of Occafions of Sorrow. 2 5 r and therefore he advifes the Corinthians to S n x M forgive him, and confirm their love to him, X. left, fays he, fuck a one fhould be fwallowed "'j up of overmuch forrow. But, the true rea- fon why the forrow duly limited, or rather the ferious temper of mind, which accom- panies calm and deliberate thoughts of mor- tality is in itfelf eligible, and aEtually chofen by wife men, rather than a thoughtlefs levity of mind, and an uninterrupted merriment in fenfual enjoyment, the reafon, I fay, is, becaufe it is a good means of making the heart better : Better in a moral fenfe, that is, more virtuous and religious. It is ac- knowledged by us all, that there is a reality in religious virtue, and that it is abfolutely neceffary ; but the people of a gay turn of mind will think and fay, we hope inno- (C cent mirth is not inconfiftent with it," which indeed is true ; but let them con- fider that the mirth which excludes ferions thoughtfulnefs concerning religion and the future ftate, or indifpofes them for it, is not innocent, though it fhould be free from what is in its own nature vicious. More particularly, the advantages of what I have fhown to be the meaning of forrow in the text, are, firfl, that it naturally leads us 4!
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