pitiating the divine favour in an eminent degree. And these recommendations have produced their effect. It does not appear that, before the times of Christianity, an infirmary, hofpital, or public charity of any kind, exifted in the world; whereas most countries in Christendom have long abounded with thefe inftitutions. To which may be added, that a spirit of private liberality feems to flourish amidft the decay of many other virtues: not to mention the legal provifion for the poor, which obtains in this country, and which was unknown and unthought of by the most humanized nations of antiquity.

St. Paul adds upon the fubject an excellent direction; and which is practicable by all who have any thing to give. "Upon the first day of the week (or any other ftated time) let every one of you lay by in flore, as God hath profpered him." By which I understand St. Paul to recommend what is the ve ry thing wanting with moft men, the being charitable upon a plan; that is, from a deliberate comparison of our fortunes with the reasonable expenfes and expectation of our families, to compute what we can fpare, and to lay by fo much for charitable purposes in fome mode or other. The mode will be a confideration afterwards.

The effect which Christianity produced upon fome of its first converts, was fuch as might be looked for from a divine religion coming with full force and miraculous evidence upon the confciences of mankind. It overwhelmed all worldly confiderations, in the expectation of a more important exiftence. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one foul; neither faid any of them that ought of the things which he poffeffed was his own; but they had all things in common.-Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were poffeffors of lands or houfes fold them, and brought the prices of the things that were fold, and laid them down at the Apoftles' feet; and diftribu

tion was made unto every man according as he had need." Acts, iv. 32.

Nevertheless, this community of goods, however it manifefted the fincere zeal of the primitive Chrif. tians, is no precedent for our imitation. It was confined to the church at Jerufalem; continued not long there; was never enjoined upon any (Acts, v. 4); and although it might fuit with the particular circumstances of a small and felect fociety, is alto, gether impracticable in a large and mixed community.

The conduct of the Apoftles upon the occafion deferves to be noticed. Their followers laid down their fortunes at their feet: but fo far were they from taking advantage of this unlimited confidence to enrich themselves, or establish their own authority, that they foon after got rid of this business, as inconfiftent with the main object of their miffion, and transferred the cuftody and management of the public fund, to deacons, elected to that office by the people at large. (Acts vi.)

II. The manner of bestowing bounty or the different kinds of charity.

Every queftion between the different kinds of charity supposes the fum bestowed to be the fame. There are three kinds of charity which prefer a claim to attention.

The firft, and in my judgment, one of the beft, is to give stated and confiderable fums, by way of penfion or annuity to individuals or families, with whose behaviour and diftrefs we ourfelves are acquainted. When I speak of confiderable sums, I mean only, that five pounds, or any other fum, given at once, or divided amongst five or fewer families, will do more good than the fame fum diftributed amongst a greater number in fhillings or half crowns; and that, because it is more likely to be properly applied by the perfons who receive it. A poor fellow, who can find no better ufe for a fhilling than to drink his

benefactor's health, and purchase half an hour's re creation for himself, would hardly break into a guinea for any fuch purpose, or be fo improvident, as not to lay it by for an occafion of importance, e.g. for his rent, his clothing, fuel, or stock of winter's provifion. It is a still greater recommendation of this kind of charity, that penfions and annuities, which are paid regularly, and can be expected at the time, are the only way by which we can prevent one part of the poor man's fufferings, the dread of

want.

2. But as this kind of charity supposes that proper objects of fuch expenfive benefactions fall within our private knowledge and obfervation, which does not happen to all, a fecond method of doing good, which is in every one's power who has the money to fpare, is by fubfcription to public charities. Public charities admit of this argument in their favour, that your money goes farther towards attaining the end for which it is given, than it can do by any private and separate beneficence. A guinea, for example, contributed to an infirmary, becomes the means of providing one patient at least with a physician, furgeon, apothecary, with medicine, diet, lodging, and fuitable attendance; which is not the tenth part of what the fame affiftance, if it could be procured at all, would cost to a fick person or family in any other fituation.

3. The laft, and, compared with the former, the lowest exertion of benevolence, is in the relief of beg. gars. Nevertheless, I by no means approve the indiscriminate rejection of all who implore our alms in this way. Some may perish by fuch a conduct. Men are fometimes overtaken by diftrefs, for which all other relief would come too late. Befide which, refolutions of this kind compel us to offer fuch violence to our humanity, as may go near, in a little while, to fuffocate the principle itself; which is a very ferious confideration. A good man, if he do not fur

render himself to his feelings without reserve, will at least lend an ear to importunities, which come accompanied with outward atteftations of diftrefs; and after a patient audience of the complaint, will direct himself, not fo much by any previous refolu tion which he may have formed upon the fubject, as by the circumftances and credibility of the account that he receives.

There are other fpecies of charity well contrived to make the money expended go far; fuch as keeping down the price of fuel or provifion, in cafe of a monopoly or temporary fcarcity, by purchafing the articles at the best market, and retailing them at prime coft, or at a fmall lofs; or the adding of a bounty to particular species of labour, when the price is accidentally depreffed.

The proprietors of large eftates have it in their power to facilitate the maintainance, and thereby to encourage the establishment of families (which is one of the nobleft purposes to which the rich and great can convert their endeavours) by building cottages, fplitting farms, erecting manufactures, cultivating waftes, embanking the fea, draining marfhes, and other expedients, which the fituation of each eftate points out. If the profits of thefe undertakings do not repay the expenfe, let the authors of them place the difference to the account of charity. It is true of almost all fuch projects, that the public is a gainer by them whatever the owner be. And where the lofs can be fpared, this confideration is fufficient.

It is become a queftion of fome importance, under what circumstances works of charity ought to be done in private, and when they may be made public without detracting from the merit of the action, if indeed they ever may; the Author of our religion having delivered a rule upon this fubject which feems to enjoin univerfal fecrecy; "When thou doeft alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth; that thy alms may be in fecret, and thy Father which

feeth in fecret, himself fhall reward thee openly." (Matt. vi. 3, 4.) From the preamble to this prohibition I think it, however, plain, that our Saviour's fole defign was to forbid oftentation, and all publishing of good works which proceed from that motive. "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be feen of them; otherwife ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven: therefore, when thou doeft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues and in the ftreets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I fay unto thee, they have their reward." v. 2.

There

are motives for the doing our alms in public befide thofe of oftentation; with which therefore our Saviour's rule has no concern: fuch as to teftify our approbation of fome particular fpecies of charity, and to recommend it to others; to take off the prejudice, which the want, or, which is the fame thing, the fuppreffion of our name in the lift of contributors might excite against the charity, or against ourselves. And, fo long as thefe motives are free from any mixture of vanity, they are in no danger of invading our Saviour's prohibition: they rather feem to comply with another direction which he has left us: "Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If it be neceffary to propofe a precife distinction upon the fubject, I can think of none better than the following. When our bounty is beyond our fortune or ftation, that is, when it is more than could be expected from us, our charity fhould be private, if privacy be practicable: when it is not more than might be expected, it may be public: for we cannot hope to influence others to the imitation of extraordinary generofity, and therefore want, in the former cafe, the only juftifiable reafon for making it public.

Having thus defcribed feveral different exertions of charity, it may not be improper to take notice of