Feeling, as every partaker of human nature must feel, the unfatisfactory nature of all sublunary pleasure, we learn to look for it above the moon. If we found nothing but honey in this world, I fear that fome of the wifest among us would be contented with filling ourfelves with it, and would not suffer the repaft to be interrupted by thoughts of a better state. Adverfity teaches us to think of him who can fhew us the light of his countenance, and brighten the most gloomy fcene; to think of him who can lead us to waters of comfort, and feed us with manna in the wilderness.

Haft thou then found the honey of God's grace? rejoice, and thy joy fhall no man take from thee. Eat, indulge thy defire, and fear not. Thou canft never be injured by excefs. Grow in grace, by accuftoming thyfelf to whatever is pious and praise-worthy. The sweetness of a virtuous conduct, of a confcience void of offence, shall be honey to thy palate, health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

After all the various labours and cares of man in the pursuit of pleasure and a chief good, which in this discourse I have figuratively called honey, in imitation of the text, it is certain that his happiness will be best fecured by a truly virtuous and religious life.

The

The favour of God is undoubtedly the chief good of man. Obtain this, and every thing that is defirable will follow. No longer roam with wearied wing from flower to flower in the fading gardens of this world, for that which is to conftitute the true sweetness of life. Soar on the wings of faith and innocence to heaven; for there, and there only, canst thou find that honey with which thy soul shall be fatisfied. No fatiety, no sickness, shall be thè confequence of feeding on the heavenly sweets; but thou shalt enjoy perpetual health, and prolong thy life to eternity. Butter and honey fhalt thou eat, if thy palate is qualified to relish them; and thou shalt hunger no more, neither thirst any more for viler food. He who feeds all his children with food convenient for them, shall conduct thee to a land flowing with milk and honey, even the heavenly Canaan.

SERMON XXI.

HAPPINESS to be found rather in the Enjoyment of Health and Innocence, than in the fuccessful Pursuits of Avarice and Ambition,

JEREMIAH, xlv. 2.

And feeketh thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. For, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, faith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee, for a prey, in all places whither thou goeft.

PLIN

NY, the natural philofopher, who abounds in fabulous accounts, relates, that a certain fpecies of wildgoofe, in plucking up the roots of a plant on which it feeds, pulls with fuch violence as to leave her neck behind her. Incredible as the ftory is, it is emblematic of the worldly man; who, in his eager attachment to fome tranfient gratification or attainment, endangers his happiness, his health, his life, and his very foul. For the fake of the enjoyment of life, to lose the objects

objects for which life was bestowed, is a miferable folly; to prevent which, every effort of reafon and religion fhould be exerted. The thoughtless multitude, who haften on in the precipitate career of ambition, should be warned to reflect on the end of their pursuits, and to confider whither they are going, before they are loft in the wilderness of error.

The advice contained in the text, was addreffed to Baruch; but, as the Scripture was given for the direction of all men at all times, I fhall confider it lefs as a particular, than as a general, prohibition, intended for univerfal ufe, though to be understood under thofe limitations which reafon evidently prefcribes.

And feeketh thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. For, behold, I will bring evil on all flesh, faith the Lord; but thy life I will give thee, for a prey, in all places whither thou goest.

This paffage may, perhaps, be thus interpreted in a liberal paraphrase.

Art thou the flave of an exceffive and selfish ambition? Art thou feeking great things, merely to gratify thy pride and thy voluptuoufnefs? Seek them not. For riches and grandeur cannot remove natural evil; thofe fufferings, which I, for wife purposes, have deemed to be the lot of human nature.

But

I give thee existence. Be it thine to seek to render it happy by obedience to my laws, by a life of reafon and virtue, by fixing thine heart on folid and substantial joys, rather than on the fleeting objects of vice and vanity.

I wish to understand by great things, in the text, those which are falfely called great by the world; pre-eminent ftations, distinguished titles, affluent fortunes, fplendid manfions, equipages, and retinue. It never could be the intention of the Deity, to prohibit the aspiration of man after great excellence in moral and intellectual attainments. It is impoffible to be too good and too wife; for however, in the careleffness of common converse, those expreffions may be used, it is certain, that the excess intended to be fignified by them, destroys the very nature and exiftence of the qualities, thus carried to a pitch of extravagance.

may

But yet, the afpirant after wisdom and goodnefs deceive himself in the ardent purfuit even of excellent objects, if he is actuated by wrong motives, and aims at ends which religion cannot approve. Thus benevolence, adopted only as an atonement for fin, and practifed as a commutation for all other duties, ceafes to be laudable in the eye of Heaven, whatever great things it may ef

fect