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of men; having given them an assurance SERM. in his holy word, that a time will arrive, x1. when they shall be called to surrender up their trust, and to give an account of their Stewardship.

But though these riches are the gift of a good and righteous God, and were given to men for the best and most beneficial purposes, yet in too many respects they deserve to be stiled the Mammon of unrighteousness. For not to mention their unrighteous tendency in detaching us too much from seeking the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, they do not procure us all the desireable things which they promise, and they fail us when we put our confidence in them. They supply us indeed with food and raiment and lodging, and they furnish us liberally with many comforts and conveniences, which are generally prized in the estimation of the world. But the life of man consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth. And there are many essentials of human happiness, which all the riches of this world are not competent to bestow. For will they preserve or restore either

< Luke xii. 15.

health

XI.

SERM. health to the body, or peace to the mind? Will they soothe our afflictions for the loss of those we esteem and love? Or will they say to a troubled conscience, Peace! be still? In all these respects they are miserably deficient; and though they offer every thing that is desireable in life, yet they delude us with promises which they can never verify.

Again, Admitting that they procure us many worldly comforts, their value sinks on the reflexion that their tenure is fugitive and precarious. They may be destroyed by flood and fire; they may be taken from us by fraud or violence: moth and rust may corrupt; and thieves may break through and steal. And even should they continue with us through life, yet they will necessarily fail us in death. For as we brought nothing into this world, so we can carry nothing out. We shall have nothing to bear into another world, but the account of our conduct and the application of the gifts of God in this.

But though our worldly wealth deserves in so many respects to be stiled

d Matt. vi. 19.

e 1 Tim. vi. 7.

the

XI.

the Mammon of unrighteousness, yet SERM. we may apply it to a righteous end; though fugitive and precarious in itself, yet we may render it instrumental to our durable and unalienable good. And would we learn in what manner to apply it to so wise and beneficial an end, we are instructed by a Teacher of consuminate wisdom, that we make to ourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness.

To make to themselves friends is a piece of advice, which the Children of this world seem very well disposed to take: and they account themselves wise in their generation in laying out their Mammon in so promising a bargain. They sacrifice a portion of their wealth in conciliating friends; and they hope to have the obligation recompensed another time with abundant interest. Thus the Steward undertook to conciliate the Debtors of his Lord, by abridging their several debts and stating them to be less than they truly owed. Supposing them to be the Children of this world like himself, he trusted no doubt, that such an obligation would secure them for his friends, to whom he might resort on a reverse of fortune.

Yet

SERM. Yet notwithstanding all his art he XI. might be disappointed in his sinister policy, he might be overreached in worldly wisdom even by those on whom he trusted. For after he had taught them to violate a principle of justice, he had little hold upon them by a principle of honour. Uprightness of conduct is the common link of union in society. And therefore notwithstanding their indifference to all other moral obligations, the Children of the world agree for their common interest to put a brand upon all dishonest dealing. So that it may be questioned, whether a man can be truly wise in his generation who is not honest in his conversation with the world.

But

But putting out of the question all fraudulent acts or schemes of advancing their temporal interest, let us regard the Children of the world in their customary policy of laying out their wealth in conciliating Friends. what are those Friends, whom they spare no cost to gain? Even supposing them to be the favourites of fortune and the dispensers of every worldly good, yet are they always ready to repay the purchase of their

friend

friendship? Or allowing that they an- SERM. swer the most extravagant expectations x1. of their worldly suitors, their interest in life is precarious, and themselves are mortal. In this respect they closely resemble that unrighteous Mammon which procured their friendship. Nor will they at all avail in the essentials of human happiness. They will neither protract nor blunt the stroke of death, nor forward our important interest in the world to come.

It is therefore our truest wisdom to conciliate other Friends; such Friends, as can provide us more permanent and substantial goods, as on our failure in this transitory life may receive us into everlasting habitations.

Such Friends we may look for in the blessed Angels, whose welcome office/ it is, while we remain on earth, to minister to us in the ways of salvation; and when their race on earth is closed, to convey the righteous to their appointed mansions in the realms of happiness. And such a Friend above all other Beings we may find in God, the Author of every good and perfect gift, with whom is no variableness, neither

shadow

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