Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on a And said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thy- self down; for it is written, that He will give His Angels charge over Thee, and with their hands they shall lift Thee ["St. Mary's Hospital was founded by Walter Brune, citizen of London, and others, 1197; in whose yard was a pulpit-cross of equal celebrity with that of St. Paul's. At the latter 'some special learned man' says Mr. Newcourt, by appointment preached on Good-Friday a Sermon treating of Christ's Passion; and on the three next Easter days the like learned men, to wit, on Monday a Bishop, on Tuesday a Dean, and on Wednesday a Doctor of Divinity used to preach in the forenoons, at the Spittle, on the Resurrection.' After the fire of London the Spital Sermons were preached at St. Bride's in Fleet Street, and the Good Friday Sermon in the choir of St. Paul's. On the south of the pulpit was a house of two stories, the first of which was for the Mayor and Aldermen when they came to the Spital Sermons, the second for the prelates who might attend." Gent.'s Mag. lxix. p. 590.] A SERMON PREACHED AT ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL, ON THE TENTH OF APRIL, BEING WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK, A.D. MDLXXXVIII. 1 TIMOTHY vi. 17, 18, 19. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, that they trust not in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, Which giveth us all things to enjoy plenteously; That they do good, be rich in good works, ready to distribute and to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life. [Divitibus hujus sæculi præcipe non sublime sapere, neque sperare in incerto divitiarum, sed in Deo vivo, Qui præstat nobis omnia abunde ad fruendum; Bene agere, divites fieri in bonis operibus, facile tribuere, communi care; Thesaurizare sibi fundamentum bonum in futurum, ut apprehendant veram vitam. Lat. Vulg.] [Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Eng. Trans.] THE Commendation of the word of God is, that "Every 2 Tim. 3. Scripture is profitable for our instruction." "Every Scripture 16. 1. SERM. is profitable ;" yet not "every Scripture," in every place alike. For the place and auditory have great interest in some Scripture, and a fit Scripture hath a greater and fuller force in his own auditory. And God in so excellent a manner hath sorted His Scriptures, as there lie dispersed in them several texts scasonable for each time, and pertinent to each place and degree; for Prince, for people, for rich, for poor, for each his peculiar Scripture in due time and place to be reached them. This Scripture which I have read, whose it is, and to whom it speaketh, is at the very reading straightway evident. As one [Ps.41.1.] saith of the forty-first Psalm, "Blessed is he that judgeth rightly of the poor," that it is Scriptura pauperum, 'the poor man's Scripture;' so of this it may be rightly said, that it is Scriptura divitum, the rich man's Scripture.' And if this be the Scripture for rich men, this place is the place of rich men; and therefore, if this Scripture have his place, no where so fit as in this place. For no where is there such store of Isa. 23. 3. riches by the "harvest of the water," which far surpasseth the Ezek. 28. harvest of the ground; no where are the like "sums sealed;" no where do they "suck the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand," in like measure; no where are the Isa. 23. 8. merchants noblemen's fellows, and able to lend the Princes of the earth, so much as here. Therefore when as I gave all diligence to speak, not only true things but also seasonable, both for this time and this place, I was directed to this Scripture. I need not to say much in this point, to shew it concerneth this audience. I will say as the Fathers say upon the like occasion: Faxit Deus tam commoda, quam est accommoda, I pray God make it as profitable as it is pertinent,' as fruitful to you as it is fit for you. 12. Deut. 33. 19. The divi sion. 1. II. 1. This whole Scripture hath his name given it even in the first word: "Charge," saith he, " the rich," &c. It is a charge. 2. It is directed to certain men, namely, to "the rich of this world." 3. It consisteth of four branches; whereof two are negative, for the removing of two abuses. 1. The first, "Charge them, that they be not highminded." 2. The second, "Charge them, that they trust not in their riches." |