for the sake of your happiness alone you should follow up the discovery thus made by vigilant and prayerful efforts to eradicate "the root of bitterness," that will otherwise cause you ever-increasing irritation. As a secondary motive, this is a strong and allowable one; and the more closely you study the discipline of life, the more evident it will appear to you that increasing happiness is one of the sure tests of increasing conformity to the will of God. Unhappiness is the contradiction of the heart to the daily prayer of the lips, "Thy will be done."

73

FOURTH DAY.

DISCONTENT.

"Be content with such things as ye have."-HEB. xiii. 5.

THE apostolic injunction is accompanied with a repetition of that divine promise, which is the only true foundation for contentment. The reason St. Paul gives for the duty of being contented with such things as we have, is, that God has promised "He will never leave us or forsake us." For genuine contentment, then, it is requisite that we should have faith in God's over-ruling and protecting providence, and that we should enjoy a spiritual communion with Him. Nothing less than an intimate consciousness of the intermingling of our spirit with "the God of

H

the spirits of all flesh"* can ensure a happiness entirely independent of external circumstances. A strong will, in union with a cold, proud heart, may, by habit, acquire a great degree of indifference to external circumstances, but that deserves not the name of happiness. Without warm affections and keen susceptibilities there can be no real enjoyment; and that these, through the many changes and chances of this mortal life, should be the source of pleasure instead of pain, can only be effected by combining them with supreme love to God, and child-like submission to His will. "He will never leave us or forsake us;" there is the promise; let it be used as a test for self-examination during a day's discipline. Let us try whether it produces the effect attributed to it in the Scriptures of truth; let us try whether it makes us " content with such things as we have."

* Numbers, xvi. 22., xxvii, 16.

It is universally admitted that a discontented spirit is entirely incompatible with happiness unfortunately, not alone the happiness of the individual sufferer, but, in a greater or lesser degree, that of all within reach of his influence. The spirit of discontent is said to be constitutional; -this is an excuse often made—that it is a physical more than a moral disease. This may be the case with respect to many sins, but instead of lessening responsibility, it extends its sphere very importantly. For it then becomes needful to watch perseveringly against every physical as well as against every moral influence that may aggravate the recognised disease, that may strengthen the original taint of our physical and moral constitution into the inveteracy of habit. When discontent is the natural tendency of the mind, it is certainly important to ascertain whether there are physical as well as mental causes for it, and then to make diligent use of all suitable

means for the removal or prevention of both. But our present purpose only relates to the moral features of the infirmity ; the subjects proposed for self-examination are such as, it is hoped, will assist in discovering whether you are yourself guilty of the sin of discontent, and also, in what manner the discipline of daily life may be made effective for its cure, instead of its aggravation.

As before, you are recommended carefully to watch what it is that makes you unhappy in the course of the day — with particular relation, now, to those circumstances, whether external or otherwise, which are evidently "the will of God concerning you." They may be such as really justify regret, and in that case it is your duty to make vigorous efforts to alter them. When innocent means of increasing the happiness of one's lot or lessening its unpleasantness, are placed within reach, this is a plain indication that they ought