this city. If any of your domestic servants were disabled by sickness, there is none of you but would think himself bound to do somewhat for their relief. Now these seamen and manufacturers are employed in your immediate business. They are servants of merchants, and other principal traders; as much your servants as if they lived under your roof; though, by their not doing so, the relation is less in sight. And supposing they do not all depend upon traders of lower rank, in exactly the same manner, yet many of them do; and they have all connections with you, which give them a claim to your charity preferable to strangers. They are indeed servants of the public; and so are all industrious poor people, as well as they. But that does not hinder the latter from being more immediately yours. And as their being servants to the public is a general recommendation of this charity to all other persons, so their being more immediately yours, is surely a particular recommendation of it to you. Notwithstanding all this, I will not take upon me to say that every one of you is blameable who does not contribute to your Infirmary, for yours it is in a peculiar sense; but I will say, that those of you who do, are highly commendable. I will say more, that you promote a very excellent work, which your particular station is a providential call upon you to promote. And there can be no stronger reason than this for doing anything, except the one reason, that it would be criminal to omit it.
These considerations, methinks, might induce every trader of higher rank in this city, to become a subscriber to the Infirmary which is named from it; and others of you, to contribute somewhat yearly to it, in the way in which smaller contributions are given. This would be a most proper offering, out of your increase, to Him whose "blessing maketh rich," Prov. x. 22. Let it be more or less, "every man according as he purposeth in his heart; not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver," 2 Cor. ix. 7.
