Serm. XXXVIII. of Covetoufnefr, 265 and O31 abounded , did We (I fay) but know this, we fhould not envy the Men of mighty Fortunes. Namneque divitibus contingent gaudia'folis. Rich Men are not the only happy People in the World. If they be not Good as well as Rich, Happinefs is a greater Stranger to their Dwellings, than to the Cottages of Poorer Men. Now Riches are fo far from helping to make Men good, that they are one of the greateft Temptations to them in the World to be otherwife 5 which is the reafon why our Saviour fays, it is fo very hard for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; becaufe confidering the powerful, and almott irrefiftable Temptations of a great Elate, and the Impotency and Weaknefs of Humane Na. ture to govern it felf in a plentiful Fortune, it is very hard for a Rich Man tobe fo Good as he ought, it requires a great force and firmnefs of Refolution, a very folid and vigorous Conftitution ofMind, to bear a great Fortune, and not to be corrupted by it and a Man hath never more reafon to implore God's gracious Help and Afliftance, and toconfult his own heft and cooleft Thoughts, to know what he ought to do, and how he ought to demean himfelf, than when the out- ward Bleflings of this Life flow in amain upon him; felicitate corrumpimur, nothing fooner debanchethMen than Profperity ; and he is a very happy Man, whom Wealth and a good Fortune do not make licentious and diffolute ; becaufe thefe tempt Men with the Power and Opportunity to do all the ill that their wicked Hearts can defign, or delire. The Temptation ofRiches, and the Power that goes along with them, is fo forcibleand prevalent, that the Devil, who is a fagacious Spirit, and hath great and long Experience in this kind, when he was making the Experiment, whether Chrift was a meer Man, or the Son of God, referved this for his fail Temptation ; refolving, if that would not do, to try him no farther. After he had affaulted him in feveral kinds, he reprefents to him at laft that which was fufficient to have furfeited two of the molt infatiable Delires of Humane Nature, Ambition and Co- vetoufnefs, even all the Kingdoms of the World, and the glory of them, in a moment, or point of time he brings all the Rays of this Glory to one Point. that the Temptation might kindle and take hold the fooner ; and Pays to him, all this will Igive thee, if thou wilt fall down and wor/hip me. He fuppofed with great Pro- bability, that if he were but a meer Man, the ftrongeft and molt refolved Mind would bend and yield to fo dazzling a Temptation as this ; but when he faw that this Temptation was reje&ed, he found himfelf baffled, and gave him over ; fince thisdid not move him, he concluded now, That he was the Son of God in- deed, and that it was in vain to tempt him any farther. From all this it appears, that Riches are fo far from making Men Virtuous, that nothing is more dangerous to Virtue, than a full Condition; if Men have not a great degree of Grace, as well as Difcretion, to manage it. Solomon tells us, that the Profperity of Fools defiroyeth them. And yet how do mofe ofus court this Temptation, and are forward to thruft and venture our (elves upon it? There are a great manyother Things, in which moft Men make a right Judgment of themfelves, and will readily acknowledge that they are altogether unfit for them. Every Man will not take upon him tobe a Phyfician, or a Lawyer, toprefcribe Medicines in dangerous Cafes, and togive Counfel to Men in knotty and difficult Points about their Eftates ; but every Man thinks himfelf fit enough to be Rich, and fufficiently qualified to manage a great Elate, if he can but get it ; when perhaps there are few Things in the World, which Men are more infufficient for, than to weild and govern a great Fortune, nor wherein there is greater danger andmifcarriage. It is not every Body's Talent to be Wealthy and Wife, Rich and Innocent. 2. As for theoutward Evils of this Life, fuch as Want, and Contempt, Bodily Pains and Difeafes, Unhappinefs in Friends and Relations, a great Efface is by no means a fufficient Security orRemedy to a CovetousMan againft thefe. (a.) As for Want. And furely one would think, that if Riches were good for any thing, they are a veryproper Remedy againft this Evil, and a molt certain and infallible Cure of it ; but Experience tells us quite otherwife. Socrates was M m wont
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