to earthly things be no other, nor greater, than is fuited to this end. That I may prefs this refolution upon you, allow me to propose the three following confiderations.

(1) Confider the unfatisfying nature of all earthly enjoyments. They do not at all carry in them that sweetness and excellence which worldly men fuppofe. Sin has drawn a mift of delufion over the minds of men. The inflamed and dif

ordered appetites of our corrupted nature always promise themselves, in worldly poffeffions, a fatisfaction infinitely greater than they are able to afford. We have this from the confeffion of many who have made the experiment with every poffible advantage. The book of Ecclefiaftes is an admirable and animated description of the vanity of human enjoyments. Solomon fecms to have been raised up in providence, for this among other ends, that he might leave behind him an account of the vanity of earthly greatnefs. And this is the title that he hath left written upon all that the world can give : Eccles. i. 2. "Vanity of vanities, faith the preacher, va"nity of vanities, all is vanity." Power and wealth, dignity and fame, variety of pleasures, nay knowledge itfelf, as a fource of present comfort, he affirms the vanity of them all Ecclef. ii. 11. "Then I looked on all the works "that my hands had wrought, and on the labour "that I had laboured to do: and behold, all "was vanity and vexation of fpirit, and there "was no profit under the fun." And towards the clofe of the fame book, ch xii. 12. he fays, * And

"And further, by thefe, my fon, be admonish "ed of making many books there is no end, " and much study is a wearinefs of the flesh.”

Have there not been innumerable examples of the fame teftimony in every age and country? And what fays your own experience ? or your obfervation of others? Do men indeed rife in comfort and fatisfaction, in proportion as they rife in ftation or opulence? On the contrary, do they not rather commonly increase in anxiety and difcontent? Do you indeed think, that those who appear in guilded equipages have always on that account the moft joyful hearts? Alas! there cannot be a greater mistake. Could you see what paffes within, there would appear ungoverned paffions, ungratified defires, and difappointed hopes; and could you enter their houfes, you would find weariness and impatience, family-diftrefs, family-diforders, and family-quarrels. It has been an old, and it is a moft juft obfervation, particularly upon avarice, That the defire ftill grows with the poffeffion. It is the fame with every other finful paffion. Indulgence does not gratify fo much as it in flames them. Let a man climb ever fo high on the ladder of ambition, he fees ftill others be fore him; and emulation and envy are as strong, or ftronger, between those who ftand on the adjoining fteps at the top as at the bottom. There is one particular remark, that ferves at once to fhow the vanity of the world, and the finfulness of human nature: The greater variety of worldly comforts any perfon poffeffes, he is not the

more

more, but the lefs content, under the want of

any one. hath been accustomed to obfequiousness or flattery, he is the more impatient of the leaft contradiction. The more abundant and universal respect that has been paid to any perfon, he is the more deeply wounded by neglect or contempt; as Haman, notwithstanding all his greatnefs, was quite unfatisfied while there remained one poor man in the king's gate who would not do him reverence. Take but one example more. If a man hath great and extenfive poffeffions, and is without children, he is but the more diftreffed to think, that so noble an eftate and family should be without an heir, and will often envy the families of the poor, as if it were hard measure, that he who had so many temporal mercies should not have all. Upon the whole, you may fee, that there is a double vanity in the prefent ftate. Created comforts are unfatisfying on the one hand, and human defires are infatiable on the other.

The more and the longer any perfon

(2) Confider the uncertainty of all earthly enjoyments. No circumftance whatever fhould more abate our attachment to the world than its inftability. What happiness can we receive from, or what value should we put upon thofe poffeffions, which may be taken from us the next moment ? The speedy, unexpected, and melancholy change, which often takes place from health to sicknefs, from wealth to poverty, from honour to contempt, I leave every hearer to meditate upon, from his own knowledge and ob.

fervation

fervation of human life; only I cannot help mentioning to you the ftrong language of the holy fcriptures, Prov. xxiii. 5. "Wilt thou fet

"thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches "certainly make themselves wings, they fly a"way as an eagle towards heaven." But the eircumftance upon this fubject to which I would particularly and chiefly point your attention, is, that our poffeffions and enjoyments of every kind are under the immediate and constant direction of Divine Providence. Believe it, Chriftians, and remember it, the providence of God reaches to every event that befalls you, however inconfiderable it may feem. It is God that

giveth you power to get wealth."-It is he by whom you are "diminished and brought low." -It is he that "raifeth up one, and putteth "down another." It is he that makes the "voice of joy and health" to be heard in your dwellings, or that "chaftifes you with pain, and "the multitude of your bones with ftrong pain." If this is the cafe, what reafon have you to be afraid of giving that love and fervice to any worldly enjoyment that is due to God? Will you" provoke him to jealoufy? are you ftrong

er than he?" If you fet your affections immoderately on any temporal poffeffion, he can immediately remove it, or turn it into gall and wormwood.

Instead of enumerating the feveral kinds of prefent enjoyments, I fhall only mention one, the defire of which is commonly very ftrong, viz. children or pofterity. Now, how eafily

can

can a holy and righteous God take away the defire of your eyes with a ftroke? Nay, in how many inftances is the life of children a heavier trial than their death itfelf? For I muft fay upon this fubject, as I have said often in your hearing, that to one that truly fears God, I do not know any temporal calamity equal to that of having profane or proffigate children.

But perhaps fome attentive hearer will hefitate a little, and say, I have not observed this to hold true in experience. Even pious perfons feem generally to bear the irregularities of ⚫ their children, though some of them very scandalous, much better than their deaths. Neither is it unfrequent to see them excufing or palliating the worst practices, from the partiali

ty of natural affection. Perhaps then I muft retract, or alter the affertion, and fay, it is either the heaviest trial, or the most dangerous temptation. But, after all, who can tell what floods of tears are fhed in fecret on this fubject? Parents may be often obliged to conceal their forrow from the world, because they know it would be treated with derifion. I the rather incline to this fuppofition in many cafes; for where indifference or partiality to the fins of children is fo plain that it cannot be denied, I fhould greatly fufpect the piety of fuch perfons, let the appearance or profeffion be as flaming as it will.

All your mercies, then, are in the hand of God, who can give or withhold, continue or withdraw them at his pleasure.

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