is all, you would see in his life, except a few curses and oaths, that he uses, as occasion offers.

Now I cannot help making this reflection, that, as I believe the most likely mean to inspire a person with true piety is, to have seen the example of some eminent professor of religion; so the next thing, that is likely to fill one with the same zeal, is to see the folly, the baseness, the poor satisfaction of a life, destitute of religion. As the one exercises us to love and admire the wisdom of religion, so the other may make us fearful of living without it.

For who can help blessing God for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, when he sees what variety of folly they sink into, who live without it? Who would not heartily engage in the labors and exercises of a pious life, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; when he sees, what poor views, what gross enjoyments, they are left to, who seek happiness in other ways.

Consider now with yourself, how unreasonably it is pretended, that a life of strict piety must be a dull and anxious state? For can it with any reason be said, that the duties and restraints of religion must render our lives melancholy; when they only deprive us of such happiness, as has been here laid before you?

Must it be tiresome, to live in the continual exercise of charity, devotion and temperance; to act wisely and virtuously; to do good to the utmost of your power; to imitate the divine perfections, and prepare yourself for the enjoyment of God? Must it be tiresome, to be delivered from blindness and vanity, from false hopes and vain fears, to improve in holiness, to feel the comforts of conscience in all your actions, to know that God is your friend, that all must work for your good; that neither life nor death, neither men, nor devils can do you any harm; but that all your sufferings, watchings, prayers, and labors of love and charity, are in a short time to be rewarded with everlasting glory in the presence of God; must such a state be tiresome for want of such happiness, as Flatus, or Feliciana enjoys?

If this cannot be said; then there is no happiness lost, by being strictly pious; nor has the devout man any thing to envy in any other state of life. For all the art and contrivance in the world, without religion, cannot make more of human life, or carry its happiness to a greater height, than Flatus or Feliciana has done.

The greatest genius on earth, if not governed by religion, must be as foolish, in his methods of happiness, as poor Succus.

If you saw a man, endeavouring all his life to satisfy his thirst, by holding up the same empty cup to his mouth; you would certainly despise his ignorance.

But, if you should see others, ridiculing the dull satisfaction of one cup; and thinking to satisfy their thirst by a variety of golden empty cups; would you think that these were wiser or better employed? Now this is all the difference, you can see in the happiness of this life.

The dull and heavy soul may be content with one empty appearance of happiness, and be continually trying to hold the same empty cup to his mouth all his life. But, the great scholar, the fine genius, the great statesman, the polite gentleman, lay all their heads together; and they can only show you more and various, empty appearances of happiness; let them cut and carve, as they please, they only make a variety of empty cups. So that, if you do not think it hard, to be deprived of the pleasures of gluttony for the sake of religion; you have no reason to think it hard, to be restrained from any other worldly pleasure. For search as deep, and look as far, as you will; there is nothing here, that is nobler, than high eating and drinking; unless you look for it in the wisdom and laws of religion.

If you would use yourself to reflect upon the vanity of all orders of life without piety; to consider the ways of the world, as so many different ways of blindness; you would soon find your heart made wiser and better by it. These meditations would awaken a zealous desire of that solid happiness, which is to be found in recourse to God.

Examples of great piety are not common in the world;

it may not be your happiness to live within sight of any, or to have your virtue inflamed by their light and fervor. But the folly of worldly men meets your eye in every place; you need not look far, to see, how vainly men dream away their lives for want of religious wisdom.

This is the reason, that I have laid before you so many characters of the vanity of a worldly life, that you may be made wise, though not by the sight of what piety is, yet by seeing what misery and folly reign, where piety is not.

If you would turn your mind to such reflections, your own observation would carry this instruction much farther; and all your acquaintance with the world would be a daily conviction to you, of the necessity of seeking some greater happiness, than this world can give.

To meditate on the perfection of the divine attributes, to contemplate the glories of heaven, to consider the joys of saints and angels, living for ever in the brightness and glory of the divine presence; these are the meditations of souls, advanced in piety, and not so suited to every capacity.

But to consider the emptiness of all worldly happiness; to see the grossness of sensuality, the stupidity of covetousness, the vanity of dress, the delusion of honor, the blindness of our passions, the uncertainty of our lives, and the shortness of all worldly projects; these are meditations, that are suited to all capacities, fitted to strike all minds; are forced upon us by all our senses, and taught us by every thing we see and hear.

This is that wisdom, that crieth, and putteth forth her voice in the streets; that standeth at our doors, that appealeth to our senses, teaching us in every thing and every where, by all we see, and all we hear, by births and burials, by sickness and health, by life and death, by pains and poverty, by misery and vanity, by all the changes and chances of life; that there is nothing else for man to look after; no other end in nature for him to aim at, but a happiness, which is to be found in the hopes and expectations of religion.

CHAP. XIII.

That not only a life of vanity, or sensuality, but even the most regular kind of life, that is not governed by great devotion, shows its miseries, its wants and emptiness; represented in various characters.

Ir is a very remarkable saying of our Lord to his disciples; Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. They teach us two things; first that the dullness and heaviness of men's minds, with regard to spiritual matters, is so great, that it may justly be compared to the want of eyes and ears.

Secondly, that God has so filled every thing and every place with motives and arguments for a godly life; that they, who are so happy, as to use their eyes and ears, must be affected with them.

Now though this was in a more especial manner the case of those, whose senses were witnesses of the life, and miracles, and doctrines of our blessed Lord; yet it is as truly the case of all Christians at this time. For the reasons of religion, the calls to piety, are so engraved upon every thing, and present themselves so strongly and constantly to all our senses in every thing, we meet; that they can be disregarded only, by eyes, that see not; and ears, that hear not.

What greater motive to a religious life, than the vanity of all worldly enjoyments; and yet, who can help seeing and feeling this every day of his life?

What greater call to look toward God, than the pains, sickness, and vexations of this life; and yet whose eyes and ears are not daily witnesses of them!

What miracles could more strongly appeal to our

senses, or what message from heaven speak louder to us, than the daily departure of our fellow creatures?

So that the one thing needful, is not left to be discovered by fine reasoning, and deep reflections; but is pressed upon us in the plainest manner, by the experience of our senses; by every thing, we meet in life.

Let us intend to see and hear, and then the whole world becomes a book of wisdom and instruction to us; all, that is regular in nature; all, that is accidental in the course of things; all the disappointments, that happen to ourselves; all the miseries and errors, we see in other people; become so many plain lessons of advice to us; teaching us with as much assurance, as an angel from heaven, that we can in no way, raise ourselves to true happiness, but by turning our thoughts, our wishes, and endeavours, after the happiness of another life.

If you would carry this intention about you of profiting by the follies of the world, and of learning the greatness of religion, from the vanity of every other way of life ; you would find every day, every place, and every person, a fresh proof of their wisdom, who choose to live wholly to God. You would then return home, wiser, better, and more strengthened in religion, by every thing, that has fallen in your

way.

Octavius is an ingenious man, well versed in most parts of literature, and no stranger to any kingdom in Europe. The other day, being just recovered from a lingering fever, he took upon him to talk thus to his friends.

My glass, says he, is almost run out; and your eyes see how many marks of age and death I bear about me; but I plainly feel myself sinking away faster, than any standers by imagine. I fully believe, that one year more will conclude my reckoning.

The attention of his friends was much raised by such a declaration, expecting to hear something truly excellent from so learned a man, who had but a year longer to live. When Octavius proceeded in this manner: for these reasons, says he, my friends, I have left off all