the obftructing of ufeful Measures by Oppofition, forwarding bad ones by Subferviency, encouraging Wickedness or Worthleffness, departing from Juftice and Equity, for any selfish or any party End whatever. Were even a general Good proposed to be served by it, Evil is not to be done that Good may come; nor will any come from it that would not have been more effectually obtained, and longer preserved, by other Means. And as for Good merely perfonal, whoever aims at that by Methods hurtful to his Country, whatever outward Advantages he may get by it, will lofe all Title to Peace within. And it will be found, if not foon, yet, which is worse, too late, that his own Intereft, and that of his Pofterity are fo connected with the Intereft of the whole, that all Advantages, made by a Behaviour inconfiftent with it, will be truly uncertain Riches, as the Text calls them; will make themselves Wings and fly away', in the Time of general Calamity; or perhaps long before, in the preceding general Wickedness, which he hath been inftrumental in haftening on: and then Reproach and Shame will be the only Portion left to him or his. But how

e Rom. iii. 8.

f Prov. xxiii. 5.

righteous

righteous foever the Acquifition of their Wealth may have been, the Rich in this World have Need that a Charge be given them,

2. Concerning the Poffeffion of it. In the Poffeffion alone, fome of them seem to have placed the whole of its Value; making literally, as Job expreffes it, Gold their Hope, and saying to the fine Gold, Thou art my Confidence: and neither employing it to any Benefit of their own, nor of any one elfe. Now keeping a Heap of Wealth, merely for the Sake of keeping it, is an apparent Abfurdity. Keeping it, merely for the Repute of having it, is a very low Inducement. And if laying up against future Accidents be pretended, a moderate Store will fuffice for a reasonable Security, and nothing can fecure us abfolutely. Indeed the larger the Fortune, the more Room for Accidents, in one Part or another of it; and the Lofs of a small Part will be as grievous to a Heart fet upon Riches, as that of a larger to another Man. Befides, whoever lives only to the Purpose of faving and accumulating will be tempted by this ruling Paffion to a finful Neglect of the Poor and the Worthy among his Friends and Dependants, perhaps among # Job xxxi. 24

his Relations and very Children. For that important Obligation of providing for their own, and fpecially for thofe of their own House, (on which St. Paul, in the Chapter before the Text", hath laid fo great a Strefs, and which the Covetous imagine, or pretend, they are so faithfully performing) doth not confift at all in hoarding up for them as much as they can, but in bestowing upon them as much as they need. This not only the Context proves, and the Use of the original Word in other Authors, but the Nature of the Thing. For whoever is in Want of any Thing requifite, is evidently unprovided for, how much Wealth foever another may fay he keeps for him, whilst he really keeps it from him. And when any one hath made Provifion enough for those who peculiarly belong to him, to put them in a Way fuitable to their Condition, he can feldom be bound, and is not always at Liberty, to do more. The Care of them in

deed is the firft Demand

upon him; yet after

this is fufficiently taken, and even while it is taking, there may be many other most equitable Claims; and they are all of them intitled to a proportionable Regard by that

ge

hi Tim, v. 8..

neral

k

neral Precept of Reason, as well as Scripture, Withhold not Good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Power of thy Hand to do it1. Some Occafions present themselves to every one, and frequent Occafions to the Rich and Great, on which extending Acts of Liberality far beyond the narrow Bounds of a Family, is indeed but discharging a Debt; which the Participation in common of human Nature brings upon us, and he that hath made us all of one Blood expects we shall pay. Nor will he fail to impute it for heinous Guilt, at the Day of Judgment; (as our Saviour hath given us awful Warning) if they whom he hath particularly qualified for Works of Charity, and expressly appointed the Stewards and Difpensers of what he hath bestowed on them purposely for that very End, fhall, in Breach of fo facred a Truft, confine to themselves the Bounty which was placed in their Hands, that all around them might receive a proper Share of it.

But some of the higher Part of Mankind adventure to go still greater Lengths than this, to preferve the Poffeffion of what they have: detain from others, without Scruple, what

¿ Prov. iii, 27.

M 3

k Acts xvii. 26.

even

even in legal Juftice they are intitled to; and defend themselves against the Demand of it, on the Advantage-ground of their Wealth, or their Rank and Station; which render it often difficult and expenfive, fometimes impoffible for their Inferiors to obtain Redrefs. A most ungenerous, dishonest, tyrannical Use of the Prerogatives of their Condition! Every one muft fee it to be fo: and they, upon whom the Eyes of every one are fixed, fhould have no little Regard to this Confideration, amongst others that are still weightier. The Privileges granted by Law to fome were granted for the Security of the public Good, not the Patronage of private Oppreffion. And those, which others take to themselves, of awing or ruining, by the Superiority of their Fortune or their Credit, fuch as prefume to think of recovering what is denied them, are contrary to the whole Intent of Law and of human Society. Not to fay, that whoever hath a Spark of true Greatnefs, will be defirous to put any one, with whom he hath a controverfy, fairly on the Level for an equitable Decifion of it, and will fay, with Elihu in Job, If thou canst anfwer me, fet thy Words in Order before me, ftand

up.