224 SERMONS upon Serm.z 5. at our Birth. A Man's Wealth doth not follow him, but his Works do. Your Iniquity will find you out. You did not cane rich into the World, and you were born to die. In our Birth, we were contented with a little Cradle, at Death with a little Grave ; but here *e join Houle to Houle, as if the wholeWorld would not contain us. 4. Confider how hard it is to have Chrifl and the World, to have Heaven and the World. Mat. 16.26. What (hall it profit a Man to gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul ? or what fhall a Man give in exchange for his Soul ? You are put to your choice ; who would lofe a Crown, to be owner of a Dunghil ? It is a vain defign to think to reconcile Chrift and Mammon. 5. Thou art as thy Love is. If thou lovell this World, thou art Worldly ; if thou loveu God, thou art Godly. A Man is not as his Opinion is, but as his *Mon is ; a bad Man may be of a good Opinion, but a bad Man can never have good Affe&ions. The Soul is as Wax, it receiveth an impreffion from the Obje &. Take a Glafs, put it towards Heaven, there you Ihall fee the Figure of Heaven ; put it towards the Earth, and you fee the Figure of the Earth, Trees, Meadows, Fruits : thou receiveht a Fi- gure from the Objefts to which thou applieft thy Heart, Earthly Things, or Ho.- venly. But you will fay, What would you have us do ? Is it a Fault to enjoy the World ? No; But to have a worldly Spirit. 1. Be not of a worldly Spirit, when thou wanteft the Things of this World. Be not over - careful for the Things of this Life ; ufe the Means God bath ordained, wuft God with thelffue and Event of all : Carking, implies not only dittruft, but difcont tent with God's Allowance; and both imply Worldlinefs, Diftruft, and Fear. Luke r 2. 22. Take no thought for your Life, what ye Ault eat ; neither for the Body, what ye flsall put on. I am fure Difcontent doth. Be contented with a mean Condition ; if thefe things were good for us, God would never deny them to us, never have bidden us to contemn them. Saints are never more Illuftrious, than when they have leaft of the World; the leis fplendor they have in the World, the more bright and glortoùs are they; had the Saints a worldly Glory, their Grace would not appear with: fuch advantage. 2, Be not of a worldly Spirit when thou haft the World. A godly Man may be a rich Man ; but take heed of Trutt, immoderate Delight, and Pride in them. Do not truft in them, for they are vain ; -nor delight in them, for they are Snares ; nor . be proud of them, they do not make us better ; we do not value an Horfe by. the Trap- pings, but by his Spirit and. Courage. We may accept the Allowance of Providence; it is not having Wealth, but letting the Heart upon it; nor the Injoiment, but Trutt in it that is condemned. Pfal. 62. r 1. Trufl not in Opprefon become not vain in `Rob- bery; if Riches increafe, Jet not you Heart upon them. You will be apt to do it; but di- vert your Heart, draw it off into another Country. 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they be not high- minded,. nor trufl in uncertain Riches. And, T erf. 19. Laying up in, flare for themfelves a good Foundation againfl the time to come, that they may la) hold on Eternal Life. Get a Bank in Heaven, make an advantage of it for Re- ligion, to confirm your title to Heaven by more Evidences. Our Wealth follows us not into another World, but our Works do. A Man that loveth his Mony, is willing to part with k, to affure his title to an earthly Inheritance. 3. Be not dejelted and over - forrowful, when thou lofeft them; thou art but deli- vered of a Burden, a Charge, and a Snare, Riches are a Clog to thee. We are Cure to give an Account. 2. Take the words, as they denote the outward condition of the Difciples, They 'are not of the'World ; that is, not refpeihed by ir, as if they were of their Number and Fa&ion, left out of the World's Tale and Count. a. Obferve ; It is an hard thing to digefi the World's Negleib and Difref ell. We had need be urged again and again ; partly, becaufe every one would be Come -body in the World, and have fome Intereft here, Tìs µ4yn ; and when we mils our Aims, Sorrow is obftinate, Sufferings harth and irkfome to Flefh and Blood, becaufe we admire things below, and have too good an opinion of them. Z1fe.
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