Happiness Depends on Knowledge of God “The happiness of man depends on a knowledge of the principles on which God bestows His favors; for all people are, in all things, dependent on Him.  The success of a farmer depends on his understanding, and complying with, the laws and principles on which God bestows a harvest; the preservation of health, the restoration of health when we are sick, depends on a knowledge of the great laws which God has ordained for the continuance of the healthy functions of our bodies, and on the use of the means which He has provided for restoring health when those functions are disordered; and, in like manner, the salvation of the soul depends on the right understanding of the method which God has appointed to secure His favor.  In neither of these cases—in no case—is it the business of people to originate laws of their own; laws for the cultivation of the earth, or for the preservation of health, or for the saving of the soul.  The business of man is to find out the rules in accordance with which God bestows His favors, and then to act in obedience to them.”     -- Albert Barnes (1798-1870)