while it is threatened only at a distance, than afterwards to heal the wound.

Besides this, the persons thus provided for as to bodily necessities, are at the same time put into the most happy circumstances that can be with regard to their souls. Many perhaps thus brought up might in some other method of life, in trade or in merchandise, have enriched themselves more; but they could never have been placed in a better way for eternity, nor set out with a fairer or a more promising prospect. For besides the advantage of good books, and, what is more, of good men, as well for instruction as example; besides the benefits of regularity and discipline, and the daily, stated exercises of devotion; the freedom and disincumbrance from cares and business, the leisure and liberty they enjoy in such places, give the greatest encouragement to the study of piety and virtue, and make way for the highest and noblest improvement of the mind." He that hath little business shall become "wise," saith the son of Sirach, and we may say, good too, for the same reason; for leisure is a foundation for both. While secular care and multiplicity of engagements disturb and even distract a great part of mankind, here our very business, which for the pleasure of it is but diversion, tends also to regulate and compose the soul; and we have little else to do, if we rightly consider it, but to be advancing and improving daily in all wisdom and virtue, and to be laying up a good foundation for the time to come, that we may "lay hold on eternal life." How blessed then are the fruits of such public charities, to which so many may in a great measure owe not only their comfortable subsistence here, but their eternal happiness hereafter!

Yet this is not all, nor a thousandth part of the benefits arising from them: they are not confined to those persons only who are immediately concerned in them, but are of universal influence, are spread wide and far, and can neither be numbered nor measured for greatness. From these fountains come wise and able men for the service of

Church and State, for the ornament and defence of both: by these, a nation is made happy, and religion grows and prospers: by these, wise counsels are framed, and under God the course of the world steered: by these, justice and fidelity are kept up, the peace and harmony of society maintained, order and government preserved. In a word, by these, multitudes are trained up to all the virtues of the civil and social life, and at the same time qualified to become citizens of heaven.

I shall but just observe farther of these public charities, that as the happy effects of them are almost unlimited as to place, so are they in a manner as to time too. Late posterity may enjoy the blessed fruits of them as well as we, who live behind many others; and the children which are yet unborn may praise the Lord for them. As time drives on, and one age succeeds another, these unexhausted mines are daily productive of new blessings to enlighten and enrich mankind. From these fruitful stores may yet arise lights and ornaments to the Church; patriots and counsellors to support the State; wise, great, and good men to supply the necessities of this world, and to fill the mansions of the other.

It might be easy to enlarge upon this head, and may be difficult to contain; but I know not whether I could be excused for having said so much on matters so well known and understood by all here, were it not that the occasion is as proper as the subject is inviting; and besides, the clamours of some against these venerable societies, and the institution of them, have made it the more necessary to speak out, and to open our most just pretensions, as well for the honour of our pious founders, as our own vindication. It has been the humour of some persons, with what reason or justice let the world judge, to defame and decry these nurseries of religion, sometimes as useless, at other times hurtful to the public; and to discourage as much as possible the youth of the nation from resorting to them. The learning there taught, be

cause perhaps above their capacities, passes with them for pedantry; their principles, because loyal, are principles of slavery; and their methods of instruction, because different from the schemes of some modern projectors, are reckoned old and superannuated. Now if what these men pretend be true, we should appear, methinks, with no very good grace upon this occasion, and should be but ill employed in reciting the names of our benefactors, only to publish their shame for having misplaced their charities, and thereby done such mischief to the world. But our comfort is, that the pretences of these men are so easily seen through, as not to bear refuting. Had they singled out some particular persons, and there placed their censure, their modesty perhaps had been commendable, and their attempts feasible: but when they presume to strike at whole bodies, and throw their scandal at large, this treatment is too coarse, and the management too gross, to go down even with the unthinking vulgar.

Enough has been said already to show (and it is visible to all the world) how much the public has been indebted, and ever will be, to the founders of such religious societies, and the worthy members of them. But no wonder, if, when empirics profess the art of medicine, the sounder and abler physicians be decried. While ignorance or Justs, pride or faction, are predominant with some, what wonder is it, if these learned bodies, which are so directly opposite to them, and I hope will ever be so, fall under their censure? Such enemies we shall ever have, and it is our glory to have such. These places were designed to combat ignorance and vice, and to stand in direct opposition to them. The world would not be so sensible of the great need they have of them, were it not for such men, <as make it their business to oppose them. The louder they exclaim against them, the more do they publish and proclaim to all wise judges the great usefulness and necessity of them. When they grow impatient of the curb,

and are so fretted with it, they do but show how much they wanted it, and how much more unruly and unmanageable they had been without it.

But leaving these gentlemen to be better handled by those who shall think it worth their while to do it in a more public way, I shall beg leave to close all with a few short advices suitable to the present occasion.

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How ought we in the first place to bless the memory of our pious founders and benefactors, who under God have been the authors and contrivers of so much good to mankind; who have thereto contributed so largely and generously, and yet contribute, and will continue to do so, in effect, to the end of the world! If " they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever " and ever," how great must be their glory, how ample their rewards, who have been so remarkably instrumental in reforming the world, not only encouraging true piety and goodness while they lived, by counsel, by command, and by example, but perpetuating these great designs to all after ages, taking care that there never may ing a supply of such persons, whose business it should be to instruct the ignorant, to convert the wicked, to multiply the number of God's saints on earth, and to enlarge the company of the blessed in heaven!

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And how ought we to return our humblest thanks and praises to Almighty God, for putting into their hearts such good and great designs; for bringing them to perfection, giving success to them, and showering down his mercies and blessings upon them!

Let us from hence learn to have a just sense of the honour and happiness we enjoy, that we may the better answer the ends of it. Let us often reflect that we are trained up here in order to be qualified in some measure to enlighten and reform the world; that a great deal depends upon our making a right use of the present season; that by improving ourselves we shall be enabled also to improve others, and contribute singly to make thousands both wiser and better, and to bring them on to heaven

with us. Let us therefore pursue our studies with industry and care, having always our eye fixed upon the great end and design of them; the glory of God, and the good of mankind. This may serve to regulate our searches after knowledge, and fix their due bounds and measures better than all the rules of philosophy or logic. It is easy for a man to know, who knows any thing of himself, in what sort of study he may improve most, and be most useful to the world; and the same consideration will be a safe rule to direct him how far it may be proper to pursue it; so far certainly, and no farther than as it may turn to a good use, and may not prevent some greater good, which he might and ought to have been doing in the mean time. To our searches after knowledge we are more especially to be careful to join the practice of true piety, and to begin with reforming ourselves, if ever we hope to reform others. This will go farther towards improving and bettering mankind than the most refined and elevated knowledge, or the greatest compass of learning; and without this, it is to be feared, we can do but little good to others, and yet less to ourselves. The present age, to say the least of it, is bad enough; and if all, who are thus religiously educated, were as good as they should be, and were to join their best endeavours, they would yet find it work enough to improve and reform it. But if some of these also should run in with the crowd, and by their bad example or counsel turn seducers and corrupters, like the libertines of the times; if they spread the poison which it should be their business to draw out, and heighten the distemper which they ought to heal; then the case would be yet more justly deplorable, and "woe to those persons by whom the offence "cometh," strict and severe will be their condemnation.

But I shall not go on in any such melancholy reflections, which I hope can concern very few here. Nor shall I venture beyond these few hints to be farther tedious in this assembly, where are present so many whose own better thoughts will be a safe direction to them