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 her, he muft leave this bufy and intriguing fcene, and go back to that peaceful scene of retirement and books, from which he at first set out.

In this circle too often does man run, tries all experiments, and generally fits down weary and diffatisfied with them all at last in utter defpair of ever accomplishing what he wants- nor knowing what to truft to after fo many difappointments; or where to lay the fault, whether in the incapacity of his own nature, or the infufficiency of the enjoyments themselves,

In

good

In this uncertain and perplexed statewithout knowledge which way to turn or where to betake ourselves for refuge fo often abused and deceived by the many who pretend thus to fhew us any LORD! fays the pfalmift, Lift up the light of thy countenance upon Send us, fome rays of thy grace and heavenly wifdom in this benighted search after happiness to direct us fafely to it. O GOD! let us not wander for ever without a guide in this dark region in endless purfuit of our mistaken good, but lighten our eyes that we fleep not in death but open to them the comforts

us.

of thy holy word and religion

lift up the light of thy, countenance upon us, and make us know the joy and fatisfaction

B 4

faction of living in the true faith and fear of thee, which only can carry us to this haven of reft where we would be → that fure haven, where true joys are to be found, which will at length not only anfwer all our expectations → but fatisfy the most unbounded of our wishes for ever and ever.

The words thus opened, naturally reduce the remaining part of the discourse under two heads The firft part of the

verfe

there be many that fay, who

will fhew us any good To make fome

reflections upon the infüfficiency of most of our enjoyments towards the attainment of happinefs, upon fome of the most received plans on which 'tis generally fought.

The

The examination of which will lead us up to the fource, and true fecret of all happiness, fuggefted to us in the latter part of the verfe- LORD lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us that there can be no real happiness without religion and virtue, and the affiftance of God's grace and Holy Spirit to direct our lives in the true pursuit of it.

Let us enquire into the Disappointments of human happiness, on fome of the most received plans on which 'tis generally fought for and expected, by the bulk of mankind.

There is hardly any fubject more exhaufted, or which at one time or other has afforded more matter for argument

and

and declamation, than this one, of the infufficiency of our enjoyments. Scarce a reformed fenfualift from Solomon down. to our own days, who has not in fome fits of repentance or difappointment ut tered some sharp reflection upon the emptinefs of human pleasure, and of the vanity of vanities which difcovers itself in all the pursuits of mortal man.—But the mischief has been, that though fo many good things have been faid, they have generally had the fate to be confidered either as the overflowings of difguft from fated appetites which could no longer relish the pleasures of life, or as the declamatory opinions of reclufe and fplenetic men who had never tasted them at all, and confequently were thought no judges of the matter. So that 'tis no great wonder, if the greatest part of fuch reflections, however juft in themfelves

and