the Confcience of doing worthy Things. And befides all this, Experience will affure us, that there is a fecret Bleffing which doth for the most part accompany fuch Actions; fo that Men grow the richer, and not the poorer for them: And they that in this kind fow bountifully, do very often, even in this World, reap bountifully.

2. There are fome kind of Vices that feem to have a Tendency to the enriching of Men, as Fraud, Extortion, Sordidnefs, all kind of unlawful Ways of getting and keeping an Eftate. But to this it may be said,

1. These Vices may tend to the increasing of Mens Poffeflions, but not to the making of them truly rich: And 'tis a plain Argument that fuch Perfons do not think themfelves to have a Sufficiency, who can apply themselves to fuch wretched Courses for the getting of more.

2. 'Tis commonly feen upon Experience, that there is a fecret Curfe attends fuch Practices, a Canker that eats into fuch Gain, a Hole in the bottom of the Bag, by which it Jer. 17.11.infenfibly dreins out and waftes away. As the partridge fitteth upon eggs, and hatcheth them not; fo be that getteth riches, and not by right, fhall leave them in the midst of his days, and at the end fhall be a fool. As that filly Bird doth fometimes take much needlefs Care and Pains, in fitting upon and cherishing fubventançous Eggs, fuch as can

never be fruitful, which (as Naturalifts obferve) that Creature is very fubject unto, or as the foecund Eggs of that Bird being laid upon the Ground, are many times trod upon by Paffengers or wild Beafts, after it hath bestow'd much Pains for the hatching of them: So are the wicked Defigns of Gain often disappointed in the Embryo; and the Contrivers of them, inftead of approving themselves to be more wife and fubtile Men than others, do appear at last to be Fools. He that will carefully observe the usual Course of things in the World, may from his own Experience find Inftances enough, to confirm those Sayings of the wife Man; There is that fcattereth, and yet increaseth; Prov. 11. and there is that withholdeth more than is 24. meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Wealth got- cap. 13. ten by vanity shall be diminished. The, 22. wealth of the finner is laid up for the just. He that oppreffeth the poor to increase his cap.22.16. riches, fhall furely come to want. He that cap. 28.8. by unjust gain increaseth his fubftance, shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

3. There are fome good Men that are poor. And 'tis faid that God hath chofen the Jam. 2.5. poor of this world, to receive the Gospel, and to be rich in faith. To this it may be said,

1. The Providence of God may so order it fometimes, as to reduce good Men to great Exigencies, to wander up and down in sheep

skins and goat-skins, being deftitute, afflicted, tormented. But then thefe are fuch par. ticular exempt Cafes, as are not fuitable to the most usual and general Course of Things. And befides, fuch as are good Men, may fometimes be defective in, feveral of those Duties which Religion doth oblige them to, Diligence, Caution, &c. And the Poverty of fuch may juftly be ascribed to their Defect in Religion.

2. As for that Scripture, that God hath chofen the poor in this world; it is not to be understood in the more abfolute Senfe, for fuch as want Neceffaries; because 'tis plain from other Texts, that though some of the Primitive Believers were, by reason of the Perfecution of thofe Times reduced to great Exigencies, yet the Generality of the reft were very liberal in their Contributions towards them. But it must be understood in the relative Senfe, concerning fuch as might be ftiled comparatively Poor; (i. e.) fuch as are of a lower Rank, and meaner Condition than others, and confequently had lefs Temptation to corrupt and feduce them, than thofe that did more abound in these earthly Things.

СНАР,

CHAP. V.

How Religion conduces to the Happinefs of the Outward Man in refpect of Pleafure; or the chearful Enjoyment of outward Bleffings.

Fourthly, Religion is the most proper Means to promote the Intereft of

Pleafure.

In the handling of this, I fhall firft endeavour to ftate the true Nature of Pleafure, and to fhew what is the most proper Notion of it. Now Pleasure doth confift in that Satisfaction which we receive in the Ufe and Enjoyment of the Things we poffefs. It is founded in a Suitableness and Congruity betwixt the Faculty and the Object. Those are. called pleasant Tastes and Smells, which are apt to excite fuch a gentle. Motion, as is agreeable to the Nerves appointed for those Functions. Now, it cannot be denied, but that Beasts and Infects may be faid to be capable of Pleasure proper to their Kind, as well as Men. Only this must withal be granted, that the more noble and the more capacious the Faculties and the Objects are, the greater will the Delights be

that

that flow from the Union of them. Upon which account, all intellectual Delights do far exceed those that are fenfual; and, amongst Persons that are capable of intellectual Pleasures, their Enjoyments must be greateft, whofe Faculties are most enlarged, and most vigorous. 'Tis true indeed, Men of vitiated and depraved Faculties, though they are thereby disabled for paffing a true Judgment upon the Nature of Things, being apt to mistake four for fweet; yet will it not thence follow, that they are incapable of Pleasure: They may have fuch peculiar kinds of Gufts, as will be able to find a Satisfaction and Sweetnefs in fuch things as appear nauseous and loathfome to others. And 'tis the Congruity of things, that is the Foundation of Pleasure. But then fuch Perfons are beholden to their Ignorance and their Delufion, to the Diftemper of their Faculties, for their Relish of these things: None but those that are foolish and deceived, and Tit. 3. 3. under the Servitude of divers lufts, devote themselves to fuch kind of things for Pleafures. Suppofing a Man to have found healthy Faculties, fuch an one will not be able to find any true Satisfaction and Complacence, but only in those things which have in them a natural Goodness and Rectitude. They must be regular Objects, that have in them a Suitableness to regular Faculties.