284 INCENTIVES TO PIETY IN YOUTH. strength to resist them extremely small; later, you will indeed be exposed to even greater temptation, but you will have gained more experience and more strength of mind. Remember your only safety is in flight: Sermons, Prayers, even, will otherwise avail nothing, for if you pause, you are lost! "A heavier curse," Todd observes in his excellent "Manual,” "can hardly be imagined for a Youth, than that of a polluted imagination; on that mind what degrading ideas will be for ever fashioning themselves, defiling that temple where God's Holy Spirit would have dwelt! Time only increases it; the unclean spirit is seldom cast out; much more commonly does he find the abode swept, and garnished for his reception; much more commonly does he take to himself spirits more wicked than himself to go out no more! The mind is debilitated, and rendered incapable, in a great degree, of exertion, self-denial, and self-improvement, and the soul is disfigured by stains which it is to be feared tears cannot wholly wash out, and which the power of the Gospel can seldom do more than restrain, without subduing, when the disease is once fixed." Remember thEN THY CREATOR IN YOUTH. If, then, you would have your piety especially pleasing to God, apply to Him for grace betimes; let it be the piety, the "kindness of your youth." Would you thank anyone to offer you a purse without the money, the shell without the kernel, or a stalk on which the flower has withered? And even were it possible, would you be willing to offer to the Lord only the remains of a life spent in the miserable and dreadful service of Satan? That eye which kindles so brightly at the prospect of earthly pleasure, or at the words of approbation from those whose opinion you value, shall it never brighten at the thought of gaining the approving smile of a gracious Saviour? Is a Youth to feel interest in everything else, yet the moment His name is mentioned-his best and dearest Friend-is he always to yawn and turn away? That active step, so light, so tireless now, shall it never take ONE step to please or to serve One who has done so much for you? And after your health, and strength, and prime have faded, would you willingly tender only the refuse to Christ? Seek, then, the love and friendship of Christ, in your early days; then they will indeed be your best days; every year that departs will bring on a happier one, and the last will be the happiest of all! Believe me, it is no vain promise of God's'they that seek Me early shall find Me." He indeed looks with gracious approval upon a blameless, pious, dutiful boy " INCENTIVES TO PIETY IN YOUTH. 285 hood, as it blossoms into a graceful manhood; and if miracies are not wrought for his reward even in this life, if purer gales do not breathe to preserve his health, nor softer suns arise, nor more timely rains descend to ripen his harvest; if in this life the tares grow side by side with the wheat, and God allows the good things of this life to fall on the evil and on the goodyet of this we are confident, that God is pleased with him! In times of distress, of danger, where human aid is vain, comes that gracious whisper, "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience"-believed in My love when there was much to sadden, much to perplex.-" I also will keep thee in the hour of temptation." With Him there is no past; in His faithful remembrance will still be fresh,-when years have passed,that early love to Him,-that honest resolution one day made! At unexpected seasons, in unforeseen ways, and without effort on your part, tokens of God's goodwill will come dropping in upon you-as richly-laden vessels come dropping into a sheltered harbour with the tide ! God's love calls for thankfulness more deep than any imagination can conceive; but, that by devoting your youth to Him, you may now give the best expression of gratitude in your power! Soon, very soon-in a few more years-your youth will be gone past, never again to return, and the opportunity will be yours no more! How happy are you in having it in your power now to say, "Great God, I owe Thee more than it is in my power even to understand, or to express ! I have but one way of showing gratitude equal to my obligations; help me to make the best returns I can; the warmest will be cold, the most will be but little; but such as I am, accept me, and by the offering of my youth, may I show to Thee-and to Thy dear Son-that I am thankful; it is but little that I can offer, but that little-with Thy help-I will." CONCLUSION. HOW FEW CHOOSE CHRIST! To conclude, one more circumstance may be mentioned, as rendering early piety especially acceptable to God, and that is its rareness! Most who come to Christ at all come to Him in the prime of life; but how small is their number compared to the multitudes who are strangers to Him! Among the Great, how many families are there in which the life of a Christian would be considered insupportable! Among the poorer classes the case is the same. Look at youths in the Factories, Works, and Mills, where twenty, fifty. or even hundreds are employed. Is the language commonly heard from these, or the habits of the Workpeople, when 286 HOW FEW CHOOSE CHRIST. they leave work, worthy of those whom the great and blessed God would fain call His children, and for whom a Saviour died? Among scores, perhaps but one will be found who loves and serves Christ. Whatever changes are made, one thing seems unaltered,-Religion was never in fashion upon Earth! In Youth, even when free from what the world calls vice, there is often little to be found besides Pride, Vanity, and Folly. That fair morning of life, which a few happily improve for the service of God and their own Eternal welfare, most youths spend as if their Eternal welfare was no concern of theirs as if they had no interest in the matter-no Heaven to gain, no Hell to shun! Thus the rareness of early religion may well make it peculiarly pleasing in the sight of Jesus. He sees the greater part of the young utterly careless of His dying love, and treating Religion as a thing unsuitable to youthful gaiety; but here and there we behold a few youths who are offering to Him their best years. He beholds them with pleasure, and will remember the "kindness of their youth." He (who will remember even a cup of cold water given with love to Himself) will never forget the humble resolutions of that Youth who says to Him, I would be more Thy friend because Thou hast so few that are Thy friends at all! Few youths can be found to offer Thee any of their time, so I would offer Thee all the best of mine! Few show any gratitude for Thy many mercies, Thy loving kindness, or Thy dying love; take, therefore, O Thou compassionate Saviour, my youngest and best years, that Thou mayest have all my life, since Thou hast none of theirs!" THE SAVIOUR NEGLECTED. Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head!" Birds have their silent nests Foxes their holes-and man his peaceful bed, All have their rest from care, But Jesus had not where to lay His head! The wild deer hath his lair, The homeward flocks the shelter of their shed, All have their rest from care, But Jesus had not where to lay His head! Why then should we have rest? Why doth He stand and knock with ceaseless love? That cannot-will-not cease, Until He makes us heirs of joy above! INCENTIVES TO PIETY IN YOUTH. Let the Birds seek their nests, In contrite hearts that sorrowed for their sin, Our humbled, contrite, loving hearts, within! 287 The Pious, good Youth,-respected by all, taking leave of his school fellows. "I love them that love Me, and they that seek Me early shall find Me." His Ways are ways of Pleasantness, and all His Paths are Peace!" They that honour Me,-I will honour; they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." ( 288 ) CHAPTER XXVIII. THE SPIDER AND THE TOAD. THE FIGHT AND THE ANTIDOTE. CHERE is in India a small animal called the Ichneumon, noted for the courage and extraordinary audacity with which it attacks the most venomous serpent. It will spring, without the slightest hesitation, upon the back of even the dreaded Cobra,-whose bite is death,-and, fixing its teeth in the back of the serpent's neck, seldom, if ever, relinquishes the contest till the latter is killed! When wounded, the Ichneumon invariably goes asideretires for a short time; what it does naturalists have never been able satisfactorily to decide. The general belief is that the Ichneumon sucks the leaf of a plant which it knows to be an antidote for the serpent's poison. Certain it is that the Ichneumon shortly returns, with renewed vigour, to the encounter,-the poison, apparently, having had no effect. The Toad was formerly said to have also an antidote in case of poison, to which it resorted when wounded. THE FIGHT. Some author-no great matter who, Relates he saw, in hostile rage, A spider and a toad engage: For though with poison both are stored, It seems as if the common venom Provoked an enmity between 'em! Like modern hero in a duel! It cropped a leaf and soon was well! |