And thirdly, It gives us a more devout and pious, and therefore a better heart.

And Firft, then, Sorrow is better than laughter, because it gives us a more humble, and therefore a better heart.

A very little knowledge of the world will fuffice to convince us, that man, whilft in profperity, is a moft proud and infolent being, a ftranger to the wants of his fellow-creatures, and infenfible of their miferies: whilst he is in the actual enjoyment of the good things of this life, ungratefully forgetting the hand that gave them, and always flattering himfelf that to-morrow will be like to day, and more abundant. As the wife man fays, In the day of prof perity there is no more remembrance of affliction, and in the day of affliction, there is no more re membrance of profperity; that is, there is in man neither wifdom or gratitude, for we often weep when we ought to rejoice, and complain, when we ought to be thankful.

In the warmth of fummer, when the fun enlivens and invigorates all things around us, we can hardly bring ourselves to imagine that there is fuch a time as winter approaching, or that so pleasing a scene can be quickly deformed by storms and tempeft, and rendered an image of barrennefs and horror.-And fo it is with regard to the temporal and tranfitory things of this life: when the body glows with health and vigour, and the mind is elated with joy and fuccefs, penury and misfortune are at fuch a diftance, that we cannot readily form any conception of them; felf-love is ever ready to flatter

and

and deceive us; and because we wish our pleafures fhould be lafting, we haftily and rafhly conclude that they muft be fo.

Happy is it for us then, that the great phyfician of mankind hath prepared a medicine, however unpalatable, for this worst of diftempers, the pride and haughtinefs of the human heart; happy is it for us, that when we are thus on the brink of evil and deftruction, affliction may step in to fave our eyes from tears and our feet from falling, that she may come, like the Cherub from the gate of Eden, to drive us from our visionary Paradife, and fhew us that world which we are doomed to inha, bit, as it really exifts.

But another advantage arifing to us from forrow, is, that it enhances the value of its oppofite. Sorrow is to joy, what vice is to virtue, the best foil to its beauties; the comelinefs of the one is recommended by the defor mity of the other. The heart which hath never groaned under affliction, will not truly enjoy the tranfport of felicity; the man who has never been a flave, is a ftranger to half the joys of freedom; and the warriour who has once been vanquifhed, if the fortune of the day should turn again in his favour, enjoys a double victory.

Another advantage alfo, and that no in confiderable one, is, that as it faves us from pride and infolence, fo doth it fecure us alfo from ridicule and contempt. Human nature has fubjected us to many diftreffes, and the ingenuity of man hath created as many more: where

where the constitution is not subject to diforders, fancy, in weak minds, is ever ready to fupply them; where fortune hath provided against natural wants, humour and caprice can find out artificial ones, infomuch that the whimsical and abfurd fuffer perhaps more from the absence of what they do not ftand in need of, than of what they really want. Here then we again fee the advantage of forrow; for thofe who have felt real misfortunes, will not make to themselves imaginary ones; the lofs of trifles will not afflict him who hath at any time been deprived of a substantial good; and the man who knows what it is to want the neceffaries of life, will not be over anxious for the fuperfluities of it.

But Secondly, Sorrow not only gives us a more meek and humble, but it gives us also a firmer, fteadier, nobler, and therefore a better

heart.

Fortitude is one of the highest virtues which we can acquire; it gives a dignity to human nature, and exalts it almoft to divine. There cannot be a nobler fpectacle, fays the philofopher, nor worthier the fight of God himself, than a brave and virtuous man ftruggling with and fubduing affliction; and on the other hand, there is not a poorer or more contemptible being, than he who bends beneath every blast of fortune, and finks under every disappointment. The man who makes fo little ufe of his facul. ties, is unworthy of them; and he who has no hope or confidence in the gracious providence of God, can have no claim to his protection.

But

But moreover, forrow not only enables us to bear with fortitude our own evils, but induceth us alfo to compaffionate thofe of others. There is a graceful modefty, an amiable condefcending meeknefs, in the behaviour of thofe who have been afflicted, which is feldom to be met with in the bofoin of plenty and profperity. Strangers to pain and forrow are frequently alfo ftrangers to humanity and compaffion; their hearts are callous and infenfible of the fufferings of their fellow-creatures, and they cannot pity what they have never felt: whereas those who have been acquainted with grief, have hearts to feel for the fufferings of others, and hands ready to relieve them.

But to be convinced how neceffary affliction is to render us humane, benevolent and compaffionate towards each other; let us but place before our eyes one of the gay fons of fortune, in all the pride of youth, health, and plenty, looking down on the poor and deftitute with an eye of contempt and infenfibility; because he is above the wants, fancying himself above the duties of life; fcoffing at religion, and defpifing or perhaps difowning his Maker, would one take him for a created, mortal, dependent being. But let fancy change the fcene, let us view this man, perhaps the very next hour, reduced to penury and want, or languishing on a bed of fickness, and obferve the change: he who but a little before would scarce condefcend to talk with the worthieft of his fpecies, is glad to ask the aid and affistance of those whom he defpifed; he can then pity a diftreffed friend,

or

or relieve an indigent neighbour; he is no longer proud, obftinate, or impious, but humane, charitable, patient, and devout; he begins at laft to feel himself a man, and to know that there is a God; that there is a Being far more fuperior to himself than he can poffibly be to the lowest part of the creation. Are not then the tender mercies of God over all his works, and does he not fincerely love thofe fons whom he chaftifeth?

But, Thirdly and Laftly, Affliction is the mother of true piety: forrow gives us not only a more firm and noble, but withal a more devout and pious heart.

Were men to pass through life in an uninterrupted flow of pleasure and profperity, they would perhaps have very little remembrance of Him who made them; but there is a time when every one who believes there is a God will apply to him, and that is, when the help of men is vain. In the hour of affliction men must address themselves to fome invifible power for immediate fupport and redrefs. Even those who deny the Being of a God, will then fue for his protection; and Atheists in affliction, like blind beggars, are forced to afk, though they know not of whom.

Our behaviour towards the Supreme Being is indeed the height of ingratitude and infidelity whilft there are any other means left, we fcorn to feek his aid, or to folicit for his intereft, and never afk a favour of Him, till it has been denied us every where else: our acknowledgment of his power arifes but from the fenfe of our own incapacity; and we seldom have

recourfe