GRIEF.

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make a merit of indulging in grief, and when misfortunes happen,they obstinately refuse all consolation, till the mind, overwhelmedwith melancholy, sinks under the load. Such conduct is not onlydestructive to health, but inconsistent with reason, religion, andcommon sense.

Change of ideas is as necessary for health as change of posture.When the mind dwells long upon one subject, especially of a disa-greeable nature, it hurts the whole functions of the body. Hencegrief, indulged, spoils the digestion and destroys the appetite ; bywhich means the spirits are depressed, the nerves relaxed, the bow-els inflated with wind, and the humours, for want of fresh suppliesof chyle, vitiated. Thus many an excellent constitution has beenruined by a family misfortune, or any thing that occasions excess-ive grief.

It is utterly impossible that any person of a dejected mind should en-joy health. Life may, indeed, be dragged out for a few years ; butwhoever would live to a good old age, must be good-humoured andcheerful. This, indeed, is not altogether in our own power ; yetour temper of mind, as well as our actions, depend greatly uponourselves. We can either associate with cheerful or melancholycompanions, mingle in the amusements and offices of life, or sitstill and brood over our calamities as we choose. These, and ma-ny such things, are certainly in our power, and from these themind generally takes its cast.

The variety of scenes which present themselves to the senses, werecertainly designed to prevent our attention from being too long fixedupon any one object. Nature abounds with variety, and the mind,unless fixed down by habit, delights in contemplating new objects.This at once points out the method of relieving the mind in distress.Turn the attention frequently to new objects. Examine them forsome time. When the mind begins to recoil, shift the scene. Bythis means a constant succession of new ideas may be kept up, tillthe disagreeable ones entirely disappear. Thus, travelling, thestudy of any art or science, reading or writing on such subjects asdeeply engage the attention, will sooner expel grief than the mostsprightly amusements.

It has already been observed, that the body cannot be healthyunless it be exercised ; neither can the mind. Indolence nourishesgrief. When the mind has nothing else to think of but calamities,no wonder that it dwells there. Few people who pursue businesswith attention are hurt by grief. Instead, therefore, of abstract-ing ourselves from the world or business when misfortunes hap-pen, we ought to engage in it with more than usual attention, todischarge with double diligence the functions of our station, and tomix with friends of a cheerful and social temper.

Innocent amusements are by no means to be neglected. These, byleading the mind insensibly to the contemplation of agreeable ob-jects, help to dispel the gloom which misfortunes cast over it.They make time seem less tedious, and have many other happyeffects.

Some persons, when overwhelmed with grief, betake themselvesto drinking. This is making the cure worse than the disease. Itseldom fails to end in the ruin of fortune, character, and consti-tution.

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