SERM.

of his children. Though his own arm XIX. ftrengthened, and his own right hand conquered for them; though he changed, fufpended, and reverfed the laws and powers of nature for their preservation and fupport, yet both his works and his wonders were forgotten by them. Instead of adoring they difputed his power, and doubted that very omnipotence which he had exerted in their favour. Can be give bread also, said they, or provide flesh for his people? He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the door of heaven to rain down manna upon them, and fed them with the food of angels who had not deferved that of men: and in return for it, while the flesh was yet in their mouths, they rebelled against him? their wickedness constantly increased in proportion to his indulgence; the greater his goodness to them, the ftronger their averfion to him; and the

more

more miracles he performed, the lefs was SERM. their inclination to believe them.

P

Such was the temper and difpofition of that nation, which God, for reasons hest known to his divine wisdom, had thought fit to mark out for his peculiar people; and that their temper and dispofition was the fame at the time of our Saviour's appearance upon earth, is indifputable. The Son of God experienced the same obftinacy, perverseness, and incredulity, which his almighty Father had met with from them; they were perpetually asking him for proofs of his miffion, conftantly foliciting him for fresh miracles, which yet ftill as he performed had not the leaft effect upon them. The Pharifees in particular, who excelled their brethren in pride and infolence, were always demanding of him much more than he thought proper to

grant.

XIX.

SERM. grant. To them therefore, in the paraXIX. ble now before us, he applies himself,

rebukes in a tender and artful manner their pride, avarice, and infidelity; foretelling, as it were, at the fame time, what did afterwards most exactly come to pass; namely, that such was their averfion to truth and righteousness, that it was not in the power of any miracles to recom-, mend, or indeed of God himself to enforce the practice of them. If they hear not Mofes and the prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the dead.

A tacit reproach of their past conduct, and a visible allufion to his own approaching fate, feems to be the chief end and scope of this divine parable: but as various lefions of inftruction may also be drawn from the various parts of it, I shall endeavour briefly to illustrate and explain the whole, and to draw from it,

as

ΧΙΧ.

as we pass along, fuch obfervations as SERM. may be most useful to us in our future conduct.

The parable opens with a most beautiful contraft of riches and poverty. On the one hand is the picture drawn in the liveliest colours of a man in all the pride of youth, health, and affluence, a favou rite of fortune even in the bofom of plenty and profperity; clothed with fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day. On the other, a poor and miserable being, beset with ills, and overwhelmed with misfortunes: reduced to the lowest state of penury and forrow: Lazarus was laid at the rich man's gate, full of fores, with a body cruely distempered, and a mind, no doubt, fallen, spiritless, and afflicted.

In this condition, as we may infer from what follows, the rich man leaves

SERM. him to fhift for himself, without afford

XIX. ing him that comfort and relief which

he might fo easily have beftowed on him.

The crime of the rich man was most probably that which too often difgraces the character of the great, an utter infenfibility of the fufferings of his fellowcreatures. Lazarus defired, we are told, (but as we may fuppofe in vain) defired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.

We have no reafon to imagine that the rich man was punished (as we find him to have been) after death, because he was rewarded before, or that because he had good things in this life he met with evil things in the other: that were indeed to doubt the goodness and to arraign the justice of the Moft High. God loveth the chearful giver, and doubtless the chearful receiver alfo. Not to tafte

of