'568 Spiritual Perfeelion. he illfroduced into everla.J!ing habitatio_m: And 'tis faid, that the Phari{tes, who were , . vetot~J,_ heArd ~/1 the[e thmgs, a11d der_tded him. They were fix:d in t_heir Principles an~ refoluttons to tncreafe and fecure their Wealth: They had thctr Religion in numtraro. Gain was their Godlinefs; and were fo flrongly conceited of their own Wifdom tha; they defpifed the Authority, Counfel, af(d Love of the Son of God. ' ,, The love of Money, difcovered in heaping up Riches, and the tenacious humou r in keeping them, is direaly contrary to the clearefi Reafon, and perfeE\ly vain. The notion of Vanity confills either in the change and inconfiancy of things, or when they have not reafonable and wort~y ends. In both refpeCl:s, Covctoulnefs is Vanity: For the ObJeCl: of that Pa!lion IS the prefent World '· the .fphere cf mutabilit)' ; and the unmoderate Care and Labour to obtam and prelerve It, IS not for a folid fub. flantial , but a mere imaginary Good. In this fenfe , the mofi beautiful Coiours were there no Eyes to fCe .them, and the fwectcft Sounds, were there no Ears t~ hear them, are Vanities. According to this Rule, the greedy defire of Riches for Rtches fake, which JS the mofi: proper notion of Avarice, is the moft unreafooable and vain AffeCl:ion ; for it has no end. The Apoflle tells us, that an Idol il nothing m the World; the matter of 11 may be Gold or Srber, but 11 has nothrng of a Dei ry 10 tr. He that worfhtps tt, worfhtps an ObjeCl: not only moll unworthy of Adoration but which has no Exi(lence, but in the fancy of the Idolater. So he that love; Money for it felf, fets his AffeCl:ion upon an end that has no Goodnefs, but in his foolifh imagination, and confequemly is no true and valuable end. This will be evident, by confidering there is a double end to which Humane ACl:ions fhould be direCl:cd ; the particular immediate end, and the univerfal lafi end. The particular end to which Reafon direas in acquiring Money, is to fupply us with Nece!Taries and Conve:niencies in the prefent ftate ; and this is lawful, when our Care and Labour to obtain it, are not inordinate nor immoderate. Fruition gives Life and Sweetncfs to Po!Tt!lion. Solomon obferves with a fevere Re!leCl:ion, ·There il on< of who(e Labo11r there i4 no end, who U not {taisftcd with Rich~;, neither [ttith he, /or wl;om do 1 labour, and bcrcaw my So11l of good; this il aifo vamty, and fore travd. If one has a Cabinet full of Pearls, and has not a Heart to make ufe of them, 'tis all one as if it were full of Cherry- fiones : For there is no true value in the po!Teffion, but in order to the true and noble ufe of them. This draws fo deep of Folly, that 'tis amazing that reafonable Men fhould love money for it felf; but the Covetous have reprobate Minds without Judgment, and difcerning Faculties without ufing them. 2. The univerfal and lafi end of our ACl:ions, confifls in the eternal enjoyment of God. Now the poll'e!lion of the whole World, is of no advantage toward the obtaining future Happinefs: Nay, it deprives Men ofHeaven,,both as the love of the World binds their Hands from the exercife of Charity, and as it alienates their Hearts from the love of God. The prefent World cannot afford PerfeCl:ion or SatisfaCl:ion to an immortal Spirit. 1. Not PerfeCl:ion. The Underfianding is the highcfi Faculty in Man, and raifes him above the order of fenfible Creatures ; and this is exceedingly dcbafed by overvaluing Earthly things. Indeed Senfe and Fancy, that cannot judge aright of Objefls and ACl:ions, if they ufurp the Judgment· feat, the Riches of this World appear very goodly and inefiimable. There is no Lufi more degrades the eternal Soul of Man from the Nobility of its Nature, than Covctoufnefs: For the Mind is denominated and' qualified from the Objeas, upon which it is converfant. Now when Mens thoughts arc groveling on the Earth, as if there were no fpark of Heaven in them, when their main defigns and contrivances arc to amafs Riches, they become Earthly, and infinitely fall fhort of thei r original and end. 2. Riches cannot give SatisfaCl:ion to the Soul, upon the account o.f their vall difpro· ponion to ~ts Spirirual Nature and Capacity, and eternal Durauon. Y ~u m~y as reafooably feek for Paradife under the Icy Poles , as for full Contentment rn Rtches. The Kingdoms of the World, with all their Treafures, if aCl:ually polfefs'd, cannot fatisfic the Eye, much lcls the Heart. There is no fuitablen efs between a fpmtual !ubfiance, and earth ly things. The capacity of the Soul is as vafi as its Defires, which can only be fatisfied with Good truly infinite: But carnal Men, 10 a delulive Dream, mtfiako !hadows for fubflance, and thin appearances for realities. Belides, the fa!luon of tins World palfes away: Riches takes wings, and lil<e the Eagle,, ~y to Heaven'. or the Poll'ell'ors of them fall to the Earth. The Soul can only be fausfied 10 rhe fruh!OO of a Good, as everlaHing as its own duration. In fbort, the favour of ~?d, the renewed Image of God in the Soul, and Communion with him, are the FehCity of reafonable Creatures. >·The
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