clination, and the allurements of Company, back'd with the follicitations of the Devil, they are very apt to be exceffively transported with the love of Pleasure, and to place their Happiness in the Gufts and Relishes of the Animal Nature.

Now that Mirth, which is occafion'd by fuch Methods as are recited in our Text, viz. by walking in the way of one's Heart, and in the fight of one's Eyes, is unreasonable and abfurd: and however People at prefent may please themselves with the tranfient Glories of this World, and forbidden Pleasures of Sin, and imagine they are very happy; the near approaches of Death, and the confideration of a Judgment after it, would help Men to form truer Notions both of Perfons and Things, and fhow them the Unreasonableness and Extravagancy of their fenfual Joy and Triumph.

Suffer me therefore a little to expose the Folly of fuch who govern themselves by the vicious Inclinations of their Minds, and the deceitful Appearances of things; who are fo vain as to place their Happiness in the Gratification of their Senfes, and in the Enjoyment of what this World can afford; when the Pleasures they fo much admire do but debase the Soul, and delude the poor Sinner with falfe Appearances of Happiness.

That is not a real Happiness, which impenitent Sinners enjoy, because it will not endure Examination. If we enquire what is the true Cause of a Sinner's Mirth, we fhall find it has no folid Foundation, and that fuch a one pleases himself only with Dreams of Happiness. For the Man that enjoys true Happiness, enjoys that which will bear

the

the ftricteft trial, The more good Men think of God, and the Perfections of his Nature, the more they are convinc'd that he is every way fit to fupport the weight and stress of their Souls; and that to know, love, and enjoy him, is the Happiness of reasonable Creatures. But the farther wicked Men fearch into the grounds of their Happiness, the more they difcover the Badnefs of the Foundation upon which it was built. So that indeed you ordinarily find that vicious Men are unwilling to turn their Eyes inward, and impartially to examine their State: for fuch People dread to be alone, and therefore chufe either to live in a hurry of Business, or amidst a multitude of Diverfions, that they may not be put upon examining the Grounds upon which their imaginary Happiness is built. Now for People to rejoice in fenfual Gratifications, and to place their Happiness in 'em, when they will not bear the Scrutiny of Reafon, is the most abfurd thing in the World.

Again, The capacious Defires of an immortal Spirit can never be fully fatisfy'd with terrene Enjoyments. A Man cannot fatisfy his Senfes with thofe material Objects that ftrike 'em most agreeably, much lefs the large Defires of his Mind. 'Tis as eafy to paint a Sound to please the Ear, or to appease vehement Thirst with the Image of a Fountain, as to render our Souls happy by the fenfual Delights of this World. The Eye is not fatisfy'd with feeing, nor the Ear with hearing Now if all the Glitter and Pomp of this lower World cannot fatisfy our Eyes, nor the most charming Mufick and agreeable Sounds our Ears, how is it likely that any of these things

Ff

alone

alone fhould render a Soul happy, that is capable of higher Enjoyments, and was made for Rational and Divine Pleasures?

Men will be always fluctuating, till they have found an Object which is adequate to the Defires of their Minds; for tho our Minds are finite, yet we have powerful Affections, and ftrong and vehement Defires; which nothing can fatisfy, but that God who poffeffes all imaginable Perfections: and therefore the Pfalmift, when he had made the strictest inquiry after Happiness, concludes that God was the Supreme Good, and confequently the only Happiness, and the proper Reft and Center of his Soul: Whom, fays he, have I in Heaven but Thee? and there is none upon Earth that I defire befides Thee!

One reason why no fenfual Pleasures can render us happy, is, because we are always defiring more than we enjoy tho after we have attain'd what we most importunately defir'd, we find the Obfervation of the Wife-Man true, That all that cometh is Vanity, as well as all that is paft. Which also confirms the Truth of the following Remark, which I have somewhere met with, viz. That all fenfual Pleasures are founded upon Ignorance, and that a wife Man can find no Paradife here, tho the Fool imagines he can.

Again, The Enjoyments of this prefent World that excite the extravagant Mirth of Sinners, are uncertain; they have no Security that they fhall enjoy them a moment to come. It has been frequently obferv'd, even by the Pagan Philofophers, that thofe Objects that are enjoy'd but a little time, and are fubject to Corruption, cannot merit the Defire,

nor

nor are they worthy the Esteem of Immortal Spirits.

Now all earthly Enjoyments perish in the ufing; they infenfibly and fuddenly flide from us: and if it were not fo, we cannot continue here long to poffefs 'em. For what is our Life! 'tis even a Vapour which appeareth for a Little time, and then vanifheth away. And the Apostle tells us, that the Pleasures of Sin are but for a feafon. And the Wife-Man calls the Things of this World, Things that are not: Why wilt thou fet thine Eyes upon that which is not? For Riches certainly make to themselves Wings, they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven. Thofe that have had the highest Posts of Honour, have fuddenly flid into Difgrace; for fuch ftand in flippery Places. What Diseases has the Intemperance of fome brought upon 'em? So that the little time they have enjoy'd their fenfual Pleasures, has convinc'd 'em, that their Happiness was but imaginary and very incompleat. Who bath Woe? Who hath Sorrow? Who Prov. 23. hath Contentions? Who hath Babbling? Who hath 29, 30, Wounds without Cause? Who hath Redness of Eyes? they that tarry long at the Wine, they that go to Seek mixt Wine.

'Tis an excellent Obfervation of a modern Divine, who, fpeaking of Intemperance, fays, "It is very visible, that all fenfual Excefs is "naturally attended with a double Inconve"nience: as it goes beyond the Limits of

Nature, it begets bodily Pains and Diseases; "as it tranfgreffes the Rules of Reafon and Re"ligion, it breeds Difquiet and Remorse in the "Mind: and these are beyond comparison, the "two greatest Evils in this World; a diseased "Body, and a difcontented Mind." Ff 2

How

How foolish then is it for Men to place their Happiness in the Pleasures of Sin, that are conftantly mix'd with fome prefent Trouble, and without Repentance will be certainly follow'd with exquifite and eternal Mifery?

That can't be a compleat Happinefs, which depends upon ten thoufand Uncertainties; yet this is the Condition of all Sinners, who place their Happiness in the things of this Life. Let a wicked Man have ever fuch vaft Poffeffions, he has no Security that he shall enjoy 'em one Minute; and when his Riches, and Honours, and Pleafures are gone from him, all his Happiness is departed, and he is a miferable forlorn undone Man. Therefore for Young or Old to spend their time in extravagant Mirth, walking in the way of their Hearts, and the fight of their Eyes, is the most unreafonable thing in the World; becaufe thofe Pleafures they pursue (tho they were much greater than they are) they have no fecurity of enjoying long. Now every poor Sinner has a Soul that hall out-laft this World, and all the Enjoyments of it; fo that if he could please his Senfes, and gratify his Lufts, and have all that his Heart defir'd as long as he liv'd, yet at Death he would be undone; for then he and his Happiness muft part, and part for ever too: whereas thofe that are truly Religious, and have chofen the better part, have chofen fuch a part as fhall never be taken from them.

Again, The Abfurdity of thefe Senfualifts will further appear, if we confider, that their extravagant Mirth has a tendency to make 'em Infenfible and ftupid. When Men abufe the Bleflings of Heaven to Vanity and Pride, Idle

nefs