XIII. pursuit, and genuine piety, not only may be, SERM. but have been frequently, and are ftudied and practised, in the midst of wealth and fplendour. When this is the cafe, the perfons, who join fuch virtue to fplendid external circumstances, are entitled to the reverence and love of their fellow-men, and will alfo receive in heaven a refplendent crown of righteousness. As the ftations they fill are neceffary in the plan of providence, and as they are shining lights in this world, they fhall also shine, in the next, as the brightnefs of the firmament, and as the ftars for ever and ever *. My defign was to fet before you the manifold temptations and dangers to which affluence and brilliant ftation are exposed, and thereby to correct that inordinate defire of them, with which the greatest part of mankind is poffeffed. Who would choose to walk on a precipice, when he has smooth and safe ground below; or trust himself midft rocks or quickfands, when he can fail in an open and direct channel? So great are the dangers, which I have defcribed, A a 4 * Dan, xii. 3. XIII. SERM. defcribed, that a reflecting mind would, from that dread of evil which is inherent in our conftitution, be almoft tempted to avoid them by rushing into the arms of poverty. But here, perils, equally great, arife; and these I proposed to confider, in the fecond place. This I fhall attempt in my following difcourfe. Meanwhile, let thofe, who poffefs not wealth, learn not to covet it, and those, who already abound, to be rich in good works *, and thus lay up themselves treasures in heaven t. for * 1 Tim. vi. 18. + Matth. xix. 21. SERMON 377! SERMON XIV. ON THE TEMPTATIONS AND DANGERS OF JECT. PROVERBS xxx. 8, 9. Give me neither poverty, nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. XIV. In profecution of the general plan of dif- SERM. course on these words of holy fcripture, I am now required to point out the misfortunes, and real evils of poverty. To fome this may appear superfluous, fince there is hardly any person who is not convinced of the hardship of this ftate, and defirous of ef SERM. caping it. But, my intention is not fo XIV. much to rouse your vigilance, in order to avoid this condition of human life, by exibiting the difficulties with which the poor have to ftuggle, as to move you to pity their diftreffes, to view their faults with indulgence, and even their vices with fome degree of lenity, and to cultivate that happy temper, which, while it checks the cravings of covetoufnefs, and reftrains the immoderate ardour of ambition, difpofes alfo to mitigate misfortune, and to alleviate the preffure of indigence. For, it happens not unfrequently that those who confider poverty as the greatest of calamities, are but little af fected by the miseries of such as are in that condition. II. The first, and most obvious evil to which poverty is expofed, is either an entire want of the neceffaries of life, or the purchase of them by unremitting toil and fatigue. Although man live not by bread alone*, neither can he live without bread. Although a man's life consist not in the abundance *Matth. iv. 4. XIV. bundance of the things which be poffeffeth *, SERM. a certain portion of good things is requifite for his comfortable fubfiftence. This portion poverty either enjoys not at all, or obtains on fuch hard conditions as embitter the enjoyment. Although man be formed for action, and, in activity, must find his chief happiness, yet, when this weakens, and ultimately destroys, thofe powers which it ought to invigorate, the intention of nature is counteracted, and her energies are overpowered. The day-labourer is, indeed, free from care and anxiety, and commonly enjoys a found, though fhort repose. But fleep, with abfence of mental exertion, is not the fum of man's enjoyments; nor ought the principal fources of human happiness to be loft in procuring corporeal fuftenance. When daily bread depends on health and labour, the interruption of these is attended with extreme misery, and precarious charity becomes the fole refource. When a wife and children also rely, for their maintenance, on the labour of a husband and a father, what a picture of distress is exhibited, * Luke xii. 15. |