is the distinguishing character of the Christian religion; that it animated both the precepts and the conduct of those who taught it, and was confidered by them as a neceffary concomitant in the performance of every part of our duty.

But the Gospel does not stop here. It not only commands us to be chearful; this it might very eafily do; but what is of ftill more importance, it affists us in becoming so; it affords the best and most effectual helps toward obtaining that happy and satisfied temper, that constant serenity and composure of mind, without which all the wealth and grandeur of the world are infipid and worthless things.

I. The first affiftance of this kind it gives us is, that conftant and enlivening employment which it finds for our thoughts. The human mind, we all know, is restless and active; and if not otherwise engaged, will turn its activity inward, will prey upon and devour itself, and become the destroyer of its own happiness. A very large proportion of the evils which prefs the heaviest upon us, are purely imaginary, are the creation of our own hands, and arise from no other cause than the having nothing else to

do,

do, but to fit down and make ourselves as miferable as we poffibly can. One great means, therefore, of promoting chearfulness is, to keep our thoughts conftantly and ufefully employed. The purfuit of any important and worthy object is in itself enlivening. Every advance we make in it, is a new acceffion of pleasure we feel ourselves animated with a growing delight; and go on with encreafing ardour and alacrity to the attainment of the end we have in view. A fucceflion of worldly pleasures and occupations may, for a time, engage our attention; but that delufion is foon over, and they leave a void behind which nothing can fill up, but thofe great and noble purposes of action which the Gospel presents to our minds: the conqueft of our paffions; the improvement of our nature; the exaltation of our affections; the diffufion of happiness to every human being within our reach; the attainment of God's favour and protection here, and of everlasting glory and happiness hereafter. These are objects worthy of a rational and immortal being; thefe will find ample employment for all the faculties and powers of his mind; and the higher his rank and abilities

are, the more will his duties multiply upon him, and the sphere of his activity enlarge itfelf. Whoever, in fhort, engages in earnest in the Christian warfare, whoever preffes on with zeal and ardour towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jefus, and "forgetting those things that are 66 behind, reaches forth to those that are be"fore," will never find either his attention or his spirits droop. He will be continually animated with new profpects, elated with new acquifitions, rewarded with new triumphs, and will know nothing of that languor and flatness, that gloom and melancholy, which are so apt to feize upon unoccupied minds.

II. Whoever fuffers himself to be brought under the dominion of any malignant paffion, envy, malice, hatred, jealoufy, or revenge, muft, from that moment, bid adieu to peace and chearfulness. These odious tyrants are all moft fatal enemies to our repofe. They throw the mind into a perpetual ferment and agitation; they harrass it with a fucceffion of malevolent fentiments and vindictive defigns; they keep it in a conftant fever of resentment, and allow it no reft. The man poffeffed by thefe

thefe wicked spirits "fleeps not, except he has "done mifchief: his fleep is taken away, "unless he caufe fome to fall *." Every one muft fee, that a state of mind like this must exclude all enjoyment of life; must produce a fullen gloominefs of difpofition, which no ray of chearfulness can penetrate or enliven. When, therefore, Chriftianity exhorts us to put away "all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil-fpeaking, and malice," it prescribes one moft effectual remedy against difquietude and dejection of mind. And when it further recommends, in the room of these paffions, to fubftitute fentiments of mercy, kindness, meeknefs, gentleness, compaffion, brotherly affection, charity; when it commands us to feed the hungry, cloath the naked, vifit the fick, and pour oil into the wounds of the afflicted and diftreffed, it points out to us the moft effectual means, not only to make others happy, but ourselves also.

In fact, true Chriftian charity, in all its extent, is a never-failing fund of pleasure to the foul. The joy resulting from the diffusion of bleffings to all around us, is the purest and

* Prov. iv. 16.

fublimeft

fublimeft that can enter the human mind, and can be conceived only by those who have experienced it. Next to the confolations of divine grace, it is the most sovereign balm to the miferies of life, both in him who is the object of it, and in him who exercises it; and it will not only foothe and tranquillize a troubled spirit, but inspire a conftant flow of good humour, content, and gaiety of heart.

III. Another fource of chearfulness to be found in the Gospel is, that most comfortable doctrine of a particular Providence, which is there fet forth in the clearest and most unequivocal terms. It is impoffible for any thinking man, who fuppofes that the world, and all its affairs, are under no other direction than that of chance and fortune, to enjoy any true and permanent tranquillity of mind. There is fuch a variety of miferies to which human nature is continually expofed, and which no human prudence can either forefee or avert, that, without a firm confidence in fome powerful fuperintendent, who is both able and willing to protect us, we must live under perpetual apprehenfions for ourselves and those who are most dear to us. From this most

painful