be longest and most extensively respected: but fuch as join with others, will also have Praife for it, equal to their modeft Defires. In Our Hofpital particularly, their Names and Contributions are recorded, and openly proposed for Imitation while yet they, who chufe it, may be as fecret in their Donations to this Charity, as to any.

Poffibly you may think, it will be fufficiently carried on without your Help. But what if every Body were to think fo? Befides, how do you know it will? And if it would, your Concern is, not fo much that good Works be done, as that You do your Share towards them.

But you give to other Charities, to other Hofpitals. And fo do many of the bountiful Friends to this. Why then may not, why then fhould not, You be fuch a Friend to it likewife But, at the very leaft, be not an Enemy. That we demand, as Juftice. If we are wrong in any Thing, we fhall be glad to correct it, if deficient, to fupply it. If we think we excel in any Thing, we heartily with we could excel in nothing. If we have chanced to take a Name, that may seem too lofty we had rather never have taken it, than have given Offence by what was intended, not to arrogate the leaft Pre-eminence above our elder Sifters; but only to exprefs, in the strongest Manner, how numerous the Objects, for whom Provifion is wanted, were; and to whom we

princi

principally trusted for the Means of relieving them.

Let us all therefore go on, amicably as well as diligently, in this and every Method of leffening Mifery, and promoting Goodness and Happiness, in the World, from an humble Senfe of Duty to the Maker of it: till the Exercise of the Virtues, adapted to our pre-fent fuffering State, improve our Souls into a Fitness for that approaching Time of Enjoyment; when God shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes, and there shall be no more Death, nor Sorrow, or Crying; neither shall there be any more Pain *.

SERMON

XI.

Preached in the Church of St. Maryle-Bow, December 4, 1754, at the Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Societies.

MALACHI iii. 16.

Then they, that feared the Lord, Spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it; and a Book of Remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name.

T

HIS Prophecy was delivered long after the Return of the Jews from Babylon; when they had ceafed in general to be fuperftitious and idolatrous, for it scarce accufes them once of either Sin, but were falling into the oppofite Extreme of Indifference about all Religion. Many of the Priests themselves performed their Functions carelessly and contemptuously, from a Principle of mere worldly Intereft * ; and either neglected to inftruct others, or misled them. The People, partly, without Queftion, in Confequence of this,

Mal. i. 6, 7, 10.

+ ii. 7, 8.

were

were deftitute of Zeal for God's Worship; Said it was a Wearinefs and fnuffed at it; facrificed to him the Refuse of their Cattle *, robbed him in Tithes and Offerings†, married Heathens without Scruple ‡, broke their Marriage Vows by Adultery ||, dealt treacherously every Man against his Brother §, were guilty of Oppreffion and Perjury **: for the Prophet exprefsly charges them with all these Crimes. And he adds, that they not only indulged, but applauded themselves in Impiety and Immorality: cafting off with Scorn the ferious Regard, which they had formerly paid to unpleafing Rules of Duty; and declaring thofe, who had fearlessly broke through them, the only wife Perfons. Your Words have been Stout against me, faith the Lord. Ye have faid, It is vain to ferve God: and, What Profit is it, that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hofts? And now we call the Proud, happy : yea, they that work Wickedness are fet up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered ††. So that they still feem to have profeffed fome Belief in a fort of Deity: but at the fame Time prevailed on themselves to fancy, that he was unconcerned about their Treatment of Himself, or each other,

How lively a Picture this is, though drawn above two thousand Years ago, of the Free

Livers and Free-Thinkers, as they have been called, of our own Age, and how large and increafing the Numbers of them are, I need not fay their Practices, their Discourse, their Writings, fhew it too plainly. The Question is, While They behave thus, what should Our Behaviour be?

Now undoubtedly earnest Endeavours ought to be used for reclaiming them. And such as are qualified for this Employment, especially if they are likewife peculiarly called to it, fhould be confcientiously diligent in it: labouring to convince, both the avowedly Profane and Vicious, and all who lean towards them, of the Unreafonablenefs and final Uncomfortablenefs of their Notions, the abfurd Rashness of their Talk, the ruinous Tendency of their Conduct, even in this Life, to themfelves, to fuch as are moft nearly connected with them, and to the Publick: but above all, of the certain future Mifery, which they must bring on their own Heads, if the Maker of the World govern it with Justice or Wif dom, or indeed with real Goodness to the whole; and for what other Ends he could poffibly create it, is utterly inconceivable.

But though every Perfon of plain Understanding and upright Heart is capable of feeing thefe Things; and moft may reprefent them, with good Effect, to fuch as err through Inconfideratenefs or bad Suggeftions only, yet

many