SERMON I.

Inquiry after Happiness.

PSALM IV. 6.

There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? -Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

HE great purfuit of man is after happiness it is the firft and ftrongeft defire of his nature;-in every stage of his life, he searches for it as for hid treasure ;courts it under a thousand different fhapes,-and though perpetually difappointed,-ftill perfifts-runs after and enquires for it afrefh-afks every paffenger who comes in his way, Who will fhew him any good?-who will affift him in the attainment of it, or direct him to the difcovery of this great end of all his wishes?

He is told by one to fearch for it among the more gay and youthful pleafures of life, in fcenes of mirth and

fprightlinefs where happiness ever prefides, and is ever to be known by the joy and laughter which he will fee at once painted in her looks.

A fecond, with a graver afpect, points out to the coftly dwellings which pride and extravagance have erected :—tells the enquirer that the object he is in fearch of inhabits there;-that happiness lives only in company with the great, in the midst of much pomp and outward state. That he will eafily find her out by the coat of many colours fhe has on, and the great luxury and expence of equipage and furniture with which fhe always fits furrounded.

The mifer bleffes God!-wonders how any one would mislead, and wilfully put him upon fo wrong a scent-convinces him that happiness and extravagance never inhabited under the fame roof; that if he would not be difappointed in his fearch, he muft look into the plain and thrifty dwelling of the prudent man, who knows and underftands the worth of money, and cau

tioufly lays it up against an evil hour: that it is not the proftitution of wealth upon the paffions, or the parting with it. at all, that conftitutes happiness-but that it is the keeping it together, and the having and holding it faft to him and his heirs for ever, which are the chief attributes that form this great idol of human worship, to which fo much incenfe is offered up every day.

The epicure, though he easily rectifies fo grofs a mistake, yet at the fame time he plunges him, if poffible, into a greater; for hearing the object of his pursuit to be happiness, and knowing of no other happiness than what is feated immediately in his fenfes-he fends the enquirer there; tells him 'tis in vain to search elsewhere for it, than where nature herfelf has placed it-in the indulgence and gratification of the appetites, which are given us for that end: and in a word. -if he will not take his opinion in the matter he may truft the word of a much wifer man, who has affured usthat there is nothing better in this world,

than that a man fhould eat and drink and rejoice in his works, and make his foul enjoy good in his labour-for that is his portion.

To refcue him from this brutal experiment-ambition takes him by the hand and carries him into the world,fhews him all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them,-points out the many ways of advancing his fortune and raifing himself to honour,-lays before his eyes all the charms and bewitching temptations of power, and afks if there can be any happiness in this world like that of being careffed, courted, flattered, and followed?

To close all, the philofopher meets him bustling in the full career of this purfuit-ftops him-tells him, if he is in fearch of happiness, he is far gone out of his way.

That this deity has long been banished from noife and tumults, where there was no reft found for her, and was fled into folitude far from all commerce of the world; and in a word, if he would find