blessings and their sufferings are calamities; not judgments of God.

Multitudes also, who do not go all this length, suffer the mercies, which they daily receive, and these both invaluable and numberless, to pass by them in a great measure unregarded. Converse with these men on this subject; and they will readily acknowledge, that all their enjoyments are gifts of God, and in no sense merited by themselves. Still, from their ordinary conversation, and conduct, it is evident, that such acknowledgments are no part of the current state of their minds. From their obvious indifference, from their regardless inattention, amid the common and most necessary blessings of life, it is undeniably certain, that they are scarcely conscious even of the existence, much less of the Source, of these blessings. Were these persons to number their enjoyments; they would be astonished to find their amount. Were they to estimate them; they would be equally astonished to perceive their value. Were they to examine their own character; they would be amazed, that blessings of such value, and of such an amount, were bestowed on themselves.

The man, who actually adopts this conduct, will soon discern in the importance, and number, of his enjoyments, and in his own undeserving character, ample reasons, not only for being satisfied, but also for being grateful. On the one hand, he will admire that Divine Goodness, which is manifested to him every hour in so many forms; and will wonder, on the other, that it should be manifested to so guilty and undeserving a creature. So long as we do not perceive these facts; and, unless we mark them, we shall not perceive them; it seems impossible, that we should possess a contented spirit.

6. Contentment involves the Moderation of those desires, which are directed to worldly enjoyments.

There are two modes, in which mankind seek happiness: Indulging their wishes, and seeking to find objects, sufficient in their nature and number to gratify them; and confining their wishes by choice, and system, to a moderate number of objects, and thus preparing themselves to find their enjoyment in such objects, as, in the ordinary course of things, they may rationally expect to obtain. The former of these modes is generally pursued by mankind. Still, it is palpably unwise; full of danger; and regularly attended by disappointment, mortification, and distress. Every man, who adopts it, will be compelled to learn, that the state of this world is altogether unsuited to satisfy numerous and eager desires. The enjoyments, which it furnishes, are comparatively few, and small. They are incapable, therefore, of fulfilling the demands of numerous and extensive desires. At the same time, he will find his desires enlarging incomparably more, and increasing incomparably faster, than their gratification. A rich man covets property with far more greediness than the posses

sor of moderate wealth. He, who has entered the chase for fame, power, or pleasure, will find his wishes become more vehement, as well as more expanded, by every new instance of success; and will soon perceive, that, what he once thought to be sufficient good, has ceased to be good at all. If he gains all that he pursues; he will, therefore, be continually less and less satisfied; and, while he snatches on the right hand, and devours on the left, he will still be hungry in the midst of his gluttony and plunder.

Incomparably more wise, and hopeful, is the latter of these modes. The wishes, which are directed to worldly enjoyments, can be controlled, to an indefinite degree, by reason, firmness, and regular pre-concertion. In this case, the mind, demanding only moderate enjoyments, may ordinarily be in a good measure satisfied for, moderate enjoyments not only exist in our present state, but are commonly attainable, without much difficulty, by the great body of mankind. Our wishes, in this case, are suited to our circumstances. As, therefore, our enjoyment is commensurate to the satisfaction of our wishes; so, when our wishes are moderate, the moderate enjoyments, which this world supplies, will furnish us with sufficient gratification.

Without this moderation of our desires, contentment cannot exist. An eager pursuit of earthly good would make an Angel discontented. Vehement desires, gratified, are sure and copious sources of misery. The deman of enjoyment, in the mind which cherishes them, are too high to be satisfied by any thing, which this world has to give. The mind seeks for enjoyment, not with the spirit of a rational, industrious man. but with that of a miser; and cries unceasingly, "Give, give;" but, whatever may be its acquisitions, is never sufficiently satisfied to be able to say, “It is enough."

7. Contentment involves Self-approbation.

All enjoyment commences in the state of the mind itself. When that is disturbed, no external gratifications can be relished, or regarded. No seasoning, no daintiness, will enable him, who is languishing under a fever, to relish even the choicest viands. But to ease of mind, self-approbation is indispensable. Unless the Conscience approve, and smile; serenity can never overspread the world within. So long as the Conscience reproaches, wounds, and terrifies; the soul must be perturbed, restless, and unhappy. That Contentment should exist in such a mind, can neither be proper, nor possible. But, whenever the man begins to submit to be controlled by his Conscience, he begins to be approved by himself. The tumult of the soul then begins to subside: the storm ceases to lower, and to threaten: the violence of the blast is hushed: the angry clouds disperse. A summer evening overspreads the soul; calm, serene, bright; the promise of a future, peaceful, and delightful day.

II. I shall now briefly mention some of the benefits of Content

ment.

1. This disposition of mind secures to us the Favour of God. The preceding Observations make it evident, that Contentment is, in an extensive sense, obedience to the Divine Will. It is also directly, and repeatedly, commanded in the Scriptures. To Timothy, St. Paul writes, Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. To the Hebrews he says, universally, Be content with such things as ye have. This injunction he also enforces by the best of all reasons: viz. that God hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That God is pleased with obedience to his commands, needs no illustration. Equally unnecessary would be an attempt to show, that a state of mind, formed, as Contentment obviously is, chiefly of faith, submission, humility, gratitude, and self-government, must be obedience eminently acceptable. But him, whom God approves, He will bless. The promises of the divine favour to such, as cordially obey the divine will, are spread every where throughout the Scriptures; and not one of them will fail of being accomplished. But the favour of God is the sum of all benefits, and the source whence every other proceeds. Contentment begins with a hope of the divine favour; and, as a continued course of obedience to the commands of God, originates unceasingly new hopes, and makes sure of new communications of the same invaluable blessing.

2. Contentment enables him, who possesses it, to perform his duty with more exactness, and more pleasure, than he can otherwise

attain.

The contented mind is unincumbered by many cares, and many hindrances, which usually obstruct, and retard, men in the performance of their duty. The serenity of its disposition leaves it at full leisure calmly to examine, and therefore clearly to understand, and thoroughly to feel, the nature, direction, and amount, of its duty. Satisfied with the divine dispensations, and assured of the approbation of Him, whose dispensations they are, it is prepared, beforehand, to accord with their tenour, and to perform whatever they may require. In this case, its obedience obviously becomes easy, cheerful, and of course delightful; as well as uniform, and exact. It is the punctilious and cheerful obedience of a child; compared with which the occasional and reluctant performances of a discontented man, are merely the mercenary drudgery of an unfaithful servant. But to perform our duty with pleasure, is to lead a life of enjoyment: for, our duty returns every moment of our lives. To perform our duty, also, with exactness, is not only delightful in itself; but is a continual source of self-approbation and peace; and the only source, whence these blessings can be derived.

3. The man, in whom this spirit prevails, is secured from many Temptations and many Sins, to which others are exposed.

A discontented man naturally indulges, and is always liable to, the sin of murmuring against God, arraigning his Justice, Wisdom, and Goodness, and hardening his heart against his Mercy; because he is impatient under his own allotments, and unwilling to accord with any proposals from a Being, whose Character he disrelishes, and whose Conduct he regards as the source of his troubles. The envious man is prompted by his ruling disposi tion to repine at the blessings of others; to accuse God of partiality in bestowing them; to wish them lessened; to resort not infrequently to active, insidious, and malignant exertions for the purpose of lessening them; and to exercise a kind of infernal joy, when they are taken away. Such a man turns a gloomy, misanthropic eye on all those, who, he thinks, are richer, greater, wiser, or happier, than himself. From these rebellious and fiend-like dispositions, from the temptations which they create, and the sins to which they lead, the contented mind is delightfully free. Satisfied with its own lot, it feels no anxiety, mortification, or opposition to its Maker, because others are possessed of superior good. Particularly, it is undisturbed by the sight of superior wealth in the possession of others; of superior power, pleas ures, reputation, and influence. On all these splendours it can look, as the eagle on the Sun, with a steady and serene eye; and can find its happiness not lessened, but increased, because others are happy. The disposal, both of its own concerns and theirs, it is willing to leave wholly to God; and prepared to enjoy any good, which He is pleased to bestow, whoever may be the recipient. Thus,

4. It is a disposition eminently Peaceful and Comfortable.

On the one hand, it is preserved from many troubles, suffered by others; and on the other, finds many pleasures, which others never know. The distress, experienced in an unceasing course of disappointments, by all discontented, covetous, and ambitious men, is chiefly unknown to him, who has acquired this delightful spirit. Equally free is he, also, from the pain of ungratified desires, and from continual fears, that his desires will be ungratified. Nor is he less secure from that complication of wo, which springs incessantly from distrust of the goodness and faithfulness of God; from murmuring against his providence : from reluctance to obey his pleasure; and from the consciousness of not having faithfully obeyed at all. At the same time, he is delivered from those fears of future wo, which so often harass the minds of guilty men.

It is not here intended to insinuate, that the Contented man is free from afflictions: but that he is comparatively free from them, is unquestionable. Contentment will not remove the thorns and briers, spread over this unhappy world by the apostacy; and renew upon its face the bloom, the beauty, and the fragrance, of Eden. But it will blunt the point of many a thorn, and convert

many a wilderness into a fruitful field. The sorrows, which it feels, will be all allayed by the remembrance, that they come from the hand of the Infinitely Good; and by the hope that they will all terminate in the promotion of its own best interests. To the blast of calamity, also, it yields, like the willow; and is, therefore, not rooted up and destroyed. In the mean time, whenever troubles arrive, however numerous or great they may be, their distressing efficacy is always allayed by the soothing, balmy, influence of peace and self-approbation.

This delightful influence, also, is regularly diffused over every enjoyment. The enjoyments of the contented man are, in his view, all gifts, and blessings; not acquisitions, made by his own ingenuity and efforts. As gifts, they are relished with gratitude to their Glorious Author. The light, in which they are seen by this grateful disposition, is always glossy and brilliant; and the taste, which they furnish, is singularly sweet. Thus the contented man finds pleasures, where others find only troubles. Thus, when troubles arrest him, their bitterness is allayed: and thus all the pleasures, which he finds, are enhanced by his own happy disposition. Even in seasons, when darkness overspreads the world; and such seasons, it must be acknowledged, there are; when the gloom overshadows his mind, as well as the minds of those around him; and when the face of the Sun of Righteousness is eclipsed, to the eyes of mankind; hope, humble and serene, will lift up her exploring eye, and behold the divine luminary still visible, and environing the intervening darkness with a circle of Glory.

5. Contentment renders its possessor eminently Pleasing and Comfortable to others.

Uniform serenity, cheerfulness, and sweetness of disposition, constitute that character in man, which to his fellow-men is more agreeable than any other. Religion itself, however pious and benevolent the mind may be, is despoiled, if sensibly destitute of this disposition, of its peculiar burnish and beauty. It will indeed be approved, and esteemed. But it will not be entirely relished. Gravity, existing beyond a certain degree, may render it forbidding. Reserve may render it suspicious; and a sorrowful, melancholy aspect may excite a sympathy, so painful, as to make it unwelcome. But a sweet, serene, and cheerful, temper is the object, not only of esteem, but of delight. The presence of a person, who manifests this temper, is universally coveted; and diffuses a kind of lustre over every circle. He is accordingly welcomed to every house, and to every compaEven men, destitute of Religion, will strongly relish his company; and will never mention his character without pointed commendation.

ny.

Beside the immediate, and extensive, pleasure, which such a person communicates to those with whom he converses, this dis