And he opened his mouth and taught them, faying, Bleffed are the poor in fpirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Bleffed are they that mourn for they fhall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they fhall inherit the earth. Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righ• teousness for they fhall be filled. Bleffed are the merciful for they fhall obtain Bleffed are mercy. the pure in heart: for they fhall fee God. Bleffed are the peace : makers for they fhall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are perfecuted for righteousness fake for their's is the kingdom of heaven. IT is fomewhat fingular, my pious hearers, that the notions entertained by mankind concerning the ingredients of happiness, and the means by which it is to be attained fhould be fo various and contradictory, while they agree together in nothing more than in the defire, the earnest, the ever active defire of being happy and of continually becoming more happy. All are running in pursuit of one and the fame object, happinefs; all imagine they are purfuing the direct road to it; think they perceive that object before them; think themselves quite near to it and yet proceed fuch very different ways, frequently ways that are as directly oppofite as evening to morning, as darkness to light. How then can it be otherwife than, that there must be difappointed and and weary travellers on the pilgrimage of life, how can it be otherwise than that most of you should fail of their mark, and when they think they are on the point of feizing the prize, discover, to their great aftonishment, that they are farther from it than ever? But why then do you venture without a guide in a wilderness, where there is only one right and fafe road, and ten thoufand devious turnings? or why do you make choice of guides, who are themselves unacquainted with the right way, or fuffer themselves to be drawn afide, by every lure, by every glimmering and fallacious light? Why do ye rather chufe to go where you are hurried away by the clamour of fenfual appetites, the impetuous cravings of violent paffions, the torrent of prevailing manners and opinions, and the tyrannical example of the multitude, than where the light of reafon fhines before you, where you fee the footfteps of the most venerable of mankind, where you are accompanied by calm confideration, authentic certainty and the peaceful expectation of a defirable iffue? Why not avail yourselves of the directions, the encouragements, the example of the guides and harbingers whom God has fent you from heaven for the express purpose of conducting you through this intricate labyrinth, of teaching you to avoid those devious turnings, and to pursue the mark of the prize along the fmootheft, the safest path, and thus to be your light in darkness, your fafeguard in danger, your ftaff and fupport under all impedi ments ments and difficulties, your precedents in doubtful cafes? Why not follow Jefus, who, along the very way that you are cailed to go, has actually attained to the fummit of glory, and will take to himself all those who voluntarily and refolutely follow him, and will make them partakers of his glory? Oh fubmit to be taught by him what felicity is, and how we may attain to the poffeffion and enjoyment of fubftantial permanent blifs. He is worthy of your entire confidence; the only infallible teacher of truth a fhepherd who laid down his life for his fheep, a guide, a ruler, who facrificed himfelf for thofe whom the Father gave to him, who died for them, and who will as certainly guide us aright, as certainly as God has raised him from the dead, and has placed him over all at his right hand in heaven. Receive then his doctrine in our text, concerning what confers real privileges on man, and promises him permanent blifs. Obferve how widely his doctrine on this matter differs from the general notions of mankind, compare them both together, and then try whether his declarations do not commend themfelves to the common sense and the confcience of all reflecting perfons. It is the chriftian doctrine concerning happiness that I now intend to lay before you. We will difcufs the important question: wherein christianity teaches us to place our greatest privileges and to feek our blifs. Come hither then, all ye who are panting after happiness, and perhaps have been long panting after it in vain, come and hear what fuggeftions and di rections heavenly wisdom gives you thereupon by her principal, most authentic teacher, Jefus. Perhaps, (the calls to you by this her confident,) perhaps ye think that to be happy riches are neceffary, that a man fhould live in opulence in order to live pleased, that he requires a large ftore for many years, or even for ages to come, that he may have no folicitudes about future days. Perhaps you are dazzled by the fplendour that furrounds the wealthy, the elegance of their drefs, the magnificence of their dwelling, the privileges that are granted them in fociety, the deference that is paid them, the refpect that they generally procure. But beware of mistakes; let not this fallacious outfide deceive you. Means to happiness are not happiness; and the more eafily those means may be misemployed, so much the farther do they commonly lead men off from that object. No, bleffed are the poor: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Though wealth, as wealth, excludes no man from the kingdom of heaven; though of itself it renders no man either incapable of being a chriftian, or of enjoying the bliss of the future life: yet it renders both difficult to but too many of its poffeffors. To too many it is a burden, indeed a fplendid burden, fill however a burden, that weighs them to the earth, renders their progress on the path of life extremely dangerous, caufing them to make a thoufand trips, and misleading them into the groffeft iniquities. To them the the injunctions of christianity are but too often an infupportable yoke, its promises have but few charms for them, and their fenfual, worldly tafte difqualifies them for the enjoyment of the purer delights of heaven. And when chriftianity brings fufferings on its confeffors, when it requires coftly facrifices of them, it must be extremely difficult for the rich man, it must be often impoffible for him to prefer his duty to all things elfe, and by felf-denial and fidelity to fecure to himself the recompenfes of the future world. It is well for the poor in fpirit at fuch times, well for them whose defire of riches is moderate, whofe hearts cleave not to earthly things, who know how to be content with a little! expectations will far feldomer fail them, their defires are far more eafily and completely gratified. Their road is free from a number of fnares and obftructions; no anxious cares purfue them on it; to them the commands of chriftianity are far eafier; to them no facrifice of earthly goods, that virtue or religion may require, appears too burdenfome ; to them the better futurity prefents itself in the most charming form, and the treasures of heaven even now attract their warmest affections. Their Perhaps you think, (celeftial wisdom farther addreffes us by Jefus,) perhaps you think, that they alone deferve to be accounted happy, who live fumptuously and jovially every day, who coyly shun every serious thought, every fentiment of sadness and woe, who turn away their eyes and their heart from |