He who has much knowledge and wisdom, will be grieved at the ignorance and folly of others. Unless knowledge be sanctified, it tends to puff up the mind; while they who seek honor from man, often find their wisdom undervalued; and they who use it best, are envied of their neighbours; and, at the same time, find it hard to bear the neglect and ingratitude of others; their best plans being often disappointed for want of concurrence; sometimes by wicked opposition, sometimes by unforseen accidents, while the projector is injuriously blamed for want of success.

Thirdly: He that would, by mere human wisdom, obtain satisfaction as to the future state, will increase his sorrow indeed.

No satisfaction can be obtained on this head, but from divine revelation; nor even with it are we likely to enjoy that satisfaction, unless we seek wisdom from above, to be imparted by the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

He that has the most sagacity himself, or the most extensive knowledge of the different schemes men have devised to obtain future happiness, will find the text fulfilled.

Even with the Bible in our hands, if we have not our hearts established with grace, the more we search into theological controversies, and yet lean to our own understanding, or if our faith stand in the wisdom of men, the more we shall find ourselves puzzled with innumerable doubts and difficulties. Once more,

Were our ideas of God ever so just, as far as we could know him without the gospel, we should find that he who increaseth in knowledge increaseth in sorrow, until we became acquainted with the blessed Mediator. When

God is thus known, as in Christ reconciling the world to himself, known truly and experimentally, then we shall find that this is life eternal.

And, in some respects, we may apply this observation, even to the knowledge of the Christian, in this present state of imperfection. Even spiritual knowledge is attended with some increase of sorrow; but it is a godly sorrow, wholesome and salutary; arising from a sense of our own ignorance, darkness, weakness, defect, criminality, and vile

ness. This sorrow should even now enhance our value of the gospel, and so heighten our joy and gratitude; and it shall it length be turned wholly into joy. So the believer is grieved much for the sins of others. The more heavenly wisdom he has, the more he is grieved to see the glorious gospel undervalued. The more he knows of the history of man in past ages, and of the present state of mankind, the more he increaseth sorrow. It has been calculated, that if the world were divided into thirty parts, nineteen are heathens; six, Mahometans; five, Christians of all sorts; and of these, what numbers are corrupt in their notions of Christianity! Others, how formal! O what a wretched world! He that increaseth in knowledge of it, increaseth in sorrow. But true religion affords relief, even here. They are blessed in every land, who sigh and cry for the abominations. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. There shall be better times on earth, and in heaven it will be otherwise; there will be a vast increase of knowledge, and no increase of sorrow. I would

endeavor,

SECONDLY, To make some further improvement of the subject.

Let those who, by the providence of God, are precluded from obtaining extensive wisdom and knowledge in worldly things, be satisfied with their lot, and bless God that the poor have the gospel preached to them, and may understand it, and be saved by it, without great learning. Let those who are called more to intermeddle with human wisdom, prize that wisdom chiefly which cometh from above, and seek it by earnest prayer. Let them use every thing else which may bear the name, in subserviency to the divine glory, and in every right work implore assistance and direction from God, looking to him above for their reward. Let them prize divine revelation, and submit to its instructions. Account all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Implore and follow the light of the Holy Spirit, whose illuminations we need, not to reveal new truths which were not contained in the written word; but to show us the glory of the old revelation, which our depraved hearts

would otherwise reject, on account of the humbling and holy tendency of its genuine doctrines.

Let us examine if our knowledge be spiritual, humiliating, sanctifying, and experimental. If so, though it be attended, in this state of imperfection, with grief and sorrow, our sorrow will soon be turned into joy, and such as no man cạn take away.

In the world above, believers shall make the most rapid progress in knowledge, and find it attended with a proportionable increase of humility, holiness, and happiness, through eternal ages. And there all error, grief, and sorrow, will be banished for ever. There will be nothing in God to grieve us; and we shall see him face to face. Yea, there will be nothing in the saints to grieve us; nothing in ourselves. Nothing in the universe will grieve the believer any more.

XXXVII.

THE TRUE USE OF RICHES.

ECCLES. X. 19.

But money answereth all things.

I HAVE been desired this evening to attempt pointing out the true use of riches, and I shall be very thankful if I may but be enabled to do justice, in some degree, to the subject.

The possession of riches is no evidence of interest in God's peculiar favor; but the right use of them may be a strong evidence of our love to him: not, indeed, the external use, separate from the disposition and motive, but in connexion with the principle which leads the person so to employ them. God has, for the most part, chosen his people out of the poor of this world; but though not many rich, mighty, or noble are called, yet God has not excluded the rich, any more than the poor, from the blessings of his salvation.

We rejoice, that in this commercial city, there are many professors of religion who enjoy some degree of affluence, and wish to glorify God with their substance; and even those who have but a little surplus above necessary supplies, may

is so.

show their love to God, by their disposal of that little. Rich men, indeed, are exposed to many snares, and need the more caution, to be charged not to put their trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. One scripture is often quoted wrong, as if money were the root of all evil, whereas Paul the love of says, money Fondness for money, or covetousness, is very strongly condemned in many places. It is termed idolatry, and represented as an evidence of the want of all true religion. The evil, however, may very deeply infect those who cannot get money, though those who have most are commonly in the greatest danger, and are to be warned, when riches increase, not to set their hearts upon it. However, money itself is a blessing, which demands our gratitude to God; for, as Solomon here observes, money answereth all things. I propose, in prosecuting

the subject, to attend to four things:

FIRST, To take some notice of the general usefulness of money.

I need not, indeed, enlarge much here. It is almost universally admitted. And, indeed, if any man should be found who professes a total disregard of money, he ought also to be able to do without most of the conveniences, or even necessaries of life; without books or furniture, or a convenient habitation, or clothing, or food; for money answers "for all;" and if you will have them, and yet will neither labor for money, nor be careful in husbanding it, that so you may pay for them, some one else must. If, then, unprincipled prodigals will indulge themselves in feasting and wine, without caring who bears the cost; men who possess godliness should be careful, by diligence and frugality, to provide things honest in the sight of all men; and we should acknowledge our obligations to the God of providence, when he puts it into the power of our hands so to do. Money considered as a convenient and portable representative of property, and a circulating medium thereof, is a great blessing. Men may live as hunters, or as shepherds, without this convenience, but no people ever advanced far in civilization without it. How difficult it must be to get wants supplied, and to procure small but almost necessary articles, in a way

of barter only! One might have nothing to offer that suited the turn of his neighbour in exchange; and how troublesome to keep account of every thing till an opportunity of compensation might be found. But money purchases all commodities, and rewards all services; procures every kind of assistance, and settles every reckoning at once; while it may be kept without spoiling for future use; though that convenience renders it liable to an abuse, against which reason and scripture remonstrate. More of this by and

by.
give me leave,

But while money is allowed to be very useful,

SECONDLY, To remind you of certain limitations of the proposition-that there are things which money cannot

procure.

Money has no intrinsic worth, and can do no good to the proprietor, but as it is used, or exchanged for other things. It would be of no use to a drowning man, nor to a man cast on an uninhabited or uncivilized country. And where it would be of most avail, there are many things it cannot procure. It will answer for food or raiment, feasting or wine; it would pay for great works, building houses, &c. Yet, it will not insure health, happiness, nor immortality. It will pay a physician, but cannot insure his success in the removal of pain, recovery of strength, or prevention of death. It cannot confer moral worth, or make a man truly honorable, estimable, or virtuous. It will not buy peace of conscience, nor procure the pardon of sin; redeem the soul from hell, nor give a title to heaven. Nay, what is worse, it may, by being misused, become very prejudicial. By calling off the mind from the most important concerns; by enabling to gratify lusts, and so tempting to sin; by enabling to do mischief, and so exposing to righteous punishment; by becoming the object of an idolatrous, preposterous affection, and thus offending God, and excluding from heaven; and by aggravating future condemnation. Hence it appears of great importance, THIRDLY, To point out the best mode of using money, especially by those who possess more than sufficient to answer their own wants.