GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness. 



87 



shown, how it is that man's happiness consists in the know- 

 ledge of God. We now proceed to observe, that it is an 

 argument to prove that the happiness of man consists in 

 obedience and devotion, the fact that when a man dies, his 

 destination is to return to where God is. Everything 

 which concerns man is with God, and his works will all be 

 presented before Him. Whenever all the affairs of a per- 

 son are in the hands of another, and his employments and 

 his home are with him — when he is near to him and con- 

 tinually has need of him, there will be perfect harmony be- 

 tween the two, and abiding friendship and love. Whoever 

 be the person whom we love, we shall find our happiness 

 with him. There is nothing more delightful than to meet 

 with and look upon an object that we love. But we ought 

 to know that the love of God will never reign in the heart 

 of a man until first the knowledge of God reigns there, and 

 until the remembrance of God becomes unceasing. If one 

 individual love another, he is continually thinking of him, 

 and by this continual remembrance, his love is increased. 



The remembrance of God will be predominant in the 

 heart that is always engaged in devotion : and the heart 

 will be engaged in devotion and worship, whenever it 

 withdraws from worldly lusts and sensual pleasures : it 

 will withdraw from worldly lusts, when it refrains from 

 sins. To abstain from sins of rebellion, brings peace to 

 the heart : to be constant in worship, is a means of remem- 

 brance of God ; and both are a means of growing in the 

 love of God, which is the seed of happiness. And so the 

 Lord speaks in his word : " Blessed is the man who keeps 

 himself pure, who repeats the name of the Lord and 

 prays. " i 



Know also that all our acts cannot be devotional. Those 

 acts only are devotional which harmonize with the law. 



1 S. 84 : 14, 15. 



