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In general, they may all be summed up in one, The desiring happiness out of God. This includes, directly or remotely, every foolish and hurtful desire. St. Paul expresses it by "loving the creature more than the Creator:" and by being "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." In particular, they are, (to use the exact and beautiful enumeration of St. John,) "the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life:" all of which, the desire of riches naturally tends both to beget and to increase.

13. The desire of the flesh is generally understood in far too narrow a meaning. It does not, as is commonly supposed, refer to one of the senses only, but takes in all the pleasures of sense, the gratification of any of the outward senses. It has reference to the taste in particular. How many thousands do we find at this day, in whom the ruling principle is, the desire to enlarge the pleasure of tasting? Perhaps they do not gratify this desire in a gross manner, so as to incur the imputation of intemperance; much less, so as to violate health, or impair their understanding, by gluttony or drunkenness. But they live in a genteel, regular sensuality, in an elegant epicurism, which does not hurt the body, but only destroys the soul; keeping it at a distance from all true religion.

14. Experience shows, that the imagination is gratified chiefly by means of the eye. Therefore, the desire of the eyes, in its natural sense, is, The desiring and seeking happiness in gratifying the imagination. Now the imagination is gratified either by grandeur, by beauty, or by novelty; chiefly by the last; for neither grand nor beautiful objects please any longer than they are new.

15. Seeking happiness in learning, of whatever kind, falls under "the desire of the eyes;" whether it be in history, languages, poetry, or any branch of natural or experimental philosophy; yea, we must include the several kinds of learning, such as geometry, algebra, and metaphysics. For if our supreme delight be in any of these, we are herein gratifying "the desire of the eyes."

16. The pride of life, (whatever else that very uncommon expression n aλavera Tov Biov, may mean,) seems to imply chiefly, the desire of honour, of the esteem, admiration, and applause of men; as nothing more directly tends both to beget and cherish pride, than the honour that cometh of men. And as riches attract much admiration, and occasion much applause, they proportionably minister food for pride, and so may also be referred to this head.

17. Desire of ease, is another of these foolish and' hurtful desires : desire of avoiding every cross, every degree of trouble, danger, difficulty; a desire of slumbering out life, and going to heaven (as the vulgar say,) upon a feather-bed. Every one may observe, how riches first beget, and then confirm and increase this desire, making men more and more soft and delicate, more unwilling, and indeed more unable to "take up their cross daily," to "endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ," and to "take the kingdom of heaven by -violence."

18. Riches, either desired or possessed, naturally lead to some or

other of these foolish and hurtful desires; and by affording the means of gratifying them all, naturally tend to increase them. And there is a near connexion between unholy desires, and every other unholy passion and temper. We easily pass from these to pride, anger, bitterness, envy, malice, revengefulness; to a headstrong, unadvisable, unreprovable spirit; indeed, to every temper, that is earthly, sensual, or devilish. All these, the desire or possession of riches naturally tends to create, strengthen, and increase.

19. And by so doing, in the same proportion as they prevail, they pierce men through with many sorrows: sorrows from remorse, from a guilty conscience; sorrows flowing from all the evil tempers which they inspire or increase; sorrows inseparable from those desires themselves, as every unholy desire is an uneasy desire; and sorrows from the contrariety of those desires to each other, whence it is impossible to gratify them all. And, in the end, they drown the body in pain, disease, destruction, and the soul in everlasting perdition.

II. 1. I am, in the second place, to apply what has been said. And this is the principal point. For what avails the clearest knowledge, even of the most excellent things, even of the things of God, if it go no farther than speculation, if it be not reduced to practice? He that hath ears to hear, let him hear! And what he hears, let him instantly put in practice. O that God would give me the thing which I long for! That, before I go hence, and am no more seen, I may see a people wholly devoted to God, crucified to the world, and the world crucified to them! A people truly given up to God, in body, soul, and substance! How cheerfully should I then say, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace !"

2. I ask then, in the name of God, who of you desire to be rich? Which of you, (ask your own hearts in the sight of God,) seriously and deliberately desire, (and perhaps applaud yourselves for so doing, as no small instance of your prudence,) to have more than food to eat, and raiment to put on, and a house to cover you? Who of you desires to have more than the plain necessaries and conveniences of life? Stop! Consider! What are you doing? Evil is before you! Will you rush upon the point of a sword? By the grace of God turn and live!

3. By the same authority I ask, who of you are endeavouring to be rich? To procure for yourselves more than the plain necessaries and conveniences of life? Lay, each of you, your hand to your heart, and seriously inquire, Am I of that number? Am I labouring, not only for what I want, but for more than I want? May the Spirit of God say to every one whom it concerns, "Thou art the man!" 4. I ask, Thirdly, who of you are, in fact, laying up for yourselves treasures upon earth? Increasing in goods? Adding, as fast as you can, house to house, and field to field? As long as thou thus "dost well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee." They will call thee a wise, a prudent man! A man that minds the main chance. Such is, and always has been, the wisdom of the world! But God saith unto thee, "Thou fool!" Art thou not "treasuring up to thyself

wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?"

5. Perhaps you will ask, But do not you yourself advise, "To gain all we can, and to save all we can? And is it possible to do this, without both desiring and endeavouring to be rich? Nay, suppose your endeavours are successful, without actually laying up treasures upon earth?"

I answer, it is possible. You may gain all you can, without hurting either your soul or body: you may save all you can, by carefully avoiding every needless expense; and yet never lay up treasures on earth, nor either desire or endeavour so to do.

6. Permit me to speak as freely of myself, as I would of another anan. I gain all I can, (namely, by writing,) without hurting either my soul or body. I save all I can, not willingly wasting any thing, not a sheet of paper, not a cup of water. I do not lay out any thing, not a shilling, unless as a sacrifice to God. Yet by giving all I can, I am effectually secured from "laying up treasures upon earth." Yea, and I am secured from either desiring or endeavouring it, as long as I give all I can. And that I do this, I call all that know me, both friends and foes, to testify.

7. But some may say, "Whether you endeavour it or not, you are undeniably rich. You have more than the necessaries of life." I have. But the Apostle does not fix the charge barely on possessing any quantity of goods, put on possessing more than we employ according to the will of the Donor.

Two and forty years ago, having a desire to furnish poor people, with cheaper, shorter, and plainer books than any I had seen, I wrote many small tracts, generally a penny a-piece; and afterwards several larger. Some of these had such a sale as I never thought of; and, by this means, I unawares became rich. But I never desired or endeavoured after it. And now that it is come upon me unawares, I lay up no treasures upon earth; I lay up nothing at all. My desire and endeavour, in this respect, is to "wind my bottom round the year." I cannot help leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me hence. But in every other respect, my own hands will be my ex

ecutors.

8. Herein, my brethren, let you that are rich be even as I am. Do you that possess more than food and raiment ask, "What shall we do? Shall we throw into the sea what God hath given us?" God forbid that you should! It is an excellent talent: it may be employed much to the glory of God. Your way lies plain before your face; if you have courage, walk in it. Having gained, in a right sense, all you can, and saved all you can, in spite of nature and custom, and worldly prudence, give all you can. I do not say, "Be a good Jew," giving a tenth of all you possess. I do not say, "Be a good Pharisee," giving a fifth of all your substance. I dare not advise you to give half of what you have; no, nor three quarters, but all. Lift up your hearts, and you will see clearly in what sense this is to be done. If you desire to be "a faithful and a wise steward,"

out of that portion of your Lord's goods, which he has for the pre sent lodged in your hands, but with the right of resumption when-. ever it pleaseth him, 1. Provide things needful for yourself; food to eat, raiment to put on; whatever nature moderately requires, for preserving you both in health and strength. 2. Provide these for your wife, your children, your servants, or any others who pertain to your household. If, when this is done, there be an overplus left, then do good to "them that are of the household of faith." If there be an overplus still, as you have opportunity, do good unto all men." In so doing, you give all you can: nay, in a sound sense, all you have. For all that is laid out in this manner, is really given to God. You render unto God the things that are God's, not only by what you give to the poor, but also by that which you expend in providing things needful for yourself and your household.

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9. O ye Methodists, hear the word of the Lord! I have a message from God to all men; but to you above all. For above forty years I have been a servant to you and to your fathers. And I have not been as a reed shaken with the wind: I have not varied in my testimony. I have testified to you the very same thing, from the first day even until now. But who hath believed our report? I fear not many rich, I fear there is need to apply to some of you those terrible words of the Apostle, "Go to now, ye rich men! Weep and howl for the miseries which shall come upon you. Your gold and silver are cankered, and the rust of them shall witness against you, and shall eat your flesh, as it were fire." Certainly it will, unless ye both save all you can, and give all you can. But who of you hath considered. this, since you first heard the will of the Lord concerning it? Who is now determined to consider and practise it? By the grace of God, begin to day!

10. O ye lovers of money, hear the word of the Lord! Suppose ye that money, though multiplied as the sand of the sea, can give happiness? Then you are "given up to a strong delusion, to believe a lie" a palpable lie, confuted daily by a thousand experiments. Open your eyes! Look all around you! Are the richest men the happiest? Have those the largest share of content who have the largest possessions? Is not the very reverse true? Is it not a common observation, That the richest of men are, in general, the most discontented, the most miserable? Had not the far greater part of them more content when they had less money? Look into your own breasts. If you are increased in goods, are you proportionably increased in happiness? You have more substance: but have you more content? You know that in seeking happiness from riches, you are only striving to drink out of empty cups. And let them be painted and gilded ever so finely, they are empty still.

11. O ye that desire or endeavour to be rich, hear ye the word of the Lord! Why should ye be stricken any more? Will not even experience teach you wisdom? Will ye leap into the pit with your eyes open? Why should you any more fall into temptation? It cannot be, but temptation will beset you, as long as you are in the body. But

though it should beset you on every side, why will you enter into it? There is no necessity for this: it is your own voluntary act and deed. Why should you any more plunge yourselves into a snare, into the trap Satan has laid for you, that is ready to break your bones in pieces, to crush your soul to death? After fair warning, why should you sink any more into foolish and hurtful desires? Desires as inconsistent with reason as they are with religion itself! Desires that have done you more hurt already, than all the treasures upon earth can countervail.

12. Have they not hurt you already, have they not wounded you in the tenderest part, by slackening, if not utterly destroying your "hunger and thirst after righteousness?" Have you now the same longing that you had once, for the whole image of God? Have you the same vehement desire as you formerly had, of "going on unto perfection?" Have they not hurt you by weakening your faith? Have you now faith's "abiding impression, realizing things to come?" Do you endure, in all temptations, from pleasure or pain," seeing him that is invisible ?" Have you every day, and every hour, an uninterrupted sense of his presence? Have they not hurt you, with regard to your hope? Have you now a hope full of immortality? Are you still big with earnest expectation of all the great and precious promises? Do you now " taste the powers of the world to come?" Do you "sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus ?"

13. Have they not so hurt you, as to stab your religion to the heart? Have they not cooled (if not quenched) your love of God? This is easily determined. Have you the same delight in God which you once had? Can you now say,

"I nothing want beneath, above;
Happy, happy in thy love ?"

I fear not. And if your love of God is in any wise decayed, so is also your love of your neighbour. You are then hurt in the very life and spirit of your religion! If you lose love, you lose all.

14. Are not you hurt with regard to your humility? If you are increased in goods, it cannot well be otherwise. Many will think you a better, because you are a richer man and how can you help thinking so yourself? Especially, considering the commendations which some will give you in simplicity, and many with a design to serve ́ themselves of you.

If you are hurt in your humility, it will appear by this token: you are not so teachable as you were, not so advisable: you are not so easy to be convinced, not so easy to be persuaded: you have a much better opinion of your own judgment, and are more attached to your own will. Formerly one might guide you with a thread: now one cannot turn you with a cart-rope. You were glad to be admonished or reproved: but that time is past. And you now count a man your enemy, because he tells you the truth. O let each of you calmly consider this, and see if it be not your own picture!

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