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moft illiterate Mechanic? Why, the Drud- SERM. X. gery of Business cannot more effectually fink and debafe the Mind of the latter, than a conftant Circle of gay Follies does that of the former: for even innocent Amusements, when too often repeated, and too much indulged, do as effectually deftroy true Piety, as fenfual Pleasures themselves; because the Mind, by being fixed on Trifles, is disabled and indifpofed for greater and more important Bufinefs. These Diverfions, however innocent in themselves, may yet, by an Excefs of them, become criminal, as they are attended with very bad Confequences; as they deftroy all Manliness of Soul, and occafion that Levity of Temper, which expofes us to the Inroads of Temptation, and makes us fufceptible of ill Impreffions. When Steadiness, the Anchorage of the Soul is once loft, fhe becomes the Sport of the Paffions, and is carried away with every Wind.

From this Fountain, from that amazing Folly of our Great Ones in running after every public Entertainment, how trifling and ridiculous foever it may be, has flowed that fashionable Indifference and Difregard for every Thing that is Serious and Sacred. The Day, which is more immediately fet apart for the Service and Worship of God, is generally profaned; and an Habit of Gaming

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SERM. X. Gaming has extinguished every Sentiment of Devotion. Nor does the Misfortune end here: Inferiors are proud to form themselves upon the Model of their Superiors; and when those, who are bound by all the Ties of Gratitude to that God, who giveth them all Things richly to enjoy, to advance the Interefts of Religion, and to enlarge it's Empire, ftamp a Credit upon Vice and Irreligion; by this Means a Gate is opened to all Manner of Profanenefs: Men commonly thinking it fome Excufe for their Crimes, if they can plead the Example of their Betters in Favour of them.

What then? will fome One fay ; is this your Way to Happiness? Muft we bid Adieu to all Diverfions?-By no MeansI would not be understood to decry Amusements in general; I only condemn them, when they take up too much of our Time, and interfere with nobler Purfuits. For certainly We were not placed in this World, like the Leviathan in the Deep, only to take our Paftime therein. There are Duties to be performed by Us; and, as a Motive to our Obedience, the great Lawgiver has made thefe Duties and our Happiness confiftent with each other: they go Hand in Hand, and the Pleafure which refults from Virtue is fufficient Recommendation of it to our Practice. Who ever relieved the Indigent

Indigent without feeling within himself the SERM. X.
greatest Complacency and Satisfaction?
Compare the Pleafures of Sobriety and
Temperance with thofe of Rioting and
Excefs; the fweet Sleep of Labour and
Industry with the broken and disturbed
Slumbers of Idlenefs and Luxury, and
Reason will foon convince you which de-
ferves to have the Preference.

We may therefore lay it down as a Maxim of undoubted Truth, that none is a greater Epicure than the true, fincere Christian; none are greater Self-deniers than the abandoned in Pleafure; as they cut themselves off from the most valuable Enjoyments; as they contract a Littleness of Soul, and a Difrelish and Infenfibility to every generous Sentiment of Humanity and Goodness; as they must be obliged to a thousand Trifles to fill up the mighty Void of Thought, to fhut out that importunate Intruder Self-reflection, and to keep off that Sullennefs, which muft come upon a Mind confcious of no intrinfic Worth; and when fome Years, each more flat and infipid than another, are thus fpent, they have no Reafon to value this Life, but merely because they are afraid of a future.

The Conclufion of all is, Happiness confifts in our placing it upon true and Q3

proper

SERM. X. proper Objects. We have feen, that the Luft of the Flefb, the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, cannot fecure it to Us. Let us therefore seek for it, where it is only to be found, in the Practice of Virtue and Religion. And pure and undefiled Religion is this, to relieve the Distreffed, to have an universal Charity for all Men, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the World.

SERMON XI.

Of Anger, Meekness, &c.

EPHES. iv. 26.

Be ye angry, and fin not.

HOW

OWEVER unequal the Dispensation S ER M. of Providence, upon a carelefs and XI. tranfient View, may feem to be; yet, upon a more close and accurate Survey, we fhall find a greater Equality therein than we were aware of. Thus, for Inftance, the Men in whose Compofition Fire and Spirit are the predominant Ingredients, have generally much nobler Designs, and are capable of greater Attainments, than thofe of a phlegmatic and more difpaffionate Make. But then the fame Life and Energy, which pushes on the former to undertake generous and heroic Actions, often precipitates them into fatal Exceffes. If they are more than the common Run of Men in fome Refpects; Providence, to humble them and reduce them to a Level

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