god's favour the only substantial good.
Ps. iv. 6. There he many that say, Who will sheiv us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us !
SELF-SUFFICIENCY pertains to God alone : he alone is not dependent on any other for his own hap- piness. The creature must of necessity be dependent, and must derive its happiness from some other source. The angels around the throne are blessed only in the
499.1 god's favour the only substantial good. 21
fruition of their God. Man, of course, is subject to the same necessity of seeking happiness in something extraneous to himself: and unhappily, through the blindness of his understanding, the perverseness of his will, and the corruptness of his affections, he seeks it in the creature rather than in the Creator. Hence the universal inquiry spoken of in our text, " Who will shew us any good ?" But there are some whose minds are enlightened, and whose desires centre in their proper object ; and who, in answer to the proposed inquiry, reply, " Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us ! "
To illustrate the wisdom of their choice, we will consider more at large,
I. The world's inquiry —
A desire of good being natural, it is of necessity universal —
[From infancy to youth, from youth to manhood, from manhood to old age, the inquiry is continued, Who will shew us any good? who will shew us any thing wherein our minds may repose, and find the largest measure of satisfaction ? Agreeably to this universal sentiment, all prosecute the same object, in the ways wherein they think themselves most likely to attain it. The merchant seeks it in his business, and hopes that in due time he shall find it in the acquisition of wealth. The soldier looks for it in the dangers and fatigues of war, and trusts that he shall find it in the lam'els of \ictory, the acqui- sition of rank, and the applause of men. The traveller searches for it in foreign chmes, in expectation that he shall possess it in an expansion of mind, and in those elegant acquirements, which shall render him the admiration of the circle in which he moves. The statesman conceives he shall find it in the pos- session of power, the exertion of influence, and the success of his plans. The philosopher imagines that it must surely be found in his diversified and laborious researches ; whilst the devotee follows after it with confidence in cloistered seclusion, in religious contemplation, and in the observance of ceremonies of man's invention. Others pursue a widely different course. The voluptuary follows after his object in a way of sensual gratification, and in the unrestrained indulgence of all his appe- tites. The gamester affects rather the excitement of his feel- ings in another way ; and hopes, that, in the exultation arising from successful hazard, and from sudden gain, he shall enjoy the happiness which his soul panteth after. The miser, on the