SERMON XV. Why many virtuous Perfons enjoy not more Pleasure, GOD, thou hast created us all for happiness, haft rendered us all fufceptible of it, thou calleft us all to the enjoyment of it, thou haft opened to us fources not lefs abundant than various in nature and in religion; and it is our own fault, if notwithstanding we are not happy, if we enjoy not fatisfaction and pleasure, and often break out in complaints under the sentiment of a deficiency in them. Yes, but too frequently we mistake thy parental voice, and hearken not to thy gracious invitations. But too frequently we pass by the pureft and richest fources of pleasure, to seek it there where it is not to be found. But too often we embitter to ourselves those sources by various failings and tranfgreffions, or entirely ftop them by follies and fins. Yes, Lord, thou art righteous, thou haft no pleasure in our mifery and in our forrows; VOL. I. U forrows; but lookest down with parental compla cency on us thy children when we piously and chearfully enjoy thy bounties, and live contented in the enjoyment of them. Devout exultation and innocent and chearful enjoyment is the principal act of gratitude thou requirest of us. Oh that we all constantly believed and acknowledged this! How eafy, how agreeable to us would not then the way of duty and of virtue be! How foon would the most of our complaints be filenced and converted into thankf givings for thy bounties! What progrefs fhould we not at the same time make on the road of perfection and happiness, and how clearly learn to perceive that it is one and the fame way that leads to both! Oh teach us ever better to know the impediments to the chearful enjoyment of a virtuous life, and affift us ever more completely to furmount them. Let our prefent reflections on these fubjects be bleffed to that end, and hearken to our prayer through Jefus Chrift our Lord, in whofe name we farther addrefs thee, faying: Our father, &c. PROV. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. WE E have lately feen, my pious hearers, how various-and great the pleasures are which virtue procures to her followers and friends. They enjoy the consciousness of their innocence and integrity; they perceive and feel that truth and order prevail in their foul, and in the whole of their conduct; have cause to be fatisfied with themselves; may converse frankly and chearfully with their fellowcreatures ; think comfortably and confidently on God; enjoy the fatisfactions of beneficence and general-usefulness; the felicity of love towards God and man; and have the fairest, the most glorious prospects in futurity. As certainly as all these are pure and noble pleasures: so certainly are they grounded in the very nature of virtue; belong of right to every virtuous perfon, as neceffary effects and confequences of it, and cannot well be separated, at least in the abstract from his character and his conduct. However, there are perfons, who cannot but be reckoned virtuous, and yet have either no fhare at all in thofe pleasures, or only enjoy them in inferior degree; perfons who with very good difpofitions, a very U 2 difpofitions, are nevertheless more gloomy than gay, more fad than joyful, and who are heard to complain and lament more than to call themselves happy. How does this agree with the position we have maintained? Is the rule liable to exceptions? Does virtue grant only to fome of her votaries and friends, but not to all, what she promises to beftow upon them? No, my beloved brethren, her nature and qualities are unalterably the fame; her energy, her activity, is uniform; fhe performs what she promises, and is not in fault for any deficiency of pleasure. The reasons, the most various and most forcible reasons for pleafure, are always, are indiffolubly connected with a virtuous and pious life; the richeft sources of it stand perpetually open to the man who diligently pursues fuch a course of life; every thing authorizes him, every thing invites him to draw from these fources, and to derive from them felicity and joy. But, befides that the enjoyment of pleasure, by fuch limited creatures as we are, cannot be always equally vigor. ous and lively, fo, with numbers of otherwise well difpofed perfons, it will be weakened and impeded by many inward and outward causes, which have their foundation, not in virtue, but merely in human weakness and frailty. And on this, my pious hearers, let us at present the more attentively reflect, as we are all fo much concerned in discovering the ob ftacles to our pleasure, and in removing them out of Let us therefore inquire into the causes why the pleasures of virtue are not enjoyed by all our way. virtuous virtuous perfons, and perhaps only by the least part are enjoyed in a high degree and in full measure. Frequently an infirm, a more or lefs difordered ftate of health is the cause that the virtuous man does not lead fo pleasant and chearful a life as it might justly be expected he should; the cause of this weakly and disordered state may moreover lie in the natural frame of the body, or in difaftrous accidents, or in a previous irregularity of conduct. The confequences of which always weaken the fenfibility to pleasure, or disturb and interrupt the enjoyment of it. Not unfrequently thence arife in us a variety of involuntary painful or otherwise disagreeable fenfations, which overbalance the agreeable reprefentations of the mind, or entirely obfcure them. Frequently fuch circumstances confine the exertion of our abili ties, our activity in goodness, and likewise our fatisfaction in fuch works as we have happily completed, in the relief and fervice we may have afforded to others. Virtue may indeed alleviate to us all these troubles and fufferings; fhe can teach us, inafmuch as they are difpenfations of God, to view them in a more agreeable light, she can teach us to make a falutary use of them; but she cannot either entirely remove or reform them. Let this teach you, my pious hearers, the value of health in regard to the nobleft the most exalted pleasures of man; and if you, who now enjoy this benefit, and are still in the flower of your age, if you wish to lead a truly contented and chearful life in the service of virtue, and |