There is hardly any fubject more exhausted, or which, at one time or other, has afforded more matter for argument and declamation, than this one, of the infufficiency of our enjoyments. Scarce a reformed fenfualift, from Solomon down to our own days, who has not, in fome fits of repentance or disappointment,' uttered some sharp reflection upon the emptinefs of human pleasure, and of the vanity of vanities which discovers itself in all the purfuits of mortal man.—But the mischief has been, that though so many good things have been faid, they have generally had the fate to be confidered either as the overflowings of difguft from fated appetites, which could no longer relish the pleasures of life, or as the declama. tory opinions of recluse and splenetic men, who had never tasted them at all, and, consequently, were thought no judges of the matter. So that 'tis no great wonder if the greateft part of such reflections, however just in themselves, and founded on truth, and a knowledge of the world, are found to leave little impreffion, where the imagination was already heated with great expectations of future happiness; and that the beft lectures that have been read upon the vanity of the world, fo feldom

seldom stop a man in the purfuit of the object of his defire, or give him half the conviction that the poffeffion of it will, and what the experience of his own life, or a careful observation upon the life of others, do at length generally confirm to us all.

Let us endeavour, then, to try the cause upon this iffue; and, instead of recurring to the common arguments, or taking any one's word in the case, let us truft to matter of fact; and if, upon enquiry, it appears that the actions of mankind are not to be accounted for upon any other principle, but this of the infufficiency of our enjoyments, 'twill go further towards the establishment of the truth of this part of the discourse, than a thousand speculative arguments which might be offered upon the occafion.

Now, if we take a furvey of the life of man, from the time he is come to reafon, to the latest decline of it in old age-we shall find him engaged, and generally hurried on in fuch a fucceflion of different purfuits, and different opinions of things, through the different stages of his life-as will admit of no explication but this, that he finds no reft for the fole of his

foot,

foot, on any of the plans where he has been led to expect it.

The moment he is got loose from tutors and governors, and is left to judge for himself, and pursue this scheme his own way—his first thoughts are generally full of the mighty happiness which he is going to enter upon, from the free enjoyment of the pleasures in which he fees others of his age and fortune engaged.

In confequence of this- -take notice, how his imagination is caught by every glittering appearance that flatters this expectation.Obferve what impreffions are made upon his senses, by diversions, music, dress and beauty— and how his fpirits are upon the wing, flying in pursuit of them; that you would think he could never have enough.

Leave him to himself a few years, till the edge of appetite is worn down-and you will scarce know him again. You will find him entered into engagements, and setting up for a man of business and conduct, talking of no other happiness but what centers in projects of making the most of this world, and providing

for

you,

for his children, and children's children after them. Examine his notions, he will tell that the gayer pleasures of youth, are fit only for thofe who know not how to difpofe of themselves and time to better advantage. That however fair and promifing they might appear to a man unpractifed in them-they were no better than a life of folly and impertinence, and fo far from anfwering your expectations of happiness, 'twas well if you efcaped without pain. That in every experiment he had tried, he had found more bitter than fweet, and for the little pleasure one could fnatch-it too often left a terrible fting behind it: befides, did the balance ly on the other fide, he would tell you, there could be no true fatisfaction, where a life runs on in fo giddy a circle, out of which a wife man should extricate himself as foon as he can, that he may begin to look forwards.-That it becomes a man of character and confequence to lay afide childifh things, to take care of his interefts, to eftablish the fortune of his family, and place it out of want and dependence: and, în a word, if there is fuch a thing as happiness upon earth, it must confift in the accomplishment of this; and, for his own part, if GOD fhould

prosper

profper his endeavonrs, so as to be worth fuch a fum, or to be able to bring fuch a point to bear-he shall be one of the happiest of the fons of men.-In full affurance of this, on he drudges-plots-contrives-rifes early-late takes rest, and eats the bread of carefulneis ; till at length, by hard labour and perfeverance, he has reached, if not outgone, the object he had first in view. When he has got thus far-if he is a plain and fincere man, he will make no fcruple to acknowledge truly, what alteration he has found in himself if you ask him he will tell you, that his imagination painted something before his eyes, the reality of which he has not yet attained to: that with all the accumulation of his wealth, he neither lives the merrier, fleeps the founder, or has less care and anxiety upon his fpirits, than at his first fetting out.

Perhaps, you'll fay, fome dignity, honour, or title only is wanting-Oh! could I accomplish that, as there would be nothing left then for me to with, good GOD! how happy should I be? 'Tis ftill the fame-the dignity or title though they crown his head with honour--->add not one cubit to his happiness. Upon fumming