To the Landlord he went the next day, and, in a conference, the Doctor presented to him the sad condition of his poor dejected Tenant; telling him how much God is pleased when men compassionate the poor:  and told him, that though God loves sacrifice, yet he loves mercy so much better, that he is pleased when called the God of Mercy.  And told him, the riches he was possessed of were given him by that God of Mercy, who would not be pleased, if he, that had so much given, yea, and forgiven him too, should prove like the rich steward in the Gospel, “that took his fellow servant by the throat to make him pay the utmost farthing.”  This he told him:  and told him, that the law of this nation—­by which law he claims his rent—­does not undertake to make men honest or merciful; but does what it can to restrain men from being dishonest or unmerciful, and yet was defective in both:  and that taking any rent from his poor Tenant, for what God suffered him not to enjoy, though the law allowed him to do so, yet if he did so, he was too like that rich Steward which he had mentioned to him; and told him that riches so gotten, and added to his great estate, would, as Job says, “prove like gravel in his teeth:”  would in time so corrode his conscience, or become so nauseous when he lay upon his deathbed, that he would then labour to vomit it up, and not be able:  and therefore advised him, being very rich, to make friends of his unrighteous Mammon, before that evil day come upon him:  but however, neither for his own sake, nor for God’s sake, to take any rent of his poor, dejected, sad Tenant; for that were to gain a temporal, and lose his eternal happiness.  These and other such reasons were urged with so grave and compassionate an earnestness, that the Landlord forgave his Tenant the whole rent.

The Reader will easily believe that Dr. Sanderson, who was so meek and merciful, did suddenly and gladly carry this comfortable news to the dejected Tenant; and we believe, that at the telling of it there was mutual rejoicing.  It was one of Job’s boasts, that “he had seen none perish for want of clothing:  and that he had often made the heart of the widow to rejoice.”  Job xxxi. 19.  And doubtless Dr. Sanderson might have made the same religious boast of this and very many like occasions.  But, since he did not, I rejoice that I have this just occasion to do it for him; and that I can tell the Reader, I might tire myself and him, in telling how like the whole course of Dr. Sanderson’s life was to this which I have now related.

[Sidenote:  Contented obscurity]

Thus he went on in an obscure and quiet privacy, doing good daily both by word and by deed, as often as any occasion offered itself; yet not so obscurely, but that his very great learning, prudence, and piety were much noted and valued by the Bishop of his Diocese, and by most of the nobility and gentry of that county.  By the first of which he was often summoned to preach many Visitation Sermons, and by the latter at many