Expressed in all its rightness and fullness, the spiritual quality of joy is unquenchable. Rejoicing in constant, happy recognition of God and His infinite goodness, we can say, "All is well." We can say to God, "Thou art All, and Thou art good," and to error, "You do not exist; you are not real." Just as the songs of birds praise God in the morning, so, in the morning of one's enlightenment, one's spontaneous and unspeakable gratitude and love for the creator praise Him.
The spiritual universe is the effect of Love. Surely there was no groaning or travailing in Mind's creation—of Scriptural description—"when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). God's universe is ever illumined with the light of Mind, conscious of all Mind has made; with the radiance of Soul, identifying each precious idea; and with the effulgence of Truth, forever expanding and unfolding itself to the receptive heart.
Governed by his divine Principle and embraced by Love, man rejoices eternally. One understanding this knows that his happiness is never dependent on any outward material condition. One expresses joy for its own sake, simple gratitude for being awake to all that is good, that is, awake to good itself, or God. In "Miscellaneous Writings," Mary Baker Eddy says (p. 209), "Joy is self-sustained; goodness and blessedness are one: suffering is self-inflicted, and good is the master of evil."
