to them, in what ways they must manifest this confidence, and assigns important reasons to enforce the duty. These directions and reasons, as suggested by the text, will be unfolded to your view, in order.

I. The manifestation of a righteous man's confidence in the moral government of God, as directed by the wise man, does not consist in a slothful indifference to the events of providence, or in the absence of sensibility, either as it respects pleasure or pain.

Man was formed for activity, and endowed with feeling. His nature, his make, his faculties, are all social. Religion does not counteract or destroy this social constitution, but gives a proper direction to its exercise. We are situated in a wide world, dependent on others as well as on ourselves. To obtain necessary comforts and allowable enjoyments, we must labour. To fulfil the design of our creation, we must also rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Sensibility is as necessary to our wellbeing as activity. As without activity, we would suffer, if not perish, so without sensibility we would sink to the level of the beasts.

Hence you find, that the wise man enjoins cheerfulness of heart in the performance of personal duty, and a participation with others in lawful enjoyments; whilst, at the same time, he exhorts to earnestness and diligence in all that our hands find to do.

1. The first direction he gives to a believer to manifest his confidence in the government of God, is this, "Go thy way; "eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy "wine with a merry heart."

Under the terms bread and wine, are included those necessaries and conveniences which support and enliven animal life. By directing the one to be eaten with joy, and the other to be drank with a merry heart, the wise man clearly intended that these necessaries and conveniences should be acquired honestly and reputably.

Every man ought to be engaged in some lawful calling. No calling, if it be lawful, is disreputable. The sober and useful mechanic, is as honourable in his employment, as a professional man; and infinitely more so than he who, without any employment, scatters the poison of slothfulness throughout society. No man lives for himself alone.

He lives also for his friends, his family, the community to which he belongs, and God who made him. All these have therefore a claim upon his exertions. They have a right to demand from him the exercise of a lawful employment, that is, of an employment which, whilst it is calculated to promote human happiness, directly or indirectly, does directly or indirectly promote the glory of God. Employments which do not answer these purposes are unlawful, and therefore condemnable. They operate as so many drains to exhaust the coffers of society, to prevent the support of the poor, and the comfort of the unfortunate. If every man was to give what he ought in honour and conscience to these objects, he would have no superfluous means to cast away on useless characters, who only minister fuel to the fire of unhallowed passions. These characters do not " eat their bread with joy,

or drink their wine with a merry heart.” They consume their gain in feasting and rioting; in pampering their appetites, or otherwise gratifying their vices. Can joy or a merry heart consist with all this conduct? The excesses of these persons ex

hilarate their spirits; but as the delirium of a fever, when over, leaves the patient weaker than he was before; so these excesses, when their immediate effects are over, leave the subject a prey to lassitude, which nothing but the same excesses will remove. Real joy and a merry heart are more steady; more durable; more dignified.

The labourer who has toiled all day in his occupation, on his return home at night, sits down with his family to taste God's bounties. They are bounties which he has obtained by his exertions. What though his frame be wearied, yet he eats his bread with joy. His heart is light; for honesty abides in it. Industry has provided his repast, and it is sweet. He is repaid by the hearty welcome of his family.

Industry is absolutely necessary for a merry heart. A continued round of indolent enjoyments, not merely weakens the body, but destroys liveliness of spirits. Pleasures obtained at the expense of honesty or reputation, give a mortal blow to our happiness. The stage players, the gambler, the usurer, the parasite, and all other 33

VOL. I.

persons who minister to the lusts of others, or prey upon their vices, cannot eat their bread with joy, or drink their wine with a merry heart. heart. They labour indeed, but they labour disreputably. Who that regards his moral character, would willingly degrade himself to a level with any of the abovementioned descriptions of persons?

But it is not merely industry in a lawful calling, which the wise man inculcates in this place; it is also temperance in eating bread and in drinking wine. A moderate use of the necessaries and comforts of life is indispensable to real happiness. The abuse of these blessings engenders bodily disease and spiritual misery. And yet nothing is more common for sinful man than to abuse God's bounty. "Hast thou found honey?" says the wise man, "as is sufficient for thee, lest

"eat so much

thou be filled

"therewith, and vomit it." This is an excellent precept, which in a striking manner inculcates moderation in our participation of God's bounty. We need not go far, to find out the propriety and necessity of this precept. "Who hath wo? who hath

e Prov. xxv. 16.