Year: 1875

young people7=more than, usual, We
]sapPpse-who are setting ont te
lead q Christian life We are think
ing especially of those who. have
grown mp in Christian homes, and
had the teaching of church and Sun.
day school, aud to whom it is not q
sudden-Qr violent change when the,
deliberately make up their minds to
be servants OF Christ. We want to
say something to these young peo-
pie to help them, five can, in the
noble and blessed work they have
undertaken.


1t will be a great help to you if
at starting you have right idea OF
what it really is to be a Christian.
Do not think of it chiefly as some
thing by which you will be saved
from hell and go to heaven when
you die. DO not look at it first as
something that is going to make you
happy. Think, rather, that you are
now aiming to be the best and no.
blest kind of a man or woman. You
are gong to he faithful, and brave,
and sweet-tempered, and unselfish,
and 'ovable. You are going TO think
more of other peoples happiness
than of your own. You are to live
like child of God, taking him for
everything, seeking through his help
to be like him. In word, you are
to try to live as Jesus Christ lived.
Never forge, that to be G Christian
is to be like Christ.


Perhaps to some of you the words
"to be like Christ" have n kind of
beautiful sound, hut not a clear
meaning. Let MS start at the begin
ming, then, with something so sim
pie that We all can understand it.
The first thing in being like Christ,
and the great thing, is to be iai!htnl
to every thing that we know is right.
That means a great deal! 1t means
something different at every hour.
In school-time, it means studying
ones lessons faithfully; when we are
at home, it is to be watchtul for the
comfort and happiness OF every one
in the house; when we are tempted
to any kind of evil, by other people
or by our own thoughts. it is saying
No, and sticking so it. 1t is thous-
and such things as these that make
up Christian lite.


When, then, we stop TO ask our
selves if we are OH the right road, we
are not to ask, "Did l have the right
feelings when ! joined the church,
We are not to ask, "IIavc | q sense
that my sins are forgiven? DO |
Ieel at peace and happy" The ques-
ton is, "Am l doing what | know is
right? Am l honestly trying in ev-
ery place to do as l know God
would have me?" And wherever
conscience, tells us that we are COM
ing short-whether it be selfishness,
or bad temper, or laziness or what
ever are our weak places-there we
are to throw our whole strength,
bracing up oui strongest resolution,
and earnestly asking Gods help.


Do not think, because being a
Christian covers the whole OF life,
that you must always be sober and
thinking of religion. 1t is with God
as it is with your father and mother.
Y lou want to he always good son
or daughter to them. but it does not
trouble you that you cannot think OF
them always. Not only in sleep.
but in play and in study and in a
great many other things you have
not room for the conscious thought
of your father and mother; and they
do not expect you to have. Your
Heavenly Father is not more unrea-
sonable or exacting than they. He
has so made you that a great deal of
the time you must be wholly occu-
pied in the thing you are doing and
with no room for religious thoughts
in vour head. And no one has such