ments, which quickly pafs away! And yet how feldom are these purer pleasures, thefe fublimer joys, brought into the account, in taking estimates of human happiness !

Wouldst thou, laftly, o man, evaluate properly thy own and thy brother's happiness; then confider the human creature not barely in certain epochas or times, but in the whole capacity of his life and for. tunes. Connect the past, the present and the future, fo together in thy thoughts, as in the nature of things they are connected together. If this or that period of the life of a man appears cloudy and wretched, another will caft the more light upon it, and evince more happiness enjoyed. The firft entrance on bufinefs, on active life, is generally difficult and toilfome, and its progrefs brings comfort and pleasure. Sometimes youth, and sometimes manhood, is wealthier in happiness. Often is there more enjoyment in this life, often more qualification and preparation for future enjoyment. Wouldst thou state the fum of thy own or thy brother's happiness; then fet all these against each other, reckon all agreeable and chearful fenfations together, the innocent fportive delights of childhood, the livelier joys of youth, the more rational, nobler pleafures of the mature and advanced age. Think on all thou hast enjoyed, and ftill enjoyeft, of agreeable and good, and alfo what thou mayft hope to enjoy in future; on all that thou art and hast and doft, that is good and profitable, and that thou mayst and wilt be and have and do in

all fucceeding times. Forget not that thou art immortal, that thou art ordained to everlasting happiness, that thou art already happy in hope; and, from the first-fruits, conclude of the full harvest from the sweets of the foretafte, of the deliciousness of complete fruition. These rules will guide thee fafely in appreciating human happiness, and enable thee to perceive its true nature and magnitude.

On the whole, my christian brother, conclude, that man was not made for mifery by his creator and father, but was formed for happiness: that to this end he is endowed with difpofitions and capacities for it; that he finds in himself and without him the most various and abundant fources of fatisfaction and pleasure; and that it is almost always his own fault when he does not draw from them contentment and joy. Farther conclude, that human happiness is no infignificant, contemptible matter, as the unfortunate and the melancholy at times reprefent it to be, that none but the mifanthropist can wholly be blind to it, none but the inconfiderate and thoughtlefs can hold it for a trifling object. And affuredly conclude, that there is far, far more agreeable than difagreeable fenfation, far more happiness than mifery among mankind, far, far more good than evil in the world. In fine, exalt this comfortable idea by the just and grand fentiment; that in the kingdom of God, the God of love, happiness will always abide, and be augmenting and spreading; and that, on the other hand, misery will be ever diminishing and at

length

length entirely ceafe, and be fucceeded by perfection and blifs. So wilt thou think worthily of God, and justly of the state and destination of man.

So wilt

thou be always chearful in the prefent life, and be

conftantly more fitted for the future.

SERMON XLIII.

Settlement of our Notions concerning human Happiness,

GOD, the eternal, inexhauftible fource of life, of joy, of happiness, from thee flow life and joy and happiness on every part of thy immenfe creation. Whatever thou, All-gracious, hast created, thou haft formed for happiness, and thy wifdom never fails of its ends. However various the methods by which thou leadest thy creatures to their destination, they by one way or another, fooner or later, infallibly reach it. Us too, thy children on earth, haft thou, our merciful Father, deftined to happiness, made us fufceptible of it, and pointed out and opened to us numerous and rich fources both within us and without us, from which we may draw fatisfaction and pleasure. To none of us all are these fources entirely fhut, none draw from them in vain. Might we but feek our happiness there alone

alone where it is really to be found, and as worthily ufe, as thankfully and chearfully enjoy, that portion of it which thou haft decreed to each of us, as is neceffary to thy views and to our welfare! Might we ever better understand, what human happiness really is, ever form founder notions of the way that leads to it, rightly diftinguishing it from femblance and deception, and learn with ever greater circumspection to walk that way! Might we even now, that we are about to meditate on this fubject, pursue our reflections with that seriousness and attention which the importance of the matter demands. Enlighten us by thy light, and guide us by thy holy fpirit. Let thy truth diffipate our prejudices and errors, and grant that we may obediently follow its directions and precepts. Oh hearken to our supplications, which we present unto thee in the name of our lord and faviour Jefus Chrift, repofing our entire confidence in his promifes, and farther invoking thee in his words: Our father, &c.