fied by changing its food every hour, and longing for one thing after another: but will not the plainest and simplest diet afford much greater pleasure to those that have a true appetite, and a good digeftion? In like manner, a weak and diftempered mind, toffed about and tormented by various defires, catches at every thing; but has very little relish of any thing, and digefts nothing. Such wanderings of appetite are certain figns of disorder and symptoms of disease. And if they could be fuppofed to prevail in a found mind, they would foon weaken it, and make it fickly. For, in truth, they are contrary to all the precepts of wifdom, and all the rules of reafon and good fenfe.

Peace and tranquillity of mind are the foundation of all true happiness, and there can be no fincere enjoyment without it. While our defires are directed by our understandings, and governed by our reafon; we are in a natural, delightful, and fecure ftate. But if they break loofe, and fhake off their fubjection, they raise a violent tumult in a man's breaft, and fill his mind with riot and confufion. Like the headstrong populace in fome fucceffful infurrection, they drive all before them; pull down all order and all authority; and carry the man away captive whither they please.

This

ments.

This wandering of defire muft needs be very troublesome and vexatious, not only as it deprives a man of the peace and quiet of his mind, and brings him into a restless state; but as it expofes him to continual difappointIt engages him in so many pursuits, that unavoidably he must often fail, and fall fhort and whenever this happens, he is fure to be mortified. When he cannot gain his end, he is disappointed; and when he does gain it, he is ftill difappointed, because he gains it to fo little purpose. For, as foon as he has gained it, he neglects it, and lays it afide, to make way for another. for another. So that his cafe is pretty much the fame, whether he fucceed or no; or, to speak more properly, he never does or can meet with any. real fuccefs; because he is never contented, never fatisfied. Since then this is vanity and vexation of Spirit, let us go on to confider, in

the

Third place, that temper of mind, that method of life, which our royal author prefers and recommends in my text, and which he means by the fight of the eyes. That is, as I before took notice, a due regard to those bleffings which providence has put into our hands; a juft fenfe of that good which lies before us; and a quiet and thankful enjoy

ment

ment of what we poffefs. Inftead of overlooking what we have, we ought carefully to confider why it was given us; that God may have the glory, and we the comfort of it. It is hard to fay whether it be greater folly, or ingratitude, to be always grafping at new objects, and defpifing old ones.

How can we

afk of Heaven frefh favours, and further prosperity, while we are fo infenfible of what we have already received? If what we are poffeffed of be of no value, we shall never in this world find any thing that is. Nay, put all external things together, and they are worth nothing in comparifon of thofe gifts" which scarce any man living wants. Every one enjoys mercies, the leaft of which he would be forry to exchange for all the treafures and kingdoms upon earth.

The true art of life can never confift in the abundance of objects, or the multiplicity of defires; which may indeed keep a man very busy, but will never make him happy. The foundation of happiness muft not be laid without, but within; not abroad, but at .home; not in outward objects, but in the mind itfelf. Without this, whatever we build upon, it will never ftand. We may toil and labour, and fearch about, to very little purpose. Violent motion will never cure either a fe

verish

1

verish body, or a feverish mind; on the contrary, it will in either cafe rather heighten and inflame the diftemper. A restless spirit and an infatiable difpofition may wander on from project to project, from undertaking to undertaking; and be at last further from happiness, than it was at first setting out.

The truth is, we frame expedients, and multiply schemes, without rightly confidering the end we aim at. Many intricate attempts we engage in, many fruitless inventions we follow; and fcarce know all the while, what it is that we propose. Instead of being directed by the fight of our eyes, and the light of our understandings; we are frequently led aftray by our wild appetites, and our wandering defires. They often carry us we know not whither, and feldom fail to leave us worse than they found us.

Both reafon and revelation affure us, that man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. But this leffon, true and divine as it is, ambition will not hear, nor avarice understand. They measure happinefs, not by the rule of enjoyment, but by the extent of acquifition. They take it for granted, that if wealth and honour flow in apace, they cannot fail to bring fatisfaction along with them: never confidering that this depends

1

depends infinitely more on the state and condition of the mind, than any outward advantages whatever.-If any man had a diftemper in his eyes, that threatened him with the lofs of his sight; and, instead of guarding against this danger, should wholly employ himself in enlarging and beautifying his profpects; would not every one pronounce that he acted most abfurdly, and began at the wrong end? And yet how does this cafe differ from the other? Till we rectify our minds, and regulate our defires; it is but loft labour that we hafte to rife up early, and late take reft, and eat the bread of carefulness. Whatever fuccefs we may meet with, we fhall be no nearer happiness; and probably a good deal further off.

Agreeably to the doctrine contained in my text, it is therefore our wifdom, our duty, our intereft, to open our eyes, and contract our defires. Not to overlook the goods and bleffings which we poffefs; but to keep them in our sight, and in our remembrance: to preferve a grateful sense of them, and a just esteem for them: for many they are, and some of them not only great, but ineftimable. Whatever our outward circumstances may be, we may find just cause, whenever we please, both for thanksgiving and rejoicing. Are all the fa

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vours