September 1

Happy art thou, O Israel. - Deuteronomy 33:29.

THIS may be surprising to some, for they are accustomed to think that religion is unfriendly to happiness, or at least to present happiness: though they may concede that it is essential to our safety in another world, they conclude that it only brings self-denial, and privations, and restraints, and trials in this. While, therefore, they allow it to be necessary, we find they are always disposed to postpone, which is a clear proof that they suppose it does not yield present happiness, for happiness is the pursuit of all, and none suppose that they can be happy too soon. It is easy to see that such a notion as this must be very injurious, especially to the young, whose thirst for pleasure is so keen and powerful; but it is as easy to prove that it is entirely a groundless notion. Let us appeal to the three tribunals.

Let us appeal to the bar of reason. All must acknowledge that God is able to make a man happy or miserable; and it is unreasonable to suppose that God will suffer us to be more happy while hating and opposing him, than in loving and serving him; that he will smile upon his enemies and frown upon his friends. But we are assured that “The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright;” while “The wicked shall not stand in his sight; he hateth all workers of iniquity.”

Let us appeal to the bar of Revelation. Here we could quote half the Scriptures. We could say, with David, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance, in thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” We could bring forward God himself, saying again, “Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed; behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.”

Let us appeal to the bar of Experience. There are some who have never made the trial; but there are others who have tried, and they are able to compare the service of sin and the service of Christ together, as they have been engaged in both. We are sure that these, even in their most trying moments, of whomsoever they complain, they will speak well of his name; they will acknowledge, with David, “Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord.” They will tell us that they were strangers to satisfaction as long as they were unacquainted with their Saviour; but that since they have “taken his yoke upon them,” and have been “learning of him,” they have found “his yoke easy and his burden light,” and “his service is perfect freedom,” and they are “walking at liberty, because they keep his statutes.”

It is not, therefore, surprising that Christians should rejoice: it is rather wonderful that ever they should be found walking “mournfully before the Lord.” From their own experience they are disposed almost to address others when they meet them, even in their vain and sinful pursuits, and to say, “Forsake the foolish, and live and go in the way of understanding.” “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” They know this from experience.

Joy belongs to them, and it belongs to them only, in this lower world. Joy is their duty, joy is their privilege, joy is commanded, joy is promised them, their joy is insured, their joy is begun. And, though we cannot go so far as Dr. Young when he says,-

“’Tis impious in a good man to be sad,”

yet it is a very suspicious circumstance, and should awaken alarm in all our bosoms if we can live from week to week strangers to life and pleasure in the ways of religion.