If you must amuse yourself with a volume of _plays_, because you are laid up with a _broken leg_, or have _lost a friend_, you are as far from wisdom as a child that is to be made quiet with _a rattle_, and as far from religion as those who worship _idols_; nay, to seek to such things for relief and refreshment, is like applying to the devil _in distress_. A man that drinks _drams_ every time he is dull or uneasy, is a _wise, prudent_, and _sober_ man, if compared to the Christian that in seasons of dejection has recourse to _wanton_ wit, and _prophane_ rant: he destroys the purity of his mind much more effectually, than the other destroys the health of his body.
Do you think that in _great distresses_, it is proper to seek comfort in God; but that in _little troubles_, any thing that can divert is as well? Nay, surely if God is our sufficient comfort in great distresses, he must be our best relief in those that are smaller. Unless it can be said, that the truths of religion are able to make us bear martyrdom with content, but not great enough to make us easy in _little_ trials.
V. Besides, to seek for relief in foolish books, is not only applying to a false remedy, but is also destroying the chief power of religion. For as religion has no power over us but as it is our happiness; so far as we neglect, or refuse to make use of its comforts, so far we destroy its power over us. For it can no otherwise be the ordinary care of our lives, than by being our ordinary happiness and consolation in all the changes of life. A Christian therefore is to make his Christianity his comfort, not only in times of _great trial_ and sufferings, but in all the _lesser vexations_ of life, that by this means every little occasion of grief or disquiet may be an occasion of his being more affected with religion, and more sensible of its true comforts.
VI. On the contrary, if _men_ will make themselves happy as children are made happy, not by considering the nature of things, but by a _change of amusements_, they must also expect to have the vexations of children, and be, like them, laughing and crying at they know not what, all the days of their life: for children are only easily vexed because they are easily pleased; and it is certain that they who can be pleased with things of no value must in the same degree be liable to be displeased at them. And as this is the true state of childhood: so whosoever is in this state, whatever his _age_ may be, his _office_, or his _dignity_ in life, is yet as truly in the state and folly of childhood, as he that is but four years old. Take an instance or two: a child whose heart is half broken at some misfortune, may perhaps be made easy with a picture of a _huntsman_ and a _pack of hounds_; but if you would comfort the father that grieves for his eldest son, the _hounds_ must all be _alive_; they must _cry_, and _run_, and follow a _hare_; and this will make the father as easy as the picture did the child.
A mother comforts her little girl with a _pack of cards_ that are finely _painted_: by and by she wants to be comforted herself: some great calamity has happened to her. Now you must not think to comfort her with _painted cards_, or building houses with them; her grief is too great, and she has been too long a _mother_ to be pleased with such things. It is only _serious ombre_ that can dry her eyes, and remove sorrow from her heart.
VII. I might easily multiply instances of this kind; but these are sufficient to shew us, that persons of _age_ and _authority_ often differ only from children, as one child may differ from another. This is the true reason why human life is so full of complaint; why it is such a _mixture_ of ridiculous pleasures, and vain disquiets, namely, because we live in an entire ignorance of the nature of things, never considering why we are pleased with this, or displeased with that, nor any more appeal to religion to direct our judgments, than children appeal to reason to form their tempers. For if we will only play, or lull ourselves into repose, as children are rocked to sleep, it is not to be wondered at, if like them we _cry_ as soon as we are awake: and the reason why people, _seemingly_ religious, are subject to the same _dulness_ and _peevishness_, to the same _vexations_ and variety of griefs that other people are, is this, because they make no more use of their religion on those occasions, than other people: they don’t so much as intend to keep themselves _easy, thankful_ and _chearful_, by making religion the _measure_ and _standard_ of all their thoughts and judgments, in all the common chances of life, any more than those do, who have no thoughts about religion.