yet Superstition still keeps its hold; and this most beneficial practice is regarded with abhorrence by them, as a kind of impiety, a tempting God, and mistrusting his general Providence. Now the best confutation of such monstrous absurdities, is the success of the practice, in which (while twenty or thirty die out of one hundred and fifty, who contract the distemper in a natural way), only THREE*, out of Six Hundred and Ninety-three which have been inoculated since the erection of the Hospital, have fallen under it.

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Give me leave to add another circumstance, which seems to be of weight to excite the attention of the well-disposed: and that is, that as its funds consist chiefly of annual and voluntary contributions, it will: always need the repeated assistance of the benevolent. And this circumstance, which awakes charity, will serve to fix and determine the object of our choice; for we may be reasonably well assured, that while a public Charity remains in this condition, it will be carefully and honestly administered; that which makes its existence precarious, securing its well-being. The Governors of Hospitals, which so subsist, being rather Stewards than Trustees to the Public. And to what scandalous abuses of trust largely endowed Hospitals, whether of new or old foundation, have been exposed, is too well known to

*Of those THREE, one died by Worms, though he was not suspected to be so disordered when inoculated; and another was apprehended to have first caught the Distemper in the Natural Way,

be

be further insisted on in this place, where the subject is not concerning their reformation.

Indeed, it appears almost superfluous to urge this consideration. For whoever casts his eye on the list of illustrious and honourable Names in the government and direction of this CHARITY, will be convinced, that there needs no other favourable circumstance to preserve it under a prudent, diligent, and faithful administration, than the nobleness and generosity of their own respectable Characters.

Permit me, therefore, my Brethren, as I am directed by my office, and reminded by my text, to charge you who are rich in this world, that you be READY to give, and GLAD to distribute; laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come. Amen.

Preached before the Governors of the London Hospital, in 1767; and published at their Request,

1 CORINTH. xiii. 13.

THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY.

SHALL not, at present, stay to consider the

to CHARITY above all the other Christian Virtues. Nor is such an inquiry needful, since the obvious nature of Charity, as it signifies UNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE, shews, that it must needs be at the head of human Virtues; Universal Benevolence, which prefers the good of the Whole to any of its parts, being of the essence, as it is the end, of all Virtue.

If I should venture to prelude what I have to say on this occasion, by observing, that Benevolence is the characteristic Virtue of ENGLISHMEN, I might, perhaps, be thought to flatter a People now fatally overrun with Vice and Impiety.

But justice is due to all; and may be paid with honour as well to ourselves as to others; as well to our Friends as our Enemies. So that, with a fair

boast,

boast, I may repeat it, "This sovereign Virtue is native to us, and our own; and the fantastic Follies, now most in fashion, are of foreign growth, and imported from abroad."

As soon as ever England had broken asunder the chains of Ignorance and Superstition, our National Benevolence began to shew itself, and kindle into warmth. The objects most intimate and pressing, naturally became, in the order they arose, the suc cessive care of this sovereign Virtue.

Hence it was, that the interests of PURE RELIGION, the thing most productive of human happiness, first awakened, and continued to excite our whole attention; till we had thoroughly defecated the celestial fountain of FAITH from the poisonous dregs of ROME. This noble labour occupied English Charity throughout the whole period between EDWARD the VIth and JAMES the Ist.

The next object of this benevolent spirit was CIVIL LIBERTY, the Daughter of Religion, and, after her, the most prolific of earthly blessings. For this, the generous Englishman long toiled: and, by a vast expence of blood and treasure, at length secured for his Posterity-For his Posterity do I say? Or should I not rather say, for the human race in general? This glorious struggle for the service of mankind began under JAMES the Ist, continued long, and was happily ended under WILLIAM the IIId.

Our native Benevolence having thus provided for the WHOLE, in the security of those two capital blessings, RELIGION and CIVIL LIBERTY, now - turned its gracious aspect upon the PARTS: and the

SUFFERING