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them that are rich in this world, that they be ⚫ not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy; that they do good, that they ❝ be rich in good 'works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.'

SERMON

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My Ki Aming. 10

The Danger of Adverfity.

PROVERBS XXX. 9.

Left I be poor and freal, and take the name of my God

in vain.

PROCEED now to confider the argument by which the Prophet urges the fecond branch. of his requeft, which, in connexion, runs thus'Give me not poverty least I be poor and steal.' Having not only explained the general principle that runs through the whole of this fubject, but alfo very particularly pointed out the dangers attending an opulent and wealthy ftate; I fhall endeavour to do the fame thing with refpect to a state of poverty and ftraitnefs. While I attempt this, I am fincerely forry that there is fo much. propriety in the fubject, and that it is fo well fuit-

ed to the circumstances of the inhabitants of this place. You fee the Prophet confiders the great and general temptation to which the poor are expofed to be difhonefty, by using fraudalent means of relieving their wants, or bettering their condition. You fee alfo, he confiders this temptation in its progrefs, not only inclining them to act unjustly, but fometimes proceeding to the terrible

gree of concealing or fupporting the fraud by falfehood, and perhaps at last by perjury or false fwearing; leaft I be poor and fteal, and take the name of my God in vain.'

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Let us first confider a little the matter of fact, as it appears in experience, and then a few of its principal causes.

As to the first of thefe, fhall I be afraid to affirm, that extreme poverty often inclines perfons to difhonefty and fraud? Will it be thought harth and fevere to thofe already fufficiently depreffed? As I would not feem to ftand in this place and flatter the pride of the greateft, and moft eminent of my fellow-finners, fo neither will I diffemble the truth from a falfe compaffion for the poor. This would indeed be doing them the greateft poffible injury. It would be treating them, from mistaken tenderness, as the rich are often treated from the fear or partiality of thofe who are about them; foftering their felf-deceit, and not fuffering them to hear the most falutary truths, because they are not pleafing to the flesh.

It is undoubtedly matter of experience, that great poverty makes many take unjuft and unwarrantable methods of procuring relief. Not only fo, but they seem often difposed to justify and defend them, as if they ha a title to rectify what they think miftakes of Providence, in the diftribution of worldly poffeffions. This, in the event, receives great encouragement from fome who seem to have imbibed a general false principle, and act upon it, both in their own conduct, and in their judgment of others. In the divifion of controverfy, or dividing difputed property, when one party is, or is fuppofed to be rich, and in eafy circumstances, and the other poor, and in a mean condition, they think, that inftead of acting according to ftrict juftice, the advantage fhould always be made to fall on the poorer fide. This conduct is confidered by fome, not only as lawful, but as laudable. It is, however, a falfe principle, and is condemned in Scripture, which fays, Neither fhalt thou countenance a poor

man in his caufe. It may be thought, perhaps, that the other is the more common and dangerous partiality, and probably it is fo; yet this alfo is blameworthy, and when followed out, as I am afraid it too often is, must involve numbers unawares in the guilt of stealing; for when they have once laid down this rule, that the poor have fome claim upon the rich, they are ready to apply it to their own cafe, and extend it very. far. But in all matters of property, or right and wrong, whether

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whether a person is rich or poor, ought to be utterly out of the queftion; the only thing to be confidered is, what is just and lawful. The rich, are, indeed, in point of confcience, bound to affift the poor but this must be their own act; no perfon can take the fmalleft part of their property without their confent, but he is guilty of an act of injuftice, and violation of the law of God. No perfon has a right to make them generous and charitable againft their wills, or to exercise their own generofity and charity at their expence. This must be left to the Supreme Judge at the laft day, who will fay to them, 'I was a stranger and ye took me not in, naked and ye clothed me not, fick and in prifon and ye visited me not.' But what will give us the most distinct view of the influence of poverty as a temptation, is the too frequent conduct of thofe who are reduced from what was once their ftate to poverty or debt, by misfortune or extravagance, or mifmanagement of their affairs. The temptation of poverty is not by far fo great to thofe in the meaneft ranks of life, whofe income, though fmall, is not very difproportionate to what hath always been their condition, as to thofe who are reduced from a higher to a lower ftate. The few who, in fuch a fituation, preferve their integrity inviolated, and their fincerity of speech unfufpected, deferve the highest honour. Nay, I am perfuaded that, bad as the world is, every person in reduced circumftances would meet with compaffion and affiftance,

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