d men will not
get done the things they want to be done; while the meek, those who are
gentle, and tender, and try to draw men as God does with the cords of _a
man_ and the bands of _love_, will prosper in this world and in the next;
they will see their heart's desire; they will inherit the land, and be
refreshed in the multitude of peace.

XIX. IT IS GOOD FOR THE YOUNG TO REJOICE.

"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in
the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the
sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will
bring thee into judgment."--ECCLESIASTES xi. 9.

Some people fancy that in this text God forbids young people to enjoy
themselves. They think that the words are spoken ironically, and with a
sneer, as if to say,

"Yes. Enjoy yourself if you will. Go your own way if you wish. Make a
fool of yourself if you are determined to do so. You will repent it at
last. You will be caught at last, and punished at last."

Now, I cannot think that there would be in Scripture or in any word of
God a sneer so cruel and so unjust as that. For surely it would be
unjust of God, if after giving young people the power to be happy, He
then punished them for being happy, for using the very powers which He
had given them, obeying the very feelings which He had implanted in them,
enjoying the very pleasures which He had put in their way. God cannot be
a tempter, my friends. He does not surely send us into a world full of
traps and snares, and then punish us for being caught in the very snares
which He had set. God forbid. Let us never fancy such things of God the
heavenly Father, from whom comes every good and perfect gift. Let us
leave such fancies for soured and hard-hearted persons, who make a god in
their own likeness--a god of darkness and not of light--a grudger and not
a giver. And let us take this text literally and plainly as it stands,
and see whether we cannot learn from it a really wholesome lesson.

"Rejoice! oh, young man, in thy youth."

The Bible tells you to rejoice, therefore do so without fear. God has
given you health, strength, spirits, hope, the power of enjoyment. And
why, save but that you may enjoy them, and rejoice in your youth? He has
given you _more_ health, _more_ strength, more _spirits_, than you need
to earn your daily bread, or to learn your daily task. And why? To
enable you to _g