you know amongst Protestants, always of coarse accompany those more solemn appearances in the house of God: nor will these latter be kept up without the other. Now public devotions should ever attend, and consecrate public charities. And it would be a sad presage of the decay of these charities, if ever they should cease to be professedly carried on in the fear of God, and upon the principles of religion. It may be added, that real charitable persons will approve of these frequent exhortations to charity, even though they should be conscious that they do not themselves stand in need of them, upon account of such as do. And such can possibly have no right to complain of being too often admonished of their duty, till they are pleased to practise it. It is true, indeed, we have the satisfaction of seeing a spirit of beneficence prevail, in a very commendable degree, amongst all ranks of people, and in a very distinguished manner in some persons among the highest; yet it is evident too many of all ranks are very deficient in it, who are of great ability, and of whom much might be expected. Though everything, therefore, were done in behalf of the poor which is wanted, yet these persons ought repeatedly to be told, how highly blameable they are for letting it be done without them; and done by persons of whom great numbers must have much less ability than they.
But whoever can really think, that the necessities of the disabled poor are sufficiently provided for already, must be strangely prejudiced. If one were to send you to themselves to be better informed, you would readily answer, that their demands would be very extravagant; that persons are not to be their own judges in claims of justice, much less in those of charity. You, then—I am speaking to the hard people above mentioned—you are to judge what provision is to be made for the necessitous, so far as it depends upon your contributions. But ought you not to remember, that you are interested, that you are parties in the affair, as
