II.

SER M. Life, imagine that it was God's Defign that fome Men should poffefs at Liberty, and spend at Pleasure, abundantly more than they have real Occafion for, whilft others remain deftitute of many Things which they have real need of? Can any Man that reflects on this forbear believing, can he make a Doubt, but that God defigned hereby to make the Rich the Stewards and Overfeers of the Poor; that by fuch a Difpenfation of Providence he hath, as it were, depofited the Provifions of the Indigent in the Hands of the Wealthy, thereby committing the Charge and Care of those who have Nothing in their own Poffeffion, to those who have extraordinary and fupernumerary Talents allotted for that Purpose? I may fay it is impoffible, to give an Account, why a wife and good Creator, who has made all Men of one Blood, equal in their Nature and Origine, and with whom is no Refpect of Perfons, fhould have left feveral of them deftitute of all visible Means of fupporting the Life he gave them; unless this be admitted, that he hath ordained the Abundance of fome, for a Supplement to the Wants of Others; that by multiplying his Bleffings on the Rich,

he

II.

he hath thereby devolved upon them the Pro- SER M. vince of maintaining fuch others, as have not wherewithal to maintain and fupport themfelves.

But, you will fay, this Scheme of Providence is not duly executed: No, nor are many of God's most exprefs Commands obeyed by us. But, I fay, the worfe for them who are the Occafions of the Poors not receiving their Due. Woe to the Rich that communicate not! They will bear the Burden in the End. God knows how to make all up to the poor Sufferers in this Life, who fhall not finally be the worse for other Mens Neglects. And this is what our bleffed Saviour has fufficiently fignified in the forementioned Parable, viz. That fome People are more bleffed in a State of great Want and Poverty, than Others in the greatest Plenty. Lazarus is represented as effecting by his Modefty and Patience, what the rich Man did not bring about with all his Power and Wealth, I mean, the Salvation of his Soul. There are great Charms in the Silence and Contentedness of poor Men; in their waiting patiently for the Succours and Regards of Providence, without repining or envying

VOL. I.

E

SER M. envying their proud Neighbours in their unII. deserved Profperity. When Others forget and

forfake them, the Lord taketh them up, as he did Lazarus; and renders them more blessed in receiving Nothing, than others can make themselves by receiving all.

The Truth is, my Brethren, that as God in all his Dealings with us, hath the chief Regard to the great Interefts of our Souls; fo bath he particularly in his Allotments of Riches and Poverty; by which he takes two different Ways of exercifing Mens Virtues, and bringing them to Happiness. And not to mention now any worldly or political Conveniencies that arife from the difproportionate Allotments of the good Things of this Life, the religious Interpretation of fuch Difpenfations is, That God defigns Poverty to be the Means of Salvation to fome Men, and Riches Means of Salvation to others. Means of Salvation to the Rich, amongst other Things, is their Abundance; which is the Trial of their Moderation and Humility, and, above all, the Matter of their Charity. Means of Salvation to the Poor is their Want; the Trial of their Industry,

2 Pfalm xxvii. 12.

a

The SER M.

Industry, and Subject of their Patience.
Rich and Poor meet together, fays Solomon, the
Lord is the Maker of them all. Wherever he
exalts a Dives, he fends a Lazarus to his
Gate. He brings them together, and sets
them in View of each other, for the Exercife
of their feveral Virtues, and that they may not
want Occafions of fuccefsfully employing their
refpective Means of Salvation. The glittering
Pomp and Greatnefs, and fancied Happiness
of the rich Man, is the Trial of the poor
Man's Contentedness, and Submiffion to God's
Will, which are the principal Virtues in his
State of Life. On the other Hand the poor
Man's Approach in Penury and Rags, is the
Trial of the rich Man's Compaffion and Cha-
rity, which is a neceffary Duty in his Condi-
tion of Life. Thus God furnishes them both,
not only with the Means, but with the Occafions
too, of making themfelves bleffed for ever; in
which he is kind and gracious to them both;
nor is there any Unhappiness in either of their
Allotments, but what is of their own making,
by not answering the Defigns of Providence
in this wife Difpofal and Ordering of their
E 2

Prov. xxii. 7.

Cir

& ER M. Circumstances. But yet, perhaps, the fafer

IF.

Difpenfation of the two, for the Soul, I mean, is that of Poverty, as appears not only in a Figure from the Fate of the rich Man in the Parable, but more exprefly from the Woes pronounced against rich Men in the Scriptures, and the Declarations which our Saviour made of the Difficulty fuch meet with in entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. Which should make those, upon whom God has poured down many good Things, very carefully to remember the Neceffity, as well as Bleffedness of Giving; knowing that it is better to have Nothing, than to enjoy all, which was the first Point I undertook to fhew

you.

And now, my Brethren, having laid before you the Obligation to Almfgiving, I proceed in the fecond Place (in as short a Way as I can) to fhew you the experimental Bleffedness of it; that, let us give in what Proportions we will, our Gifts prove a greater Bleffing to us than our Receipts: That our Alms te: more to our Intereft, more to our Security, more to our Credit, more to our Satisfaction; that is, every Way more to

our

Luke vi. 24, 25. Amos vi. 1. James v. 1. Mark x. 23.