gaged in the Divine Service; and our whole Life will afcend up to Heaven, as a Sacrifice of a fweet-fmelling Savour.

THERE is not a Paffion of the Soul, à Temper of Mind, or Function of Body, which may not be improved into a Duty, and confequently which may not promote our eternal Happiness: And fuch is the Power of the Gospel; that those, which to an irregenerate Man, are only Tempers and Habits, do, by the bleffed Influences of the Holy Spirit upon him who is a new Creature, become Chriftian Virtues and Graces. Faith, Hope and Charity, e.g. fimply confidered in themselves, are the one, an Habit of the Understanding, the other two, Paffions of the Soul: But when refined and exalted under the Gospel, directed to proper Objects, and regulated by Religious Views, they pafs into the three Virtues, which are, by way of Eminence, call'd the Theological Virtues, and make up the three most necessary and Divine Graces of a Chriftian Life.

THU's it is, that Religion does not deftroy Nature, but exalts it; does not alter Mens Faculties, but improves them :

It is even Nature itself cultivated by right
Reafon, restored and purified by Gospel-
Grace. Nature
Nature prompts us to pursue our
Happiness in general; Religion binds it
upon us as a Duty, to pursue that par-
ticular fort of Happiness, which it is Man's
highest Intereft to afpire after: Nature
neceffarily breaks forth into Joy, when
its Pursuits after Happiness meet with Suc-
cefs; Religion commands us to make God
the Object, as of our Happiness, so of
our Joy; Rejoice in the Lord, faith the
Apostle: Nature feems always ready to
fall in with fo delectable a Paffion, but
is much at a lofs for Matter to exercise it
upon; Religion proposes God to us, as a
never-failing Source of fubftantial Re-
joicings: Rejoice in the Lord always,
faith the Apostle, and again, 1 fay, re-
joice.

THIS Precept was given to the Philip-
pians at a Time, when the Church of
God laboured under Perfecution. And
if in the Midft of Dangers and Difficul-
ties, we are commanded to poffefs our
Souls of the calm Compofure of secure
Innocence: If in the Midft of worldly
VOL. I.
E
Cala-

Calamities, it be our Duty to rejoice, and Religion be able to furnish out Matter for our continual Rejoicings; How much more does it become our Duty, how much more ready ought we to be, to exercise this delightful Paffion, when fuch Trials and Calamities are removed far from us; when no other Difficulties and Afflictions fall upon us, than what are common to

Man?

IT fhall be the Bufinefs of this Difcourfe, to fet forth and inculcate the Precept now before us, by confidering,

I. WHAT that Rejoicing in the Lord
is, which we are here commanded
to exercise.

II. THE Duty and Advantages of it:
And,

III. THE Means of rendering us capa-
ble of performing it.

1. THEN let us confider, what that Rejoicing in the Lord is, which we are here commanded to exercise.

IT is the being of a regular Evennefs of Tempera chearful Frame of Spirit ; a fet

a fettled Complaifancy of Mind; The finding Comfort, and taking Delight in every Condition of Life; The looking up to God with the Gratitude of Praise and Thanksgiving for every Difpenfation of his Providence; The making the Satisfactions of Religion our chief Delight, and applying all the various Occurrences of human Life, to our prefent Comfort and future Welfare.

THUS then, Religious Joy is not a tranfient Exertion of that Paffion, but an habitual Chearfulness of Mind; It does not bubble up in the flashy Transports of Mirth, but smooths over Life with a conftant Serenity: Not that Religion is without its Transports, it even abounds with them; Vigorous and Pious Contemplations on the Divine Perfections and the Joys of Eternity, will raife in us Ecftafies of Delight: And this Difference will always be found between worldly and religious Transports; The former naturally fall off into Dejection and Melancholy; But Acts of Religious Tranfports, fupply fresh Springs of Comfort and Satiffaction to us, and make the Streams of

our habitual Rejoicings flow on more clearly, more strongly, more copioufly.

IT muft indeed be confeffed, that this World is a Place, as of imperfect Happiness, so of imperfect Joy: The most ferene and calm Condition of Life, meets with the gloomy and ruffling Storms of many Afflictions; and it is impoffible in the Midft of outward Uneafinefs, to preferve a perfect Compofure within. But we shall come up to this Precept of rejoicing always; when our Joy is fubftantial, tho' not compleat; when it is predominant, tho' not unallay'd: When none of the Storms of Life are raised within our own Breafts; none of them fuffered to rage and grow tumultuous there: When the Soul has a controuling Power, in frequently preventing those Disorders which might otherwise arise there, in leffening and becalming those that do: When Religion affords us certain Pleafures; This World only accidental ones; to be received with thankful Indifference, to be parted from with chearful Refignation: When we are easy and contented, though not equally fo, under

outward