joy does he think on God, his father in heaven; never without joy, does he behold mankind, his children on earth. He rejoices in being a creature, a fubject, a child of the Most High; in living under his inspection and government; in having communion with him; in being guided and conducted by him, and in having him about his path and about his bed, the witnefs of all his ways. He rejoices in all his difpenfations in nature and in religion, in all his works and ways, in all his ordinances and laws; in every trace of his wifdom and goodness that he perceives in himself and others, in heaven and on earth, in the inanimate and the animate creation; in every instance of bounty, in every bleffing that falls to the lct of himself or others; in every ray of light, in every spark of life, in every fource of comfort and folace, every means of improvement, every advance towards improvement that he discovers in himself and others, near him and afar off. He rejoices in all the capacities and powers, all the endowments and aptitudes, all the bodily and mental distinctions, all the beautiful and good, all the virtues and merits, all the advantages and benefits and pleafures, which he finds in fuch great abundance and variety, among mankind, his brethren; and when he thinks on their great difpofitions and their high defignation, when he imagines them all at the goal of perfection and happiness, and fees that all is right and good and unfufceptible of farther correction; then his pleasure rifes to transport, and he en joys joys fomewhat of the felicity of God, who furveyed all that he had made, and behold it was very good. And how bleffed muft not that man be who is animated by fuch love towards God and man, who learns thus to rejoice in God and man, in all that is and all that will be! What a totally different aspect must not the generality of objects thus affume in his fight! How much more lightly and gayly may he not pursue his way, than the wretch, who, blinded and hardened by vice, wanders about, either with an indifferent, unfeeling heart, or even with an envious, fullen, cenforious, murmuring, mifanthropic temper, among the works of God and his nobleft creatures on earth, thinking he perceives on all fides nothing but evil and defect and mifery! To all these primary pleasures which virtue enfures to man, must be added, laftly, the chearing, glorious profpects fhe opens to his view in futurity. To the virtuous man, whofe virtue is founded on religion and piety, neither the nearer nor the remoter futurity is dreadful. He has no anxiety con cerning either the events that await him in the present or in the future life. They are all in the dif pofal of the All-wife and All-bountiful, in the difpofal of his father in heaven, from whom he can expect nothing but good, from whom he must constantly expect the beft. Yes; with this the virtuous man may continually confole himself. As certainly as virtue is not an empty name, as certainly as fhe is a daughter of heaven, and is well-pleafing to him who who dwelleth in heaven: fo certainly is the the way to happiness in every condition of man, in every period of his life, at every stage of his existence. Yes; as furely as there is a Providence that watches and prefides over all, that never takes the bad for good, nor the good for bad: fo furely may I reckon upon the infpection, the patronage, the guidance and direction of the Almighty and fupremely-bountiful, my father in heaven; fo certainly may I be affured that he requires of me nothing impoffible, lays no infupportable affliction upon me, that he will never abandon or neglect me, that he determines and decrees concerning me nothing but good, under whatever form it may appear; that he conducts all things, the evil as well as the good, forrows as well as joys, to my real benefit; that he will infallibly lead me to the mark, to the mark of perfection. As certainly as my spirit is immortal; as certainly as another, a higher life awaits us after death: fo certainly fhall I rejoice for ever in my immortality, fo certainly fhall I be happy in that fuperior life, and there proceed from perfection to perfection; for of this I feel myself capable, thither already at prefent my principal defires and inclinations tend, and the iffue of the way of virtue, on which I walk, can, under the government of an all-wife and all-gracious God, be no other than this. And to know this, my dear brethren, to be affured of this, how completely must it not diveft futurity of all its terrors! What glorious profpects does it there not open to Our our view! And how much must not these profpects alleviate and brighten the path of life to man! What pleasures and joys procure him! Yes; thus it is, my pious hearers. The ways of virtue are ways of pleasantnefs; and all her paths are peace. Virtue is the pureft, the richest fource of pleasure and happiness. From it already have innumerable perfons drawn life and comfort and joy; and ftill daily do thousands and thousands draw thefe bleffings in full measure. Oh be perfuaded of this, my dear brethren, and feek conftantly more and more to certify yourselves of it by your own experience. Venerate and love virtue with all your heart, form yourselves by her dictates, give an exa& and willing obedience to all her precepts: and then I promise you, in her name and in the name of God who recommends her to us, not indeed riches, not fuperfluity, not power and majesty, not grofs carnal voluptuousness; but peace and contentment, but pleasure, folid, diverfified, lafting pleasure, exceeding every other. This you may as furely expect, as furely as you devote to her your love and your service. This you will enjoy in every station, in every stage of outward profperity, in every period of life; and never will this pleasure caufe you fatiety or furfeit, never will it lofe of its charms; never be a hindrance to you in your duty, never injure your fpiritual perfection, never keep you back from attaining to the mark of your high calling, but be ever bringing you nearer to both. Yes; the longer you |