mer will appear almost as compared with the latter.

nothing, when This feems to

be

19. Lay not up for your felves treasures upon earth, ver. 25. Tokeno (or little) thought for your life what ye shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for the body what ye shall put on ; but alfo, that they should discharge themselves of all that wealth they are poffeffed of, by felling or parting with all and giving it to the poor, in order to be his Difciples, and to be interested in the treafures of heaven, Matthew xix. 21, 22. Jefus faid unto him (the young man) if thou will be perfect, go and fell that thou hast, (or, as in Mark x. 21. Sell whatsoever thou haft) and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that faying, he went away forrowful; for he had great poffeffions. But leaft what Chrift has here faid, of felling all and giving it to the poor, might be looked upon as peculiar to this young man, and only as a tryal to him, Chrift, in order to make it general, and relative to all rich men, adds, by way of reflection on the young man's conduct, the following remarks, as at verfes 23, 24. Then faid Jefus unto his Difciples, verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I fay unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. To inherit eternal life, to enter into life, to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God, and to have treasures in heaven, all these modes of fpeech, as used in the discourse betwixt Chrift and the young rich man, muft, if they are pertinently applied, be used to express one and the fame thing; for the attainment of which thing, Chrift hath made, or declared, the felling all and giving it to the poor, to be pre-requifite or necessary; but the felling all and giving it to the poor is a task so exceeding difficult, and scarcely to be complied with by rich men; therefore the conclufion from these premises must needs be just, viz. that a rich man fhall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven; that it is almost as eafy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, as for a rich man, for rich man, and not for the young man only, to enter into the kingdom of God; and this had been exemplified in the young man's cafe.

any

be the purport of thefe precepts. Man, from his make and conftitution, is an infirm, indigent creature, whofe ftate and condition in the world, and the part he ought to act in it, as an indigent branch of it, these require, and call for much thoughtfulness, application and diligence, in order for him to obtain for himself, and for others, (who may be the proper objects of his regard) thofe conveniencies and pleasures, that nature hath prepared, and disposed him to enjoy; and that, not only for the prefent time, but also for the morrow, and through a life that may be extended to threescore years and ten, a life that may be checquered with the changes of fortune, and many other viciffitudes, all which are to be taken into the account, and prudently provided for. And as man's relations, obligations, and duties, all arife from his prefent existence, and from what he now is and has; fo his present well doing must needs be the special, and more immediate, object of his prefent regard, As to man's well doing,in a conftitution of things to come, all the provifion he is capable of making for it now, is to act suitably to his manly character, and properly fill up the post affigned him in this. This being the prefent C 4 condition

condition of mankind, the queftion before us is, whether that thoughtleffnefs and indolence, as to worldly goods, which Chrift requires, or that thoughtfulness and induftry, which man's prefent indigent condition, or the prefent conftitution of things call for, the question is, which of these contribute moft to human happiness? If the former be the cafe, then it gives it for christian morals; but if the latter be the cafe, then it gives it against chriftian morals; that is, if fuch a proper care, application, and diligence, in making provifions for a man's prefent well-doing, as his present indigent state feems to require, will, upon the whole, contribute more to the publick good, than that thoughtleffness and indolence, as to worldly goods, which Chrift hath required, then, in this inftance, chriftian morals are less excellent, and perfect, than those morals that come in competition with them.

AGAIN, Luke xiv. 12, 13. When thou makest a dinner or a fupper, call not, or thou fhalt not call, thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours ; left they alfo bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makeft a feast,cal!, or thou shalt call, the poor, the maimed, the

lame

lame, the blind, &c. Tho' this rule of life was given to a particular perfon, upon a particular occafion; yet as the reason alfigned for it is general, and equally affects all perfons, in the fame circumstances; fo the precept, connected with it, and grounded upon it, muft needs be general alfo. As the precept laid down is moft plain, exprefs and peremptory; fo, thereby, Chriftians are required to deny themselves of that pleasure and fatisfaction, which arifes from entertaining, and being entertained by friends, relations, neighbours, and thofe of their own rank, and which, perhaps, is one of the principal enjoyments of life; and to confine themfelves, in this refpect, to the company, conversation and friendship of the poor, the lame, the maimed, the blind; that is, to the neceffitous only. That the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, when rendered, by their misfortunes, unable to take care of, and provide for, themselves, ought to be taken care of, and be provided for, by those whose plentiful fortunes render them capable of it, furely, is not disputed; but then, perhaps, thofe neceffitous people may be taken care of, in a way, which will contribute much more to the comfort of their

lives

lives, than fitting down to meat, at a rich man's table, can do. And, therefore, the queftion is, whether the fitting down to meat with the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, exclufive of the rich; or the fitting down to meat with friends, relations, and rich neighbours, whilft the neceffitous are properly taken care of fome other way, contributes most to human happiness? If the former be the cafe, then it gives it for chrif tian morals; but if the latter be the cafe, then it gives it against chriftian morals that is, if entertaining, and being entertained by, friends, rich neighbours, &c. together with a proper provision for the poor and needy, fome other way, contribute more, upon the whole, to the happiness of man. kind, than fitting down to meat with the neceffitous, exclufive of the rich, then chriftian morals, in this inftance, are lefs excellent, and perfect, than thofe morals that come in competition with them.

THESE, I apprehend, are the precepts that are confidered as peculiarly Chriftian, or fome of them, at leaft; elfe I cannot conceive which are; and by a fair comparison of thefe, with thofe precepts that come in competition with them, a judgment may be formed