SERMON XXVI.

LUKE xvi. 20, 21, 22.

And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of fores, and defiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his fores.—And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bofom.

HAT virtue fhould be rewarded and

TH

vice punished, is certainly no less agreeable to the feelings of nature than it is to the dictates of reafon. One cannot help, therefore, expreffing a fecret complacency and approbation in the picture which is here exhibited to our view; one cannot help rejoicing to fee this poor caitiff relieved from the miseries of diftreffed mortality, and rewarded with the joys of heaven in Abraham's bofom.

We are not, however, to imagine that these joys were the reward of his poverty, but rather of his virtue and integrity. For as the rich man in the parable was not doomed to hell because he was rich, but because he was wicked; fo neither was the poor man carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom because he was poor, but because he was good and virtuous; because he bore his poverty with patience, and refignation to God's will.

Indeed, in general, we fhould form very wrong eftimates of things, were we to judge of the difpofitions of mens hearts by the dif ference of their conditions in life. For as religion is not inconfiftent with riches, fo neither is it always found in a state of poverty. Corruption fteals into all conditions of life, and infects the low as well as the high. The fame deftructive paffions too appear under different forms, and poffefs the hearts of the poor as well as the rich. A man may be faved or loft in all conditions, for all have their temptations; and happy is he only who knows how to avoid them, and has the resolution to do his duty in whatsoever ftate of life it has pleafed God to place him.

I fhall,

I fhall, therefore, take occafion from the character here given of Lazarus, to point out what are the proper qualifications of that virtuous poverty which will intitle a man to the favour of God, and to be rewarded with everlasting happiness in Abraham's bofom.

And ift, We are certainly to exclude from the number of the virtuous poor, those who have brought poverty upon themselves by their vices or indifcretion.

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It is the fashion of the prefent age for every one to appear at least to the full extent of his circumstances. The wife frugality of our ancestors is loft and derided. Our men of business are transformed into men of pleas fure, and endeavour to rival, or even outdo; patrician extravagance in drefs, equipage, gaming, luxury, and other worse vices. And hence arife thofe fatal blows which are fo fre quently and fo heavily felt in the commercial world. Hence arise those deplorable failures, which entail beggary not only upon them felves and their children, but too often upon many innocent families, who have unhappily been connected with fuch unthinking pro

digals. And shall we call this a virtuous poverty, which arifes from fuch fources? No, rather it is a poverty which carries with it blacker guilt than that of the open robber or midnight felon. Let fuch men therefore be affured, that it must cost them many a penitential tear before they can be entitled either to the character or reward of the poor but virtuous Lazarus.

zdly, We are only to reckon those among the number of the deferving poor who are really in want, and are also incapable of relieving their diftreffes themselves. For it is a fecret, I prefume, to no one, that there are many infamous impoftors, who only counterfeit poverty, and cover themselves with rags and fores, the better to extort relief from well-difpofed Chriftians. There are others too who are indeed in real want, but who are fo through choice: they love idleness better than work, and rather chufe to beg, than to procure an honeft living by the labour of their hands. These are they that snatch the bread of charity out of the mouths of the industrious poor: these are they that swarm in our streets, that befiege the gates of the rich,

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and weary every passenger with their cries for relief; which if denied, they immediately exclaim against the coldness of charity, and the barbarity of the world. I would not willingly be thought to plead against charity in any shape, and therefore I will not too feverely condemn thofe, who, through a wellmeant zeal, relieve fuch objects as these. But I cannot help faying, that, in my judgment, they would fhew themselves much wifer men, and better friends to the community, by not encouraging a tribe of vagrants, who will neither labour to provide for themfelves, nor fubmit to that provifion which the legiflature has amply made for them,

But there are, the more is the pity! there are too many also among us, who are real objects of our compaffion; who are truly poor, and whom nothing but urgent neceffity, and an incapacity of fupporting themselves, and fometimes even hardly that, can compel to folicit relief. Such, for inftance, are the weak and decrepit, who are past their labour by old age or infirmities. Such again are those who are burthened with numerous families, widows, orphans, and industrious workmen,

who,