fpewing out his Shame, and his Repentance together? Haft thou never obferved the Glutton to figh and groan under the Load of his crude Surfeits, and endeavour to disburden his Confcience, as well as his Stomach? These who do not eat and drink that they may live, but live only that they may eat and drink, will then acknowledge, that Temperance and Sobriety are the only true Volup tuoufnefs; and whilft their Breath is ftill unfavoury with their undigested Fumes, belch out a Prayer to God to pardon them. And are these the bewitching Pleasures of Sin? For thefe, will any be perfwaded to provoke his God, ftain and wound his own Confcience, difhonour his Rody, and ruin his Soul? Certainly, there is nothing wherein the Sorcery of Sin doth more plainly appear, than in perfwading Men that there is any Pleasure in being wicked; whereas their own Experience can abundantly atteft, that it is a very Hell above Ground, and a Damnation beforehand. Are these the Men that are frighted from Religion, becaufe of the Irkfomness and Difficulty of its Duties, because it will expose them to Sadness and Melancholy? Whereas I dare avow to them, that the moft melancholy and gloomy Day that a true Chriftian

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fpends in the most rigorous Parts of his Religion, with Sighs breaking from his Heart, and Tears running down his Cheeks, hath a Thousand Times more true Pleasure, and more true Joy in it, than all the Days of Mirth, and Laughter,and Excels, and Riot of voluptuous Sinners.

But here common Obfervation and Experience will be cited, to difprove all these Speculations concerning the Pleasure of Religion. For what will the Voluptuary fay! Can we believe that there is any fuch exquisite Pleasure in an holy Life, when we see those who are its Votaries fo penfive and melancholy, as if Ruft and Soot were the only Ingredients of their Complexion? Their Looks are fowre and dejected, their Discourses interrupted with Sighs; ftill they are lamenting them. felves, and the Iniquities or Calamities of the Times, and are fit for no other Converse but with Tombs or Ghosts: Whereas the rest of the World are gay and frolick; Mirth and Laughter are the Employment of their Lives; not a Thought lies heavy on their Hearts, nor a Day on their Hands. And therefore certainly, whatever Advantages a pious Life may have for the future, it cannot have that of Pleasure for the prefent.

This is a common Prejudice; and it is but a Prejudice. For though I muft confefs, that the morofe Temper of too many Christians hath brought this Scandal upon Religion, who by an affected and whining Sadnefs, and a querulous Humour, occafion the Ways of God to be evil spoken of, and affright others from them; yet if we nearly examine the Mate ter, we shall find that (abating the Complexional Infelicity of fome) it is altogether as fallacious to judge of Mens Joys by their outward Appearances, as of their Thoughts and Intentions.

It

And therefore, First, I grant that the Joys of Religion are not loud and tumultuous, but grave, folid, and serious. is a true Saying, Res fevera eft verum gaudium; True Joy is a fevere Thing. Tis not fo light and frothy as to float upon the Superficies of the Face: It lies deep and recondite in the Centre of the Soul, and fills it with calm Thoughts, fedate Affections, an uniform Peace and Tranquility, and diffuseth fuch a Sweetness through all the Powers of it, that a true Chriftian who loves his God, loves likewife himself, and the Entertainment that he finds at Home in his own Bofom. And this ravishing Joy fo wholly poffef feth him, that if he feem lefs affected

with the ludicrous Follies of this World, it is but as grave and wife Men are, not much pleafed with the Play-Games of Children, because they have nobler and more generous Delights of their own. The Mirth and Jollity of flight Persons is too trivial, and their Laughter it felf too ridiculous to recreate him. The foft and peaceful Whispers of his dear Confcience are a Thousand Times more diverting to him, than all the Wit and Merriment of thofe pleasant Companions, whose whole Life is but a Jeft and a Tale. And if at any Time he seem referv'd and retir'd in their Company, it is that he may liften to the more chearful Difcourfes of his own Heart; or that he is really concern'd that the Noife and Din about him hath disturb'd that fecret Communication; Or, laftly, that he is cautious, left he should be betrayed to any thing that might grieve a better Friend, than any of them. And now can you really think, that fuch a Perfon is melancholy and displeased, who carries himself thus, only left he should be fo? The Mirth of the fenfual and debauch'd World would violate all his Delights: 'Twould be but like a dirty Torrent tumbling into a clear River, troubling its pure Streams, and leaving nothing but Defilement, Mud,

and

and Disturbance behind it. And shall we think that Man's Life fad and dif confolate, because he feems lefs merry and jovial than others; whereas in Truth he is so wholly addicted to Pleasure, fo múch a Servant to his own Content, that he had much rather difplease all the World than himself, and studies nothing more, than how he may keep his Joys free from Mixture and Abatement.

But, Secondly, If at any Time he be really fad and dejected, the Cause of this is not to be imputed to Religion and Piety, but to the Want of it; either in himfelf or others. The Irreligion and Impieties of the Age in which he lives, often draw Tears from his Eyes, and Sighs from his Heart: And when the Flood-gates of Wickedness are opened, and a Deluge of Sin and Profaneness overfpreads the Face of the whole Earth, can you think it an unreasonable Melancholy, that he should wish with the Prophet Jeremiah, that his Head were Waters, and his Eyes Fountains of Tears, that he might weep Day and Night for the Stain of his People, for fo many Thousands that fall, and are flain by their Vices and Debaucheries? Were but the World more holy, there would not be fo great Occafion for Grief and Sadness as there is;

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