Jonathan Edwards said, “The enjoyment of [God] is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. . . . [These] are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain.”
George Müller said, “I specially commend this point to the notice of my younger brethren and sisters in Christ. The secret of all true effectual service is joy in God.”
But is this “secret” known by young people being trained for church ministry and missions in Christian colleges and seminaries today? J. C. Ryle warned,
True religion . . . was intended to increase real joy and happiness among men. The servant of Christ . . . has no right to hand over innocent recreations and family gatherings to the devil and the world. The Christian who . . . walks the earth with a face as melancholy as if he was always attending a funeral, does injury to the cause of the Gospel.
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