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in ftraits could have little temptation to be guily of exceffes. But uneafinefs at their condition drives fome, a false notion of recruiting their spirits invites others, and unmeaning custom feduces yet more, into that deftructive vice of drinking; which, after foothing you perhaps with a fhort lived gaiety and forgetfulness of forrow, will greatly augment the dejection of your minds, as well as the difficulties of your affairs; and thus force you almoft to a repetition of the fame remedy, which will be followed of courfe by an increase of the fame evils, till your fortunes and healths are both completely ruined. Your morals too, for the most part, by indulgence in this one respect, will be gradually corrupted in every other, even if you do efcape thofe defperate fallies of wickedness which prove more speedily fatal. Your families at the fame time, if you have any, will be abandoned to wretchednefs; your children perhaps murdered in their infancy, by giving them the fame liquors with which you are more leifurely destroying yourselves; or if they do furvive, are pretty fure to inherit, from fuch parents, nothing but bad habits of body and mind. If therefore you have any sense, either of prudence or humanity, you will furely avoid this treacherous fin; which pernicious arts, and mistaken policy, have placed but too much within the reach of the lowest of the poor: or if you have fallen into it, you will renounce it instantly, and refolutely bear the uneafinefs which abftaining from it may give you for a while, (for you will certainly overcome it by perfeverance) rather than plunge forwards to your utter undoing here and hereafter. A

7th Duty of the poor, which must be mentioned, is that of chastity: a duty, indeed, of all perfons, but fo far peculiarly incumbent on them, as the tranfgreffion of it brings them to more immediate ruin. In one fex it is followed by total loss of honeft employment and reputation; by contempt and scorn, even from the men that have feduced them; by grievous temptations to destroy the fruits of their criminal pleasures, and to become abandoned to common proftitution, and with it to every fin, the confequence of which will be every misery of human life. In the other fex it is almoft always accompanied with breach of folemn promifes; with fhocking hardness of heart, where the utmost affection hath been profeffed; with heavy expences, that often lead to the groffeft difhonefty. And both fexes, in common, it expofes to loathfome and fatal difeafes, and to a dreadful fentence of future condemnation: for

they

they, which do fuch things, the fcripture hath declared, shall not inherit the kingdom of God *. Beware then of a fin so peculiarly dangerous; and for that purpose beware of every indifcretion that may intice you to it. I now proceed, in the

8th Place, to another duty of the poor, which one fhould think might fufficiently recommend itself, good temper amongst each other. This is neceffary in every rank, in order to have any real enjoyment of life; but the more necessary in yours, as you have the fewer enjoyments of other forts. If you receive harsh treatment from those above you, that perhaps you cannot help; but there is no manner of need of your giving it amongst yourselves. You have felt probably what bitter things injurious language and infolent behaviour are; why then will you make use of them? You know by experience the need of tenderness and pity, why will you not fhew it to those who have equal need? You and they are fellow-fufferers in the world; furely that fhould unite you in mutual kindness, not provoke you to increase your evils, by being hard upon one another. And yet, I fear, fome of the greatest hardfhips, both in word and deed, which the lower part of mankind undergo, proceed from perfons who are of low rank themselves. And how far they are capable of carrying fuch outrages, and how fad the effects of them are, Solomon hath expreffed by a very strong comparison: A poor man that oppresseth the poor, is like a fweeping rain, which leaveth no food †. I have only a 9th And last duty to recommend, but one peculiarly implied in preaching the gospel to you, a ferious and deep reverence for religion. Religion is intended, not only for the direction, but the comfort of all degrees of men; and all have need enough of it, but you the moft by far. Others have honours, or pleasures, or wealth, elegant amusements or curious inquiries to engage their thoughts; and find fome kind of fatisfaction in these things, fuch as it is, and fo long as it lafts. you have nothing, that even feems confiderable, to fweeten this world to you, but the expectation of a better. And well may it be for you, that you are reduced to that, as your only choice, which beyond comparison would be your beft, if you had ever fuch plenty. Seek your confolation therefore what is abunin dantly capable of giving it you; make the precepts of the gofpel your bufinefs, and its promifes your joy. Chriftianity is

⚫ Gal. v. 21.

Hh

† Prov. xxviii. 3.

peculiarly

peculiarly formed for your benefit. Its laws are your charter, by which you claim a right to pity and love from your superiors, as members of the fame body; and we, its ministers, are your advocates to plead your caufe with them; authorized to offer them eternal happiness, for being kind to you; to denounce condemnation against them; if they ufe you, in any one refpect, cruelly; and to affure you, at the fame time, that the worst treatment they can give you fhall turn to your good.

Think then how justly St. James hath declared the poor in this world rich in faith*; and let the rich and great, if they will, be profane and vicious, and take the confequences: but let no man beguile you of your rewardt, either by corrupting your principles, or misleading your practice. Religion hath graciously provided for you the repofe and comfort of this facred day, which elfe you had never known. Make it not a time of acting contrary to religion, but ftatedly ufe the opporfunities it gives you, of learning and being reminded of your feveral duties, which you must be fenfible you need; of having the honour to join on equal terms with the highest of your fellow-creatures, in prefenting petitions and praifes to God in his houfe, and feeding at his holy table. The remainder of your fabbath employ, partly in confidering your ways ‡, and improving your hearts, by reading, meditation, and prayer in private partly in a cheerful, but harmless and prudent, focial enjoyment of the leifure which heaven hath allowed you. When the days of labour return, recommend yourfelves every morning to the blefling of the Almighty, return him thanks every night for his protection, and offer up to him, in your hearts, the work of each day, as done in obedience to his will, and in hopes of his reward: for these things you will find a fupport and refreshment beyond all belief. In your whole communication learn both to avoid and abhor that monftrous custom of oaths and curfes, which are intermixed continually in the common difcourfe of too many of the poor; with great irreverence towards God, who hath exprefsly forbidden them; to the great horror and grief of all good perfons; with great danger of running into frequent perjuries, and all manner of profanenefs; ai without any pretence of profit or pleasure, to make the leaft amends for fo much fin. I cannot, and need not, go through the other obligations of religion at present.

Your

James ii. 5.

Col. ii. 18.

Hag. i. 5, 7.

Your attendance here, your bibles and other good books at home, will fufficiently inform you of the nature and importance of them; and I beg you not to imagine, that because you are each of you fingly of little confequence in the world, God will take little notice of your conduct; but think and act like the pfalmift, I am small, and of no reputation, yet do I not forget thy commandments *. There is nothing beneath God's attention, any more than above it. The meanest things on earth were made and are continually preserved and inspected by him. But indeed the most confiderable thing on earth is the behaviour of his rational creatures; and whether that be right or wrong is of infinite moment in his fight; but whether they be high or low, of none at all. He regardeth not the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands, and fhall all account to him for their deeds. Our bleffed Redeemer preached the gofpel to the poor, at least as much as to the rich; he laid down his life equally for both; the Holy Spirit offers equally to both the fanctifying influences of his grace; the fouls of both are equally capable of, and will equally be configned to, everlasting happiness or mifery. I faw, faith St. John, a throne, and him that fat on it, from whofe face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I faw the dead, fmall and great, ftand before God: and the books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works‡.

This awful scene first imprint ftrongly on your own minds; then on all you can, especially on those who belong to you. You have little else to give them, but if you give them effectually a practical fenfe of their duty to God and man, it is an inheritance beyond all treasures. You must fee how wicked, and how miferable by their wickednefs, multitudes of your own rank are: fuffer it not to be the cafe of those who are dearest to you; but ufe the little spare time you have (for you will always have fome), and the little ability you poffefs (for God will affift you), to inftil into their hearts fuch early principles of piety and virtue, as may afford you just hopes of their being good and happy by your means in this world, and then following you, to increase your bleffedness in the next.

SER

Hh 2

*Pfal. exix. 141.

† Job xxxiv. 19.

Rev. xx. 11, 12,

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In those days was Hezekiah fick unto death: and Ifaiah the prophet, the Son of Amos, came unto him, and faid unto him, Thus faith the Lord, fet thine houfe in order: for thou fhalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, ·

THESE
HESE words present to our view a perfon of the highest

:

rank, in the prime of life, and the full tide of profperity, feized with a mortal disease: a cafe, which ought strongly to remind the fecureft of us all, how uncertain our condition is here on earth. By the goodness of God, a prophet was sent to him, to admonish him of the preparation, that his state requir ed and the fame goodnefs hath provided, that you fhall all be frequently admonished of the fame thing, by the minifters of his word. The admonition, given him, was the means of prolonging his days in peace and comfort and those given you, if received in a right manner, may, both naturally and provi dentially, contribute to procure you longer and happier lives in this world; and will certainly lead you to a life of eternal happiness in the next.

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however awful, is, by equally true of every

The denunciation made to Hezekiah, virtue of the original fentence of God, man, Thou shalt die, and not live. The healthieft of us is fick of an incurable diftemper: whether it fhall last a few years, or a few days only, before it carries us off, is all the doubt; and the difference is much less than we are apt to think it. Would we but confider, how quick the time is gone, which we have lived over, and are dead to, already; to how fmall a matter

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