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the extraordinary grace of God, become a burden and a nuisance to the world.

But there is a class of the unfortunate not yet mentioned, who are the greatest objects of all; those, who, after having been accustomed to ease and plenty, are, by some unavoidable reverse of fortune, by no fault or folly of theirs, condemned to bear, what they are least able to bear, the galling load of poverty; who, after having been perhaps fathers to the fatherless, in the day of their prosperity, are now become the objects of that charity which they were wont so liberally to dispense. These persons plead the more strongly for our relief, because they are the least able to reveal their misery, and make their wants known. Let these, therefore, in a peculiar manner, partake the bounty of the liberal and open hand. Let your goodness descend to them in secret, and like the Providence of Heaven, conceal the hand which sends them relief, that their blushes may be spared while their wants are supplied.

Concerning one class of the indigent vagrants and common beggars, I have hitherto said nothing. About these your own observation and experience, will enable you to judge. Some of them are real and deserving objects of your compassion. Of others, the greatest want is the want of industry and virtue.

The second thing proposed was, to give exhortations to the practice of this duty. This duty is so agreeable to the common notions of mankind, that every one condemns the mean and sordid spirit of that wretch whom God has blessed with abundance, and consequently with the power of blessing others, and who is yet relentless to the cries of the poor and miserable. We look with contempt and abhorrence upon a man who is ever amassing riches, and never bestowing them; as greedy as the sea, and yet as barren as the shore. Numbers, it is true, think they have done enough in declaiming against the practice of such persons; for upon the great and the opulent they think the whole burden of this duty ought to rest; but for

themselves, being somewhat of a lower class, they desire to be excused. Their circumstances, they say, are but just easy, to answer the demands of their family, and therefore, they plead inability, and expect to be exempted from the performance of this duty. Before this excuse will be of any avail, it behoves them to consider, whether they do not indulge themselves in expences unsuitable to their rank and condition. Imaginary wants are boundless, and charity will never begin, if it be postponed till these have an end. Every man, whether rich or poor, is concerned in this duty, in proportion to his circumstances: and he that has little, is as strictly bound to give something out of that little, as he that hath more is obliged to give more. What advantage was it to the poor widow, that she, by giving her one mite into the treasury, could exercise a nobler charity than all the rich had done? The smallest gift may be the greatest bounty.

The practice of this duty, therefore, is incumbent upon all. To the performance of it you are drawn by that pity and compassion which are implanted in the heart. Compassion is the call of our Father in heaven to us his children, to put us upon relieving our brethren in distress. This is an affection wisely interwoven in our frame by the Author of our nature, that whereas abstracted reason is too sedentary and remiss a counsellor, we might have a more instant and vigorous pleader in our breasts, to excite us to acts of charity. As far, indeed, as it is ingrafted in us, it is mere instinct; but when we cultivate and cherish it, till we love mercy, when we dwell upon every tender sentiment that opens our mind and enlarges our heart, then it becomes a virtue. Whosoever thou art whose heart is hardened and waxed gross, put thyself in the room of some poor unfriended wretch, beset perhaps with a large family, broken -with misfortunes, and pining with poverty, whilst silent grief preys upon his vitals; in such a case what wouldst thou think it reasonable thy rich neighbours should do? That, like the Priest and the Levite, they

should look with an eye of indifference, and pass by on the other side; or, like the good Samaritan, pour balm into thy wounded mind? Be thyself the judge! and whatever thou thinkest reasonable thy neighbours should do to thee, go thou and do likewise unto them. Consider next the pleasure derived from benevolence.. Mean and illiberal is the man whose soul the good of himself can entirely engross. True benevolence, extensive as the light of the sun, takes in all mankind. It is not indeed in your power to support all the indigent, incurable, and aged; it is not in your power to train up in the paths of virtue many friendless and fatherless children: but if, as far as the compass of your power reaches, nothing is deprived of the influence of your bounty, and where your power falls short, you are cordially affected to see good works done by others; those charities which you could not do, will be placed to your account. To grasp thus the whole, system of reasonable beings, with an overflowing love, is to possess the greatest of all earthly enjoyments, is to make approaches to the happiness of higher natures, and anticipate the joy of the world to come. For it is impossible, that the man who, actuated by a principle of obedience to his Creator, has cherished each generous and liberal movement of the soul, with at head ever studious to contrive, a heart ever willing to promote, and hands ever ready to distribute to the good of his fellow-creatures, should, notwithstanding, be doomed to be an associate for ever with accursed spirits, in a place where benevolence never shed its kindly beams, but malice and anguish, and blackness of darkness, reign for ever and ever. No, the riches which we have given away will abide with us for ever. The same habit of love will accompany us to another world. The bud which hath opened here, will blow into full expansion above, and beautify the paradise in the heavens.

SERMON XII.

MATTHEW v. 19.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

HE Roman Catholics divide sins into two classTHE es, the venial and the mortal. In the first class, they include those slight offences which, as they say, are too inconsiderable to offend the Deity; and, in the second, those great and aggravated transgressions which expose men to the Divine vengeance in the world to come. Although this distinction, which overthrows the law of morality, is abjured by all Protestants, yet something like it is still retained by great numbers of men. What the Papists call venial sins, they call sins of infirmity, human failings, imperfections inseparable from men. And their own

favourite vices, whatever they be, they call by these names. Cruel is the condition of the human kind, say they, and rigorous the spirit of the Christian law, if we are to lie under such terrible restrictions; if breaking one of the least commandments shall exclude us from the kingdom of God. Will the Great Creator be offended by a few trivial transgressions; with little liberties, which serve only for amusement? If others take a general toleration, shall we not have an indulgence at particular times? If we are prohibited from turning back in the paths of virtue, may we not make a random excursion? If we are not allowed to taste the fruits, may we not at least crop the blos

soms of the forbidden tree? While the waters of pleasure flow so near, and look so tempting, shall we not be permitted to taste and live? Will the Great Judge of the world condemn us to eternal punishment, for the indulgence of a wandering inclination, for the gratification of a sudden appetite, for a look, a word, or a thought?

As this is the apology of vice, which at one time or another all of you make to yourselves, I shall now shew you the dangerous nature and fatal tendency of those offences you call little sins. And, in entering upon the subject, Christians, I must observe to you, that the attempt to join together the joys of religion and the pleasures of sin, is altogether impracticable. The Divine law regulates the enjoyments, as well as the business of life. You are never to forget one moment that you are Christians. The joys which you are allowed to partake of, are in the train of virtue. While you are pilgrims in the wilderness, if you return to Egypt again, you forfeit your title to the promised land. You have left the dominions of sin, you have come into another kingdom; and if now you revolt to the foe, you are guilty of treason, and may expect to meet with the punishment which treason deserves. How shall we distinguish, then, you say, between the sins of infirmity, into which the best may fall, and the violation of those least commandments which exclude from the kingdom of God? I answer, the text makes the distinction. Sins of intirmity proceed from frailty and surprise. The temptation comes upon men unexpected; the foe meets them unprepared; and, in such cases, the most circumspect may be off their guard, and the best natures may fall. But those sins which exclude from the kingdom of God, are from deliberation and full consent of the mind. The persons who commit them, as the text says, " teach men so;" that is, they justify themselves in what they do, and sin upon a plan; Their evil intentions are not occasional and transient, but permanent and governing; they sleep and wake

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