But, my brethren, I find a strong inclination, to make another remark, though perhaps it may be thought of too refined and abstract a nature. It is, that the danger of affluence in leading to contempt of God, arifes from the nature of all fin as fuch. The original and firft fin of man was plainly affecting independence. They defired and expected to be as gods, knowing good and evil. And still fin properly confifts in withdrawing our allegiance from, and throwing off our dependence upon God, and giving, as it were, that esteem, love and fervice to ourselves, in one shape or another, that is due only to him. Now obferve, that affluence nourishes this mif take, and fuffering kills it. The more every thing abounds with us, the more our will is fubmitted to, and our inclination gratified on every subject; the more we look upon ourselves as independent, and forget our obligations to God. Whereas, on the other hand, disappointments and calamities open our blind eyes, and make us remember what we are. Was not the proud monarch of Babylon inspired with this delusive fenfe of independence, when he expreffed him felf thus: At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The King fpake and faid, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power,' and for the honour of my Majefty! But mark the more powerful word of the King of Kings. • While

While the word was in the King's mouth, 'there fell a voice from heaven, faying, O King • Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is fpoken, the kingdom is departed from thee! That this is the proper fource of worldly greatnefs, may be feen in the temper fuch perfons ufually acquire and fettle in, which is pride, infolence, and contempt of others. Nay, it appears still more clearly in fome few instances, in which the intoxication comes to its height, and the poor deluded mortal literally afpires to be confidered and treated as God. It may feen incredible, but we have the most authentic evidence that hiftory can afford, that fome men have demanded and received divine worship. This was the cafe, not only with Alexander the Great, who was really. an illuftrious prince, but with fome of the latter Roman Emperors, who were the meaneft and bafeft of all men. No wonder, then, that profperity makes men neglect God, when it prompts them to fit down upon his throne, and rob him of the fervice of his other fubjects.

Before I proceed to the other part of the Prophet's argument, fuffer me to make a few re-. marks for the improvement of what has been already faid. And,

1. See hence the great malignity and deceitfulness of fin. It hardly appears more strongly from any circumftance than that which has been the fubject of this difcourfe, viz. that the gifts of God, in the courfe of his providence, are fo

far

far from exciting our gratitude, in proportion to their number and value, that, on the contrary, those who receive moft' are ufually moft pro

fane. They make his favours inftruments of rebellion against him, and return contempt for his indulgence, and hatred for his love.

Let us not take occafion from this to gratify our own envy, by particular or personal reproach against those who are great, or have become rich amongst themselves; but let us act a far wifer and jufter part, and be humbled for the finfulnefs of our nature, and warned of the deceitfulness of fin. We may feel the feeds of this difpofition in us all. You find the wife man charging a fimilar ingratitude upon man in general. Because fentence against an evil work is not executed fpeedily, therefore the heart of the fons of men ◄ is fully set in them to do evil.' And do you not observe every day, nay, has it not turned into a proverb, that we think light of our mercies, fpiritual and temporal, when they are common and abundant? And what is the true and proper interpretation of this, but that the greater God's goodness is to us, commonly the less is our gratitude to him?

2. Let me befeech you to make a wife improvement of the advantages you enjoy over one another. Let them excite in you a holy emulation to testify your fenfe of fuperior bleffings, by fuperior piety and usefulness. Do you excel others in any refpect? Are you fuccefsful in

trade?

trade? Have you rifen to reputation? Are you exalted to offices of dignity? Are you endowed with capacity of mind? Can you remember the time when thofe were your equals who are now your inferiors? Do not look with infolence upon others, making odious, and perhaps unjust comparifons. Do not fwell in pride and felf-complacence, as if by your own power you had made yourselves to differ, but rather look the other way to God, who is the maker both of rich and poor, and pray that your thankfulness and duty to him exceed that of the poor man, as much as his liberality to you exceeds what he has thought proper to bestow upon him. This affords me an opportunity of relating a little piece of private history, that happened in Great Britain, and appears to me very worthy of remembrance, and very conducive to the ends of edification.

may

A gentleman of very confiderable fortune, but a ftranger to either personal or family religion, one evening took a folitary walk through a part of his own grounds. He happened to come near to a mean hut, where a poor man with a numerous family lived, who earned their bread by daily labour. He heard a voice pretty loud and continued. Not knowing what it was, curiofity prompted him to liften. The man, who was pioufly difpofed, happened to be at prayer with his family. So foon as he could diftinguifh the words, he heard him giving thanks with great affection to God, for the goodness of his Provi

dence

dence, in giving them food to eat, and raiment to put on, and in fupplying them with what was neceffary and comfortable in the prefent life. He was immediately, no doubt, by Divine power, ftruck with aftonifliment and confufion, and faid to himself, Does this poor man, who has nothing but the meanest fare, and that purchafed by fevere labour, give thanks to God for his goodness to himself and family, and I, who enjoy ease and honour, and every thing that is grateful and defirable, have hardly ever bent my knee, or made any acknowledgment to my Maker and Preferver! It pleased God, that this providential occurrence proved the mean of bringing him to a real and lafting fenfe of God and religion.

Let all perfons in health, quiet and plentiful circumstances, learn from the preceding discourse, what it is they ought clearly to guard against.Pride, fecurity, forgetfulness of God, are peculiarly incident to that ftate. Lo this,' faith_the Lord to Jerufalem, was the iniquity of thy fif ❝ter Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idlenefs was in her, and in her daugh ters, neither did fhe ftrengthen the hand of the poor and needy.' A ferious reflection on the obligation fuch lie under to God for what they have received in their continued dependence upon him, and the instability of all earthly things, would fave them from the hurtful influence of worldly profperity. To enforce this, I fhall only read the apoftolic charge to Timothy.

• Charge