The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-27

OBTAIN happiness. NOl only are we all
so constituted by our maker that it is
natural for us to seek, plan and hope
for a Joyous existence, but the pursuit
of happiness is also held up as an ideal
end in every system of philosophy and
religion.
This is especially true of Christianity
which has contributed more than any
other agency to human welfare and
true happiness: as is witnessed by the
very fact that those lands where exist
the highest forms of civilization-of re-
finement and culture, prosperity and
progress, peace, order and happy con-
tentment are called universally
Christian lands; and by another sig
niticant fact, that wherever Christian
ity enters the so-called pagan world,
there do these same signs of human up
lift Godward begin to appear at once,
and to spread and multiply The key
note of Christianity has been, from the
beginning, Glad tidings of great joy
which shall be to all peoples. Peace on
earth, good will among men"
The much maligned and more mis-
understood catechism puts it in nut
shell: ''The chief end of man is to glori-
fly God and enjoy Him forever" And in
the text before US we 5re repeatedly en-
Joined to rejoice" But how? The fault
and failure of humanity is not in their
lyearning for happiness and their pur-
suit of it, but in the way they try To
secure it. The text not only exhorts us
| to be happy, but indicates also the
method. "Rejoice, rejoice!" and how?
Two suggestions are given, which, with
a moments reflection, must appear
both reasonable and practicable.
| In the Lord" No joy possible
without God. Atheism always leads tC
pessimism and despair. Once the SOU
lis satisfied that there is supreme
ruler in the universe, and that this
! Lord of life is also our loving Father
lwho "careth for us" and it cannot but
"rejoice." Through all clouds ano
storms, the eye of faith sees God al
the helm, and-as Browning says-'al
is we'll with the world.
Again: I'm the Lord means in con-
formity to His laws and will Disobedi-
ence even to natural laws works the
wreck of happiness. Overwork, lack OF
exercise, exposure, late hours, vicious
Indulgence, intemperance-an bring
misery. But this cannot be compared
with the torment created by con
demning conscience. The soul thai
transgresses moral or spiritual Law
shuts even now the gates of today
heaven against itself, and plunges heaC
Hong into a hell worse than any ma
terialistic theology can depict. On the
other hand, no suffering-not even the
ltortures of the crosS-can impair the
peace that passeth understanding tc
them who, like Christ, do the Fathers
will" AS Whittier sings, THE HEAVIER
thou seekest, the hell thou fearest, are
both within thy breast"
| The masters of fiction and the drama
those marvellous delineators of hu
man nature abundantly illustrate ant
| confirm the truth Eugene Aram,
! 'Barnaby Rudge," Macbeth" 'Tht
| Bells" and hundreds, literally of Other
| W orks, are merely extended common
| taries on the famous text, There is M
| peace for the wicked The is like The
| trouble sea which cannot rest" while
the long list of martyrs shows that M
| trials or pains can rob a true soul Of
| heavenly happiness. This is probably
what Matthew Arnold meant by eth,
secret of Jesus" For He the creates
Witness to the truth q. e., martyr)'
| we are told, for the joy that was Sc
| before Him, endured the cross" Yes
| they who live 'in the Lord" have evel
| found 1.-The cross a throne and The
| thorns a crown.
II.-And now comes the second and
! final suggestion: "Rejoice-always.
! This teaches that happiness is indie
pendent of circumstances. In vain d;
| YOU hunt for happiness; if it is not il
you, it will not be found. Wealth
won't bring Fifth avenue mansions
| often hide the most hideous skeleton!
Of misery. Position can't confer it--Ne
70 was head of Rome, when Rome val
mistress. of the world; yet he wa:
wretched Health is not absolutely ne
cessary to make one happy-many al
invalid livesin perpetual sunshine Hap
| piness is a state of the soul, not of sur
roundings. The kingdom of HEAVIER
(the reign of peace is within you," anC
| SIS at hand" near and now!
/ You need not wait for anything-no
| even for death--to go to heaven" A
| Christian who does not enjoy HEAVIER
now will be very poor subject for i
! hereafter.
| Reader, do you long for happiness
| (and who Goes not?). Then live a god
| ly life; purity and righteousness brine
| peace and rest. Give yourself to Goo
and humanity, and heaven is yours. Yol
may begin the heavenward march to,
day; you may enter the path Of per.
petual peace now, if you will walk WITH
God, and rejoice in the Lord always.
The only way to be happy is just to be-
happy, and to make others happy. AND
what volumes could be written of the
joy that is found in making others hap.
ny!