and founded on truth and a knowledge of the world, are found to leave little impreffion, where the imagination was already heated with great expectations of future happiness; and that the best lectures that have been read upon the vanity of the world, fo feldom ftop a man in the pursuit of the object of his defire, or give him half the conviction, that the poffeffion of it will, and what the experience of his own life, or a careful obfervation upon the life of others, do at length generally confirm to us all.

Let us endeavour then to try the cause upon this iffue; and instead of recurring to the common arguments or taking any one's word in the cafe, let us truft to matter of fact; and if upon enquiry, it appears that the actions of mankind are not to be accounted for upon any other

principle, but this of the infufficiency of our enjoyments, 'twill go further to wards the establishment of the truth of this part of the discourse, than a thoufand fpeculative arguments which might be offered upon the occafion.

Now if we take a furvey of the life of man from the time he is come to reafon, to the latest decline of it in old age, -we fhall find him engaged, and generally hurried on in fuch a fucceffion of different purfuits, and different opinions of things, through the different stages of his life as will admit of no explication, but this, that he finds no reft for the fole of his foot, on any of the plans where he has been led to expect it.

The moment he is got loose from tutors and governors, and is left to judge

for

for himfelf, and purfue this fcheme his own way his first thoughts are generally full of the mighty happiness which he is going to enter upon, from the free enjoyment of the pleafures in which he fees others of his age and fortune engaged.

In confequence of this take notice, how his imagination is caught by every glittering appearance that flatters this expectation. Obferve what impreffions are made upon his fenfes, by diverfions, mufic, drefs and beauty and how his fpirits are upon the wing, flying in purfuit of them; that you would think he could never have enough.

Leave him to himself a few

years,

till

the edge of appetite is wore down you will fearce know him again.

You

will find him entered into engagements,

and fetting up for a man of bufinefs, and conduct, talking of no other happiness but what centers in projects of making the most of this world, and providing for his children, and children's children after them. Examine his notions, he will tell you, that the gayer pleasures of youth, are fit only for those who know not how to difpofe of themselves and time to better advantage. That however fair and promifing they might. appear to a man unpracticed in themthey were no better than a life of folly. and impertinence, and fo far from anfwering your expectations of happiness, 'twas well if you escaped without pain.→ That in every experiment he had tried, he had found more bitter than fweet, and for the little pleafure one could fnatch-ittoo often left a terrible. fting behind it: Befides

I

Befides, did the ballance lay on the other fide, he would tell you, there could be no true fatisfaction where a life runs on in fo giddy a circle, out of which a wife man fhould extricate himself as foon as he can, that he may begin to look forwards. -That it becomes a man of character and confequence to lay afide childish things, to take care of his interefts, to establish the fortune of his family, and place it out of want and dependance: and in a word, if there is fuch a thing as happiness upon earth, it must consist in the accomplishment of this; and for his own part, if God fhould profper his endeavours fo as to be worth fuch a fum, or to be able to bring fuch a point to bear he fhall be one of the happiest of the fons of men. -In full affurance of this, on he, drudges-plots -contrives-rifes early-late takes reft,

and