A SERMON Preached in the Parish-Church of St NICHOLAS IN THE City of BRISTOL August the 27th 1691. BEING The ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL OF THE Natives of that City By THOMAS CARY M. A. and Vicar of the Parish of St Philip and Jacob in the City of Bristol LONDON Printed for Thomas Wall Bookseller in Bristol 1691. To the Worshipful Sir John Dudelstone Kt. PRESIDENT THE OFFICERS And the Rest of the SOCIETY OF THE NATIVES OF THE City of BRISTOL Honoured Countrymen THE Discourse which had lately your Audience now offers itsself to your View it was composed for you and doth by Right belong to you The Design of it is by beating down the Price of the World to perswade you to make such a good Vse of it while you live in it that you may go out of it with comfort GOD hath blessed many of you with ample Estates it is your Duty to return him a Tributary Acknowledgment by a Generous Charity That these Meditations may be serviceable for this End is the hearty Prayer of Honoured Countrymen Your most Humble Servant THOMAS CARY LUKE xij xv And 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 THE occasion of these words was an improper Petition presented to our blessed Lord by one who came to hear his Doctrine while he was discoursing on a Divine Subject a certain Worldling who minded Earth more than Heaven interrupted him with this unseasonable address Master speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me vers 13. Perhaps apprehending Christ to be the promised Messiah and mistaking the Messiah as the Jews generally did to be a Temporal Prince he desired him to exercise his Authority in this Case Our Saviour whose Kingdom is not of this World would not invade the Office of the Civil Magistrate or intermeddle with Matters Forreign to his Commission He said unto him who made me a judge or a divider over you vers 14. The Son of God came not from Heaven to settle Mens Estates but to save their Souls he was not sent to be an Arbitrator in our Worldly Concerns but to execute the Office of a Mediator between God and Man not to compose Differences about Temporal Rights but to reconcile GOD to Man and Man to GOD. However our blessed Lord who improved all Opportunities of doing good takes advantage from hence to strike at the Root from whence this Interruption grew he doth not directly fall on the Person who disturbed him in his Discourse but obliquely reflects on the cause of it The Covetousness of this Man's Heart indisposed him to attend to our Saviour's Doctrine and therefore our blessed Lord cautions the whole Auditory against this sin And 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 The words contain these two Particulars I. A Caution Take heed and beware of covetousness II. An Argument to enforce it For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth I. A Caution Take heed and beware of covetousness Covetousness is an inordinate desire of worldly Riches the Root from whence this and all other Vices grow is evil Concupiscence in the Heart Sensual Lust receives distinct Names from its different Objects if Honour be its Object it is then called Ambition if Pleasure Voluptuousness if Riches Covetousness or to use the Apostle's Expression The love of money 1 Tim. 6. 10. All desire of worldly Riches is not Covetousness Men must labour in their Callings be provident in their Expences and lay up for their Families Industry is not Sin but Duty To increase an Estate by honest means and endeavours is so far from being culpable that it is a singular commendation but the desire of worldly Riches is then sinful when it is immoderate and whenever our Love of the World exceeds its proper bounds it is the Sin of Covetousness Let us then consider in what cases the desire of Temporal Things is immoderate and then we shall find out the Nature of this Sin 1. The desire of Riches is immoderate when the World alienates our Hearts from God and our Duty when we love the World more than God prefer Carnal before Spiritual Riches labour more for our Bodies than our Souls and for the World neglect God's Service and our Etenral Concerns then we are guilty of the Sin of Covetousness such a love of the World is inconsistent with the love of God No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and mammon Matth. 6. 24. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world 1 Joh. 2. 15 16. 2. The desire of Riches is immoderate when Men use unjust means to enrich themselves when they exchange their Souls for the World and have so seared their Consciences as to use Fraud Perjury Oppression or any other dishonest Practices to increase their Estates All these unlawful Methods are Evidences of a covetous Heart 3. The desire of Riches is immoderate when it distracts the Mind with perplexing Cares Excessive Sorrows for the Losses and Disappointments Men meet with in their worldly Concerns rebellious Murmurings against the Providence of the Almighty Envyings and Repinings at the Prosperity of our Neighbours anxious and disquieting Thoughts concerning Futurity and despairing Fears about the Events of our Endeavours are certain Indications of the Sin of Covetousness it is in Scripture opposed to Contentment of Mind in every state of Life and a secure Confidence in the All-sufficiency of God Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. 4. The desire of Riches is immoderate when it is inconsistent with the Graces of Charity Mercifulness and Liberality He that hath not a Heart to give to the Poor when God furnisheth him with means and opportunities is a covetous Man The Covetous love the World above all pursue it with Violence stick not at any Methods to attain their Ends imploy it to bad purposes keep it with trouble and lose it with despair Having thus explained the Nature of this Sin I come now to discover the Evil of it 1. Covetousness is an idolatrous departure from the All-sufficient Creator to the insufficient Creature Whatsoever a Man sets his Heart most on labours most for spends the greatest part of his time in quest of delights most in trusts most to and values himself most upon that is
his God the ambitious Man's God is Honour the Epicure's Pleasure the Gluttons the Belly and the Covetous Man's Riches the World is the Idol he adores because the gain of it is his ultimate end therefore the Apostle calls Covetousness Idolatry Col. 3. 5. The Covetous Man's Heart is wholly departed from the Lord with the Children of Israel he forsakes the true God to worship a Golden Calf with those in the Parable of the Gospel-Banquet he prefers his Farm or his Merchandize before his God and Saviour he knows no God but Gain no Paradise but an earthly Patrimony Bonds and Mortgages from Men are with him of greater Value and a better Security than the precious Promises of God give him Earth here he cares not for Heaven hereafter neither will he part with an Estate in hand for the Kingdom of Glory in reversion The Rich Man in the Gospel could boast much of his Morality yet he had not learnt so much Self-denial Go thy way saith Christ sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven but he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions Mark 10. 21. Our blessed Lord took occasion from hence to declare the difficulty of Salvation to those that are covetous by proportioning it to the passage of a Camel thro' a Needle 's eye How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God vers 24 25. The Covetous Man's Practices demonstrate the infidelity of his Heart he is always laying up on Earth because he believes not that there is an Heaven his restless pursuit after Temporal Riches is an argument he expects no other Satisfaction than what this World can afford his continual Labour for the Body is an evidence he thinks his Soul shall die with it he that believes in earnest that he hath an immortal Spirit to be happy or miserable for-ever will not wholly neglect his better part and lay out all his care on that which must perish the Covetous Man would not forsake God for the World did he not apprehend to be a greater Good Mammon is the only Master he serves Worldly Gain the only Good he desires and Worldly Loss the only Evil he fears Covetousness incapacitates the Heart to perform any Religious Duty after a Spiritual Manner How can he pray devoutly whose Heart is devoted to the World How can he profitably hear the Word of God whose Ears are never attentive but to the Sound of Gain whose Thoughts are on his Worldly Affairs No! the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful Mat. 13. 22. The most Divine Discourses can no more affect his Heart than the most Melodious Musick doth the Ear of a Beast When our Saviour exhorted to Charity the Pharisees who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him Luke 16. 14. How can he value the love and favour of God the Language of whose Heart is Let my Corn and Wine increase and let God lift up the Light of his Countenance upon whom he please How can he bless God for his Mercies whose unthankful Heart is not satisfied with too much but always ravenous after more God and the World are so contrary in their Natures that both cannot have our Hearts the love of the one doth imply a contempt of the other it remains therefore that a Covetous Man is a profane and graceless Person without God in the World 2. Covetousness is an Argument of a base and sordid Nature It lodgeth only in narrow Souls and earthly Spirits a generous Mind disdains to entertain this filthy Lust the Covetous Man acts from and for Self he is unprofitable both to Church and State and useless in every relation he hath not a Heart to prefer the Publick Good before his Private Interest Of all Persons in Humane Societies the Covetous are most unfit for Publick Offices How unqualified are they for the Power of Judicature who never want Hearts when they have Opportunities of taking Bribes Covetousness perverts Justice either from fear of displeasing some great Personage or from hope to oblige him To what base Flatteries to what servile Compliances to what slavish Drudgeries doth this Vice expose Men That Mind cannot be free and ingenious which is inslaved with the Love of Money Magistracy is never more disgraced than when misplaced on Covetous Men this sin is inconsistent with that State and Grandeur that should keep up the Honour of it exact Justice and a generous Charity tend more to secure it from Contempt than all the Ensigns of Authority Liberality and Hospitality render it more honourable than Swords and Maces or a tedious Train of Attendants and therefore Jethro advised Moses to provide for Magistrates Able men such as fear God men of truth hating covetousness Exod. 18. 21. The Covetous Man is at the best but a Slave in a Mine of Ore a Captive in Fetters of Gold the Jaylor rather than the Injoyer of his Estate This Vice bows down the Soul towards the Earth hinders its flight to Things above and eclipseth it by interposing the World between it and Heaven The first sin was Pride this cast Angels out of Heaven the next to that was an Affectation to be as Gods to know Good and Evil this cast our first Parents out of Paradise these sins are very great and cannot be sufficiently aggravated but they were sins of a more generous nature than this of Covetousness they aspired to be greater than they were but the Covetous Man debaseth and lesseneth himself they would have raised themselves higher towards Heaven but the Covetous Man stoops lower towards the Earth as if he lay under the Curse of the Serpent Vpon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life Gen. 3. 15. 3. Covetousness is a most cruel and unnatural Vice It fills the Head with Cares the Heart with Sorrows and the Mind with Fears What discontents at Providence what melancholy damps what excruciating thoughts do torture the Minds of Covetous Men Covetousness is a sin and a punishment together a Vulture in the Heart a Wolf in the Breast a Serpent in the Bosome it oppresseth the Spirits drieth up the Radical moisture depauperates the Blood degradeth the Soul and consumes the Body a Covetous Man starves at a Plentiful Table thirsts in Rivers of Water and is poor in the midst of abundance he lives in want of what he hath and in this is most miserable that he only knows the Cares and Sorrows not the Comforts of being Rich For what hath a man of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the sun For all his days are sorrows and his travel grief yea his
hands be the Executors of our Charity while we live and then a Death-bed Charity will be rendred acceptable Let us consider the uncertainty of all things in this World thou who now aboundest mayst shortly be reduced to want Fortune storms a losty Castle and passeth over a low Cottage a blustring Wind shakes the top of a tall Cedar while the humble Shrub remains unmov'd an ambitious Mountain that aspires up to Heaven is sooner thunder-struck than the Valley Let then the Rich sympathize with the Miseries of the Poor because they are subject to them Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Heb. 13. 3. 4. The happiness of Humane Life consists in a good Conscience towards God and Man Without Peace with God all Temporal Blessings are but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit there can be no Calm within when God is angry without and when the Mind is uneasie within the whole World cannot give the least Contentment A good Conscience crowns the Blessings of God with Comfort it is the Soul's Health and the Body's Cordial the Salt that seasons Earthly Blessings and makes them relishable it gives Joy in Sorrow Comfort in Afflications and is a hearty Friend in the Day of Adverisity Whether we are Rich or Poor we can carry nothing out of the World with us but a good or an evil Conscience one of those will abide with us for ever Holiness is the life of the Soul and a good Conscience its proper Comfort As he that is in Health will feed on ordinary Diet with delight while the sick Stomach loaths the most delicious Meats so to a good Conscience the worst Condition is pleasant but to an evil Conscience all worldly Pleasures are but vexatious Torments A good Man will be contented with much or with little or with nothing because he finds a full satisfaction in the All-sufficient God Life is then happy when we can look backward without shame and forward without fear when we can expect Death with Comfort and meet it with Courage when we can meditate on the Terrours of Judgment without being afraid of them and have a sense of our Reconciliation with God by Christ A good Conscience will make our Beds easie and our Pillows soft it will fortifie us against the Fears of Death and Judgment and revive our Souls when our Bodies languish under our last Pangs God only and his Grace content us in every State God being immutably the same he that enjoys him hath always enough In all the Ebbings and Flowings of the World a good Man is fixt upon a solid Foundation because the Object of his happiness is not subject to change Godliness with contentment is great gain and godliness is profitable to all things having the promise of the life which now is and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. Let us not then seek Happiness from the vain and empty World its Pleasures are deceitful fugitive and fading its Comforts are allayed with Sorrows its Joys are mixt with Grief its fairest Days have their Clouds to darken them The World is of little use to the Soul while it lives in it and of no use at all when it goes out of it it is confined to the Body in this state of Probation to prepare itsself for a blessed Eternity and then to go hence and dwell in a World of Spirits separate Souls have no use of any thing that worldly Riches can purchase How then do they debase their Souls who make them Slaves to their Bodies How do they undervalue them who give them away for the World Time is but an Instant if compared with Eternity our Lives are but a Point if compared with the whole Line of Time our pleasant Hours are but a Moment if compared with our whole Lives What folly is it then to part with our Souls for fading things which we must leave when we die and may leave before Temporal things are to be used not enjoyed God is the Object of fruition the World of use the World may have our hands God ought to have our whole hearts But this I say brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they bad none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyeed not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29 30. When the Disciples admired to our Saviour the magnificent Buildings of the Temple he diverted them with this Consideration See ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Mat. 24. 2. So when we are tempted with the Riches of this World let us fortifie ourselves with this meditation See ye not all these things they shall shortly be found no where but in the Ashes of an Universal Dissolution To conclude Let us seek happiness there where only it may be found God only is the proper satisfaction of Spirits the Home of Souls and the Center on whom alone they can rest Let us then present our Hearts to God make his Will our Rule and imitate him in holiness there is no true happiness without Union with God by Faith and Love let us then serve him with pure hearts adore him with all the powers of our Souls meditate upon him and live to him and then when this World shall be dissolved we shall have a Building of God a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Three Persons and One Eternal God be all Honour Glory Love and Adoration henceforth and for evermore Amen FINIS
Purgatory their Canonization of Saints Jubilees Pilgrimages Prayers for the Dead Indulgences and Dispensations flowed from this Spring these Doctrines have no foundation either in Revelation or Reason they tend only to support the external glory and greatness of that Church and they are fond of them for the same reason that Demetrius and the Craftsmen were of Diana and her Silver Shrines Sirs ye know that by this craft we have our wealth Act. 19 25. The Roman Church by selling Indulgences for past Sins and Dispensations for Sins to come and by exposing Masses to sale to deliver Souls out of Purgatory appears to be the Mystical Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of St. John for this Church only answers the Character of trading in the souls of men Rev. 18. 13. 6. Covetousness is a damnable Sin St. Paul disswades the Corinthians from having any society with a covetous Brother If any one that is called a brother be covetous with such an one No! not to eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. And he rangeth the Covetous among those that shall not inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. Covetousness is inconsistent with a state of Grace and therefore must be mortified before we can attain to a state of Salvation He who is fond of this visible World is unprepared for the invisible How unfit are they to live in a World of pure Spirits who mind only earthly things Our Souls must be weaned from this World and live above it before they can be qualified for a better a contempt of this by a Spirit of Heavenly-mindedness must train us up for that In Heaven there are no Houses or Lands Gold or Silver Food or Rayment and therefore a sensual Worldling could not take any pleasure in it there are spiritual riches intellectual Delights holy Pleasures there is not one thing proper for the animal life and therefore the state of it doth not suit a carnal Soul He who here relisheth no Pleasures but those of sence shall not only lose that World he was fondly taken with but also be condemned to a World of unspeakable Misery where he shall curse his Folly for giving away his Soul for this 2. An Argument to enforce the Caution Take heed and beware of covetousness for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Sensus est admodum popularis vitam non juvari ex eo quòd quis plus in bonis habeat quà m satis sit ad naturae desideria saith Grotius upon the Text that is the sence is very obvious a Man's Life is not supported by those things which are more than will suffice to satisfie the Desires of Nature no Man hath truly any more than he enjoys of the good things of this life Water in the Brook quencheth not the Thirst Corn in the Barn satisfieth not Hunger Gold in the Bag supplieth not our Necessities Nature is preserved the Body comforted by those things we use and enjoy not by those we keep and possess a moderate portion of the good things of this Life is enough for use and enjoyment and therefore we may be happy without abundance the comfort and conveniency of Life doth not consist in abundance but in a competency and therefore we should not covet more than enough Superfluities are more than we can use and why should we fondly desire them Worldly Riches are desirable not for their own sakes but for the purposes and conveniences of life and therefore we have enough of them when we have as much as we can use and enjoy That the happiness of Humane Life doth not consist in the abundance of worldly things I shall evince by these following Considerations 1. Abundance of worldly things is unnecessary The happiness of life consists in a sufficiency not in superfluities we may live very comfortably with a little and miserably with much Nature is satisfied with a competency of Food and Rayment and Happiness consists in the satisfaction of our natural Desires not in gratifying our extravagant Lusts Nature is easily satisfied but Lust never a Seemless Coat will keep us as warm as a Princely Robe Water quencheth the Thirst better than Wine Sleep is as sweet in a Cottage as in a Palace plain Food satisfieth Hunger and is more wholesome than delicious Meats rich Apparel generous Wines stately Houses and splendid Entertainments serve only to gratifie the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and therefore Agur a Man much celebrated for his Wisdom prefers a Competency before either of the Extreams Riches or Poverty Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me Prov. 30. 8. If the happiness of life consisted in abundance then all that abound would be happy but every day's experience convinceth us of the contrary 2. Abundance of worldly things cannot satisfie covetous desires Nature hath Bounds Lust none the World hath Limits Covetousness is unmeasurable The Riches of both the Indies transported hither would not content a covetous Heart this Lust is as unsatiable as Hell and the Grave he that is not satisfied with a competency neither would he be with abundance He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase this is also vanity Eccles 5. 10. God hath given us infinite Desires that we might direct them towards an infinite Good he made the Soul of Man uncapable of satisfaction but from an infinite Good it is God's Royal Prerogative that he alone can satisfie an immortal Spirit when we direct our infinite Desires to God we pursue our proper satisfaction and when we are united with God we attain it then our Desires are terminated we imploy them for that Noble End they were intended and attain that infinite Good which was designed for them but when we turn our Desires after worldly things they cannot meet with any satisfaction the reason is because there is no proportion between the Subject and the Object the World though it be very large yet it is but finite and a finite World can no more satisfie infinite Desires than a drop can contain the Ocean again the Soul being an immortal Spirit whatsoever satisfies it must run parallel with its duration but the whole World must shortly be dissolved and the Earth and all the Works that are therein must be burnt How then can a perishing World satisfie an immortal Soul that must survive infinitely the duration of it It remains therefore that the Soul cannot be satisfied but by an infinite and eternal Good it may make many vain Experiments but is never at rest till it fix upon its proper Center God 3. Abundance of worldly things exposeth to great Temptations and Troubles Great Estates are gained many times with the loss of the Soul more valuable than the whole visible World they that have them are subject to immoderate Cares and liable to great Disappointments When goods increase they are increased
that eat them And what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Eccles 5. 11 12. The greatest Crowns have Thorns as well as Jewels in them a glorious Scepter is also weighty Magistracy itsself is but an honourable Burthen Great Men are liable to the Envy of Great Persons whosoever sits upon the highest Pinacle of worldly Honour is in this more miserable than the meanest that he is liable to a greater fall Contentment is oftner found in a Cottage than in a Palace Quietness is oftner cloathed in Rags than Robes Worldly Pomp and Grandeur only make it possible to be more extreamly Unfortunate Happiness is more in Solitude and Retirement from the busie World than in the crouded Courts of Kings Agur had much reason on his side when he preferred a Competency before either of the Extreams he deprecated Riches least being full he should deny God and say Who is the Lord and poverty least he should steal and take the name of his God in vain Prov. 30. 9. He desired rather to steer a middle Course or to be placed in a middle Station than to run the hazard of either of the Extreams certainly he who is blessed with a competent Portion of the good Things of this Life and hath a holy Soul in a healthy Body is the happiest Man on Earth he is not seated on the top of the Mountain so as to fear a Storm nor in the bottom of the Vally so as to fear an Inundation he is not so high as to be afraid of a Fall nor so low as to be trampled on he is not so great as to attract envy nor so little as to provoke contempt he hath enough to maintain him while he lives and to bury him when he is dead Again Abundance exposeth Men to many destructive Lusts Riches betray Men to Pride Luxury Sensuality Ambition and Contempt of God and Religion the Rich are careful and troubled about many things and neglect the one thing needful they seldom think of God their Souls the invisible World and a Future Account because they are well pleased to continue here the Pleasures of this World benumb the Powers of the Soul exalt Sensual Appetite render the Way to Heaven more difficult and dull Men asleep in a Carnal Security 4. Abundance of worldly things is of little use to the Soul They serve only for the purposes of the Body be joyful in the day of prosperity Religion allows innocent Mirth and sober Festivals It is good and comely for one to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life which God giveth him for it is his portion every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour this is the gift of God Eccles 5. 18 19. But then God's Blessing must go with the use of the Creatures else they cannot render Life happy and comfortable he is truly rich who hath God's Blessing on all that he hath whether he hath much or little A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov. 10. 22. There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty Prov. 11. 24. When Daniel had only Pulse to eat and Water to drink yet because God blessed his Meals his countenance appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the King's meat Dan. 1. 15. 2. The happiness of Humane Life consists in the resignation of our selves and all that we have to God Then we are truly happy when we are fully perswaded of the Providence and All-sufficiency of God are the Objects of his peculiar Care and can entirely give up our selves to his wise Conduct The only way to satisfie our desires is to keep them within bounds the only way to have our own wills is to make God's will our will he that desires nothing but what pleaseth God always obtains what he desires it is not possible to bring up worldly things to our carnal desires but we may by the assistance of divine Grace bring down our desires to our present Enjoyments thus did St. Paul I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every-where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. 11. An unsanctified heart is unsatiable and he that hath unsatiable desires can never be happy because he can never obtain his desires Self-will opposeth God's will and so can never be satisfied because God's will contradicts it and his will must be done whether we will or not God's will over-rules all and then we obtain our wills when they are subjected to the will of God When God gave the Children of Israel Manna from Heaven they were not contented with Angels Food they murmured against his Providence an evident demonstration that Bread from Heaven will not stop the mouth of an unsanctifiâ—d Man from murmuring against God the unholy are always unthankful Suppose God should spread before us all the Treasures of the World and give us liberty to take what we would could we do better than to refer our selves to the All-wise God and desire him to chuse for us If we believe him to be All-sufficient Wise Good and Faithful we must conclude him to be fittest to distribute to every Man his Portion we cannot be better provided for because he knows what is most convenient for us we cannot be more secure than under the guidance of infinite Wisdom to acquiesce in the will of God is to discharge ourselves of all troublesome thoughts because it is to cast all our care on him who careth for us the insufficient Creature is then most self-sufficient when it goes out of Self into the All-sufficient Creator Self is a vain Idol that deceives all that depend on it God is an all-sufficient Good to all that rely on him an unreserved Resignation of our selves to God is the great ground of true Content every Dispensation of Providence is welcome to him who believes that all good and evil things come from his hand and submits his will to the will of God a will resigned up to God doth not only submit to him by a passive Patience but actively