there will be a greater proportion of wealth abiding with the men and in the families of the first, than in the second class? The general conclusion of mankind at least is that there will, from those well-known proverbs, that "Honesty is the best policy," and that "Ill-gotten wealth seldom prospers." If this is admitted, it settles the argument, by proving, that there is as great a preference given by God to the man of virtue and piety, in the acquisition of external things, as is consistent with his dealing with him as a free agent. Probably with respect to wealth, its moderate attainment in every country is in general the reward of industry and integrity; and without any particular interference of Providence, every honest and healthy man almost has it in his power to acquire sufficient, and more than sufficient, to provide food and raiment for himself and family. But we have every reason to think Providence so far orders events, that a good man is very rarely left in a state of actual destitution. Even Epictetus observes, "Such is the care the "immortal gods take of men, that when did you

see even a beggar, unless he was utterly worth"less, that ever perished for want?" And in his Psalms David observes as follows: "I have been

young, and now am old; and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging their "bread." Whereas there are few people who have

not observed how often a vicious and impious conduct has reduced men to beggary. So that in fact, even in the external things of this life, as great a distinction is made in favour of a virtuous pious man, as could possibly be made, consistently with the state and condition of human life, and without God's eternally overruling by miracle that natural course of providence and conduct, which he has been pleased to appoint shall prevail in human affairs, and by which we may observe many wise ends are promoted. For by this unequal distribution of the external things of life, the industry of many men is strongly excited to provide for themselves and their families; others are inspired by it with ambition and emulation to advance their fortunes. It gives life and spirit to the world, and makes it a busy scene of action: and however, from the concussion of their interests, and in those struggles for wealth and power which men are perpetually making, and in their endeavours to excel and rival each other, a great deal of folly and wickedness is shewn and perpetrated, and a great deal of misery and mischief is occasioned; at the same time, from these struggles, a great deal of good, as well as mischief, is accomplished: for by the manner in which men, as free agents, act in these struggles, is developed and manifested to the observance of God the degree both of virtue and vice which exists in their hearts. And without

this inequality of fortune, and uncertainty in human affairs and events, Providence itself would have little or nothing to do in them: for it is in the visible rewards of virtue, and in the ostensible punishment of wickedness in the changes of men's fortunes, (instances of which are frequently occurring,) that the dispensations of Providence are most conspicuously seen and displayed in this life. Thus when industry, prudence, and virtue advance men from a low and humble condition to splendid stations, to places of trust and honour; and when prodigality, luxury, and impiety bring misery, poverty, and contempt upon rich and noble families; such revolutions as these are great examples of the wisdom and justice of God: and therefore the inequality of men's fortunes is so far from being an objection against the goodness or providence of God, that there could be little visible exercise of either that goodness or providence without it.

Further, we have every reason to think it was never the intention of God that the heart of man should be too much set on this world, on either its riches, pleasures, or honours; and therefore the vicissitudes in these, and the many unfortunate occurrences we often see in this life, have a tendency to wean man from an improper attachment to these fugitive things; likewise to be a trial of his faith and confidence in God; and the occasional sufferings of the good, and prosperity of

bad men, is an evidence to him, and a very strong one, of a future state of retribution; and the consideration of this will or ought to be a just incentive to fit and qualify himself for that state, to which, beyond all doubt or question, it is the proper object of human wisdom and ambition to aspire. At the same time, the goodness of God foreseeing that a great deal of poverty and misery would occur in the world in consequence of this unavoidable inequality, he has provided an ample remedy for it, (if men would be obedient to his injunctions,) by sending man to his fellow-creature for relief; and accordingly he has stamped in a very strong manner on the breasts of most men a propensity and disposition to influence them, as free agents, to relieve this misery. Of the three great duties man is ordered to perform in this life, "to love mercy" is one; God has likewise made it so honourable to man to relieve the distresses of his fellow-creature, that there never yet was any nation so barbarous or so civilized, that did not love, honour, and esteem the man who distinguished himself by the godlike attributes of charity and benevolence; and, on the contrary, nothing can be a severer reproach to any man, in the judgment of all worthy people, than to be stigmatized with being a hard-hearted unfeeling character.

The reader of this Treatise is probably as well

G

or better acquainted with the Scriptures than the writer of it; and therefore it is unnecessary to make quotations of those numerous texts which must occur to his recollection, in which philanthropy, benevolence, and charity, are recommended and commanded to be observed by man to man: such an extract would make this a much larger volume than it is intended to be, for in almost every page of Scripture these duties are enjoined. God himself, in the strongest manner, enjoins them by Moses, and every one of his Prophets. Our Saviour makes the salvation of man chiefly to depend on their observance; and so do his Apostles. Therefore the strongest motives that can possibly actuate the conduct of a free agent are inculcated on the human heart, to relieve, as much as possible, that unavoidable misery and distress which an inequality of fortune must more or less occasion in the world: and more than this God could not do, without eternal miracles, or constantly overruling the free agency of man.

Now after this fair and candid consideration of the conduct of God in this instance to the human species, will any man censure his goodness, because all men are not equally rich, or have an equal portion of the good things of this life? It is impossible any person possessing reason or candour can with any justice do so. Without the least imputation, therefore, on the goodness of God, every