SERM. their Callings. It is judged to have been X. a proverbial expreffion among the Jews, which the Apostle recites, that if any

on.

would not work, neither should be eat*, i. e. it would be the natural confequence of his not working, that he would have nothing to fubfift Which is perfectly agreeable to what Solomon has told us, and experience teaches, that flothfulness cafteth into a deep fleep, and an idle foul fhall fuffer hunger. Yet a little Sleep (fays he) a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep; fo fhall this poverty come as one that travelleth, and this want as an armed man ‡. Or, if we could suppose there should be no danger of spending his eftate how himself, yet upon many are the inftances of people ruined by the knavery of others, to teach him diligence and circumfpection in his own bufinefs? Whilst his poverty and inability to make payment of his debts, arifes thus from his own floth and neglect, it is rather his crime than his misfortune, and, if he defires to be just, he fhould firft learn to be induftrious, and diligently" to do his duty in that state of "life to which it has pleafed God to call "him."

'Tis true, the fcriptures have advised us to take no thought for the morrow, and to

*2 Theff. iii. 10. Vid. Druf. Præterit. et Buxtorf.

+ Chap. xxiv.

33, 34.

be

for us.

X.

be careful for nothing, but to caft all our SER M. care upon God, as knowing that he careth But let not fuch general expreffions be explained with all that strictness and rigour, which would make them inconfiftent with many other paffages of equal weight and authority. We are often excited, on the other hand, to activity and diligence in our vocations, and, tho' the fuccefs of our endeavours must depend at laft upon the bleffing of our heavenly Father, yet that bleffing cannot in reafon be expected without the ufe of fuch endeavours; and however an over-anxious care for ourfelves, or an immoderate reliance upon human means, may juftly be difcou raged, as implying too little confidence in the goodness of God, yet a prudent concern and a modeft ufe of endeavours, with an humble refignation to his fovereign will, is neither unbecoming the reafon of a man, nor the religion of a Chriftian.

5. Fifthly, I have but one direction more to offer upon this occafion; and that is, that we be liberal and charitable to the poor, in proportion to our feveral abilities. For, as much like a paradox as it may look, that the way to keep in good circumftances and make an exact payment of our debts, is, to difperfe abroad of our fubftance and give to the poor, yet fuch and fo numerous are the promises in fcripture of a peculiar blef

III.

$

SERM. fing to attend the man of a charitable dif-
X. pofition, that we cannot ordinarily doubt

of the increase of his fubftance in the pre-
fent life, any more than of his fecuring to
himself a better and more enduring fubftance
in the next. For the liberal foul (fays the
wife man) shall be made fat: and he that
watereth fhall be watered alfo himfelf*. And
again, Honour the Lord with thy fubftance,
and with the firft-fruits of all thy increase;
fo fhall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy preffes fhall burst out with new wine †.
Thus if we caft our bread upon the waters,
where, in the fight of men, it may ap-
pear to be loft and perish, we may expect
to find it after many days. Whereas, if we
be wanting in this duty of charity, we shall
at the fame time be defective in one effen-
tial part of juftice, fince this is no other
than a debt owing to the poor, inasmuch
as the Supream Proprietor of all things has
given them a title to fome fhare in our e-
ftates, which it is a high degree of injuf-
tice to detain from them, and the portion
fo detained will be likely to eat as doth a
canker, and draw down fuch a curfe upon
our whole fubftance as fhall make it to de-
cay infenfibly, and leave them miferably
poor, who at the dear expence of inno-
cence and honour, were too greedily haft-
ing to be rich. There is that Scattereth and
*Prov. xi. 25.
† Chap. iii. 9, 10.
yet

yet increafeth, and there is that with-holdeth SER M. more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty *. X. And let not then the fordid mifer boaft of frugality, nor value himself upon his care and contrivance to pay every one his own. The liberal foul fhall thrive as well as he; and it is not by griping and covetoufness, but by managing our stewardship conformably to our Lord's direction, that we may expect the increase or continuance of his favour.

'Tis true, if this be the fole motive of our beneficence to others, as there is nothing virtuous in this deportment, fo there can be no ground to expect the favour of God in confequence of fuch actions as were not done for his fake, but our own; not in obedience to his commands, but in hopes to be paid our expences back with intereft. But, if our charity be founded in religious. principles, i. e. if it be truly what it would pretend, it has then the clearest title to the promises of the Gofpel, as well those which relate to this life prefent, as those which relate to that which is to come; and therefore may fitly be propofed as one proper expedient to keep us in clear and easy circumstances, and thereby affift us in the payment of our debts. I have now gone thro' the four firft particulars propofed up

* Prov. xi. 24.

SERM. on this fubject. It remains for me only, X. in the

V. FIFTH and laft place, to make fome brief Application and improvement of the whole.

And here therefore give me leave to take notice of the excellency of the Chriftian religion, how ufeful and conducive it is to the fettlement and peace of fociety. It is fo far from fubverting the laws and principles of nature, that it establishes them with greater force, and raises them to the highest perfection. It binds them down upon us from a principle of confcience towards God, and engages our obedience by the moft prevailing fanctions of eternal rewards and punishments. Among the reft, a punctual discharge of all thofe debts and obligations by which we ftand engaged to one another, is bound upon us by thofe eternal laws of justice and charity, which the doctrine of the gospel fo earnestly enforces, and fo pathetically recommends.

But, are the profeffors of Chriftianity as punctual in the practice and obfervance of thefe laws, as their religion itself is exprefs and pofitive in requiring their obedience? I wish it might be replied in the affirmative. But he must be a stranger to mankind, who is utterly infenfible of the complaints that

are