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his exiftence? Can he have any claim or title to the joys of a future ftate, who does not believe that there is any? Or, is it probable, that whilst the infidel is trying to fubvert the kingdom of God, he fhould ever be admitted into it? What then, after all, is this darling object of our wifhes and defires, thus univerfally beloved and fought after? Does it beftow pleafures adequate to the toil and labour of the acquifition? fuitable to the dignity of our na ture, and productive of folid and lafting hap pinefs? Does it not, as is evident from what we have advanced, on the other hand, often deftroy our peace here, and ftill more often endanger our eternal reft and felicity hereafter? What has the rich man to do therefore in this perilous fituation? Is there a neceffity that he throw all his treafures into the ocean, to lighten the veffel, and preferve himself from the ftorm? Or doth Chrift require of us, as he did of the young man in the Gofpel, to leave all before we can pretend to follow him? Who then, as the difciples faid, can be faved? But with God, as Chrift himself aftured us, all things are poffible: it is poffible even for the rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The journey indeed requires ftrength, toil, and refolution; but the path is visibly enough pointed out to us. From the most poisonous herbs may fometimes be extracted the most falutary medicines; and, in the fame manner, from that affluence, which gives growth to fo many dangerous and deftructive paffions, a plentiful harveft of virtues may fpring up and

flourish:

flourish: if we can root up the weeds of pride, avarice, luxury, and idlenefs, and plant in their room the feeds of humility, fobriety, gratitude benevolence, and charity, we may be happy here, and at the fame time procure to ourselves the promise of being much more fo hereafter.

The rich might enter into the kingdom of heaven, if they would be humble, meek, and lowly if they would confider the affluence that is bestowed on them, not as rewards of their merit, but trials of their virtue; that the larger the talent which is intrusted to them, the more care and affiduity is required on their part, to make a proper ufe of it; and that the higher they are raised above their fellow-creatures, the more neceffary, and at the fame time the more amiable, would be their condefcenfion towards them.

2dly, The rich might enter into the kingdom of heaven, if they would always be grateful and pious to their divine Benefactor; if they would seriously and frequently reflect on his unbounded undeferved goodnefs towards them; if they would confider how graciously God hath dealt with them, and how deeply they are indebted to him.

3dly, and lastly, The rich would be always benevolent and charitable, if they were fuffi ciently fenfible of God's bounty and benevolence to them; they would be charitable even for their own fakes, if they knew the pleasures which the good mind feels in bestowing, and

acknow

acknowledge that it is far more blessed to give

than to receive.

By these means, and by thefe alone, may the rich man avoid the hard fentence which Chrift pronounced against him: thus may he, in fpite of all the temptations of affluence, and all the dangers of profperity, partake of thofe joys which God hath prepared for his good and faithful fervants: thus may he leave the poor and unfatisfactory pleafures of this world, for riches far more defirable, and treafures infinitely more valuable, and enter at last into the kingdom of God, through the merits and mediation of our bleffed Saviour and Redeemer.

ON

DISQUIETUDE.

SERMON

PSALM XLII. 14.

XXXIV.

Why art thou fo vexed, O my foul, and why art thou fo difquieted within me?

IF

F we look through the whole creation, and obferve the various orders of beings, we fhall perceive, to our fhame and confufion, that every one feems fatisfied with that share of life and happinefs which God hath appointed for it, man alone excepted, who has the

ftrongest

ftrongest reason to adore the goodness of his Maker, and yet feems leaft fenfible of it. Pleased with nothing that his bounty imparts, unless bleffed with every thing that his power can beftow; oppreffed beyond measure with real, and even finking under imaginary misfortunes; repining at the decrees of Providence, and refufing to enjoy what he has, through a ridiculous and perpetual defire of what he has not. And yet, as much as the discontented and ungrateful man complains of the ills of life; great and repeated are the favours, many and folid the bleffings, which God, of his infinite goodness and mercy, every day and every hour, pours down upon us.

Man, as the Pfalmift says, nevertheless walketh in a vain fhadow, and difquieleth himfelf in vain. Amidft all the bleffings of this lite, he is ftill unhappy. Now and then indeed he is forced, as it were in fpite of himself, to lofe fight of this dreary profpect, to turn his thoughts inward, and reflect on his condition, to acknowledge the goodness of God towards him, to reproach his own heart for his unjuft complaints, and to cry out with David, Why art thou fo vexed, O my foul! The goodness of God doth fo graciously provide for our necef fities, prevent our wants, and turn afide our calamities, that we must be obliged, in fpite of all our cafual afflictions, to acknowledge with the Pfalmift, that the question in the text is not easy to be refolved, Why art thou fo vexed, O my foul, and why art thou fo dif quieted within me?

A thoufand

A thousand unthanked for bleffings, a thoufand undeferved favours, are conferred on us: where one fenfe is defective, another is more excellent; where one bleffing is withheld from us, it is generally fupplied by another no lefs defirable. Our lives indeed are not to be paffed over without ever tafting the cup of forrow; but then God of his mercy hath ordained that thofe afflictions which are exceeding fharp, thofe pains that are unto death, are feldom lafting; and fuch as are of longer duration, admit of frequent paufes and intermiffions. We have, in fhort, the greatest reafon to be thankful to our Creator that we are not more miferable, when we reflect how much we deferve to be fo. But that both the folly and guilt of perpetual difquietude may appear the more evident to us, I fhall endeavour, in the following difcourie,

First, To point out to you fome of the various caufes of this univerfal discontent and difquietude amongst men. And,

Secondly, Lay before you the most probable means of effectually removing them.

And firft, then, We fhall not fo much wonder at the difquietude of mankind, if we ferioufly reflect on the natural and genuine caufes of it.

Men, it hath been frequently observed, are very ingenious in tormenting one another, and they are perhaps no lefs fo in finding out methods to torment themselves. Human nature hath indeed fubjected us to fome diftreffes, and we have created as many more.

Where

the

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