for

a Society, is neceffary to the Publick, and either doth, or may ferve the Weal of it, and fo do Good in his Life, is a Task too great me to undertake at this Time; let it fuffice at the prefent, to propofe to you thefe General Heads,

First of all, None can want Opportunities of doing Good that is in a Capacity of performing any Acts of Mercy or Charity, ftrictly fo called, whether that Charity be hew'd to the Bodies or Souls of Men. Now the Inftances and Expreffions of this way of doing Good are infinite, as infinite as are the Wants and Neceffities of Mankind.

To the Bodies of Men we do Good, when: ever we contribute to the relieving and eafing them of the outward Preffures, and Wants, and Neceffities they lie under: Such as Sicknefs, Pain, Poverty, Hunger, Nakedness, Debts, Imprisonment, or any other outward Affliction that falls upon them; whether that Eafe and Relief be effected by our Purfe, or by our Counsel and Advice, or by our Labour and Pains.

And sure some of thefe Three Things, there is none fo mean or inconfiderable in the - World, but it is in his Power to benefit his poor Neighbour with.

To the Souls of Men we do good, whenO ever by our Difcourfes or other Endeavours, we make Men better or wifer; when we inftruct the Ignorant, when we fatisfie the Doubtful, when we reduce thofe that are milled by Error, when we establish the Weak, G 2 when

when we reprove thofe that do amifs; in a Word, all our Attempts and Endeavours, in what way foever, to reclaim from Vice, and to bring them to Wisdom and Sobriety, is a Charity to their Souls; and whether our Defigns fucceed or not, we fhall be rewarded as those that have done Good in the World.

Secondly, All the Acts of Beneficence and Kindness, nay, even of Civility and Goodnature, are to be accounted among the Inftances of doing Good. A Man doth Good, not only by Acts of Charity properly fo called, but by every Courtefie that he doth to another; he doth Good, by fhewing his Refpe&t and good Will to all about him, by reconciling Differences among Neighbours, and promoting Peace, Friendship and Society, as much as he can; by being Generous, and Liberal, and Hofpitable, according to his Ability; by forgiving Injuries, and, if it be poffible, making Friends of thofe that did them; by being eafy of Accefs, and fweet and obliging in his Carriage; by complying with the In. firmities of thofe he converfeth with; and, in a Word, by contributing any way to make the Lives of others more eafy and comfortable to them.

Thirdly, A Man alfo doth Good, when he makes use of that Acquaintance, or Friendship, or Intereft that he hath with others, to ftir them up to the doing of that Good, which he by the Narrownefs of his Condition, or for want of Opportunity, cannot do himself. This is a very confiderable Inftance of doing Good,

how

how flight foever it may feem; the Man that exercises himself this way, is doubly a Benefactor; for he is not only an Inftrument of Good to the Perfon or Perfons for whom he begg'd the Kindness or the Charity; but he does also a real Kindness to the Man himself, whom he puts upon the Benefaction; for God will not lefs reward his good Will, for being excited by another.

Fourthly, Another Way to do Good, is to be careful and diligent, and confcientious in the Discharge of all thofe Publick Offices, which we are called upon to execute in the Place where we live. How burthenfome foever thefe be, and how much foever of our Time they rob us of, yet God, by calling us to them, hath put a Prize into our Hands, (as the Wife Man fpeaks) to do much Good, if we have Hearts to make use thereof.

Fifthly, We do Good when being in a private Capacity, we fo carry ourselves in all the Relations in which we ftand, as the Nature of the Relation requireth. As for Inftance, when being Subjects, we confcientiously obey the Laws of the Kingdom, and fubmit to our Governours, and promote what we can the publick Peace both of Church and State. When being Mafters of Families, we take care of thofe under our Charge, making fufficient Provifion both for their Souls and Bodies. When being Husbands or Wives, we discharge faithfully all the Conjugal Duties: When being Parents we love our Children, and bring them up in the Fear and Nurture of the G 3

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Lord. When being Children, we obey our Parents in all Things. When being Servants, we do our Work in fingleness of Heart, not as Menpleafers, but as thofe that account they have a Mafter in Heaven. When having contracted Friendships, we are fecret and faithful, and prudent in the maintaining and preserving of them; and proportionably in all the other Relations that we ftand in. All thefe Things, tho' they appear little, yet are they in their Degree a real Good and Benefit to Mankind, and so neceffary, that there is no living tolerably without them.

Sixthly, We alfo do Good by an honeft and a diligent Pursuit of our Calling and Employment. There is no Art or Trade that we are bred to, but if it be a lawful one, it may be of great Use to the Publick, and, by well minding it, and fairly managing it, we may render ourselves very profitable Members of the Common-wealth.

Seventhly and Laftly, We may do a great deal of Good by our good Examples, by being to others Patterns of Piety and Prudence, of Diligence and Induftry, of Peaceableness and Loyalty, of Humility and Meekness, and Temperance. In a Word, every Man that will make himself Eminent in any Vertue, will be a Light to the World, his Life will be a conftant Sermon, and he will often prove as effectual a Benefactor to those about him by his Example, as others are by their Counfels and Exhortations.

And

And now all these Things confidered, who is there among us in fuch deplorable Circumftances, that he can reasonably pretend to want Ability or Opportunity to do Good in his Life? Sure I am, he muft live in a Defart, and have no Communication with Mankind, that cannot fome or other of these Ways be useful and beneficial to them. And thus much of our Second Head of Difcourfe.

I now come, in the Third and Laft Place, to make some Application of what hath been spoken.

And Firft, Since every Man is fo highly concern'd, as we have feen, to do Good in his Life, let us all be perfuaded seriously and heartily to apply our Minds hereunto. Let us look upon it, not as a By-work, a Thing to be done now and then, as there is Occafion, after our own Turns are ferved: But let us lay out ourselves upon it, let us propose it to ourfelves, as the great Bufinefs of our Lives. Let us take all Opportunities for it, let us contrive and manage all our Affairs fo, that they may fome way or other be fubfervient to the carrying on this great Work.

Let this be the End of our gathering Riches, and the Measure of our expending them. To heap up Riches that we may be rich, or to throw them away upon our Lufts, are both equally intolerable; it is the doing Good with them, that fanctifies both the getting and the spending them.

Let this be the Compass to fteer and direct us in our Pursuit after Knowledge, in our

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