" "navigation spiritualized ;" and the "weaver," also, furnished with agreeable meditations. To spread the nets of salva- tion for men in the way of their personal callings, and to convey pious thoughts in the terms and branches of their personal callings, is a real service to the inter- ests of piety. A book also that shall be an "Onoma- tologia Monitoria," a "Remembrancer from names," and shall advise persons how to make their names the monitors of their duty, might be of much use to the christened world. And a book which shall be "the an- gel of Bethesda," 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 experimental, natiiral, and specific remedies for their disorders, might be very useful to mankind. VI. Universities which shall have more Collegia Pieiatis in them, like those of the excellent Francki- us in the Lower Saxony. O that such institutions were more numerous ! Seminaries in which the schol- ars may have a most polite education, but not be sent forth with recommendations for the evangelical minis- try, 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 pov- * Cadit asinus, h est qui sublevat : perit anima, et non est qu"i raauiim apponat. 164 ESSIAYS TO DO GOOD, erty, reproach, and all sorts of temptations, in the ser- vice 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 :" Charitj -schools which may provide subjects for the great Savior, blessings for the next generation : Chari- ty-schools, not perverted to the ill purpose of introduc- ing a defective Christianity. VII. It is the part of wisdom to observe and pur- sue those things which, so far as we understand by the books- of the sacred prophecy, are to be the works cf our day. When the time had arrived that Antichrist should enter his last half-time," one poor monk proved a main instrumeot of wresting from him half his em- pire. Thas to fall in with the designs of Divine Prov- idence, is the way to be wondeifuily prospered and honored. The works of our day I take to be as fol- lows : 1 . The revival of primitive Christianity : to endeav- or to restore every thing of the primitive character. The apostacy is going oiT. The time for cleansing the teojple comes on. More Edavards would be vast blessings, when the primitive doctrines of Christianity are corrupted. 2. The persuading of the European powers to shake offthe chains of popery. Let this argument be used" there is no popish nation but would, by embracing tiie protestant religion, not only introduce itself into a gio- rioi:s liberty, but also would double its wealth immedi^" ately. It is strange that ihi3 has not been more at- tended to. Let it be prosecuted with more demonstra- tion. A certain writer has shown, that the abolition of popery in England is worth at least eight miliioiie ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 165 sterlin* 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 un- derstand ; but the wise shall understand." God will do his own work in his own time and manner; and Austin says, *'it is advisable to withhold part of what 1 meant to say, because of men's incapacity to receive it."* * Utile est ut taceatur aliquod verbum, propter incapaces. COKCLUSION. **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 mention not things of great difficulty, but such as are within our power."* But Eusebius has taught me, '*it is truly noble io do great things, and yet to esteem yourself as nothing."! birs, while pursuing such a course of actions as has been described above; actions, which are far more glO" rious 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, withou^a sense that you are nothing, and a willingness to be so esteemed. You must first, most humbly ac- knowledge to the great God, "that after you have done all, you are unprofitable servants ;" that you have not only done that "which was your duty to do," but also that you have fallen exceeding short of your duty." If God should abase yoij with very dark dispensations of liis providence, after all your indefatigable and disin- terested "essays" to glorify him, humble yourselves be- fore him ; yet abate nothing of your exertions. Per- severe, saying, my God will humble me, yet will I glorify him. Lord, thou art righteous. Still will I do all I can to promote thy glorious kingdom. This * Non fortialoquor, sed possibilia. t Vere magnum est magna facere, & teipsum putere nihil. 168 CONCLUSION. act of humiliation is indeed comparatively easy. There is one to be demanded of you, of much greater diffi- culty; that is, that you humbly submit to all the dis- credit which God may appoint for you among men. Your adorable Savior was one who always "went about doing good.'* Mankind was never visited by a bene- factor like him; and yet never was any one so vilified.- Had he been the worst malefactor 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 do you thus treat me." Yet they continue ed the same conduct : 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 be a remedy for discouragement ; it will keep you from sinking, as well as from being lifted up* You are conformed to your Savior in your watchful en- deavors 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 "des- pised 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 want- ed a little of this grace, could say, "nothing makes us »o agreeable in the sight of God and man, as to rise high by our good actions, and yet sink low in humil- ity."f It is an excellent thing to cotne to nothing in your own esteem. If you hear the hopes of unfriendly men, that you will come to nothing; hear it with as much satisfaction as they can hope for it. In this sense em- * Remedium elationis est contuitus Dominicas crucis: f Nihil est nos ita et hoTninibus et Deo gratos facvit, quam si vitK merito Hiagni, et humilitate infimi simus. CoNCliUS[ON. 169 brace exinanilion anil annihilation. A person who had been a famous "doer of good" was much affected with the picture of a devout man,to whom a voice came down from heaven, "what wouhlst thou have me do for thee ?" To which he replied, "nothing, Lord, but that 1 may be permitted to suffer contempt for thy sake."* Sirs, let it be seen somewhere else than inpichire ; be your- selves the reality : and thus '*Iet patience have its per- fect work." I hope you are too wise to imagine that because you are never weary of well-doing, you will therefore be aniiversally well spoken of. No; it will be just the contrary. To do Ji'c//,and to bear evil, is the comraoa 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 w ill unavoidably serve some 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 concern- ing whom we are told, "madness is in their hearts." This will appear in their unaccountable prejudices against those who most of all seek their good. Then, "he teareth me in his wrath who hateth me : he gnash- eth upon me with his teeth : mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.'* A benefactor will perhaps be hon- ored as the Lindians worshipped Hercules, by cursing a-nd throwing stones. The wrath of God against a sinful and miserable world is likewise discovered in this matter. If men, who are always intent on doing * "Qiiid vis fieri pro te J" *'Nlhil, Domine, nisi pati et conterrmi pro te V* P. 170 CONCLUSIO?^. good, were so generally beloved and esteemed as they ought to be, they would become iustruments of doing more good tlian the justice of heaven can yet allow to be done for a sinful world. The world is neither wor- thy of them, nor of the good which they endeavor to perform. To deprive 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 purposes. Nor is the great adversiary idle on this occasion. The man, who shall do much good, will thereby do much harm to his empire. It would be surprising if the devil should not "seek to devour," or take an ex- quisite revenge upon such men of God. And nnless God should lay an nncom>non restraint u[)on that "wicked one," such is "the power of the adversary," &nd so great an influence has he over the minds of mul- titudes, that he will bitterly revenge himself upon any remarkable "doer of good :" he will procure him a troop of enemies, and whole vol lies of re{)roaches. 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 VvTite 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 dev- il may sometimes raise upon your op[>ortunities to do good, such a horrible tempest as may threaten their utter ruin. You may fear to have your serviceable- iie3s — the "apple of your eye" struck out : you may }>e a secret, on this account. Prostrate in the tlust, yoii must Oiferup your supplications with strong crying and tears, to him that is able to save your "opportunities of usefulness from death ;" you must cry out, "0 deliver my soul," my serviceableness, "from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog !'* The words of the great Baxter are to the purpose, and worthy to be in- troduced on this occasion: "The temptations and suggestions of Satan, yea, and often his external and contrived snares, are such as fre- quently to give men a palpable discovery of his agen- cy. "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 Buch wonderful frustrations of many designed excellent works, by such strange, unexpected mean?, such a va- riety of them, and so powerfully carried on, that I have been convinced there is a most vehement, invisible mal- ice 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 importance, which tends to no great benefit to mankind, and he may proceed with- out any extraordinary impediment. But let him have any great design 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 impediments shall be so multifarious, so far-fetched, so subtle, so inces- sant, 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*^'' 172 CONCLUSION". I have transcribed this passage that such opposition may not come upon any one unexpectedly. O thou doer of good, expect a conflict with wicked spirits in high ph\ces, to clog all the good thou dost propose to do. Expect that they will make ceaseless endeavors to overwhehn thee, by instilling into the minds of men, vile ideas concerning thee, and by putting into their mouths calumnies against thee. These will be some of their devices to defeat all thy proposals: *'be not ignorant of Satan*s devices." Yea, and if the devil were asleep, there is malignity enough in the hearts of wicked men themselves, to ren- der a man, who wishes lo do good, very offensive and troublesome to them. They are the offspring of him who "slew his brother because his works were right- eous f and they will malign a man because he is use- ful to other men. Indeed, "to be spoken ill of by the wicked is to be praised."* Wicked ifnen will curse a man because lie is a blessing. Base and wicked dis- position ! I happened once to be present in the room wher^ a dying man could not leave the world until he had la- mented to a minister, whom he had sent for on this ac- count, the unjust calumnies and injuries which he had often cast upon him. The minister asked the poor penitent what was the occasion of his abusive conduc( : whether he had been imposed upon by any false re- ports. The man made this horrible answer: "No, sir; it was merely this; 1 thought you were a good man, and that you did much good in the world, and there- fore I hated you* Is it possible, is it possible," said the poor sinner, "for such a wretch to find pardon ?-' Tru- iMalJs displlcere est laudarl CONCLUSIO!!^.' 1' iy, though other causes may be assigned for the spite antl I ego of wicked men against a person of active be- nevolence, yet 1 shall not be deceived if I fear that a secret antipathy to the kingdom of God lies at the bot- tom of it. Or, in proud men it may frequently be pale envy, enraged that other men are more useful in the world than they, and vexing themselves with more than SkilUtJi 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 j^ou; if javelins should be thrown at you with the most impetuous rage ; and if pamphlets filled with falsehood and slander should be published agaici-t you. God may wisely and in much faithfulness permit these things "lo hide pride from you." "O how much of that deadly poison, pride, still remains v,'ithin us ; for which notlilng short of poison is an antidote !"f Alas! while we still cany about us the grave-clothes of pride, these rough hands are the best that can be employed to pull them off. Ii you should meet with such things, you must bear them with much meekness, much silence, great self-abase= ment, 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 * Non bonus est qui ncn ad iiivkliam usque bonus est. f O quantum est venQnum supciblte, quod non potest nisi veneng euiari. P2, 1/4- CONCLTTSlOlt. do good. Be ready to do good even to those from TS'hom you suffer evil. And when you have done aii 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. Endeavor to reconcile 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 envi- ous men can fix upon you no other blemish, they v. iii say of you, as they 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 aith impatience. Ye useful men, your acceptance with your Savior, and with God through him, and your recompense in the world to come, are to carry you cheerfully through all your '^essays" at usefulness. To be "reprobate for *3Tery good work" is a character 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 Lord" is the truest and highest wisdom. It 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 themen who are diligent in doing goodcan give such a reason for what they do,as proves them to be Yeally wise. Men "leave off to be T/ise," when they leave off to "do good." The wisdom il^f it appears in this : it is the best way of spending oui: iime ; that time is "well spent which is employed in d'^ CONCLUSION. ITa iug good. It is also a sure ami pleasant way effectual- ly to bespeak the blessings of God on ourselves. Who so likely io Jindhksshigs 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."t Ev- ery action we perform 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 Avork 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 ; "0 do good unto those that are good." Thus iny Bonifacius again sustains the name of Btnedictus also : yea, and there may be this more particular effect of what we do ; while we employ our ioveution.for the interests 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 « 'whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. ' Kor caa a man take a readier way to ''live joyfully ali 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 thrown away in <' vanity," nor shall we live "in vain." My friend, "go thy way," and be joyful, "for God accept- eth thy works." Our "few and evil" days are render- ed much less so, by our doing good in every one of them, as it rolls ovej'our heads : yea, the holy Spirit of God, who is the quickener of those who "do good with- out ceasing," will also be their comforter. Every day in which we are active for the kingdom of God, will * Qiu bene vlvet, semper orat! i Qi^i ^ene agit^ bene orat. 176 CONCLUSION. foe in some measure a day of Pentecost to us ; a daj of the Holy Spirit's coming upon us. The "cousola- fions of God" will not be '^smaU" \Yith the man who h full of contrivances for God, and for his kingdom. In short, we read, "the vallies are covered over with corn ; they shout for joy, they also siug," 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 to do, will be a "continual feast" to us. "Our rejoic- ing in this, the testimony of our conscience." "A good action is its own reward."* Indeed the pleasure that is experienced in the peformance of good actions is inexpressible, is unparalleled, is angelical : it is a most refined pleasure, more to be envied than any sensual gratification. Pleasure was long since defined, "the result 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 dimiUis, then he, who lived beloved, shall die lamented. It shall be witnessed and remembered of him, "that he was one who did good in Israel :" — An epitaph, the glory of which is far beyond that of the most stately- pyramid. Then the calumniators, who once endeav- ored to destroy his reputation, shall have nothing to reflect upon but the impotence of their own defeated malice. A Thersiies will not have a more disadvan- tageous article in his character than this, that he was an enemy to such a Ulysses. But what shall be done for this good man ill the Rede fecisse m^rces est. CONCLUSION. 177 heavenly world ? His part and his work in the city of God ar« at jiresent incomprehensible to us : but the "kindness," which his 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 cit}^ where no evil will be seen, 110 good concealed."* The attempts which the Chris- tian 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 "righteousness." 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 ! lie has done •what he could for the honor of the King of heaven ; and every thing shall be done for him that can be done for one whom th€ King of heaven "delightetb to honor." I will give you tlie whole summed up in one word : "Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good." Ye children of God, there is a character of "mercy and truth" in all the good that you devise. You de- vise how to deal mercifully and truly with every one, and to induce every one to do so too. And the mercy and truth of God., which are forever engaged on your behalf, will sufler you in this life to "lack no good thing," and will hereafter do you good beyond what the heart of man can yet conceive. A faithful God has promised it— 'Hhe mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" I remember what Calvin said when the order for * Qiianta eiit ilia fellcitas, ubi nullum eilt malum, null-jtr, latebit bonum ! 178 CONCLUSION, his banishment from ungrateful Geneva vr^s brought to him : "Most assuredly, if I had merely served man, this ^ould have been a poor recompense : but it is my happiness that I have served Him \^'ho never fails to reward his servants to the full extent of his promise."^ I will conclude with a declaration which I will bold- ly maintain : It is this : Were a man able to write in seven languao;es ; could he daily converse with the sweets of all the liberal sciences to which the most ac- complished men make pretensions '^ were he to enter- tain himself with all ancient and modern history ; and could he feast continually on the curiosities which the different branches of learning may discover to him *. — All this would not afford the ravishing satisfaction ^hich he might find in relieving the distresses of a poor, miserable neighbor; nor would it bear any com- parison with the heartfelt delight which he might ob- tain by doing an extensive service to the kingdom of our great Savior in the world, or by exerting his ef- forts to redress the miseries under which mankind is gei^erally languishing. * Certe si hominibus servivisiem, mala inihi merces per- •olveretur ; sed bene est, qaod ei inservivi, qui nunquam ^on eervis suis rependit, quod semel promlslt. THE END, ON FULFILLING ENGAGEMENTS AND PAYING DEBTS. \Trom a Sermon by the late President Edwards^ on Ex- odus XX. 15. Thou shall not 5^ea/."] There are many ways in which persons may un- justly iisMrp their neij^hbor's property, by withholding Tvhat is his due ; but 1 shall particularize at this time only two things : 1. The unfaithfulness of men-ki not fulfilling their engngcraent^. Ordinarily when men promise any Ihing to their neighbor, or enter into engagements, by undertaking any business with which their neighbor €ntrusis them, th( ir engagements invest their neighbor with a right to that which is engaged ; so that if they -ivithhold it, they usurp that which belongs to their neighbor. So it is when men break their promises, be- cause they find them to be inconvenient, and they cannot fujfii them without diiTiculty and trouble ; or merely because they have altered their minds since they promised. They think they have not consulted theirown interests in the promise which they have made, and that if they had considered the matter as much before they promised, as they have since, they should not have promised. 'J'herefore they take the liberty to set their own promises aside Besides, sometimes persons vi- olate this cofDmand, by neglecting to fulfil their en- gagements, through a careless, negligent spirit. They violnte this command, in withholding what belongs to their neighbor, when they are not faitiiful 18§ On fulfilling Engagements. in any business which they have undertaken to do for their neighbor. If thtir neighbor has hired them to labor (ot hirn for a certain time, and they be not care- ful well to husband the time ; if they be hired to day's labor, and be not careful to improve the day, as they have reason to think he who hired them justly expect- ed of them ; or if they be hired to accomplish such a piece of work, and be not careful to do it well, but do it slightly, do it not as if it were for themselves, or as they wouhi have others do for them, when they in like manner entrust them with any business of their's ; or if they be entrusted with any particular affair, which they undertake, but use not that care, contrivance, and diligence, to manage it so as will be to the advan- tage of him who entrusts them, and as they would man- age it, or would insist that it should be managed, if the aifair were their own ; in all these cases they unjustly withhold what belongs to their neighbor. 2. Another way in which men unjustly withhold what is their neighbor's, is in neglecting to pay their debts. Sometimes this happens, because they run so far into debt that they cannot reasonably hope to be able to pay their debts ; and this they do, either through pride and affection of living above their circumstances j or through a grasping, covetous disposition, or some other corrupt principle. Sometimes they neglect to pay their debts (Vom carelessness of spirit about it, lit- tle concerning themselves whether they are paid or not, taking no care to go to their creditors, or to send to him ; and if they see him froni time to time, they say nothing about their debts. Sometimes they neg- lect to pay their debts, because it would put them to some inconvenience. The reason why they do it not^ is not because they cannot do it, but because the/ On fulfilling Engagements. 181 cannot do it so conveniently as they desire ; and so they rather chuse to put their creditor to inconven- ience by being without what properly belongs to him, than to put themselves to inconvenience by being without what doth not belong to them, and what they have no right to detain. In any of these cases, they unjustly usurp the property of their neighbor. Sometimes persons have that by them with which they could pay their debts if they would; but they ■want to lay out their money for something else, to buy gay clothing for their children, or to advance their estates, or for some such end. They have other de- signs in hand, which must fail, if they pay their debts. When men thus withhold what is due, they unjustly usurp what is not their own. Sometimes they neglect to pay their debts, and their excuse for it is, that their creditor doth not need it ; that he hath a plentiful es- tate, and can well bear to lie out of his money. But if the creditor be ever so rich, that gives no right to the debtor, to withhold from him that which belongs to him. If it be due, it ought to be paid ; for that is the very notion of its being due It is no more law- ful to withhold from a man what is his due, without his consent, because he is rich and able to do without it, than it is lawful to steal from a mau because he is rich and able to bear the loss. ON THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 01' CHILDREN. [From the Christian Observer.] We are the parents of several young cliildren, and are anxious for their salvation. Not long since, one of our little boys went to visit a very kind friend, who has been remarkably successful in the pious education of his family. We were desirous to have our friend's opinion of our son. His leading observation was, that the child did not shew a cordial concern for his faults. Feeling the justice of this sentiment, and our own in- experience, vve requested him to tell us at length how, under God's grace, this concern might be best excit- ed : which drew from him the first of the following let- ters. We still expressed doubts oq the subject of cor- rection by the rod, whether it should ever be used at all, or whether it should ever be used, where some contrition has been already i)roduced by affectionate and serious conversation. This procured us the bene- fit of the second letter. Having found these letters of considerable use in the religious education of our child- ren, and having obtained permission from our truly christian friend to make them public, we beg to send them to you, in the hope that you will judge them well worthy of insertion in the Christian Observer. PARENTES. "My dear sir, "The subject on wliicli you request my senti- jQieats, is one of the most important in education. On the Religious Educalion of Children. 183 Without a cordial concern for a fault, no sound founda- tion is laid for it? cure. Even if the parent looked no farther than to worldly princijiles, to mere prudence and fair character, this would be true. It is eminently and obviously true, when the reference is to religion, and to God who searches the heart. Without this cor- €Ual concern there can be no repentance, and without repentance there can be neither forgiveness nor the di- vine blessing; ; and therefore all must be unsound, even if outward reformation be obtained. I ought to apolo- gize, for repeating truths so familiar to you, as applied to adults, if not also as applied to children, to whom they are equally applicable. It is their very high and fundamental importance, and their not meeting with due attention in education, even from very many t-eli* gious parents, which induces me to state them. I too frequently see parents make the reformation of their chiIdren'^ faults a matter, in which religion is scarcely, if at all, referred to; and little or no appeal is directed to the heart and conscience. 'J'hus morality comes to be considered as consisting entirely (or nearly so) in mere outward observances : God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost, pre little brought into view in the course of the child's daily conduct; and he gets into the habit of be- ing satisfied with himself, if he does nothing contrary to rule, though his motives may not have been holy, and his heart may have been in a very indifferent stale. You could describe to me, better than I to you, the evils of such a state, and the hardness of conscience and other future miseries threatened by it. '^The system here has been, carefully to coun- teract these evils, both present and future, by doing our best to lead our children to have God in all their houghts, and to habitual daily repentance and tender- IS4 On the Religious Education of Children. ness of conscience before him : — in short, to that frame of mind, making proper allowance for their age, which is required in all of us by our Heavenly Father. To this end we always endeavor, in correcting a fault in a child, to have a right religious view of it, and to give the child, partly by precept and illustration, and part- ly by sympathy (for 'si vis me flere dolendum est prim- um ipsi tibi,' is eminently applicable in this case) a right feeling respecting it, as an offence against hiis Maker, Redeemer, and Sancfitier. It is too common, as you know, to cut short the notice of a fault. It is strongly blamed — the child undergoes some punish- n:ent perhaps — perhaps he is threatened with severe punishment if he repeats the fault ; or perhaps he is re- quired to say, that he is sorry, and will not repeat it. The parent is peremptory, the child is frightened, and all is over in a very short time, without any useful im- pression on the ciiiUl, except that be is less disposed to commit the outward act which has drawn upon him these animadversions. Mrs, and I, on the con- trary, endeavor to make every fault of our children to be felt by them as an offence against God, and a sin to be repented of, and thereupon to be pardoned through our Savior. We therefore carefully guard against the child's thinking his fault is reproved as a personal of- fence against ourselves. We talk to him solemnly, but tenderly; feeling and expressing much concern that he has oStvUded God ; contrasting his conduct with the love of God : painting the pleasure with which his holiness •would be receivetl in heaven, particularly by Clirist, and the pain which his sin has occasioned. In short, we talk with him, "mutatis mutandis,'' as with a friend with whom we tenderly sympathise, while we feel we have a right to command. We temper the terrors of On the Pi^eligious Education of Children. 185 the Lord with representations of his love and mercy ; and we persevere in this course, till the child's mind appears humble and softened, and brought into such a penitent frame, as God looks upon with favor. The w hole ends often in a short affectionate prayer of half a minute, or a minute, for pardon and grace, dictated by ourselves, as far as the child's own thoughts will not of themselves supply it. This process is never hurried over, nor is it ever brought to a conclusion be- fore the end appears to be attained ; as nolliing can be more important, so nothing is suffered to supersede or interrupt it. It is taken up reri/ early, and is always accommodated in its different parts to the years and knowledge of the child. It appears formidable on pa- per, but it is surprising how short, and even pleasant it is, in all common cases, through its being commenced so early, and habitually practised. It has almost ban^ ished punishment from our house, and has brought with it various other good consequences. I need not say, that a gootl deal of discrimination and discretion must be exercised by the parent. Religion must be made ta wear an amiable and endearing, as we!] as an awful countenance. The bruised reed must not be broken ; the feelings mu^t not be excited beyond what nature will bear; and if a storm of feeling arises^ it must be allayed without any improper indulgence, destf uctive of the effect which was aimed at. You will see, tliat sagacity and self-command ere wanted on the part of the parent, which cannot be hoped for, if he do not Bjaintain an unruffled mind. "There are some necessary concomitants of this system, which, were they not so, would be recom- mended by their own intrinsic im])ovtance. Holy things must always be apnrCiWhed in a holy way, q.2. 186 On the Religious Education of Children. ^riie Bible must never be read with levity or intlilfer- ence. Hymns, and the Catechism, must never bejcdi- heredosev^ or repeated with that hard ton? and manner, which bespeaks an unconsciousness of their sacred na- ture. Religion must practically be made the main- spring of life ; and she must not only be so, but appear t5 be so, without departing from her native modesty, anel without losing dignity by the frequency of her intro- duction, or by the kindness with which she is invested. You will be aware that difficulties, and very great ones, must be encountered, where, instead of habits of proper feeling and repentance on committing faults having been formed from infancy, other habits have been formed. These difficulties are in their kind the same with what you clergymen meei with in bringing adults to repentance. In their degree, they will be greater or less according to circumstanceSa I had a child here for several months, some time ago, whom I could never bring to quite a satisfactory state of mind on his committing faults ; owing, as I believe, to the errors of his previous education. With our own cliild- ren we have never experienced very formidable diffi- culties, God be praised! His is the work; but he makes great use of the instrumentality of parents, and gives, as I believe, an especial blessing to a well di- rected early education. *'/ remain^ <^*C'" *'My dear sir, "As our's is quite a Sunday subject, I will era- ploy a little of to-day in giving you my tiioughts up- on it. *^ With respect to punishments, our practice has been very generally to omit the employment of them alto- On ilie Religious Education of Children. 187 gether, Tvhen the child was brou/];ht to real repent- ance; but at any rate to confine their use on sfuch oc- casions to strong cases, and tlien to em{)!oy restraints, and not corporal correction. But we have endeitvor- ed to recal the child's mind to faults, from time to time, in a solemn but tender manner, that they might not slip out of his remembrance ; and especially at prayer time, and other seasons when it appeared likely to be done with most efifect. "We have been led to this course, partly by feeling ; but it has accorded with our principles, as I will en- deavor to explain. "The great and leading use of punishments (in the case of children at least) seems to be, to humble the mind at the time of a fault, and prepare it for repent- ance; or, when infilicted after a fault, to impress the fault more on the memory, that repentance for it may be more abiding : and in both cases, to deter from a repetition of the crime, through fear of a repetition of the suffering. Now though it has these uses, it has also evils attending it. The parent's temper is apt to be ruffled in inflicting it, and the child's to be soured and hardened in receiving it ; and the fear of it is apt to lead to concealment and deceit in a child, and also apt to turn his eyes too much from God to man, and from the spiritual to the temporal consequences of crimes. 'Perfect love casteth out fear ;' and one would wish to lead a child towards that state a£ fast as may be, and to foster and cherish the love of Christ, as the great constraining principle, in his bosom. Endeavors to this end will be not a little counteracted by a sys- tem which draws his mind habitually, on the commis- giou of faults, to human punishments. "Yiewing things iu this light, we look on punish- 188 On Ihe Religious Education of Children. ments as never to be had recourse to, in Christian edu- cation, when it can be avoided ; and we think we have found, that, under the system I described in my last letter, for promoting true repentance in a child, it may be avoided with advantage in almost all cases, when, under that system, by the blessing of God, the mind is become ingenuous and the conscience tender. In cases of obstinacy, whether it takes the form of vio- lence or sullenness ; if candor and kindness, and sol- emn but calm representations, and a countenance and manner in the parent the very reverse of that of the child, will not in some moderate time produce the de- sired effect on the child's mind, (which they common- ly will, after the system in question has been followed for some time in a family) punishment must be resort- ed to: 'Debellare superbos.* But even in this case it should be sparing and moderate, and inflicted gradual- ly, so as to give time to the child to recover itself from its fit of perverseness ; and when its temper is altered, and bends to the yoke, and gives place to contrition and docility, the punishment should cease. It is to the full as necessary, in a sj'stem under a God of love, the leading principles of which therefore should be love and mercy, to bear in mind the former part of the poet's line — ^'Parcere subjectos,' as the latter part, which I before quoted. Then is the time for winning the child, by holy kindness, tempered by that mild so- lemnity which the occasion will inspire, to openness and candor, and a deep, but not an agonizing im- pression of the evil of sin, and of the love of Christ, and his readiness to forgive. Consider how very ill a continuation of punishment would harmonize with the promotion of those filial aspirations to God and the Redeemer. How would it operate is our ov*u On the Religious Educalion of Children, 189 case? And how much more likely would it be to op- erate ill in th.it of a child, who, from his tender years, is so much more liable to have his mind and feelings en- grossed by any thing w hich, like punishment, makes a fe(ron2; impression on his outward senses ? "I have mentioned the effect which the expectation of punishment is likely to have on a child's communi- cations with his parent. It may be worth while to eo' large a little on that point. I am sure we agree in placing the highest value on an c'.ff- ctioi'ate and confi- dential openness in children towards their parents. It is not only highly gratifying to the parents, and the natural expression, and pledge, and nurse of filial es- teem and love; but it is most closely allied to the pro- motion of all that is honest and ingenuous in the child, and with the checking and subduing of all that is wrong, not only in his habits, but in his disposition. I need not go into detail on these points. All that I could say will present itself to your mind and feelings. I w ill merely draw your attention to two opposite pic- tures, which your own imagination will present to5'^ou in sufficiently vivid colors : the one, of a child who feels his parents to be his bosom friends — his wise but ten- der and sj'uipathising guides through the snares and de- lusions of life ; who, from feeling, as well as from a sense of duty. Hies to them to disburthen his mind, both iu his joy and in his sorrow ; who, in his intercourse with them, endeavors to follow in that Christian path in which they lead the way, to be of one heart and mind with them, and to 'keep the unity of the spirit iu the bond of peace,' as with all his fellow-Christians, go emphatically with his first, best and dearest friends, bis parents. Contrast this sketch with what is too often the scene even in religious families — distru^ on the 190 0)1 the Religious Education of Children* part of the parents ; reserve, and perhaps alienation, on the part of the child, who, instead of sympathising (in the large sense of the word) with his parents, han- kers after companions of a very different sort, and en- joys himself most when farthest from parental observa- tion. I have drawn these outlines strongly ; but I am sure you must have observed different shades of these characters among your neighbors, as you have passed through life. "To return to the main subject, from which I have rather diverged. After having described the course I should take in a case of obstinacy or passion at first,. and repentance afterwards, you are prepared to hear, that, in a case which began with candor and repent- ance, I would by no means punish, except in the way of some restriction, wliich should be recommended rather by prudence, as a precaution, than be of the na- ture of a punishment; or perhaps bj' exacting some moderate sacrifice (such as staying in the house for some hours) for the purpose of preventing the mind's too soon exchanging salutary impressions for youthful levity. But whatever I might do in this way, I would take especial cape to avoid every thing austere and forbidding in my countenance and manner, though these would necessarily be marked by serious but ten- der and affectionate pity and concern. I think I find that this course of proceeding answers the purpose of preventing the afifair from slipping too soon from a child's mind, while it secures his affection, disposes him to confide in me as a friend and confident, and adds, to his fear of having offended God, a further un- easiness, from having brought much trouble upon me and himself. Though I have spoken of myself, I have my wife full as much in my eye while I give this On the Reii^ious Educcdion of Children. 191 flcscripUon. Occasions are often occurring, in ■which tlie little children come with full hearts to her to tell her of some misbehavior or wrong; temper. They come without fear, but with a load of concern and re- gret, which they evidently hope to lighten by obtain- ing her sympathy and condolence. You may be sure she always encourages this course of proceeding; and I am convinced that, under God's blessing, it answers tlie very best purposes. I need not say, that, in the way in which she treats such cases, it is her aim al- ways to give the feelings of the Christian a complete ascendenc}'^ over those of the mother; and I think she succeeds well. But, after all, will children dread the commission of faults, and guard against them, unless they stand in awe of some immediate punishment ? i think they will, and on the same grounds on which men and women do, provided our whole system, or some other founded on similar principles, is adopted early, and steadily persevered in. It is thought absurd for a- ilults to subject themselves to penances for their sin^, and why should it not be right to subject children to as little of this sort as may be, and to endeavor as ear- ly as may be to bring them to a system analogous to that which we Protestants think the right one for grown up people ? Their minds are capable of being wrought upon by the same means which God has ap- pointed for men in general ; and these means cannot be too early employed, and cannot too soon acquire that preponderance in a sj^stem of education, which may make them supercede the use of the rod ; a weap- on necessary, in a degree, for managing brute animals, and man also, as far as his nature resembles theirs ; but it is the great business of Christian education to exalt his nature— to cherish that new nature implantetl 192 On the Religious Education of Children. hy grace in his sou], and as speedily as possible to subject him to a discipline suited to the state of heart we wish to encourage. '*Do not sup..ose, though we endeavor to banish punishment as much as may be, that our system is one of indulgence. It is a main part of it to establish hab- its of resolute, though cheerful, self-denial in all points in which duty calls for sacrifices. We always hold up the principle of acting on grounds of right and wrong, and not on those of inclination, except in points purely indifferent, which are brought within a narrow com- pass Nothing is ever granted to mere entreaty ; and we have none of that begging and whining which shew s generally a laxity of principle, and always a de- fective system of education, wherever it is practised. *'Iu this way we endeavor to promote, in our own children, that *barduess* which all the soldiers of Christ must learn to endure. But, then, this plan is sweeten- ed by as much al!ection, affability, cheerfulness, and desire to make our children happy within the bounds of duty, as we can pour into it; consistently with the great truth, which is often insisted upon, that neither man nor child must live for pleasure, but that his ob- ject and employment must be work — the work which God has given him to do ; and a good part of which (especially in the case of a child) is to prepare for do- ing better work in future years. "As to the passages of Scripture you mention, I own they do not alter my view of this case. It is most true, that *the rod must not be spared' in the cap';s in which it ought to be used ; hut then comes the ques- tion I have been discussing in this letter, what are those cases ? Indeed, the frequency and general com- ple^Lion of the passages referred to would lead oae to Gil Ike Rdigious Education of Children. 1 0:1 appose, tliat Solomon conceived that c^es of tbis kind would be very common ; and, in short, that cor- poral punishment would be a leading feature in a right education. But it is to be remembered under what dispensation he lived — under one which was compar- alively low and grovelling — one in which there wasf- much of beggarly element; much that was permitted because of the hardness of the hearts of those who liv- ed under it. Should we not expect, that, under such a dispensation, and for the use of such a people as the .Tews, many things would be enjoined not well accom- modated to our times; and, in particular, that the ap- proved system of education would partake less of what is (in a spiritual sense) refined and elevated, than ought to enter into Hhe nurture and admonition of the Lord,' under the blaze of the Gospel light most graci- ously vouchsafed to us ? This general view might be illustrated and corroborated by many things in the .Xew Testament. 'May God bless us in all we do for our children .' The concluding lines of Cowper's Task may well be applied, in their spirit, to this subject of education. But all is in his Hand whose praise I seek. In vain Ihe poet sing=, and the world hearsj If He rei;afd not, tho' divine the theme, 'Tis not in artful measures, in the chime And idle tinkling of a minstrel's lyre, 'J'o charjn His ear, whose eye is on the heart; Whose frown can disappoint the proudest strain j Whose approbation prosper even mine ! *'I remain, dear sir, ^'Yo'ir'3 very truly^ &c.^' ON SANCTIFYING THE SABBATH-DAY. By Sir Matthew Hale. [From Ike same.'] Having observed that you sometimes admit into your miscellany such portions of scarce or unpublished works as may promote its excellent design, I talie the liberty to communicate an extract from a letter of Si? Matthew Hale to his grand-children, which has never been printed, but lies deposited, I believe, unknown to the fonner editors of his works, in the British Museum. If I have not formed too high an estimate of the au- thority of that truly wise and pious man, his testimony lo the good effects res jlcing from a strict observance of the Christian Sabbath will prove not unacceptable to you and your readers. Should you, from this spe- cimen, feel any wish to peruse the remainder of the letter, I shall be most happy to leave my transcript ot it with your publisher. I cannot conclude this with- out expressing my humblest and most heartfelt thank- ifulnesB for the benefits I have derived from your labors. O. W. *'I will acquaint you with a truth, that above forty years' experience and strict observation of myself hath assuredly taught me. I have been near fifty years a man as much conversant in business, and that of mo- ment and importance, as most men; and I will assure you, I was never under any inclination to fanaticism, enthusiasm, or superstition. "In all this time, I have most industriously observ- ed, in myself and my concerns, these three things : — 1. Whenever I have undertaken any secular business on the Lord's-day (which was not absolutely and in- dispensably necessary,) that business never prospered and succeeded well with me. *'JS"ay, if I had set niyself that day but to forecast oi Oil Scmctijying tJtc Sabbath-Day. 105 clci^ign any temporal business, to be done or performed afterwards, though such forecast were just and honest in themselves, and had as fair a prospect as could be effected, yet I have been always disappointed in the effecting of it, or in the success of it. So that it crew almost proverbial with me, when any imi)ortuned me to any secular business that day, to answer them, that if they suspected it to succeed amiss, then they might desire my undertaking of it upon that day. And this was so certain an observation of me, that I feared to think of any secular business that day, because the re- solution then taken would be disappointed or unsuc- cessful. ''That always the more closely I applied myself to the duties of the Lord's-day, the more happy and suc- cessful wei*e my business and eniployments of the week following. So that 1 could, from the loose or strict observance of that day, take a just prospect and true calculation of my temporal successes in the ensu- ing week. "Though my hands and mind have been as full of secular business, both before and since I was a Judge, as it may be any man's in England, yet I never want- ed time in my six daysto ripen and fit myself for the bu- siness and emi)ioyments I had to do, though I borrow- ed not one minute from the Lord's-day to prepare for it, by study or otherwise. But on the other hand, if I had at any time borrowed from this day any time for my secular employments, I found it did further me less than if I had let it alone ; and therefore, when some years' experience, upon a most attentive and vigilant observation, had given me this instruction, I grew pe- remtoriiy resolved never in this kind to make a breach, upon the Lord's day, which I have now strictly ob- served for above thirty years. — This relation is most certainly and experimentally true, and hath been de- clared by me to hundreds of persons, as 1 now dtclace it to YOU." ^mum$* Page Recommendations ,...:..::, 3 The Editor's Preface, with a sketch of the Au- tlior's life . . . . , . 5 Preface . . . . , i . . 13 Much occasion for doing good 27 The excellence of weil-doing ..:.... 28 The reward of well-doing 30 The diligence of wicked men in doing evil . . 35 The true nature of good works 38 On seeking opportunities to do good .... 43 On internal piety and self-examination ... 4t} On doing good to our relations, children, Szc, . 52 o . . . . to our servants 67 ! . . . . to our neighbors ..... 71 Private meetings for religion ....... 7B Proposals to the Ministers of the gospel . . . Si Directions for pastoral visits 92 The duties of school-masters ...... 100 Proposals to churches for doing good . . . 105 , ^ . . magistrates . . . . i . , , 108 „ . . . physicians ,..».... 116 , c . . rich men .,«».... 125 .• . . . ladies . ; . . . o . , - . 1 33 Miscellaneous proposals to gentlemen ... 134 Proposals to church, civil and military officers . 140 , . . . lawyers . 144 Societies for the reformation of manners . . . 1 54 A catalogue of desirable things 1 60 Conclusion 167 On fulfiliing engagements for paying debts . . 179 On the religious education of children . . . 182 Ob saactifyiBg the Sabbath-day . » . . „ 19> y r u f