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the better for all this; and to what purpose have I employ'd myself in such an exercise, if I fhould now yield to this temptation? So far will it be from doing me any good, that it will increase my guilt, and aggravate my condemnation. Thus you fee how naturally this practice of reading the fcriptures tends to break the ftrength of temptation, and to extinguish the motions of fin. And furely this should recommend it to us.

Religion is not a thing of an indifferent nature, which may be regarded or neglected at pleasure. No it is of the utmost importance to us all: if we mind it, we are for ever fafe and happy; but if we neglect it, we are for ever loft and undone. And if religion itself be a thing of fuch vaft confequence, then it concerns us to be very diligent in the use of the means of it; and we fhould gladly do any thing that may difpofe us to it. Therefore, if we do in good earnest defire to increase in virtue and goodness, let us converse much with our bibles : let the word of God dwell richly in us: let us bind it upon our fingers, and write it upon the table of our hearts: let it be our

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conftant companion, when we fit in the house, and when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rife up: let our delight be in the law of the Lord; and therein let us meditate day and night.

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1 Theff. V. 16. Rejoice evermore.

IS a fpightful objection which fome perfons make against religion, that it is a dull and melancholy thing, and tends to deftroy that chearfulness of temper, which is neceffary to make a man eafy to himself and agreeable to others. But whoever they are who caft fuch afperfions upon it, they do but betray their own ignorance. For, to

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the glory of religion be it fpoken, there is nothing which tends fo much to inspire men with joy, as the fincere practice of it. If to acquire any knowledge of God, who is the best and most perfect being, and to maintain communion with him by prayer and praife; if for a man to obtain the victory over his own lufts, and those temptations which affault him from without, and to gain any readiness in doing those things which tend to perfect his nature and make him like God; if to have an infinitely wife, good and powerful being for one's friend, with whom one may fafely trust all his affairs, and on whom one may firmly rely for fuccour in times of the greateft diftrefs; finally, if to have hope in one's death from a prospect of eternal happiness in a future ftate: I fay, if these things are juft grounds of rejoicing, as certainly they are: then no man has fo much reafon to be joyful as the religious man. And if this be a duty incumbent on religious men, as fuch ; then we may be fure that christians are not exempted from it. For if they did but live according to the doctrine which they embrace, they

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would be the most holy and religious of all men and therefore, fince the practice of religion is a foundation for joy, by how much chriftians excel other men in holiness and virtue, by fo much alfo ought they to excel them in a joyful temper of mind. Accordingly we find fuch a temper frequently recommended in the writings of the new tef tament, especially in the epiftles of Paul. In the text he exhorts christians not only to rejoice, but to rejoice evermore intimating that the chriftian's joy fhould not be fleeting and tranfitory, like that of the world, which perhaps is raised to a very high pitch one day, and vanishes the next; but should be a fettled and habitual thing, even and uniform, and not liable to be disturbed by any accidents which may happen.

But perhaps fome perfons will object against fuch rejoicing as this, as being neither practicable nor decent. How is it poffible, fay they, for men to rejoice in a time of calamity and distress, when they are poor and miferable, when they are full of difeafes and pain, when they are friendless and deftitute, and when they are defpifed and hated by their fellow creatures? How can F they

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