of the perfon poffeffed by it; it incites him. to trespass on the rights and enjoyments of others, and on both these accounts is often punished with remarkable judgments even in the prefent life. How awful is that curfe pronounced by the Prophet Habakkuk, " Wo "to him that coveteth an evil covetoufnefs to "his house, that he may fet his neft on high, "that he may be delivered from the power "of evil. Thou haft confulted fhame to thy

self, and hast sinned against thy foul; for "the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the "beam out of the timber fhall answer it."How dismal was the fate of Ananias and Sapphira!-How horrible the end of Judas Ifcariot! In both these inftances, the faying of the Wise Man, Proverbs, i. 19. was remarkably verified, "the greedinefs of gain taketh away the life of the owners thereof." But although they should escape in this world, yet they shall not escape the damnation of hell. Then shall they find that riches will not profit them in the day of God's wrath.

There is a ftriking paffage to this purpofe, James, v. 1. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep " and howl, for your miseries that shall come

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upon

upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten; your gold " and filver is cankered, and the ruft of them "fhall be a witness against you, and shall eat

your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped "treasure together for the laft day." Such is the present wretchednefs, and the miferable portion at last of an earthly mind. Whereas,

IV. An heart difengaged from this exceffive love of the world, would not only prevent all this mifery, but likewife give us the true relish of life, and make death itself eafy and comfortable. Take away earthly things from a worldly man, and you take away his all; but the fame things withdrawn from an heavenly minded Chriftian, do not annihilate his fund of happinefs. When the ftreams of created comforts fail, he reforts to the fountain; when the creatures forfake him, he can rejoice in the Creator, and joy in the God of his falvation. The good things he poffeffeth have a peculiar relish, which earthly minds are incapable of feeling. He fees the bounty of God in every gift, and the faithfulness of his covenant in every comfort he enjoys. He therefore

therefore eats his bread with joy, and drinks his wine with a merry heart; and while he thus fits chearfully at the feaft which providence has fet before him, he fears not the intrusion of any unwelcome meffenger to interrupt his peace. He is not afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed trufting in the Lord. Prepared for all the viciffitudes of life, adverfity can take nothing from him which, in the difcipline of his own mind, he has not refigned already. Nay, death itself, that prefentiment fo dreadful to the worldly mind, is to him, in a great measure, divefted of its terrors: For he knows, "that if this earthly "houfe of his tabernacle were diffolved, he "has a building of God, an house not made "with hands, eternal in the heavens."

Having thus endeavoured to enforce the exhortation in the text, it only remains that I offer a few directions for the help of those who are defirous to have their affections weaned from the world, that they may rife upwards to fpiritual things.

ift, Let us beware of receiving too flattering a picture of the world into our minds, or

of

of expecting more from it than it is able to bestow. Let us correct our florid and gaudy expectations, and make a sober estimate of its real amount. For this purpose go sometimes

to the house of mourning, rather than to the house of feasting. Behold there the untimely hand of death, taking away the defire of the eyes with a stroke, blafting the most virtuous joys of humanity, tearing asunder the deareft connections, demolishing the painted tapestry, and hanging up in its place the folemn fable and efcutcheon.

Such objects, viewed with seriousness and attention, are far more, profitable than the gilded scenes of mirth and gaiety; they check that wantonness which is the growth of ease and profperity, and lead us to reflect that this world is not our home, but a foreign land, in which our vexations and disappointments are defigned to turn our views towards that higher and better state, which we are destined to inherit.

2dly, Be very fufpicious of a profperous ftate, and fear the world more when it fmiles than when it frowns. It is difficult to poffefs much

much of it, without loving it to excess. The great enemy of our fouls is well aware of this, and therefore would give all his servants liberal portions in this world, were it in his power. This was his last effort in the train of temptations which he addreffed to our Lord in the wilderness, and, when this failed, he immediately departed from him.

There is not a more falutary maxim in religious concerns than always to fufpect danger where we feel much delight. If our fituation be such as entirely pleases our natural defires, it is high time to look well to the foul, and to fet a ftrict guard on our heart, left, by these pleasing enjoyments, they should be betrayed and alienated from God, who alone has a right to them.

3dly, Make a wife improvement of the afflictions with which you may at any time be vifited. Beware of repining under them, or thinking them greater evils than they really are; but rather believe that they are gracioufly fent for the benefit of your fouls, to mortify your inordinate affections to the pre

fent world.

"Whom the Lord loveth he "chafteneth."-Nay, the seasonable visitation

of