good the grand Point infifted upon, viz. That a Man's Life confifteth not in the Abundance of the Things which he poffeffeth. Where, by [Life] I fuppofe, there can be no need of proving, that our Saviour does not here mean [Life] barely and phyfically fo taken, and no more; which is but a poor Thing, God knows; but by Life, according to a Metonymy of the Subject for the Adjunct, understands the Happiness of Life, in the very fame Senfe, wherein St. Paul takes this Word in I Theff. iii. 8. Now (fays he) we live, if ye ftand faft in the Lord. That is, we live with Comfort, and a fatisfactory Enjoyment of ourselves. And conformable to the fame, is the Way of Speaking in the Latin, as Iftuc eft vivere, and Non eft vivere, fed valere vita. In which, and many the like Expreffions, Vivere and vita import not the mere phyfical Act of Living; but the Pleasure, Happiness, and Accommodations of Life; without which, Life itself is scarce worthy to be accounted Life; but only a Power of breathing, and a Capacity of being miferable.

Now, that Riches, Wealth, and Abundance, (the Things which fwell fo big in the Fancies of Men, promifing them Mountains, but producing only a Mouse) are not,

as

as they perfuade themselves, fuch fure, unfailing Causes of that Felicity, which the grand Defires of their Nature fo eagerly press after, will appear from these following Confiderations.

1. That no Man, generally speaking, acquires, or takes Poffeffion of the Riches of this World, but with great Toil and Labour, and that very frequently even to the utmost Fa tigue. The firft and leading Curse, which God pronounced upon Mankind in Adam, was, that in the Sweat of his Brows he should eat his Bread, Gen. iii. 19. And if it be a Curfe for a Man to be forced to toil for his very Bread; that is, for the most neceffary Support of Life; how does he heighten and multiply the Curfe upon himself, who toils for Superfluities, and fpends his Time and Strength in hoarding up that, which he has no real Need of; and which, it is ten tỏ one, but he may never have any Occafion for For fo is all that Wealth, which exceeds fuch a Competence, as anfwers the prefent Occafions and Wants of Nature. And when God comes to account with us, (let our own Measures be what they will) he will confiEder no more.

VOL. IV.

H h

Now

Now certain it is, that the general, stated Way of gathering Riches, must be by La bour and Travail, by ferving other Mens Needs, and profecuting their Business, and thereby doing our own. For there is a ge neral Commutation of these two, which circulates, and goes about the World, and go. verns all the Affairs of it; one Man's Labour being the stated Price of another Man's Money that is to fay, Let my Neighbour help me with his Art, Skill, or Strength, and I will help him in Proportion with what I poffefs. And this is the Original Cause and Reason, why Riches come not without Toil and Labour, and a Man's exhausting himself to fill his Purse.. This, I fay, is the Origi nal Caufe; for I know, that, the World being once fettled, Eftates come to be tranfmitted to many by Inheritance; and fuch need nothing elfe to render them wealthy, but only to be born into the World. Sometimes alfo, Riches fall into Mens Hands by Favour or Fortune; but this is but feldom, and thofe, who are thus the Favourites of Providence, make but a fmall Number, in comparison of thofe, who get what they have by Dint of Labour, and fevere Travail. And therefore, (as I said at first) this is the

common,

common, ftated Way, which Providence allows Men to grow rich by.

But he, who

But now, can any Man reconcile temporal Happiness to perpetual Toil? Or can he enjoy any Thing truly, who never enjoys his Eafe? I mean, that lawful Eafe, which God allows, and Nature calls for, upon the Vi-. ciffitudes of Reft and Labour. will be vastly rich, must bid adieu to his Reft, and refolve to be a Slave, and a Drudge all his Days. And at laft, when his Time is spent in heaping up, and the heap is grown big, and calls upon the Man to enjoy it, his Years of Enjoyment are paft, and he must quit the World, and die like a Fool, only to leave his Son, or his Heir a rich Man; who perhaps will be one of the first, who fhall laugh at him for what he left him, and complain, if not alfo curfe him, for having left him no more. For fuch Things have happened in the World; and I do not find, that the World much mends upon our Hands. But if this be the Way of it, (as we see it is) what Happiness a Man can reap from hence, even upon a temporal Account, needs a more than ordinary Invention to find out. The Truth is, the Abfurdity of the Practice is fo very grofs, that it feems to carry in it a direct Hh 2 Contra

Contrariety to thofe common Notions and Maxims, which Nature would govern the Actions of Mankind by.

2. Men are usually forced to encounter, and pass through very great Dangers, before they can attain to any confiderable Degrees of Wealth. And no Man, furely, can rationally account himself happy in the midst of Danger. For while he walks upon the very Edge and Brink of Ruin; it is but an equal Caft, whether he fhall fucceed or fink, live or die, in the Attempt he makes. He, who (for inftance) designs to raise his Fortunes by Merchandize, (as a great Part of the World does) must have all his Hopes floating upon the Waves, and his Riches (the whole Support of his Heart) entirely at the Mercy of Things which have no Mercy, the Seas and the Winds. A fudden Storm may beggar him; and who can fecure him from a Storm in the Place of Storms? A Place, where whole Estates are every Day fwallowed up, and which has thereby made it dispu table, whether there are more Millions of Gold and Silver lodged below the Salt Waters, or above them; fo that, in the fame Degree, that any Man of Senfe defires Wealth, he muft of Neceffity fear its Lofs; his Defires muft