p. 4 | PLEASURE | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 14, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 11.

PLEASURE.

THE Creator designed that the universe should abound in pleasure. The creatures around His throne testify: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. 4:11. And what God designed for His own pleasure was also to be the pleasure of His creatures. "The Lord taketh pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation." Ps. 149:4.

The purpose of redemption is to have a people that will take pleasure in the things that are pleasure to the Redeemer. So His parting promise to His disciples as He ascended from earth was, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3. There would be no blessing in salvation if the saved ones could not enter with joy into the joys and pleasures of the Redeemer.

The Lord said to His disciples, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32); but those who shall attain that honor will be such as have had their hearts so changed and purified by the Spirit of God that He can work in them "to will and to do of His good pleasure." Phil. 2:13. It is only by having the mind of Christ in all, and every sense of pleasure in harmony with His, that there can be an entire universe in harmony with God and therefore acceptable to Him. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places [margin, "things"] in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Eph. 1:3-6.

The angels of God that "do His commandments, harkening unto the voice of His word," are the same "ministers of His, that do His pleasure." Ps. 103:20, 21. And this is what is designed of those who are the subjects of His mercy: "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them." Verses 17, 18. The Lord our Saviour says, "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." Matt. 5:8. And it is this class that will enjoy the "pleasures forevermore" to be found at the right hand of God. Ps. 16:11. God has no pleasure in wickedness (Ps. 5:4), nor in the death of those who indulge in wickedness. Eze. 33:11.

Worldly Pleasure.

No man ever more thoroughly tested the pleasures of this world than did Solomon. No one ever was better situated for testing his heart's desires. He had wealth and honor and power and wisdom; everything that heart could wish was at his command. So he set himself to "enjoy pleasure" of the carnal variety, and tells his experience in the second chapter of Ecclesiastes. He sought pleasure in mirth, and folly, and wine; in great works, and houses, and vineyards; in gardens, and orchards, and pools of water; in servants, and maidens, and great possessions; in silver, and gold, and "peculiar treasure;" in men and women singers, and all kinds of instrumental music; whatsoever his eyes desired he kept not from them.

Solomon greatly perverted the wisdom God had given him by spending his energies in gratification of the flesh; and after he had enjoyed it all to the full, he looked back over his experience and found nothing but regret. He says: "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun." This, too, with reference to the most practical part of his worldly pleasure—the works he had built.

Now if such a man with such opportunities could not get good results or permanent satisfaction out of the pleasures of the world, what chance is there for common people in such effort? "For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done." The king—the wealthy, influential, keen monarch, with no human power to deny him aught—found the quest of worldly pleasure to be only a fountain of trouble; therefore the man who "cometh after" him, who attempts a like course, must expect to meet like consequences. The king's experience was "written for our learning," and it is still true that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

God wants all his creatures to enjoy life. He wants them to have an eternity of pleasure. And Satan, wishing to draw men away from God, sets before them his counterfeit enjoyments. These are very alluring to the "carnal mind" of the "natural man," who "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him." These so-called pleasures are very captivating to the superficial people of the world, who know that they are but transient, and are even accompanied by many pains and sorrows.

But God has plainly set before us the fruitage of such pleasures, and has contrasted therewith the happy results of accepting and learning to love the joys of His salvation. "He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." This probationary life is designed as a school in which men may learn to love the things that please God and give eternal joy. If we do not learn this lesson in this life, we never can participate in the everlasting pleasures which God hath prepared for them that love Him and keep His commandments. G.