247 SERMON XIII. I THESS. V. 16, Rejoice evermore. HIS fhort precept of the holy SERM: apostle is of fo fweet and amiable TH a nature, that one would almoft be induced to think there was no neceffity of any arguments to recommend, or any authority to enforce it: a command to love ourselves, to be eafy and happy, to promote our own comforts and fatisfaction, feems indeed fuperfluous; and yet experience will convince us, that this easy injunction is feldom obeyed. St. Paul most certainly did not mean by the words of my text, that we should rejoice XIII. XIII. SERM. at all times and in all places, at the expence of our innocence and virtue; that we fhould rejoice with the profligate and the epicure; he did not mean that we should be always in a fashionable round of worldly pleafures, in idle fcenes. of noify and outrageous mirth, in chambering and wantonnefs, in riot and debauchery; in fuch laughter, (or at least foon after it) the heart is forrowful, and the end of fuch mirth is heaviness: this is that kind of false joy, which in the language of Solomon, like the crackling of thorns, burns for a little time with great fury, but very foon dieth away, and is no more. We cannot rejoice evermore, in things of fo vain and tranfitory a nature, which are of no value, nor of no continuance, But this we all may, this we ought to do, and this the apostle meant to enjoin us: XIII. us: In whatever state of life we are, there- SERM, with to be content, To be grateful in our acknowledgments of thofe mercies which are bestowed upon us, to enjoy and to praife God for them, to fhew a pleasure and satisfaction in ferving fo good and so gracious a mafter, to obey his commands with chearfulness and alacrity, to come before his prefence with thanksgiving, and fhew ourselves glad in him. Nothing can doubtless be more prejudicial to religion, or more highly injurious to the great author of it, than to fuppofe it four and melancholy; that it should enjoin forrow, and make felf-affliction the best of our obedience. Religion, on the contrary, is the fource of all true joy, the foundation of all happiness, gracioufly imparted to mankind to footh his griefs, foften his calamities, and administer comfort and confolation to him in every ftation and circumstance, and which only çan |