Epift. XXVI. All Things are produced of Caufe and Matter. Of Providence. A brave Man is a Match for Epift. XXVII. Some Traditions of the Ancients con- SENE CA O F BENEFITS. I CHAP. I. Of BENEFITS in general. Tis, perhaps, one of the most pernicious Errors of a rash, and inconfiderate Life, the common Ignorance of the World in the Matter of exchanging Benefits. And this arifes from a Miftake, partly in the Perfon that we would oblige, and partly in the Thing itself. To begin with the latter; A Benefit is a good Office, done with Intention and Judgment; that is to fay, with a due Regard to all the Circumftances of what, how, why, when, where, to whom, how much, and the like. Or otherwife, It is a voluntary and benevolent Action that delights the Giver, in the Comfort it brings to the Receiver. It will be hard to draw this Subject, either into Method or Compafs; the one, because of the infinite Variety and Com A plication of Cafes; the other, by reafon of the large Extent of it: For the whole Business (almost) of Mankind in Society, falls under this Head: The Duties of Kings, and Subjects; Husbands, and Wives; Parents and Children; Masters, and Servants; Natives, and Strangers; high, and low; rich, and poor; strong, and weak; Friends, and Enemies. The very Meditation of it breeds good Blood, and generous Thoughts; and inftructs us in all the Parts of Honour, Humanity, Friendship, Piety, Gratitude, Prudence, and Juftice. In fhort, the Art and Skill of conferring Benefits, is, of all human Duties, the most abfolutely neceffary to the Well-being both of reafonable Nature, and of every Individual; as the very Cement of all Communities, and the Bleffing of Particulars. He that does good to another Man, does alfo good to himself; not only in the Confequence, but in the very Act of doing it: For the Confcience of Welldoing is an ample Reward. OF.Benefits in general, there are feveral Sorts; as * neceffary, profitable and delightful. Some Things there are, without which we cannot live; others, without which we ought not to live; and fome again without which we will not live. In the first Rank are thofe which deliver us from capital Dangers, or Apprehenfions of Death: And the Favour is rated according to the Hazard; for the greater the Extremity, the greater feems the Obligation. The next is the Cafe wherein we may indeed live, but we had better die: As in the Queftion of Liberty, Modefty, and a good Confcience. In the third Place follow thofe Things which Cuftom, Ufe, Affinity, and Acquaintance, have made dear to us; as Husbands, Wives, Children, Friends, &c. which an honeft Man will preferve at his utmost Peril : Of Things profitable there is a large Field; as Money, Honour, &c. to which might be added Matters of Superfluity and Pleafure. But, we shall open a Way to the Circumftances of a Benefit, by fome previous and more general Deliberations upon the Thing itfelf. *Benefits neceffary, profitable and de lightful. CHA P. II. Several Sorts of BENEFITS. WE WE fhall divide Benefits into Abfolute and † Vulgar; the one, appertaining to good Life; the other is only Matter of Com- † Benefits abmerce. The former are the more ex-folute and vulcellent, because they can never be made gar. void; whereas all material Benefits are toffed back, and forward, and change their Master. There are fome Offices that look like Benefits, but are only defirable Conveniencies, as Wealth, &c. and these a wicked Man may receive from a good, or a good Man from an evil. Others again that bear the Face of Injuries, which are only Benefits ill-taken; as Cutting, Lancing, Burning, under the Hand of a Surgeon. The greatest Benefits of all, are thofe of good Education, which we receive from our Parents, either in the State of Ignorance, or Perverseness, as their Care and Tendernefs in our Infancy; their Difcipline in our Childhood, to keep us to our Duties by Fear; and, if fair Means will not do, their proceeding afterwards to Severity and Punishment, without which we should never have come to good. There are Matters of great Value many times, that are but of small Price; as Inftructions from a Tutor, Medicines from a Phyfician, c. And there are fmall Matters again, which are of great Confideration to us: The Gift may be fmall, and the Confequence great; as a Cup of cold Water in a Time of Need may fave a Man's Life; fome Things are of great Moment to the Giver; others to the Receiver: One Man gives me a House; another fnatches me out, when it is falling upon my Head: One gives me an Eftate; another takes me out of the Fire, or cafts me out a Rope when I am finking: Some good Offices we do to Friends; others to Strangers; but, those are the nobleft that we do without Pre-defert. There is an Obligation of Bounty; and an Obligation of Charity: This, in cafe of Ne ceffity; and that, in Point of Convenience. Some Benefits are common; others are perfonal: As if a Prince (out of pure Grace) grant a Privilege to a City, the Obligation lies upon the Community; and only upon every Individual, as a Part of the whole: but if it be done particularly for my Sake, then am I fingly the Debtor for it. The cherishing of Strangers is one of the Duties of Hofpitality; and exercises itself in the Relief and Protection of the Distreffed. There are Benefits of good Counsel, Reputation, Life, Fortune, Liberty, Health; nay, and Superfluity, and Pleasure. One Man obliges me out of his Pocket: Another gives me Matter of Ōrnament and Curiofity: A third Confolation. To fay nothing of negative Benefits; for there are that reckon it an Obligation if they do a Body no Hurt; and place it to account, as if they faved a Man, when they do not undo him. To fhut up all in one Word; as Benevolence is the most fociable of all Virtues, fo it is of the largest Extent; for there is not any Man either fo great, or fo little, but he is yet capable of giving and of receiving Benefits. CHA P. III. A Son may oblige his Father, and a Servant his Mafter. TH HE Question is (in the first Place) Whether it may not be poflible for a Father to owe more to a Son in other Respects, than a Son owes to his Father for his Being? That many Sons are both greater and better than their Fathers, there is no queftion; and there are many other Things that derive their Beings from others, which yet are far greater than their Original. Is not the Tree larger than the Seed? The River than the Fountain? The Foundation of all Things lies hid, and the Superftructure obfcures it. If. I owe all to my Father, because he gives me Life, I may owe as much to a Phyfician that faved his Life; for if my Father had |