affiftance, if all about him were fenfible that he had neither loft his fubftance by neglect, nor wafted it by riot, nor concealed it by fraud. But though we cannot help afcribing fome measure of what is laid to the charge of persons in this unhappy ftate, to the rage and refentment of those who have fuffered by them; yet, alas! there is too great reason to affirm, that they are too often guilty of prevarication and fraud, the fins mentioned in the text.

I will dwell no longer upon the fact, but will confider a little the reasons of it, which will directly ferve to promote the defign of this difcourse, by exciting men to concern and folicitude, as well as pointing out the proper means of avoiding the temptation. The general reafon of this, to be fure, is obvious to every body, that perfons in poverty, being strongly folicited by the appetites common to all men, and not having of their own wherewith to gratify their defires, are tempted to lay hold of the property of others. They grudge to fee that others have the enjoyments from which they are debarred; and fince they cannot have them in a lawful, make bold to feize them in an unlawful way. But this I do not infift on, that I may mention one or two particular reafons, which will fuggeft fuitable exhortations to duty.

1. The firft I fhall mention, is ignorance. This is peculiarly applicable to thofe in the lowest ranks of life. Through poverty they are not fo

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well instructed, as they ought to be, in the principles of religion, and the great rules of duty. An ignorant state is almost always a state of fecurity. Their confciences are lefs tender, and they are less fenfible of the great evil of prevarication and fraud. I am obliged, in fidelity, to say, that in the private inspection of my charge, though I have found fome inftances both of poverty and fickness borne with the moft pious refignation; there are alfo fome whofe condition might move the hardest heart, living in the most fordid poverty, grofsly ignorant, and, at the fame time, fo dif-pirited, fo flothful, or so proud, that they will do little to obtain knowledge for themselves, or communicate it to their children. Many will not attend upon the public means of inftruction, because they cannot appear in fuch a decent garb as they could wish; and for the fame reafon they keep their children from them, till they contract fuch habits of idlenefs and vice, that they come out into the world without principle, obftinate and untractable. Is not the duty here very plain? All fuch fhould exert themselves to obtain the knowledge of the things which belong to their peace. They should neither be unwilling nor ashamed. to make application for fupply; and even the coarseft raiment fhould not hinder them from appearing in the house of God. Thus they will find acceptance with him, if they worship him in the beauty of holiness, preferably to those who are cloathed:

cloathed in purple and fine linen, and whofe hearts are after their covetousness.

2. Another great reafon why poverty becomes a temptation to fraud is, that they are introduced to it infenfibly, and led on by degrees. The fin fteals upon them by little and little. People invol ved in their circumftances, to get rid of importunity and folicitation, make promifes more of what they hope or wifh, than of what they are able to do. Neceffity ferves as an excufe for their failing to their own minds, and thus they are gradually brought into a breach of fincerity, and proceed from lower to higher degrees of falfehood. Lit. tle arts of evafion are first made use of, and doubtful practices are entered upon. One fin feems neceffary to ftrengthen or conceal another, till at laft the groffeft fraud, and fometimes perjury itself, clofes the unhappy fcene. I have read an excellent observation, that there is hardly fuch a thing as a fingle fin; they are always to be found in clusters. I am fure, this holds in a particular manner as to fins of injuftice. They are fo interwoven and connected together, that you cannot receive any one without being obliged to admit the rest. This is one great branch of the deceitfulness of fin in general; with a view to which the apoftle fays, But exhort one another daily, ' while it is called to-day, leaft any of you be har'dened through the deceitfulness of fin.'

3. I only mention one other reason of poverty being a temptation to fraud, viz. that in time it destroys

destroys the sense of fhame. I am not ignorant, that a sense of shame, which is nothing else but a fear of the cenfure of others, neither is, nor ought to be the main principle of a good man's actions. But as there is no other principle at all in many, fo it is a good affiftant and corroborative, when justly directed: but now through the corrupt maxims of the world, poverty is fo much the object of contempt, and those who are in this ftate, meet every day with so many marks of neglect from all, that before their condition is known, they will do almost any thing to conceal it, and after it is known, they become in time so destitute of shame that they are under no further restraint. From this particular branch of the fubject, let me put you in mind,

1. What reafon many have to be thankful to the God of life, who hath given them their daily provifion, if not in all abundance of immenfe riches, yet in fulness and fufficiency. An humble, thankful difpofition is not only your duty, in return for the divine bounty, but is itfelf the richest and sweetest ingredient in all temporal mercies. It is that, indeed, which makes them mercies. Envious-perfons do not tafte what they have, their evil eye being fixed on what they cannot obtain. Things in this refpect are just what they feem to be. Our comforts are as we are enabled to relish them. The fame poffeffions which are defpifed by the impatient or

ambitious

ambitious, are a treafure and abundance to the humble and grateful.

2. If poverty is a temptation, it ought to be an argument to all to avoid it, or feek deliverance from it by lawful means. Apply yourselves with fteadiness and perfeverance to the duties of your calling, that you may provide things honeft in the fight of all men. It is a duty of the law, and of the Gofpel; and it hath this promise in general annexed to it, that the hand of the 'diligent maketh rich.' Read, I beseech you, that vaft treasure of useful inftruction, the book of Proverbs, where you will meet with many excellent counsels and wife obfervations upon this fubject. Of these I shall mention at prefent but two paffages, felected both for the foundness of the inftruction, and the beauty of the illuftration. Go to the ant, thou fluggard, confider her ways and be wife; which having no guide, overfeer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the fummer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 'How long wilt thou fleep, O fluggard? When wilt thou arife out of thy fleep? So fhall thy · poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.' And again: I went by the field of the flothful, and by the vine⚫ yard of the man void of understanding; and lo it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles ' had covered the face thereof, and the stonewall thereof was broken down.'

3. Are any of you poor and reduced in your

circum