to use them, and so little, as should in all reason hinder them from abusing them.

These same considerations serve also to refute the second objection that was mentioned, viz. That these objects which are the occasions of sin, are not only made pleasant but necessary to us, and that there are desires after them implanted in our nature. This objection carries its answer in its bosom, (though through men's stupidity it does harm.) If these objects are necessary to us, that itself shews that the use of them is lawful, and the just and natural desire of them innocent. God has only implanted in men desires towards what is their duty, that is, self-preservation; but if men's wickedness abuseth the means of their preservation into occasions of their ruin, even the hea thens could observe that this is living contrary to nature; besides, it is obvious, that God has so ordered matters that it a very little that satisfies nature, and when that good end is obtained, desire ceases. it is with hunger and thirst, for instance, when one has taken what is sufficient for health and nourishment. It is otherwise indeed with men, who have contracted evil habits, by being accustomed to excess; but these habits are not natural, but acquired; and we should distinguish between these inclinations implanted in us by God, and those that are contracted by ourselves.

Thus

If it be asked, Why these objects are made necessary to us? This question is as much out of the way, as to ask why the world was made, or men made to inhabit it, The prophet Isaiah seems to intimate, that to have made the earth uninhabited, would have been a making of it in vain; Isa. xlv. 18. Thus saith the Lord God himself, that formed the earth, and made it he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited;" It is hard to conceive, how it could properly be reckoned inhabited, if no creatures resided in it but pure spirits; surely it is no reflection on the Creator, that he has made such a world as this lower world is, or that having made it so beautiful and glorious as it is, that he has not left it to be a desolate wilderness; and then it is easy to conceive, that ac

cording to the best order of nature, and the best contrived laws to govern it, such inhabitants, consisting of body as well as spirit, could not subsist without being constantly recruited with the means of life and nourishment. If it were not for that, the visible world would be comparatively useless; if it were no way subservient to the preservation and subsistence of its inhabitants, there would not be that beautiful connec. tion that is now between the visible and invisible world, making things void of life and reason useful to creatures endowed with both.

To this we may add, that our natural necessities, when duly considered, are arguments of God's goodness, because, in their proper tendency, they are an tidotes against sin, and helps to duty. Their proper tendency is to give us an impression of our own natu, ral emptiness, God's all-sufficiency, and our dependency upon him, from whom we need so many things,. with which he furnisheth us so bountifully; by this means, not leaving himself without witness, as Paul reasoned with the people of Lystra in the forecited place, Acts xiv. 7. Besides, it is useful to reflect here on what was hinted before, that human necessi-ties are an excellent cement of human societies, and. the many useful and beautiful relations comprehended in them; they lay also a foundation for the exercise of innumerable virtues and graces, which otherwise could not be exercised in so remarkable a manner, for making men's graces and good works shine before the world, to the glory of God, Matth., v. 16. And since the image of God drawn on the soul of a creature is: the noblest workmanship in the creation, it should not be thought improper that it have occasions of shining. in all its splendor, for the honour of its Author. Were it not for men's natural necessities, they would not have these excellent opportunities, that now they enjoy, of shewing either their love to God by sacrificing interest to duty, when they happen to interfere; or their love to their neighbours, by acts of charity, pity and compassion, bounty, generosity, and the like; or temperance, sobriety, and other duties that relate more.

immediately to the management of themselves. These necessities are also the foundation of all that beautiful variety of stations and employments, which, together with other excellent uses, serve to keep men from idleness and inactivity, than which, experience shews nothing is more hurtful. Men pretend indeed ofttimes, that their labours are hinderances of their duties; but experience shews that generally these who have most time, are not the persons who make the best use of it. So that man's eating his bread with the sweat of his brow, is such a punishment of sin, as is at the same time an excellent restraint upon it.

From all which it appears, that by the desires God hath implanted in us, and the objects he has made necessary to us, he does not tempt us to sin, but excite us to duty; and that these things which are made occasions of evil, are really necessary means of good; and that though they are unnaturally perverted by bad men, yet their natural tendency is the exercise and triumph of many graces and virtues. God's goodness in this matter is the more evident, the more it is inquired into ; he has implanted in us desires after things useful and necessary, but none after those things that are useless or hurtful, as was hinted before: no superfluous desires are natural, these are acquired by men themselves, and oftentimes improven to the prejudice of these desires that are just and natural and, upon the whole, the use we should make of these reflections is certainly an humble acknowledgment of our own emptiness, and of God's all-sufficient goodness.

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After what is said about our natural desires, it is easy to answer the objections about God's making laws against them; it is only against excess in them, and that excess is graciously forbidden by God, since it is so hurtful to us; it would be so, whether he had forbid it, or not. Excessive love of earthly objects was shown before to be the chief source of earthly trouble; it is in its nature hurtful to our souls and bodies, and makes us hurtful to others; to our souls, by alienating them from our chief good, and only happiness: to our bodies, by the natural fruit of intemperance, anxiety and

excessive toil; and to our neighbours, by tempting us to injustice, oppression and strife, and by hindering from charity and beneficence.

It is the very nature of wisdom, not to love any object above its real worth this is what God's law requires of us; and surely nothing can be more necessa ry, or more reasonable; it is the way to that true enjoyment of the creatures, which is both most for the honour of God and our good; and the allowances, which it was shown his law makes for cases of absolute necessity, prove that there is a perfect harmony betwixt his precepts, as he is the law-giver of the world, and his works, as he is the Author of nature.

As to the next, objection, viz. That earthly objects continue pleasant, even when abused by sin; it is plain. it could not be otherwise, unless God would destroy the nature of his own creatures at every time when men abuse them. It is easy to conceive, that God may have infinitely wise reasons for not taking such measures; for not overturning these laws of his which govern nature, at every time when men violate these laws which should govern their actions, for not break-ing the perfect order of his own works, whenever men are guilty of any disorder in theirs. No doubt if we consider God's absolute power, he could (for example) turn the most wholesome food into poison, when it is sinfully procured or enjoyed. But besides the reasons God has for not changing the established order of nature; it is evident that such outward miracles would not prevent inward disorderly inclination, in which sin and corruption chiefly consists; they would not hinder that immoderate love of the crea tures, which is not restrained by other motives, but they would hinder indeed the trial and exercise of graces and virtues by which the moderate love of these objects promote the glory of God, and the good of men. It is plain there would not be so much virtue in justice, if there be no advantage by injustice; that is to say, present advantage; for the rest, taking in alt considerations, it was shown already, that God has ordered matters so, that the motives of true profits and

pleasure, are on the side of holiness and righteousness, both as to this life and the next. And, in a word, not to insist longer on this objection, it is plain, it cannot be urged without blaming Providence for not working miracles constantly to prevent sin; whereas the design of this discourse is not to shew the reasons why God does not infallibly hinder men from all sin, but to shew that he does not tempt them to any.

As to the last objection, viz. That we are placed in such circumstances, that we are surrounded with these tempting objects on all hands, and that they make con tinual impression on our senses. It is true, God has placed us in such circumstances; he has surrounded us with these objects, but he has made these objects all very good; it is we ourselves that make them tempta. tions to evil: any truth that is in the objection amounts only to this, and it is thus it should be expressed, God has surrounded us with necessary and useful objects,. displaying his glory, and contributing to our subsist ence. He has surrounded us on all hands with the fruits of his bounty, and effects of his power; he has endowed us with senses suitable to these objects to see. his glory in them all, and to apply several of them to various good uses, which are motives to love him, and materials for contemplating and adoring him. There is-nothing in all this, but what is really ground of praise, and not of censure: It would be the wildest extravagance for men to complain either that these useful objects, are not wholly removed, or that they themselves are not deprived of the senses by which they perceive them, and make use of them. If this objection had any force, is would be against peopling of this world at all; which was considered already. No doubt indeed heaven is an incomparably better place; but that cannot reflect on God, for not making all the rest of the creation a wilderness: if we embra ced the terms on which heaven is offered, surely our absence from it is not so long, that we have very much reason to repine at it. The time of our life of faith, and state of trial is not so very tedious. On other oc casions men are more ready to complain, their time