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fore the Lord. Verily, there are prayers in alms and, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord." The expression of the beggar among "Deserve something by me:" among us it might be ; "Obtain something by me.

the Jews was;

MISCELLANEOUS PROPOSALS TO GENTLEMEN.

THERE is a certain city, in which every house has a box hanging by a chain, on which is written, "Remember the poor;" and they seldom conclude a bargain without putting something into the box. The deacons have the key, and once a quarter go round the city, and take out the money. When that city was in imminent danger, a man of moderate character was heard 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 Tuscany brings in to its arbitrary master. "The hands of the poor are the treasury-box of Christ."*

When you dispense your alms to the poor, who know what it is to pray, you may oblige them to prayfor 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 surprising sense, in which you may be "praying always." You are so, even while you are sleeping, if those whom you have thus obliged are praying for you. And now look for the accomplishment of that word "Blessed 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 contrve to mingle a spiritual charity with your temporal bounty? Perhaps you may discourse with them about the state of their souls, and may ob

* Manus pauperum est Christi gazophylacium.

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 books, or tracts, which they will certainly promise to read, when you thus desire them.

were

Charity to the souls of men is undoubtedly the highest, the noblest and the most important charity. To furnish the poor with catechisms and Bibles, is to do for them an incalculable service. No one knows how much he may do by dispersing books of piety, and by putting into the hands of mankind such treatises of divinity as may have a tendency to make them wiser or better. It was a noble action of some good men, who, a little while ago, at the charge of printing 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 expense of less than a shilling, you may "convert a sinner from the error of his ways, and save a soul from death." A worse doom than to be "condemned to the mines" rests upon that soul who had rather hoard up his money than employ it on such a charity.

He who supports the office of the evangelical ministry supports a good work, and performs one; yea, in a secondary way, performs what is done by the skilful, faithful, and laborious minister. The servant of the Lord, who is encouraged by you, will do the more good for your assistance: and what you have done for him, and in consideration of the glorious gospel preached by him, you have done for a glorious Christ; and you shall receive a 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 gentleman, in renewing his leases, instead of making

*Si quid scholasticis confers, Deo ipsi contulisti.

it a condition that his tenants should keep a hawk or a dog for him, to oblige them to keep a Bible in their houses, and to bring up their children to read and to be catechised." Landlords! It is worth your consideration whether you may not in your leases insert some clauses that may serve the kingdom of God. You are his tenants in those very freeholds in which you are landlords to other men. Oblige your tenants to worship God in their families.

To take a poor child, especially an orphan, left in poverty, and to bestow a liberal education upon it, is an admirable charity; yea, it may draw after it a long train of good, and may interest you in all the good that shall be done by him whom you have educated.

Hence also, what is done for schools, for colleges, and for hospitals, is done for the general goed. 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 hands, where it is little better than conveyed back to the mines from whence it came ! How much of it is employed to as little purpose as what arrives at Hindoostan, where a great part of it is, after some circulation, carried as to a fatal centre, and by the Moguls lodged in subterraneous caves, never to see the light again! "The Christian, whose faith and hope are genuine, acts not thus."*

Sometimes elaborate compositions may be prepared for the press, works of great bulk, and of still greater worth, by which the best interests of knowledge and virtue may be considerably promoted; but they lie, like the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, in silent neglect; and are likely to continue in that state, till God inspire some wealthy persons nobly to subscribe to their publication, and by this generous application 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 publishing of them, ought to betold for a memorial" of them.

*Talia non facit bonæ fidei & spei Christianus.

I will pursue this subject still farther. It has beet 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 quarrel with the ashes of a bishop, for it was Dr. Sanderson's. Will you then think, Sirs, of some honourable and agrecable 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 (cæteris paribus) 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 libraries also have seen stupendous collections, approaching towards Vatican or Bodleian dimensions. An English gentleman has been sometimes the most "accomplished person in the world." How many of these (besides a Leigh, a Wolsely, or a Polhill) have been benefactors to mankind by their admirable writings! It were much to be wished that persons of wealth and elevation would qualify themselves for the use of the pen as well as of the sword, and deserve this eulogium, "They have written excellent things." An English person of quality, in his treatise, entitled, "A View of the Soul," has the following passage: "It is certainly the highest dignity, if not the greatest happiness, of which human nature is capable in the vale below, to have the soul so far enlightened, as to become the mirror or conduit, or conveyor of God's truth to others." It is a bad motto for a man of capacity, "My understanding is unfruitful." Gentlemen, consider what subjects may most properly and usefully fall under your cultivation. Your pens will stab atheism and vice more ef fectually than other men's. If out of your "Trike" there come forth those who handle the pen of the writer," they will do uncommon execution. One of them has ingenuously said, "Though I know some

functions, yet I know no truths of religion, which, like the showbread, are only for the priests."*

I will present to you but one proposal more, and it is this, That you would wisely choose a friend of good abilities, of warm affections, and of excellent piety, (a minister of such a character if you can) and entreat him, yea, oblige him to study for you, and to suggest to you opportunities to do good. Make him, as Ambrosius did his Origen, your Monitor. Let him advise you, from time to time, what good you may do. Let him see that he never gratifies you more than by his advice on this head. If a David have a Seer to perform such an office for him, one who may search for occasions of doing good, what extensive services may be done for the temple of God in the world!

Let me only add, that when gentleman occasionally 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 secretly taken in short hand, they would blush to hear it repeated. Sirs, it becomes a gentleman to entertain his company with the finest thoughts on the finest themes and certainly there cannot be a subject so worthy of a gentleman as this, What good is there to be done in the world? Were this noble subject more frequently started in the conversation of gentlemen, incredible good might be achieved.

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I will conclude by saying, You must accept of any public service, of which you are capable, when you are called to it. Honest Jeans has this pungent passage: "The world applauds the prudent retirement of those who bury their parts and gifts in an obscure privacy, though they have a fair call, both from God and man, to public engagements: but the terrible censure of these men by Jesus Christ at the last day,

*Matt. xii. 4.

"Nihil sed nugæ, et risus et verba proferuntur in ventum"-Nothing but jesting, and laughing, and words scattered by the wind.