actions. Guilt always feeks to fhelter itself in one of the extremes, and is fometimes attended with both. SPECTATOR. I CHA P. II. ON CHEERFULNESS. . HAVE always preferred Cheerfulness to Mirth. The latter I confider as an act, the former as a habit of the mind. Mirth is fhort and tranfient, cheerfulnǝfs fixed and permanent. Thofe are often raised into the greatest tranfports of mirth, who are fubject to the greatest depreffions of melancholy on the contrary, cheerfulness, though it does not give the mind fuch an exquifite gladness, prevents us from falling into any depths of forrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpe tual ferenity. MEN of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and diffolute for a ftate of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart that is inconfiftent with a life which is every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers. Writers of this complexion have obferved, that the facred Perfon who was the great pattern of perfection, was never seen to laugh. CHEERFULNESS of mind is not liable to any of these exceptions; it is of a ferious and compofed nature; it does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the prefent state of humanity, and is very confpicuous in the characters of those who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the Heathens, as well as among thofe who have been defervedly deservedly esteemed as faints and holy men among Chris tians. If we confider cheerfulness in three lights, with regard to ourfelves, to those we converse with, and to the great Author of our being, it will not a little recommend itself on each of these accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind, is not only eafy in his thoughts, but a perfect master of all the powers and faculties of his foul his imagination is always clear, and his judgment undisturbed his temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in folitude. He comes with a relifh to all thofe goods which nature has provided for him, tastes all the pleafures of the creation which are poured upon him, and does not feel the full weight of thofe accidental evils which may befal him. : If we confider him in relation to the perfons whom he converfes with, it naturally produces love and good-will towards him. A cheerful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good-humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himself pleased, he does not know why, with the cheerfulness of his companion it is like a fudden funfhine that awakens a facred delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence towards the person who has fo kindly an effect upon it. : WHEN I Confider this chearful state of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a conftant habitual gratitude to the Author of nature. An inward cheerfulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpenfations. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the ftate wherein we are placed, and a fecret approbation of the Divine will in his conduct towards man. A MAN, who uses his beft endeavours to live according to the dictates of virtue and right reafon, has two perpetual fources of cheerfulness in the confideration of his own nature, and of that Being on whom he has a dependence. If he looks into himself, he cannot but rejoice in that existence, which is fo lately bestowed upon him, and which, after millions of ages, will be still new; and ftill in its beginning How many felf-congratulations naturally rife in the mind, when it reflects on this its entrance into eternity; when it takes a view of those improveable faculties, which in a few years, and even at its first fetting out, have made so confiderable a progress, and which will be ftill receiving an increase of perfection, and confequently an increase of happinefs? The confcioufnefs of fuch a being spreads a perpetual diffusion of joy through the foul of a virtuous man, and makes him look upon himfelf every moment as more happy than he knows how to conceive. THE fecond fource of cheerfulness to a good mind, is its confideration of that Being on whom we have our dependence, and in whom, though we behold him as yet but in the first faint difcoveries of his perfections, we fee every thing that we can imagine as great, glorious, or amiable. We find ourselves every where upheld by his goodness, and furrounded with an immenfity of love and mercy. In fhort we depend upon a Being, whofe power qualifies him to make us happy by an infinity of means, whofe goodnefs and truth engage him to make thofe happy who defire it of him, and whofe unchangeableness will fecure us in this happiness to all eternity. SUCH SUCH confiderations, which every one fhould perpetually cherish in his thoughts, will banish from us all that fecret heaviness of heart which unthinking men are subject to when they lie under no real affliction; all that anguish which we may feel from any evil that actually oppreffes us to which I may likewife add those little cracklings of mirth and folly that are apter to betray virtue than support it; and establish in us such an even and chearful temper, as makes us pleasing to ourselves, to those with whom we converse, and to him whom we were made to please. SPECTATOR CHA P. III. ON SINCERITY: RUTH and fincerity have all the advantages of ap TRUT pearance, and many more. If the fhew of any thing be good for any thing, I am fure' the reality is better; for why does any man diffemble, or feem to be that which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have the qualities he pretends to? For to counterfeit and diffemble, is to put on the appearance of fome real excellency. Now the best way for a man to seem to be any thing, is really to be what he would feem to be. Befides, it is often as troublesome to fupport the pretence of a good quality, as to have it; and if a man have it not, it is most likely he will be difcovered to want it, and then all his labour to feem to have it is loft. There is fomething unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will easily discern from native beauty and complexion. It is hard to perfonate and act a part long; for where truth is not at the bottom, nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will betray herself at one time or other. E 6 Therefore Therefore if any man think it convenient to seem good, let him be fo indeed, and then his goodnefs will appear to every one's fatisfaction; for truth is convincing, and carries it, own light and evidence along with it, and will not only commend us to every man's confcience, but, which is much more, to God, who fearcheth our hearts. So that upon all accounts fincerity is true wifdom. Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many advantages over all the artificial modes of diffimulation and deceit. It is much the plainer and easier, much the fafer and more fecure way of dealing in the world: it has lefs of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard in it it is the fhorteft and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line, and will hold out and laft longeft. The arts of deceit and cunning continually grow weaker and lefs effectual and ferviceable to those that practise them; whereas integrity gains ftrength by ufe, and the more and longer any man practifeth it, the greater fervice it does him, by confirming his reputation, and encouraging those with whom he hath to do, to repofe the greatest confidence in him, which is an unspeakable advantage in bufinefs and the affairs of life. : A DISSEMBLER must always be upon his guard, and watch himself carefully, that he do not contradict his own pretenfions; for he acts an unnatural part, and therefore must put a continual force and restraint upon himfelt. Whereas he that acts fincerely hath the casiest task in the world; because he follows nature, and fo is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions; he needs not invent any pretences before-hand, nor make excufes afterwards, for any thing he hath faid or done. BUT |