bit of the mind. Mirth is fhort and tranfient, chearfulness fixed and permanent. Those are often raised into the greatest transports of mirth, who are fubject to the greatest depreffions of melancholy. On the contrary, chearfulness, though it does not give the mind fuch an exquifite gladness, prevents us from falling into the depths of forrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, which breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; chearfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a fteady and perpetual ferenity.

Men of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and diffolute for a state of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart, which is inconfiftent with a life every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers. Writers of this complexion have obferved, that the facred person who was the great pattern of perfection, was never seen to laugh.

Chearfulness of mind is not liable to any of these exceptions; it is of a serious and composed nature ; it does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the present state of humanity; and is very confpicuous in the character of those who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the heathens, as well as among those who have been deservedly esteemed as faints and holy men among christians.

If we confider chearfulness in three lights, with regard to ourselves, to those we converfe with, and to the great Author of our being, it will not a little re

commend

commend itself on each of thofe accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind, is not only cafy in his thoughts, but a perfect master of all the powers and faculties of the foul; his imagination is clear, and his judgment undisturbed: his temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in folitude. He comes with a relish to all thofe goods which nature has provided for him, tastes all the pleasures of the creation which are poured forth about him, and does not feel the full weight of those accidental evils which may befal him.

If we confider him in relation to the perfons with whom he converfes, it naturally produces love and good will towards him. A chearful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himfelf pleafed, he does not know why, with the chearfulnefs of his companion: it is like a fudden funfhine that awakens mind without attending to it. its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendfhip and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kind an effect upon it.

a fecret delight in the The heart rejoices of

When I confider this chearful ftate of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a conftant habitual gratitude to the great Author of nature. An inward chearfulnefs is an implicit praife and thankfgiving to Providence, under its difpenfations. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the estate wherein we are

placed, and a fecret approbation of the divine will in his conduct towards men.

There are but two things, which, in my opinion, can reasonably deprive us of this chearfulness of heart. The first of these is the fenfe of guilt. A man who lives in a state of vice and impenitence, can have no title to that evennefs and tranquillity of mind, which is the health of the foul. Chearfulnefs in an ill man deserves a harder name than language can furnish us with, and is many degrees beyond what we commonly call folly and inadness.

Atheism, by which I mean a disbelief of the Supreme Being, and confequently of a future ftate, under whatfoever title it shelters itself, may likewife very reasonably deprive a man of this chearfulness of temper. There is fomething fo particularly gloomy and offenfive to human nature in the prospect of non-existence, that I cannot but wonder, with many excellent writers, how it is poffible for a man to out-live the expectation of it. For my own part, I think the being of a God fo little to be doubted, that it is almost the only truth we are fure of; and fuch a truth as we meet with in every object, in every occurrence, and in every thought. If we look into the character of this tribe of infidels, we generally find they are made up of pride, spleen, and cavil: it is indeed no wonder that men, who are uneafy to themselves, fhould be fo to the reft

of the world.

The vicious man and atheist have therefore no pretence to chearfulness, and would act very unreasonably fhould they endeavour at it.

After

After having mentioned these two great principles which are deftructive of chearfulness in their own nature, as well as in right reason, I cannot think of any other, that ought to banish this happy temper from a virtuous mind. Pain and fickness, fhame and reproach, poverty and old age, nay death itself, confidering the shortnefs of their duration, and the advantage we may reap from them, do not deserve the name of evils. The toffing of a tempeft does not difcompose him who is fure it will bring him to a joyful harbour.

The confideration of that Being on whom we have our dependence, and in whom we fee every thing that we can imagine as great, glorious or amiable, is a fource of chearfulness to a good mind. We find ourfelyes every where upheld by his goodness, and furrounded with an immenfity of love and mercy. We depend upon a Being, whose power qualifies him to make us happy by an infinity of means, whofe goodnefs and truth engage him to make those happy who defire it of him, and whofe unchangeablenefs will fecure us in this happiness to all eternity.

Such confiderations, which every one fhould perpetually cherish in his thoughts, will banish from us all that fecret heaviness of heart, which unthinking men are fubject to, when they lie under no real affliction; all that anguifh which we may feel from any evil that actually oppreffes us; to which I may likewife add, those little cracklings of mirth and folly that are apter to betray virtue than fupport it; and eftablish in us

fuch an even and chearful temper, as makes us pleafing to ourfelves, to thofe with whom we converfe, and to him whom we are made to please.”

May this happy temper be cultivated by us, and this advantage among many others will be fure to follow, we fhall not be foon angry.

I fhall now put a period to this eflay, humbly fubmitting it to the candor of the public. I wish it may in any degree answer the expectations of my friends, who have been fo kind as to favour its publication with their encouragement. May the God of love and peace feal inftruction to all our hearts, and render this feeble effort to promote his glory in the prefent and everlasting welfare of his creatures, happily conducive to the answering of the defired end! May we, by putting on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and learning of him to be meek and lowly in heart, be formed to a meetnefs for, and finally by his faving mercy be brought to the poffeffion of, the regions of perfect peace and purity, where friendship, harmony and love flourish and reign through immortal ages! Amen.