upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked, Psal. xxxvii. 7-9. 16.

66 They tempted GOD in their heart, by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against GOD. They said, Can GOD furnish a table in the wilderness? Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people? Therefore the Lord was wroth, and a fire was kindled against Jacob. Because they believed not in GOD, and trusted not in His salvation, Psal. lxxviii. 18, 22.

"Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith, Prov. xv. 16.

"Two things have I required of Thee, deny me not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food con venient for me, &c. Prov. xxx. 7, 9.

"Better is the sight of the eyes, than the wandering of the desire. This is also va nity and vexation of spirit. See there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better (for them?) Eccles. vi. 9, 11.

"I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker. Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it, what makest thou? Isă. xlv. 7, 9.

"He said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, &c. Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap; which have neither store house nor barn; and GOD feedeth them. How much are ye better than the fowls? &c. Luke xii. 15, 31.

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"I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content, Phil. iv. 11. "Goldliness with contentment, is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry thing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money, is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have been seduced from the

faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of GOD, flee these things, 1 Tim. vi. 6. 11."

165

CHAP. VIII.

OF RELIGION.

1

I DO not here intend to describe Religion in its full extent; for so it includes all the duties already specified, as prudence, diligence, justice, integrity of speech, contentment, &c. but chiefly to consider it as it respects our behaviour to GOD. Religion, in this sense, consists in having just apprehensions of him, and minds and practices formed agreeable thereto; it is often pointed out to us in the sacred scriptures, by some operative principle, which has a general influence upon our tempers and lives; as the "fear of GoD;" Psal. xxxiv. 7, 9, 11. Eccles. viii 12. "the love of GOD;" Rom. viii. 28. "the knowledge of GOD;" Dan. vii. 32. "walking before GOD;" en. xlviii. 15. " uprightness of heart," Psalm lxiv. 10. "being spiritually minded;" Rom. viii. 6. and the like.

But alas for us, these are principles not natural to man: his mind is darkened by ignorance; his affections are estranged from GOD and goodness; all his powers and faculties are impaired and perverted by sin; and the original rectitude of his nature is contradicted by sensual and evil appetites and affections. Such is the depravity of the human mind, that, when religion takes place in it men are said to be "born again;" John iii. 7. to be made new creatures ;" Gal. vi. 15. to be "created again in Christ Jesus unto good works; Eph. ii. 10. " and renewed in the spirit of their minds." Eph. iv. 23. Vain is the attempt to heal this or that folly of the mind, or irregularity of the life, until the corrupt fountain of a vicious heart, from whence they proceed, be purified: the tree must first be made good, before the fruit can be so. Matt. xii. 33.

Our consciences must be "purged from dead works; Heb. ix. 14. and our souls united to Jesus Christ, by a true and living faith, John xv. 4. before we can acceptably serve the living GOD. "How vain are all our confessions of sin, unless they flow from godly sorrow, and are attended with a sincere faith in the great Redeemer's inter