Joy Power | Page 7

to make them sharers of his immortal hope, let him
purify his love and friendship that they may be fit for the heavenly life.
Surely the man who does these things will be happy. It will be with him
as with Lazarus, in Robert Browning's poem, "The Epistle of
Karshish." Others will look at him with wonder and say:
"Whence has the man the balm that brightens all? This grown man eyes
the world now like a child."
Yes, my brethren, this is the sure result of following out the doctrines
of Christ in action, of living the truths that He teaches,--a simple life, a
childlike life, a happy life. And this also the Church needs to-day, as
well as a true revival of doctrine.
A revival of simplicity, a revival of sincerity, a revival of work: this
will restore unto us the joy of salvation. And with the joy of salvation
will come a renewal and expansion of power.

The inconsistency of Christians is the stronghold of unbelief. The lack
of vital joy in the Church is the chief cause of indifference in the world.
The feeble energy, the faltering and reluctant spirit, the weariness in
well-doing with which too many believers impoverish and sadden their
own hearts, make other men question the reality and value of religion
and turn away from it in cool neglect.
What, then, is the duty of the Church? What must she do to win the
confidence of the world? What is the best way for her to "prove her
doctrine all divine"?
First, she must increase her labours in the love of men: second, she
must practice the simple life, deepening her trust in God.
Suppose that a fresh flood of energy, brave, cheerful, joyous energy,
should be poured into all the forms of Christian work. Suppose that
Foreign Missions and Home Missions should no longer have to plead
and beg for support, but that plenty of money should come flowing in
to send out every missionary that wants to go, and that plenty of the
strongest and best young men should dedicate their lives to the ministry
of Christ, and that every household where His gospel is believed should
find its highest honour and its greatest joy in helping to extend His
kingdom.
And then suppose that the Christian life, in its daily manifestation,
should come to be marked and known by simplicity and happiness.
Suppose that the followers of Jesus should really escape from bondage
to the evil spirits of avarice and luxury which infect and torment so
much of our complicated, tangled, artificial, modern life. Suppose that
instead of increasing their wants and their desires, instead of loading
themselves down on life's journey with so many bags and parcels and
boxes of superfluous luggage and bric-a-brac that they are forced to sit
down by the roadside and gasp for breath, instead of wearing
themselves out in the dusty ways of ostentation and vain show or
embittering their hearts because they can not succeed in getting into the
weary race of wealth and fashion,--suppose instead of all this, they
should turn to quiet ways, lowly pleasures, pure and simple joys, "plain
living and high thinking." Suppose they should truly find and show

their happiness in the knowledge that God loves them and Christ died
for them and heaven is sure, and so set their hearts free to rejoice in
life's common mercies, the light of the sun, the blue of the sky, the
splendour of the sea, the peace of the everlasting hills, the song of birds,
the sweetness of flowers, the wholesome savour of good food, the
delights of action and motion, the refreshment of sleep, the charm of
music, the blessings of human love and friendship,--rejoice in all these
without fear or misgiving, because they come from God and because
Christ has sanctified them all by His presence and touch.
Suppose, I say, that such a revival of the joy of living in Christ and
working for Christ should silently sweep over the Church in the
Twentieth Century. What would happen? Great would be the peace of
her children. Greater still would be their power.
This is the message which I have to bring to you, my brethren, in this
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. You may wonder that it
is not more distinctive, more ecclesiastical, more specially adapted to
the peculiarities of our own denomination. You may think that it is a
message which could just as well be brought to any other Church on
any other occasion. With all my heart I hope that is true. The things that
I care for most in our Church are not those which divide us from other
Christians but those which unite us to them. The things that I love most