First, into the reality of those spiritual

dangers, peculiar to the highest and loweft conditions of life.

will appear,

Whence

Secondly, the many defirable advantages of that Mediocrity of Fortune, (well expreffed by Food convenient for us) which happily falls to the lot of far the greater part of Mankind.

1. My first concern is with the spiritual dangers annexed to the extreme of Riches." Give me not Riches; left I be full, and deny Thee, and fay, who is the Lord ?"

It is a melancholy reflection, that the more men receive at the hand of God, the lefs inclined they fhould be to be thankful; less difpofed to confecrate his gifts to the purposes for which He beftowed them; viz. the furtherance of

his glory, the benefit of their fellow creatures, and, let me add, the comfort and fatisfaction of their own minds. For depend upon it, God never difpenfeth talents with an intent to deceive or hurt any one. It is his defign indeed to put the fincerity of our virtue to the test by the good or bad application we make of them. But "let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. Then is every man tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lufts, and enticed."

The good things of the world, when honeftly acquired, are without doubt the gift of God: And if duly employed in his fervice, to the ends before mentioned, may very properly be esteemed a blessing: Not only as they administer to the temporal neceffities, conveniences and rational enjoyments of the poffeffors themselves;

themselves; their relations and friends, neighbours and dependants; but as being inftrumental alfo to the increase of their own final felicity. The Servant in the parable, who, having been entrusted by his Lord with five talents, gained other five, was made Ruler over five cities. An allufion of notable encouragement to all who abound, fo to improve their greater fubftance, that their reward may be great in Heaven. Not that by improving their fubftance, we are to understand the doubling it in a literal fense; by adding field to field, and house to houfe. This must needs be far from our Lord's meaning; the tenor of whofe doctrine may convince any, that a covetous temper will prove but a bad title to fuperior happinefs, at the great Day of Retribution. The only effectual method of laying up treafures above, is to do good with them here below. And one reafon why a charitable and virtuous use

of Riches will enlarge the future recompence is, because in the prefent corrupt state of things, the temptations to abuse them are so many and importunate.

What thofe dangers are, which in a special manner attend upon fuperfluous wealth, may be collected from the words before us, viz. an exceffive indulgence in sensual pleasures-a contempt for Religion and an affectation of independancy. Mischiefs, that by an easy and almost natural tranfition follow upon each other. "Give me not Riches, faid

this wife obferver of men and manners, left I be full, and deny Thee, and say, who is the Lord ?"

Luxury and intemperance are indeed the first and leading vices, into the commiffion of which a commanding fortune is but too apt to delude the unhappy owner; ftrictly speaking unhappy, when harraffed

harraffed with the miferable effects of excess and riot. For what pleasure from affluence to a difeafed body, and a broken constitution? untimely and irrecoverably broken through indulged and therefore unruly appetites.

Nor is this all-Enflamed paffions war against the foul: They preclude ferious thoughts, fear the conscience, .and render it infenfible to every good impreffion. Hence an unenquiring, ignorant disbelief of divine truths; and a neglect of holy ordinances; ufually followed by a forgetfulness of God, and a virtual denial of his authority and providence; faying, if not with the mouth, at least in practice, “ Who is the Lord ?"

Such is the fatal progrefs when the first step is mistaken. Men, trusting in the multitude of their riches, take not God

for