The fatisfactions that are derived from this fource to a good man, may be estimated by comparing them with the inquietudes that spring from bitter and uncharitable pasfions. Pride, envy, malice, suspicion, torment the bosom in which they dwell. Jealoufies, rivalships, ardent competitions difturb that ferenity of mind fo effential to happiness. Slanders, difcords and mutual injuries poifon individual comfort, and tend to rent fociety to pieces. If violent and malevolent tempers could attain all for which they contend, and most successfully depress a rival, or revenge an injury, their fatisfactions would be infinitely overballanced by their pains. Turbid and dark, at beft, they refemble the malignant joys of infernal fpirits.

As a good man enjoys greater felicity than others from the predominance of humane and gentle difpofitions in his own breaft, he likewife fuffers lefs than the wrathful and resentful, from the injuftice and the flanders which the envy or the malice of the world may aim against him.

They, by a rancour that envenoms the heart, by the boiling fury of their rage, or by violent

projects of vengeance, pierce their own bofoms with deeper wounds than their enemies had it in their power to inflict. He, by an equanimity of temper, and dignity of fentiment, the fruit of confcious virtue, preferves a compofed and unruffled mind. He dwells above the clouds and ftorms of the paffions that afflict the inferior world, and enjoys a ferene fky. Even calumny the cruel difturber of fociety can hardly difcompofe his fettled tranquility. Secure in his own innocence, he can calmly leave to time and providence his vindication. Nay, enabled, by divine grace, to pity and forgive his enemies, he enjoys, in this heavenly dif pofition, a fweeter fatisfaction than he could derive from the most successful plans of

vengeance.

III. Religion is favorable to human happinefs by the ferenity and peace which it introduces into the breaft.

It frees the foul from the misrule of those turbulent and excellive paffions that agitate the world with a continual tempeft. The heart thrown into tumult by ambition, avarice, luft, or rage, knows no reft. Even the

attainment of its object ferves only to inflame it with new defires, or to corrode it with new cares. "The wicked are like the troubled fea when it cannot reft, whose waters caft up mire and dirt-there is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked."*---Many of the ancient schools of philosophy teaching that these painful folicitudes were neceffarily attached to the nature of the paffions, it was the aim of their wife man to be without paffions, in order that he might enjoy within himself, a conftant and unruffled calm. His temper became by this means auflere and unamiable. If he was not moved by the interefts of the world, he was often negligent of its decencies—if he was not difcompofed by the injuries of men, he took no fhare alfo in their fympathetic pleasures. Religion affects not that phlegmatic, or that four temper. But, while it gives to the affections that moderate indulgence which nature, by implanting them in the breaft, intended they fhould have, and which is requifite, both to pleasure, and utility, it tempers their ardor, directs their force to lawful objects, and renders them obedient to the authority of reason. Hence

*Ifaiah lvii. 20, 21.

arifes that sweet composure and ferenity of mind, fo neceffary to our happiness, and equally removed from the uneafy ftorms of paffion, and an indolent infipidity of character. Solomon, who had thoroughly tried the intemperate pleafures of vice, and the tranquil enjoyments of piety, gives his decided teftimony in favor of the latter.— "The ways of wifdom are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace."*

But what I have chiefly in view in speaking of the peace that fprings from religion, is that which arifes from the untroubled and

felf-approving conscience.

Among the highest fatisfactions of the mind, are the confcioufnefs of innocence, and reflection on a well spent life. Vice, indeed, often appears dreffed in fmiles, and wears the face of happiness--but a worm within fecretly corrodes and cankers its peace. "Like the crackling of thorns under a pot fo is the laughter of a fool." The blaze is foon extinguished and all that follows is difappointment and fhame. The

Proverbs iii. 17.

finner cannot look into his own breaft for that clear and living fountain of joy that continually refreshes the foul of a good man with its pure ftreams. When he attempts to turn his view inward he difcerns nothing but crimes and follies, and misgivings, and fears. Hardly can you render him more unhappy than to remove him from the circle of diffipation and to leave him alone with himself. Harraffed by the apprehensions and felf-reproach that follow vice, you frequently fee him take refuge from them in principles of impiety and immorality.

The peace of a good man arises from a pure confcience, from a fenfe of forgiven fin, and an humble truft in the mercy of God. The forgiveness of fin relieves the heart from an immenfe load. The inquietudes of guilt are fweetly composed by the hope of divine mercy exercised through a Redeemer. "In his favour is life, and his loving kindness is better than life." A calm and felf-approving mind affords us pleasures of the higheft price, not only from the inward ferenity that reigns in the bofom; but because it fheds its own fatisfactions on all