0 ;.; tiJe , .LVativity. 275 fence of their jollity and frolickfome n1irth~ But it .fhould 'be confidered, that pur ex11ortation to chearfu1nefs and joy prefUp– pofeth men to be good and religious, and is addre!Tcd to t11Ci11 on that prefwnption : for \Ve ihould never encourage n1en to re– joice and be chearful, while they arc at en– mity :vith their 1nakc r, at feud with the in-· firii ~c ~vt-ljcrry of he.aven, whofc leafl: f rown is enough to confound th-em. We would qot l1ave 11en to danceon the brinko f 1le11, n o r ·wantonly exult in the ·way' that leade th to defirucrion, Ano~her temper \vould bet– ter becon1e their unhappy condition, and they ought to be thinking how a timely forrow n1ay lay a fure foundati on for a 1aJl: 4 ing joy. Again·, the joy which we co1n– n1end, is a qui te different thing fi-om tha,t levity and diffolution of if)irit which fome pcrfons would cover under that name. We allow not that light airy ten1per that is in– <:onlifrent with gravityand ferioufi1efs. We would not have a n1an' s whole life become ~ fport, nor n1irth to becon1e his . whole · employment. Of fuch laughter -we may fay, with the wife man, that it is mad; . 111id ofm;rth, What doth it? The chearful– ..nefs · we have been fpeaking of, mufi fpring from the fenfe Qf the divine goodn.efs, and the
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