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also may join with me in thankfulness, to the Giver of 

 every good and perfect gift, for our happiness. And 

 that our present happiness may appear to be the greater, 

 and we the more thankful for it, I will beg you to consider 

 with me, how many do, even at this very time, lie under 

 the torment of the stone, the gout, and toothache ; and 

 this we are free from. And every misery that I miss is a 

 new mercy, and therefore let us be thankful. There 

 have been, since we met, others that have met disasters 

 of broken limbs ; some have been blasted, others thunder- 

 strucken ; and we have been freed from these, and all 

 those many other miseries that threaten human nature ; 

 let us therefore rejoice, and be thankful. Nay, which is a 

 far greater mercy, we are free from the unsupportable 

 burthen of an accusing tormenting conscience, a misery 

 that none can bear ; and therefore let us praise Him for 

 His preventing grace, and say, every misery that I miss 

 is a new mercy : nay, let me tell you, there be many that 

 have forty times our estates, that would give the greatest 

 part of it to be healthful and cheerful like us ; who, with 

 the expense of a little money, have eat and drank, and 

 laught, and angled, and sung, and slept securely ; and 

 rose next day, and cast away care, and sung, and laught, 

 and angled again ; which are blessings rich men cannot 

 purchasSVith all their money. Let me tell you, scholar, 

 I have a rich neighbour, that is always so busy that he 

 has no leisure to laugh ; the whole business of his life 

 is to get money, and more money, that he may still get 

 more and more money ; he is still drudging on, and says, 

 that Solomon says, " The diligent hand maketh rich " : 

 and it is true indeed ; but, he considers not that it is not 

 in the power of riches to make a man happy : for it was 

 wisely said, by a man of great observation, " That there 

 be as many miseries beyond riches, as on this side them " : 

 and yet God deliver us from pinching poverty ; and grant, 

 that having a competency, we may be content, and thank- 



