enough to live on. But this is indeed one part of your happiness, that the lowness of your condition, in a manner, forceth you to what is pleafing to God, and neceffary for your daily fupport. Thus your duty and intereft are always the fame.

To conclude; fince our bleffed Lord, who, instead of a rich and honourable station in this world, was pleased to chuse his lot among men of the lower condition; let not those, on whom the bounty of providence hath bestowed wealth and honours, despise the men who are placed in an humble and inferior ftation; but rather, with their utmoft power, by their countenance, by their protection, by just payment for their honeft labour, encourage their daily endeavours for the virtuous fupport of themselves and their families. On the other hand, let the poor labour to provide things honeft in the fight of all men; and fo, with diligence in their feveral employments, live foberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, that they may obtain that

glorious

glorious reward promised in the gospel to the poor, I mean the kingdom of heaven.

Now to God the Father, &c.

D4

A SER

A

SERMON

ON THE

CAUSES

OF THE

Wretched Condition of Ireland.

PSALM CXLIV. Part of the 13th and 14th Ver. That there be no complaining in our Streets. Happy is the People that is in fuch a cafe.

IT

T is a very melancholy reflection, that fuch a country as ours, which is capable of producing all things neceffary, and moft things convenient for life, fufficient for the fupport of four times the number of its inhabitants, fhould yet lie under the heaviest load of mifery and want, our ftreets crowded with beggars, fo many of our lower fort of tradefmen, labourers,

41

Caufes of the wretched Condition, &c. labourers, and artificers, not able to find cloaths and food for their families.

I think it may therefore be of fome ufe to lay before you the chief causes of this wretched condition we are in, and then it will be easier to affign what remedies are in our power towards removing, at least, some part of these evils.

For it is ever to be lamented, that we lie under many disadvantages, not by our own faults, which are peculiar to ourfelves, and which no other nation under heaven hath any reason to complain of.

I fhall, therefore, first mention fome causes of our miseries, which I doubt are not to be remedied, until God shall put it in the hearts of those who are stronger to allow us the common rights and privileges of brethren, fellow-fubjects, and even of mankind.

The firft caufe of our mifery is the intolerable hardships we lie under in every branch of our trade, by which we are become as hewers of wood, and drawers of water, to our rigorous neighbours.

The fecond caufe of our miferable ftate is the folly, the vanity, and ingrati

tude

tude of those vaft numbers, who think themselves too good to live in the country which gave them birth, and still gives them bread; and rather choose to pass their days, and confume their wealth, and draw out the very vitals of their mother kingdom, among those who heartily defpife them.

These I have but lightly touched on, because I fear they are not to be redressed, and, besides, I am very fenfible how ready fome people are to take offence at the honeft truth; and, for that reason, I shall omit feveral other grievances, under which we are long likely to groan.

I fhall therefore go on to relate fome other causes of this nation's poverty, by which, if they continue much longer, it muft infallibly fink to utter ruin.

The first is, that monftrous pride and vanity in both fexes, especially the weaker fex, who, in the midst of poverty, are fuffered to run into all kind of expence and extravagance in dress, and particularly priding themselves to wear nothing but what cometh from abroad, difdaining the growth or manufacture of their own

country,