SERMON VIII.

Agur's prayer; or the middle condition of life, generally, the most eligible.

Prov. xxx. Part of the 8th, and the whole 9th Verfe.

-Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me: left I be full and deny thee, and fay, who is the Lord? or left I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

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HESE words (as we are in- SERM.
form'd in the first verse of the VIII.
chapter) were spoken by Agur
to Ithiel and Ucal, who, very

probably, were two of his scholars, that

SERM. came to him to be inftructed in the VIII. principles of true wisdom: He be

gins with modeftly declaring his own infufficiency for fo great an undertaking, and recommends as the foundation of all useful knowledge, an humble temper of mind, fenfible of the natural weakness of human understanding, and the imperfection of its highest improvements; which he argues, verfe the 4th, from our ignorance of the works of nature: And therefore, in the two following verses, he advises his pupils to make it their principal study to understand the will of God, which is, of all knowledge, the most important, and of the greatest ufe in human life; and in all their enquiries of this kind, to confine themselves to what God had revealed: Then he introduces the words of the text, in the form of an address to God, in anfwer, perhaps, to fome question that they had propos'd to him about the duty of prayer: Two things have I required of thee: Deny me them not, before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food conve

nient for me, (i. e. Allow me only to en- SERM. joy fuch a competency, as will enable me VIII. to live with decency and advantage to my fellow creatures, in that station in which I am placed,) left I be full and deny thee, and fay who is the Lord? or left I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

In this paffage 'tis plainly intimated, that the middle state of life is, generally at least, more safe and eligible than either want or fuper fluity: With refpect to its being better than narrow and penurious circumstances, there can be no difpute; but that it should be preferr'd to great wealth and abundance, will, I am perfuaded, appear a very wild and extravagant paradox to the giddy and unthinking, who judge of things at firft fight, without enquiring into their nature, or confidering their confequences: For it is not a defirable thing, will fuch fay, to be not only placed above poverty, and enjoy the neceffaries and conveniencies, but the delights alfo of human life ?to be fons of figure, power, and influence ?and, confequently, capable of ferving our friends,

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SERM. friends, and relieving the indigent and VIII. miferable, in a more large and extenfive degree? Can a condition, which may not only be fo agreeable, but useful, be mifchievous and deftructive to mankind? It certainly may; nay, it actually has had this fatal confequence in many cafes. And perfons who have behaved with honour, and an unblemish'd reputation in moderate circumstances; nay, who have preserved their virtue, and manifefted great prefence and ftrength of mind, under the buffetings of adverse fortune; have been captivated and bewitched by the charms of an affluent profperity, and the pleasures it brings along with it, and funk into an indolent and diffolute life: Which shows us that there is not only danger, but eminent and peculiar danger in it, when it happens to fome particular tempers; and in general, where there is not a lively influence of religion and virtue, and firmnefs and refolution of mind. But I proceed to confider the words of the text

more particularly, in the following method.

I. I hall endeavour to explain and illu- SER M. ftrate what it says concerning the dan- VIII. ger of a state of great riches and fuperfluity on the one hand, and of want and poverty on the other; from whence it will clearly appear, that the middle condition is in general, and, except to fome rare and peculiar tempers, the most convenient and eligible. And II. Make fome remarks upon this doctrine to prevent mistakes that may arife from it, and direct to the right use and improvement of it.

ift. I am to explain and illuftrate what the text fays concerning the danger of a ftate of great riches and fuperfluity on the one hand, and of want and poverty on the other. I fhall take them just in the order in which it reprefents them to us. And

ft. For the danger that attends a ftate of great riches and fuperfluity, which is exprefs'd thus, left I be full and deny thee, and fay who is the Lord? To deny God fignifies in fcripture, fometimes, to act as if there were no righteous Gover

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