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purposes; it answer'd his defigning idea, SER M. and contained a glorious display of his per- X. fections, particularly his goodness; yet with respect to human happiness it is utterly infufficient: Which kind of vanity arises not from the state and nature of outward things themselves, for that is just as it fhould be under the direction of perfect wisdom; but partly from the conftitution of the human mind, which is plainly intended for purpofes beyond this present scene, and partly from mens irregular defires and expectations, whereby being led to flatter themselves with foolish hopes of contentment; and fatisfaction of mind, in the poffeffion of some worldly good, they are plunged into perpetual difappointments and vexation of fpirit. The preacher proves his doctrine by a general furvey of the courfe of this world, which, though governed by fteady counfel, is fo various, and to our understanding uncertain, that no man knows what outward events may happen to him, nor what is really and. in the whole for his advantage. He examines alfo particular things, on which men fet their hearts, hoping for great happiness in them, fuch as riches, grandeur, knowledge, reputation for wisdom, and religious Q4 profeffions,

SERM. profeffions, with a laborious external devo- . X. tion; and he fhews that none of all thefe come up to what our nature determines us ultimately to purfue, that is folid and lafting happiness, which indeed is to be defpaired of under the fun, that is, from all temporal and earthly enjoyments.

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-: What then? shall we abandon altogether the hope of any good, 'at least, while we are in this world? fhall we give up ourfelves to an utter despondency, as Solomon tells us in this book, chapter ii. 20. He caused his heart to defpair of any good from his labour? No certainly; there is a real and folid good which human nature is capable of even now, though but in its infancy of being; and by a due improvement of the present opportunities, it is prepared for a greater, even a complete felicity hereafter. The fum of this is to fear God and keep his Commandments, which our author fays, is the all of man, the whole of his intereft and of his duty; and it is not comprehended in the things under the fun, which he calls vanity. Not only fo, there are some sentiments, a certain temper of mind and behaviour, even with respect to thefe fublunary things, which prevents inconveniencies, temptations, and in

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X.

quietude from them; nay, and makes them fub- SERM.
fervient to our highest interests, the occafions
of improving our minds in virtue, and fitting
them for more excellent enjoyments.

Of this there is a remarkable and very
comprehenfive inftance in the text. Where-
as the generality of men, on the firft face
of objects and events, as they appear to
fenfe, immediately engage their defire or
averfion, and determine their purfuit; they
eagerly follow after what at first seems agree-
able, with profufe delight, and as eagerly
flee from the contrary. Festival folemnities,
and parties of pleafure where mirth is in
dulg'd without any reftraint, have a gay
inviting appearance; moft people are there-
fore fond of them, and readily embrace
every opportunity of fuch entertainment
but events which have a more severe and
mournful afpect, fuch as bring death to re-
membrance, are ftudiously avoided. Now
Solomon advises the very reverse of this; he
judges it better to go to the house of mourning,
than to the house of feasting; to accustom
our hearts to the attentive confideration of
afflicting occurrences, particularly death,
than indulge them in licentious jollity; for
though the latter is preferr'd at present by

weak

X.

SERM. weak and careless minds, yet it has a dan gerous tendency, and often proves bitterness in the end: But the other, in its firft appearance lefs pleafing to the fenfes, is more reasonable in itself, and contributes to the neceffary inftruction of the understanding, and bettering the heart. I fhall endeavour in the following discourse, first, to explain a little farther what the preacher here recommends, Sorrow as better than laughter, the going to the house of mourning, and having our hearts there, rather than in the boufe of feafting and mirth. Secondly, the reasons he infists on for enforcing his advice, namely, that death is the end of all men; therefore it is for the advantage of the living to lay it to heart, and to render the thoughts of it familiar to them, whereby they shall increase in wisdom and virtue.

First, I am to explain what the preacher here recommends, forrow as better than laughter, going to the boufe of mourning, and having our hearts there, rather than the boufe of feafting and mirth. The expreffions are plainly proverbial, and the defign of them is not fulfill'd merely by the external actions, which are mentioned in a literal fenfe: What wisdom, what merit or virtue

is

is there in going to funeral folemnities, any SERM. X. more than to merry-meetings, if the temper, the thoughts and behaviour be the fame, or no better? And certainly it may be so. Do not we fee daily vaft multitudes of people affembling on fuch occafions, who, if they would ask themselves what they came for, could give no other anfwer, than that it Iwas to mix in a crowd of company, to entertain themselves with the magnificence of the funeral pomp, or, at best, to pay a civil compliment to an afflicted family, and the laft refpect to their deceased neighbour, without any more ferious and affecting Impreffions of mortality upon their minds, than they would have at a public rejoycing? What Solomon therefore intends, is, that we fhould make it our deliberate choice to go to the house of mourning, on purpose to have our hearts affected with the fadness of the occafion, and the monitory instance of mortality which is there prefented to us; or rather, that wherever our bodies are, we fhould defignedly engage our attention to fuch fubjects; that we should seriously meditate on the frailty and uncertainty of human life, the impoffibility of avoiding death, which makes a very important change in

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