Daily engagement with scripture is presented in the sources as essential for experiencing and maintaining Christian joy, the central tenet of Christian Hedonism. The Bible is repeatedly described as the "kindling of Christian Hedonism", highlighting its indispensable role in igniting, fueling, reviving, and defending joy in God.

One of the primary benefits is nourishing the inner person and attaining a happy state of soul. George Müller's testimony emphasizes that prioritizing daily reading and meditation on God's Word before prayer leads to comfort, encouragement, and a peaceful heart, making it the "first great and primary business".

Daily scripture engagement also serves to kindle and preserve joy, acting like kindling to ignite the fire of joy and providing ongoing spiritual nourishment to prevent it from being extinguished. Furthermore, scripture has the power to revive the soul, as stated in Psalm 19:7, bringing spiritual renewal when joy wanes.

The Word of God acts as "the sword of the Spirit", providing a crucial defense against the devil's attempts to destroy the joy of faith. By knowing and applying scripture, believers can resist these attacks. Additionally, scripture is the source of life and faith, which are fundamental to Christian joy, and a means of receiving the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is joy.

In essence, daily engagement with scripture is not merely a religious duty but a dynamic practice that directly cultivates inner happiness by connecting believers with God, strengthening their faith, and providing the necessary spiritual nourishment and defense for a life of joy in Him.

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Psalm 7 is a fervent plea for divine justice from David, grounded in his strong assertion of innocence against slanderous accusations. The commentary emphasizes several theological and ethical principles concerning God's nature and governance. Firstly, God is a righteous judge who inherently acts justly, ensuring both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the wicked. This judgment is rooted in God's omniscience as the "trier of hearts and reins," possessing complete knowledge of inner thoughts and intentions. God's power is manifest in executing this judgment, driven by His holiness's opposition to evil, which results in righteous wrath. He provides protection for those who trust in Him, and His justice often takes the form of retribution, where the wicked face the consequences of their own evil actions.

David's plea for justice is based on his declaration of innocence against accusations of wrongdoing, retaliation, and plunder, implying that he even acted righteously towards his enemies. He appeals to God's righteous character and His ability to discern the truth due to His omniscience.

The commentary also provides practical guidance for believers facing accusations. They are instructed to assert their innocence with a good conscience, take refuge in God through prayer and trust, and appeal to God as the righteous judge for help and justice. Maintaining a clear conscience, leaving revenge to God, trusting in His timing and ultimate vindication, and giving thanks are also emphasized as crucial responses. Ultimately, Psalm 7 underscores the believer's reliance on a just and all-knowing God to defend the innocent and bring about the downfall of the wicked.

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Christian Hedonism, popularized by John Piper, centers on the theological belief that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. This means the pursuit of joy in God is not only permissible but a duty and the means by which we glorify God. This joy then naturally leads to love for others, defined as "the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others".

Piper strongly argues against disinterested benevolence, especially toward God, considering it "evil" because it can imply self-exaltation and a belittling of God's all-sufficiency. Instead, true worship involves seeking and delighting in the joy found in God.

Within Christian Hedonism, love for others is understood as the pursuit of shared joy, drawing heavily from Jonathan Edwards' idea that benevolent people find happiness in the happiness of others. Piper reinterprets "love does not seek its own" (1 Corinthians 13:5) as not forbidding the pursuit of joy in loving, but rather opposing the confinement of happiness to one's own private good; instead, love seeks its own joy in the good and happiness of others. Even duty is redefined as being driven by delight in God and the pursuit of lasting pleasure, with God loving a cheerful giver and servant.

In essence, Christian Hedonism collapses the dichotomy between self-interest and altruism, arguing that our deepest joy is found in God, which naturally overflows into love for others, in whose joy we find a deeper and more lasting fulfillment. This pursuit of joy is not selfish but God-honoring and others-benefiting.

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Pastors' College, founded by Charles Spurgeon in 1856, focused on equipping ministers with practical skills, strong spiritual character, and doctrinal integrity. The college's primary aim was to train preachers, not scholars, emphasizing the development of "ready speech" and the ability to effectively communicate the Gospel.

Applicants typically needed at least two years of successful preaching experience, demonstrating piety, zeal, the indwelling Spirit, and an established Christian character. Poverty was not a barrier to entry. The college sought to further educate those already engaged in ministry, not to create new preachers.

Spurgeon's vision emphasized practical training over scholarly pursuits. He valued authentic and natural communication, aiming to move away from artificiality and pretense in ministry. Spurgeon incorporated his personal experiences into his lectures, believing they offered valuable insights. He stressed the need for passion and dedication in ministry.

Pastors' College firmly adhered to the "old orthodox faith" and rejected theological novelties. The college operated on faith-based financial support, relying on free-will offerings from the Lord's people. Spurgeon himself contributed to the college, never taking a salary.

Spurgeon's motivations for establishing the college and publishing his lectures included aiding preachers with limited knowledge, training them practically, upholding specific doctrines, meeting a practical need in ministry, sharing his experiences, and preserving his teachings. He sought to equip ministers to be effective in a rapidly changing world by training them to be orthodox, spiritual, natural, and practically shrewd.

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Based on Christian Hedonism, the chief end of humanity is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Authentic worship should not be an outward performance of duty but an inward delight in God.

Truth and emotion are interdependent in worship and should be balanced for true worship to occur.

• Worshiping "in spirit" contrasts with worshiping through external means only, like empty formalism and traditionalism.
• To worship in truth stands in contrast to worship based on an inadequate view of God.
• Truth is the fuel for emotions, so strong affections for God must be rooted in and shaped by the truth of Scripture.
• Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy, while emotion without truth leads to empty frenzy and shallowness.

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in igniting worship. The fire that makes the fuel of a true vision of God's greatness burn white hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit. True worship comes from spirits made alive and sensitive by the quickening of God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes the Word of Christ clear and satisfying to the soul.

Worship may involve a progression through stages. Piper describes three stages of worship experiences: barrenness of soul, longing and desire, and unencumbered joy. God is pleased with all three stages if they are on the way to full joy in Him.

Believers should cultivate a true vision of the greatness of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to ignite their renewed spirit, resulting in powerful worship and affections.

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David Brainerd's life and faith were centered on glorifying God, which greatly influenced his perspective on death. He saw true religion as the soul's conformity to God, acting selflessly for His glory and desiring to live for and honor Him in all things. This included humility, a God-like temper, supreme love for God, and a rejection of false religion. Brainerd longed to behold God's glory, attain perfect holiness, witness the prosperity of Zion, and understand the mysteries of God's providence.

Brainerd experienced several physical ailments, such as a violent cough, fever, no appetite, and pains in his chest and back, which frequently interrupted his diary entries.

Brainerd's faith shaped his view of suffering and death, enabling him to face death with composure and even joy. He was habitually prepared for death and viewed it as a release from toil and an entrance into rest. Brainerd embraced the idea that life and death were determined by an infinitely wise God and sought to align himself with God's will. Even in weakness, his primary concern was to glorify God, which transcended personal comfort. He longed for perfect holiness to please God and glorify Him to the utmost of his abilities. Brainerd's concept of heaven centered on pleasing and glorifying God, considering it the only true happiness. He saw God's cause and the Redeemer's kingdom as supremely valuable, giving him joy and allowing him to rest in the belief that God would promote His cause.

Brainerd expressed that his "heaven is to please God, and glorify him, and to give all to him, and to be wholly devoted to his glory". He did not seek personal advancement in heaven, but to give honor to God.

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Conversion, in John Piper's Christian Hedonism, is the creation of a Christian Hedonist, which means embracing Jesus as one's most valued treasure and pursuing joy in Him. This transformation involves several key components, including repentance, faith, receiving Jesus as treasure, desiring God, regeneration, and developing a new taste for God.

Six truths underscore the need for conversion: Humans were created for God's glory but have failed to glorify Him, resulting in condemnation. God, in His mercy, sent Jesus Christ to save sinners, and the benefits of His death belong to those who repent and trust in Him.

Human actions, enabled by regeneration, play a crucial role in conversion. Repentance means turning away from sin and unbelief. Faith signifies trusting in Christ alone for salvation. Receiving Jesus as Treasure means valuing Him above all else, not just as Savior or Lord. Desiring God means developing a new taste for the glory of God and the beauty of Christ, leading people to love the light.

Regeneration is a prior work of God that makes repentance and faith possible by overcoming hard and rebellious hearts. It is a gift from God, a new birth that enables individuals to turn from sin and embrace Christ. Without regeneration, humans are spiritually blind, hardened, and dead, unable to respond positively to the gospel. Edwards adds that sin is infinitely serious because it violates humanity's infinite obligations to God, warranting eternal condemnation. Ultimately, Piper reconciles God's glory and human joy, asserting that they intertwine in the experience of delight in God, which results in praise.

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According to Calvin, humanity possesses an innate knowledge of God, evident in the natural world and within themselves. However, this knowledge is insufficient for true piety because of human corruption and misdirection.

God reveals Himself through the universe, making it impossible to claim ignorance. The "unlettered and stupid folk cannot plead the excuse of ignorance" because God's glory is clearly marked in His works. Innumerable pieces of evidence in heaven and earth display God's wisdom, accessible even to the untutored. Creation acts as a mirror, reflecting God's invisible nature through the skillful ordering of the universe.

Despite God's clear revelation, people often fail to recognize Him due to their own "stupidity" and tendency to get caught up in their own imaginings. "Human stupidity" hinders people from recalling the Creator, thus limiting natural knowledge of God. The manifestation of God is choked by human superstition and the error of the philosophers. People are unable to be led into the right path because the fuller light is smothered.

Humans are also ungrateful, turning to pride instead of praising God for the gifts they possess. Many deny God, attributing the wonders of creation to "nature". They willingly distort their understanding to suppress God's name.

The remedy for this misdirected innate knowledge is inner revelation of God through faith. God's self-disclosure is so clear that it strips humanity of every excuse for not recognizing Him.

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The foundation of Christian Hedonism rests upon the happiness of God, which is intrinsically linked to His sovereignty. God's sovereignty empowers Him to act according to His pleasure, ensuring that His divine purposes remain unthwarted, thus establishing Him as the happiest of all beings.

Understanding God's happiness transforms the pursuit of human happiness from a self-centered endeavor to a God-centered one. Aligning with God's purposes, delighting in His glory, and offering Him praise allows individuals to experience the fullness of joy that comes from knowing and loving the most magnificent Being in the universe. God delights in His glory, making human happiness possible by aligning with it. God's ultimate goal is to preserve and display His infinite and awesome greatness and worth, that is, His glory.

This framework resolves the paradox between God's self-centeredness and love for humanity, as God's self-love is not a deficiency but a reflection of His infinite worth. Because God is all-glorious and self-sufficient, He must be for Himself to be for humanity. Moreover, delight is incomplete until expressed in praise, making praise an essential component of joy. God's love involves not only giving Himself to humanity but also inspiring humanity to praise Him. God's pursuit of praise from humanity and humanity's pursuit of pleasure in Him are thus the same pursuit.

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Ecclesiastes is a complex book that explores the meaning of life, grappling with skepticism and faith. A key to understanding this book is its structure.

The book employs several structural elements that shape its interpretation, most notably the inclusio. The phrase "Vanity of vanities… all is vanity" (or "All is heḇel") appears at the beginning and end, acting as a rhetorical frame that emphasizes the transitoriness of everything. The narrator uses this inclusio to frame Qoheleth's ruminations, suggesting that life's complexities are contained within the recognition of its fleeting and absurd nature. The inclusio sets the thematic boundaries of the book.

Repeated refrains about the vapor-like nature of life (heḇel) also function as thematic anchors. Recognizing "all is heḇel" questions the idea of absolute control and dismantles the illusion that people can master reality.

Ecclesiastes also has a symmetrical structure, dividing into reflective units and ethical admonitions. This structure, along with the chiastic structure of the first half's conclusion, implies intentional design. Ethical admonitions are present, including the directive to "Fear God and keep His commandments," which anchors the book.

Scholars debate whether Ecclesiastes is a unified work or a composite of conflicting viewpoints. Regardless, the book's structure highlights the cyclical nature of life, the importance of both skepticism and faith, and the call to find meaning in God and enjoy the present moment.

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