XI. are done to the indigent and unfortunate. D IS C. Thofe, who in a more efpecial manner have cause to thank God that "he crown"eth the year with his goodness," thofe to whom their fruits have yielded abundant increase, should remember the charge given by St. Paul, "that they do good, "that they be rich in good works, ready 66 to diftribute, willing to communicate, lay"ing up in ftore for themselves a good "foundation against the time to come, "that they may lay hold of eternal life "." Thus fhould the wealthy fhew their gratitude, and not adopt that thoughtless fecurity of the worldly-minded perfon, whom our Saviour reprefents as faying within himself, "Soul, thou haft much goods laid 66 up for many years; take thine ease, eat, "drink, and be merry This is the language of presumptuous self-sufficiency, the conduct of inconfiderate folly; for should the voice of God fay unto the rich man, "this night thy foul fhall be required of 28 99 28 St. Luke, xii. 19. "thee, DISC. XI. thee, then whofe fhall thofe things be "that thou haft provided "?" fhould death fnatch him fuddenly from the world, then will his impiety towards God, and his inhumanity towards his fellow-creatures, be among the fins which will merit the Divine displeasure *. The neceffity of obferving thefe and all other Chriftian precepts, arifes not only from their own real intrinfic excellence and reasonablenefs, but alfo from the profpect of a future ftate, which our Saviour has described in a parable allusive to our prefent fubject, and which he thus explains: "He that foweth the good feed, is the Son "of Man: the field is the world: the good "feed are the children of the kingdom; "but the tares are the children of the "wicked one: the enemy that fowed them "is the Devil: the harvest is the end of the "world and the reapers are the Angels. "As therefore the tares are gathered and 29 St. Luke, xii. 20. Aut qui divitiis foli incubuere repertis VIRG. En. vi. 610. "burnt XI. "burnt in the fire, fo fhall it be in the end D ISC. "of this world. The Son of Man fhall "fend forth his Angels, and they fhall ga"ther out of his kingdom all things that "offend, and them which do iniquity; " and fhall caft them into a furnace of fire, "where fhall be wailing and gnashing of "teeth. Then fhall the righteous fhine "forth as the Sun, in the kingdom of their "Father 30 99 That" with honeft and good hearts, when we have heard the prayer: but when we have fought 30 St. Matth. xiii. 37. 32 St. Matth. vi. 33. 31 St. Luke, viii. 15. U Almighty XI. DIS C. Almighty for Divine grace to affist our spiritual wants, we may then innocently and properly offer our petitions to the Author and Giver of all good things, "That our "fons may grow up as the young plants, "and that our daughters may be as the "polished corners of the temple; that our garners may be full and plenteous with "all manner of ftore: that our sheep may "bring forth thousands and ten thousands "in our ftreets: that our oxen may "ftrong to labour: that there be no decay; be no leading into captivity, and no com"plaining in our ftreets. Happy are the people that are in fuch a cafe: yea, "bleffed are the people who have the "Lord for their God3 33 99 33 Pfal. cxliv. 12. DISCOURSE XII. GOD the original Author of all Bleffings enjoyed by Man. 2 COR. X. 17, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord! BY XII. Y continual intercourfe with objects of DISC. fenfe, and familiar habit of receiving the manifold bleffings of life through the intervention of fecond causes, we frequently neglect to carry back our thoughts to that original Author of all existence, by whofe law the works of creation were ordained and conftituted; and we ascribe to powers, which are but God's inftruments, U 2 that |