262 I hë Evil and'Unreafonable lefr Vol. I. Secondly, Becaufe it tempts Men tomany Things which are inconfftent with Religion, and directly contrary to it. Thirdly, Becaufe it is an endlefs and infátiabie Delire. , Thus far I have gone; I proceed to the FourthThing, whereby the Unreafonablenefs of Covetoufnefs will yet farther appear. Namely, becaufe the Happinéfs of Humane Life doth not confrft in Riches, and abundance. And this I than infift upon fomewhat the more large- ly, becaufe it is the Argument which our Saviour makes ufe of here in the Text, to take Men offfrom thisSin. The Life of Alan confiflethnot in the abun- dance ofthe thing, which he pofffeth. Therefore take heed and beware of Covetouf reefs. And this certainly is one of the belt and moil reafonable Confiderations in the World, to moderate our Affec4ion's towards thefe Things. For every Reafonable Defire propounds fome End to it felf:. Now to what purpofe fhould any Man defire to increafe his Wealth fo vaftly, and beyond the propor- tion of his Neceffities and real Occafions ? What Benefit and Advantage can it be to any Man, to havean Hundred, or perhaps a Thoufand times more than heknows what to do witball ? And as for the other World, noMan ever pretended that the heaping up Riches here, Would be ufeful tohim there ; Riches will not deliver him in the day ofWrath. No Man was ever fo fenfelefs, as to imagine that he conld take his Eftate along with him into the other World ; or if he could, that Heaven was to bebought with Money; or that a great Eftate, or a great many Lord- íhips would recommend him to the favour of God. 'Tis true indeed, a Man may fo ufe Riches in this World, as thereby topromote and furtherhis Happi- nefs in the next. But then it is likewife as true, that a Man may fo demean himfelf in a Poor and LowCondition, 'as thereby to render himfelf asaccepta ble toGod, and capable ofas great a Reward, as the richeft Man can do. The poor Woman's Two Mites, chearfully given to Pious and CharitableUfes, will go as far in the other World, and find as great a Reward there, as the Rich Man's Thortfands of Gold and Silver. And a Man may be as truly generous and charitable of a little, as out of the greater Fortune. Betides that the Poor Man's Contentednefs in a mean Condition, is more admirable in it felt; and more valuable with God, than for a RichMan to be fo. So that the great ufe of Riches refpe&s this World, and the bell Life of them is in ways of Charity ; and the Poor Man's Charity, tho' it cannot be of fo great an extent in tlíe Effie&s ofir, yet in the degree of its Virtue and Me- rit it may be equal to it. Now the Two great Deigns of Men, in regard to this World, are thefe. i. To maintain and fupport our Lives as long as we can. 2. To make our Lives as truly happy and comfortable as we can. To theFirf$ ofthefe Ends, namely, the fupport of our Lives, a very little will fuffice, and 'tis not much that is neceffary to the other, to render our Lives as truly comfortable as this World can make them ; fo that a vaft Eftate is not neceffary to either of thefeEnds ; for a Man may live by having what is ne- ceffary, and may live comfortably by having that which is convenient. No Man lives the longer by having Abundance; it is many times an occafion oflhortninga.Man's Life, byminiftring toExcefs and Intemperance; but fel- dom of prolonging it. And felting afide the vain Fancy and Conceit of Men, no Man lives the more happily, for havingmore than he hath real ore and oc- cafion for. Thefe two Heads, I (hall at prefent fpeak to, to make out the full forceof this Reafon, which our Saviour here ufeth ; namely, That a Man's. Life confifleth not in the abundance ofthe things which he poffefth. I. That Riches do not contribute to the fupport ofour Lives ; nor Il. To the Happinefs and Comfort of them. That is, they are not neceffary to either of thefe Ends. For by Riches I mean, whatever is beyond a fiecient compe-
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