mon of Unrighteousness to the end he may be rewarded with shame and misery? and shall not I ferve the Lord of Heaven and earth, who hath promifed everlasting happiness to them that obey Him? This, every one fees, is nothing more than what common fenfe dictates; and might without doubt be a powerful leffon of inftruction, if seriously applied to the many inftances of false wisdom, which men fo commonly value themfelves upon, and by which it must be acknowledged, they too often thrive in this uncertain world, the wifdom of the covetous, the fraudulent, and ambitious. But I pass on, in the fecond place, to make an application of fome particulars fuggested in the parable before us, for our excitement to virtuous wisdom.

2. And here, Forafmuch as God is represented under the character of a Rich Man having a Steward; let us take occafion

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cafion from this circumftance to reflect within our own breafts, what is the quality of any man living, but that of a Steward to the Supreme Lord and Governor of the Univerfe? I fay of any man living; for the richest and most powerful are no better; and the poorest have fome advantages committed to their truft, fufficient to entitle them to the fame denomination. Wealth and honour are not the only talents worthy our regard; health and strength, understanding and knowledge, time and opportunity, are all of them difpenfations of the fame good Providence, and are feverally given unto men to profit withal." Even the fufferings and afflictions of life are put into our hands for use and improvement; and like bafe goods well managed may turn to a large account, and highly credit the merchant's industry.

It is true we are ready to call whatever we are at present poffeffed of, Our Own, and are mighty apt to reafon every one within himself, and fay, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?" From which mistaken principle proceed most of the irregularities of the world: But this is furely to forget ourfelves, whence we came, whose we are, and on whom we rely. Property, strictly speaking, is not for man; and when applied to him fhould be understood to mean no more than a diftinction of that perfonal truft with which individuals are charged; which they are to manage to good purposes, and for which they are accountable. The only true proprietor of all things is God. He indeed allows us gratefully to enjoy, what he bountifully difpenfes for our ufe; and our happiness is, the better ufe we make of the bleffings of Providence, the more effectually we do enjoy them.-Which

ftate

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state of the cafe if it be true, as affuredly it is; if we are all of us Stewards to one common Lord, who hath distributed to men their talents, or proportion of means, according to his good pleasure, who beft knows what is profitable for us, to fome five, to fome ten, to fome one, we cannot then but believe it our duty and intereft, whatever our abilities may be, to employ them, not after a wilful and arbitrary manner, but to his honour who hath entrusted them to our care: For what faith St. Paul?" It is required in Stewards that a man be found faithful."

Again, Was the Steward in the text to be put out of his ftewardship? So is every one of Us; not, it is to be hoped, for bad administration, (though indeed the fentence of death was first pronounced upon fin) however now by the very condition of our fallen nature. Man's

life is not in his own power; how then can the things he poffeffeth but for the ufe of that life, be called his own? Both are determinable at the will of Him, whofe prerogative it is to give and to take away. This is too evident a truth to need any other argument, than what the event of every day offers for our inftruction. Men are continually called upon to surrender up their trust, and to quit their station in this world, fome at a longer, others at a shorter warning, or perhaps no warning at all; which, as it fhould teach us to think rightly of our station here, fo alfo to be prepared to leave it in any inftant of time. But neither is Death the only meffenger that summons us from our refpective employments: It fometimes pleases our Heavenly Master, to take away his goods from the unprofitable fervant, and transfer them to better hands, even in this life, putting down one, and fetting up another.