may need, and without hindering your personal conversation with them on the same subjects, if they need your particular advice.

Finally, If there be any bad houses, which threaten to debauch and poison your neighbours; let your charity induce you to exert yourself as much as possible for their suppression.

That my proposal "to do good in the neighbourhood, and as a neighbour," may be more fully formed and followed, I will conclude by reminding you that much self-denial will be requisite in the execution of it; you must be armed against all selfish intentions in these generous attempts. You must not employ your good actions as persons use water, which they pour into a pump, to draw up something for yourselves. Our Lord's direction is, "Lend, hoping for nothing again,"* and do good to such as you are never likely to be the better for.

But then, there is something still higher to be required: that is, "Do good to those neighbours who have done you harm;" so saith our Saviour, "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Yea, if an injury have been done you by any one, consider it as a provocation to confer a benefit on him. This is noble! It will afford much consola

* To lend a thing, is, properly, to hope that we shall receive it again; and this probably refers to the ERANISMOS, or Collation, usual among the ancients, of which we find frequent mention in history. If any man by a fire, shipwreck, or other disaster, had lost his estate, his friends used to lend him a considerable sum to be repaid, not at a certain day, but when he should find himself able, with convenience, to repay it. Now persons would rarely lend on such occasions, unless they had some reason to hope they should again receive their money, and that the persons to whom it was lent, should also requite their kindness, if they should ever need it.

tion. Some other method might make you even with your forward neighbours; but this will place you above them all. It were nobly done, if in your evening retirement you offer a petition to God for the pardon and prosperity of any person who has injured you in the course of the day: and it would be excellent if, in looking over the catalogue of such as have injured you, you should be able to say, (the only intention that can justify your keeping such a catalogue,) There is not one. of these, to whom I have not done, or attempted to do, a kindness. Among the Jews themselves, the Hasideans offered this daily petition to God, "Remitte et condona omnibus qui vexant nos.' Christians, exceed them: Justin Martyr tells us they did so in primitive times-" they prayed for their enemies."

But I must not stop here; something higher still is requisite. Do good to those neighbours who will speak evil of you for doing so; "Thus," saith our Saviour," ye shall be the children of the Highest, who is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil." You will constantly meet with Monsters of Ingratitude; and if you distinguish a person, by doing far more for him than for others, that very person perhaps will do you an injury. O the wisdom of Divine Providence, by which this is permitted, that you may learn to do good on a divine principle-good, merely for the sake of good!" Lord, increase our faith!"

There is a memorable passage in the Jewish records. A certain gentleman was remarkably generous, and many persons were constantly relieved by his bounty. One day he asked the following * Forgive all who trouble and harrass us.

question; "Well, what do our people say today?" The answer was, "Sir, the people partook of your favours, and blessed you very fervently." "Did they so ?" said he, " Then I shall have no great reward for this day." At another time, he asked the same question-" Well, and what say our people now?" They replied, "Alas! good Sir, the people enjoyed your favours to-day, and after all, they did nothing but rail at you." "Indeed!" said he, " then for this day I am sure that God will give me a good and a great reward." Thus then, though vile constructions and harsh invectives should be the present reward of your best offices for the neighbourhood; yet be not discouraged; Thy work shall be rewarded," saith the Lord. If your opportunities to do good extend no further, yet I will offer you a consolation, which a certain writer has thus elegantly expressed; "He who praises God only on a ten-stringed instrument; whose authority -extends no further than his own family, nor his example beyond his own neighbourhood, may have as thankful a heart here, and as high á place in the celestial choir hereafter, as the greatest monarch, who praises God upon an instrument of ten thousand strings, and upon the loud sounding organ, having as many millions of pipes as there are subjects in his empire."

We cannot dismiss this part of the subject, without offering a PROPOSAL, to animate and regulate PRIVATE MEETINGS of religious persons, for the

exercises of religion. It is very certain that when such private meetings have been maintained, and well conducted, the Christians who have composed them have, like so many "coals of the altar," kept one another alive, and been the means of maintaining a lively christianity in the neighbourhood. Such societies have been strong and approved instruments, to uphold the power of godliness. The disuse of such societies has been accompanied with a visible decay of religion: in proportion as they have been discontinued or disregarded in any place, the less has godliness flourished.

The rules observed by some ASSOCIATED FAMILIES, may be offered with advantage, on this occasion. They will shew us what good may be done in a neighbourhood, by the establishment of such societies.

1. It is proposed, That a select number of families, perhaps about twelve, agree to meet, (the men and their wives) at each other's houses alternately, once in a fortnight or a month, or otherwise as shall be thought most proper, and spend a suitable time together, in religious exercises.

2. The exercises of religion proper for such a meeting are; for the brethren in rotation to commence and conclude with prayer; for psalms to be sung; and for sermons to be repeated.

3. It were desirable, for the ministers, now and then, to be present at the meeting, and pray with them, instruct and exhort them, as they may see

occasion.

4. Candidates for the ministry may do well to perform their first offices here, and thereby prepare themselves for further services.

5. One special design of the meeting should be, with united prayers to ask the blessing of heaven on the family where they are assembled, as well as on the rest that with the wonderous force of united prayers, "two or three may agree on earth, to ask such things" as are to be done for the families, by 66 our Father which is in heaven."

6. The members of such a society should consider themselves as bound up in one "bundle of love;" and count themselves obliged, by very close and strong bonds, to be serviceable to one another. If any one in the society should fall into affliction, all the rest should presently study to relieve and support the afflicted person in every possible way. If any one should fall into temptation, the rest should watch over him, and with the "spirit of meekness," with "meekness of wisdom," endeavour to recover him. It should be like a law of the Medes and Persians to the whole society,that they will, upon all just occasions, affectionately give and receive mutual admonitions of any thing that they may see amiss in each other.

7. It is not easy to calculate the good offices which such a society may do to many other persons, besides its own members. The prayers of such well-disposed societies, may fetch down marvellous favours from heaven on their pastors; their lives may be prolonged, their gifts augmented, their graces brightened, and their labours prospered, in answer to the supplications of such associated families. The interests of religion may be also greatly promoted in the whole flock, by their fervent supplications; and the Spirit of Grace mightily poured out upon the rising generation; yea, the country at large may be the better for them.