Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-09

made ten lOrtuucos % u0iO'c " NAA
be when the Christian soul at last comes
into the harbor of heaven. 1t will come
bearing upon il the marks OF q great
stress OF weather. You can see by the
very looks OF that soul as IL comes into
glory that il was driven by the storm
and dashed in the hurricane; but by 80
much as the voyage WAS rough, viii the
harbor be blessed. "If We suffered with
Him on earth, We shall be gloriied with
him in heaven" Aim high. DO not be
satisfied to be like the Christians all
around about you. Be more than
they have ever been for Christ. An old
Arabian king Was showing beautiful
sword that he'd been given him, when
one OF his courtiers said: This sworn
is too short. You cannot do anything
with 4. !" Said the kings son: TO a
brave man no sword is too short IL IT
be too short, take one step in advance,
and then il is long enough" So say to
any Christian who may feel that he has
poor weapons with which to hight
against sin and darkness and death. Adj
vance upon the enemy. In the strength
of Christ. 20 forward. Put iorth
more strength. God il Tor you,
and il God be for you, who can be
against youP Remember that God new
er puts you in battle but He gives you
weapons with which to fight
NV second word OF counsel to those
who have recently entered upon Chris
tian life is:
Abstain from All Pernicious ASSOCIATIONS
and take only those that are useful and
bene6cent. Stay out OF all associations
that would damage your Christian char
acter. Take only those associations tba.
will help you. A learned man said: I'll
I stay with that man Fenelon any long
or. shall get to be Christian in spite
of myself" In other words, there Is
mighty power in Christian associations
Now, what kind of associations shall
we, IS Young Christians, seek alter? L
think We ought TO try to get IN COM
pany better than ourselves, never going
into company worse than ourselves. III
We yet into company little better than
ourselves, and there are ten people in
that company, ten chances To one We
will be bettered. IL we get into com.
pany little worse than ourselves, and
there be ten people in that company,
ten chances TO one we will be made
worse than We were before. Now, when
a young Christian enters the Church
God does not ask him to he monk
God does not ask her to be nun. There
is
No Virtue in Monasticism.
The anchorite that lives on acorns is no
nearer heaven than the man who lives
on par,ridge and wild duck. Isolation
is not demanded by the Bible. A man
NAV use the world with the restriction
of not abusing it. But just as soon AS
YOU find any surroundings pernicious to
your spiritual interest. quit those as
sociations. This remark is more espe'
cially appropriate to the young Now It is
impossible that the young and un-
troubled should seek their associations
with those who are aged and worn out.
As God intended the aged TO associate
with the aged, talking over the past and
walking staff in hand along the same
paths they trod thirty, forty and flty
years ago, so suppose tie intended the
young chiefly TO associate With the
Young. The grace OF God does not de-
mand that we be unnatural. i 10 not
want you to take this caution L have
given you as that of a growing missn-
Ihrope, hating hIlarity. For you must
have a spring bow if you want to make
the arrow ily. But while this is so,
want YOU to be especially on guard IN
this matter and let the religion Of Jesus
Christ control you in all your associa
tons. know young people who have
meant we'll enough, but they have hoated
of into evil influences, and 'they have
associated day By day with those who
hated God and desPised his command.
ments, and their characters are al
depleted. can See they are changed
for the worse, but they are not aware oil
il. o Young man, come out oil that DAD
association. do not know what it is
I do not know To what place YOU may
have a private kew. do not know to
what place you go without the sanction
OF those who love you very much. L do
not pretend to point out any evil infiu'
ences, but are there not some surround
ing influences that are perniciOus to
vour growth in graceP Stand back from
that furnace in which so many young
Christians have been destroyed. In
this church there Is a large company oi
Young men and young women consecra'
ted TO Christ. know OF no better peo-
pie than they are. Young convert, |
invite YOU into their friendship. Con.
tlct with them will elevate you. All
hail. Young followers Of Jesus Christ,
my lows, my pride. Nv heart thrills at
every step Of your advancement. l
talked with YOU in that hour when you
first tried To break from sin, and / now
rel pic. ~ | see YOU putting on the ar
NOR of 4 ccnflic; in which God VIII slve
YOU present and everlasting victory,
Stand on IRON all evil associations. a
man IS no better than the company he
keeps. Go among those who are letter
than you are, and you will be made bet
ter. Go among those who are worse
than YOU are, and you will be made
W rse.
Nv next wori of counsel is that you
Be Actively Employed.
| sse great many Christians with
doub;s aud perplexitles, and they seem
TO cultivate that spiritual dependency,
when I will undertake. to say that in
nine cases out Of ten spiritual despon-
deEcy is a judgment OF God upon idle
ness. Who are the happy people in the
church to day The busy people Show
me a man who prJfesses the religion OF
Jesus Christ aud is idle, and | will show
you an unhappy man. The very first
prescription that give to man when |
find him iull of doubts and fears about
his eternal interest is to go to work for
God. Ten thousand voices are lifted up
asking for your help. Here is wood
full of summer insects. An sxeman
yors into the wood to cut
firswood. The insects do not
bother him very much, and every stroke
OF the axe makes them fly about. But
let man 20 and lie down there and he
is bitten and mangled and thinks it is a
horrible thing TO stay in the woods
Why does he not take an axe and 90 to
work? So there are thousands of
Christians now in the chnrch who 90
out amid great annoyances in hfe-they
are not pzrplexed, they are all the time
busy; while there are others who do
nothing and they are stung and stung
and stung and covered from head to foot