V.

things be? Doth not the Gospel call us to DISC. repentance? And is not repentance attended by mourning? Are we not commanded to renounce the world, and to mortify the flesh; to abstain from jollity and pleasure ; to deny ourselves, to faft, to watch, and to pray? How then can fuch a religion as this be a fource of cheerfulness and joy?

It is most certainly true, that the Gospel calleth us to repentance; and it is equally true, that repentance is attended by mourning. But is this the fault of religion, or of the finner? Of the finner, furely, who by his conduct makes repentance neceffary, and then is angry to find that it is not agreeable. Phyfic is feldom fo; and he, who has contracted a disease, must submit to the remedy, if he would recover his health. But the fact is, that true penitents have never failed to declare, they felt a greater joy in the midst of their forrow, through a comfortable sense of God's returning favour, than ever they did in the commiffion of their fin, which was fure to be followed, if it were

VOL. III.

H

not

DISC. not accompanied, by the stings and terrors

As to the world and the flesh, jollity and pleasure, if we are bidden to renounce, to mortify, and to abftain 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 those afforded even by the feverest 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 converfe with mankind, to preserve their ufual cheerfulness, even at those seasons, when they are exercifing upon themselves any act of religious discipline. "When ye faft, be not, as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance: for they "disfigure their faces, that they may ap

pear unto men to faft. But thou, when "thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash

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

Such, then, are the motives for culti

H 2

vating

DISC. vating a cheerful disposition, which reason V. dictates to us as men, and religion prescribes

to us as Chriftians. You would wish 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 neceffary here to take notice of the influence which the body fometimes hath on the mind, and to observe that melancholy is not infrequently constitutional, 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 cause must be removed, and application must be made to the physician, rather than to the divine.

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

Three

V.

Three things more especially 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 itself. When grief proceeds from a real cause, and not from one that is imaginary, it admits of no remedy more expeditious and efficacious, than that of diverting the thoughts from the fubject which occafioned it, by providing for them fome other employment; as we are told of a famous Roman general, who had lost his son, that he found a cure for his forrow, in the heat and hurry of ward. 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 most by the incurfions of melancholy, from

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