things elfe. The universe takes its colouring, if I may speak fo, from within ourselves. And the lawful comforts of the world are tafted with infinitely a higher relith when they are enjoyed with a good confcience. "The fruit of righteoufnefs is peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs, quietness and asfurance forever." The beft of men, indeed, are liable to frailties and errors that may fometimes disturb the peace of their minds. But repentance foon reflores their ferenity. And when its tranfient and precious fhowers have been fhed upon the foul, the fun of righteoufnefs again breaks forth, with greater fplendor and beauty, from the cloud that, for a moment had obfcured his face. Repentance itself is not without its fatisfactions to a good man. There is a pleasure even in the tears by which the heart is difburdened of an ingenuous forrow.

The peace derived from religion displays its value in those moments chiefly when we most require fupport and confolation, in affliction, and at death. "To the upright there arifeth light in darkness."t "Yea,

Ifaiah xxxii. 17.
Pfalms cxii. 4.

though I walk through the valley, of the fhadow of death, yet will I fear no ill; for thou art with me-thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort me." finner feems to lie in diftreffing feafons.+

But the guilt of the wait for him at these It feizes upon him

with redoubled fury when he is already trembling before the king of terrors; and, when he is least able to endure it, torments him with the greatest cruelty. Guilt spreads a deep and troubled cloud over the mind that covers it with a dismal shade, and the spectres of fear and terror stalk through the gloom, and affright the departing spirit. Oh! the unfpeakable importance of a confcience at peace with itself and with God in the interefting article of dying! What would not the perifhing finner give to obtain it? For what would the triumphant believer be willing to exchange it? All the pleasures of vice, were they at the command of the one, or of the other, would be counted as nothing in the scale.

IV. Religion affords a fource of happiness that is always within our power--that is fecure

*Pfalms xxiii. + Tillotson.

from the viciffitudes of life-and that shall be eternal. Seldom are the fources of vicious pleasures completely within our pow

Men fee them at a ditance, and almoft the whole of life is employed in purfuing them. But how often do they elude purfuit, or disappoint poffeffion! Difficult to be obtained, they are conflantly liable to be wrefted from us by a violence the more painful in proportion as we have loved them, or expected felicity from them. The paffions either never reach their object, or are never satisfied with what they have gained. In the cares of accumulating fortune, who has attained the fummit of his wifhes? In the career of popularity, or ambition, how many muft neceffarily be thrown out in the courfe? And thorny and uneafy is the crown which the victors gain. And, amidst the pleasures of unlawful love, what treachery is found! what inconflancy! what rivalships! what jealoufies! what bafe deceptions! what difhonorable difguifes! and, at length, what confcious fhame! Is it not extreme folly for a reafonable mind to place its happiness in objects over which it has no controul, and of which the greater part are beyond its reach ?

A good man carries within himself, in the purity of his thoughts, in the fanctity of his affections, in the discharge of his duty, and in the sense of the divine favor, the fources of his best enjoyments, or he every where finds them in the works of God that are always open to his view, and his devout meditation. From all the uncertain pursuits, and perplexing cares of the world; he can turn inward and find in his own breast, an unwafting fpring of confolation. And wherever he directs his view he cannot fail to meet in every part of nature, confpicuous indications of the infinite power, wifdom and benignity of God. The universe is an immenfe temple in which he finds fubjects continually to awaken devotion, and to nourish the fublime pleafures of religion. His own experience unceasingly, brings home to his heart the proofs along with the fruits of the divine goodness. And the facred scriptures furnish to him an inexhausted treasure of the most delightful affections, and the most bleffed hopes. The fources. of his fupreme happiness, therefore, are not, like thofe of vice, uncertain, or placed beyond his controul: They are always within his reach, they are ever prefent, and he can

not, by any untoward accident, be deprived of them.

The comforts that flow from religion are alfo fecure from the viciffitudes of life.-The men who have connected their happiness too closely with the prefent world, are liable to all its inftability and its changes. They are expofed continually to have their dearest comforts taken from them, or blasted to their enjoyment. Their poffeffions may melt away in their hands, or, by fome fudden and unforeseen calamity, may be wrefted from them. The friends who were dearer to them than their own fouls may be torn from their embrace. It may please God to lay on them heavy affliction, and to embitter to them all the fatisfactions of the world; or to bury the world along with them in the grave. The grave is to them

a land of darkness and horror. And when the world is gone, gone with it is all their happiness.

On the other hand, the divine power forms a mighty and impenetrable shield over a good man beneath which he walks secure amidst all the evils and perils that