Perhaps one of the greatest, is the not living in the present: either suffering your mind to dwell on years that are past; pleasures past away; hopes all blighted; purposes unfulfilled, stopped by sickness, employments hindered, work taken from you, your whole self changed and shattered. Or else, per

haps, living in the future, forming to yourself some dreamy imaginations of what you will do when you recover your health; how it will be with you, how you can renew all past enjoyments, and give them a brighter glow than they ever had before. All this cannot fail to make you discontented with the present, and will make your lot seem to you sadder. You can never be cheerful until you feel that every one of the circumstances in which you now find yourself, you were placed in by the God of love—that it is your calling, and that you are to abide in it so long as He pleases. That is to say, you are to seek to be "settled and grounded"1 in it, not seeking for, or desiring any change.

VII

Thanksgiving

HEY who are earnestly seeking to show forth cheerfulness, will have been already pre

TH

pared to join in the thanksgiving.

The other duties of the sick-Contentment,

1 Col. i. 23.

Sympathy, Patience, and Cheerfulness,-may be said to be "our duty towards our neighbour," though each one has also in it much of our “duty towards God." But Submission and Thanksgiving are, especially, our "duty towards God." To "give thanks to Him for all things," is, indeed, a very difficult duty; for it includes giving thanks for trials of all kinds; for suffering and pain; for languor and weariness; for the crossing of our wills; for contradiction; for reproaches; for loneliness; for privations. Oh! this is a hard duty-most slow to be learned. Yet they who have learned submission will not find it a hard duty; for they will so entirely love all that God wills and appoints, that they will see it is the very best thing for them-which they could not have spared; and this will be ground for thanksgiving. Hereafter they will see that He gave them just what they would have chosen for themselves. Then, in looking back, they will see all the links of the chain, and how wonderfully even those have fitted, which at the time seemed to have no adaptation and agreement. This belief enables them to praise Him, and give thanks now for each thing, assured that as it has been, so it will be— that the God of love will do all things well. Therefore, as He does each thing, they will see some cause for thanksgiving; and though now the notes of praise are very feeble, they will swell more and more, until, "with all the company of Heaven, we laud and magnify His glorious name."

2 Eph. v. 20.

Do not distress yourself because praise seems to you so difficult a duty: it is foreign to your nature, but it will grow easier, and more delightful to you, in proportion as you practise it. Begin with thanking Him for some little thing, and then go on, day by day, adding to your subjects of praise; thus you will find their numbers grow wonderfully; and in the same proportion, will your subjects of murmuring and complaining diminish, until you see in everything some cause for thanksgiving. If you cannot begin with anything positive, begin with something. negative. If your whole lot seems only filled with causes for discontent, at any rate there is some trial that has not been appointed you; and you may thank God for its being withheld from you. It is certain, that the more you try to praise, the more you will see how your path and your lying down are beset with mercies, and that the God of love is ever watching to do you good. And so likewise, as the sense of your unworthiness deepens, you will find more and more reason for thanksgiving. Such mercies given to me, and I so unworthy of them! God is ever showing His love to me, and yet how little I thank and praise Him for His love! He is ever giving me good gifts, and I am receiving them as a right, as if I had a claim to them! Oh! how little I have praised Him hitherto! He has been giving me blessings ever since I was born, and I have scarcely noticed them: I have often taken them as matters of course; and, alas! still more frequently, have repined even at His very gifts, and

murmured at His loving will; and yet He has not been wearied with me, or ceased His gifts because I was unthankful.

The first sense of this deep unthankfulness is most humbling and abasing. But we must be made conscious of our sins before we shall be able to say, "I will praise Thee, for Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me."3 We may see our comforts depart, as the bright things of life pass away; but when we have learned that the will of God is pure and perfect love, without change or variation, and that all His ways are loving to us, then we shall learn to say, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall no be herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."4

There must be faith, hope, and charity in true thanksgiving. We must believe God-believe that He is love; and that all His ways towards us are "very faithfulness.” We must hope in God, for "hope purifieth ;"" raises us above the earth; brings all future things near, and makes us to see future things as realities even now belonging unto us. There must be charity, for we must entirely love God, and His will, and love our neighbour in Him, and for His sake; and so have our souls at rest, and free from discontent, and from jarring thoughts, 51 John iii. 3.

3 Isa. xii. 1.

4 Hab. iii. 17, 18.

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which would distract us, and prevent that clearness of heart, out of which thanksgiving flows. We shall look at the things which are unseen, not at those sad and oppressive things which are seen; we shall thank God for those realities, and find all the more cause for thanksgiving, by contrasting those with the things which are seen. You will look rather at "that body which shall be,” than at "this vile body;"7 and you will thank God for it. Instead of looking at the points wherein your fellowcreatures give you pain, you will look at their love and their kindness, until you wonder at it, and at your own blindness, which could not see it heretofore. Instead of mourning over your privations, you will look with wonder at the innumerable gifts which are given to you. Instead of looking at yourself as unknown and unnoticed, you will learn to wonder that so many-sometimes even persons unknown to you--think of, and minister to you. Instead of mourning that not a tree is granted to you on which your weary eyes can rest, you will thank God that even streets do not shut out the sky, and that you can still gaze on that, and feel that it is the work of God. Instead of thinking of all your crosses, little and great, you will "turn away your eyes from beholding vanity," and fix your eyes upon His cross, which was so sharp and so painful, and which was borne for you. What have you to liken to "His cross and passion ?" The reviling of enemies; the forsaking of friends-

61 Cor. xv. 37.

7 Phil. iii. 21.

8 Ps. cxix. 37