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wilderness of this world, lean upon the arm of Jesus, and trust to his finished righteousness alone: so shall the light of heaven shine brighter and brighter into your soul" till the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your heart," and the shadows of this transitory world shall have for ever fled away.

Behold some of Zion's travellers near the close of their journey. They have long felt themselves "pilgrims and strangers," looking on every place below, however attractive, as far from home; and bearing patiently the trials of the way, for it is the way to glory. Now they are entering heaven with this exclamation, "We have waited for thy salvation, O God." Who can tell the scenes of created and uncreated beauty which now meet their view! or conceive of the welcome which simultaneously bursts on them from every quarter in that happy land! But while we own the impossibility of this, let it never be forgotten, that it is the presence of Jesus which consummates their every wish, and crowns their every enjoyment. They knew him, and delighted to acknowledge him as their Friend, in the world below; and he now delights to acknowledge them to be his friends before the presence of his Father and his holy angels.

And now, reader, would you enter Emmanuel's land, and everlastingly partake of his blessedness, oh! "acquaint yourself with him." Visit his cross as a perishing, helpless sinner: inquire into the love which brought him there to open for you a passage into glory; till freed from the burden of your guilt through his precious blood, and filled with a peace which passeth all understanding, you are "changed into his image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

But if you are of that unhappy number who "neglect the great salvation," and put it off to a "more convenient season," remember and tremble, that ere another warning or invitation

is given, your soul may be hurried unprepared into the presence

of God; and be cast "into the fire which never shall be quenched." Oh! be not like that infatuated monarch of old, against whom a conspiracy was formed, and who being warned by a friend, in the midst of a banquet, that the letter he gave him contained "serious things," replied, in the madness of his folly, "Serious things to-morrow;" and, rejecting the warning, perished the same night by the hands of the conspirators. Seek ye

the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon," Isa. Îv. 6.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation," 2 Cor. vi. 2.

"To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts," Heb. iii. 7, 8.

O happy soul that lives on high,
While men lie grovelling here!
His hopes are fix'd above the sky,
And faith forbids his fear.
His conscience knows no secret stings,
While grace and joy combine
To form a life, whose holy springs
Are hidden and divine.

He waits in secret on his God;
His God in secret sees;
Let earth be all in arms abroad,
He dwells in heavenly peace;
His pleasures rise from things unseen,
Beyond this world and time,

Where neither eyes, nor ears have been,
Nor thoughts of mortals climb.

He wants no pomp, nor royal throne,
To raise his figure here;
Content, and pleas'd to live unknown,
Till Christ his life appear;

He looks to heaven's eternal hills,
To meet that glorious day;

Dear Lord, how slow thy chariot wheels!
How long is thy delay!

J. F. SHAW, BOOKSELLER, SOUTHAMPTON ROW, AND
PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON:

AND W. INNES, BOOKSELLER, SOUTH HANOVER STREET, EDINBURGH.

London: J. & W. Rider, Printers, 14, Bartholomew Close.

HAPPINESS REALIZED.

HAPPINESS REALIZED.

Do you wish to be happy? Certainly I do. Happiness is the mark at which all men aim. But where is happiness to be found? 66 Always in the next room," answered a friend, of whom the question was asked. There is much truth in this answer, as it respects the means generally adopted to find the object. It is never where we at present are, till we find Him who is the chief good, and is every where, Acts xvii. 26-28. An Israelitish monarch could not find it in all the pursuits of science, nor in all the enjoyments of sense. He was constrained to acknowledge that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit," Eccles. ii. An accomplished English nobleman could not find it in the honours and pleasures of civilized society, accompanied with every advantage. "I have run," he says, "the silly rounds of business and pleasure, and I have done with them all. I have enjoyed all the pleasures of the world, and consequently know their futility, and do not regret their loss. I appraise them at their real value, which in truth is very low; whereas those who have not experienced always overrate them. When I reflect upon what I have seen, what I have heard, and what I have done, I can hardly persuade myself that all that frivolous hurry, and bustle, and pleasure of the world had any reality; but I look upon all that has passed as one of those romantic dreams which opium commonly occasions, and I do by no means desire to repeat the nauseous dose for the sake of the fugitive dream. Shall I tell you that I bear this melancholy situation with that meritorious constancy and resignation which most people boast of? No: for I really cannot help it. I bear it because I must bear it, whether I will or no."*

Thus it is evident that no worldly prosperity can make men happy. And is there no better portion? Surely as the

Lord Chesterfield, as recorded in Bishop Horne's Sermon on Joshua's choice.

Creator has planted the desire in our hearts, there is that which can fill up all our capacities of happiness, which can give rest to our souls, and be to us that chief good we are inquiring after. And assuredly it will be found if we seek it where God has placed it. It is the object of the following pages to assist you in the discovery.

Happiness consists in a right disposition of heart towards God. But this right disposition of heart towards God cannot exist without some knowledge of him. Hence, happiness must be sought,

I. IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

If we were innocent creatures, his works of creation would appear to us so to display his wisdom, power, and goodness, as to call forth our admiration and love. But, as sinful creatures, it is in the Holy Scriptures, as accompanied by the Holy Spirit, that we make such discoveries of God as can affect our hearts and promote our happiness. Let the veil of ignorance be removed from the human mind, let the glory of God as it is displayed in the person of Jesus Christ be revealed, let his fatherly love and tenderness be seen, and then we know God, 2 Cor. iv. 6. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him," John i. 18. In the character and work of our Saviour, wisdom and goodness, justice and mercy, holiness and grace, faithfulness and love, are clearly exhibited. Then God is known aright when he passes, as it were, before us, and proclaims his name, as he did to Moses, as "the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin," Exodus xxxiv. 6, 7. Then God is known aright when his character leads us to exclaim with Micah, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," Micah vii. 18, 19. Then God is known aright when with the apostle we believe that "He was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and beseeching us to be reconciled to him," 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. Thus we discover that while he "will by no means clear the

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