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ambition, vanity? Not enough of everlasting burnings? Poor wretch! Thou fearest where no fear is. Surely both thou and they, when ye are lifting up your eyes in hell, will have enough both of "the worm that never dieth, and of the fire that never shall be quenched!"

8. What then would you do, if you were in my case? If you had a considerable fortune to leave?" Whether I would do it, or not, I know what I'ought to do: This will admit of no reasonable question. If I had one child, elder or younger, who knew the value of money, one who, I believed, would put it to the true use, I should think it my absolute, indispensable duty, to leave that child the bulk of my fortune; and to the rest just so much as would enable them to live in the manner they had been accustomed to do. "But what if all your children were equally ignorant of the true use of money?" I ought then, (hard saying! Who can hear it?) to give each what would keep him above want; and to bestow all the rest in such a manner as I judged would be most for the glory of God.

III. 1. But let not any man imagine, that he has done any thing barely by going thus far, by "gaining and saving all he can," if he were to stop here. All this is nothing, if not point all this at

a man go not forward, if he does a further end. Nor, indeed, can a man properly be said to save any thing, if he only lays it up. You may as well throw your money into the sea, as bury it in the earth. And you may as well bury it in the earth, as in your chest, or in the Bank of England. Not to use, is effectually to throw it away. If, therefore, you would indeed "make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness," add the third rule to the two preceding. Having first gained all you can, and secondly saved all you can, then give all you

can.

2. In order to see the ground and reason of this, consider, When the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being, and placed you in this world, he placed you here not as a proprietor, but a steward. As such he intrusted you for a season with goods of various kinds. But the sole

property of these still rests in him, nor can ever be alienated from him. As you yourself are not your own, but his, such is, likewise, all that you enjoy. Such is your soul and your body, not your own, but God's. And so is your substance in particular. And he has told you in most clear and express terms, how you are to employ it for him, in such a manner, that it may be all an holy sacrifice, acceptable through Christ Jesus. And this light, easy service, he hath promised to reward with an eternal weight of glory.

3. The direction which God hath given us, touching the. use of our worldly substance, may be comprised in the following particulars. If you desire to be a faithful and a wise steward, out of that portion of your Lord's goods, which he has for the present lodged in your hands, but with the right of resuming whenever it pleases him, First, provide things needful for yourself, food to eat, raiment to put on, whatever nature moderately requires, for preserving the body in health and strength: Secondly, Provide these for your wife, your children, your servants, or any others, who pertain to your household. If, when this is done, there be an overplus left, then "do good to them that are of the household of faith." If there be an overplus still," as you have opportunity, do good unto all men." In so doing, you give all you can; nay, in a sound sense, all you have: for all that is laid out in this manner, is really given to God. You" render unto God the things that are God's," not only by what you give to the poor, but also by that which you expend in providing things needful for yourself and your household.

4. If then a doubt should at any time arise in your mind, concerning what you are going to expend, either on yourself or any part of your family, you have an easy way to remove it. Calmly and seriously enquire, 1. In expending this, am I ácting according to my character? Am I acting herein, not as a proprietor, but as a steward of my Lord's goods? 2. Am I doing this in obedience to his Word? In what portion of it does he require me so to do? 3. Can I offer up this action, this expense, as a sacrifice to God

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through Jesus Christ? 4. Have I reason to believe, that for this very work I shall have a reward at the resurrection of the just? You will seldom need any thing more to remove any doubt which arises on this head; but, by this four-fold consideration, you will receive clear light as to the way wherein you should go.

5. If any doubt still remain, you may farther examine yourself by prayer, according to those heads of enquiry. Try whether you can say to the Searcher of Hearts, your conscience not condemning you, "Lord, thou seest, I am going to expend this sum, on that food, apparel, furniture. And thou knowest, I act therein with a single eye, as a steward of thy goods, expending this portion of them thus, in pursuance of the design thou hadst in entrusting me with them. Thou knowest I do this in obedience to thy word, as thou commandest, and because thou commandest it. Let this, I beseech thee, be an holy sacrifice, acceptable through Jesus Christ! And give me a witness in myself, that for this labour of love, I shall have a recompense, when thou rewardest every man according to his works." Now, if your conscience bear you witness in the Holy Ghost, that this prayer is well-pleasing to God, then have you no reason to doubt, but that expense is right and good, and such as will never make you ashamed.

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6. You see, then, what it is, to "make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness," and by what means you may procure," that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." You see the nature and extent of true Christian prudence, so far as it relates to the use of that great talent, Money. Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbour, in soul or body, by applying hereto with unintermitted diligence, and with all the understanding which God has given you. Save all you can, by cutting off every expense, which serves only to indulge foolish desire: to gratify either the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life. Waste nothing, living or dying, on sin or folly, whether for yourself or your children. And then give all you can, or, in

other words, give all you have to God. Do not stint yourself, like a Jew rather than a Christian, to this or that proportion. Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third, not half; but all that is God's, be it more or less: By employing all, on yourself, your household, the household of faith, and all mankind, in such a manner, that you may give a good account of your stewardship, when ye can be no longer stewards: In such a manner as the Oracles of God direct, both by general and particular precepts: In such a manner, that whatever ye do may be "a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to God;" and that every act may be rewarded in that day, when the Lord cometh with all his saints.

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7. Brethren, can we be either wise or faithful stewards, unless we thus manage our Lord's goods? We cannot, as not only the Oracles of God, but our own conscience beareth witness. Then why should we delay? Why should we confer any longer with flesh and blood, or the men of the world? Our kingdom, our wisdom, is not of this world: Heathen custom is nothing to us. We follow no men any farther than they are followers of Christ. Hear ye him: yea, to-day, while it is called to-day, hear and obey his voice. At this hour, and from this hour, do his will: Fulfil his word, in this and in all things. I entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your calling. No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might. No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and blood demand. No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, and in every possible kind and degree, to the household of faith, to all men. This is no small part of "the wisdom of the just:" Give all ye have, as well as all ye are, a spiritual sacrifice to him, who withheld not from you his Son, his only Son: So "laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that ye may attain eternal life."

SERMON LIV.

ON LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW CHAPEL, CITY-ROAD, LONDON, APRIL 21, 1777.

NUMBERS Xxiii. 23.

"According to this time, it shall be said, What hath GOD wrought!"

1. WE need not now enquire, in what sense this was applicable to the children of Israel. It may be of more use to consider in what sense the words are applicable to ourselves: how far the people of England have reason to say, "According to this time, what hath God wrought!"

2. A great man, indeed, who, I trust, is now in a better world, Dr. Gibson, late lord bishop of London, in one of his charges to his clergy, flatly denies, That God has wrought any "extraordinary work" in our nation: nay, affirms, that to imagine any such thing, is no better than downright enthusiasm. It is so, if his lordship's supposition is true, if God has not wrought any extraordinary work. But, if he really has, then we may believe and assert it, without incurring any such imputation.

3. Yet, a still greater man of a neighbouring nation, a burning and a shining light, equally eminent in piety and in learning, partly confirmed the bishop's supposition. For Bengelius being asked, Why he placed the grand revival

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