SERM. X. confiderate and inconfiderable in himself) he might be fancied for a pert Stupidity and a sprightly Impertinence; fome bright Sentence in Favour of Infidelity, or Piece of Ridicule in Contempt of Religion, might meet with the Applaufe of his ingenious Acquaintance, who would be apt enough to ftare upon him with a foolish Face of Praife. But the Gaiety of Youth being gone off, he must wear out the Remainder of his Days undistinguished and neglected: not daring to be alone; abhorring his own Company; liftlefs and uneafy at the prefent, he has no Pleasure in reflecting upon what is past, nor in the Prospect of any Thing to

come.

If he has an ample Fortune, Riches, it is true, may command an infipid Complaifance; a formal Homage and ceremonious Profeffions of Refpect: and teach a servile World to speak a Language foreign to their Hearts. But where true Merit is wanting, Riches can never procure an affectionate Efteem, an undiffembled Love, the Tribute which Virtue alone can either expect or deferve.

Hence it is that Men of this Stamp are continually complaining, that the Times are much altered for the worse; because the Sprightlinefs of their Youth reprefented every Thing in the most engaging Light,

and

and when People are pleafed with them- SERM. X. felves, they are apt to be fo with all around them; the Face of Nature brightens up,. and the Sun fhines with a more agreeable Luftre. But when old Age has cut them off from the Enjoyments they so much delighted in, and habitual Vice has given them a Difrelish of the only true Pleasure, whofe Leaf withers not, and whofe Verdure remains in the Winter of our Days; no Wonder, that a Soul thus diftempered, fhould view every Object on it's dark Side: the Change is not in the Times, but in Themselves, who have been forfaken by those Gratifications, which they could not be prevailed with to forfake. How much otherwise is it with the Virtuous, who have laid up an inexhaustible Fund of Pleasures against Old Age! the Current of whofe Virtue fill increafing as it runs along, becomes more ftrong and vigorous the nearer it approaches to the Occan of Eternity. But this brings me to fhew,

Secondly, How neceffarily Thofe muft be disappointed, who place their Happiness in any Thing exclufive of Religion and

Virtue.

When we first make our Entrance into the World, we are too apt to form fanguiné Notions, and gaudy Prospects of Blifs; a thoufand

SERM. X. thousand luxuriant Scenes present them-felves to our View. But by that Time we reach the Noon of Life, Experience of the World, frequent Croffes and Disappointments call Home our ftraggling Thoughts; lower our Notions of Happiness, and reduce them to a juft Sense of Things: to what is really attainable in this State; which is at beft (for any Length of Time) not true Pleasure, but rather a Freedom from Pain.

And if a Man, at the Clofe of Life, were to make an impartial Estimate; I doubt he would think his Sufferings more than equivalent to his Enjoyments: he would be unwilling, were the Choice given him, to tread the fame Round over, and to measure Life back again.

Few will deny this as to the Poor, whose daily Labour ferves for little elfe, but to get their daily Bread, and their daily Bread juft refreshes and ftrengthens them to undergo their daily Labour.

But the Rich, you will fay, have much fairer Pretenfions to Happiness. Here then we may expect to find it, if any where: And yet They differ from Others more in Shew than Reality; and perhaps their Paffions, being more importunate and clamorous in their Demands, in Proportion to the Superiority of their Fortune, may make them

only

.

only more pompously wretched than the SERM. X. Vulgar. Greatness, by making Pleasure familiar to them, flattens their Relifh for it; but gives a keener Edge to every Pain, which They muft feel as well as Others: it dulls their Enjoyments, but points and quickens the fenfe of Anguish and Affronts. Indeed they may with Application pursue this or that new Pleafure, they may be fond for a while of a new Acquifition; but when the Glofs of Novelty is once worn off, the Tranfition is very natural from Fondness to Indifference, and That becomes taftelefs and infipid to them, which they before fo affectionately coveted. The Eagernefs of Defire being over, we find that our Reafon was but the Dupe of our Imagination, which had painted Things bigger than the Life. Hence there is a reftlefs Agitation in our Minds, ftill craving fomething new, ftill unfatisfied with it when poffeffed. Hence we are continually fhifting the Scene, expecting That Happiness from a Variety of Enjoyments, which We cannot find in any One of them. All the Rivers run into the Sea, fays the Wife Man, yet is the Sea not full: just fo though all earthly Pleafures fhould center in One Soul, yet would not that Soul be filled and fatisfied; because as the Soul is a fpiritual Being, Nothing but fpiritual Pleafures can, in Propriety of Speech,

be

SERM. X. be fuitable to it's Nature, and proportioned to it's Grandeur. Hence that great King, after He had travelled through, and curiously surveyed every Region of Pleasure, returned at laft to Virtue, the Native Country of the Soul; in which only she could dwell with Satisfaction.

Here then the Miftake lies; People in their Enquiries after Happiness place it on improper Objects; they are looking for it abroad, and have Recourfe to a thousand Diverfions and Amusements, whilft it is only to be found at Home, in the right Use of Reafon; in Paffions well regulated and directed; in a delightful Self-consciousness in having done all the Good in our Power; in having employed our Time to the Glory of God, and the Benefit of Mankind.

But if Happiness be the Exercise of our Faculties upon proper Objects, That surely must be the nobleft Happiness when our Minds are exercifed upon the nobleft Objects.

How comes it then, that this great Truth is generally overlooked; that thofe efpecially, who make the Pursuit of Happiness the great Business of their Lives; that thofe, who fhould command a more fpacious Profpect by ftanding upon, higher Ground, and enjoying a more commodious Situation in the World, are yet as dead to all Sentiments of Piety as the meaneft Peasant, or

moft