And first prudence, which we furely esteem a virtue, is moft effential in conducting our affairs. This is fo certain, that wherever you see an imprudent man, there alfo you fee a man in difficulties. The wicked man fometimes acts prudently, and fo far he acts properly; but when he acts in character, his measures are concerted by art and cunning. These ferve but a prefent occafion: prudence is ever of use.

Then again industry, temperance, and frugality, which are all virtues, have the same good tendency. Did any of you ever fee an idle, drunken, extravagant fellow profper in his business, or live comfortably? I believe not. His bufinefs fails or his friends forfake him-or his quarrelfome temper leads him into mifchief-or fomething happens, which he might have avoided, if he had been quiet, fober, and industrious.

Honefty too has the fame good tendency. The knave muft pretend to be honest, or he can never fucceed. If he be fuppofed to be a knave, nobody will truft him. And it will be a very difficult matter for him to manage fo, as not to be found out. There is the fame difference between a really honeft man, and a disguised knave, as between a piece of fair gold coin, and a gilt counterfeit. The honeft Guinea fhews its face any where.

where. Weigh it: it does not want a grain. Bring it to the touchstone: it ftands the proof. Carry it to market: every body likes to deal with it. But it is not fo with the counterfeit. Bring it to the fcale or the touchstone: it is discovered at once. And if it should escape fo nice an enquiry, yet in its common intercourse of business, the gilding wears off in fpots-the bafe metal here and there appears-and in the end, it will not pafs for a farthing.-Look therefore into your own hearts, and take care that no dishonesty may appear in them—that the gilding may not begin to wear off in spots. We are generally the laft people ourselves to know we are fufpected. If the knave should. hear all the fecret whispers of his neighbours against him, he would perhaps wonder how they came to know his heart fo well.

Another thing, which contributes to make the religious man more fuccessful in business, is the affiftance of others. His goodness naturally procures it. The more friends a man has, the fairer is his chance for fuccefs. In whatever way of life he is engaged, fo many difficulties arise, (especially in the early part of life, before he is ef tablished in the world) that without the friendly affistance of others, he could not proceed with

any

fuccefs. Now thofe pleafing qualities, which religion infpires, tend naturally to procure a man that affiftance. His obliging behaviour-the general kindness of his temper-and the goodness of his heart, gain him new friends, while his gratitude preserves his old ones.--Thus it appears that religion hath a greater natural tendency than vice, to procure us the enjoyments of life. As we cannot however suppose, that all the conciliating qualities here mentioned, can meet in every person, who on the whole may be denominated religious, I fhall only add, that he will have the best chance for fuccefs, in whom the most of them are found.

I SHALL NOW fhew you, fecondly, that when the enjoyments of life are procured, religion gives us the best relish for them. Here there can be no competition. The bad man, we just observed, may make a larger fortune; but he cannot poffibly enjoy it with equal comfort. The enjoyments of the world in their greatest perfection, cannot give us complete happiness. A cer-. tain degree of it is the utmost they can give. Now the religious man knows this, and expects nothing more from the world. But this is not the cafe of the worldly man. He expects his full happiness

happiness from it; and when it gives lefs than he expects, the deficiency, which is always enough, is disappointment and vexation-Then again we can hardly conceive his confcience laid fo entirely afleep, as not to haunt him. for many of his actions. The dread of difcovery too muft give him fome uneasiness: and these are certainly drawbacks from the enjoyments of the world.

Again, the worldly man placing all his happinefs in the things of this world, has no refources when they are gone. As they contribute to make our paffage through life more comfortable, we ought to be highly thankful to God for them: but they are furely a very scanty provifion for the whole of our being. How far the worldly man acts prudently in leaving his foul out of the account, and confidering his worldly poffeffions as his all, we must leave him to determine. This however is an undoubted truth, that the more his worldly poffeffions engrofs him, the more disturbed he will be at the idea of parting with them. He has nothing left. Few men, I suppose, would be perfectly easy, if all they had, depend ed on a fuit at law, which they had every reason to fear would go against them Now this is exactly the cafe of the man, who puts his trust

in the things of this world. Does he not know, there is a great fuit depending, which will undoubtedly, fooner or later, difpoffefs him of all he has? Can any lawfuit turn him more effectually out of his eftate, than death?--But the religious man is under no fuch apprehenfion. He is prepared for the fuit's going against him; because the bulk of his fortune is ftill left. He has a treasure elfewhere, which faileth not. In fhort, he confiders the things of this world only as a provifion for a journey. When that is over, he has no farther occafion for them.

BUT as this world not only affords us many comforts, but abounds alfo with misfortunes, I am next to fhew you, that against these alfo a religious life is our beft fecurity.-Many misfortunes, no doubt, as fickness, for inftance, the death of friends, or inclement seasons, can, by no care of ours, be prevented. But though the religious man cannot prevent them, he will always be the best able to bear them.-The chief diftreffes however to which mankind are liable, come from mankind themselves; and against thefe we shall find a religious life our beft fecurity. Generally fpeaking, we draw upon ourfelves the mischievous behaviour of mankind. If

our