The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-23

slaughter for slaughter. The Apostle
Paul over and over again represents
the Christian life as a combat.
My second word OF counsel to those
who have recently entered upon Chris
tan life is: Abstain from all pernic-
ious associations and take only those
that are useful and benefcent. Stay
out OF all associations that would
damage your Christian character.
Take only those associations that will
helpyou. Alearned mansaid "If.I stay
with that man Fenelon any longer I
shall get to be Christian in spite OF
myself. In other words there is q
mighty power in Christian associa-
tions. Now, what kind OF associations
shallwe, as young Christians, seek
after? think we ought to get in COM
pany better than ourselves, never GO
ing into worse company q little worse
than ourselves. If we get into COM
pany a little better than ourselves
and there are ten people in that COM
pany, ten chances to one we will be
bettered. If we get into company q
little worse than ourselves, and there
be 10 in that company, ten chances
to one we will be made
WORSE THAN WEWERE BEFORE!
Now, when a young Christian enters
the church, God does not ask him to
retire from the world. The anchorite
that lives on acorns is no nearer
heaven than the man who lives on
partridge and wild duck. Isolation is
not demanded by the Bible A man
may use the world with restriction OF
not q hI,c r,t ct
you find any surroundings pernicious
to your spiritual interest, quit
those associations. This remark
is more especially appropriate
to the young. Now it is i'm
possible that the young and untroubl-
ed should seek their associations with
those who are aged and worn out.
AS God intended the aged to associ-
ate with the aged, talking over the
past and walking staff in hand along
the same paths they trod, 80, 40 and
so years ago, SO suppose he intend
ed the young chiefly to associate with
the young. The grace OF God does
not demand that we be unnatural. I
do not want you to take this caution
l have g ven you as that of g. growing
misanthrope, hating hilarity. For
you must have a spring bow ii you
want to make the arrow fly. 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 your ass ociations.
My next word of counsel is that you
be actively employed. l see great
many Christians with doubts and per-
plexltles and they seem to be proud
OF them. Their entire Christian life is
made up of gloom, and they seem to
cultivate that spiritual dependency,
when l will undertake to say that in
nine cases out OF ten, spiritual des-
pondency is a Judgment OF God upon
idleness.
WHO ARE THE HAPPY PEOPLE
in the church today? The busy
people. Show me man who profess
es the religion OF Jesus Christ and is
idle, and will show you an unhappy
man. The very first prescription that
give to a man when 1 find him full OF
doubts and fears about his eternal
interest is to 60 to work for God. Ten
Thousand voices are lifted up asking
for your help. Go and help. Here is
a wood full of summer insects. An
axeman goes into the wood to cut
firewood. The insects do not bother
him very much, and every stroke OF
the AK makes them fly away. But let
a man go and lie down there and he is
bitten and mauled, and thinks it is a
horrible thing to stay in the wood.
Why does he not take an ak and 90
to work? So there are thousands of
Christians now in the church who go
out amid great annoyances in life
they are not perplexed, 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 with the blotches of in
dolence and inactivity, and spiritual
death.
have another word of counsel to
give those who have just entered
Christian life and that is, to be faith
tul in prayer. You might as we'll;
business man, start out in the morn
ing without food and expect to be
strong all that day-you might as
we'll abstain from food all the week
and expect to be strong physically, as
to- be strong without prayer. The
OAiy way w ScC c1llJ oCISiSCll lHGO tl6
soul is by prayer, and the only diff
ference between that Christian that is
worth everything and that who is
worth nothing is the fact that the
last does mot pray and the other
does. And the only difference between
this Christian who is getting along
very fast in the holy life, and this who
is only getting along tolerably is that
the first prays more than the last.
You can graduate a
MANS PROGRESS IN RELIGION
by the amount of prayer, not by the
number OF hours. perhaps, but by the
earnest supplication that he puts up
to God. There is no exception to the
rule. Show me O. Christian man who
neglects this kind OF duty and 1 will
show you one who is inconsistent.
Show me a man who prays, and his
strength and his power cannot be
exaggerated. Why, just give a man
this power OF prayer and you give him
almost omnipotence.
Another word of council I have to
give. Be faithful in Bible research. A
great many good books are now COM