21.]

undertakings is not always a sign of God's blessing. "An [Prov. 20. inheritance" (saith the wise man) "may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed." Nor are riches a certain proof of God's favour: They are sometimes given as a curse and a punishment; they are often given as a temptation and a trial; and they are always dangerous things, let them fall into never so good hands. It behoves, therefore, all christians to consider, how they desire them, how they get them, and what use they make of them.

But especially, christians should consider, that there can be no security, no true satisfaction, in the enjoyment of any thing that is got either by fraud, or by violence, or by injustice; by over-reaching of others, or taking advantage of their ignorance, or of their necessities. For let a man get never so much, if in the doing it he displease God, he is sure to be a loser in the end.

Therefore one would give this good advice to parents and to all others, never to lay up any thing for their children and posterity, which they are not verily persuaded was got by God's blessing upon their honest endeavours; it will be but a curse, and a snare, and a vexation, to them to whom they leave it.

Let us never envy those that prosper in their business better than we do, nor be troubled when our honest endeavours are not blessed with good success. But let us lay down this for a truth, that God will always do what is best for them that fear Him, and trust in His goodness; that He governs all events, and that nothing happens without His knowledge.

God has blessings enough ready to bestow upon us, when He, Who only knows, sees it best for us. He can make the earth fruitful, the seasons good, and the seas yield their store; and He can put a stop to these blessings, when we abuse them, when we set our hearts upon them, when we fall into a worldly temper, and forget that God by Whom we live, and from Whom we hope for better things hereafter.

In all our worldly business, therefore, let us ever remember, that we have another life to provide for as well as this; and to set it home upon our hearts, let us also re

XXXII.

SERM. member the words of our Saviour on another occasion: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"

[Matt. 16. 26.]

Matt. 25. 21, &c.

We learn from our Lord Himself, that the most lawful business may hinder our salvation, and shut us out of heaven. When, for instance, we prefer worldly business to the care of the soul; then the most lawful employment becomes a sin, and a snare, and a curse. We are assured from His own mouth, that the care of oxen, of the farm, and of the family, when they hinder men from serving and obeying this call, will as surely shut them out of heaven, as the most notorious crimes.

On the other hand, there is a way by which all the actions of our lives may become acceptable to God. When, for instance, they are done in obedience to Him; when we pray Him to direct and to bless us in all our ways; when we have an eye to His commands in all we undertake; when we own His hand in all we do: and give Him thanks for every blessing we receive.

In short, whoever expects, one day, to hear those joyful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," must be sure to have his master's will always in his mind, and an eye to the account he is to give of all his actions. This will hinder us from following our own corrupt inclinations; from being too eagerly bent upon worldly goods; from following the way of a wicked world in getting them right or wrong; from spending them upon our lusts; and from forgetting the Lord that made us.

To conclude the whole. If people fret when they are disappointed, it is because they do not firmly believe that God ordereth all things for the best. If men are eagerly desirous of the good things of this world, it is because they have not fixed this truth in their hearts, that this life is only a passage to another, to a much better or a much worse. If christians are over glad when the world favours them, it is a sure sign that they know not the dangers they are exposed to by having the desires of their hearts granted. And lastly, if people make an ill use of God's favours, then they are no longer favours, but snares and temptations, and to be dreaded, rather than enjoyed.

And the conclusion will be, that no man ever was or ever will be happy, who goes out of the way of his duty to increase his substance; or who will not be persuaded that God's Providence is our best inheritance.

Grant, O God! that we may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that we may at last come to the land of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honour, adoration, and praise, world without end.

SERMON XXXIII.

THE PERPLEXITY AND DANGER OF THE DOUBLE-MINDED.

See Matt. 6. 24; Heb.10.

23; James 4. 4;

1 John 2. 24.

JAMES i. 8.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

A DOUBLE-MINDED man; that is, a man who has two minds or wills, one for God, and another for the world; a mind, or desire to go to heaven, and yet a great desire for every satisfaction this life can afford; such a man is unstable, doubtful, perplexed, unsettled in all his ways, or all his life long.

Now, does any body doubt that this is not the character of most men? And perhaps of very many who are looked upon to be very good christians, and in the sure way to heaven?

I appeal to the consciences of all that hear me, if this has not been their case, if it be not so now? Whether their hearts are not frequently divided betwixt the love of virtue and the pleasures of sense? Whether they are not one while under the power of religion, and another under the dominion of sin? He must know very little of himself and of religion, who is not sensible of this struggle; and he must still have a less value for his own happiness, who does not desire, at least, to bring his mind to a greater certainty, and to resolve one way or other, either that the care of his soul ought to be his great concern, or that he may follow the desires of his heart, and the ways of the world, without any great hazard.

A very little consideration, one would think, might convince any man, that if religion (as we all seem to believe) be necessary to obtain the favour of God, and to escape that

punishment which our sins have deserved, why then so much must be necessary as may enable us to obtain those ends. And yet, as easy as it is to see this, people will not be persuaded, but that a great deal less religion and concern for their souls will serve their turn than God hath expressly required; and are but too apt (with those mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy) to "bless themselves in their hearts, chap. 29.19. saying, We shall have peace, though we walk in the imaginations of our hearts." Notwithstanding the dreadful curse there pronounced against all that shall thus flatter themselves.

I know not, therefore, whether one can do a greater service to the souls of men, than to endeavour to set this matter in a true light; that such as have any true concern for themselves may be convinced how very dangerous it is, as well as perplexing, to have two minds or hearts, one for God and another for the world; since the man, whose character this is, is as sure to be undone as if he had no religion at all.

To be more effectually convinced of this, let us first consider, that God, being the author of all good to us, expressly requires this of us, that we should love Him with all our heart and soul; that this love should prevail over all other passions, and should direct us in all our ways. And if the love of God rule in our hearts, these will certainly be the effects: We shall desire to know the will of God, that we may obey Him more faithfully; we shall fear nothing so much as to displease Him: we shall check our hearts when they run out upon things that cannot profit us. In one word, we shall keep our minds intent upon the place and happiness we were made for, that we may not wander out of our way upon every temptation we meet with.

Now, this is that single eye, that singleness of heart, so much recommended by the Spirit of God; by which we are able to make a right judgment of things; by which we are able to see, that the happiness of heaven ought to be our chief aim; that we cannot serve and please God as we ought to do, if our hearts are too much set upon the things of this present world; that if we are distracted betwixt self-love and the love of God, we shall be miserable both here and hereafter; and that, how far soever we come short of this single