장음표시 사용
451쪽
or greater abilities sor doing good, than in England But it is as true, that succeis, in many cases, depends not upon Zeat, industry, wealth, learning, or the like faculties, so much as on the method, wherein thesea re applied. We osten see a smali proportion os labour and expence inone Way, bring that aboui, whicli in others, a much greater mare of both could ne ver effect. It hath been my endea uour to disco ver this way ormethod in the present case. What hath been done, I submit to the judgment of ali good and rea sonabie men ; who, I am persuaded, will ne- ver reject or discourage a proposal of this nature, on the score of slight objections, sur mises, or dissiculties, and thereby render thenaseives charge- able with the having prevented those good effects, whicli might otherisi se have been produced by it. For it is, after ali, possibie, that unsoresten dissiculties may ari se in the prosecution of this design, many things may retard, and many things may threaten to obstruet it; but there is hardly any enterprige or scheme what ever, sor the public good, in Whicli dissiculties a re not osten mewing them lues, and as osten overcome by the blessing of God, upon the pruden ce and resolution of the Undertakers; though, for ought that appears, the present scheme is as likely to succeed, and attended with as seru
For to any man, Who considers the divine power of religion, the innale force of reason and virtve, and the mighty effecis osten wrought by the constant regular operation even of a weali and sinali cause, it wili stemnatural and rea nable to suppose, that rivuleis perpetuatly is ing sortiiDOm a Quntain, or reservo ir, os learning and religion, and stream ingthrough ali paris os America, must in due time have a great effeci, inpurging away the ili manners and irreligion of our coloni es, as weli asthe bl indnest and barbari ty of the nations round them: especially, is thereservoir be in a clean and private place, where iis Walers, out of the way
452쪽
The greatnest of a benefaction is rather in proportion to the numberand want of the receivers, than to the liberality of the giver. A wiseand good man would there re he frugal in the management of his chari ty ; that is, contrive it se as that it might extend to the greatest wants of the greatest number of his sellow-creatures. Now the greatest wantsare spirituat wanis, and by ali accounts these a re no where greater than in our western plantations, in many paris whereos divine service is neverperformed for want of clergymen; in others, after such a manner and by such hands, as scandalige even the worst of their own paris hioners ; where many Engli , instead of gaining converis, are themselves degeneratcdinto heathens, being members of no church, without morais, without faith, without baptism. There can be there re, in no part of the christianworid, a greater Want of spirituat things than in our plantations. And, on the other hand, no part of the gentile worid a re so inhumanand barbarous as the lavage Amerisans, whose chi ef employmeni and delight consisting in crueity and revenge, their lives must os ali others, hemost opposite, as weli to the light of nature, as to the spirit of the gospei.
cruci deaths whicli they daij inflict on each other, to contribute in anysori to put a stop to the numberlesi horrid crimes whicli they commitwithout remorse, and inste ad thereos to introduce the practice of viri and piety, must surely be a work in the highest degree becoming every sincere and charit able christian. Those, Who wish weli to religion and mankind, will need no other m ti ve to sor ard an underia hing calculated sor the service of both : I mali,
453쪽
A Proposui, tac. nevcrihelesi, heg leave to observe, that whoe ver would be glad to covera multitude of sins by an extensive and weli jud ged chari ty, or whoe ver, Dom an excellent and godlike temper of mirad, seelis opportunities of do-ing good in his generation, will be pleased to meet with a scheme that sopeculiarly puis it in his power, With smali tro ubie or expence, to procurea great and lasting benefit to the worid. Ten pound s a year, would is Ι mista ke not) be sussicient to defray the expence of a young American in the college of Bemuda, as to diei, lodg-ing, clothes, books and education: and is se, the interes of two hundredpound s may be a perpetuat fund sor maintaining one missionary at thecollege for ever; and in this succession many, it is to be hoped, may be- come powerfui instruments for converting to christiani ty and civit lise hole nations, who now sit in darknest and the madow of death, and whose cruel brutat manners are a di race to human nature. A benefaction of this hind seems to enlarge the very being of a man, extending it to distant places and to future times; inasmuch as unoen countries and after ages may seel the essects of his bounty, while he himself reaps the reward in the blesied society of ali those, who, having tu edman rebi uors, dine as thesars for ever and eGen
455쪽
457쪽
' Η Ε Muse, disgusted at an age and esime,
Barren os every glorious theme, In distant lands now waiis a better time, Producing subjects worthy fame :In happy climes, where Dom the genial sunAnd virgin earth lach scenes ensue, The force of art by nature stems ouldone, And sancied beauties by the true: In happy climes the seat os innocence, Where nature guides and virtve rules, Where men mali not impose sor truth and sense, The pedantry of couris and schools :There mali he sung another goiden age, The rise of empire and of aris, The good and great inspiring epic rage, The wisest heads and nobtest hearis.