Faith in Christ, the fundamental exercise of a Christian mind, has for its object the gladdest tidings that can be conceived: love of God contemplates infinite excellency, and lays hold on all-sufficiency. The gracious love of our neighbor is so delightful, that those pleasures of society which wicked men enjoy are founded on the resemblance of it. Humility, and disengagement of mind from the world give such serenity and tranquillity to the spirit as are inestimable; to which may be added, that the well-grounded hope of eternal life, if duly impressed, is a greater present pleasure than any worldly enjoyment whatsoever.

It is to be considered also, that by the promises of the covenant of grace, God has engaged to give, not only future happiness, but present peace, pardon of sin, strength to perform duty, acceptance of it, communion with himself, comfort under affliction, returns of prayer, and finally, what comprises all other blessings, that he will make all things work together for our good, and let nothing separate us from his love.

pontana

Against our general assertion repentance may be objected, as being a very unhappy. thing. It cannot be denied that both sorrow for sin and mortifying of corruption have some trouble and uneasiness in them; but that pain is neither the native fruit of duty or obedience; (because had mankind continued in their duty there would have been no occasion for repentance;) nor is the trouble attending is

peculiar to it, for impenitent sinners have inward agony arising from impenitence; and conscience causes them more uneasiness than the deepest humility can give a believer's penitence. Faithless remorse was far more painful to Judas, than godly sorrow was to Peter, as the event testified. There are some kinds of sorrow which human nature takes pleasure in: and surely the noblest and most rational melancholy in the world is melancholy for those unworthy actions by which we have lost the chief perfection of our nature, the image of God-by which we have made such unbecoming returns to his kindness, and forfeited his inestimable favor and friendship: such sor row as this has a sublime pleasure in it, since it is an exercise of love to God, and is alsó, if evangelical, joined with a hope in God's mercy through the merits of his Son. Again, selfdenial or mortification of corruption is not peculiar to duty. A wicked man oftentimes cannot gratify one corruption without mortifying another, for sinful desires are full of contradictions and inconsistencies, and can seldom or never be all gratified together; but the word of God must give the authoritative declaration of the happiness of true godliness. That tells us that the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace; that Christ's yoke is easy, and his burdenlight; that gladness is sown for the righ teous; that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace. The very command of God is,

Rejoice evermore: the joy of faith is a joy unspeakable and full of glory; the peace he gives is perfect peace-peace that passeth all perfect_peace-peace understanding! Both the Prophets and Apos tles employed the most beautiful images of nature to paint the greatness of these joys: as when they speak of the oil of joy-garments of praise the budding and blossoming of the rose-the time of the singing of birds-the joy of banquets and marriage feasts-the light of the, morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds-the springing of the grass after rain. The lifeless part joins in the triumphs of God's people; the mountains and hills break forth before them into singing, and all the trees of the field clap their handsthe skies dropping down from above, and the earth bringing forth righteousness; and many other bright images are there, whose scope is to shew that godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to

come.

Then let not a false impression remain upon our minds; let not Satan's devices be believed, who, to serve his own purposes, would veil the fair form of religion in a mantle so dark. Let us see that true holiness is nothing worse than sound sense, reason unobscured, true philosophy, and nature acting according to its genuine original constitution, and approaching to primeval purity; a state of order to which the universe shall be reduced at the restoration of all things

II. If you will believe that holiness and happiness are one, but know not the way' to attain either, we have now to say that no doubt or error need remain, because God has himself appointed the way. God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. He has instituted a way who is a God of grace, wisdom, and power; why then should we seek happiness in another way? Surely, if there be any method of happiness appointed by God, that must lead to the attainment of the proposed end: not only effectually, but most delightfully: for the plan of God having originated from the free suggestions of his own love, the same love would induce him to make the means as agreeable to us as the nature of the case would admit. His method too, must have all its parts disposed in the best order for leading us to happiness: so that though some of his arrangements may be to us apparently confused, and others unnecessary, yet reason must convince us that seeming defects are to be ascribed to our own ignorance, while absolute perfection is to be predicated of the works of God. We We may doubt, for instance, whether an instrument, apparently so inefficient as faith in Christ, will lead us to holiness; but it is the means appointed by God, and he pledges to make it effectual to lead us to purity and joy; why then, my brethren, seek your happiness from the gratification of your carnal wishes? why from the world, or from Satan, God ha

ing raised up his Son for the purpose of blessing you? Jesus is sent to bless you; why strive to gather comfort from self-complacent contemplation of your own goodness? It is not the method of God, and will therefore be unavailing. He has sent his Son to bless you, by turning away your hearts from iniquity. What this means it surely behooves us to inquire-it will surely be our wisdom, as it is our duty, to set. ourselves to study this method of grace, and endeavor to understand it. The resurrection of Christ was the consummation of that work of his which he undertook for sinners; for them as their surety, he obeyed the law perfectly, which they could not do; and for them he suffered the punishment which was due to their sins. Now as the liberation of one who is surety for another proves the debt to be paid, and the creditor satisfied, so the deliverance of Jesus Christ from the prison of the grave is the evidence of God's having no further demands on a believing sinner for his past debts: henceforth a blessing is communicated

a person is sent charged with blessings: henceforth Christ, not by his power only, as a divine person, is sent to bless us, but as a risen Savior. It is in consequence of the completion of that work, by which he obtained merit for us, that he is qualified to bless us. Sent, therefore, by the Father, behold, he comes! The Prince of peace! The great benefactor of mankind! The promised Deliverer comes to us at the present hour! He comes to bless us,