ing that is base, a lover of all good men, in all persuasions; able to distinguish them, and loving them without any distinction. Let him also be one who has nobly stripped himself of emoluments and advantages, when they would have encumbered his opportunities to serve his country. Yea, presume upon one who has governed and adorned the greatest city on the face of the earth, and so much "the delight" of that city, as well as of the rest of mankind, that she shall never account her honour or welfare better consulted, than when he appears for her as a representative in the most illustrious assembly in the world.

In one word, A PUBLIC SPIrit. Let him therefore, and on more than all these accounts, be

SIR WILLIAM ASHHURST.

For as of old the poet observed on mentioning the name of "Plutarch," that the echo answered "Philosophy:" Sow now, A PUBLIC SPIRIT will immediately be the echo in the sense of all men, and with a repetition more frequent than that at Pont-Chareton, if the name of Sir WILLIAM ASHHURST once be mentioned. He it is whom the confession of all men brings into the catalogue with Abraham and Joseph, and those other ancient blessings, who are thus excellently described by Grotius: "Men born to serve mankind, who reckon it their greatest gain to have it in their power to do good." "* America afar off, also knows him; the American colonies have their eye on the efforts of his goodness for them. Nations of christianised Indians likewise pray for him, as their GOVERNOR. the design of such a book will be acceptable, whatever may be the defective manner of treating its noble subject. To him it wishes that all the blessings of those who devise good, may be forever multiplied.

To him,

I will presume to do something that will carry a sweet harmony with one of the chief methods to be observed in prosecuting the design of this book; which is, for brethren to dwell together in unity,"

*Homines demerendis hominibus nati, qui omnem beneficii collocandi occasionem ponebant in lucro.

and carry on every good design with united endeav

ours.

They will pardon me, if I take leave to join with him, in the testimonies of our great esteem, for an honourable disposition to love good men, and to do good in the world, his excellent brother-in-law, the well-known name of a

JOSEPH THOMPSON,

66

who has long been valued, and shall always be remembered, in the country where this book is published. God will be glorified for the piety which adorns him, and the "pure religion," which, in the midst of the world and of temptations from it, keeps him so unspotted from the world." It was the maxim of a Pagan Asdrubal in Livy, "Men distinguished by their prosperity are seldom distinguished for virtue."* Chris tianity will in this gentleman give to the world an happy experiment, that the maxim is capable of a confutation. Because a book of " Essays to do Good" will doubtless be acceptable to one of so good a mind; and the treasurer of a corporation formed on the intention to do in America that good which is of all the greatest, of which Sir William Ashhurst is the governor, he also has a part in the humble tender of it; and it must wish unto him "all the blessings of goodness."

The book now requires that some account be given of it. It was a passage in the speech of an envoy from his Britanic majesty to the duke of Brandenburgh, some years ago; "A capacity to do good, not only gives a title to it, but also makes the doing of it a duty." Ink were too vile a liquor to write that passage. Letters of gold were too mean to be the preservers of it. Paper of Amyanthus would not be precious and perennous enough to perpetuate it.

* Raro simul hominibus, bona fortuna bonaque mens datur. Amyanthus or Asbestos, a sort of native fossil stone which may be split into threads, and made into cloth or paper. It is not injured by the fire. Pliny says he has seen napkins made of it thrown into the fire after a feast, and by that means better scoured than if they had been washed in water. See Encyclop. Brit.

To be brief, Reader, the book now in thy hands, is nothing but an illustration of that memorable sentence. As gold is capable of a wonderful dilatation; (experiment has told us it may be so dilated, that the hundred thousandth part of a grain may be visible without a microscope) this "golden sentence" may be as much extended: no man can say how much. This book is but a beating upon it. And at the same time it is a commentary on that inspired maxim, “ As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men." Gal. vi. 10. Every proposal here made upon it hopes to be able to say, "When I am tried, I shall come forth as gold."

I am well aware that all the rules of discretion and behaviour are included in that one word, modesty. But it will be no breach of modesty to be very positive in asserting, That the only wisdom of man lies in conversing with the great God, and his glorious Christ; and in engaging as many others as we can to join with us in this our blessedness; thereby promoting his kingdom among the children of men; and in studying to do good to all about us; to be blessings in our several relations; to heal the disorders, and help the distresses of a miserable world, as far as ever we can extend our influence. It will be no trespass upon the rules of modesty, with all possible assurance to assert, that no man begins to be wise till he come to make this the main purpose and pleasure of his life: yea, that every man will at some time or other be so wise as to own, that every thing without this is but folly; though, alas! most men come to that coclusion too late.

Millions of men, in every rank, besides these whose dying thoughts are collected in "The Fair Warnings to a careless World," have at length declared their conviction of it. It will be no immodesty in me to say, that the man who is not satisfied of the wisdom of making it the work of his life to do good, is always to be noticed with the pity due to an ideot. No first principles are more peremptorily to be adhered unto. Or, do but grent "A judgment to come," and my assertion is presently victorious.

I will not be immodest, and yet I will boldly say, The man is worse than a Pagan, who will not come into this notion of things, "Vir bonus est commune bonum ;" and "Vivit is qui multis est usui ;" and "Utilitate hominum, nil debet esse homini antiquius." "None but a good man is really a living man; and the more good any man does, the more he really lives." All the rest is death; or belongs to it. Yea, you must excuse me if I say, the Mahometan, also, shall condemn the man who comes not into the principles of this book; for I think it occurs no less than three times in the Koran; "God loves those that are inclined to do good."

For this way of living, if we are fallen into a generation, wherein men will cry, (Sotah!) "He is fool," that practices it as the Rabbins foretel it will be in the generation wherein the Messiah comes; yet there will be a wiser generation, and "wisdom will be justified of her children." Among the Jews there has been an Ezra, whose head they called "The throne of wisdom." Among the Greeks there has been a Democritus, who was called SOPHIA in the abstract. The latter ages knew a Gildas, who wore the surname of Sapiens; but it is the man whose temper and intent it is to do good," that is the wise man after all. And indeed, Lad a man the hands of a Briareus, they would all be too few to do good; he might find occasions to call for more than all of them. The English nation had once a sect of men called "Bons hommes," or "Good men." The ambition of this book is to revive and enlarge a sect that may claim that name; yea, to solicit that it may extend beyond the bounds of a sect, by the coming of all men into it.

Of all the "trees in the garden of God," which is there that envies not the Palm-tree, out of which alone, as Plutarch informs us, the Babylonians derived more than three hundred commodities? Or the Cocoatree, so beneficial to man, that a vessel may be built, and rigged, and freighted, and victualled from that

*A good man is a common good.

alone? To plant such "trees of righteousness," and prune them, is the object of the book now before us.

The men who devise good, will now give me leave to remind them of a few things, by which they may be a little fortified for their grand intention; for, Sirs, you are to pass between "Bozez" (or dirty,) and "Seneh," (or thorny) and encounter an host of things worse than Philistines, in your undertaking.

Misconstruction is one thing against which you will do well to furnish yourselves with the armour both of prudence and of patience; prudence to prevent it, patience to endure it. You will unavoidably be put upon doing many good things, which other people will see but at a distance, and be unacquainted with the motives and methods of your doing them; yea, they may imagine their own purposes crossed in what you do; and this will expose you to their censures. Yet more particularly. In your essays to do good, you may happen to be concerned with persons whose power is greater than their virtue. It may be needful as well as lawful, for you to mollify them with acknowledgements of those things in them, which may render them honourable or considerable and forbear to take notice, at present, of what may be culpable. In this you may aim at nothing, but merely to he more able to do them good; or, by their means, to do good to others: and yet, if you are not very cautious, this your civility may be construed to your disadvantage: especially if you find yourselves obliged either to change your opinion of the persons, or to tax any miscarriage in them. The injustice of the censures upon you, may be much as if Paul, rebuking Felix for his unrighteousness and unchastity, should have been reproached with his inconsistency in having so lately complimented him on his accomplishments and acquaintance with the affairs of his nation. But you must not be uneasy if you should be thus unjustly treated. Jerom had written highly of Origen, as a man of bright endowments; at another time he wrote as severely against some things that he was (perhaps unjustly) accused of. They charged Jerom with levity, yea, with falsehood: but he despised the calumny,