is the only way to secure our happiness among the difafters of life. Nothing elfe can adminifter a full remedy for the many fufferings we must unavoidably feel. The other great comfort, which a trust in the living God procures for us in the diftreffes of this world is, that they will end in the happiness of the next. We have God's promife for this hope, which turns into certainty. I speak of such only as obey God; and indeed they are the only perfons who seek for comfort from thefe divine fources. This truft therefore in the promises of God, is our grand comfort in the diftreffes of life. It is the leading-ftar which carries us to Bethlehem; and makes all our journey to that bleffed refidence of our Redeemer, full of happy expecta tion. ( WE are cautioned here, not fo much against riches, as against the increase of them. When a man poffeffes only what he has been long ačcuftomed to poffefs, the danger is lefs: ufe has made his poffeffions, whatever they are, familiar to him; but when the poffeffion increases beyond the ordinary capacity of receiving it, (which is almoft always the cafe of a fudden increafe of wealth,) the moral danger becomes great. Am I then, if riches increase by the bleffing of God, on a fair and honeft profeffion, to reject the bleffing, and ftop in the midft of golden opportunities?It is a happy thing when a man can fet bounds to his acquifitions, and fay, I have enough. That however, is not eafy: the word enough is regulated by fuch a variety of circumftances, that the fame definition of it can hardly touch the cafes of any two people. But though it may be difficult to give rules to eftimate a fufficiency, yet whatever our poffeffions may be, very good rules may be given to prevent our fetting our hearts upon them. If we fet our hearts upon them, they become at once what the scripture calls, the mammon of unrighteousness; or, the temptations to every mode of wickedness: for the love of money, we know, is the root of all evil. In the first place, their fugitive nature should prevent our fetting our hearts upon them. We are told, they often make themselves wings, and fly away. And if they do not leave us, we fhall certainly, in a little time, leave them. And then the question ftares us in the face, Whofe Shall thofe good things be which we have provided?or, in other words, why did not you make a proper use of them in life-time ? your Secondly, we should reflect, how we came by our riches; and, it may be hoped, we fhall acknowledge we received them from God, the author and giver of all good. Whether we obtained them by our own agency, or by any other means, ftill they are his gift. This being fettled, it follows next to ascertain for what purpose God gave them to us. We pur cannot furely be so abfurd, as to suppose, God gave us riches as inftances of his favour, from any particular regard he had for us. If not, he gave them for other purposes. What these pofes are, we have frequent intimations from fcripture. We are ordered to use our talents in proportion to their value; to be liberal to the poor; and to diftribute our means, according to the abilities which God hath given us. Thus then, if riches increase, instead of setting our hearts upon them—that is, instead of making them the means of a mere felf-indulgence, we fhould make to ourselves friends of this mammon of unrighteousness; and hope, through the mercies of God in Chrift, they may affift in procuring us a joyful fentence in the laft great day. XIII. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.- EVIL thoughts fprout up in every heart. If they are indulged, they foon corrupt it; but if checked, and immediately difcharged, they produce no bad effect.-For the fake, however, of fome well-meaning people, who turn every bad thought into a fin, I fhould wish to offer a fort. of criterion.. In the cafe of malice, for inftance, you con! ceive a malicious thought against an enemy. A wifh arifes, that he may be ruined---you take a pleasure in hearing of any mifchief that may befal him. You afk, is not this malice ? Let us examine: Do you indulge these thoughts No. Do you think them wrong, and immediately reject them? Yes. If you had it in your power, would you wish to ruin your enemy? By no means, certainly.-Would you be glad to do him a fervice? I think I should. Why |