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with pride, lays hold of every circumftance, S ERM. however accidental, precarious, or unconnected with the juft grounds of self-esteem, to foothe and flatter these paffions, and to aim at exaltation, more than human, by discarding the finest feelings and nobleft virtues of our nature, humility, benignity, and gentleness. Hence, the poor are, often, regarded as beings of another fpecies, as beafts of burden to those who are more favoured by fortune. There is, however, a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding*. None, but the completely depraved, are fo deftitute of fentiment, as not to feel that indignity which man ought not to endure from the partakers of his nature, and which degrades those who infolently offer it, more than those towards whom it is shown.

It is no wonder, then, that the indigent fhould frequently be tempted to repine, and murmur at the difpenfations of Providence, which appears to their clouded eyes to have so unequally distributed its gifts. This circumftance is, itself, an unhappy ingredient

B b

*Job. xxxii. 8.

SERM. gredient in their condition. Viewing themselves as no less abandoned by their heavenly Father, than despised and neglected by their brethren, they are apt to break out into the rebellious language of complaint, which the Pfalmift calls his infirmity.Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will be be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?* Measuring infinite wisdom by their narrow comprehenfion, fuppofing that every fpecies of diftress is confined to their circumstances, and perceiving no immediate source of relief, they fometimes relinquish all trust in the divine goodness and power. They difmifs the assurance of faith t. They behold the course of providence covered with a black impenetrable cloud, and, yielding to the fuggeftions of despair, fay, with defponding Job Let the day perish wherein I was born; neither let the light shine upon it. Why died I not from the womb? Why did I

* Psalm lxxvii. 7, 8, 9. + Heb. x. 22.

not

not give up the ghost, when I came out of the SERM. belly ? *

Laftly; Poverty is furrounded with the ftrongest temptations to difhonefty, fraud, and theft. Groaning beneath the preffure of want, envying the more fortunate circumstances of others, deftitute of the reftraining power of honour, or fhame, already fuffering contempt, placed in a situation which can hardly become worse, corrupted by wicked company, and encouraged by vicious example, the poor are, often, tempted to steal, in order to procure that fupply which they are either unable or unwilling to earn by honeft labour. They thus frequently incur the juft, though severe, sanctions of human laws, while they also expose themselves to the vengeance of him whofe curse entereth into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by the name of Godt. When such iniquity has been already committed, and detection, and punishment may, in thé criminal's opinion, be avoided by perjury, the facred obligations of an oath will probably

*Job iii. 2, 4, II.

Bb 2

+ Zechariah v. 4.

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SERM. bably be disregarded, and he, who hath put XIV. his band unto his neighbour's goods*, will fcarcely fcruple to take the name of his God in vain! Reverence for the Majefty of heaven is gradually obliterated in the minds of the lower clafs, by thofe horrid imprecations which daily found in their ears. These, alas! have too frequently been transmitted to the inferior ranks, from those who are placed above them in the order of fociety, who ought to fet them a better example, and who, if not from regard for their Creator, at least, for their own interest, should be cautious of diffeminating irreligion among the people.

Ye, who glide down the stream of affluence, learn to view, with commiferation, I fay not the hard condition, but the crimes of your poorer brethren, by which they are fo often brought to an untimely and ignominious end! You have not, like them, been guilty of that peculiar species of theft, or robbery, which incurs the punishments of human laws. But, have you committed no other kind of dishonesty and violence,

* Exod. xxii. 8.

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by which your fellow-men have been in- SERM. jured in their property? Have you not indulged yourselves in the vices to which you were tempted by your circumftances; and are you not conscious of many grofs violations of duty, which both religion and reafon condemn, and fophiftry cannot palliate? Since you have fo little command of your own paffions, and yield to the temptations by which you are affailed, confider if you would have refifted those which prove fatal to fo many in the lower ftations of fociety, had you been placed in their fituation. Confider if your exemption from those punishments, which public fecurity requires they should fuffer, be not owing more to your circumftances, than to your virtue !

I have, now, mentioned the principal evils, and inconveniences that attend on poverty and meanness of condition, and that appear to have been the chief grounds on which Agur entreated God not to place him in these circumftances. Having thus furveyed the extreme fituations of human