and 'SAVIOUR, ESUS CHRIST, and Ins Ar'ósTLis, &c. 169 poffeffrons, in this world, conduces to the befl interefl of mankind. We have here held up to our 'view, a rich :man in all the grandeur, glory, and profufion of opu- lence, furrounded with all the honours, and partaking of all the pleafures which earth can give : The rich man's wealth, the wifeft of men informs us, is his flrong city; and as an high wall in his own con- ceit. The rich man thinks that his riches entitle him to every honour, and to the participation ofevery thing which can be enjoyed : but how is he pained to find himfelf mofi deplorably anifiaken, when the mind, fatiated with enjoyment, and forfeited with pleafure, grows lick of de- light : amidft the abundance of riches, the foul Parees, it finds nothing that is confiftent with it's fpiritual nature, and would pine for want of folid enjoyment in the poffelion of a whole material world. But how Ihort and uncertain are ,thofe fickly joys, thofe furfeiting pleafures which the rich man is able to partake of: The rich man we are informed, died, and was buried. The pomp and pageantry, the luxury and all the confequence its the world which riches give their poflèffor, will not enable him to face the great king of terrors, Death : and as the utmoft pro - fufion of riches, cannot enable their pof- feffór to face the pale tyrant with com- pofure, neither can they bribe him to one moment's delay : No man hath power to retain the fbirit in the day of death: the foul, all black and horrid with guilt, trembles at the approach of the eternal world, and withvaít amazement and terror, $rives to evade the awful ffroke, but all in vain; there is no difcharge in that war: the cafe admits of no refufal or delay : the unhappy mortal falls, and all that his riches can do, is only to carry him with prodi- gious pomp and fplendour to the grave. From this awful and affeiing parable, we likewife learn the !late of the dead, and the capacityof the feparated foul to receive happinefs or mifery before the refurreiion No. 05. of the body : The rich man died, and was buried, we are informed, and what then? Did he enter into reff, or did he remain in a'Pate of infenfibility until the day of re- furreilion ? Neither of thefe ; but in hell he lifted'aJs his eyes. The unhappymortal's plea- fures and fenfual gratifications are all paff; and now, all naked, defencelefs, and for- lorn, he falls headlong into the depths of mifery and woe : the black regions of hor- ror and defpair are now his portion: he lies in inexpreffible torment, and, amidlt thefe fiery regions, fees nothing but what tends to increafe and aggravate his woes : Ile lifted up his eyes, being in -torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofona. The poor beggar that lay at his gate all covered with fores, died and was buried, and in the duff loft all his meannefs, and was . equal to the richeft man on earth '. there is no pre- eminence in the grave; for thefmall andgreat are there, and thefervant isfreefrom his mailer. But how great the difference between the pooreft faint and the richeft fanner; Lazarus, at his death, was carried byangels into Abraham's bofom, while the rich man defcended into hell, and lift up his eyes in torment. Thus having reprimanded the Pharifees, he took occafion to fpeak of affronts and offences, defcribed their evil nature, and their dreadful punilhrnent: It is imboilible, faid he, but that offences will come: but woe unto him through whom they come. It were better for him that a mil one were hanged about his neck, andhe call into thefia, than that he.Jhould offend one of thefe little ones. Our Lord fpake alfo againft a quarrel- fome temper in his fervants, efpecially in the minif ers and teachers of religion, pre- fcribed a feafonable and prudent repre- henfion of the fault, accompanied with forgivenefs on the part of the perfon in- jured, as the belt means of difarming the temptations that may arife from thence: Take heed to yousfelves : if. thy brother tr f oafs againf thee, rebuke him ; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trfbafs againfi thee fevon times in a day, and T t (even
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