be alledged that abundant poffeffions feem SER M, to give some advantage for the prefervation of XI. life, in as much as they afford a larger command of the neceffary means of health, and fafety from hurtful incidents, than a contracted fortune doth. I answer, that this turneth to very little account when we bring it to the teft of fact, and experience. How few are there of mankind whofe lives are lengthened out by their riches, or any advantage arifing from them? perhaps, they are the occafion of shortening the days of as many, and upon a just computation it will appear that men of lower ftations are as long lived as the great; the continuance and diffolution of life depending upon higher caufes,' and being under the direction of providence, without any connection with the circumftances of our wordly ftate.

2dly, As the being and the prefervation of a man's life do not confift in nor depend on the abundance of the things that he pofseffeth, so neither do the highest and best ends of it. It is certainly a queftion of the greatest importance, what are the true ends of life? about which men seem to be pretty well agreed in fpeculation, but are unhappily divided in practice, if we may judge by their pursuits which are are as various as

ŞER M. their affections. One is wholly devoted to XI. fenfual gratifications; another, indeed, mak

eth the heaping up wealth the main business of life; and fome are entirely governed by restless ambition and a luft of power; ftill however this is a point upon which we must allow ourselves to reafon, for to be blindly led by the mere impulfe of the inclination which happeneth to be uppermoft without examining it, is a conduct in which we can never be justified to our own minds, nor confequently enjoy a lafting and folid fatisfaction; because reason and confcience, if they have. no other share in our councils, will at least give us a continual uneafinefs in following the courfe which they do not approve. But may it not be taken for granted, fince none of us will pretend to difpute it, and to prove it would be too large an undertaking for my prefent defign, that the principal characters of the human life being, that it is rational and moral, the proper ends of it are fuch as thefe characters direct; to improve the fuperior powers of nature, and carry them to their just measure of perfection, to enlarge the understanding, and use reason aright, bringing the appetites in subjection to it, to cultivate the benevolent and devout affections, and thus by preferving an inward harmony

harmony to fulfil the law of our creation, SERM,
and approve ourselves to God? To all this XI,
every one muft fee riches are altogether fo-
reign, and can in no wife contribute. No
man is the wifer for the abundance of his
poffeffions, nor doth he increase in virtue,
whatever contrary effect they may have, at
leaft be the occafion of, as fad experience
fheweth they are, in many inftances. But,

Thirdly, The enjoyment of life doth not
confift in riches; and as this is the only end
which they have any pretence or appearance
of answering, if upon a fair enquiry, it fhall
be found that they come short of it, then it
muft owned they are what our Saviour calleth
them, deceitful; and his affertion in the text is
true, that life doth not in any fense con-
fift in them, which therefore is a strong ar-
gument to the purpose he
namely, against covetousness.
Let it be ac-
knowledged, that happiness is reasonably the
aim of all living; it is a defire deeply planted
in our nature of which we cannot poffibly
diveft ourselves; the value of life, and of
every thing in it, is to be estimated accord-
ing to the measure of happiness it yieldeth,
and may be justly said to confift in that which
affordeth the highest and the trueft enjoy-

applieth it to,

ment

1

!

SERM. ment. Here is the real motive of the covetXI. ous; that which attracteth their affections to, and engageth them in the eager pursuit of riches, is, that they promise themselves great and lasting satisfaction in the poffeffion of them. Perhaps they do not avow it even to their own minds, from a fecret consciousness, that it will not abide a fair trial, the uncertainty of riches, and their infufficiency to preferve an uninterrupted inward.contentment being fo very apparent upon the leaft reflection; but, undoubtedly, this is the prevailing prefumption in their hearts; and the only principle upon which an infatiable defire. of riches must rest, if it refteth on any at all, is this, that in proportion as they increase, they tend to render life eafy and happy. But whether this be a deliberate perfuafion in the minds of men, or only a ftrong unexamined prejudice, which hath the fame force and effect, I will enquire into the grounds of it, and endeavour to fhew that it is falfe, which will, I think, be a proper illuftration of the prefent fubject: For furely men will be determined in their choice and their pursuits in life, by the opinion they have of enjoyment or happiness; that will ftill be thought the most effential, which giveth the greatest profpect of it; and therefore, if, befides what

hath been already faid, it can be proved SER M. that abundance of worldly poffeffions will XI. not answer that end, there is no pretence of reason, by which the covetous can justify, themselves in the immoderate prosecution of them.

It is neceffary to obferve here, what every man must be convinced of upon the least reflection, that riches are not the immediate object of any original defire in the human nature. If we examine our whole conftitution, with all the primary affections which belong to it, we shall find that this hath no place among them. There are appetites which take their rife from the body, and center wholly in it, fuch as hunger and thirst; there are beauties difcerned in various fenfible forms, whether natural or contrived by art, which move our inclinations and give us pleasure; there are alfo affections in the mind of a higher fort to beings of our own fpecies, and other fenfitive and intelligent natures, and to moral qualities; none at all which terminate upon wealth, that is, upon poffeffing a large share of the productions of the earth, and the conveniencies of life, or the ready means of purchafing them as a peculiar property, and by way of diftinc tion from others. One fuppofition will VOL. IV. make

X