A

SERMON

Preached before the

Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the
Court of Aldermen, the Sheriffs,
and the Governors of the feveral
Hofpitals of the City of London,

At the Parish Church of St. Bridget.
On Monday in Eafter-Week, 1740.

PROV. XXII. 2.

The Rich and Poor meet together: the Lord is the Maker of them all.

T

HE Conftitution of Things being SERM. fuch, that the Labour of one Man, XVII. or the united Labour of feveral, is

fufficient to procure more Neceffaries than he or they stand in need of, which it may be fuppofed was, in fome Degree, the Cafe, even in the firft Ages; this immediately gave Room for Riches to arife in the World,

and

SERM. and for Men's acquiring them by honeft XVII. Means; by Diligence, Frugality and prudent Management. Thus fome would very foon acquire greater Plenty of Neceffaries than they had Occasion for. And Others by contrary Means, or by crofs Accidents, would be in Want of them. And he who should supply their Wants, would have the Property in a proportionable Labour of their Hands; which he would fcarce fail to make Ufe of, instead of his own, or perhaps together with them, to provide future Neceffaries in greater Plenty. Riches then were first bestowed upon the World, as they are still continued in it, by the Bleffing of God upon the Industry of Men, in the Ufe of their Underftanding and Strength. Riches themselves have always this Source; though the Poffeffion of them is conveyed to particular Perfons by different Channels. Yet ftill, the hand of the diligent maketh rich, and, other Circumstances being equal, in Proportion to its Diligence.

BUT to return to the firft Rich Man; whom we left in Poffeffion of Dependents, and Plenty of Neceffaries for himself and them. A Family would not be long in this

• Prov. Z. 4

State,

State, before Conveniencies, fomewhat Orna- SERM. mental, and for Entertainment, would be XVII. wanted, looked for, and found out. And, by Degrees, thefe fecondary Wants, and Inventions for the Supply of them, the Fruits of Leisure and Eafe, came to employ much of Men's Time and Labour. Hence a new Species of Riches came into the World, confifting of things which it might have done well enough without, yet thought defirable, as affording Pleasure to the Imagination, or the Senfes. And these went on increafing, till, at length, the Superfluities of Life took in a vaftly larger Compafs of things, than the Neceffaries of it. Thus Luxury made its Inroad, and all the numerous Train of Evils its Attendants; of which Poverty, as bad an one as we may account it, is far from being the worst. Indeed the Hands of the Generality must be employed: and a very few of them would now be fufficient to provide the World with Neceffaries: and therefore the reft of them must be employed about what may be called Super fluities; which could not be, if thefe Superfluities were not made Ufe of. Yet the Defire of fuch things, infenfibly, becomes immoderate, and the Ufe of them, almoft of Course, de

generates

SERM. generates into Luxury; which, in every XVII. Age, has been the Diffipation of Riches,

and, in every Senfe, the Ruin of those who were poffeffed of them and therefore cannot be too much guarded against by all opulent Cities. And as Men fink into Luxury, as much from Fashion, as direct Inclination, the richer Sort together may eafily restrain this Vice, in almoft what Degree they please and a few of the chief of them may contribute a great deal towards the reftraining it.

'Tis to be obferved further concerning the Progrefs of Riches, that had they continued to confift only in the Poffeffion of the things themfelves, which were neceffary, and of the things themselves, which were, upon their own Account, otherwife defirable; this, in feveral Refpects, muft have greatly embarrafs'd Trade and Commerce; and have fet Bounds to the Increase of Riches in all Hands, as well as have confined them in the Hands of a few. But, in Procefs of Time, it was agreed to fubftitute fomewhat more lafting and portable, which fhould pafs every where, in Commerce, for real natural Riches; as Sounds had before, in Language, been fubftituted for Thoughts. And this ge

neral

neral Agreement (by what Means foever it SERM. became general) that Money fhould answer XVII. all things, together with fome other Improvements, gave full Scope, for Riches to increase in the Hands of particular Perfons, and likewife to circulate into more Hands. Now this, tho' it was not the firft Origin of Covetousness, yet it gives greater Scope, Encouragement and Temptation to Covetoufness than it had before. And there is moreover the Appearance, that this artificial Kind of Riches, Money, has begot an artificial Kind of Paffion for them: both which Follies well-difpofed Perfons muft, by all means, endeavour to keep clear of. For indeed the Love of Riches is the root of all evil*: tho' Riches themselves may be made inftrumental in promoting every thing that is good.

THE Improvement of Trade and Commerce has made another Change, juft hinted at, and I think a very happy one, in the State of the World, as it has enlarged the middle Rank of People: many of which are, in good Measure, free from the Vices of the highest and the lowest Part of Mankind. Now these Perfons must remember, that whether, in common Language, they do, or do not, pafs under

* 1 Tim. vi. 10.