Minister with them; and every time they meet, present a prayer to the Lord to bless, direct, and prosper the design. That they would also procure, if possible, a Justice of the Peace, to be a member of the Society. That half-yearly they chuse two Stewards, to dispatch the business and messages of the society, and manage the votes in it, who shall nominate their successors when their term is expired. That they would have a faithful Treasurer, in whose hands their stock of charity may be deposited, and a Clerk to keep a suitable record of their transactions and purposes; and, finally, that they carry on their whole design with as much modesty and silence as possible.

In a town furnished with several such societies, it has been usual for them all to meet together once a year, and keep a day of prayer; in which they have humbled themselves for doing so little good, and intreated the pardon of their unfruitfulness, through the blood of the great Sacrifice; and implored the blessing of heaven on those essays to do good which they have made, the counsel and conduct of heaven for their further attempts, and such influences of heaven as may accomplish that reformation which it was not in their power to effect.

I will conclude this Proposal by reciting those Points of Consideration, which may be read to the societies, at their meetings from time to time, with a proper pause after each of them, that any member may offer what he pleases upon it.

1. Is there any remarkable disorder in the place, which requires our endeavours for the suppression of it? and, In what good, fair, likely way may we attempt it?

2. Is there any particular person, whose disorderly behaviour may be so scandalous, that it may be proper to send him our charitable admonition? or, Are there any contending persons whom we should exhort to quench their contentions?

3. Is there any particular service to the interests of religion, which we may conveniently request our ministers to take notice of?

4. Is there any thing which we may do well to mention and recommend to the magistrates, for the further promotion of good order?

5. Is there any sort of officers among us who are so unmindful of their duty, that we may properly remind them of it?

6. Can any further methods be devised that ignorance and wickedness may be chased from our people in general; and that domestic piety, in particular, may flourish among them?

7. Is there any instance of oppression or fraudulence, in the dealings of any sort of people, which may call for our efforts to prevent it in future?

8. Is there any matter to be humbly recommended to the legislative power, to be enacted into a law for the public benefit?

9. Do we know of any person languishing under heavy affliction, and what can we do for the succour of that afflicted neighbour?

10. Has any person a proposal to make, for the further advantage, assistance, and usefulness of this society?

Reader-" Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them;" yea, tell first the leaves of a Hercynian forest, and the drops of the Atlantic ocean-then tell, how many

good things may be done by societies of good men, having such points of consideration before them.

And yet, after all, when such societies have done all the good they can, and nothing but good, and walk on in a more unspotted brightness than that of the moon in heaven, let them expect to be maligned and libelled as " a set of scoundrels who are maintained by lying, serve God for unrighteous gain, ferret whores for subsistence, and are not more zealous against immorality in their informations, than for it in their own practice; avoiding no sin in themselves, and suffering none in other people." I suppose that they who publish their censures on The manners of the age" will thus express their malignity, because they have done so. Sirs! "add to your faith, courage," and be armed sor fuch a trial of it.

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WE will not propose that our Essays to do good should ever come to a close; but we will now put a close to our tender of Proposals for them; I shall therefore conclude with a Catalogus Desideratorum, or a mention of some obvious and general services for the kingdom of God among men, to which it is desirable that religious persons should be awakened.*

I. The propagation of the holy and glorious religion of Christ; a religion which emancipates mankind from the worst kind of slavery and misery, and

* Difficilem rem optas, generis humani innocentiam: If you long for the reformation of mankind, you are longing for that which it is difficult to accomplish.

wonderfully ennobles it; and which alone prepares men for the blessedness of another world. Why is this no more attempted by its professors? Prow testants, will you be out-done by Popish idolaters? O the vast pains which those bigots have taken to carry on the Romish merchandize and idolatry! No less than six hundred clergymen, in the order of the Jesuits alone, have, within a few years, embarked for China, to win over that mighty nation to their bastard christianity. No less than five hundred of them lost their lives in the difficulties of their enterprize, and yet the survivors go on with it, expressing a sort of regret that it fell not to their share to make a sacrifice of their lives in attempting the propagation of their religion. " my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God!" Who can tell what great things might be done if our trading companies and factories would set apart a more considerable part of their gains for this work, and would prosecute it more vigorously. The proposal which Gordon has made at the end of his "Geography," that all persons of property would appropriate a small part of their wealth to this purpose, should be more attentively considered.. What has already been done by the Dutch missionaries at Ceylon, and the Danish missionaries at Malabar, one would imagine sufficient to excite us to imitate them.

If men of zeal for evangelising and illuminating a miserable world, would learn the languages of some nations which are yet unevangelised, and wait on the providence of heaven to direct them to some apostolical undertakings, and to bless them therein, who can tell what might be done! We

know what Ruffinus relates concerning the conversion of the Iberians, and what Socrates mentions concerning the things done by Frumentius and A edesius in the inner India,

In this subject there are two things worthy of remark.

First, it is the opinion of some Seers, that until the Temple be cleansed, there will be no general appearance of the nations to worship in it. And the truth is, there will be danger until then, that many persons active in societies for the propagation of religion, may be more intent on propagating their own little forms, fancies, and interests, than the more weighty matters of the gospel. Yea, it will be well if they be not, unawares, imposed upon, to injure the cause of christianity where it is well established, while places in the neighbourhood wholly unevangelised may lie neglected. Let us therefore do what we can towards the reformation of the Church, in order to its enlargement.

Secondly, It is probable that the Holy Spirit will be again bestowed on the Church for its enlargement, in operations similar to those which, in the first ages of Christianity, were granted, for its plantation. The Holy Spirit who has withdrawn from the apostate Church will come and abide with us, and render this world like a "watered garden.” His irresistible influences will cause whole "nations to be born in a day." He will not only convert, but unite his people. By him, God will "dwell with men." Would not our heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit if he were more earnestly entreated !of him!

II. It is lamentable to observe the ignorance and