Soul's Health; whatever he there reads he may, thro' God's Grace, fo profitably learn, and fo acceptably perform, as to have his Fruit unto prefent Holiness, and the End everlasting Life, through Jefus Chrift. SERMON SERMON III III. PHILIPPIANS iv. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I Jay, rejoice. T is a wonderful Advan- Ι ligion, that it fanctifies the Turn of Piety to the most natural and indifferent Circumftances of Life: If we do but keep God's Glory in View, and make that in general the End of our Actions; whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we are conftantly en gaged 4 and our gaged in the Divine Service; whole Life will afcend up to Heaven, as a Sacrifice of a fweet-fmelling Savour. THERE is not a Paffion of the Soul, a Temper of Mind, or Function of Body, which may not be improved into a Duty, and consequently which may not promote our eternal Happiness: And fuch is the Power of the Gospel; that thofe, 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 neceffary and Divine Graces of a Christian Life. THUS it is, that Religion does not de→ ftroy Nature, but exalts it; does not alter Mens Faculties, but improves them : It 1 It is even Nature itself cultivated by right Reason, restored and purified by GospelGrace. Nature prompts us to pursue our Happiness in general; Religion binds it upon us as a Duty, to purfue that particular 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 Succefs; Religion commands us to make God the Object, as of our Happiness, so of our Joy; Rejoice in the Lord, faith the Apoftle: 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 propofes God to us, as a never-failing Source of fubftantial Rejoicings Rejoice in the Lord always, faith the Apoftle, and again, I fay, rejoice. THIS Precept was given to the Philippians at a Time, when the Church of God laboured under Perfecution. And if in the Midft of Dangers and Difficulties, we are commanded to poffefs our Souls of the calm Composure 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 II. THE Duty and Advantages of it: III. THE Means of rendering us capa- 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 Evenness of Temper; a chearful Frame of Spirit ; a fet |