creation, we might be led to make suitable returns of gratitude and thankfulness to the Creator. But gloom and melancholy will. never suffer emotions like these to arise in a mind, of which they have taken poffeffion. Such a temper, therefore, when it is become a fixed and fettled one, appears not only to be to the laft degree inconvenient and tormenting, but to have a manifeft tincture of impiety. To receive the gifts of heaven with a four afpect and a fullen filence, what is it but to throw them back, with difdain, to the bountiful Donor, declaring, that we will have none of them? It is the rebellious obftinacy of a wayward child, against the gracious offers of the most indulgent of fathers. Whereas a cheerful ftate of mind is a conftant habitual gratitude to the great Author of nature; an implicit praise and thankf giving to Providence under all it's difpenfations; a kind of acquiefcence in the ftate wherein we are placed, and a fecret approbation of the divine will in it's conduct towards man. The cheerfulness of heart which fprings up in us from the furvey of nature's works, is an admirable preparation for gratitude. The mind has gone a great way towards praife and thanksgiving, that is filled with fuch a fecret gladnefs. A grateful reflection on the fupreme Caufe who produces it, fanctifies it in the foul, and gives it it's proper value; confecrates every field and wood, and turns an or dinary walk into a morning or evening facrifice."

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Such are the obligations to cultivate a cheerful difpofition, which affect us as men, wishing to poffefs a found mind in a healthful body; to tafte the beauties and excellencies of the world in which we are placed; and to make a due return of gratitude and thankfulness to God, who placed us in it. Let us now confider the additional motives afforded us, as Chriftians, by the religion we profess.

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The nature of that religion is fufficiently expreffed by the term fo often used to denote it. It is a communication of good news, which should be received, in this cafe, as in all others, with a joy proportionable to it's importance; and as it is of the highest importance, fhould be therefore productive of the greatest joy. The patriarchs and prophets, who viewed afar off that wonderful event, which hath fince taken place, were affected by it in a very fenfible and lively manner. "Your father Abraham," fays our Lord to the Jews, rejoiced to fee my day, and he faw it, and was glad." Ifaiah is in raptures whenever he has occafion to touch upon the fubject-"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings! Break forth into joy, fing together, ye walle places of Jerufalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord hath done it; fhout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into finging, ye mountains, O foreft, and every tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Ifrael." When the predictions were accomplished, and the divine person, VOL. XIX. July 1796.

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who had been the fubje&t of them, made his appearance in the flesh, the heavenly meffenger published the news in the following terms "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people." The Gofpel was accordingly received by the first converts on the day of Pentecoft, "with gladness and finglenefs of heart." Into whatfoever city or country it came, "there was great joy in that place;" and the joy, we find, was fuch that it raifed it's poffeffors above the world, and triumphed over all afflictions. Of other things they were often despoiled; but "their joy no man took from them." In every fituation and condition they did then what the Apoftle exhorts all Christians to do; they "rejoiced evermore."

Nor can we wonder, that the Gofpel fhould, in it's name and nature, portend joy, when we reflect, that it's end was, to deliver mankind from forrow. Sorrow firft entered into the world, as a neceffary attendant on fin, which filled the minds of men with difquietude and anxiety, their bodies with diseases and pains. The Gospel removes the former by the pardon it holds forth, and enables us cheerfully to bear the latter, by the grace it confers. God therefore reprefents himself in it, as the God of love, and of all confolation." Our Lord calls us to him, that he may "give us reft and refreshment; " that he may "wipe all tears from our eyes; that we may "enter into our Mafter's joy; and that "our joy may be full." For this purpose he has fent us a bleffed Comforter, to abide with us for ever," whofe firft fruits are, love, joy, and peace;" a Spirit, cheerful in himself, and making thofe cheerful, who are partakers of him; cheerful in trouble, cheerful out of trouble; cheerful while they live, cheerful when they die; cheerful in ufing well the bleffings of this life, cheerful in expecting the bleffedness of the next; cheerful through faith, while they believe in the great and precious promifes made to them; cheerful through hope, which depends upon their accomplishment; cheerful through charity, in doing acts of mercy and loving kindnefs; till they come to that land of plenty, where none fhall want; to thofe regions of joy, from. whence forrow fhall be for ever excluded.

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There is no occafion to be more particular upon this topic. It appears evidently, that, whether we confider the name, the nature, or the end of the Gofpel, it's author, it's do&rines, it's duties, or the Spirit which accompanies it; every way, it is a dif penfation of love and peace, confolation and joy. So that a good Chriflian, of all men, has moft caufe to be cheerful. Some have gone fo far as to affirm, that it is impious in fuch an one to be otherwife.

A celebrated writer on the fide of fcepticifm and irreligion, in a book publifhed, fince his death, to recommend Atheism to the world, has been pleased to fay, that all the devout perfons he had ever feen were melancholy. This might very poflibly be; for, in the first place, it is most likely, that he faw very few, his friends

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and acquaintance being of another fort; and, fecondly, the fight of him would make a devout perfon melancholy, at any time.

But it may be faid, How can these things be? Doth not the Gofpel call us to repentance? And is not repentance attended by mourning? Are we not commanded to renounce the world, and to mortify the flesh; to abftain from jollity and pleasure; to deny ourselves, to fast, 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 Gofpel calleth us to repentance; and it is equally true, that repentance is attended by mourn. ing. 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, muft fubmit 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 fenfe of God's returning favour, than ever they did in the commiffion of their fin, which was fure to be followed, if it were not accompanied, by the ftings and terrors of confcience.

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 wholefome, and more truly delightful, may be communicated to us, and relished by us. "Be not drunk with wine," fays the Apoftle; "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 determined by experienced perfons, who have fairly tried both, they tell us, the pleafures 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 do) to the advantage of the Gospel, which resembles a fine country in the spring feason, where the very hedges are in bloom, and every thorn pro. duces a flower. The joys of the world end in forrow; but the forrows of religion terminate in joy. "Bleffed are they that mourn, for they fhall 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 preferve their ufual cheerfulness, even at those seasons, when they are exercising 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 appear unto men to faft. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men

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to faft, but unto thy Father, which is in fecret: and thy Father, which feeth in fecret, shall reward thee openly.”

Such, then, are the motives for cultivating a cheerful difpofition, which reafon dictates to us as men, and religion prefcribes to us as Chriftians. You would wifh perhaps to know, by what means this happy temper may be acquired, and preferved. 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 conftitutional, taking it's rife from fome diftemperature of the blood and juices. This has, perhaps, a fhare in the production and increase of what is called religious, but fhould rather be called irreligious melancholy, much oftener than is generally imagined. That the effect, therefore, may cease, the cause must be removed, and application must be made to the phyfician, 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 things more efpecially are to be avoided by him who would poffefs a cheerful Spirit.

The first of thefe is idleness. The mind of man, being an active and restlefs principle, must have fome matter given it to work upon, or it will turn it's force inward, and prey upon itfelf. 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 subject which occafioned it, by providing for them some other employment. And it is obvious to obferve, that the sedentary and inactive, they who are retired from bufinefs, or they who were never engaged in any, are the perfons that fuffer moft by the incurfions of melancholy, from 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 destroys so many conftitutions, and makes such numbers miserable 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 appointed 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 happinefs confifts in employment, and that to be idle is to be wretched.

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 fhall always find the difcharge of thefe to be one fource of cheerfulnefs, and the confciouinefs of having difcharged them will always furnish us with another. They are pleasant not only in the act, but in the remembrance. They are labours, which will have

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their reward from the hand of our Mafter in heaven. They are labours, which will end in reft eternal, and will make that reft to be sweet indeed. But what title can that man have to cheerfulness, who has done thofe things only which he ought not to have done? Guilt and cheerfulness cannot dwell under the fame roof. It is not fit they fhould. The confequence of guilt unrepented and unexpiated, is the wrath of God. And he on whom the wrath of God abideth, has no reafon to be cheerful. It is folly, it is madness in him to be fo, as it must argue an utter ignorance and infenfibility of his condition. The Pfalmift tells us, that 66 Light is fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the right in heart;" and therefore he adds "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holi nefs.'

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A third thing to be avoided, as capable of for ever excluding cheerfulness from the breaft in which it has fixed it's refidence, is infidelity. Take from man the expectation of another world, and you render him at once the most miferable creature in this, as having, by his fuperior ingenuity, contrived for himself a great variety of racks and tortures, to which all other animals are ftrangers. Prefent cares and prefent calamities would fall heavy upon us indeed, where they not fweetened and alleviated by the profpect of future joys. So delightful did the glimpfe of fuch a profpect appear to the great Roman orator, that he declared, if it were a delufion, he defired and had determined to live and die under it. Who among us could be cheerful, while he entertained the thought either of not being at all after death, which must be the Atheist's lot, if his fyftem be true; or of being for ever miferable, which will be his cafe, if his fyftem fhould be false? On a perfon of this caft it should feem needlefs to inflict any other punishment, than that of leaving him to the horrors of his gloomy imagination, till he feel himself to want those joys and comforts, of which he hath laboured to deprive others.

Upon the whole May it not be queftioned, whether there be not fome degree of infidelity at the bottom of most of that anxiety and difquietude, which is fo much complained of under the fun? For why do we grieve and lament that things are as they are? Why do we murmur and repine at what has happened? Why do we muse and disturb ourselves about what may happen? Is it not all from want of faith? Did we but attend to the inftructions of this heavenly guide, fhe would teach us, that it is God who governs the world; that he governs it in wisdom and righteoufnefs; and that therefore it is but reafonable, we fhould leave the government of it to him; that he who hath fhewed his love towards us in the greateft inftance of all, will not withhold it in others; that he who hath given his Son to die for us, will not deny us any thing which will contribute to our real welfare; and that we may fafely caft all our care upon him, who will make all things in the end work together for good to them that truft in him. Thefe

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