The Evil and Folly of Cóvetoufiè. 303 harmony to fulfil the law of our creation, SE R. and approve ourfelves to God ? To all this XI. every one muft fee riches are altogether fo- reign, and can in no wife contribute. No man is the wifer for the abundance of his poffeffions, nor doth he increafe in virtue, whatever contrary effeá they may have, at leaft be the occafion of, as fad experience fheweth they are, in many inftances. But, Thirdly, The enjoyment of life Both not confift in riches ; and as this is the only end which they have any pretence or appearance of anfwering, if upon a fair enquiry, it £hall be found that they come fhort of it, then it muft owned they are what our Saviour calleth them, deceitful ; and his affertion in the text is true, that life doth not in any fenfe con - fift in them, which therefore is a ftrong ar- gument to the purpofe he applieth it to, namely, againft covetoufnefs. Let it be ac- knowledged, that happinefs is reafonably the aim of all living; it is a delire deeply planted in our nature of which we cannot poffibly diveft ourfelves ; the value of life, and of every thing in it, is to be eftimated accord- ing to the meafure of happinefs it yieldeth, and may be juftly faid to confift in that which affordeth the higheft and the trueít enjoy- ment,
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