This Thought arifes naturally from the Bufinefs of this Day. And surely, this great and worthy City never appears more honourable in the Sight of God and Man, than when affembled for the Sake and on the Behalf of thofe, who have nothing to plead for them, but their Mifery; and nothing to return, but their Prayers.

As the charitable Inftitutions under your Direction and Government have no Use of Riches or Poffeffions but for the Supply of the Needy; the true Way of eftimating their Condition is, to confider the Proportion which their Revenues bear to the Neceffities of those who stand in Need of their Affiftance. If the Poor thrive and grow able to fupport themselves, the Hofpitals grow rich in Proportion; if the Poor and their Wants increafe, the Hofpitals themfelves grow poor, and become the Object of every Chriftian's Charity.

From hence it is evident, that whoever, by any Methods of Oppreffion or Cruelty, adds to the Number of the Poor and Miserable, does as truly act in Opposition to thefe charitable Foundations, and the End for which they are inftituted, as if he took from them their Poffeffions. For whether

you

you increase their Burthen, or leffen their Maintenance, it is the fame Thing.

There are few who will fufpect themfelves to be chargeable with any Defign against these Charities; and there are, I believe, few indeed, who have any formed Defign against them. But if you confider the Cafe in the View now opened to you, it may appear, perhaps, that there are many who act daily in Opposition to this good Work, increafing that Burthen, which is already almost infupportable.

There are many Ways which Men practife in oppreffing the Poor, which might properly fall under this Confideration; but I fhall confine myself to that fingle Inftance, to which the Text relates, the Hardheartedness and Cruelty, which Men ufe towards their poor infolvent Debtors. And I the rather choose to speak to this Cafe, because Men are apt to imagine that Confcience has nothing to do in it, and that they are fecure from any Guilt, fo long as they follow in a legal Manner the Method prescribed by the Law. Perhaps too, for a like Reason, this Iniquity has been lefs reproved, than it deferves, by the Preacher; for fear he should

be

be thought to condemn the Law of his Country.

I have no fuch Fear; nor do I mean to condemn the Law of my Country, or to charge it with the Cruelty of those who abuse it. If the Law itself is fevere, the more Reafon there is to be cautious in the Ufe of it but if Men will turn the Law, which was given them for the Security of their Property, into an Inftrument of Oppreffion and Revenge, the Law is free, but they are guilty. And, without doubt, there have been many legal Proceedings in Courts of Justice, which, when they come to be re-examined in a higher Court, the Judge and the Jury shall be praised for executing the Law faithfully, and yet the Prosecutor condemned for Violence and Oppreffion.

There is a plain Difference between the Laws made for the public Good and Safety, and those introduced in Favour of private Perfons; only with Refpect to the first mentioned Laws, it is often criminal to conceal Offences committed against them, or to compound for them with the Offenders. To conceal Treafon is an Offence of a very high Nature; for every Man is concerned

in

in the Life and Welfare of the King, and bound to defend him. To compound with Thieves and Robbers is criminal, for this plain Reason among others, that whoever treats with a Thief for his Impunity, treats for a greater Interest than he has a Right to difpofe of; for every Man has an Interest in bringing fuch Offenders to Juftice: and therefore no Man can remit the Penalty, but he who has a Right to act for the Public, that is, the King only.

But as to the Laws introduced for the Sake of private Rights and Properties, the Cafe is otherwise. For as every `Man may difpofe of his own Rights and Properties as he thinks fit, fo he is at Liberty to use the Methods which the Law has provided for the Recovery of his Rights, or not to use them, as he pleases. In all these Cases therefore the Law provides the Remedy, and leaves the Ufe of it to the Confcience of the Party concerned.

Since then Men are to be governed by the Rules of Reason and Confcience, in the legal Profecution of their own Rights; I defire you to confider with me, what it is that Reafon and Confcience and Chriftian

Charity require of us in the Cafe now under Confideration.

The Words of the Text are Part of one of our Saviour's Parables. They do not contain an historical Account of a Fact, fuppofed to have happened just as it is related: but here is a Case stated by our blesfed Lord, with fuch Circumstances as he thought proper to fupport the Inference to be drawn from it; and therefore the Circumstances are to be confidered as neceffary Ingredients in the Judgment, which he makes upon this Cafe. Obferve then,

First, Here is a Debt supposed to be justly due. The poor Man owed his Fellow Servant an hundred Pence.

Secondly, When the Debt is demanded, he does not deny it, or refuse to pay it, but defires Forbearance only, till he could by his Labour and Industry raise enough to difcharge the Debt.

Thirdly, He afks even this as a Favour, and with great Submiffion: he fell down at his Fellow Servant's Feet, and befought him. On the contrary,

Fourthly, The Creditor comes with Infolence and Violence to demand his Debt. He

laid