desires are continually exerted, the suspense becomes, of course, continual also. A state of suspense is always a state of anxiety. Here, the anxiety is regularly great, and distressing; because the desires are incessant, eager, and sufficiently strong to control all the powers of the mind.

But this anxiety is unnecessarily suffered. All the prudence and industry, which can be lawfully exerted for the acquisition of wealth, may be employed, and all the property, which can be lawfully acquired, may be gained, without the exercise of a single avaricious feeling, and without the sufferance of a single avaricious anxiety. The contented man often becomes rich, to every desirable degree, amid the full possession of serenity, peace, and self-approbation.

Nor are the Labours of the avaricious man of a less unfortunate nature. His mind is continually strained with effort. The strength of his desires, goads him into an unceasing course of contrivances to gratify them. His thirst for property drives him to an incessant formation of plans, by which he hopes to acquire it. The fear of lessening what he has acquired, hurries him into an endless, and wearisome, train of exertions, to secure himself from losses. Thus, a course of mental toil is voluntarily assumed by him, resembling, not the independent labours of a freeman, but the drudgery of a slave. The mind of an old miser is thus in a continual state of travail; and struggles through life under the pressure of an iron bondage.

A mind, hurried by eager schemes of effort, is always a tyrant to the body. Accordingly, the bodily labours of the miser commence before the dawn; worry him through the day; and scarcely permit him to lie down at night. A mere dray-horse, he is destined to a course of incessant toil. The only changes of life to him are from dragging loads, to bearing burdens; and like those of the dray-horse, they are all borne, and drag. ged, for the use of others.

To the pains, springing hourly from this unintermitted toil, are added the daily reproaches of conscience; the sufferings of disease, and accident, to which such a life is peculiarly exposed; the contempt of those around him; the denial of their pity to his sufferings; and their universal joy in his mortification.

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3. The Good, which the avaricious man actually gains, is Uncertain..

Wealth is the only good, which he seeks. If this, then, is lost; he loses his all. Nothing can be more unwise, than to center all our views, wishes, and labours, in uncertain good. But the good of the miser is eminently uncertain. No truth is more attested by the experience of man, than that riches make to themselves wings as an eagle, and fly away towards heaven. The dangers, to which wealth is exposed, are innumerable. The schemes of its possessor, in spite of all human sagacity, will, at times, prove abortive. Flaws will, at times, be found in the written securities, with which he attempts to guard his gains. The formation of them will often be committed to unskilful, because they are cheap, hands. Incompetent, and unfaithful, persons will, at times, be trusted, because they offer peculiarly advantageous terms. Houses, notes, bonds, and deeds will, at times, be consumed by fire. Crops will fail. Ships will be captured, or providentially lost. his family will be sick. Debtors will abscond, or become bankrupt; and swindlers will run away with loans, which, in spite of avaricious prudence, they have obtained. In every case of such a nature, the miser's regrets are throes; his disappointments are agonies. The instinctive language of his heart is, Ye have taken away my gods; and what have I more?

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But Avarice often amasses wealth for its heirs. Solomon hated all the labour, which he had undergone, to acquire riches, because he should leave them to the man, who should come after him; and knew not whether he would be a wise man, or a fool.

This uncertainty attends every man, who amasses wealth. His destined heir, or heirs, may be wise, and prudent; inclined to such expenses only, as are useful; and prepared to preserve their inheritance, undiminished, for those, who shall come after them. But they may die before they receive their patrimony; and leave it to the possession of prodigals; to men, who will expend it for purposes, which the original owner most abhorred; and in a manner so rapid and wanton, as would, if he were living, scarcely leave him the possession of his reason. The intention of all men, who lay up property for their children, is unquestionably to do them good. How often is this intention defeated! The property accumulated is designed to make them rich. How often is it the very means of making them poor! It is bequeathed, to make them happy. How often is it the cause. of their ruin! How often is a splendid inheritance the source of idleness, profusion, negligence, gambling, rash adventure, and speedy beggary! To harass one's self through life, merely to promote these miserable ends, is certainly, if any thing is, vanity and vexation of spirit.

4. The avaricious man incapacitates himself to enjoy the very good, which he seeks.

In order to enjoy any kind of good, it is indispensable, that we should experience some degree of contentment; at least, during the period of enjoyment. But he, that loveth silver, will never be satisfied with silver; nor he, that loveth abundance, with increase. The desire of gain enlarges faster, than the most successful and romantic acquisitions; and, were pounds to be accumulated as rapidly, as the most favoured children of fortune multiply pence; the eager mind would still overleap the limits of its possessions, and demand new additions to its wealth with accelerated avidity. As these desires increase; the fear, the reluctance, to enjoy what is accumulated, are proportionally increased. The miser, instead of furnishing himself with more gratifications, and enjoying them more highly, as his means of indulgence are increased, lessens them in number and degree; and tastes them with a more stinted, parsimonious relish. His habitation, his dress, his food, his equipage, all become more decayed, mean, and miserable, continually; because he feels

less and less able to afford, first conveniences, then comforts, and then necessaries. Although he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth; yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof. A rich miser, who lives like a beggar, is only a beggar, dreaming that he is rich.

II. The Guilt of Avarice may be illustrated in the following

manner.

1. The disposition is in itself grossly sinful.

This truth the Scriptures have exhibited with peculiar force. Covetousness, saith St. Paul, is idolatry. Every person, who has read his Bible, knows that idolatry is marked in the Scriptures as pre-eminent sin; as peculiarly the abominable thing, which God says, My soul hates. Its enormity I have illustrated in a former discourse. It will, therefore, be unnecessary to expatiate upon it here. I shall only observe, as we are taught by St. Paul, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God.

Common sense has long since pronounced the avaricious man to be an idolater, in the adage, proverbially used to describe his character; that he "makes gold his god." Plainly, he prefers wealth to every other object; and consecrates his heart, his talents, and his time, to the single purpose of becoming rich. To this object he evidently postpones the real God; and neither renders to him, nor, while avarice predominates, can render, his affections, or his services. With such love of the world, the love of the Father cannot be united. But how sordid, how shameful, how sinful, is it thus to worship and serve a contemptible creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

By this disposition he, in whom it dwells, is unfitted for all his duty to God. Our duty to God is performed, if performed at all, from that supreme love to him, which is enjoined in the first, and greatest, command of the Moral Law. But the heart of the avaricious man cannot thus love God, because he renders this love to the world. He cannot worship God, because he worships gold. He cannot serve God, because he serves Mammon. Thus, his heart is alienated from his Maker; and his life employed in a continual and gross impiety.