SERMON XXIV.

LUKE, xvi. 19.

THERE WAS A CERTAIN RICH MAN, WHO WAS CLOTHED IN PURPLE AND FINE LINEN, AND FARED SUMPTUOUSLY EVERY DAY; AND THERE WAS A CERTAIN BEGGAR, NAMED LAZARUS, LAID AT HIS GATE, FULL OF SORES.

IT happened, as our blessed Saviour was discoursing to the people on the use of riches, and the dangerous effects of covetousness, that some of the Pharisees were his hearers. These blind guides, attending merely to the temporal promises of their law; and neither observing, nor wishing to observe, any relation it had to spiritual matters, maintained as one of their opinions -that

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discourse, and treating it with ridicule.

Jesus knowing their wicked hearts, rebuked them as they deserved; and returning to his former argument on the right use of riches; added a parable, which, though of general instruction, had a particular tendency to the case of his malicious hearers.

This was the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; in which our blessed Saviour gives us a short history of the life and death of two persons in very different situations. One was furnished with all the good things, which riches could bestow. He was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. But, alas! his death was very different from his life. His riches could then do nothing for him. They procured him indeed a splendid funeral—that they could do for him-but while his body was conveying to the grave in all its funeral pomp; his soul, we read, was thrust into a place of torment.

Very different was the case of the other person, represented in the parable. He had as little of

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the good things of this world, as any human being could have. But though his life was wretched, his death was happy. His funeral, indeed, was no man's care: but his soul was conveyed by angels into Abraham's bosom.-Such were the circumstances of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The observations, which arise from it, shall be the subject of the following dis

course.

THE observation, which first strikes us, is that our Saviour considers riches and poverty, merely as they respect the next world. He generally treats the good things of this world, as below our notice. In conformity therefore to his usual practice, he here considers riches and poverty in a religious light; and shews us that the good or evil arising from these two circumstances of life, depends entirely on our own behaviour.-For riches and poverty have each their respective temptations. And if we happily oppose these temptations, and live up to our duty; either one, or the other, may, through the blessing of God, be the instrument of our future happiness.

The rich man is apt to be proud, and confident, and self-conceited, and insolent, and overbearing, and dissolute.All this, without his own best

endeavours, and the assistance of God's grace, falls out in a natural and easy manner.

For, in the first place, so much submission and court are continually paid to him that he is apt to forget himself; and think he is superior to every body. From having more, is an easy step to suppose, he deserves more. Such notions soon breed contempt for others. This again leads him to be insolent, and overbearing. He cannot suffer contradiction. He begins to look upon himself as a kind of independent being. Instead of looking up to God, who gave him his riches, he trusts in them, and places his happiness in the advantages which they procure. All his joy, like that of the rich man in the parable, is placed in clothing himself richly, in eating deliciously, or in some other sensual gratification.-Such a rich man has reason indeed to fear from the parable. He has had his good things certainly in this world: he sought no better: and he may certainly dread punishment in the next.

On the other hand, if this rich man had been humble and gentle to his inferiors; if he had not trusted in his riches; but trusted in that God who gave them to him, and could as easily deprive him of them; if he had not squandered them on his pleasures; but used them mode

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rately himself: and made a generous use of them for the good purposes which God intendedthen his riches, so far from being the means of his condemnation, would have been a blessing to him.

AGAIN, the poor man is greatly mistaken, if he believes he shall receive God's favour, and be carried into Abraham's bosom, because he is a poor man. Poverty itself is no recommendation to heaven.

It is virtuous poverty, which is pleasing to God. Lazarus might have lain at the rich man's door in all his wretchedness; and have been no nearer the kingdom of heaven, than the rich man himself, if he had envied the rich man -if he had murmured at heaven, and repined at his own lot-or if he had taken dishonest means to ease his wants.- -But his sentiments we may suppose were of a different kind. He bowed under the hand of Providence. His lot in life was hard; but that gracious God, who knew better than he did, what was proper, had appointed it for him. Yet though his outward circumstances were wretched; he was not devoid of comfort. He had the heartfelt satisfaction of hoping, he acted faithfully the part, which God had assigned him. He could not indeed exercise