Amemingni 394 CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ. {SEAM. XXIII. religion. Nor should we run hastily away from theduties of worship, and plunge ourselves into the midst evenof innocent merriment; for this would look as though we were weary of devotion, and longed to be at play. A wise christian will divide his times aright, and make all the parts of his conduct to succeed one another in a de-. cent order. Besides, the hours of recreation should not be multi- plied by those persons who have least need of them; such are persons of a chearful and healthy constitution : And they will be used more sparingly by christians of maturer age, and longer standing in religion. As a child grows up toward man, he leaves off the impertinencesof infancy, and the sports and trifles of childhood ; and as a man grows up more and more toward a perfect chris- tian, his methods of pleasure will be changed from light and gay, to that which is grave and solid. To conclude this subject, I would mention only one powerful motive to preserve christian gravity, and that is, that hereby the temper of your spirit will be better pre- pared for every religious duty, whether it be prayer or praise, and better fitted to meet every providence, whe- ther it be prosperous or afflictive : Whereas those who perpetually indulge a merry temper of mind, when a prosperous providence attends them, they are tempted tc excessive vanity and carnal joy; their hearts are not fille( with thankfulness to that God from whom their mercie come, being too thoughtless and regardless of the origi nal donor. On the other hand, when affliction smite them, they are in danger of despising the stroke of th rod, nor does the correction of their heavenly Fathr makeso deep and useful an impression upon their spilt as it ought to do. When in the course of our lives we maintain sucia grave and composed frame as becomes a christian, 7e find our hearts more ready for all the duties of worslp. We are prepared to receive evil tidings as wellas .good, and to attend on the will of God in all his oulo- ings ofprovidence : We are ready to receive message of sorrow, or the summons of death, for we are still in- versing with God : We keep the invisible world irthe eye of our faith : And our spirits are ready prelred to depart from the flesh, and to meet our God ancour Saviour in the unknown regions of light and immorllity.
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