freeft of any condition in the world from perturbations and temptations. A ftate and condition of want, and too narrow for our neceffities, is an estate subject to fome troubles and temptations. But of all conditions in the world, a redundant and over-plentiful condition is most fubject to the most dangerous and pernicious temptations in the world: as namely, forgetfulness of God, felf-dependance, pride, infolence, oppreffion, injuftice, unquietnefs of mind, excefs, luxury, intemperance, contempt of others: and I have very often known those persons that have carried themselves fteadily and commendably in a condition of mediocrity, nay, have been able to bear with victory the shocks of those temptations that arife from want and poverty, yet when in the late times they were advanced to wealth, power, and command, were loft, and could not bear the temptations that attended grandeur, wealth and power; and the fun of wealth and profperity quickly difrobed them of that mantle of innocence, piety, and virtue, that they kept about them against the ftorms and affaults of wants and neceffities. So that certainly it requires a greater vigilance, attention, industry and refolution, to oppofe and conquer the temptations of grandeur, wealth and power, than the temptations of want, neceflity and poverty: Some patience and Humility will do much to fubdue the latter; but he that will acquit himself from the temp tations of the former, had need of great wifdom, moderation, fobriety, and a low esteem of the world, and especially a great and practical exercife of the fear of God, faith in his promises, and a fixed hope and prof pect of the promifes of immortality and glory, whereby they may overcome the flattering and deceiving world. 7. A state of externals proportionate to our necef fities is a far more ferene and safe estate in reference to others, than an eftate of external grandeur, and wealth, and power: And the reasons are, first, be cause the former hath nothing that others do covet or defire; defire; but the latter hath gotten the golden ball, that the generality of mankind are fond to have, and are restless till they have gotten it, which makes the man's eftate unquiet and unfafe, because he hath many competitors for what he enjoys, which are continually endeavouring to trip up his heels: juft as we fee when a bird hath gotten a booty or prey, all other birds of prey are following and catching after it, and ever molefting him that hath it. 2. Because he that enjoys much, either of honour or wealth, or power, is the object of the envy of other men, which is a bufy, restless, pernicious humour, and ever picking quarrels and finding faults, and studying and endeavouring the ruin of its object: Whereas a state of mediocrity, is a state of quietnefs, and free from the affaults and fhafts of his peftilent companions. 8. We fee that all worldly matters are by a kind of inbred and connatural neceflity fubject to mutations and changes. When grandeur, honour, and wealth are at their highest pitch, like the fun in the meridian, it stays not long there, but hath its declination. Now the changes that are incident to greatness and wealth, are always for the worst: they moft commonly take their wings and fly away, when they feem to be in their highest pitch of plenty and glory: And this creates ina man very great anxiety and restless fear, left he fhould lose what he hath; and infinite strugglings and fhiftings to keep it when it is going; and extreme difappointment, vexation and forrow when it is gone. On the other fide a ftate of mediocrity may have its changes too; and as it is feldom for the worfe, fo it is moft ordinarily for the better; whereby the man hath great peace and tranquillity. We need not have a better inftance of both these conditions than in Jacob, the person in the text; while he was in a state of mediocrity, and rather indeed, in a strait, than in an ample condition; when he had nothing but his staff, and his fupplies of bread to eat, and clothes to put on, he was in a state of great tranquillity; and that change. which befel that condition, was a change not for the worfe, but for the better, at least in relation to externals his fupplies increafed: but as foon as he once arrived at great wealth under his uncle Laban, though it is true the Divine Providence kept him from a total lofs of it, yet he foon found that profperous condition full of thorns and difficulties: 1. His uncle and his fons began to envy his wealth, and he began to be in great fears and jealoufies left he fhould be deprived of all. 2. Then to avoid that fear, he flies, and his uncle purfues him, and then he was under a new fear of loss of all he had. 3. When that fear was over, then he fears that the rumour of his wealth, and the former difpleasure of his brother Efau might make him and all his wealth a prey to his brother, and certainly, had not the immediate providence of Almighty God ftrangely interpofed, he had not only felt the difficulties and unquietnefs of his great wealthy condition (which were profitable for his inftruction) but he had fuffered a total deprivation of it, either by Laban or Efau, or at leaft by the neighbouring Shechemites, exafperated by the treachery and cruelty of his two fons Simeon and Levi. Upon these and many more confiderations, it is moft evident, that a state of mediocrity in externals is to be preferred before an estate of much wealth, honour, or grandeur; that of the two extremes, poverty on the one fide, or very great wealth and glory on the other; the latter is in truth more dangerous and difficult than the former; but that of Agur's prayer, a ftate of mediocrity, neither poverty nor riches, but food convenient for a man's condition, is the most defirable ftate in this life, and that which avoids the difficulty of both extremes. I would willingly from thefe confiderations, therefore, learn to attain fuch a temper and difpofition of foul, as might be fafe and useful for me in relation to all these three conditions of life, whichfoever of them the Divine Providence fhould fend unto me. 1. In reference to a state of mediocrity, or fuch a ftate of externals, as might be suitable to the exigence and nature of my condition in this life; I fhould make fuch a state my choice, and not my trouble: I fhould with all thankfulness acknowledge both the goodness and wisdom of Almighty God, in giving me fo competent, and fo fafe a condition; that hath by his providence delivered me from the difficulties, and inconveniences, and dangers, and temptations of both extremes, namely, great want, and great wealth: and I fhall bear my lot, not only with great patience and quietnefs, but with great contentation and thankfulnefs. 2. In reference to an eftate of Want or Indigence: If it fhould please the Divine Providence to appoint that condition to me, I fhould nevertheless comfort and fupport myfelf with fuch confiderations as thefe: 1. Though my condition be narrow and neceffitous, yet it is that which the great wife Lord of the great family of the world hath appointed to me; I will therefore bear it with patience and refignation. 2. Though it be an estate of indigence and narrownefs, yet it is fuch as affords me and my family life and fubfiftence, though not without much pains and difficulty; it might have been worse, and it may please God to make it better, when he feeth fit; I will therefore bear it with contentedness, as well as patience. 3. Though my state be very narrow and pinching, yet it is poflible much more fafe than an eftate of grandeur and affluence: my account is the lefs; my temptations not fo dangerous; my cares fewer; my leflons of dependance upon God, of humility and lowlinefs of mind, of temperance and fobriety, of contempt of the world, of valuation of eternity and provifion for it, are better learn in this extreme than in the other; I fhall therefore endeavour to improve the importunities, even of this hard condition, and bear it not only with contentedness but thankfulness. 3. In reference to an eftate of Redundance and affluence VOL. I. N fluence of externals, an estate of wealth and plenty, of honour and grandeur, of power and authority and preeminence; I will confider, 1. That this is an estate full of temptations, and temptations of the greatest fize and the most dangerous nature; as, pride and infolence, forgetfulness of God, luxury, intemperance, carnal confidence and fecurity, contempt of others, and infinite more; and if any of thefe get the advantage, they will do me more mifchief, than all my wealth will do me good. 2. Therefore I will learn and exercise very great vigilance and attention, that I be not cheated into these temptations. 3. I will take a true estimate of the world and of all thefe goodly appearances that I am attended with from it; and I will not take my measure and eftimate of them by common opinion of the world, or by their splendid outside, but I will look more ftrictly into them, and find whether they are not uncertain, deceiving things; what ftability there is in them; what good they will do me after death; what quietnefs and tranquillity of mind they will give me, or rather take from me; whether they have in themselves any real influence to make me better or wifer. 4. Upon these confiderations, if I find, as find I fhall, that they have not that real worth in them that the vain world imagines, I will not fet my heart upon them, nor lay any confidence upon them, nor lay out much of my love unto them, nor any great efteem for them. 5. I will fet my heart to a true and ferious confideration of thofe durable riches, and glory and honour that our dear Lord hath provided for us in the life to come, and that eternal weight of glory will infinitely outweigh all the wealth and honour, and glory that I do or can enjoy in this world. 6. And upon this confideration alfo I will rectify my judgment concerning this world, and the greatest glory of it, and thereby habituate myself to a low esteem of the wealth I have, or can have, and fet up my hopes and treasure in more noble and durable enjoyments. 7. I will confider I am but a fteward when all is done, and the greater my wealth and honour is, the greater my accounts muft be, and the more difficult to keep them |