-On tbe 1vati7;ilJ'· 263 t1rncs .rive this admonition to the T /;if,p·- - .:> pians, RejGice in the Lord; Rej1ice always in th~ l .JQrd ; ]ea, I Jay, Rejoice. In rela– tion to th1s perhaps it. was, that , the old hermit P al!adius, having five hundred fcho– lars, ufcd never to difinifs them without this admonition, Jviy frieJJds, be c!Jemjitl; for– get not, I beflrd.J you, to be chearfui. · This was the confiant fceture he repeated, as ·Dften as St. John was wont to do thefe ~words, lvfy little cbilr!ren; love one another. None of our natural inclinations \Nt<re ,n1ade in vain; and joy is neither an 11fclcfs nor a fl11all pailion; but if rightly ordered, n1ay becom·e an eminent cxcrcifeofreligion, as proper 'a concomitant of thankfulncfs, as farrow of repentance. Our devotion never · foarcth .hiqher, than· when it is carried on . u the wings' of j-oy and love, when our fouls .are filled with r.he fcnfe of his goodncfs, .and we heartily applaud the I-ialleluj:7hs of the bleffcd (pirits, and all the praifes of the .creatures. Atad as joy is an exceHcnt ii1fl:rument -of devotion, fo a conftant ferenity and chearfulnefs of !'pirit is a fit difpoGti.on for our other duties.. 1 !hould be loath to - . countenance any levity or diifoiotion of .fpirit; . and I hope, before we have done, ~ve ihallleave no ground to fufpett fuch a dd1gn
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