cultivates the warm and generous emotions of religion, feels them in his heart, and acknowledges them in his conduct; one we may suppose who has enlarged his mind, expanded his heart with benevolence, learned "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God;" one whose hands are clean, whose intentions pure, whose conscience void of offence, who listens with interest to the calls of humanity, commiserates the calamities of his brethren, studies to remove the load of common misery, and to enable all to smile beneath the gracious bounty of our heavenly Father.

He is one who has subdued his desires for unlawful pleasures, weaned his affections from things of this world, and placed them on things above. One who puts ⚫his trust in his God, rests all his hopes of happiness on the will of his Father, pays his early vows in the sanctuary, rejoices to come before the Lord, and bow himself before the high God. And, to sum up his character in a word, he is one who avoids vice and vicious companions, loves virtue, reverences réligion, and is kind, generous and humane in all his intercourse with his brethren. Such is the man who is religious-such is the man that shall stand beside the rivers of water, yield his fruit in his scason, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Let us then turn to consider the increase of his prosperity, and to show in what manner he is more prosper. ous than the irreligious or bad man.

1. Prosperity is increased to him because religion has prepared his mind for enjoyment. If we look into the heart of the bad man, we shall find it filled with a multitude of rough and discordant principles, which are continually raging and opposing each other. shall see inordinate love of wealth, unreasonable ambition for greatness, a burning thirst for unlawful pleasures and sensual gratification. These are increased

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by appetite, strengthened by indulgence, and confirmed by habit. Their demands are loud and imperious. Their objects different, and often contradictory. The man is compelled to follow each, which must be done at the expense of its rival. Thus it happens, the satisfaction gained by the gratification of one favorite passion, is generally lost in the disappointment it occasions another. A thousand desires are constantly springing in his bosom, so equally balanced in their weight, so nearly powerful in their strength, that he no sooner decides to follow one, than his purpose is shaken, and he is drawn back by another. Hence he lives in constant turmoil and perplexity. Hence his mind in a state of perpetual fluctuation, hangs vacillating between these imperious masters; all which he wishes to obey, but their variety and discordance is such, that he seldom yields obedience to any. Or grant some one, more powerful than the rest, has gained the ascendency, and reduced the others to submission--a thousand obstacles intervene, which delay or embitter its gratification.

We grant the man wealth; we grant his external condition may appear flourishing; his houses and lands may increase; his fields yield the plenteous harvest. But something is wanting still to complete that plenitude of felicity he desires. His mind, yea his heart has become attached to his possessions. A mean, sordid, avaricious disposition, ever characteristic of wealth, renders him incapable of happiness, deadens all the finer feelings, cools all the warm emotions of the heart, closes all the small springs of pleasure, which excite and spread joy and delight through the bosom of the good man.

Or is he bent on worldly pleasure? Every lisp of censure carries dejection to his soul, and fills him with the most painful sensations. But the good man having subdued these vain desires, hears unmoved the praise

or scorn of the world. Conscious of the rectitude of his own heart, and the purity of his intentions, all within is calm, and heaven will take care of that which is without.

Still further, the bad man has a never-failing source of uneasiness and deep regret in the improper means he has used to gratify his appetites and passions. The cries of the injured orphan, the complaints of the oppressed widow, haunt his sleeping and waking hours! Bleeding innocence torn from the bosom of her parents, from the society of her friends, rifled of her charms, ruined, left bleaching in the tempest of fortune, strikes daggers to his soul! Conscience tells him his guilt is great-his condemnation is sealed. Trembling at the account she reads, horror presents him before the bar of his God. His own heart condemns him-God is greater than his heart! Struck aghast at the picture, sleep becomes a stranger, "food insipid, society wearisome, pleasure disgusting, and life itself a cruel bitter."

But the good man having ever aimed well, trusts the mercy of his God for the pardon of those offences which through the weakness of his nature he may have committed. His past life brings to his mind no instance of cruelty or deception; no enormous crime or act of injustice. He delights to call up the hours that have gone by. He can view them with a placid serenity. He looks around on the present with pleasing tranquility,' and forward with confidence and hope.

2. Prosperity is increased to a good man because he' is free from all the terrifying apprehensions of unseen calamities and impending ruin. The bad man has no source of happiness but the world. All his dependence is placed on the good of fortune; his wealth, his pleasures, his family, or friends. Little experience is sufficient to convince those of the least discernment that these are not durable goods. "Riches take to them

selves wings and fly away." The elements often burst their rage with resistless fury, in one moment hurl with them the labors of years, and leave him destitute.Fame's shrill clarion may sound his achievements, proclaim the multitude of his friends and pleasures; competition may slink to the caverns of envy, and slander to the shades of night. Yet the sun of prosperity will grow weary of gilding the habitation of uninterrupted repose; the clouds of sorrow will arise, the tempest of adversity gather round, and the thunder of disappointment burst upon him. His friends will leave him, his name be enrolled on the black list of infamy, or crowded away with the thousands that are,--die and are forgotten!

These fill his mind

These are ordinary occurrences. with dreadful apprehensions, and the most gloomy fore-bodings. In the absence of real, he adopts imaginary ills, and mourns over anticipated woe, as tho he actually felt its direful hand. But the good man having cultivated his mind, acquired habits of virtue, has a source of happiness independent of his external condition. He has a fund within himself--a permanent fund, whence he can continually draw fresh pleasures. He has learned all sublunary things are evanescent. He expects they will leave him. He guards against their flight; but prepares himself to meet, unmoved, the shock. But should they leave him, he is not destitute; his peace of mind remains. That rests on the rectitude of his heart, the purity of his intentions, the consciousness that he has ever discharged his duty, and been faithful over those things which were placed under his care.This source of happiness no change of fortune can destroy. It remains the same whether she smiles or frowns, and this being the source of his greatest and chief happiness, he can dread no attack from without, fear no approaching calamity or impending ruin. He trusts in

his God. "He shall hide him in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide him, he shall place him upon a rock." Hence, secure from all imaginary ills, from all forebodings of future woe, he can enjoy his prosperity with cheerfulness and tranquility.

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3. But prosperity is still farther increased to the good man by the generous manner in which he uses it. son and religion both assert the fact that every thing is good and proper when properly used; that the only evil there is in any thing is the improper manner in which it may be used. Hence the bad man by the improper use he makes of his prosperity, converts it into adversity. He allows it to corrupt his temper, debase his mind, produce a feverish and sickly appetite, enervate the nobler faculties of his soul, harden his heart, blind his eyes and deafen his ears to the complaints, sufferings and wretched condition of those around him; to generate that frame of mind which becomes confident of its own importance and superiority; proud and haughty looks, with contempt on others, and secures their hatred and detestation. He hears no one proclaim his benedictions; sees no one happy through his munificence; has no consoling reflection that he has studied to lighten the load of cominon misery; receives the kind embrace of no worthy, virtuous and affectionate friend. The behavior of all with whom he associates is characterised by cold civility, or disgusting obsequiousness. Hence he languishes in the midst of his studied refinements and vast possessions, envied and envying, unloving and unbeloved.

But on the other hand, mark the good man. Religion has softened his heart, rendered him feelingly alive to the wants and distresses of others. He has not possessed wealth for himself alone, he has made it a common blessing. He has compassionated the sufferings of the wretched; his presence has gladdened the lonely cot