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SERMON II.

Preached before the Right Honourable 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

them all.

THE conftitution of things being fuch, that the labour of one man, or the united labour of several, is fufficient to procure more neceffaries than he or they ftand in need of, which it may be supposed was, in fome degree, the case, even in the first ages; this immediately gave room for riches to arife in the world, and for men's acquiring them by honeft

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means; by diligence, frugality, and prudent management. Thus fome would very foon acquire greater plenty of necessaries than they had occafion 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 scarce fail to make use 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 use of their understanding and strength. Riches themselves have always this fource ; though the poffeffion of them is conveyed to particular perfons by different channels. Yet ftill, the hand of the diligent maketh richa, 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 state, before conveniencies, fomewhat ornamental, and for entertainment, would be wanted, looked for, and found out. And, by degrees, these secondary

a Prov. x. 4.

wants,

wants, and inventions for the supply of them, the fruits of leisure and ease, came to employ much of men's time and labour. Hence a new Species of riches came into the world, confisting of things which it might have done well enough without, yet thought desirable, as affording pleasure to the imagination or the fenfes. And these went on increasing, till, at length, the Superfluities of life took in a vaftly larger compass 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 fuperfluities; which could not be, if these fuperfluities were not made ufe of. Yet the defire of fuch things, infenfibly, becomes immoderate, and the ufe of them, almoft of course, degenerates into luxury; which, in every age, has been the diffipation of riches, and, in every fenfe, the ruin of thofe 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

X 2

richer fort together may eafily restrain this vice, in almost what degree they please: and a few of the chief of them may contribute a great deal towards the restraining it.

But, in

It is to be obferved further concerning the progrefs of riches, that had they continued to confist only in the poffeffion of the things themSelves, which were necessary, and of the things themfelves, which were, upon their own account, otherwife defirable; this, in feveral respects, must have greatly embarrassed 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. procefs of time, it was agreed to substitute somewhat more lasting and portable, which should pass every where, in commerce, for real natural riches; as founds had before, in language, been fubftituted for thoughts. And this general agreement, (by what means foever it became general,) that money fhould anfwer all things, together with some other improvements, gave full fcope for riches to increase in the hands of particular perfons, and likewife to circulate into more hands. Now this, though it was not the first origin of covetoufnefs, 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,

money, has begot an artificial kind of paffiont 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: though riches themselves may be made inftrumental in promoting every thing that is good.

The improvement of trade and commerce has made another change, just 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 meafure, free from the vices of the highest and the lowest part of mankind. Now thefe perfons must remember, that whether, in common language, they do, or do not, pass under the denomination of rich, yet they really are fo, with regard to the indigent and neceffitous: and that confidering the great numbers which make up this middle rank among us, and how much they mix with the poor, they are able to contribute very largely to their relief, and have in all respects a very great influence over them.

You have heard now the origin and progress of what this great city so much abounds with, riches; as far as I had occafion to speak of thefe things. For this brief account of them

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