say, with various humour, "Who will show us any good?" that is to say, there are many practical infidels; there are many who are discontented with their lot in life, ever murmuring, and fretting, and wilfully making themselves more unhappy than they need be; there are many so wrapt up in their own selfish disappointments, that against both God and man they harden their hearts, and cloak their thoughts, and restrain their affections; and there are many who entirely give themselves up to despondency and despair, utterly forgetful, not only of their sacred duty as Christians, but also of their high privileges as Christians, of their glorious hopes as Christians, of their inalienable rights as Christians, if only they would act and think like Christians, and claim those rights from him whose name they bear; who hath "ascended up on high, leading captivity captive; and who hath received gifts for men, even THAT THE LORD GOD MIGHT DWELL AMONG THEM; and, that that beautiful prayer in our text might be accomplished: "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us."

*

Now, what I am desirous to maintain upon the present occasion is this:-that, although there are many in so unhappy a state of mind, as to be ever sighing in their hearts, "Who will show us any good?" yet, "that it is not the will of God that Ps. lxviii. 18; Eph. iv. 7.

any one should be unhappy ;" and, "That it depends upon every man's own self to emancipate himself, if he choose, from the tyranny of whatsoever grief oppresses him."

I observed just now, that amongst the gifts purchased for us by Christ, when he ascended up on high, leading captivity captive, was this grand and most pre-eminent one: THAT THE LORD GOD

66

Now, if the safety of an army should seem to be endangered by the absence of its chief, it is true that every man might be excused in feeling dispirited at the approach of the enemy; but if that chief, in whose genius and sagacity every man confided, were know to be near at hand and ready to take the field, and that he was really occupied every moment in not only planning the safety of his people, but in securing the success and honour of his arms, then the universal confidence would be recovered. And so, in like manner, when we know, as we may know, if we will but believe in the Word of God, that THE LORD GOD dwells among us, that the Keeper of Israel never slumbereth nor sleepeth, why should we persist in being discontented, or disappointed, or desponding, or despairing? Why should it be a fact, that "there be many that say, Who will show us any good?" Is it not an insult to the majesty, as well as ingratitude to the mercy

of him who hath done, and is doing, and has promised in his holy word that he will do for us more abundantly than we can ask or think; and that all things shall work together for good to those who love God; and that neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature (but ourselves) can separate us from the love of God, which is in and through our Lord, Christ Jesus.* I say, is not this state of mind, then, a reasonable offence to him, whose will is that we should be happy, whose great work of creation, preservation, and redemption is perpetually to forward the present and everlasting happiness of us all individually; and yet, whose power we affront, whose love we doubt, whose wisdom we disbelieve, and whose particular providence we virtually deny ?

The fact is, that the great secret of all religion is FAITH, and the clue to explain all irreligion is, a want of faith. "All men have not faith ;" and this is the chief reason why "There be so many that say, Who will show us any good?" FAITH is a spiritual sight, a visual power of the mind, whereby we see, and are ready to see, and cannot avoid seeing GOD in every place, time, event, and circumstance. "If ye had FAITH," says our blessed Lord, as small as a grain of mustard-seed, ye might say

66

* Eph. iii. 20; Rom, viii. 38, 39.

+ 2 Thess. iii. 2.

to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.' "* That is, whatsoever difficulty, trouble, temptation, trial, or sorrow may oppress you in life, think of God, and of yourself, and of eternity, and of time, as you may do, and ought to do, and it will vanish, or, at least, diminish so as to oppress you no longer. Be assured that God has ordered it for some good use; examine your own heart and conduct, and try to discover what that use may be; wait his time patiently, smile instead of sighing at what he ordains, and watch the result; note it, and prove what I am now saying to be the truth: "He will lift up the light of his countenance upon you," and "you shall not be disappointed of your hope."

I stated that it was my grand object, in this discourse, to maintain

1. That it is not according to the will of God that any living man upon earth should be unhappy ; because, on the contrary, the bright beams of his divine countenance are ever ready to shine upon and irradiate any one with purest joy, if only any one be so disposed and this may be attested by places and passages in Holy Writ without number, if I have not already sufficiently persuaded you of this fact.

* Matt. xvii. 20.

2. I stated then, secondly, that therefore, the fault and the folly of being hopelessly, and (if I may so speak) perseveringly wretched, rests entirely on the part of that individual whosoever is discontentedly, despondingly, or despairingly lamenting in his heart, "Who will show me any good?" or, in the language of the desponding Job, "Mine eye shall see no more good."* And, in order to maintain this position, I proceed to observe, that all evil, unhappiness, or non-enjoyment of good, is to be traced to two fertile sources; namely,

(1.) The guilt of sin, which preys like a corroding canker-worm upon the conscience within; and,

(2.) The infliction of sorrows and sufferings, to which we are exposed (as to a trial through fire and water †) by order of divine Providence from without.

Nevertheless, it is still not the will of God that any man should be positively and hopelessly wretched on these accounts, because he hath, of his infinite mercy and love, expressly appointed two REMEDIES for us in his holy Word, which are precisely suited to meet all the exigencies of our case : and, moreover, he professes an unfailing readiness on his part, to bless and prosper these TWO REMEDIES, whensoever it shall please any one of us, his * Job. vii. 7.

+ Psalm lxvi. 12.