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nothing the better for, if we do. Such is the exorbitant thirft of power and rank and wealth; always reftlefs and diffatisfied, always full of difcontents and disappointments. Again, fome of them prompt us to overvalue ourselves often to our great damage; and at the fame time provoke others to undervalue us; as do pride and vanity. Some, if they are accompanied with no pain, yet can make no pretence to giving any pleafure: as profanenefs. And the seeming pleasure of fome others is in reality fcarce more than getting rid of a torment, which a good mind would never have experienced. Such, and no better, is the joy of revenge. Nay, where criminal gratifications are the mott agreeable, as in fenfual indulgences; befides that they are ufually very fleeting and short-lived, perhaps an equal, perhaps a fuperior degree of them upon the whole, might by the means of prudence have been obtained confiftently with virtue: which doth not forbid the regular and feasonable and temperate fatilfaction of any defire, but only reftrains us within due and fafe bounds whereas the vicious, affecting immoderate and prohi bited liberties, are indeed the unhappiest flaves to their own lufts and fancies; efpecially when by a habit of yielding to them, they have taught them to claim, with abfolute authority, the most pernicious compliances. And in this fituation, how much inward anguish must there often lie hid under the gayest fhews of mirth and amusement; whether the foul be oppreffed by the fettled tyranny of a fingle paffion, or torn in pieces by the rage of oppofite ones, contending for mastery *! Then, what deftructive effects the fins of this kind have on the healths and fortunes of their votaries, difqualifying them, often in the beginning of life, for the enjoyment of every thing in which they placed the happiness of it, and expofing them to great diftreffes and fufferings throughout the remainder, is much too well known to need enlarging on, though much lefs confidered, than its importance requires.

But too many imagine, that, whatever others do, they fhall fin with difcretion: gratify their inclinations, and carry on their defigns

Sic diftrahuntur in contrarias partes impotentium cupiditates; cum huic obfecutus fis, illi eft repugnandum. Cic. Tufc. Disp. 1. 5. §. 20. Intus etiam in animis inclufæ cupiditates inter fe diffident atque difcordant; ex quo vitam amariffimam neceffe eft effici. Cic. de Fin. 1. 1. §. 13. Comp. §. 18.

defigas, of whatever fort they be, with fo much art, as to avoid all manner of bad confequences. But why do they imagine fo? It is hard enough to govern our paffions before they have been accustomed to indulgence. But first to indulge them, and then think to stop where we please, is a scheme that always hath deceived, and always will deceive, thofe who are weak enough to rely upon it. Virtuous behaviour hath plain and firm ground to ftand upon: but if once we quit our fure footing there, the declivity is endlefs, the tendency downwards will increase every moment, and how far we may be carried, God only knows. They have gone the most fatal lengths in fin, refolved at first, as much as you can do, to proceed cautiously: never once questioning but they could keep their refolution, till it was too late. And it may very foon be too late with any of us. For not only the habit of every vice leads men farther and farther in it, but the most different vices are strangely connected with each other: and he who intended to allow himself in but one seemingly harmless tranfgreffion, is drawn by it gradually, or hurried unawares, into numbers of worse, that end in his ruin; the grace of God being juftly withdrawn from fuch prefumptuous offenders.

But it will be objected, that however unprofitable some fins may be, yet others are peculiarly calculated for profit; as covetoufness, with its retainers, fraud and extortion: which the wife in their generation would never practife, unless they found the advantage of them, as they visibly do. Now if by advantage be meant, what should be meant, real happiness, they vifibly do not. Covetousness is peculiarly a miserable passion : and diftinguished by that very name of miferable in common fpeech. The temper itself is full of fears and cares, alarms and fufpicions. Then, in order to gratify it, every benevolent, if not every honeft, difpofition of our hearts must be contradicted; and when it rifes to a certain height, every innocent enjoyment of life, that carries the leaft expence with it, muft either be renounced, or grudged while it is tolerated. But without running to fuch extremes, to all avaricious minds the smallest loffes will be heavy misfortunes; and the greatest gains will want fomething of being fo great as they fhould have been. They muft undergo the pain of envying every one that is in circumVOL. II. Y y ftances

Luke xvi. 8.

ftances above them: they auft expect at the fame time the illwill of every one beneath them and after all, their unnatural cravings, far from being appeafed, will increafe much faster, than their poffeffions; and the more eagerly they endeavour to quench their thirst, the more fiercely it will return upon them. Or let us fuppofe, if you will, the defire of gain to be indulged, not with the abfurd view of hoarding to no purpose and no end; but for the delight of fatisfying more natural inclinations by the means of great wealth: yet, if these be moderate and reafonable, they may be very competently fatisfied without it; and, if they be exceffive, you have feen already that they are hurtful, and therefore ought not to have provifion made for

them.

:

If then covetoufnefs of both forts be unwife; fraud and extortion, which only ferve as inftruments of covetousness, cannot be beneficial. Bat on the contrary, they have peculiar disadvantages belonging to them. There are indeed inftances, too frequently, of riches acquired by indirect methods: but ftill difhonesty hath ruined many more than it hath raised: and the ruin of fuch is never pitied, and feldom retrieved. Fair deal ing is the plain path, which God hath marked out for mankind to go in and they who think to be too cunning for their Ma ker, are few of them able to depart from it without injuring themselves even now, as much or more than they do others. One half of the contrivance and circumfpection, that men are obliged to in a knavish way, would have enabled them to thrive very well in an honeft one, without the hatred and curfe of all around them, without the perpetual dread of being detected, and the lofs they muft fuffer, whenever that happens, (which feldom fails,) both by others declining to have any further concern with them, and perhaps by the penalties which the law will inflict on them. Or let them efcape thefe dangers ever fo well; yet how often doth it fall out, that either what they have acquired wickedly, they fquander foolishly, it may be wickedly too, and so nothing remains with them but the guilt of both; or, at leaft, pofterity, for whofe fake chiefly they have taken thefe unrighteous pains, dilipate in a few years what they have been accumulating in many; and very poffibly give them the torment, which they have well deferved, of fhewing them beforehand, that they will diffipate it! And thus is the

fcripture

fcripture warning verified: An inheritance may be gotten haf tily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed *.

You fee then how many and great the present and worldly inconveniences of wickednefs are; and I have dwelt on them fo largely, because present and worldly things are apt to affect us fo much. Yet ftill it must be acknowledged, that all of them do not follow conftantly, and that fometimes confiderable advantages in appearance may be gained by tranfgreffing our duty. But perhaps even then as confiderable ones of the fame kind may be loft by it; for men cannot have the benefit of two oppofite characters and behaviours at the fame time. Or, if every thing fhould happen to their wish, the probability notwithstanding lay greatly on the other fide: the contrary was to have been expected: and therefore no wise person would ever run the hazard, though now and then, fome one may chance to find his account in it.

But indeed we are as yet only in the first article of the account; and have by no means completed that. Not only the pofitive outward evils, that wickedness brings upon us, but the inward fatisfactions and comforts of which it deprives us, muft be taken in. Sincerity of good will, openness of confidence, faithfulness of friendship, tenderness of affection, consciousness of merited esteem, are the sweeteft ingredients in human life. Now all these, with all the complacency and joy of heart that flows from them, the wicked, by their ambitious, their covetous, their sensual purfuits, by their refentments, their falfehoods, their neglects, their provocations, exclude themselves from enjoying wear out from their hearts by degrees the most delightful fenfibilities of which human nature is capable; and leave nothing there, but the wretched feelings of hating or difregarding others, and being hated or difregarded by them. Then, in the various afflictions and croffes of life, in decaying health, finking fpirits, and declining age, a good man hath many supports, from the innocence and integrity of his past life, from the love and gratitude of his friends, from the firm belief of a wife and kind providence, continually watching over him. But none of these confolations belong to a wicked man, when he is in the fame condition: the things in which he placed his whole happiness have failed him and are gone; the companions Y y 2

Prov. xx. 21.

of

ftances above them: they auft expect at the fame time the illwill of every one beneath them: and after all, their unnatural cravings, far from being appeafed, will increase much faster, than their poffeffions; and the more eagerly they endeavour to quench their thirst, the more fiercely it will return upon them. Or let us fuppofe, if you will, the defire of ain to be indulged, not with the abfurd view of hoarding to no purpofe and no end; but for the delight of fatisfying more natural inclinations by the means of great wealth: yet, if these be moderate and reafonable, they may be very competently fatisfied without it; and, if they be exceffive, you have feen already that they are hurtful, and therefore ought not to have provision made for

them.

If then covetousness of both forts be unwife; fraud and extortion, which only ferve as inftruments of covetousness, cannot be beneficial. Bat on the contrary, they have peculiar difad vantages belonging to them. There are indeed inftances, too frequently, of riches acquired by indirect methods: but fill difhonesty hath ruined many more than it hath raised and the ruin of fuch is never pitied, and seldom retrieved. Fair deal ing is the plain path, which God hath marked out for mankindto go in and they who think to be too cunning for their Maker, are few of them able to depart from it without injuring themselves even now, as much or more than they do others. One half of the contrivance and circumfpection, that men are obliged to in a knavish way, would have enabled them to thrive very well in an honeft one, without the hatred and curfe of all around them, without the perpetual dread of being detected, and the lofs they muft fuffer, whenever that happens, (which feldom fails,) both by others declining to have any further concern with them, and perhaps by the penalties which the law will inflict on them. Or let them efcape thefe dangers ever fo well; yet how often doth it fall out, that either what they have acquired wickedly, they fquander foolishly, it may be wickedly too, and fo nothing remains with them but the guilt of both; or, at leaft, pofterity, for whofe fake chiefly they have taken thefe unrighteous pains, diffipate in a few years what they have been accumulating in many; and very poffibly give them the torment, which they have well deferved, of fhewing them beforehand, that they will diffipate it! And thus is the fcripture

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