(Psalm cxxvi. 1, 2.) And Bildad, in his expostulation with Job, (ch. viii. 20, 21.) says: "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers, till he fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with rejoicing." The Almighty himself, and the Son, and the righteous of the earth-speaking as we must after the manner of men,-are represented in more places than one, as laughing the wicked to scorn. (See Psalm ii. 4. xxviii. 13. lii. 6. lix. 8.) Though our Saviour “ was sometimes indignant at hypocrisy, he says of it what may be taken in a ludicrous light: "Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ;-ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel:" (Matt. xxiii. 23, 24.) the "gnat and the camel were both unclean animals amongst the Jews; the swallowing of the latter was exaggeration, and of a kind not very serious."* (Dr. Hey, p. 455.) Of the same nature are the other images made use of by our Saviour, in this address to the Scribes and Pharisees, where he represents them "as making clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, while within they were full of extortion and excess,” (v. 25.)

* The picture” in the imagination" of hypocrites scrupulously filtering, lest they should be so unfortunate as to swallow an unclean insect, and then gobbling down a great unclean beast, has not much gravity in it: and what is represented by it, namely, great nicety in some things, and great want of nicety in others, makes a contrast of itself, which might excite some feeling of ridicule." Ditto.

and where he compares them to "whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” (v. 27.)—Our Saviour, in his teaching, did not want to make slight and superficial impressions; however, he says nothing against the use of ridicule" in its pure state. (Dr. Hey, p. 456.) Many are the passages of Scripture to the effect, "that a merry heart doeth good." (Prov. xvii. 22. xv. 13. Eccles. ix. 7.)

At

the marriage in Cana, at which Christ wrought a miracle to produce the wine, which "maketh glad the heart of man," (Psalm civ. 15.) probably there was festive and facetious conversation; and at the entertainment given on the return of the Prodigal, which is a representation of the rejoicing in Heaven on the conversion of a sinner, there is music and dancing, and the Father says, "It was meet that we should make merry and be glad." (Luke xv. 32.)

The Apostle, indeed, in the words of the text, forbids Eʊrganλia, which we translate jesting, a word derived from another, (EUTgareños) which signifies one who can easily, or readily turn his discourse, and accommodate it to the present occasion, for the purpose of exciting mirth or laughter, a wit; but since such persons are very apt to abuse this faculty, and to deviate into buffoonery, scurrility, and indecency, it is

sometimes used in a bad sense; and from the whole tenor of the Apostle's discourse, it is evident that he uses it in this sense, and intends only to censure low buffoonery, obscenity, or what we call double meanings.*

To this exposition, the opinions of many learned and pious men might be added, and even the concessions of many of the adversaries of the Stage, who say, that they do not consider all wit and ridicule to be unlawful, but merely when it degenerates into profaneness, indecency, and scurrility.†i

In the same manner we must reconcile those different passages of Scripture, which seem to condemn all mirth and laughter, and to enforce seriousness: Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn." (Luke vi. 25.) "I said of laughter, it is mad, and of mirth, what doeth it." (Eccles. ii. 2.) When we consider these, as opposed to the passages which seem to sanction mirth, they can be understood as censuring only that which is licentious, profane, or unseasonable. The general tenor of the Christian's character, should be seriousness tempered by cheerfulness; seriousness is his occupation,

* See Dr. Hey, p. 456. Parkhurst's Lexicon, and Doddridge's Expositor.

† See Henry's Bible, vol. vi. p. 560. Witherspoon, p. 40.

harmless mirth is the relaxation from it, to recruit his spirits, and to enable him to return to it with increased energy; for in the words of Solomon: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.-God hath made every thing beautiful in his time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life: And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour; it is the gift of God." (Eccles. iii. 1, 4, 11-13.)

3. We may proceed therefore, to inquire, in the next place, what are the uses of wit.

It hath sometimes been considered as one of the uses of wit, that is, of that species of it, called ridicule, that it is a test of truth, a position which requires some investigation.

The means by which we come to the knowledge of truth, are Divine Revelation, Reason, the testimony of our Senses, and Historical Evidence.

That a Revelation comes really from God,

we are to ascertain by the use of reason; but when we are once convinced of that point, whatever we find to come from God, is to be received by us, whether it be above our reason, how contrary soever it may be to the opinions of the world, and notwithstanding all the ridicule which scoffers may throw out against it: "a scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth." (Prov. xiv. 6.) And we are told, "that, in the last days, scoffers shall come, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.-Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastBut grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To him be glory both now and for ever.

ness.

Pet. iii. 3, 4. 17, 18.)

Amen."

With respect to that which we learn by reason, by comparing, connecting and deduction, and by an appeal to judgment, this slow operation can never be affected by the slight and quicker movements of ridicule, but is itself to be the test by which ridicule is to be tried.