DISC. not accompanied, by the ftings and terrors

V.

of confcience.

2

As to the world and the flesh, jollity and pleasure, if we are bidden to renounce, to mortify, and to abstain from them, it is by way of friendly caution, left they should endanger the health of our minds, and bring on a relapse. They are taken from us by the kind hand of our heavenly Father, that fomething more wholesome, and more truly delightful, may be communicated to us, and relished by us. "Be not drunk with wine," fays the Apostle; "but be filled with the

Spirit." And he who makes the exchange, can be no lofer by it. In a word, there is infinitely more joy in fubduing a paffion, than there can be in gratifying it; and, if we are to be determined by experienced perfons, who have fairly tried both, they tell us, the pleasures of fin are far inferior to thofe afforded even by the severest and most unpromifing exercises of religion. The objection therefore, when confidered and anfwered, turns out (as all objections in the

end

v.

end do) to the advantage of the Gofpel, DISC. which resembles a fine country in the spring season, where the very hedges are in bloom, and every thorn produces a flower. The joys of the world end in forrow; but the forrows of religion terminate in joy. "Blef"fed are they that mourn, for they shall "be comforted." And it is very obfervable, that our Lord enjoins his difciples not to appear abroad with a four and gloomy countenance, but, in their converse with mankind, to preserve their ufual cheerfulness, even at those seasons, when they are exer

.cifing upon themselves any act of religious difcipline. "When ye fast, be not, as the "hypocrites, of a fad countenance: for they "disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to faft. But thou, when "thou fafteft, anoint thine head, and wash

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thy face; that thou appear not unto men "to faft, but unto thy Father, which is "in fecret: and thy Father, which feeth in

46

fecret, fhall reward thee openly."

Such, then, are the motives for culti

H 2

vating

V.

DISC. Vating a cheerful difpofition, which reason dictates to us as men, and religion prescribes to us as Chriftians. You would with perhaps to know, by what means this happy temper may be acquired, and preferved.

We have before had occafion to mention the influence which the mind hath on the body. It is necessary here to take notice of the influence which the body fometimes hath on the mind, and to obferve that melancholy is not infrequently conftitutional, taking it's rife from fome diftemperature of the blood and juices. This has, perhaps, a share in the production and increase of what is called religious, but should rather be called irreligious melancholy, much oftener than is generally imagined. That the effect, therefore, may ceafe, the caufe must be removed, and application must be made to the physician, rather than to the divine.

When this is not the cafe, but the dif order lies originally in the mind, many useful directions may be given for it's removal.

Three

V.

Three things more efpecially are to be DISC. avoided by him who would poffefs a cheerful Spirit.

The first of these is idleness. The mind of man, being an active and restless principle, must have some matter given it to work upon, or it will turn it's force inward, and prey upon itfelf. When grief proceeds from a real caufe, and not from one that is imaginary, it admits of no remedy more expeditious and efficacious, than that of diverting the thoughts from the subject which occafioned it, by providing for them fome other employment; as we are told of a famous Roman general, who had loft his fon, that he found a cure for his forrow, in the heat and hurry of war. And it is obvious to observe, that the fedentary and inactive, they who are retired from business, or they who were never engaged in any, are the perfons that fuffer moft by the incurfions of melancholy, from

d

a Agricola

In luctu bellum inter remedia erat." Tacit. in Vitâ. See the first lines of a Poem ftyled the LIBRARY, printed for Dodfley, 1781.

y.

DISC. which, they themselves will tell us, they have never failed to be relieved, as often as, by any extraordinary call, they have been rouzed from indolence, and forced upon action. The malady which deftroys fo many conftitutions, and makes fuch numbers miferable who have nothing else to make them fo, is unknown to him, whom neceffity obliges to toil for his bread. With the fun he rifes, full of life and vigour, to his pointed task. Upon that his attention is engaged all day, and the performance of it fecures to him an uninterrupted repofe at night, according to Solomon's obfervation: "The fleep of a labouring man is fweet." From all which we may venture to conclude, that happiness confifts in employment, and that to be idle is to be wretched.

ap

A fecond thing to be avoided is guilt. We must not only be employed, but we must be well employed. To every station Providence has annexed it's proper offices and duties. We shall always find the difcharge of these to be one fource of cheerfulness,