hearts. + Earthly, as well as heavenly objects, have a transform. ing efficacy in them; there cannot but be much danger in thofe earthly things that give or promise us much delight. Can a Chriftian keep his heart as loofe from the fmiling, aš from the frowning world? We little think how deeply it infinuates into our affections in the day of profperity; but when adverfity comes, then we find it.

2. How foon would it eftrange them from their God, and interrupt their communion with him? He is certainly a very mortified, and heavenly Chriftian whofe walk with God fuffers no interruption by the multitude of earthly affairs, especially when they are profperous. When Ifrael was fettled in the midst of the riches and delights of Canaan, then fay; they, (even to their benefactor, the Author of all their profperity) "We are Lords, we will come no more to thee ?" Jer. ii. 31. Or, if it do not wholly interrupt their communion, yet secretly deftroys and waftes the vigour, life, and fweetness of it. that divine wisdom fees it neceffary to cross and difapoint them in the world, to prevent the mifchievous influences that profperity would have upon their duties. He had rather you should miss your defired comforts in these things, than that he should miss that delightful fellowship with you, which he fo defires.

3. How loth fhould we be to leave this, if conftant fuccess and profperity should follow our affairs and designs here ? we fee that notwithstanding all the cares, fears, forrows, croffes, wants, and disappointments we meet with from year to year, and from day to day; yet we are apt to hug the world in our bofoms. As bitter as it is, we court it, admire it, and zealously profecute it. We cling to it, and are loth to leave it, though we have little rest or comfort in it. What could we do then, if it should answer our expectation and defires? If we grasp with pleasure a thorn that pierces and wounds us; what would We do, if it were a rofe that had nothing but delight and pleafure in it?

Thirdly, And as disappointments fall out as the effects of fovereign pleafure, and are ordered as preventive means of fuch mischief, which prosperity would occasion to the people of God; so it comes as a righteous retribution and punish-. ment of the many evils that are committed in our trading and dealings with men. It is a hard thing to have much bu-.

↑ Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque fecundis. In prosperous times, our mind oft wanton grows.

#

. Einefs pafs through our hands, and no iniquity cleave to them, and defile them. If God be provoked against us by our iniquities, wonder not, that things go crofs to our defires and hopes. God may fuffer fome men to profper in their wickedmess, and others to mifcarry in their juft and righteous enterprizes; but ordinarily we find that crying fins are remarkably punished, fooner or later with vifible judgments. So that if others do not, yet we ourselves may obferve the relation that fuch a judgment bears to fuch a fin.

And, from among many, I will here felect thefe following evils, which have destroyed the eftates and hopes of many.

(1.) Irreligious and atheistical neglect and contempt of God, and his worthip, especially in thofe that have been enlightened, and made profeffion of religion. This was the fin which brought that blafling judgment upon the eftates and labours of the Jews, as the prophet Haggai tells them, chap. i. ver. 2, 4, 6, 9. compared; "They neglected the house of God," i. e. were carelefs and regardless of his worfhip, and, in the mean time, were wholly intent upon their own houfes and interefts 'as he tells them in ver. 2, 4. And what was the iffue of this? Why, ruin to all their earthly comforts and defigns. So he tells them, ver, 6, 9. "Ye have fown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not fil"led with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and "he that earneth wages, doth it to put it into a bag with "holes. Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and "when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why, faith "the Lord of hofts? Becaufe of mine house that is wafte; and << ye turn every man unto his own houfe." Here are great and manifold difappointments of their hopes, a curse, a blast upon all they took in hand; and the procuring cause of all this, was their eager profecution of the world, in a careless ditregard of God, and his fervice.

(2.) Injuftice and fraud is a blafting fin. A little unjuft gain mingled with a great eftate, will confume it like a moth. The Spirit of God hath ufed a very lively fimilitude to repre fent to us the mifchievous effects of this fin upon all human diligence and induftry. Jer. xvii. 11. "As the partridge fitteth as upon eggs, and hatcheth them not; fo he that getteth rich"es, and not by right, fhall leave them in the midst of his "days, and at his end fhall be a fool."

Unjust gain, how long foever men fit brooding upon it, fhall after all their fedulity and expectation, turn to no other acVOL. VI.. LIL

Count than a fowl's fitting upon a neft of addle-eggs ufes to do: if the fit till fhe have pined away herself to death, nothing is produced.

You think you confult the intereft of your families herein, but the Lord tells you, "That you confult shame to your hou "fes," Hab. ii. 10. This is not the way to feather, but to fire your neft. A quiet confcience is infinitely better than a full purfe; one difh of wholesome, though coarser food, is better than an hundred delicate, but poisoned, dishes. If a man have eaten the beft food in the world, and afterwards fips but a little poifon, he lofeth not only the benefit and comfort of that which was good, but his life, or health, to boot. It may be, you have gotten much honeftly; what pity is it all this good should be destroyed, for the fake of a little gotten difhoneftly? This is the reason why fome men cannot profper.

(3.) Oppreffion is a blafting fin to fome men's eftates and employments. It is a crying fin in the ears of the Lord, and ordinarily intails a vifible curfe upon men's eftates; this, like a moth, will fuddenly fret and consume the greatest estate. Jam. V. 2, 4. "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments "moth-eaten;" i. . The fecret of God waftes and destroys what you get. And what was the caufe? He tells us, ver. 4. "Behold, the hire of the labourers, that have reaped down your "fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the "cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears "of the Lord of Sabaoth."

The oppreffion of poor labourers doth more mifchief to the oppreffors, than it doth to them that are oppreffed. It is noted by * one upon this feripture, that it is twice repeated in this text, "Which have reaped your fields;" and then again, "The cry of them which have reaped:" and the reason is, because it is their life, and so an act of the greatest unmercifulnefs; and besides, they are disappointed of the folace of their labours. Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. "He hath fet his heart upon it;" (i. c.) he comforts himself in the toils and labours of the day, by reckoning upon his wages at the end of the day.

I wifh thofe that are owners and employers of poor feamen, may feasonably confider this evil: what a woe is denounced upon him "that ufeth his neighbour's fervice without wages!" Jer. xxii. 13. Or that by crafty pretences defrauds them of any part thereof, or by tirefome delays wears out their patience, and cafts them upon manifold fufferings and inconveni

Manton in loc.

encies while they wait for it. God hath not only threatened to be a swift witness against those that opprefs the hireling in his wages, but hath strictly forbidden the detaining of their wages. The Jews were commanded to make payment before the funfet *, Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. Levit. xix. 30. Be juft in all dealings and contracts, or never expect the righteous God fhould fmile upon your undertakings.

your

(4.) Falfehood and lying is a blafting fin to our employ. ments; a fin which tends to deftroy all converfe, and disband all civil focieties. And tho' by falfehood men may get fome present advantages, yet hear what the holy Ghoft faith of riches gotten this way: "The getting of riches by a lying tongue,

is a vanity toffed to and fro of them that feek death,' Prov. xxi. 6. Some trade in lies, as much as in wares; yea, they trade off their wares with lies. And this proves a gainful trade (as fome men count gain) for the prefent; but, in reality, it is the most unprofitable trade that any man can drive. For it is but the toffing of a vanity to and fro: a phrase importing labour in vain, it profits nothing in the end, and as it profits nothing, fo it hurts much : they feek profit intentionally, but death eventually; i. e. it will bring deftruction and ruin, not only upon our trades, but our fouls. The God of truth will not long profper the way of lying; one penny gotten by a laborious hand, is better than great treafures gotten by a lying tongue: take heed you feek not death in feeking an estate this way. It is a fin deftructive to fociety; for there is no trade where there is no truft, nor no truft where there is no truth; and yet this curfed trade of lying creeps into all trades, as if there were no living (as one fpeaks) without lying: but fure it is better for you to be lofers than liars. He fells a dear bargain indeed, that fells his confcience with his commodity.

The man

(5.) Perjury, or falfe fwearing, is a blafting fin. cannot profper that lies under the guilt thereof. It is faid, Mal. iii.."That God will be a fwift witness against the "falfe fwearer," i. e. it fhall not be long before God by one remarkable stroke of judgment, or another, witnefleth against great and horrid an evil. And again, Zach. v. 4. the curse, yea, the roll of curfes, "fhall enter into the house of the false "fwearer, and shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall L112

fo

* He does not make good payment who does not pay in due time.

"confume it, with the timber thereof, and the ftones there" of." This is a fin that hath laid many houses waste, even great and fair, without inhabitant. The ruins of many that were once flourishing, and great men, are at this day left to be the lasting monuments of God's righteous judgments, and dreadful warnings to posterity.

And thus I have fhewed you, what are thofe common evils in trade, which are the causes of those blafts and disappointments upon it. It now remains that we apply it.

Inference 1. Doth God fometimes difappoint the most dili, gene labours of men in their lawful callings? Then this teacheth you patience and submission under your croffes and difappointments; for it is the Lord that orders it to be fo. Events are in his hand, and it is a fin of great aggravation to fret and murmur at them, when they fall out crols to your defires and hopes. "Behold, is it not of the Lord of hofts, that the peo"ple fhall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary "themselves for very vanity?" Hab. ii. 13.

To labour in the very fire, notes intense labour, fuch as exbaufts the very fpirits of men, whilft they are fweltering and toiling at it; and yet all is to no purpose, they labour but for vanity and whence is it, that fuch vigorous endeavours are blafted, and mifcarry? Is it not of the Lord? And if it be of the Lord, why do we fret and quarrel at his difpofals? Indeed, many dare not openly and directly charge God, but seek to cover their difcontent at providence, by a groundlefs quarrel with the inftruments, who, it may be, are chargeable with nothing; but that after they have done all they could, in the ufe of proper means, they did not alfo fecure the event. is true, the dominion of providence doth not excufe the negligence of inftruments; and in many cafes, thefe may be juftly reproved, when providence is duly honoured, and fubmitted to: But when men groundlessly quarrel with inftruments, becaufe they are croffed in their expectations, the quarrel is commenced against God himself; and our difcontents with men, are but a covert for our difcontents with God.

It

Now this is a fore evil, a fin of great and dreadful aggravations. To be given over (faith a grave * author) to a contradicting fpirit, to difpute against any part of the will of God, is one of the greateft plagues that a man can be given 4 up to. "Who art thou that replieft against God?" Rom. ix, 20. It may be thou haft loft an eftate, thy friends fail, thy

Mr. Strong, Of the will of God, p. 242.