Connecticut western news., 1892-06-16

do anything with it." Said the kings son: "To 8 brave man no sword Is too short If it be too short, take one step in advance, and then 1t is long enough" So say to any Christian who may feel that he has poor weapons with which to fight against sin and darkness and death: Advance upon the enemy. In the strength of Christ go forward. God is for you, and if God be for you, who can be against you? Remember that God never puts you in battle, but he gives you weapons with which to fight"
 POWER OF CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
 My second word of counsel to those who have recently entered upon Christian life is, Abstain from all pernicious asso- citations, and take only those that are useful and benefcent. Stay out of all associations that would damage your Christian character. Take only those as- sociations that will help you. A learned man said, If stay with that man Fene- lon any longer, shall get to be Chris tain in spite of myself" In other words there is mighty power in Christian as- sociations. Now what kind of associa- tions shall we, as young Christians, seek after? think we ought to get into com pany better than ourselves, never going into company worse than ourselves. If we get into company little better than ourselves and there are ten people in that company, ten chances to one we will be bettered. If we get into company 8
 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 re- tire 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 the restriction of not abusing it. But just as soon as you find any surroundings pernicious to your spiritual interest, quit those associations. This remark is more especially 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 fifty years ago, so suppose he intended the young chiefly to associate with the young. The grace of God does not demand that we be unnatural. do not want you to take this caution I have given you as that of growing misanthrope, hating hilarity. For you must have spring bow if you want to make the arrow fly. But while this is SO, want you to be es- pecially on guard in this matter, and let the religion of Jesus Christ control you in all your associations. I know young people who have meant we'll enough, but they have hoated off into evil influences, and they have associated day by day with those who hated God and despise his commandments, and their characters are all depleted. can see they are changed for the worse, but they are not aware of it. Oh, young man, come out of that bad association. do not know what it is. do not know to what place you may have a private key. I do not know to what place you go without the sanction of those who love you very much.
 do not pretend to point out any evil influences, but are there not some sur rounding influences that are pernicious to your growth in grace? Stand back from that furnace in which so many young Christians have been destroyed. In this church there is large company of young men and young women con- secrated to Christ. know of no better than they are.
 Young convert, invite you into their friendship. Contact with them will ele- vate you. All hail, young followers of Jesus Christ, my joy and my pride! My heart thrills at every step of your ad- vancement. I talked with you in that hour when you most tried to break from sin, and I now rejoice as I see you put ting on the armor of conflict in which God will give you present and everlast- | ing victory. Stand off from all evil as ! sociations. A man is no better than the | company he keeps. Go among those who are better than you are, and you will be made better. Go among those | who are worse than you are and you | will be made worse.
 BE BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL.
 | My next word of counsel is that you be actively employed. I see a great \ many Christians with doubts and per
 plexities, and they seem to be proud oi them. Their entire Christian life is
 made up of gloom, and they seem tc
 cultivate that spiritual despondency
 when I will undertake to say that il
 nine cases out of ten spiritual despond
 ency is 8 judgment of God upon idle
 ness. Who are the happy people in tht
 church today2 The busy people. Show
 me man who professes the religion ot
 Jesus Christ and is idle, and will show | tou an unhappy man. The very frs
 prescription that I give to man when
 I find him full 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. Go and help.
 Here Is 8 wood full of summer in-
 sects. An axman goes into the wood to
 cut frewood. The insects do not bother
 him very much, and every stroke of the
 ax makes them fly away. But let a man
 go and lie down there, and he is bitten
 and mauled, and thinks it is horrible
 thing to stay in the wood. Why does
 he not take an ax and go to work~ Sc
 there are thousands of Christians now
 in the church who go out amid great
 annoyances in life-they are not per
 plexed, 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 ths
 blotches of indolence alfd inactivity, ant
 spiritual death.
 The first thing, then, you have to do
 O Christian young man, Christian young
 woman, is to go to work in the servic,
 of the Lord, if you want to be happy
 Christian. When an army goes out
 there are always stragglers falling of
 here and there, some because they ar'