Page:Endeavours After the Christian Life.djvu/141

130 enjoyment;—an ideal measure which it applies in its judgment of the actual providence of God; and this is the rule, by which alone the estimate of that Providence is made. Now what is the origin of this criterion, to which we submit the decision of the solemn question respecting the character of God? How do we make up our conceptions of the amount of happiness which we may fittingly expect? There is but one school in which all our expectations are trained, viz. experience; but one source of belief respecting the future; viz. knowledge of the past; that which actually has been, dictates all our ideas of what possibly may be. That image then of adequately happy life which we complain of not realizing, that picture which would perfect our content, is a repetition of what we have felt, a miniature of our habitual consciousness, painted in the colors of positive experience. Our present ideal is God's past reality; nor could we ever have framed even the notion of such enjoyment, had not our own lot been one of peace: by blessing us, he gives us the power to entertain hard thoughts of him; and we take occasion, from his claims upon our gratitude, to judge harshly of his government. Had he made us miserable (as we now count misery), inured us to severities so constant as even to shut out the conception of any thing better; we should have been ready with a song of thanksgiving for the mercies of a lot now raising only murmurs. Impious perversity, that thus renders to God evil for good, and, in answer to blessing, mutters forth a curse!