The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life

First published in 1875, 'The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life' is a Christian classic by Hannah Whitall Smith, a lay speaker and author in the Holiness movement in the United States and the Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This is based on Christian mysticism and practical Holiness theology. Smith explains that life is made of difficulties and painful situations. But the first burden, which she believes to be the greatest burden we have to carry in life, is self. The most difficult thing we have to manage is self. Our own daily living, our feelings, our weaknesses, and temptations-these are the things that confuse us more than anything else. This book has stood the test of time, and helped millions understand how to have full and complete assurance in God alone.

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) was born in Philadelphia to a Quaker family. Her life expressed the joy that is found in complete surrender to the Lord. 'The secret to a happy life', according to Whitall Smith, is to trust implicitly in the promises of the Bible. Her goal was not to impress the scholar, but to elevate the simple man or woman who longed for a more consecrated way of living. Deeply practical, her writings deal directly with the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people. She also authored 'The God of All Comfort'.