Friendship would blow out their Flames, and cool their burning Tongues, which all that mafs of Wealth will not do.

Confideration would lay open all the Riches a ferious Life procures; it would let them fee that the Interceffion of Chrift Jefus is entailed upon't; a Bleffing inconfiderable in the eyes of the World, but which Men will one day fet a higher Price upon, when it is too late. A Bleffing, which neither Tantalus his Wealth, nor Licinius his Hand, nor Cleopatra's Jewels, nor Agathocles his Golden Veffels, nor Crafus his Poffeffions, nor Craffus his Demefnes can parallel. To have an Advocate in Heaven, who anfwers all the Cavils and Exceptions and Accufations of the Devil againit our fincere Endeavours, who controuls the rage and malice of the Enemy, fteps in while the Foe is arguing against us, fhews his Merits, his Wounds and the Marks of his Nails, and makes our imperfect Services pass for current Coin in the Court of the higheft, covers the weaknesses and infirmities of our Duties, perfumes our Devotions with the precious odours of his Satisfa-. ction, offers up our Prayers in his Golden Cenfor, throws his Garment over us, flops the Lion's Mouth that's opened against us, contrives our Happiness, promotes our Intereft with God, and pleads, not to caft us away from his Presence, nor to take his holy Spirit from us. What profit there is in having fuch an Interceffor, none will e'er long be more fenfible of, than those who have been deftiture of the Benefit of this Interceffion; and indeed none fhare in that Mercy, but Men that dare apply themselves to that

ferious

ferious Life, whereof Confideration is the

Key.

Confideration would fhew them, That this ferious Life gains the Affiftance and Illumination of God's Spirit. A mercy of that moment,that without it the greatest Philofopher is but a Dunce; and a Man lies expofed to all the Infinuations of Seducers; is like the wave of the Sea, toft to and fro; and his Wine of the Vine of Sodom, and of the Fields of Gomorrah; his Grapes are Grapes of Gall, and his clusters bitter; his Vine is the poifon of Dragons, and the venom of Afps; that is, even his Devotions are Abominations. And indeed to have the Mind fo purged, as to fee the vanity and emptiness of all fublunary Objects, the Beauty of Holiness, the odioufnefs and loathfomnefs of Sin, the tranfcendent Excellency of God, the designs of God's Providence, the methods of God's Mercy, the reasonableness and equity of his proceedings, and to be so affifted from above,as to dare to oppofe the most pleasing Temptations,though they charm never fo wifely; and to esteem an hours Communion with God above all the Preferments and Glories of the World; (for in this manner the Holy Ghost affifts those that apply themselves to a ferious circumfpect Life,) he that fees no profit, no gain, no advantages in this Privilege, may justly be fuppofed to be quite blinded by the God of this World.

Confideration would let them fee, That the Promises of the Gospel, are otherguess Riches than plenty of Corn and Wine and Oil; that there is no Diftrefs, no Calamity, no Mifery, wherein these Promises cannot hold a Believer's

head, and support him against fainting; that these can give content, when nothing in the World can quiet the Soul; and that these can make Men triumph, when they are made as the filth of the World, and as the off-fcowring of all things.

Confideration would let them fee the unfpeakable Gain which attends the serious, fincere, and felf-denyingChristian when he comes to die;how little he is frighted, how big his hopes and expe&ations grow; how contentedly he leaves the World; how the thoughts of the everlasting Riches he looks for, fupport him; how God compofes his Spirit with reflections upon his approaching Reft; how this Death is nothing but a fleep, from which he will in a fhort time awake again, and open his eyes, and behold the Lord fitting on his Throne, ftretching forth the Scepter of his Love to him, and affuring him that the Day of Salvation is come; that the everlasting Spring is at hand, which will make him forget the tedioufnefs of his Travels, the burthens of his former Life, and whatever in this World look'd like anguish and calamity. This would fhew them, that the immarceffible Crown of Glory, the Reward of a serious Life, doth infinitely transcend all that the World can imagine to be advantageous and profitable.

Nay, Confideration would discover to them, That a ferious circumfpect Life, entitles Men to temporal Gain, as well as to Spiritual and Eternal Advantages. This would fhew them, that more Men are ruined in their Eftates, by a Vicious, than there are by a Religious Converfation; and that Drunkards, Whoremongers,

Adul

Adulterers,ambitious and quarelfom Men, break fooner and oftner in the World, than thofe whose bufinefs is to keep a Confcience void of offence towards God and Man. This would fhew them that this World's Goods are not ingroffed, or poffeffed altogether by Men who flight God and their own Souls; but that even many of those who truly fear God, have a very large share in temporal Plenty and Profperity; and that many times Men thrive the better for a ferious Life, and a fecret Bleffing attends them, Plenty steals upon them beyond expectation; and, as if fome good Angel were at work for them, Riches flow infenfibly upon them, and every thing they undertake doth profper, infomuch that themselves cannot but wonder at their increase.

This would convince them that many Men, who during their ungodly Conversation could not thrive, had signally profper'd in the World as foon as they have applied themselves to a ferious Life, that the face of their affairs hath been changed; that Manaffeth, who had nothing but Trouble and Diftrefs to attend him while he wallowed in his Iniquities, upon his return to the God of his Fathers, was brought back unto his Kingdom, and lived in Wealth and Plenty ; that Nebuchadnezzar, who for his Pride and Infolence was driven out of his own Dominions by his Subjects; upon his fobriety, and acknowledging his folly, and adoring the God of Heaven, was on a fudden restored to his former Grandeur; and that a ferious Man is best qualified for getting Profit, and encreasing an Estate; and that the generality of Men had rather deal

with a confciencious Man, than with a Perfon who is careless of all things but his own Intereft, as knowing that being confciencious, he dares not cheat or deceive them, but will think himfelf obliged to deal justly and honeftly with them, and do by them as he would have others do by him; and that this is the great misfortune of Ungodlinefs, and the glory of a ferious Life, that one wicked Man dares not trust another, but both good and bad dare trust him who stands in awe of God, and makes it his great care and study how to please him.

This would fhew them that the serious Man in being charitable, takes the readieft way to profper in his fecular Concerns; and that as great a Paradox as it may seem to fenfual Men, there is not a greater Truth in the World than that which Solomon fpeaks, Prov. 11. 24. There is that fcattereth, and yet encreafeth. This would lay before them the Examples of Men, who by confecrating a great part of their Estate and Incomes to pious and charitable Ufes, have enlarged their Fortunes, and by cafting their Bread upon the Water, have found it again with Intereft after many days; who have denied themfelves in their fuperfluities, and yet are grown rich; given away, and yet got more than they had in times paft. This would lead them into the pleasant Field of God's Providence, and fhew them how that wife and gracious God wheels and turns things about for the good of thofe that dare truft him for a Recompence, and makes that Money which was laid out for

the