that befal them: let us not conclude, because we are more fortunate in this world than our neighbour, that therefore we are greater favourites with God than he. Perhaps God meant that these happy circumstances, as we account them, fhould be trials of our virtue, and, according as we use them, they fhould prove a bleffing or a curfe. If we bear ourselves with an even and compofed mind, and make use of those advantages we have above other men for the doing more good in the world than other men, and in the midst of our profperity neither vainly please ourselves, nor despise others, but walk reverently and humbly with our God in all our conversation; then we have some reason to conclude, that these things are really a bleffing to us. But, on the other fide, if our profperity tempts us to pride and infolence, to the forgetfulness of God and the contempt of men; if we use the advantage of our power to opprefs the weak, and of our wit to over-reach the fimple, and our wealth to minifter to the purposes of vice and luxury, to make provifion for the flesh to fulfil the lufts thereof; then our great fucceffes, by which we measure God's love to us, are not a bleffing, but a curfe. See then the folly and madness of those, that take not God for their strength; but truft to the multitude of their riches, and strengthen themselves in their wickedness, and think by these means to befortified against the evils of this life! There are numberless calamities, from which wealth and power can never shelter us: and therefore when a man lets go his truft in God, and takes fanctuary in the strength of his own wickedness, he will find himself miferably mistaken, when the day of adversity comes upon him. Our virtue is at leaft as much endangered by opulence, which adminifters numberless incentives toluxury, and temptations to infolence, as it is by poverty. Nay, fome who before seemed to want nothing but an ample fortune, as foon as they have acquired that, have from that time wanted almost every thing else to make them valuable. The heat and warmth of profperity has called forth those vices, which lay dormant before under the rigour of poverty. What numbers have shortened their days by abandoning themselves to all unmanly plcafures of a diffolute life; who, if they had not been born to an affluent independent ftate, might

have made a distinguished figure in the world? if they had not had a fortune to fupport their follies, and keep pace with their lewd defires; they might have thought it neceffary to lay in a stock of moral and intellectual endowments. After all, I am far from denying, that riches gives us larger opportunities of doing good: that several make this use of them, and improve their own, by enlarging the common stock of happiness; their religion, like the altar, that fanctified the gold, stamping a value upon, and dignifying, their fortune: But this I affirm, that unless we guard against criminal exceffes, riches will, as the apostle expreffes it, bring us into a fnare, and into many hurtful and foolish lufts, and fuch as drown men in perdition. Such confiderations as these are the happy fruits of contentment, and muft neceffarily exclude all ambition from the heart poffeffed with them.

To cove

Thirdly, By this we are inabled alfo to make a neceffary ftand againft covetousness, which is fuch an inorditoufness. nate defire of increafing our own fubftance, as tempts us to use the irregular methods of defrauding and deceiving our neighbour. Be not eagerly and anxiously defirous of what the providence of God hath not thought fit to allot thee: benot envious at what others enjoy: be not difcontented with thy own state and condition in the world. Such a defire of increafing our poffeffions, as tempts us at any time to use the irregular methods of defrauding or incroaching upon our neighbours, is finful. It will be wisdom to be easy, though we should compafs no more than a fubfiftence: for covetoufnefs is never fatisfied. Don't we fee men arrive at one enjoymentafter another, which once feemed the top of their ambition? and yet they are fo far from contentment, that their defires grow fafter than their fubftance; and they are as eager to improve a large eftate, as if they were still drudging for food andraiment; which should be the bounds of our defires. Thus the mifer has fo clofely affociated the ideas of happiness and money, that he cannot part or keep them afunder even when near the concluding fcene of his life; and, at the fame time that he grows more indifferent to every perfon in the world, he becomes more ftrongly attached to the things of it. It was against his covetoufnefs, or unbounded defire, that Chrift

faid,

faid, Take heed and beware of covetoufnefs; for man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. Both reafon and religion command a prudent care of our affairs; and a contented mind will not allow us to exceed herein which we alfo may do by engaging in more cares than we can manage with compofure of mind, or by fuffering any cares to run out into anxiety and discontent. Because whoever from defire of gain do drown themselves in such a hurry of business as is beyond their capacity to manage, defeat their own end, and hurt their fouls; not having a reasonable time to attend their better interests. Those, that are not fatisfied with having acted the prudent part, and to leave the event to God, but torment and rack their minds about that which is not in their own power, take that thought for the morrow, which our Saviour has condemned.

The neceffity of this virtue, therefore, in oppofition to covetousness, will yet appear more clearly, upon a due confideration that covetoufnefs is contrary ness contraCovetousto God, our neighbour, and ourselves: for, as our ry to our Saviour tells us, We cannot ferve God and mam- duty to God. mon fo it is a general observation, that a covetous man makes his gain the fole object of his defires, prefers his worldly business to the care of his foul, and will rifque his very falvation, by lying, cheating, and neglecting his duty to God, in order to make what, in the eye of the world, is called a good bargain; and sticks at no fin to compass his ends.* And,

In regard to our neighbour: Covetoufnefs is a breach both of justice and charity, for he, that makes no scru- To our ple to offend God, and to neglect the great duties neighbour. of religion, in order to get money, will never be afraid to trick his neighbour. And as the love of money is the root of all evil, fo the man that is fwayed with that love, will not fcruple to facrifice both his neighbour's body, goods, and reputation, to gather riches to himself.

In regard to our felves: Does he not fell his foul for those things, which at last must perish with the body? To ourYet this is the cafe of the covetous man, who, either felves.

See Sunday 11. Sect. II.

by

[Sund. 14. by unlawful means, feeketh to heap up riches, or, having this world's goods, fets his heart upon his wealth: for this is the fentence of the apostle: He shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Befides, it is too commonly seen, that he will scarce allow his own body the neceffary refreshments and conveniencies of life. Therefore, as we regard our prefent and future comfort and happiness, it is our duty to feek for the virtue of contentednefs, which will guard us against this fin of covetoufnefs; by which our body and foul are brought into mifery. Our duty to God and charity to our neighbours induce us to take pleasure in the welfare of others, whether we fhare in it perfonally or not. Shall my eye be evil against my neighbour, becaufe God is good to him? Contentment, as well as charity, envieth not. Whoever is poffeffed with contentment will not allow himself under any inconveniencies to venture upon the violation of his confcience to remove them; nor mend his circumstances by any acts of fraud or violence, or by making shipwreck of faith and a good confcience towards God and man. II. If we obferve the various mercies, which actually atHelp to contend us in every state, they will strongly oblige us tentedness. to be content. Our circumftances are never fo low and uneafy in this world, but there are fome mixtures of mercy and favour to be found therein. Though we lofe fome relation, yet others are left behind. Though we meet with fome disappointments, yet are we not quite ftript. See if there be no inftances of a ftraiter condition than our own; and is it notingratitude to God to overlook the advantageous parts of our condition? Short life, and the approaches of death, fpeak the reasonableness of contentment with our prefent ftation: and view the finished mifery of finners, that have fhot the gulf, who have not fo much as a drop of water to cool their tongues; then say, Wherefore fhould a living man complain? Anxiety and uneafinefs is not the way to amend our circumstances. Discontent is not the way to the favours of providence; nor leads it to the proper fteps for the obtaining our defires, but provokes God to be contrary to us, and difcompofes our fouls; adds the weight of guilt to any burthen; ftops the enjoyment of the mercies we have, and our thankfulnefs for them; and

is the parent of many great fins, and a difcouragement to our christian profeffion in the fight of all men. They, who are continually complaining of inconveniencies, feem capable of relishing any thing but heaven; for which a complaining temper will by no means prepare them. Whereas not to repine at the inconveniencies we meet with here may bring us to that place, where only there are no inconveniencies at all. And he, who is not difcontented with a flender portion of bleffings, may have the greatest bleffing of all, the Deity to be his portion for ever and ever. But

without con

The apostle had learned to be content, in whatever state he was; not because he could chufe his condition, but because by the grace of God he could be reconciled to any state. Men mifplace their discontent; they are very well fatif- No real fu fied with what they are; they are only diffatisfied tisfaction with what they have. Whereas the very reverse tentedness. ought generally to take place, and the only defire which we ought to fet no bounds to is that of increasing in goodness. Aflender allotment of worldly bleffings will content an easy, modeft, humble frame of mind: and no allotment whatever, no affluence how great foever, can fatisfy an uneafy, restless, fretful temper, ever seeking rest and finding none, making to itself difquietudes when it meets with none, and improving them when it does. Our wants according to nature's measures are small, but according to fancy's they are infinite. Would men but be perfuaded to make their nature and their reason the measure of their wants, they might always live next door to fatisfaction. People judge wrong, when they imagine to be affured of content, if they could obtain such a comfort, which their hearts are set upon; for when they are gratified in their defire, a worldly mind will outgrow their attainments, new wants will start up, and they will be as far from fatisfaction as at their first setting out. Let us single out whom we please: yet there are very few, whom we would exchange conditions with, all circumftances confidered, in every particular. Such an one we take to be, in general, very happy: but, if we descend to particulars, and take into the account, it may be, his age, or his health, or his perfon, or his abilities, or his temper, or his behaviour; we