And if it be Expensiveness, that with-holds you from Charity; in this Cafe also think with yourselves: for which Purpose is it, that your Maker hath intrusted 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 extensive Beneficence. But this is a poor Pretence, evidently calculated to make yourselves easy in acting wrong. Undoubtedly the Wisdom of Providence hath contrived, that many, who will do no Good in any other Way, shall however do some in this. But then it is usually done to those who need it least. A Number of Persons, well able to take Care of themselves otherwise, are maintained, Part in Idleness, Part in Professions of no manner of Use; whilst the true Objects of Compaffion, the Infirm and Helpless, are left unregarded to suffer and perish. Luxury therefore contributes nothing to answer the Intent of the Charities before us. And even those, 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 destroys every where, both Virtue and Happiness, publick and private. But the numberless Evils of this most 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 say, that this Good was the Motive to his Expensivenets; it can never be a Defence of it. We must not therefore think to make our Extravagance travagance an Excuse for the Defect of our Alms: or hope in the least to mend our Plea, by calling those Things Neceffaries of Life, which are indeed, very blameable Superfluities. Let therefore both the frugal and the expenfive Man ferioufly confider, one, what Proportion his Charity bears to his Increase; the other, to his Profufions: and each think of justifying themselves, not to the World, but to God. Possibly it may feem a good Reason to fome, for their own Neglect of the Poor, that the Law makes Provision for them. And it is certainly an Honour to the Law, that it doth : but no Honour to Us, that it needs do it. Besides, there are very many Cafes of great Distress, to which legal Provision is neither eafily, nor properly extended: nor can it give by any Means so plentiful Relief, as should be given, to the greater Part of those, to whom it may extend. But suppose the Law capable of doing every Thing that needs be done: what would be the Consequence of leaving every Thing to it? That we should lose 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 Occasion to neglect the Poor, from our Willingness to relieve them; G4 them: and thus, by their Fault, the Burden may fall heavier upon Us than it ought. But then God, who hath intrusted us, not only in Conjunction with others to do our Share, but separately 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 assuredly be Matter of great Joy to us in the End. Think then attentively of these Confiderations. They are not proposed, to you, for raising a fudden Warmth of Affection, and serving a present Turn: it is to your cooleft Reason, that this Address is made. Reflect in Retirement on what you have heard. Act upon deliberate Conviction, act from a settled 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 Jesus Christ : that you may express to Him your Sense 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 Excellency of the Christian Doctrine. Confider yourselves, in this View also, as the Stewards of God: as intrusted for the Service and Promotion of his Gospel. For be affured, fuch * Heb. vi. 10. important important and aftonishing Truths as that comprehends, and you have lately heard out of it, were not made known to you, with a Design, that you should be indifferent about them; but deeply affected by them yourselves, and ferioufly diligent to engage the Attention of others to them. If then you have any Zeal for the Faith, which you profess, as, Heaven knows there never was more need: shew 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 boafted Benevolence of Unbelievers. Invite Men by thefe 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 proposed to you, for the Instruction of the Ignorant, the Converfion of the Vicious, the Spiritual Improvement, as well as Temporal Relief of the Sick: that so the Administration of your Charity may not only fupply the Want of the Saints, but be abundant alfo by many Thanksgivings unto God †. SERMON V. Preached before the House of Lords in the Abbey-Church of Westminster, on Thursday, May 29, 1739. PSALM CVI. 12, 13. P : Then believed they his Words, they sang his Praise: they soon forgat his Works, they waited not for bis Counsel. T : HE same wife and good Being, who 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. Were they to be confidered as Events only, it would be Folly not to learn from them: but as they are Lessons intended by Heaven for our Instruction, it is Impiety also. The Dispensations of Providence, in which we are least interested, may teach us a great deal by Analogy, both concerning the Consequences of our Behaviour, and the Temper of our Hearts: for we feldom apprehend how fatally we are capable of erring, till we see how other Persons have acted before us, and what hath followed. But those Transactions of former Times, which extend |