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to obferve in this our Feaft; and let us all, for the Honour of Chrift's Religion, and for the Credit of our particular Country, charge the Obfervation of them upon ourselves: Which if we can all refolve to do, I can fafely apply to every one of you, that Saying of Solomon in the Ninth Chapter of this Book of Ecclefiaftes, and the Seventh Verfe, with which I fhall conclude; Go thy way, eat thy Bread with Foy, and drink thy Wine with a Merry Heart; for God now accepteth thy Work.

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SERMON

PREACHED AT

IV.

The SPITTLE,

On the 14th of APRIL, 1680,

1 Tím. vi. 17, 18, 19.

Charge them that are Rich in this World, that they be not High-minded, nor trust in uncertain Riches, but in the Living God, who giveth us richly all Things to enjoy.

That they do Good, that they be Rich in good Works, ready to diftribute, willing to communicate.

Laying up in ftore for themselves a goud Founda tion against the Time to come, that they may lay hold on Eternal Life.

G

ROTIUS his Note upon this Text is this, That St. Paul now having finished this his Epiftle to Timothy, it comes into his Mind, that there was need of fome more particular Application to be made, and Admonition to be given to thofe Wealthy Merchants, with which the City of Ephesus (where Timothy refided) did

then

then abound; and upon this Confideration, he inferts thofe Words I have now read, Charge them that are rich in this World, &c.

How famous foever the City of Ephesus was at that Time for Wealth or Trade, there is little doubt to be made,that this Cityof ours (praised be God for it) doth in those Refpects, at this Day, equal, if not much exceed it. And therefore that which St. Paul thought of fo great Importance, as to give efpecial Orders to Timothy, to prefs upon the Ephefian Citizens, will always be very fit to be seriously recommended to you in this Place; and more especially at this Time, fince it is the proper Work of the Day. Waving therefore wholly the Argument of our Saviour's Refurrection, upon which you have before been entertained; I apply myself, without farther Preface, to conclude this Easter Solemnity with that, with which St. Paul concludes his Epiftle, viz. with a fhort Dif courfe of the Rich Man's great Duty and Concernment, which is in these Words plainly set forth to us.

In them we may take notice of these Three Generals, which I fhall make the Heads of my following Discourse.

First, The Duty itself incumbent upon those that are Rich in this World, expreffed in several Particulars.

Secondly, The great Obligation that lies upon them to the Performance of it, which we may gather from the Vehemence and the Authority with which St. Paul orders Timothy to prefs it; Charge them (faith he) that are Rich, that they be not, &c.

Thirdly,

Thirdly, The mighty Encouragement they have to observe this Charge; for hereby they Lay up to themselves in ftore a good Foundation against the Time to come, that they may lay hold on Eternal Life.

First, I begin with the Rich Man's Duty, which is here exprefs'd in Four Points; Two of them Negative, teaching what Things he ought to Avoid; the other Two Pofitive, teaching what he ought to Practice. They are these :

I. That he should not be high-minded,

II. That he should not trust in uncertain Riches. III. That he should trust in the living GOD, IV. That he should do Good, be Rich in good Works, &c.

The First Thing that is given in Charge to all those that are Rich in this World, is, That they be not high-minded, un inoperew, that they do not think too well of themselves for being Rich, and take Occafion from thence to despise others that are in meaner CircumAtances than they. They are not to value themselves a jot the more, or to think worse of others upon Account of that outward Fortune they are poffeffed of, but are in all their Converfation to express the fame Moderation, and Humanity, and Easiness, and Obligingnefs of Temper to those they have to do with, even the Meanest and the Pooreft, as if they ftood with them upon the fame Level.

And with very great Reafon hath St. Paul given this Caution to Rich Men. For by the

Experience of the World, it hath been always found, that Wealth is apt to puff up, to o make Men look big, and to breed in them a Contempt of others; but what little Ground there is for this, is eafily feen by any that will give themselves leave to confider.

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For what doth any of these worldly Goods (which make us keep at distance) really add to a Man in Point of true Worth and Value? Do they either recommend him more to God or to wife Men, or even to himself, if he have a Grain of Sense in him, than if he was without them? Certainly they do not. For that for which either God approves us, or wife Men efteem us, or we can fpeak Peace and Content to ourselves, is not any Thing without us, any Thing that Fortune hath given to us; but Something that we may more truly call our own, Something that we were neither born with, nor could any Body hinder us of, nor can be taken from us; that is to fay, The Riches of our Minds, our vertuous and commendable Qualities.

A Man is no more a fit Object of Esteem, merely for being rich, than the Beast he rides on (if I may ufe the old Comparison) is, of Commendation for the coftly Trappings he wears.

Secondly, Another Caution given to those that are rich in this World, is, That they should not trust in uncertain Riches. This likewife is a Temptation to which they are exposed, and our Saviour hath very lively fet it forth to us in the Parable of the Rich Man in the Gospel,

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