Morning Star

MORNING STAR.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1846.

The Smile of God.

"Enoch" before his translation had this testimony that he pleased God." With such a testimony Enoch was doubtless happy. It was to him an overflowing reward, a glorious consequence, of walking with God. For if to love God with all the heart is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices, to please him is greater bliss than "when oil and wine increase."

When our Heavenly Father is pleased, he smiles; and his smile is to the soul "as life from the dead." Man is a sympathetic being. A chaste and honest smile of friendliness falling upon the wintry heart, ever soothes and softens its anguish, and often introduces spring-tide to the soul.

How much more then, the smile of God; which speaks of reconciliation to Him, adoption into his family, and eternal joint heirship with his Son, Jesus Christ. Some men smile more honestly and sweetly than others. Man "may smile and smile, and be a villain." And even though his smile be honest, there is often a coarseness and severity about it which leaves it scarcely lovely. But not so the smile of God. No one ever distrusts that. Jehovah is always sincere. The prophets represent Him as having a countenance. They speak of the "light of his countenance." And what is the light of his countenance but his smile. A smile! O who can speak it, paint it, imagine it. They only who experience it can have any sufficient idea of it; and even they cannot define it. But to them the consciousness of it is bliss. This consciousness doubtless constitutes the bliss of Enoch since his translation. It is the glory of the heavenly host. It is the convert's song, the old saint's joy and the angel's rhapsody.

The only way to draw out a smile upon the countenance of a man is to please him. The child, pleased with a rattle, smiles. The man, pleased with something more substantial, smiles. And God, whose image man is, pleased with the obedience of his creatures, smiles—smiles tangibly to the soul. How conscious was the Psalmist of this, when, calling upon rocks and mountains, trees and rivers, beasts, birds and fishes to praise God. How conscious of this is the new born soul, who, when just out of the prison of sin, declares that every thing around him seems to praise God. And how happy too! To men, he says, "Come unto me all ye that fear the Lord, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul." To God he says,

"One smile from thee can more than make amends
For every loss of credit, riches, friends!"

Man's present existence is subject to great exposure. He is in the midst of his enemies. He is subject to manifold & multiform trials. Trials of his faith, his hope, his charity. He is called to pass through many "a dark valley and shadow" ere as a Christian he reach "the green pastures" of eternity, and lie down by the "still waters" of the river of life. But though the Holy Spirit every where witness that "bonds and afflictions await" him, still, with the assurance that he pleases God, he is "patient in tribulation" and in hope he rejoices. His soul is calm, and well it may be. For, when the cloud is darkest, the thunder heaviest, the lightning sharpest and the tempest deepest, he beholds the smile of Jehovah daguerreotyped upon the gloom. The evangelical poet has said,

"Behind a frowning providence
God hides his smiling face."

But why should he say he hides it. We would rather say,

Upon a frowning providence
He shows his smiling face.

But it is only to those who please him that God thus exhibits himself. As those who please him, see his smile upon the angry storm-cloud, so those who displease him, see his frown upon the fairest sunshine. As to the saint, the most terrific scenes in nature may excite the most pleasing and sacred emotions of joy, so, to the sinner, nature's most chaste and beautiful and lovely scenes may excite the most unhappy and wicked emotions of grief. The smile of Jehovah makes darkness light. But his frown makes light darkness.

It is optional with every moral being either to obey God, thereby please him, and see him smile; or, to disobey him, displease him, and see him frown. Moreover every man must do the one or the other. Which will my reader do. Now is your day. But it is short. The end cometh. Take heed, lest by procrastination you permit your probation to close up ere you please God. For be assured the frown of indignation once settled upon the divine countenance, you will find in the grave no room for available repentance, though you might be supposed to seek it carefully with tears.

"There is an hour, and justice marks the date,
For long forbearing clemency to wait.
That hour elapsed, the incurable revolt
Is punished, and down comes the thunderbolt."

"When once the master of the house has risen up and shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to say Lord, Lord, open to us; even he shall say to you I know you not whence ye are," (Luke 13:25.) "depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." Then shall Jehovah frown. And his frown, darker than the darkest cloud, must hang forever over the eternal habitation of the finally impenitent; even as his smile shall forever light up the expanse of Heaven.

If an impenitent person should read this article, let him consider that we have him in our thoughts,—that we here beseech him to seek the smile of Heaven and join with us in praying God to have mercy on his soul. If a backslider—but our article is already long enough. We must defer our practical observations till next week.

M. J. S.