0 w C ^ ^.-^• t^J - Rparchives.org

62 Our Views of Mission Work.This consciousness of strength may be shattered religion ; it is windy, shadowy, spectral, speculin a moment hke a golden dream ofthe morning, tive, light and drifting as a vapor. Young man,The young man who is not strong in the Lord is you must have an employment, you mnst be emweekas the grass that bows under the breath of ployed, if you be worthy of the high calling inthe Summer -wind. It is not the strength of Ohrist Jesus.sinews that makes man strong ; it is not the They who are sick may give up active work,strength of money ; it is not the strength of friends, and turn aside with Jesus, while he talks privatelyIt is the power he gathers into his person, which with their souls. And they who are feeble withis able to suppress sin, and control desire, and old age, may rest a while under the mellow lightdefy temptation, and accept of duty, at whatever of the setting sun, while the marriage supper iscost. It is the power which he gathers into his being made ready for their reception. But thebeing, making him firm in the right, decisive youthful, the healthful, the active-minded, theagainst wrong, ready to show his colors when sin ready-handed, whose ambition is in its firstshows its head ; the power that enthrones Christ flames, if it ever flames at all, may they sit downin the conscience, and the law of God in his heart, on the hill of indolence, and remain at their ease.This is the strong man. We can put him up listening to tbe din of labor, and the bum of enagainstten thousand Sullivans ; and when the terprise all around ? Is not business-ability a talhard-muscled,hard-hearted constitutions of the ent ? Will it not bring you into judgment ?despicable sluggers melt into dissolution, this man But you say, you have no need to work. Nowill show strength firmer than the granite hills, need to brown the face with the toil of the field ;This strength comes only by relying on the or whiten it with the toU of the workshop. YouLord Jesus Christ. Young man be strong in the have the means, and can Uve hke a gentleman.Lord. Let the secret of your strength be your faith Then possibly you are excused from active busiinJesus. Let a sanctified conscience be the seat of ness, and equally excused from loafing. Yonryour power. Let Christ dwelling in your heart freedom from the burdens of toil lays only tbebe the glory of your life. Let the love of truth, heavier responsibilities upou you. Release fromthe magnetism of principle, be the source of your tbe struggles of business is for the higher activitycourage. Let your test conflicts be on the fleld of your mind-power, your heart-power, your moralwhere sin is defeated ; let your victories be upon power, your religious power ; your opportunitiesmoral battle grounds, where your Lord will meet are all the greater for visiting the sick, uphftin|fyou with a garland of compliments for your soul the fallen, encouraging the weak, helping the fortowear forever. Business tbat wins wealth is gotten, supplying the poor ; bringing the gospelnot to be compared with strength that wins vie- to the degraded ; casting up a highway for thetories.chariot of salvation to reach the out-posts of civ-The sensible yonng man will also make his em- iUzation. Free from the necessity of toil, you areployment add to the revenues of Christ and his under ten-fold obligation to work for the kingdomChurch. Every young man ought to bave some of Christ.employment. Idleness is Satan's factory. An The young man wbo would make his religionhonorable fieldof labor is the ground-work of re- golden to the world must embark in some employligion.T^'ithout this there can hardly be any ment that will make the money come. This istrue earnest useful religion. Religiou gets swamp- natural; this is honorable ; this 'is high-spiriteded, sinks utteriy out of sight, in the vanity of a ambition ; this is iu accord with first-classreligsimperinguseless life. There is no body to that ion. But make your business a source of revenue