This is neceffary to be believ'd, and much thought on, That we live in the Family, and under the Command, and are maintain'd and fed by the Providence of GOD. And that, as there is fuch a Lord, whose we are, on whom we depend, and whom we are to serve according to his Will; fo, for our Comfort and Encouragement, we ferve a Mafter who is infinitely Rich, and, as we fhall fee anon, as Good as Rich. He is the only one, who is Rich in, and of himself, who oweth nothing to any other, who needeth nothing from any other, from whom all things come, to whom they are all owing. He is the living and inexhauftible Spring and Fountain of all Being and Goodness, the eternal I AM. Exod. 3, 14. There is none Good but one, that is GOD. Mat. 19, 17: He then is wonderfully Rich.

1. In the fatisfactory enjoyment of Himfelf eternally, to whom nothing can be added, from whom nothing can be taken; eternally, indefectibly the fame, yefterday, and to day, and for ever; to himself eternally fufficient, in himself perfectly bleffed. In all the Perfections of Being, Power, Wisdom and Goodnefs, immenfe, uncontrolable, unalterable, infinite, independent, incomprehenfibly, and therefore inexpreffibly glorious, boundlefs and endless.

2. He is Rich in the voluntary and free caufation and production of all things. He is the LORD who made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all things that are therein. Act. 14, 15. Who giveth to all Life, and Breath, and all things. Act. 17, 25. In bim we live, and move, and have our Being. v. 28. O LORD, how manifold are thy Works, in Wisdom R

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bast thou made them all, the Earth is full of thy Riches. Pfal. 104, 24. He made the Earth, and created Man upon it; He, even his Hands ftretched out the Heavens, and all their hoft bath he Commanded. Ifai. 45, 12. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Honour and Glory, and Power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev. 4. 11. Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be Glory for ever. Amen. Rom. 11. 34.

3. He is Rich in the actual Poffeffion of all things. The Heavens are thine, and the Earth alfo is thine; as for the World, and the fulness thereof, thou haft founded them. Pfal. 89. 11. The Earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof, the World, and tkey that dwell therein. Pfal. 24. 1.

He is Rich in the free difpofal, and liberal diftribution of all things, as it feems good unto his Divine Majefty. He prepareth Rain for the Earth; He maketh Grafs to grow upon the Mountains; He giveth to the Beast his Food, and to the young Ravens when they cry. Pfal. 147. 8, 9. Thou openeft thine Hand, and fatisfieft the defire of every living thing. Pfal. 145. 16. 16. He maketh his Sun to rife on the Evil, and on the Good; and fendeth Rain on the Just, and on the Unjust. Mat. 5. 45. He giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1. Tim. 6. 17. He is Rich unto all that call upon him. Rom. 10. 12. Thine, O LORD, is the Greatness, and the Power, and the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majesty; for all that is in the Heavens, and in the Earth, is thine; thine is the Kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both Riches and Honour come of thee, and thou reigneft over all,

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and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine band it is to make Great, and to give strength unto all. I Chron. 29. 11, 12.,

He that hath within himself, and of his own, enough for himself, and for all the World, and hath the abfolute command, and free difpofing of all that he hath, and is never the poorer for whatever he ufeth or giveth, muft needs be very rich. And fuch an one is God the LORD of us, and of all the World, and therefore the Rich Man here is not unfitly made ufe of by our Saviour to mind us of him,

one. V.

And yet we muft here remember, That no fimilitude whatfoever can be used to this purpofe, which can any more than very faintly, and imperfectly refemble GOD. To whom shall we liken GOD? Or what likeness fhall we compare unto him? Ifa. 40. 18. To whom then will ye liken me, or. fhall I be equal? Saith the Holy 50. The. Richest Man upon Earth, fuppofe him Solomon in the height of all his Wealth and Glory, is a poor beggerly Worm, in comparison of the rich God. The most accomplished Man is but of a finite nature, and limited perfection. Whatever he hath, he owes it to another; and is the abfolute owner or difpofer of nothing that he hath, any more than he was the Author or Maker of it; he hath it but for a limited time, and is accountable for all Things to God of whom he received them. But GOD is the abfolute LORD of all Things, and of the Rich Man, as much as of any other, and all Things are provi ded for, and preferved by him, and are govern'd and difpos'd of by no other Rule, but what his own Wisdom and Goodnefs hath prescribed, agreeably

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greeably to his own most perfect nature, and that which he hath given them.

The contemplation of this richness of God is a necessary Duty, and may be of excellent ufe to us many ways.

First, The confideration of the fulness and ri ches of the Divine Nature, will teach us to give unto GOD the Honour due unto his Name; that is, to behave our felves in all Things Religiously towards him. When we think on him as infinitely perfect in himself, and as the only Spring of all Being and Bleffedness; we must needs feel our Obligations to him, our Dependance on him, and the neceffity which lieth upon us to please him in all Things. The richness of GOD, or the very excellency of all Perfections which is in him, is the Foundation of a Natural Religion; and we are the most unnatural Things in the World, if we live not Religiously, when we have fo much reafon as to be fenfible what kind of Being God is. If there be any fuch things as Admiration, Adoration and Praife, to what can they be all due, if not to an infinite and immense Being, abfolutely perfect in Power, Wisdom and Goodness. What is to be ador'd and worfhipped with the moft profound Humility and Devotion, if the great Author, and cause of all Things, the inexhauftible Fountain of all, that is, or can be in the World, be not fo? What is to be reverenced, if not infinite Majefty? What can we ftand in awe of, if not of irresistible Power? What may be confided in, if not infallible Knowledge and Wisdom? What can be loved and delighted in, if not perfect and unabateable Goodness ?

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To whom fhould we pray, if not to the Sove~ reign Difpofer of all Things? To whom should we offer our Sacrifices of Thankfgiving, but to the univerfal Benefactor of the World? Whom fhould we obey, but the wife Governor, the Omnipotent Lord, and gracious Feeder and Protector of all Things? To whom should we entirely refign our felves, if not to our Almighty Maker, rightful Owner? In what can we take up our reft, if not in the chief Good? The Riches of God, duly confider'd, makes all this to be Our natural Duty to him.

Secondly, This teacheth us, which is the very best course that any one can poffibly take, that he may become fincerely Religious. Nothing in the World is more like to perfuade us to be in good earnest God's faithful Servants, and to make us afraid how wedally with him, and mock him by an Hypocritical Profeffion of Religion, than the ferious meditating on the Riches, or infinite Perfections of his Nature. When we confider the total Dependence which we and all Things have upon him, even as far as to our very Being, this, if any thing, will make us ferious, and in good earnest in all the Services which we perform unto him. When we remember, That neither we, our felves, nor any thing else can any longer be, or act, than he is pleas'd to uphold, and enable us: That nothing hath any power to do us good, if he be not with it to blefs it; that nothing Can be hinder'd from hurting us, if he prevent it not: When we confider the emptiness and vanity of all Things without him; this, if any thing, will perfuade us to be in earneft to please him. Let us think seriously that we are God's