SERMON XXII. THE DANGER OF PROSPERITY. BY JOHN WITHERSPOON, D.D. L.L.D. Col. N. C. P. PROV. XXX. 9. Left I be full and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? Or, left I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. PROCEED now to confider the arguments by which the Prophet enforces his wife and well-conceived prayer. Thefe, in connection with the two branches of the prayer, stand thus: Give me not riches, left I be full and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? And give me not poverty, left I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. If Agur's prayer is conceived in the most modeft and humble terms, the reasons with which he supports it are every way becoming a truly wife and good man. You fee in them a prevailing concern for the ho nour nour and glory of God, a d his own pr fervation in the paths of piety and vir ne. You fee in them a humble sense of his own weakness, and the danger of temptation; he, therefore, defir s to be placed in such a state of life as will expofe him to the fewest trials. An excellent dispofition this, and highly worthy of our imitation. How happy would it be for us all, if a defire to please God and preserve our integrity, lay always nearest our hearts, and had a conftant and commanding influence on every step we took in our journey through life. Neither riches nor poverty are bad in themselves. Neither of them is any recommendation or hindrance to the favour of God, who is no refpecter of perfons. There are good and bad in all ranks. Men may be rich, and yet pious, or poor, yet strictly just and honeft. It is, I confess, often done, yet it is highly criminal to look upon all that are rich in this world as profane; and it would be equally fo to look upon all that are poor as deftitute of integrity. Yet it is undeniable, that, from the corruption of the human heart, these two extremes do often becóme ftrong temptations to the particular fins mentioned in the text; which we shall now confider feparately, in the order in which they lie in the passage before us. Give me not riches, left I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? As to the fact, that riches do often lead to profanity and contempt of God, experience, and the state of the world, prove it in a manner too plain to be denied. We not only fee that thofe, who are born and educated from their infancy in the higher ranks of life, are most prone to neglect the duties of religion; but those who, from a low or mean condition, are remarkably raised in the courfe of Providence, do often change their temper with their state, and show the unhappy influence of riches in leading leading them to a forgetfulness of God. Are there not fome who were regularly in God's houfe when they but barely fubfifted, who have not time for it now, when they are bufy and wealthy? Are there not fome families, where the worship of God was conftant and regular in early life, while they were undistinguished, and now it is no more to be heard in their fumptuous palaces and elegant apartments? Shall I fay, that any worm of the earth is become too confiderable to fall down before the omnipotent JEHOVAH? I may add, as being of great importance in the present fubject, that fuch changes do often take place gradually and infenfibly, very much contrary to men's own expectation; so that we really do not know ourselves, nor can we determine before trial, how far we would refist or yield to the force of temptation. The prophet Elisha foretold to Hazael the cruelties he would be guilty of when raised to an higher station; to which he replied with difdain and abhorrence, What, is thy fervant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, the Lord bath fhewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. The conduct of the children of Ifrael in their prosperity is but an emblem of the general conduct of the children of men. But Jefburun waxed fat, and kicked. Thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatnefs: Then be forfook God which made him, and lightly efteemed the Rock of his falvation. What hath been faid might be fufficient to fhew the propriety of the Prophet's prayer; for if such hath been often, or generally, the influence of worldly greatness upon other men, why should any be fo confident as to prefume it would be otherwife with themselves? But perhaps it may afford matter of useful instruction to enquire a little further into the subject, to trace the causes of this effect, and fhew how, and why riches become an inducement inducement to irreligion and profaneness, for this will beft enable us to apply the remedy. When I fpeak of examining the causes of this effect, I confefs that no reason can be given for it, but what reflects great dishonour upon human nature in its present state. Were we to judge of the matter by the dictates of found reason, we should naturally expect to find it directly contrary. God is the author of every bleffing which men poffefs, and his gifts fhould lead us to gratitude and acknowledgment. It seems natural then to fuppofe, that those who are most highly favoured in the courfe of Providence, fhould difcover the greateft fenfe of obligation, and be ready to make every dutiful return. One would think, that though the poor fhould be impatient, furely the rich will be content and thankful. Is not this reasonable? Had any of you beftowed many favours upon others, would you not expect that their gratitude should bear fome proportion to the number and value of benefits received? Had any of them been remarkably diftinguished from the reft, would you not expect from them the most inviolable fidelity and attachment? Strange, that our conduct fhould be fo directly oppofite in the returns we make for the goodness of our Maker! That thofe who are diftinguished from others by the largeft poffeffions, and the greatest fulness of all temporal mercies, fhould be the moft prone to wickedness of all forts; but efpecially, that they should be peculiarly inclined to forgetfulness and contempt of God. Yet fo it is in truth. But however difhonourable it is to human nature, let us fearch into it a little, and perhaps we may difcover the cause of impiety in perfons in affluent circumstances, and the danger the Prophet would avoid, by attending to the following obfervations: 1. An easy and affluent fortune affords the means, not only of pampering our bodies, but of gratifying all our lufts and appetites. They are as ftrong probably in perfons of inferior ftations; but Providence has rendered the gratification more difficult, and in fome cafes impoffible. Many work through neceffity, who would be as idle and flothful as any, but for the fear of want. These will be the firft and readieft to reproach the rich, and call them idle drones, who revel in that abundance for which they never toiled; and to put to their own credit that which is wholly owing to the reftraints under which they are laid. Many are generally fober, because they cannot afford the charges of intemperance, who want nothing but the means, to riot in the most brutal fenfuality. But to perfons of great wealth, the objects of defire are always placed in full view, and are evidently within their reach; fo that the temptation has uncommon force, and few are able entirely to refift it. 2. The indulgence of pleasure infenfibly induces a ha bit, and leads men to place their happiness in fuch enjoyments. Habit, you know, is very powerful, and while the habit acquires ftrength, the power of refiftance is gradually weakened. Thefe gratifications confume so much time, that there is little left to reflect upon God, and our relation to him. I reckon it none of the leaft temptations to perfons of high rank, that not only their felf-indulgence, but the attendance and obfequioufnefs of others fo engroffes their attention, and wastes their time, that they have few opportunities of calm and fober reflection; or, at leaft, can eafily efcape from it, and take refuge in company and amusement. Add to this, that a great variety of fenfible objects and enjoyments render the mind, not only less attentive to things of a fpiritual nature, but indeed, lefs able to understand them. 3. Obferve |