Page images
PDF
EPUB

[iv]

remembred, that to you, under GOD, this nation owes the main fupport of her Poor, in their late general calamity. The famine was far extended, and the mortality begun; when your unexampled and unbounded charity, like the facred cenfer in the hand of Aaron, interpofed between the living and the dead, and the plague was stayed.

67

1

THE prefent age fufficiently acknowledge this, and pofterity will know it, without the aid of this anonymous and fhort-lived letter; and and perhaps may learn from this, and other coeval (tho' lefs eminent) inftances, that wealth is fometimes more useful in the hands of the clergy, than fome of their lay-brethren have always been willing to allow. It

may

[v]

may prove an occafion of letting their own equal inquiries inform them, in what hands it is more virtuously or honourably imployed, in the profperous days of the community; or with more public spirit, and Christian beneficence, in those of its diftrefs. Yours, my Lord, was then confeffedly a public Fund, a pure and falutary fountain, from whence all that thirfted might draw and drink; and did fo, by many thousands a day; to the faving of fuch a multitude of lives, as will be utterly incredible with pofterity.

MAY the Providence of GOD, (clearly seen in your advancement to this high ftation) that Providence, which hath remarkably bleffed you with very uncommon vigour, both of body and mind, to

this advanced age, long continue both to you, and you to us! And may you conclude your bleffed life, as you have led it, after the example of your LORD and SAVIOUR, doing good!

THIS end, and this example, we all fhould have in view, in all our purposes, as, I trust in GoD, the author of this book had, both in publishing it to the world, and infcribing it to you; for in truth, he expects no addition, either of honour or intereft, to him, from this unauthentic proof of his being, with the trueft veneration and esteem,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »