Happiness. But in Order that fuch our Dependance may be well grounded, we muft in the

2d Place be careful to preserve a good Confcience through the regular Discharge of our Duty.

CHEARFULNESS is the regular Attendant upon Innocence; Virtue and Joy do naturally fubfift together; Guilt is dark and gloomy, filling the Soul with all the dreadful Apprehenfions of whatever is odious and miferable. God, who is the Foundation of all folid Comfort, is here rejected, and all Pretenfions to the favourable Regard of his Providence, are given up; and without God, Chearfulnefs would be utter Folly, Laughter direct Madness. The Joy of a wicked Man, is as the Crackling of Thorns in the Fire bowever it may blaze for a Time, it foon evaporates into Smoak, and is at best but noify Vanity; in the midst of fuch Laughter the Heart is forrowful, and the End of fuch Mirth is Heaviness.

BUT the Joy of a good Confcience is a continual Feaft; The calm Compofure of fecure Innocence, the pleasurable Sense

of virtuous and religious Actions, fill the Heart with Complaifancy, enlarge and replenish the Soul with Satisfaction. The Applaufes of a felf-approving Mind are always enlivening and refreshing; Virtue knows no Tumults and Disorders; It gives us a grateful Reflection upon whatever is past, a peaceful Enjoyment of whatever is prefent, a delightful Profpect of whatever is to come; It fwallows up all our Cares, and Fears, and Doubts in Love and Faith, and a glorious Affurance of an happy Eternity.

BUT in fpeaking to this Head we must not omit the great Duty, as well as Expedience of an uniform and fervent Habit of Devotion. Fervent Intercourses with the Almighty in Prayer and Meditation, make the Brightness of the Divine Perfections familiar to us, give us all the blissful Perceptions of pure and compleat Enjoyments, and fhed an enlivening Tincture of Heavenly Satisfaction over every Part of our Lives: Devotion enlarges the Soul, and enriches it with with every Divine Bleffing; It opens upon us thofe Rivers of Pleasure which are

at

at God's Right-Hand, and replenishes our most outstretch'd Defires with Raptures of Delight, which cannot be uttered. The Uniformity of fuch our Devotion will make thofe Pleasures perpetual to us, the Fervency of fuch our Devotion, will make them tranfcendantly delightful. A Mind thus piously affected, and zealously employ'd, can never be at a lofs for Matter of Joy and Tranfport, admidst those ennobling and engaging Acts of Praise and Adoration, whereby it is ever approaching the Divine Being, and communicates with him in his Happiness. These blissful Outgoings of the Soul towards God, will make Life one continued Scene of Pleasure, so that to attain the Spirit of true Devotion is the moft compendious Way of becoming happy; for whofoever thus converses continually with the Lord muft neceffarily fall in with the Precept in the Text, of rejoicing in the Lord always.

3dly and lastly, THE applying ourfelves to commendable and innocent Employments, is proposed as another proper Means of attaining this habitual Chearfulness of Temper.

VOL. I.

F

THE

THE State of the Mind depends wonderfully upon that of the Body, a fprightly Flow of Spirits will naturally break forth into a pleasing Gaiety of Soul, and a fluggish Inactivity of Blood, will benumb the Mind with Hebitude and Melancholy. Idlenefs and Indolence overcharge the Body with grofs Humours, and opprefs the Mind with Loads of Discontent. Industry quickens and enlivens; Activity of Body, warms and exhilerates the Soul. Accordingly the Business and Amusements of Life, ferve to employ and recreate Mankind, to fill up their Time, at leaft innocently, and dispose them for the better Performance of Religious Duties, by exercifing their Bodies in what is wholefome, their Minds in what is agreeable. Thus it is, that our Callings, however laborious, are not imposed on us as Hardships, they are really Bleffings; and thofe Perfons whose Circumftances fet them above pursuing the Fatigues of Business, are obliged to fupply that Defect by the Fatigues of

Exercise.

AGAIN, we ought to apply ourselves to fuch moderate and innocent Diverfions,

as may keep both our Minds and Bodies in a right Frame of Vigour and Complacency. God did not place us here, to tantalize us with the bare Sight of worldly Blessings; as He has given us all things richly to poffefs, fo likewife comfortably to enjoy. The Earth brings forth Briars and Thorns, and is therefore not a Place of compleat Happiness; but it likewife brings forth Corn, and Wine, and Oil, that they may ftrengthen and gladden Man's Heart, and make him a chearful Countenance; and we may apply thefe Gifts of God to their intended Purposes, with Pleasure and Advantage. This Way of conceiving, enlarges our Views with respect to outward Enjoyments; they hereby do not reft in the outward Man, they administer to the Spiritual Happiness of the inner Man. But after all, what is mentioned upon this Head is chiefly prudential; thefe Circumftances having only a more remote Influence upon the Mind, by immediately affecting the Body, they have not a fpiritual, they have a natural Connection only, with the Precept now before us; VOL. I. F 2

however,