Blair Collection > Practical grammar of the antient Gaelic, or, Language of the Isle of Man, usually called Manks

'XXXII A SERMON.
If labour is thus natui'al and necessaiy to man, and the origin
of all separate property, inequality of condition, arising from
moral or natural causes, will necessarily take place in tlie forma-
tion of every society ; and tlie necessities of one man will be
greater than those of another ; " there will be high and low, rich
and poor, one with another/^* And though this law of provi-
dence may, at first sight, appear to be " a sore evil under
the sun^'t to individuals, yet, from this principle, and from this
circumstance of the mutual convenience and reciprocal depend-
ence of the various denominations of men in society upon one
another, are produced general good and universal happiness.
Under this conviction, the poor man should be resigned to his
lot, and, far from accusing Heaven for the hardships or difficul-
ties he endures, should make the best use of those means with
which he is endowed to remove them. Under this impression,
likewise, '' the man who is at ease in his possessions" should
contemplate his elevation v/ith gratitude, and reflect that the
same hand which humbled his poor brother might have depressed
him also. They should consider well their respective situations,
and meet each other's expectations in such a manner that, in the
event of a change of places, they should only have to pray that,
'' as they had done to others, even so it should be done unto
them." J And if ever this rule of universal justice, with respect
to the inferior orders of society, was attended to, — if ever the
condition of the poor was rendered capable of comfort, — it is so
at this period, and in this country, where the humane and mild
disposition of the law unites with the kind and tender genius of
the people, who, as they excel the rest of mankind in every other
virtue, excel them yet more in the practice of that Divine charity
which was brought to light by the Gospel of Christ; for not
only a public and legal provision is established throughout the
kingdom for the maintenance of the poor, but the private bounty
of individuals has instituted various means, in aid of the popular
establishments, to correct the inequalities and alleviate the dis-
• Td. xlix. 2. t Ecel. v. 13. % ^^iitt. vii. 12.