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tentedly for the bleffed Inheritance of the Children of God, reckoning, that the fufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in them. Rom. 8. 18. Let them bunger and thirst after Righteousness, in hope of the blessedness belonging to them that do fo, for they fhall be filled. Mat. 5. 6. Whatever else they want, let them be clothed with bumility, and humble themselves under the mighty Hand of God, that he may exalt them in due time. 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6. Bleffed are the poor in Spirit, for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven. Mat. 5 3.

Whatever our condition be in this World, whether we be rich or poor, high or low, healthful or fickly, let us always remember, that it is the condition which our wife and gracious God hath chofen for us. And therefore it becomes us to be contented with it, and chearfully to acquiefce in it, fo long as it pleaseth him to continue it. If we be rich and healthful, we are fo much the greater Debtors to God, for fo much undeferv'd goodness. And if we be poor, or fick, fore or maimed, we know that we have deferved far worse things than these, and have abundant cause to blefs God, that it is no worfe with us. Let us remember, that God is the LORD and Owner, the free Difpofer and Giver of all things, and we have no right to any thing, not fo much as to life it felf; and therefore ought to be well contented, and very thankful in whatsoever state we are. Whatsoever it is, better or worse, it behoves us to make the beft we can of it, and fo to improve it, that we may be eternally the better for it, We are all of us, as long as we live, in a fiate of Trial; we are Probationers for another World, and there is no con

dition we can here be in, good or bad, but it may be improv'd to the encreafe of our future and eternal Happiness; and again, it may be fo abused,as to encrease our future and eternal mifery. Our prefent condition may be very changeable and various, as it pleaseth God; fometimes better, fometimes worfe, and the Prince and Begger may in a little time be made to change pla ces; what ever it be, it fhall very shortly change for one that will be for ever unchangeable And yet, howfoever our condition changeth, it is our fault, if it do not alway change for the better. If God had made Riches the best way to Heaven, it would have concerned us to use all Endeavours to become rich, and to keep our felves fo. And if God had made Poverty the onely or beft way to Heaven, we should have been as much concern'd to keep our felves poor. But it is neither the one, nor the other, that we are to account either the onely, or the best way. It is indifferent, which it is that God chufeth for us, fo that he give us alfo grace to behave our felves well in the way wherein he hath set us. We muft quickly be at the end of our Journey, and out of this World, and we are no fooner our of it, but we are in another, and in a condition there, which will be one and the fame for ever. It ought therefore to be very indifferent to us now, which way we are to go, through Riches or through poverty, profperity, or adverfity; fee. ing either way we may come as well to our Journeys end, if we order our goings by the Law of God. Let us not therefore be follicitous about the way, or what our ftate and condition may be in this World, wherein we are but Pilgrims and Strangers; but let it be our care to go on up

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rightly

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Tightly, and apace in the way wherein God hath fet us. Are we in any meafure rich and healthful? So let us ufe our Wealth and Health, that we may be the happier hereafter, for the Wealth and Health we have bere enjoyed: For so we may be, if we do as much good with both as we can; and if we do not fo, they will make us more miserable for ever. Are we poor, weak, or fickly? Let us fo behave our felves, that we may be hereafter fo much the happier for having been in fuch a condition; and fo we fhall be, if we now bear our wants and fufferings as we ought; and if we do not fo, we shall be the more miferable for ever, for having been miferable once. In fhort, let us live foberly, piously, and godly, and whatever our outward ftate now is, we fhall find in the end, that it was the best for us.

There is yet one thing more, that may deferve to be taken notice of, in the defcription of these two Perfons in this Parable. And it is this, That the one of them is here called by his proper Name, but the other is not. Our bleffed Saviour fpeaking of the poor Man, faith, There was a certain Begger named LAZARUS, but of the rich Man he faith no more but this, There was a certain rich Man, what his Name was, he tells us pot. What the Reafon is, why the one is here expreffed by Name, and the other not; or what was our bleffed Saviour's defign hereby to teach us, I dare not confidently affirm; nor am I willing to lay any more weight on the Words and phrafes ufed in Parables, than I think they will bear. And yet nothing hinders, but that we may by any words we read in the Holy Scripture be put in mind of fomething, which tho' it was not, perhaps, any part of the Speaker's Intention,

may

may yet to the Reader or Hearer be an occafion of a feasonable and useful Meditation.

Many Perfons are very ambitious of a Name in the World, yea, and to leave a Name behind them, when they go out of the World too. And truly if it be a Good Name they affect, and if they afpire unto it by vertuous actions only, which are the only folid Foundations whereon real Ho nour and Renown can ftand, it ought not to be called Vain-glory, but is to be efteemed a branch of that Magnanimity, or greatnefs of Soul, which excellently well becometh every Chriftian. A good Name is better than precious Ointment. Eccl. 7. 1. The Teftimony of one's Confcience, that his life hath been truly vertuous, and for that Laudable, is more fweet and refreshing, more pleasant and delightful to a good Man, than all the most delicious and coftly Ointments and Perfumes can be to the voluptuous Epicure; yea, the fame of such an one as bath lived to do good all the days of his life, reviveth dying vertue in those who fhall hear of him, when he is to be no more feen. The (weet Savour he hath left behind him, renders his Memory bleffed to late Pofterity, and tho' he be dead, the good Example he hath fet furviveth, and teacheth them that come after him, how they are to follow him unto real and everlasting Glory. A good Name therefore is rather to be chofen then great Riches. Prov. 22. 1.

Had the rich Man here made his choice, his Name might poffibly have been tranfmitted to us by our Saviour, as well as that of the Beggar. But this rich Gentleman, as too many do, defiring rather to be rich than virtuous, and to have a great Name in the World, rather than a good one; is not thought worthy by our Saviour of a Name; how confiderable

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confiderable foever he might fecm to himself, and to others like himself, yet the holy JESUS mentions him with Contempt, as a mean defpicable Fellow; a certain rich Man, that's all the Title of Honour or Respect he thought fit to bestow upon

him.

That which is highly esteemed amongst Men, is abomination in the fight of God. Luk. 16. 16. This rich man we are to fuppofe to be one of thofe, who are wont to be had in great Honour, and to be cringed to by their poorer Neighbours, and efpecially by them who have any dependance upon them, fuch as their Servants and Tenants. Let a Man be rich, it's no matter by what bafe Arts he became fo, he is forthwith a Gentleman at least, and it will be hard to keep him from being a Nobleman too. For what fhould hinder him from rifing to what height he pleaseth, who is born up with golden Wings? Like Nebuchadnezar's golden Image, he will be fure to have Worship enough, if not for love, yet for fear, tho' he be a very Idol, and can have no Sense of real worth and goodness, yet may he fall upon, and by his weight crush thofe to Death, that obferve not their diftance. However, if he be rich, he is to be fure a Man of Name in the Neighbourhood, every one knoweth him by it, and feldom mentioneth it without fome addition. Whilft the poor Man, how deferving foever, is known by few, and ufually, if not, as Solomon faith, bated, yet defpifed of his Neighbour. Prov. 14. 20. Almoft no body takes notice of him, and the most are afham'd to feem acquainted with him, as one who is thought fitter Company for Dogs than Men. And truly it was a greater Honour LO poor Lazarus to lie with the Dogs at the

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