the Powers of the Soul, renders it lifelefs and unactive; and the Spirit of Devotion is quite loft, in the midst of anxious and defponding Cares. God, who is the Chief, the Sum of our Happiness, is to be addressed and enjoyed with Vigour; but Chearfulness of Mind can alone infpire that Vigour: Religious Joy muft enliven and actuate the whole Man; muft lift up the Hands which hang down, and Strengthen the feeble Knees; muft enflame the Heart with Sentiments of fincere Gratitude, and fill the Mouth with Songs of devout Praise. A fettled Complaifancy of Mind, draws us nearer to God, by making our Affections towards Him more intense, our Dependance upon His Providence more entire, our Converses with Him more vigorous and delightful. Chearfulness engages us to encounter and go through all the Difficulties of our Duty; gives us the trueft Relifh of the Almighty's Mercies, the highest Sense of our Obligations towards Him; and renders His Service eafy and pleasant to us, by putting it upon the ingenuous Foot of Gratitude and Love: It reprefents God to us,

under

under the brightest Characters of whatever is amiable and excellent; Religion under thofe, of folid Truth and divine Purity; and the Joys of Heaven, under the most elevated Conceptions of Blifs and Glory By this Means it renders our Love of God entire and fervent; our Practice of Virtue fincere and regular; our Afpirations after Eternity, vigorous and perfevering: In fhort, it makes our whole Life, one continued Act of Praise and Thanksgiving, which the Almighty is pleased to esteem the highest Inftance of Devotion, fuch as He will moft graciously accept. Whofo offereth me Thanks and Praife, faith the Lord, he honoureth Me.

2. THIS Evennefs of Temper makes us much more happy and easy in this Life; more happy with Respect to ourfelves, more eafy with Respect to our Neighbour.

ABUNDANCE of worldly Happiness and Mifery depends chiefly upon Imagination; The Objects which create them, come upon us with Indifference, and afford either Satisfaction or Uneafiness, ac

cording

cording to the Reception they meet with. Now a chearful Frame of Spirit, gives an agreeable Turn of Pleasantnefs to all Objects that come in its Way: It is ever attended with Clearness of Judgment, and Liveliness of Fancy; fo that it diftinguishes between what is able to afford Pleasure, what not; and chooses or rejects accordingly. It improves all our Enjoyments, it allays and fweetens all our Afflictions; We are thereby enrich'd with a fettled Peace within, and suffer nothing, in Comparison, by Calamities from without.

THE Man of a melancholy Caft of Mind, by being uneafy within himself, becomes troublesome and uneafy to others; He is jealous and fufpicious; follicitous for he knows not what, difpleafed he knows not why: This makes his Behaviour referv'd, his Conversation defigning, ready to mifinterpret every Word, to refent every Action. This Behaviour calls for Shynefs and Indifference from others; hence arifeth fresh Matter of Jealoufy and Refentment; Affronts and Injuries enfue, and Melancholy turns in

to

to downright Uncharitableness. But the chearful Man, naturally overflows in Streams of Good-nature; He does not reserve his Happiness to himfelf; He communicates it to others; and, like the Sun, diffuses round about him, a delightful Scene of Joy and Gladness, to all he converfes with. Love is in all his Thoughts, Meekness in all his Words, Kindness in all his Actions: This provokes others to like Love, and makes Good-will circulate briskly among Men. The Chearfulness of our very Looks hath a benign Influence upon the Peace and Harmony of the World; and it is a Duty we owe to Mankind, as well as ourselves, to be as far as poffible removed from inward Difquietudes, and outward Moroseness: Thus then Religion paffes into common Life, and in the Complacency of an even Temper, an excellent Foundation is laid for Chriftian Charity; It not only fweetens, it even sanctifies our whole Conversation, and, as we come now in the Third Place to confider, it tunes and harmonizes our Souls for Heaven.

Our

OUR Souls will not be changed upon our Entrance into another Life, but only heighten'd and improved thereby; and what Room can be found for Sullennefs and Dejection admidft those blissful Objects of Eternity? We muft rejoice in the Riches of God's Grace, before we can be admitted to rejoice in thofe of his Glory; In order to make the Joy of Fruition our Reward hereafter, the Joy of Hope is our Duty here: This Habit therefore of religious Rejoicing, is a proper Preparative for our future Happiness, inafmuch as it gives us an Antepaft of Heaven itself; as large and vigorous a Perception of thofe Spiritual Delights as our present Faculties are capable of receiving; and by conftant Exercise enlarges that Paffion of the Soul, which will be blissfully employ'd to all Eternity. From confidering the Duty and Advantages of this habitual Chearfulness of Mind, pafs we now to confider, in the Third and last Place, the Means of attaining it; and these principally are,

I. THE