p. 98 | H. F. PHELPS by H. F. Phelps

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 12, 1871

H. F. PHELPS

By H. F. Phelps

Joy.

“But the fruits of the Spirit are these, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Those who have read the above language of the apostle Paul's, will not deny but that joy is a grace to be cultivated, and that it is very essential to a Christian character. I take the position that there is scarcely a professed Christian in the world who does not need to cultivate this grace much more extensively. Indeed it has become quite a general saying that, to become a Christian, one must put on a long face, in fact, be gloomy; and young people have sometimes had the idea that if they embraced religion they would have no more enjoyment. Now this is all wrong; and professors who carry

about with them in their very countenances, to say nothing of the gloomy words they speak, that which goes to give this impression, have something of which to repent. The prophets of old were not of this class of men, and they were men of like passions as we are.

Isaiah says, “The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord.” And David says of those who put their trust in the Lord, “Let them shout for joy;” and again, “Let the saints shout for joy.” Habakkuk says, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” And the wise man exhorts us, “In the day of prosperity, be joyful.” That's just it, exclaims one, if everything goes well, why then I feel well; I can then serve God; I can then rejoice.

But this is not the way for us to do. The apostle Paul says, “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations.” Mark the expression, not only joyful, but exceeding joyful. And we may not be ashamed to pattern after Paul. Hear his testimony, “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides those things that are without, that which cometh on me daily, the care of all the churches.”

Now if Paul, enduring all these things, could say, “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations,” why may not we in the few trials we endure? But the time would fail me to speak of all the ancient worthies, who could rejoice in their trials; and I will only add one more: the apostle James says, “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” Now I advise all those who are inclined to gloom and sadness, to think of these things, remembering a trite saying of one, “That the most of the shadows that fall across our pathway are because we stand in our own light.” May the Lord help us to get this grace with the rest.