of the singing of birds is come; and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. Let us go forth into the vineyards, let us lodge in the villages; let us see whether the tender grapes appear, and whether the pomegranates bud forth. All nature now invites us abroad: the pastures are covered with flocks; the valleys stand thick with corn; the field is joyful, and all that is in it; and all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord. These appearances are so calculated to cheer the spirits, and tune every heart to the exercise of praise, that he must needs be unbelieving and insensible, who can look upon them without secretly adopting the language of the Psalmist-I will shew forth thy loving kindness, O Lord, in the morning, and thy truth in the night season: for thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works, and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

Thus the whole frame of nature yields us matter of unceasing joy and wonder.

Secondly-The divine mercies minister to us endless cause of exultation and thanksgiving. If we look back upon the days and years

that are past, we feel ourselves constrained to acknowledge, that they have been strongly and affectingly marked with tokens of God's goodness. His mercies have been new every morning, and every evening has been crowned with loving kindness. Among our ten thousand obligations to the Giver of all good, there are some which should especially be sought out and dwelt upon with more than ordinary feeling-such as his gracious care of ourselves, our families, and our friends; the regular supply of our wants, adequate support under affliction, and unexpected deliverance out of trouble. Of these a careful record should be kept, that we may never lose the sweet remembrance of His grace and goodness, who forgiveth all our sin, and healeth all our infirmities; who redeemeth our life from destruction, and filleth our mouth with good things.

To past favours, present privileges and comforts are to be superadded. The sun of our prosperity is still shining, and the hosts of God are still encamped about our dwellings; while God himself is near unto us in all that we call upon him for. Yea, he is about our path, and about our bed, every where watch

ing over us with a paternal eye, and daily waiting to do us good. If we look forward, our prospect is enlivened with many promising appearances of future consolation. There are greater and better things before us than we have hitherto enjoyed. As affectionate fathers lay up for their children, and provide against their probable wants; so the Lord our God is laying up for us a rich store of comforts and blessings against the time to come. His fulness is inexhaustible, and his compassions fail not. All other things may and will change: but He remaineth the same. Many difficulties may arise, and many unexpected events may take place: but He hath graciously engaged to overrule all for good. He who took the charge of us in our youth, will not forsake us in our age, and when our strength faileth: for thus saith the Lord, Even to your old age, I am He; and even to hoary hairs will I carry you. So that, if at any time a threatening cloud should obscure our skies, and awaken a discouraging thought, we may thankfully rise above every fear, with the language of an ancient saint upon our lips-God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in

trouble; therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea: for the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.

The mercies of God then, past, present, and future, may justly be said to minister endless matter of joy and gladness to all his children.

Thirdly-Every undertaking in which we engage, every study we pursue, and every action we perform, should furnish us with successive causes of rejoicing.

All the powers and faculties we possess are the free gifts of God. They all bespeak his overflowing bounty. And, by his benign appointment, their due exercise is invariably accompanied with an appropriate kind of satisfaction; insomuch that, whether we employ the eye or the ear, the understanding or the imagination, the very act itself becomes pleasurable and gratifying. In this view, the ordinary routine of life, and the common business of every day, should have a happy tendency to entertain the passing hour, and cheer the languid spirit: and hence we are

exhorted, in my text, to rejoice in all that we put our hand unto. This is assuredly a great privilege, though seldom rightly appreciated or wisely improved among us.

It cannot, however, reasonably be doubted, that this is the will of God concerning us; since he has evidently given us such a construction, both of mind and body, as renders us peculiarly susceptible of those little innocent delights, which grow out of our present condition. They offer themselves to us at every turn. They meet us in our public walks, in our secret retirements, and in our social intercourse: so that, from point to point, and from step to step, we are invited to manifest the satisfaction and sweetness we feel in all the divine appointments; in our going out and our coming in, in our lying down and rising up, at our family repasts, and in our familiar conversation. Thus we read of the primitive saints, that, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart; praising God, and having favour with all the people. By which we are to understand, that they