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SERM. a virtue, and very suitable to the prefent VI. ftate of men, whatever their station and circumftances in life be; but above that contempt which generally attendeth ab ject poverty, and those temptations to which many are exposed by it, according to Agur's prayer, Prov. xxx. 9. That I may not be poor, and teal, and take the Name of God in vain. But efpecially, wealth may be valued as the means and the ability of doing good in a religious and moral Senfe; of justice, and promoting the interest of truth and vir tue, of beneficence and compaffion, relieving the neceffities of the poor, and in refpects of being profitable to men.

many Riches,

then, are in their own nature indifferent, capable of being used, and in fact they are ufed, either to good or bad purpofes; and fince they have an aptitude to the former as well as the latter, it is no dishonour to wifdom to place them in her gift, though a left-hand gift, as Solomon expreffeth it, and of an inferior nature.

But the question is concerning the tendency of virtue to the acquifition of wealth. Let it ftill be remembered that this is not the principal advantage of religion, nor at all the proper reward of it from the hand of the great judge in purfuance of his promises

or

or declared rule of proceeding with his fer- SERM, vants and followers; there is therefore no VI. neceffary connexion between virtue and riches, which are not always to men of underftanding, as Solomon obferveth, Ecclef. ix. 11. nor indeed to the beft men; fometimes the ungodly profper in the world, and increase in riches, as the Pfalmift faith, and maketh it the fubject of a grievous com plaint, Pfal. lxxiii. 7. Their eyes ftand out with fatnefs, they have more than their heart could wish; yet, generally speaking, and in the ordinary courfe of things, virtue is the fureft way of thriving in this world, which may be thus accounted for.

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We find by experience that men ordina rily acquire riches by their parfimony, their industry, and their credit; now, to all these the moral virtues comprehended in wisdom are eminently ferviceable. Firft, men grow rich by fparing, by avoiding extravagant and confuming expences, by living within their eftates, fo as their incomes or ordinary ace quifitions, the fruits of their industry, ex+ ceed their confumption; for the contrary must tend to poverty. But the natural effect of temperance, chastity, humility, is te retrench a great many exorbitancies: When men, by the direction of these virtues, have

formed

SERM. formed the difpofitions of their minds, and VI. by their influence have learned moderation, to be content with a little, and to deny the of life, and that falfe appearance of pomp greatness, which is imagined to be in fumptuous living, this must of course cut off a great deal of expence, which the pride, and vanity, and luxury of others maketh them liable to. Solomon fays, Prov. vi. 26. By means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and, in chap. xxix. 3. He that keepeth company with harlots Spend eth his fubftance. And it is certain that gluttony, drunkenness, and the pride of life, the affecting an unneceffary fhew of magnificence and grandeur, which are all contrary to virtuous wisdom, must have the fame. effect. There is, it is true, a fordid parfimony, which is itself a vice; and a withholding more than is meet, which as it tendeth to poverty, fo is altogether inconsistent with charity; but true virtue avoideth both extremes, the abject meannefs of the covetous, as well as the foolish expensiveness of the prodigal.

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Again; diligence is neceffary to the acquiring of riches. Our author's obfervation is, Prov. x. 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a flack band, but the hand of the dili

gent

gent maketh rich; and, in his account, dili- SER M. gence is a part of wisdom. He infifteth a VI. great deal in this book on the evil of floth, and particularly fheweth its tendency to poverty; which indeed is too plain both from reafon and experience to need any illuftration; but at the fame time reprefenteth floth as folly, as in itself very finful, and directly contrary to what virtue would incline men to. It is the reproach of a reasonable nature, a neglect of the talents, the active powers and opportunities God hath given, for our improvement of which we are accountable to him, and upbraided even by the brute kinds, which in their narrow spheres are induftrious to answer their proper ends of life.

3dly, Confidering men as in civil fociety, and having traffick and commerce with one another, mutual confidence is of great advantage for their getting riches. As induftry and the diligent improvement of the fubftance one hath in his hands, or his ability, of whatever kind it is, is the only ordinary means of becoming rich; he who is trusted hath the advantage of improving upon another's ftock as if it were his own; but what is it that procureth fuch credit? Certainly the reputation of virtue, of justice,

honesty

SERM. honefty, and fidelity. It is true, fomething VI. elfe is neceffary to what is commonly called

credit, that is, the opinion of a man's having a fund or ability to discharge the obligations he is under in point of right and property; for the want of ability, as well as of honesty, may be the occafion of his failing in it; but then there must neceffarily be an opinion of his integrity; and what can -establish that opinion, and fuch a character in the world, but a virtuous course of life, practifing conftantly the things which are -honeft, juft, and true?

And, in the laft place, honour is bestowed by wisdom, or is the effect of virtue. Honour fignifieth that efteem, with the outward tokens and expreffions of it, which men have in the world; and it may be confidered as flowing from external advantages, particularly riches and power; for from thefe inequalities of condition, which affect civil fociety, especially power, ariseth a diftinction of refpect; and in this sense the tendency of virtue to honour may be illuftrated the fame way as its tendency to riches; that is, honour is procured by the fame means by which this ordinary fource of it is procured, namely, by frugality, by diligence; for, fayeth Solomon, Prov. xii. 24.

The

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