We efteem a man rich who, befides what is neceffary for the fupply of his own wants, hath wherewithal to relieve the neceffities of others: but how rich must he be, who hath no wants to be supplied, and is at the fame time poffeffed of fuch infinite treasures, that they can never be exhausted, nor in the leaft degree diminished, by being imparted to to others! Nay, befides whom nothing exists, but what derived its being from him, and is neceffarily dependent upon him, for all that it hath, or hopes to enjoy! Yet thus rich was he of whom the Apostle speaks in my

text.

II. The fecond thing to be confidered, is the poverty to which he voluntarily fubmitted. The Apostle John having introduced the history of our Saviour with that lofty defcription of his original and effential glory which I formerly quoted, makes a fudden transition, verse 14. and informs us, how he who was rich became poor, viz. by uniting himfelf to the human nature, and appearing in the likeness of finful feth. "The

H 4

"The Word," fays he, that fame Word which in the beginning was with God, and was God, by whom all things were made; this "Word was made flefh, and "dwelt among us."

Nothing can be more defcriptive of the moft abject poverty, than the fimple account we have of his birth, Luke ii. at the beginning; where, after being told, that, in confequence of a decree from the Roman Emperor, Jofeph went up from Nazareth unto Bethlehem, to be taxed, with Mary, his efpoufed wife, who was great with child, the facred hiftorian thus pro-, ceeds, ver. 6, 7. "And fo it was, that while σε they were there, the days were accom"plifhed that she should be delivered. And "fhe brought forth her first-born fon, and

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wrapped him in fwaddling clothes, and "laid him in a manger, because there was

no room for them in the inn." Nor did his after life wear a different complexion from his birth: The fame poverty, with refpect to outward accommodation, which clouded his entrance into the world, accompanied him through every ftage of his laborious

borious journey, till at Calvary he finished his courfe upon the crofs; infomuch that he could fay, at the very time when his public miniftry was most frequented and applauded, "The foxes have holes, and the "birds of the air have nefts, but the Son "of man hath not where to lay his head." But this was not the only, nor even the worst kind of poverty, to which he voluntarily fubmitted. "He made himself," that is, he confented to be made," of no "reputation." For though multitudes occafionally admired and applauded him, yet these were generally perfons in the lowest ranks of life. The rich, the learned, and the powerful, among the Jews, were stated

combined to distress him on every fide. They practifed every art to defame his character, and to render both his person and his miniftry the objects of popular contempt and hatred: till at length they were permitted to prevail fo far, as to get him condemned by a fentence of the fupreme court of their own nation, and then adjudged by the Roman governor to the death of a flave; which was executed with every circumstance

circumstance of indignity and torture that the most inventive malice and cruelty could devife. Thus poor did our Lord become;

not by constraint, or the hand of violence, for that was impoffible; but of his own free choice; as it is written, Philip. ii. 6, 7, 8. "He who was in the form of God, and "thought it not robbery to be equal with "God, made himself of no reputation, and "took upon him the form of a fervant, and 6C was made in the likeness of men: And

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being found in fashion as a man, he hum"bled himself, and became obedient unto "death, even the death of the crofs.

III. BUT for whofe fake did he thus become poor? This is the third particular mentioned in the text; which manifefts and commends the riches of his grace.-It was for us the children of men, creatures but of yesterday, whose foundation is in the duft. We are indeed poor in every of the expreffion. Our life is the gift of another, and wholly dependent upon His fovereign pleasure.

fenfe

All the materials for

fupporting it lie without ourfelves; we

muft

muft go abroad in queft of them; and the fame hand that provides them, can either withdraw them, or put them beyond our reach, or with-hold that bleffing which alone can render them effectual for the fuftenance of that precarious life we poffefs: "If he hideth his face, we are troubled; if "he taketh away our breath, we die."

Thus poor we all are, and neceffarily muft be, as creatures: but when I add, that we are finners, poverty is too feeble a word to convey the fainteft idea of our forlorn condition. A perfon may be poor, and yet owe nothing to any man: but fin is not merely want; it is pofitive debt. Again, a man who is both poor and in debt, may be healthy and strong; so that by diligence and hard labour, he may not only procure the neceffaries of life, but even be able in time to do juftice to his creditors but fin is disease as well as debt: it is the fickness of the foul, which wastes its ftrength, and renders it incapable of doing, nay, difinclined to attempt, any thing for the recovery of its health and vigour. Once more, the most infolvent debtor