SERM. rity to the Temptations of the World, and IX. the Force which the Principles of Religion

9.

have upon us, is, not to run out of the World, but to act the Part affigned to us in it, becomingly; to exercife our Affections, in a juft Order, towards the several Objects which are by Nature suited and adapted to them, ftill keeping them fubject to the calm Directions of the ruling Principle in our Minds, and preventing all the Exorbitancies and Exceffes of them. This will indeed be to triumph over the World, and to fhew that we are animated with the most noble and generous Sentiments and Difpofitions, and arrived at as great Perfection in Virtue, as the prefent Condition of our Nature will admit of.

2. We may, from what has been faid, fee the much more general Error of Mankind, in fuffering a worldly Spirit to grow in them, and in pursuing and using fo irregularly, as they commonly do, the Enjoyments and Advantages of this present Life. The World has been always the great Enemy of Men, which has drawn them. Tim. vi. into Temptations and Snares, and into many foolish and hurtful Lufts, which drown them in Deftruction and Perdition. It would be hard to fix upon any Period, in which the

Love of this World, has not had a more SER M. univerfal Influence upon Mankind, than the IX. Love of God and Religion; and it is too plain that the Attachments of Men to their temporal Interests are not at prefent leffening. Perhaps, on the contrary, there are now greater Numbers than have been formerly known, who openly profess their having a Regard for Nothing, but what they take to be their Intereft in this Life; who, according to the Philofophy of the worst Sort of Infidels and Scepticks of old, deride the Notions of moral Good and Evil, of a Right and a Wrong in Life, and think that we were born at all Adventures, and that Hereafter we shall be, as though we had never been; who are, therefore, for enjoying Wildom the good Things that are prefent; for taking . 2, 6, 9, their Share of Voluptuousness, and leaving Tokens of their follity in every Place; who oppress the poor righteous Man, who Spare not the Widow, nor reverence the grey Hairs of the Aged; who make their Strength the Law of fuftice, and account that which is feeble to be nothing worth. And as to those who are not tainted with fuch bad Principles, who are ready to acknowledge the Obligations of Virtue, and profefs to believe the general Doctrines of Religion, how miU ferably

ii.

10, 11.

SERM.ferably do a great Part of them fully, and IX. contradict their Profeffion, by an earthly,

fenfual, and vain Converfation; by bending their whole Thoughts and Endeavours to the Acquifition of Wealth, and attaining to Stations of Power and Honour, and fhewing but very little Goodness and Humanity, and frequently but little Decency in the Ufe of thefe Advantages? The Inconfiftency of this Conduct with the Obligations of moral Agents, with the Design of the Religion of Christ, and the Hopes and Expectations which he has raised his Followers to, must be sufficiently obvious to every unprejudiced thinking Man. And however Pfal. xix. the Children of this World, may at prefent boast themselves in the Multitude of their Riches, and imagine that they are the only prudent and happy Men, contemning all who do not go into their Measures, as Perfons void of Senfe, or Spirit; yet they too fhall come to have another Senfe of Things, and be effectually convinced of the Unworthinefs and Madness of their Purfuits, when the righteous Judge of the World calls Mankind to an Account for their Conduct, and reckons with them for the Improvement of their Talents: Then, moft certainly, all the Wisdom of this World

6.

will be found to be but Foolishness; and they SER M. alone will appear to be the excellent, wife, IX. and happy Perfons, who having always moderated and exercised their Affections towards earthly Things by the Dictates of Confcience and Religion, and faithfully applied all their natural Powers, and all the Interefts and Advantages which they had in the World, to the Ends for which they were intrufted with them during this temporary Scene,' fhall, at the Conclufion of it, be thought worthy of being received into Take xvi. everlafting Habitations.

9:

SERM.
X.

SERMON X.

The deftructive Tendency of a Life of licentious Pleasure.

ITIM. V. 6

But he that liveth in Pleafure, is dead while fhe liveth.

W

HAT the Apoftle here affirms of one Sex, is equally true of both;

that when they run into a Course of licentious Pleafure, and mind nothing but the indulging themselves, in Debauchery, Luxury, and Vanity, they are dead to all the great Purposes of a rational and virtuous Life. Though they are naturally alive, yet in a fpiritual and moral Sense, they are dead: They retain indeed the outward Appearance of Men, and breathe, and move, and enjoy as fenfitive Creatures; but the higher Powers, and more amiable Affections, which diftinguish our Species from

the