393 / 514
SERM: XXTI1.1
GRAvvrv,
DECENCY,
&C.
385
the mind. And
how
far
this may
be
indulged,
I
shall
have occasion
to
speak toward the end
of
this
sérmon.
III.
Another
thing
that
is
included
in
this word
gra-
vity,
is
honour and
decency
in
our
whole
deportment
and behaviour.
Each
of
us
should
be
careful
to
main-
tain
our
public
character
as a
christian,
with a
due sense
of
the dignity
of
it.
Christians should
be ashamed
to
debase
the powers
of their nature,
to
practise
any
thing
that
is
sordid and unworthy
;
nor
make the members
of
their
flesh,
nor
the faculties
of
their
mind, slaves to
that
which
is
ridiculous or
foolish.
IIow
unbecoming
is
it
to
see
a
christian
spoil
his
coun-
tenance, and
disfigure a
human
face, by
practising
all
the
wild' and
-
wanton grimaces
of
folly
and
madness
!
To
see man, who
is
made
after
the image
Of
the
Son
of God,
distort
his
body
in
the most antic postures, and
give
up
all the honours
of
his
nature
to base and senseless
merri-
ment!
Surely the
duties
of
christianity lead
us
to
nothing
below the dignity
of
man.
Here I
would
not
be
mistaken,
nor
do I
pretend
that
the gospel requires
such a
constant
solemnity
of
counte-
nance and
language,
as
though
we
were all
preachers,
or
always
preaching.
There
is
no
need
to
put
on
serious
airs
at
all
times:
We are
not
bound
to banish
mirth
when
we
become christians.
Laughter
is
a
natural
ac-
tion,
and
the faculty
was
not
given to
mankind
in
vain,
nor
is
the exercise
of
it forbidden for
ever.
The chief
ends
of it
seem to be
these
two
;
either
to
recreate
animal
nature
by
expressions
of
mirth, or
to
put
folly
out of countenance.
There
may be times to
recreate
nature,
to
unbend
the
spirits
from business,'
and
to
indulge mirth among
our
friends.
The
wise
man assures
us,
there
is
a time
to
Iaugh,
as
well as
to
mourn.
There
are
times
proper for
weeping,
and
sonic
persons
may have times for danciríg
too
;
I1c.
iii.
4.
And
in
the 19th verse
of
the
xth
chap-
ter,
the.
same divine
writer
says,
a
feast
is
made for
laughter.
At
the
mutual
entertainment
of
friends
we
may
be
merry,
and not
sin.
Our
holy religion only
de=
mands
this
of
us,
that
we
confine
our mirth
within
the
limits
of
virtue, and
take
heed lest
when
we
give
a
'loose
to the
sprightly powers
of
animal nature,
we
should
trans-
gress
the rules
of
piety,
or trespass
upon
things sacred.
VOL.
r,
C