And if it be Expensiveness, that with-holds you from Charity; in this Cafe alfo think with yourselves for which Purpose is it, that your Maker hath intrufted you? For Vices and Follies, or for Pity and Mercy? You may indeed plead, that Luxury, by the Numbers it employs, is perhaps the most extenfive Beneficence. But this is a poor Pretence, evidently calculated to make yourselves eafy in acting wrong. Undoubtedly the Wisdom of Providence hath contrived, that many, who will do no Good in any other Way, fhall however do fome in this. But then it is ufually done to thofe who need it leaft. A Number of Perfons, well able to take Care of themselves otherwise, are maintained, Part in Idleness, Part in Profeffions of no manner of Ufe; whilst the true Objects of Compaffion, the Infirm and Helpless, are left unregarded to fuffer and perish. Luxury therefore contributes nothing to answer the Intent of the Charities before us. And even thofe, for whom it doth provide, it teaches at the fame Time to ruin themselves by the Imitation of it. And in Proportion as it prevails, it deftroys every where, both Virtue and Happiness, publick and private. But the numberless Evils of this moft fatal Vice cannot be enlarged on now: and if the very little Good, which it doth, were very much more; yet, as no one will pretend to fay, that this Good was the Motive to his Expenfivenets; it can never be a Defence of it. We must not therefore think to make our Ex

travagance

travagance an Excufe for the Defect of our Alms or hope in the leaft to mend our Plea, by calling thofe Things Neceffaries of Life, which are indeed, very blameable Superfluities.

Let therefore both the frugal and the expenfive Man seriously confider, one, what Proportion his Charity bears to his Increase; the other, to his Profufions: and each think of juftifying themselves, not to the World, but to God.

Poffibly it may feem a good Reafon to fome, for their own Neglect of the Poor, that the Law makes Provifion for them. And it is certainly an Honour to the Law, that it doth: but no Honour to Us, that it needs do it. Befides, there are very many Cafes of greatDistress, to which legal Provifion is neither eafily, nor properly extended: nor can it give by any Means fo plentiful Relief, as fhould be given, to the greater Part of thofe, to whom it may extend. But fuppose the Law. capable of doing every Thing that needs be done what would be the Confequence of leaving every Thing to it? That we should lofe intirely the Means, which now we have, of proving to the World, and to ourselves, the Goodness of our own Hearts; and of making an undoubted Free-will Offering to God, out of what he hath given us. Perfons of bad Minds may indeed take Occafion to neglect the Poor, from our Willingness to relieve them:

G 4

them and thus, by their Fault, the Burden may fall heavier upon Us than it ought. But then God, who hath intrufted us, not only in Conjunction with others to do our Share, but feparately by ourselves to do what we can, is not unrighteous to forget this our Labour of Love but will take abundant Care, that whatever we bear chearfully on his Account, far from giving us Cause of Complaint, shall affuredly be Matter of great Joy to us in the End.

Think then attentively of thefe Confiderations. They are not propofed, to you, for raifing a fudden Warmth of Affection, and ferving a prefent Turn: it is to your coolest Reafon, that this Addrefs is made. Reflect in Retirement on what you have heard. A&t upon deliberate Conviction, act from a fettled Principle, in what you do from that fublime Principle, to which St. Peter directs in the next Verse after the Text; that God may be glorified in all Things, through Jefus Chrift: that you may exprefs to Him Senfe of the Duty and Gratitude, which you owe him; that you may improve your own Hearts, by imitating the Goodness, which you honour; that you may convince Mankind of the ExcelJency of the Chriftian Doctrine. Confider yourselves, in this View alfo, as the Stewards of God: as intrufted for the Service and Promotion of his Gospel. For be afsured, such

Heb. vi. 10.

your

important

you

important and aftonishing Truths as that comprehends, and you have lately heard out of it, were not made known to you, with a Defign, that you fhould be indifferent about them; but deeply affected by them yourselves, and ferioufly diligent to engage the Attention of others to them. If then have any Zeal for the Faith, which you profefs, as, Heaven knows there never was more need: fhew Men, by its Effects, what it is; and give Demonstration to the World, how far the true Charity of a good Christian goes beyond the boasted Benevolence of Unbelievers. Invite Men by these Means to a better Opinion of Religion: encourage them by the fame to a steadier Practice of it. Be watchful, and strengthen, by every Method you can, the Things which remain, and are ready to die *: but particularly make Provifion in these excellent Ways, which are now propofed to you, for the Inftruction of the Ignorant, the Converfion of the Vicious, the Spiritual Improvement, as well as Temporal Relief of the Sick: that fo the Adminiftration of your Charity may not only fupply the Want of the Saints, but be abundant alfo by many Thanksgivings unto God +.

* Rev. iii. 2.

† 2 Cor. ix. 12.

SER

1

SERMON V.

Preached before the House of Lords in the Abbey-Church of Westminster, on Thursday, May 29, 1739.

PSALM CVI. 12, 13.

Then believed they his Words, they fang his Praife: they foon forgat his Works, they waited not for his Counsel.

THE fame wife and good Being, who

Were

hath fitted the whole Frame of this World to the various Wants of his Creatures ; hath fitted the Events of Things to our Reformation and moral Improvement. they to be confidered as Events only, it would be Folly not to learn from them: but as they are Leffons intended by Heaven for our Inftruction, it is Impiety alfo. The Difpenfations of Providence, in which we are least interested, may teach us a great deal by Analogy, both concerning the Confequences of our Behaviour, and the Temper of our Hearts: for we seldom apprehend how fatally we are capable of erring, till we fee how other Perfons have acted before us, and what hath followed. But those Tranfactions of former Times, which extend