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in 2 Cor. vi. 10. And can a greater Happiness be imagined, than that which gives a Man here all Things in Poffeffion, together with a glorious Eternity in Reversion? In a word, it is not what a Man has, but what he is, which must make him happy: And thus, as I have demonftrated the utter Infufficiency of Riches to make Men happy, fo to confirm the high Reason of our Saviour's Dissuasive from Covetoufnefs, against all Objections, or fo much as Pretences to the contrary; we fhall farther obferve, that Covetousness is by no means a certain Way to procure Riches; and, if neither Riches can make a Man happy, nor Covetoufnefs make him rich, all Pleas for it must needs be torn up by the very Roots. And for this, we need not af fign any other Ground, or Cause of the ftrange and frequent Disappointments which Covetoufnefs meets with in the Ends it drives at ; if we confider the Nature of the Means and Inftruments which it makes ufe of for the bringing of these Ends about. Such as are Fraud and Force,and Schifm and Sedition, Sacrilege and Rebellion, all of them Practices carrying the Curfe of God infeparably cleaving to them, and inherent in them. And to fhew this in the Principal of them, the VioKk 2 lation,

lation of Things facred, who ever knew any Family made rich by Sacrilege? Or any Rob ber of the Altar, but fooner or later, he fell a juft Sacrifice to the Shrine he robbed? Covetoufnefs may poffibly fometimes procure such an one a broad Eftate for the present, but a long one never. Wealth may brave and flou

rish it for a while in the Front and ForePart of his Life, but Poverty generally brings up the Rear. For the Justice of God is never in Jeft, nor does it work by halves in fuch Cases; but whether, by a speedy or lingring Execution, by ftriking or eating through the curfed Thing, it will be fure to make good its Blow at last. A notable Instance of which, we have in the Faction which carried all before it in the grand Rebellion of Forty One. Men were then factious and rapacious, because they were first covetous; and none more fo, then a Pack of Incendiaries, who had ufurped the Name of Minifters of the Gospel: For these were the Men, who with fuch Rage and Vehemence preached down Epifcopacy and the Established Government of the Church, in hopes to have had a great Part (at least) of the Revenues of it bestowed upon them for their Pains. But, alas, poor Tools! they understood not the Work

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they were employed in; for the LayGrandees, their Masters (who had more Wit with their Godliness) meant no fuch Thing: No the Hunters never intended, that the Hounds fhould eat the Hare; but though their Throats, their Noife, and their Fangs were made ufe of to run it down, and catch it; yet being once caught, they quickly found that it was to be Meat only for their Mafters; and that, whatsoever became of the Constitution of the Church, effectual Care was taken, that the Lands of it should go another Way. And in good Earnest, it would fare but very ill with Mankind, if all that the Mouth gapes for, the Hand should be able to grafp. But Thanks be to God, innumerable are the Ways, which Providence has, (fome of them vifible, and fome fecret and invifible, but all of them certain): by which it croffes and confounds the greedy Wretch, even in his most refined Contrivances, and Arts of getting; and thereby gives the World a convincing Proof, one would think, (if Experience could convince Men) that it is God, and God alone, who (as Mofes faid to the Ifraelites) must teach, Men to get Wealth, as well as enable them to enjoy it. And confequently, that for a Kk 3 Man

Man to be covetous, and poor too, a Mifer, and yet a Beggar, is no fuch Paradox, as to imply either an Inconfiftency in the Thing itself, or a contradiction in the Terms.

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And now, in the last place, having finished the Subject before us, in the feveral Particulars proposed to be difcourfed of by us: Let us fum up, and recapitulate all in a few Words, viz. That fince it is natural for Men to defign to make their Lives as happy as they can; and fince they promise themselves this Happiness from Riches, and thereupon use Covetoufnefs, as the fureft Means, to attain these Riches; and yet, upon all the foregoing Accounts, it is manifeft, that neither can Covetoufnefs certainly procure Riches, nor Riches certainly procure a Man this Happiness; it must follow, by an unavoidable Inference, that Covetoufnefs muft needs be in the fame Degree irrational, in which Riches are to this great End ineffectual; and confequently, that there is as little Reafon for Avarice, as there is Religion in it. And therefore, that the covetous Perfon (whatsoever he may feem, either in his own, or the World's Opinion) is, in Truth, neither rich, reasonable, nor religious; but chargeable with all that Folly, and liable to

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all that Mifery, which is justly the Shame and Portion of thofe, who (according to those other excellent Words of our Saviour, in the 21ft Verse of this Chapter) lay up Treasure for themselves, and are not rich towards God.

To whom (as the fole Giver of all Happiness, whether with or without Riches) be render'd and afcribed as is moft due, all Praife, Might, Majefty, and Dominion, both now and for everAmen.

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