our duty towards God, according to the true sense and spirit of chriftianity, will be of fome importance.

THERE is an uncommon propenfity in the human mind to confider religion in a gloomy and fuperftitious light. Many think its duties irksome, and its restraints painful and oppreffive. The few, therefore, that practise it confcientiously on these terms, from a conviction of its truth, think it meritorious to live in direct oppofition to the dictates of nature. Their characters are often marked with defpondency and grief. A mixture of folemn reserve, and gloomy fatisfaction, seems to pervade their whole system of life. They are perfuaded that chriftianity requires a continual mortification of every wish, and every defire that tends to enjoyment, however rational it may feem, or confiftent with innocence. If it relate to the mind, they term it, vanity; if it concern the body, they deem it finful. This wretched abuse of heaven's indulgent bounty

to

to man, has served to corrupt the purity of religion and injure its interests more than any other cause. It has frightened many from its duties, and deterred others from examining its doctrines. It has made some enthusiasts, and more, perhaps, hypocrites. Hence originated the ridiculous customs of flagellation, perpetual vows of celibacy, the confinements of the cloifter, and other monaftic fuperstitions.

THESE, it is true, are evils that are removed at a distance from us; but the cause that produced them is general, though the effects are various. Look abroad into the world, and though you might not here meet monks and friars, confeffors and professional devotees; yet you will fometimes fee a moroseness of disposition, and a folemnity of deportment, substituted for the practice of virtue; and often find the visions of a difordered imagination, with a stedfast melancholy and 100ted defpondency, mistaken for the duties

of

of piety and the exercises of a devotional fpirit.

Bur so far is the religion of Chrift from encouraging such difpofitions, and fo far is it from tending to oppress the mind of a good man, that it ought to be his chief fource of happiness. Rationally cultivated, and duly practised, it gives an additional relish to every enjoyment that virtue and innocence allow; and inftead of increasing the calamities of life, ferves most effectually to moderate their violence, by " setting the affections of "the heart on things above." Even at the birth of our blessed Lord and Saviour, when the heavenly hoft fung

glory to God in the highest, and on "earth PEACE;" they closed their doxology, you may remember, with "GOODWILL to man." Previous to the Meffiah's entering on his divine ministry, he tells us, in the words of the prophet, that he was fent to heal the broken-hearted;" and the spirit of the gospel throughout fpeaks

speaks comfort and confolation to all that receive the word of God. In his last instructions to his few faithful followers, he obferves, " these things have I spoken

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unto you, that my joy might remain " in you, and that your joy might be "full." If you examine the epiftles of St. Paul and the other apostles, you will find that a degree of inexpreffible comfort, joy, and fatisfaction, pervades the whole. Very different indeed from the trifling pleasures of this world; pleasures, like the

living waters" in the gospel, "springing up into everlasting life; pleasures that resulted from a confcious discharge of duty, and a full perfuafion, that in every difficulty and danger, they were under the guardian care of providence; pleasures of a serious and compofed nature, such as pious contemplation on the grandest subjects that ever interested the human mind, afforded, a confcience void of offence," and an habitual intercourse with heaven.

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INSTEAD,

INSTEAD, therefore, of confidering religion as a painful and irksome task, we ought to hunger and thirst after that righteousness which it inculcates, and it fhould be our meat and drink to do the will of God. The calls of chriftianity, inftead of being thought grievous, will be found, when thoroughly understood, to be the noblest privilege of man. What, indeed, can give us so exalted an idea of our nature, as the confideration that we are in a condition of approaching still nearer and nearer to perfection, and are the peculiar objects of divine care! There is no other creature, as far as we can perceive, amidst the infinite variety of creation, that has the leaft idea of its Maker, or that can be a proper object either of future punishment or reward. But man is invited into the arms of divine mercy; gracioufly called to afsociate with angels, and "the spirits of just men made perfect;" and that, not on the wretched terms of leading a life of misery and brooding care; but on condition that he embraces