enjoins, but common reason dictates; and if we are deficient, the poor widow, with her two mites*, will far outdo us in that very virtue, by the practice of which our Maker juftly expects we should appear diftinguished. Nor is it fufficient for the rich to give plentifully, but they must do it, on every fit occafion, fpeedily; be ready to diftri bute, and not stay till the circumstances of the poor are beyond recovery, or their fpirits broken under the weight of their misfortunes, but make hafte to help them, and, as far as poffible, prevent distress. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou haft it by thee †, and delay not to fhew him mercy‡. Nor is it enough to be outwardly expeditious, but we must be inwardly willing to communicate; not part with our benefactions grudgingly and of neceffi ty, as obeying the divine command merely because we dare not disobey it; for God loveth a chearful giver §. To the poor indeed it is all one from what principle we give, but to us the difference is infinite. In the heart lies all the value. Ever fo little will be accepted of heaven, if it proceed from a mind that would gladly have done more; and ever so much will be defpifed, if we fecretly wish we could have faved it. St. Paul's exhortation therefore is of unfpeakable importance: He that fheweth mercy, let him do it with chearfulness **. And indeed, what can we have more caufe to rejoice in doing? It is very comfortable to think that we are able; it is delightful to think, that by our means the miseries of God's creation are leffened; it is no fmall fatisfaction to be loved and blessed in this world, but it is the greatest poffible to lay up in store for ourfelves a good foundation against the next, that we may lay bold on eternal life ††, and have it faid to us by our judge at the Jaft day, Well done, good and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord 11. And the poor have the gospel preached to them. THESE words are part of our Saviour's anfwer to the dif ciples of John the Baptift, who came to inquire, whether Jefus were himself the Meffiah, or only a prophet commiffioned to foretell his coming. For it appears from the first chapter of St. John's gofpel, that many of the Jews expected, befides Elias, another prophet to precede or accompany their great deliverer; mistaking perhaps the prophet defcribed, Deut. xviii. for an attendant of the Meffiah, instead of the Meffiah himself, whom they were apt to confider only in the character of a king. And as Jefus had now manifested himself fome time to the world, without taking this character upon him, it was natural enough for John's difciples to imagine, that perhaps he came in the other only. John himself indeed knew, and probably had told them the contrary; but finding them ftill defirous of further fatisfaction, was extremely willing they fhould have it and to make the inquiry as easy to them as poffible, directs them to propose the question, not in their own name, but in his. On their doing it, Jefus performs in their fight a confiderable number of his ufual beneficent miracles, joined, as it should feem, with fuitable inftructions; and then, without declaring himself exprefsly, (which he chofe, for wife and kind reasons to avoid before the multitude) difmiffes them with an answer, taken, the greatest part of it, out of the words of Ifaiah; in which he had foretold, that the Meffiah should perform just such miracles, and give just such inftructions. : For For we read, that in that fame hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and unto many that were blind be gave fight *. Then be answered and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things, which ye do hear and fee. The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf bear; the dead are raifed up, and the poor have the gofpel preached to them. The prediction of his applying himself peculiarly to instruct the lower part of the world, it is probable, he purposely referved to the laft place; because his doing it, (befides its being the completion of a prophecy) was, though not a miracle, as the laft were, yet a fingular proof, both of the humanity of his temper and doctrine, and of his difinterestedness too. For this method was incapable of doing him fervice, and in fact did him no finall prejudice with thofe, who had the power of that nation in their hands. The Jewish teachers and rulers, who were the same, kept the common fort at a very great distance; and on that, amongst other accounts, were highly reverenced by them. The familiarities therefore, to which Jefus condefcended, immediately fet all these against him; and furnished them with an opportunity of representing him and his disciples as equally contemptible. Thus, when their own officers, (whom it seems his difcourfes had ftruck as powerfully as they did the reft of the multitude) could not help applauding him before their faces. Never man fpake like this man; their anfwer is, Have any of the rulers, or the Pharifees, believed on him? This people, which knoweth not the law, are curfed†. But indeed the humble and unbiaffed minds of the illiterate are much better judges of truth, when proposed to them, than fuch as are blinded with learned prejudice, worldly interest, or fenfual pleasures. To the former therefore principally our Saviour vouchfafed his inftructions, grieving to see them scattered abroad, as sheep having no Shepherd ; and they, receiving his doctrine into honeft and good hearts §, became in great numbers his followers: and at first were almost the only ones he had. For St. Luke tells us, he lifted up his eyes on his dif ciples and faid, Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. The gofpel indeed makes all bleffed who receive it, both *Luke vii. 21. † John vii. 45,-49. + Matth. ix. 36. Luke vi. 25. both by its useful precepts, and its gracious promises; yet the poor especially, as they have most need of those directions and fupports in this life, and affurances of happiness in the next, which it communicates. But then, to receive them, they must be not only poor, but his difciples. It is not being in a low condition, but being virtuous and pious in that condition, that intitles perfons to God's favour, as it is not being wealthy. and great, but making an ill ufe of wealth and greatness, that provokes his displeasure. So that the happieft or the wretchedest here, may, according as they behave, be infinitely more happy or wretched hereafter. Our Saviour therefore, we find, in St. Matthew expreffes himself thus: Blefjed are the poor in Spirit*, they, whose difpofitions are fuited to their mean circumstances, reasonable and resigned, lowly and fubmiflive. Preaching the gospel to the poor comprehends therefore, of neceffity, inftructing them in the duties, as well as the comforts, belonging to their ftate. And as our Lord and Master did both, fo fhould his ministers. The duties of the rich and great I have lately recounted, and preffed upon them, very freely from this place. And now, I hope, you, that are the inferior part of the world, will patiently bear, in your turn, the fame well-meaning plainnefs of fpeech that your betters have borne; and make the proper use of it, as God grant them to do. Under the general term, poor, is contained a confideraable variety of degrees; each therefore, should apply peculiarly to themselves the precepts that peculiarly belong to them, and take no offence at the reft. Of fuch as are common to all, they may all reap the benefit; and the highest may receive fome admonition from what is faid to the loweft; as it will contribute to regulate, not only their way of thinking and behaving to their inferiors, but their temper and conduct in other refpects. For to be poor in spirit, a very different thing from mean-fpiritedness, is incumbent on the wealthieft and the nobleft. 1. The first duty to be enjoined you, is contentedness in your poverty. A hard faying, you will be apt to think, when fcarce any one is contented in the midst of riches and honours. But the discontent of fuch, you will own, is without reafon. And if it can at all arife from mere humour, without any thing Matth. v. 3. thing in fact, to justify it, poffibly yours may be unjustifiablé too. In order to try then, whether it be or not, let us confider what ground for complaint, you can alledge. That fome fhould have greater plenty than others, is no more a hardship, than that fome should have better health or understandings, or longer lives. If there could be a claim of right to any of these things, all men would have an equal claim; but as they are intirely the free gifts of God, he may certainly give them in what proportion he pleases. He hath made fome orders of beings, as we fee with our eyes, much lower than the loweft of men; he hath made others, as we are taught in fcripture, much higher than the higheft of men: and doubtlefs he could have made them unfpeakably higher than they are. If then any part of the creation may complain of mere inferiority, every part may complain without end. If any part may complain merely because it suffers fomething, no part, that we are acquainted with, is exempt from all suffering. And amongst other evils, why may not God permit fome to feel poverty? Indeed, without perpetual miracles, how can it be prevented? For fuppofing equality of circumftances were to be eftablished at this very time, it could never fubfift. One perfon would be induftrious and prudent, and mend his affairs; another, negligent, or injudicious, and ruin them. Now that each fhould poffefs for his own, what his own care and labour hath acquired, is no more than strict juftice; that what each dies poffeffed of, fhould defcend to his own children and relations, preferably to others, is furely but réafonable. And yet from hence will of courfe follow, by degrees, all the wealth, and all the poverty, that we now fee. The first Christians indeed at Ferufalem had all their poffeffions in common * ; but this neither appears to have been their practice any where else, nor to have lasted there, nor tỏ have been defigned to laft, nor to have been more than a voluntary agreement. For St. Peter tells Ananias and Sapphira, that they needed not unless they pleased, either to have fold their land, or put any of the purchase-money into the common ftock; but that pretending they had put it in all, (which intitled them to a maintenance) when indeed they had fecreted Acts ii. 44, 45. iv. 34, 35. |