ceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think; (Ephes. i 20.) then surely we shall act as foolishly as sinfully, to seek from broken cisterns, which can hold no water,' (Jer. ii. 13.) those draughts of happiness, which the living waters that flow from the rock Christ can only minister to the soul.

The world promises happiness from three great sources; Pleasure, Riches, and Honour. But neither of these fulfil their promises to us either in life or death. The god of this world, who was a liar from the beginning,' (John viii. 44.) doth ever prove so to those who, deceived by his offers, pursue as their happiness the things which are seen and temporal, instead of the things which are not seen and are eternal.' (2 Cor. iv. 18.)

I. The world promises us happiness from the enjoyment of Pleasure. Decked in the attire of fashion, this smiling Delilah sitteth in the high places of the city; and with inviting tongue deludes the young and thoughtless into her snare, with assurances of every bliss. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh and cinnamon; come, let us take our fill of love until the morning, let us solace ourselves with loves.' (Prav. vii. 18.) But how are these promises fulfilled? Scripture and experience will quickly determine.

Who of all men under the sun ever more diligently sought happiness from indulgence than Solomon or who had such opportunities of boundless gratification? A king, absolute in his government, flowing with abundance, blest with the most.refined taste, and endued with the tenderest sensibility see him eager in the pursuit, and determined to spare no pains or cost to taste the sweetest draughts of that Circean cup. 'I said in my heart, go to now, I will prove thee

with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure.' (Eccles. i 1.] Straight pleasure and mirth rang through his palaces; luxury crowned the board, wine sparkled in the flowing bowl, harmony charmed the ear, and passion rioted in the arms of beauty: thus for a while the court of Comus was in Zion. I withheld not, says Solomon, my heart from any joy.' (Eccles. ii. 10.) But after-trial did it recommend the experiment? No; 'Behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, it is mad; and of mirth, what doth it?' (Eccles. ii. 2.) These poor unsatisfying delights entirely disappointed his appetite; an immortal soul could taste no real joy from the low gratifications of a beast, however refined,

And saith not every day's experience the same? Look into your own heart, and say, what happiness. have all your pleasures brought you? Have you not ever been disappointed in their possession, and grasped a shadow where you thought to embrace a substance? Your heart hath beat high in the prospect of some delightful scene; but when it came, it palled upon the taste; was rather tiresome than pleasing, and disgusted more than it delighted you. And in an hour of retirement, when reflection returned, and the delusions of imagination gave way to the just remonstrances of conscience; how sensibly and painfully have you felt, that you chased a phantom of happiness, which proved to be real 'vanity and vexation of spirit ? You beat the dull round of pleasure, not so much for any real joy you tasted in it, as because you knew not how otherwise to employ yourself; and took refuge in this course of studied forgetfulness, to avoid the disagreeable task of coking inward, and to silence the secret discontent of an unsatisfied mind. The absence of God, the fountain of all

consolation, hath left a void which nothing but himself can fill.

This is all the happiness of the young, the gay, and the admired: yea, too often (shameful to tell) of those also, whose desires of pleasure have outlived their power of enjoyment; and wrinkles and gray hairs proclaim their folly as great as their sin. And is it for this that religion is neglected, and all the pleasures of Christ's delightful service scorned and rejected!

But there are delights to be found in the ways of Christ which a pleasure-loving world knoweth not of. Not as the world giveth, says he, give I unto you.' (John xiv. 27.) No: his joy is such as strangers to him intermeddle not with;' (Prov. xiv. 10.) it is a pleasure suited to the state of an immortal soul; a pleasure arising from the sense of the favour and love of the ever-blessed God; a pleasure which immediately flows from the service we are engaged in, and accompanies the soul in every reflection up. on it; a pleasure that rising within in the heart, bursts forth in streams of peace and joy, and continues increasing to eternity, as a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' (John iv. 14.) The earthly vanities you pursue, es-. trange your hearts farther from God than they are by nature. These carnal delights debase the soul, and forge new chains to keep you eternal prisoners under the bondage of corruption: for his servants ye are to whom you obey.' And how can there be pleasure in slavery, or happiness in chains? But when you return to Christ as your portion, tired with the fruitless pursuits of the past, mourning over so much time abused, so many talents squandered, so much forgetfulness of God; then you begin to enter into rest. Christ shews you in his blood: the pur

chase he hath made for you of present happiness and future glory and invites you to come to 'fountains of living waters, instead of the broken cisterns' at which you have toiled so long in vain to draw. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.' (Rom. v. 1.) And these are among the first-fruits of the Spirit, which they who believe in him do receive, peace and joy.' (Gal. v. 22.) It is true, to a pleasure-loving soul, these, like objects seen by a jaundiced eye, are ever misrepresented. The way to them thro' the valley of humiliation looks forbidding; and a life of self-denial and mortification of our members upon earth," necessary to our contin uance in his love, seems to promise nothing but wretchedness. But they who make the trial find the difference, and are ready to set their seal to God's truth, and to declare, that they have not been, as before, disappointed of their hopes. Each step taken in Christ's ways brings pleasant ness and peace. The very mournings of the soul returning to its rest in him are delightful; and none know the joy of the tears of penitence but those who drop them. Rough as the way ap pears, it is but as the gloomy avenue (not in itself destitute of pleasure) which opens to some delightful prospect: and these sweet sorrows are quickly followed by 'peace and joy in believing. (Rom. xv. 13.) Nor for a time only, but all life through the prospect brightens, the pleasure is heightened. The intercourse of the believing soul with God in secret meditation; the com munion maintained with him in acts of prayer, and silent aspirations to him; the growing cons formity of our hearts to his image, who is glo rious in holiness; the different joy that christian fellowship brings from any of the friend ships of this world; together with the reviving

hope of, and eager looking for, that glory which shall be revealed in us,' (Rom. viii. 18.) when from drinking of the streams below we shall go to drink at the fountain-head above; these are sources of solid, substantial, rational pleasures, as much superior to the poor joys of sense, as the mild sunshine and genial warmth of a long and temperate summer, exceed the suddenly expiring and crackling blaze of thorns.

II. The world proposes happiness to others in affluence. Money is counted the one thing needful: Money is supposed to bring all the other blessings of this life with it. Under this persuasion, like the horse-leach's two daughters, the worldly mind cries, Give, give; (Prov. Xxx. 15.) joining house to house, and field to field;' (Isai. v. 8.) and herein seeks its felicity. But of this it may be said, happiness is not here. The world cannot give it; its abundance usually removes us farther from it; will not permit us to know rest or peace. On principles of reason it should seem evident, that all the treasures upon earth can never satisfy a soul that is immortal; and scripture fully assures us of it.

"A

man's life (meaning the comfort of it) 'consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth.' (Luke xii. 15.) St. Paul, describing those who substitute gain for godliness, informs us, that they who will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction.' (1 Tim. vi. 9.) And our blessed Lord hath left us this awful declaration, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.' (Matt. xix. 24.) Surely then such acquisitions