requires) we have refolutely emancipated ourfelves from this wretched ftate of spiritual fervitude, we must never hope for any lafting peace or tranquillity of mind. Chearfulness is the privilege of innocence and virtue. The vicious and impenitent have no pretenfions to it. They may, indeed, have tranfient gleams of gaiety and mirth: but these are far different from that calm, ferene, and constant sunshine, which religious chearfulness sheds over the foul. The forrows of repentance may fometimes caft a temporary fhade around it; but it foon breaks out again with redoubled fplen"Heaviness may endure for a night, "but joy cometh in the morning." The ftruggle with our depraved appetites may, perhaps, for a time, be painful enough; but if we quit ourselves like men, it will foon be decided in our favour; and then all our difficulties are at an end. From that moment, "the 66 ways of Religion are ways of pleafantness, "and all her paths are peace." Christianity excludes us from no rational, no harmless enjoyment. It does not spread before us a delicious banquet, and then come with a "touch All it requires

dour.

not, tafte not, handle not."

is, that our feftivity degenerate not into intemperance; our amusements into diffipation; our freedom into licentioufnefs. Though it bids us "not to love the world" extravagantly, nor "to

to conform to it" criminally, yet it no where enjoins us to flee from it; but rather, after the example of our bleffed Lord, to live in it, and to overcome it. A fullen, folitary, indolent retirement, is far from being conformable to the true fpirit and temper of our religion, which is active, lively, and animated throughout. Confider its precepts, confider the example of those who taught it, and you will find that the predominant quality in both is an

UNIFORM, UNREMITTED, CHEARFULNESS.

John the Baptift, it is true, the precurfor and herald of the Gofpel, affumed the appearance of aufterity and rigour. He came, "neither eating nor drinking. He lived in "the wilderness, had his raiment of ca"mels hair, and a leathern girdle about his

loins, and his meat was locufts and wild "honey." A very proper demeanor this for him, whofe province it was to prepare the minds of men for the Gospel by repentance and self-denial, to till and dress the foil, to kill

in it every rank and noxious weed, to render it clean and pure, and moift with the tears of contrition, fit for the reception of that good feed which his illuftrious follower was in a fhort time coming to fow in it. When HE appeared, the fcene was changed. The Saviour of the world came (as he himself is pleased to express it)" eating and drinking." He came with all the marks of good-humour and good-will to men. He went to marriage feafts. The very first miracle he worked was, to promote their chearfulness: and he mingled in those happy meetings with so much ease and freedom, with fo little affectation of morofeness or reserve, that his enemies gave him the name (a name which he treated with the moft fovereign contempt) "of a gluttonous 66 man, and a wine-bibber *; a friend of pub

licans and finners." Every mark of respect and attention that was shown him, he accepted with the most engaging and graceful condefcenfion; nor did he even difdain the rich perfume, which the liberal hand of Mary poured upon him, notwithstanding the ill-timed murmurs of his more faftidious followers. Al

* Matth. xi. 19.

though

though he himself, by his own example, plainly countenanced the practice of fasting at proper times, and under proper restrictions, yet he would not fuffer his difciples to fast while he was with them. The time would come, he told them, when they would have abundant occafion to faft. But when the bridegroom was with them, they ought to know nothing but joy; and that joy should not be interrupted by unfeasonable severities and anticipated forrows. He reproved the hypocritical Pharisees for the oftentatious fadness of their countenances on fuch occafions; and enjoined his own followers, whenever they did practise an extraordinary abstemiousness, to preserve even in the midst of their humiliations, their wonted neatness of attire and chearfulness of appearance. "The hypocrites," fays he, " disfigure "their faces, that they may appear unto men "to faft: but thou, when thou fastest, anoint "thine head and wash thy face; that thou

appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy "Father which is in fecret: and thy Father, "which feeth in fecret, fhall reward thee openly *" His discourses were of a piece

with his deportment: they were foothing comfortable, refreshing. The form of words, which he made ufe of generally when he cured diseases, was, "Son, be of good chear, thy fins be forgiven thee." He was constantly endeavouring to fupport the drooping fpirits of his difciples by the most encouraging expreffions; and when he found himself at length obliged to explain to them the hardfhips they were to undergo for his fake, the conclufion was, "In the world ye fhall have "tribulation: but be of good chear; I have "overcome the world *."

The fame fpirit diffused itself to the apoftles, evangelists, and disciples, who maintained, throughout the whole courfe of their ministry, a certain vigour and vivacity of mind, which no calamity could deprefs. Their writings. are full of exhortations" to rejoice evermore; " to show mercy with chearfulness; to count "it all joy, even when we fall into tempta"tion." The language of the text, the language of the whole Gofpel, is, "Rejoice in "the Lord alway: and again I fay, Rejoice." Hence it is plain, that a conftant chearfulness • John xvi. 33.