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 zoalons against im morality in their informations, than for it in theirown practice; avoiding no sin in themselves, and sufbring

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 for such a trial of it.

A CATALOGUE OF DESIRABLE THINGŚ,

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, er 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 wonderfully ennobles it; and which alone prepares men for the blessedness of another world. Why is this no more attempted by its professors? Protestants, 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 surviv ors 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. "O 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

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

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 une vangelised, and wait on the providence of Heaven to direct them to sone 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 Aedesius 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 enlarge

ment.

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 cur heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit if he were more earnestly entreated for him!

1. It is lamentable to observe the ignorance and wickedness yet remaining, even in many parts of the British dominions in Wales, in the Highlands of Scotland, and in Ireland. Are the Gouges all dead? There are pretended shepherds in the world, who will never be able to answer before the Son of God, for their laying so little to heart the deplorable circumstances of so many persons whom they might, if they were not scandalously negligent, bring to be more acquainted with the only Saviour.

II. Why is nothing more effected for the poor Greeks, Armenians, Muscovites, and other Chrisfans, who have little preaching, and no printing among them? If we were to send them Bibles, Psalters, and other books of Piety in their own language, they would be noble presents, and God only knows how useful.

IV. Poor sallors and poor soldiers call for our pity. They meet with great troubles, and yet their manners seldom discover any good effects of their trials. What shall be done to make them a better set of men? Besides more books of piety distributed among them, other methods must be devised. 66 An ass falls, and the first who comes lifts him up: a soul is on the brink of ruin, and not a hand is stretched out." Let Austin awaken us.

"

V. The Tradesman's library should be more enriched. We have seen "husbandry spiritualized;" the employment of the shepherd spiritualized;" navigation spiritualized;" and the "weaver," also,. furnished with agreeable meditations. To spread the nets of salvation for men in the way of their personal callings, and to convey pious thoughts in the terms and branches of their personal callings, is a real service to the interests of piety. A book also that shall be an "Onomatologia Monitoria," a "Re

* Catit asinus, & est qui sublevat: perit anima, et non est qui manum opponat,

membrancer from names," and shall advise persons how to make their names the monitors, of their duty, might be of much use to the Christened world. And

a book which shall be "The Angel of Bethesda," giving instructions in what manner to improve in piety, by the several maladies with which any may be afflicted; and at the same time informing them of the most experimental, natural, and specific remedies for their disorders, might be very useful to mankind.

VI. Universities which shall have more Collegia Pietatis in them, like those of the excellent Franckius in the Lower Saxony. O that such institutions were more numerous ! Seminaries in which the scholars may have a most polite education, but not be sent forth with recommendations for the evangelical ministry, till, upon a strict examination, it be found that their souls are fired with the fear of God, the love of Christ, a zeal to do good, and a resolution to bear poverty, reproach, and all sorts of temptations, in the service of our holy religion. Such characters would be the wonders of the world; and what wonders might they do in the world!

Let charity-schools also "increase and multiply:" Charity-schools which may provide subjects for the great Saviour, blessings for the next generation: Charity-schools, not perverted to the ill purpose of introducing a defective christianity.

VII. It is the part of wisdom to observe and pursue those things which, so far as we understand by the books of the sacred prophecy, are to be the works of our day. When the time had arrived that Antichrist should enter his last " half-time," one poor monk proved a main instrument of wresting from him half his empire, Thus to fall in with the designs of Divine Providence, is the way to be wonderfully prospered and honoured. The works of our day I take to be as follows:

1. The Revival of primitive Christianity to endeavour to restore every thing of the primitive character. The apostacy is going off. The time for cleansing the temple comes on. More EDWARDS