a fettled Complaifancy of Mind; The finding Comfort, and taking Delight in every Condition of Life; The looking up to God with the Gratitude of Praise and Thanksgiving for every Difpenfation of his Providence; The making the Satisfactions of Religion our chief Delight, and applying all the various Occurrences of human Life, to our prefent Comfort and future Welfare.

THUS then, Religious Joy is not a tranfient Exertion of that Paffion, but an habitual Chearfulness of Mind; It does not bubble up in the flashy Transports of Mirth, but fmooths over Life with a conftant Serenity: Not that Religion is without its Transports, it even abounds with them; Vigorous and Pious Contemplations on the Divine Perfections and the Joys of Eternity, will raise in us Ecftafies of Delight: And this Difference will always be found between worldly and religious Transports; The former naturally fall off into Dejection and Melancholy; But Acts of Religious Transports, fupply fresh Springs of Comfort and Satiffaction to us, and make the Streams of E 2

Our

our habitual Rejoicings flow on more clearly, more strongly, more copiously.

IT muft indeed be confeffed, that this World is a Place, as of imperfect Happiness, fo of imperfect Joy: The most ferene and calm Condition of Life, meets with the gloomy and ruffling Storms of many Afflictions; and it is impoffible in the Midft of outward Uneafiness, to preserve a perfect Compofure within. But we shall come up to this Precept of rejoicing always; when our Joy is fubftantial, tho' not compleat; when it is predominant, tho' not unallay'd: When none of the Storms of Life are raised within our own Breafts; none of them fuffered to rage and grow tumultuous there: When the Soul has a controuling Power, in frequently preventing those Disorders which might otherwise arise there, in leffening and becalming those that do: When Religion affords us certain Pleasures; This World only accidental ones; to be received with thankful Indifference, to be parted from with chearful Refignation: When we are easy and contented, though not equally fo, under

outward

outward Bleffings and Calamities: When the Severity of our compofed Judgment, can curb the Petulancies of wanton Mirth, and the lively Ideas of our Imagination, can feast even our Reafon with Jubilee and Delight: When we efteem God to be our God, our Hope, our Dependance, our Happiness under all Circumftances, and blefs and adore Him under all: When, thro' the Affiftance of his Grace, we are able to abound with Satisfaction, to be in Want with Contentment; to enjoy the good Things of this Life with Thankfulnefs, to fuffer its evil Things with Patience: When this is our Cafe, then may we be truly faid to fatisfy the Precept now before us; This is that rejoicing in the Lord always, which we are here commanded to exercise.

BUT in treating upon this Head, Complexion is very much to be confidered; and this Duty, tho' neceffary for all, is not equally easy to all, nor in fo high a Degree practicable by all: The natural Tenderness of fome Conftitutions, bends under every Weight of Affliction; The Timorousness of their Temper fills their E 3 Minds

Minds with Fears of Calamities which are not, and doubles the Preffure of those, which are Others, on the contrary, are bleffed with Abundance of innate Vigour, as tho' Nature had defigned them to outmatch Adverfity, and to rife fuperior to every worldly Suffering: Religion is in both Cafes neceffary to ftrengthen and fupport the former, and at least to correct and improve the latter. A Man, through Hardinefs of Nature may be brought to laugh in the midst of Diftrelfes; yet fuch his Laughter may be Madnefs and Folly; his Heart may not chear him after a godly Sort; He may not rejoice in the Lord. The Application of religious Comforts in this latter Cafe, is indeed the easier Task; but in the former, it is far from being impoffible : Christianity does not only improve natural Strength, it fupplies for it; Grace will fupport us above, and even against Nature: Let the Streams of worldly Afflictions be open'd upon us in never fo large and forcible a Current; the Springs of religious Joy will be continually bubbling up for our Refreshment: Piety will

be

be to us, having nothing, as tho' we poffefs'd all Things; and when all other Succours fail us, we may ftill rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of our Salvation.

PROCEED We now in the Second Place to confider the Duty and Advantages of fuch our Rejoicing: The Duty and Advantages, because the Duty will beft appear from confidering the Advantages of it, and they may be comprized under the Three following Articles.

I. It enables us to go through our religious Performances in a much more advantageous and acceptableManner. II. IT makes us much more happy and eafy in this Life.

III. IT tunes and harmonizes our Souls for Heaven.

1. THEN the habitual Chearfulness of religious Joy enables us to go through our religious Performances in a much more advantageous and acceptable Manner.

IT is the Free-will Offering of the Heart which God requires at our Hands ; but Gloominess of Thought, damps all

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the