IV.

SERM. It is Goa, the Great Difpofer of all Things, who makes One Man differ from Another. It is his Providence that gives or allows Succefs to attend upon his Defigns; that fills his Coffers, and makes his Abundance to overflow. What can this be for? Not merely for his own Happiness, confidered by himself, as feparated from the reft of the World: for God fees, what We do not always fee, that the Happiness of a Man, the prefent. Happiness, is so far from being certainly promoted by the Abundance of what He poffeffeth, that it is too commonly utterly deftroyed, and confounded, by it. The plain Intent of this Favour is, that this Abundance should be dispensed abroad, by the Rich; whom he makes his Stewards, when He makes them Rich, for the Support of the Poor and Diftreffed under them.

This is the Ufe, the only Use, that Almighty GoD can defign fhall be made of the Abundance and Superfluities of rich Men: and when they use their Riches after this Manner, then do they truly:afe the World, as far as the Riches of it are concerned, not only as not abufing it; but as God, and Reafon, and the End of Human Society, require..

The next Thing is the true Ufe of the Honours of this World. Now, the whole End propofed in them, by the very Nature of the

Thing, being only to preferve and keep upsER M. fuch Diftinctions of Order amongst the Mem- Iv. bers of the fame Body, as feems neceffary for the better carrying forward the Ends of Human Society; it is certain that, when they are used, by the Poffeffors of them, with regard only to that Diftinction, they are then used, as the Nature and End of them require. When Humility and Affability accompany them; when the Power that is generally joined with them, fhews itself in Beneficence and Charity; when the Mind of the Poffeffor views them with that Lowlinefs, and Moderation, which are the conftant Companions of a great Spirit; and actuates the whole Behaviour fo, that all that is decent and regular feems the Effect of that Greatness, and to be dictated by that Diftinction, which they give a Man; engaging him to excel in Vir tue, as well as the outward Appearances of Honour; then, We may truly fay, that He ufeth this World, as far as the Honours of this World are concerned, as He ought to do; as the Nature of them, or, as Reason, and God, require.

The third of thofe Good Things which this World principally boafts of, is Pleafure: a fatal Evil, in the End, to Many! but what may be used so as to bring no Guilt along with

it.

SERM. it. For Pleasure, in the Defign of Almighty IV. God, being that Satisfaction, which neceffarily

arifes from Our Senfes, and the Objects about Us; and from the indiffolvible Relation of these two, to one another; and our Senfes and thefe Objects in this mutual Relation being the Work of God himself: the Pleafure which results thence, must be in itself good, and fitting. The Pleasures of this World confequently are used, as they ought to be, when they are looked upon as the grateful Circumftances of our well-being in this World; when they are pursued with Temperance and Moderation, fo as to preserve, and not deftroy Life and Health; fo, as the Laws and Dictates of found Reafon direct; fo, as not to break in either upon our own Duty and Innocence; or upon the Property and Peace of Others about Us. Thus ufing them, we take care, that what is not Evil in itself, doth not become evil, and pernicious, but beneficial, and good to Us, as long as we are in this State.

I have thus endeavoured to give you the beft Account I can, when it is that we use this World, as not abusing it; by fhewing You, when we may be faid to use the principal good Things it boasts of, Riches, Honour, and PleaJure, as we ought: viz. as the Nature of Things,

Things, the Nature of Ourfelves, the Nature SER M. of Human Society, and the eternal Laws of IV. m

God, direct, and require. And from this

Account will eafily appear, what I proposed,

III. In the third Place, When it is that We ufe the World, in the Apostle's Phrase, as abufing it. And this Abuse of the World, to be fure, is the very contrary to the right Ufe of it. When the Love of Mony becomes in Us the Root of all, or of any, Evil: When we are fo under the Power of it, as to be barbarous even to Ourselves; When the Riches of this World are made the Occafions, or the Inftruments, either of Unmercifulnefs and Hardheartedness; or of Fraud, Rapine, and Injuftice to Others; or, of Intemperance and Madnefs of Pleasure, to Our felves: Whenever any thing of this Sort appears, Riches are then grofly abufed with the higheft Ingratitude to GOD who bestowed them; and the greatest Inhumanity to Society, which ought to feel the Benefit, and good Influence, of them.

Again, When the Honours of this World dazle a Man's Eyes, and turn his Head giddy; fo that Right no longer feems Right; nor Wrong, Wrong; but Good is put for Evil, and Evil for Good; Bitter for Sweet, and Sweet for Bitter when Pride, and Haughtiness, and difcourteous Behaviour, are the Effect of that

SERM. Distinction which they give to one Man from another: when the Paffions of the Heart are raised and boiled up into the Head, by them;

IV.

and the Man can come to think himfelf above

I

the Rules of Ordinary Virtue, and that He is privileged to be a Sinner, as well as a Man, of Distinction; then, the true Ufe of Honour is forgotten; and the Abuse of it is grofs, and palpable, thro' the whole Behaviour of fuch a Perfon. Or, if all his Aim be to be high in the View of Men, and exalted in Place and Power above the common Level; Ambition then is his God; and the Laws of Ambition are the Maxims of his Conduct: and then, tho' the Laws of the true God, and the Rights of all Mankind, ftand in the Way, they are but of little Force to hinder the Effect of fuch a Mafter.

Again, When the Pleafures of Senfe, adminiftered by this World, are made the Measures of all Good, and a Man comes to place fupreme Happiness in them; when they are pursued beyond the Bounds of lawful and right; fo as to break in upon his own Health, and Life; or upon the Rules of Decency and Modefty; or upon the Quiet and Property of Others; so, as, to hinder him from doing God or Man that Service He might otherwife da: When Intemperance, and Luxury, and Neglect of all that is great and good, is the Effect of a Man's Attach