Those professed Christians who are constantly whining and complaining, and who seem to think happiness and a cheerful countenance a sin, have not the genuine article of religion. Those who look upon nature’s beautiful scenery as they would upon a dead picture, who choose to look upon dead leaves rather than to gather the beautiful living flowers, who take a mournful pleasure in all that is melancholy in the language spoken to them by the natural world, who see no beauty in valleys clothed with living green and grand mountain heights clothed with verdure, who close their senses to the joyful voice which speaks to them in nature and which is sweet and musical to the listening ear—these are not in Christ. They are not walking in the light, but are gathering to themselves darkness and gloom, when they could just as well have brightness and the blessing of the Sun of Righteousness arising in their hearts with healing in His beams. {3T 334.3}

[De kristendomsbekendere, som stadig klynker og klager og som synes at mene, at lykke og et glad ansigt er synd, har ikke den ægte gudsfrygt. De ser på det skønne i naturen, ligesom (335) de ville se på et livløst billede og vil hellere se på de døde blade end plukke de skønne levende blomster. De finder et sørgmodigt velbehag i alt, hvad der er melankolsk i det sprog, naturens verden taler til dem; de ser ikke nogen skønhed i dale dækkede med et tæppe af levende grønt og høje bjerge i deres grønne dragt, de tillukker sanserne for den glade stemme, der taler til dem i naturen og lyder som yndig musik for det lyttende øre; sådanne er ikke i Kristus. De vandrer ikke i lyset, men samler mørke og dunkelhed omkring sig, når de lige så godt kunne lade glansen og velsignelsen fra retfærdens sol opgå i deres hjerter med lægedom i sine stråler. Vejl f menigh bd. 1 side 283]