rich. And thus to lay up money is no more consistent with good confcience, than to throw it into the fea. 5. We must rank among them, 4. All who poffefs more of this world's goods, than they use according to the will of the donor; I fhould rather fay of the proprietor, for he only lends them to us or to speak more ftri&ly, intrufts them to us as ftewards; referving the property of them to himself. And indeed he cannot poffibly do otherwife, feeing they are the work of his hands; he is and must be, the poffeffor of heaven and earth. This is his unalienable right; a right he cannot divest himself of. And together with that portion of his goods, which he hath lodged in our hands, he has delivered to us a writing, fpecifying the purposes for which he has intrufted us with them. If therefore we keep more of them in our hands, than is neceffary for the preceding purposes, we certainly fall under the charge of defiring to be rich: over and above that we are guilty of burying our Lord's talent in the earth and on that account are liable to be pronounced wicked, because unprofitable fervants, 5. All 6. Under this imputation of defiring to be rich, fall Lovers of Money. The word properly means, thofe that delight in money, thofe that take pleasure in it, thofe that feek their happiness therein, that brood over their gold and filver, bills or bonds. Such was the man defcribed by the fine Roman painter, who broke out into that natural foliloquy, Populus me fibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipfe domi quoties nummos contemplor in area. If there are any vices which are not natural to man, I.fhould imagine, this was one: as money of itself does not feem to gratify any natural defire or appetite of the human mind: and as during an observation of fixty years, I do not remember one inftance, of a man given up to the Love of Money, till he had neglected to employ this precious talent, according to the will of his mafter. After this, fin was punifhed by fin, and this evil fpirit was permitted to enter into him. 7. But befide this grofs fort of Covetoufnefs, the Love of Money, there is a more refined fpecies of Covetousness, mentioned by the great Apoftle, gia: which literally means, a defire of having more, more than we have already. And thofe alfo come under the denomination of, they that will be rich. It is true that this defire, under proper restrictions, is innocent: nay, commendable. But when it exceeds the bounds, (and how difficult is it not to exceed them?) then it comes under the prefent cenfure. 8. But who is able to receive thefe hard fayings? Who can believe that they are the great truths of God? Not many wife; not many noble; not many famed for learning: none indeed who are not taught of God: and who are they, whom God teaches? Let our Lord anfwer, If any man be willing to do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. Those who are otherwife minded, will be so far from receiving it, that they will not be able to understand it. Two as fenfible men as most in England, fat down together fome time fince, to read over and confider that plain difcourfe, on Lay not up for yourfelves treasures upon earth. After much deep confideration, one of them broke out, "Pofitively, I cannot understand it. Pray, do you underland it, Mr. L?" Mr. L. honely replied, "Indeed, not I. I cannot conceive what Mr. W. means. I can make nothing at all of it." So utterly blind is our natural underflanding, touching the truth of God! 10. Having now explained the former part of the text, They that will be rich, and pointed out in the cleareft manner I could, the perfons fpoken of: I will now endeavour, God being my helper, to explain what is fpoken of them, They fall into temptation, and a fnare, and into many foolish and hurtful defires which drown men in deftruction and perdition. They fall into temptation. than fimply, they are tempted. they fall plump down into it. about, and cover them all over. This feems to mean much more Of those who thus enter into temptation, very few escape out of it. And the few that do, are forely fcorched by it, though not utterly confumed. If they escape at all, it is with the skin of their teeth, and with deep wounds that are not easily healed. 11. They fall, fecondly, into a fare, the fnare of the devil, which he hath purpofely fet in their way. I believe the Greek word properly means a gin, a fteel-trap, which fhews no appearance of danger. But as foon as any creature touches the fpring, it fuddenly clofes, and either crushes its bones in pieces, or configns it to inevitable ruin. 12. They fall, thirdly, into many foolish and hurtful defires: åvokrovs: filly, senseless, fantastic: as contrary to reason, to found understanding, as they are to religion: hurtful, both to body and foul, tending to weaken, yea, destroy every gracious and heavenly temper; destructive of that faith which is of the operation of God; of that hope which is full of immortality; of love to God and to our neighbour, and of every good word and work. 13. But what defires are these? This is a most important queftion, and deferves the deepest confideration. In general, they may all be fummed up in one, The defiring happiness out of God. This includes, directly or remotely, every foolish and hurtful defire. St. Paul expresses it by Loving the creature more than the Creator: and by being Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. In particular, they are (to use the exact and beautiful enumeration of St. John) the defire of the flesh, the defire of the eyes, and the pride of life: all of which, the defire of riches naturally tends both to beget and to increafe. 14. The defire of the flesh is generally understood in far too narrow a meaning. It does not, as is commonly fupposed, refer to one of the fenfes only, but takes in all the pleasures of fenfe, the gratification of any of the outward fenfes. It has reference to the taste in particular. How many thoufands do we find at this day, in whom the ruling principle is, the defire to to enlarge the pleasure of tafing? Perhaps they do not gratify this defire in a grofs manner, fo as to incur the imputation of Intemperance: much lefs fo as to violate health or impair their underftanding by gluttony or drunkennefs. But they live in a genteel, regular fenfuality, in an elegant epicurifm, which does not hurt the body, but only deftroys the foul, keeping it at a diftance from all true religion. 15. Experience fhews, that the Imagination is gratified chiefly by means of the eye. Therefore the defire of the eyes, in its natural sense is, the defiring and feeking happiness in gratifying the Imagination. Now the Imagination is gratified either by grandeur, by beauty, or by novelty: chiefly by the laft: for neither grand nor beautiful objects pleafe, any longer than they are new. 16. Seeking happiness in learning, of whatever kind, falls under the defire of the eyes; whether it be in history, languages, poetry, or any branch of natural or experimental philofophy: and we must include the feveral kinds of learning, fuch as yea, Geometry, Algebra and Metaphyfics. For if our fupreme delight be in any of these, we are herein gratifying the defire of the eyes. 17. The pride of life (whatever elfe that very uncommon expreflion ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου may mean) feems to imply chiefly, the defire of honour, of the esteem, admiration and applause of men: as nothing more directly tends both to beget and cherish pride, than the honour that cometh of men. And as riches attract much admiration, and occafion much applaufe, they proportionably minifter food for pride, and fo may also be referred to this head. 18. Defire of cafe, is another of thefe foolith and hurtful defires: defire of avoiding every crofs, every degree of trouble, danger, difficulty: a defire of flumbering out life, and going to heaven, (as the vulgar fay) upon a feather-bed. Every one may obferve, how riches firft beget, and then confirm and increafe this defire, making men more and more foft foft and delicate, more unwilling, and indeed more unable, to take up their cross daily, to endure hardship as good foldiers of Jefus Chrift, and to take the kingdom of heaven by violence. 19. Riches either defired or poffeffed, naturally lead to fome or other of thefe foolish and hurtful defires; and by affording the means of gratifying them all, naturally tend to increase them. And there is a near connexion between unholy defires, and every other unholy paffion and temper. We eafily pafs from thefe to pride, anger, bitterness, envy, malice, revengefulnefs; to an headftrong, unadvifeable, unreproveable fpirit: indeed to every temper that is earthly, fenfual, or devilifh. All thefe the defire or poffeffion of riches naturally tends to create, ftrengthen and increase. 20. And by fo doing, in the fame proportion as they prevail, they pierce men through with many forrows: forrows from remorse, from a guilty confcience: forrows flowing from all the evil tempers which they infpire or increase: forrows infeparable from those defires themselves, as every unholy defire is an uneafy defire; and forrows from the contrariety of thofe defires to each other, whence it is impoffible to gratify them all. And in the end they drown the body in pain, difeafe, deftruction, and the foul in everlafling perdition. [To be continued.] An ACCOUNT of Mr. CHRISTOPHER HOPPER. Coln, May 20, 1780. I Rev. and dear Sir, Never had the least defire or design to trouble others with my infignificant Life. I know how difficult it is for a man to speak of himself: but as you defire it, I will do as well as I can. |