may be a good Man, tho' he be richly cloathed for ought I know.

But this rich Man was an Epicure in his Diet, as well as in his Cloaths. He was a Slave to his Palate, and made a God of his Belly; indulging his Genius, he gave himf If wholly up to a voluptuous Life of continual Feafting and Meriment. He did not only fare well and plentifully, but richly, Sumptuously and deliciously; he did not fare thus fometimes only, as there might be fit occafions for it, but he did fo always; he fared fumptuously every Day. He did not eat and drink,and use other lawful Delights, only for the prefervation of Life and Health, for Nourishment and Strength, with Moderation and Thanksgiving to God, for the Refreshment and Exhilerating, or chearing up of his Spirits and Soul: But for the pleasure of eating, and drinking and merry Company; and this as often as he could, it being his conftant and ordinary way of living, fo that when he was not at it, he was out of his Rode, and out of his Element, and knew not what to do with himself, but either to lie down and Sleep, or to call our his Dogs to feek more Provifion for his Belly. This it thould feem, was the Life of this rich Gentleman, and thus he spent his precious

Time.

Many fuch Gentlemen as this we now every where meet with, and with a great many more that would be fuch, if they knew how. Indeed many of us for want of his Riches are not able to live fo fumptuously every Day as he did; but most of us endeavour it all we can, and ftrain our Eftates for it even till they break. We cannot think our felves People of any Note, or that the People among whom we live, will fhew

us any respect, if we come not as near this rich Man's fumptucus way of living, as our Purses will carry us, tho' it may be thy will hold none but other Men's Mon y, and that not long. If we do not bestow three Times more coft and pains, and time on our meat and drink, than is needful for our Nour fement. Health, and moderate Refreshment; yea, it we be not at all this expence to make our food only more curious for the Eye, which carnot feed on it; and less whol fome and nurishing to the Body; we are even afhamed of our f Ives, and afraid that any fhould fee us eat. Cur meat must be as fine and fashionable, as our Clea be; and even the best meat out of fahin is enough to make us fick. To get a dinner is become an art, that requires a great deal of Study, and he's no Housewife that is not perfect in it, or fends not every Dish that comes to the Table with fomer ing of mystery in it to be admired, and to help the Guests to fome idle Difcourfes. Indeed almost all that's done in the Kitchin, is what St. Paul hath forbidden, a making Prev fun for the Flesh; and almoft all that we do in the Parlor, is to fulfil the Lufts thereof. How much pains do we take to incur the woe? Luke 5. 25. Wo unto you that are full, for you shall hunger.

But that which rendered all other Sins of the rich Man more finful, was his Unmercifulness, and want of Charity and Compion to the poor and needy, fuch efpecially as Lazarus. He had a fine House to feaft in, and fumptuously to entertain the rich like himfelf, or a Company of loofe Companions and Spendthrifts, who were wont to spend their time as vainly as he did his Riches; but he had never a poor Lodging for the good

good Beggar that lay at his Gates. He had Purple and fine Linnen for his own Pride, but not fo much as any courfe piece of Cloth to cover the Beggar's Nakedness and Sores. He could glut himself and his fawning Parafites, on all manner of coftly and delicious Rarities, even unto fulness and wantonne; but hungry Lazarus can hardly obtain the favour to feed with his Dogs on the Crumbs that fell from his Table. No Phyfician could be found for Lazarus, no Salve for his Sores, no Cloaths for his Nakedness, no meat to affwage his hunger. Would any one now, that faw how this rich Man behaved himself towards his poor Brother, have taken him for a Son of Abraham, or for an Ifraelite, who had heard Mofes and the Prophets? Was Abraham wont at this rate to entertain the poor that came to his Gate? Did not Mofes in God's Name give this command to the Ifraelites. Deut. 15.7, 8. If there be among you a poor Man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates, in thy Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee; thou shalt not barden thy Heart, nor (but thine Hand from thy poor Brother: But fhalt open thine Hand wide unto him, and fhalt furely lend him fufficient for his need in that which be wanteth. And v. 10. Thou shalt furely give him, and thine Heart fhall not be grieved when thou giveft unto him; because that for this thing, the LORD thy God fhall bless thee in all thy Works, and in all that thou putteft thine Hand unto? Did not God by the Prophets command, saying,

-Deal thy Bread to the bungry, bring the poor that are caft out to thine Houfe; when thou feeft the naked, cover bim; and hide not thy felf from thy own Flesh. If thou draw out thy Soul to the hungry, and fatisfie the afflicted Soul, then fhall thy light rife in obfcurity,

and thy darkness be as the noon-day? Ifa. 58.7, 10. Would not one rather have thought this rich Man to have been bred in Sodom, and to have learn'd perfectly all the Iniquities thereof, which laid it in Afhes by fire from Heaven? Were not the Sins of Sodom, the Sins of this rich Man, to wit Pride, fulness of Bread, abundance of Idleness, and not strengthening the Hand of the poor and needy? Exek. 16. 29. Had he believed Mofes and the Prophets, he would have been more fparing in feeding his own Lufts, and more open-handed to poor Lazarus, and fo have laid up for himself treasures in Heaven, and not have laid out all his wealth to purchase Hell.

O that we would a'l learn to be wifer for our felves, than this Gentleman was. That we would learn to look beyond this World, and to live above the Vanities of it. Let us not love the World, neither the Things that are in the World, 1 John 11. If riches, increafe, fet not your Heart upon them, Pfal. 62. 10. Let not the rich Man glory in his riches, nor rejoice, because his wealth is great. Let him not make Gold his hope, nor Say to the fine Gold, thou art my confidence: For he that trufteth to his riches fhall fall, Prov. 11. 28. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they trust not to uncertain riches, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Wilt thou fet thine Eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves Wings, they flie away as an Eagle towards Heaven, Prov. 23.5. There's no way to be fafely rich, but to be very indifferent, whether we be rich or no; to use this World as not abufing it, or as if we used it not, as a thing which we cannot use long, for the fashion of this World paleth away, 1 Cor 7.31. This in. deed is good advice, but where are they who

I

think not themselves too wife to follow it? What one of a hundred can find any thing else that he thinks worth trusting to but his Wealth? What are all the rich Promifes of God either for this Life, or that which is to come to most of us, fo long as we have not a confiderable stock of Riches? If we have not a great love for them, and confidence in them; why are we fo restless and uneafie to our felves, and others too in labouring for them? Why do we fo much envy those that have them? Why do we fo impatiently want them, and with so much grief and forrow lose them? What a Hell upon Earth do most of us account it to be poor? O how many are there, that defire no other Heaven, and would much rather stay here for ever, and enjoy their Riches, than go to Hearien and leave them? It is too fad a truth, that if riches make themfelves Wings and flie away; there are not a few that will follow them to Hell rather than loose them.

O that we would learn to be fo wife, as to do our felves good with our Wealth whilst we have it, and not as the rich Man here, confume it all on our Lufts! That we had fo much wit with our Wealth, as not to undo our felves for ever with it! And yet fuch Fools are many rich Men, that they make no other use of all that God hath given them, but to destroy themselves with it. So do all they, who fpend their Eftates as the rich Man here did in faring sumptuously every Day. He went fplendidly and merrily to Hell, and how many esteem it their honour and their happiness, that they have Wealth enough to follow him thither in the fame way? How little do Men of great Eftates confider what a price God hath put into their Hand? How much good they may

do