Address to the Young
461
It excites, but does not impart that strength and courage which the
Christian can find only at the throne of grace while humbly making
known his wants and with strong cries and tears pleading for heavenly
strength to be fortified against the powerful temptations of the evil one.
Satan is leading the young captive. Oh, what can I say to lead them to
break his power of infatuation! He is a skillful charmer, luring them
on to perdition. Listen to the instructions from the Inspired Book of
God. I saw that Satan had blinded the minds of the youth that they
could not comprehend the truths of God’s word. Their sensibilities are
so blunted that they regard not the injunctions of the holy apostle:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor
thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the [new]
earth.” “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well
pleasing unto the Lord.” Children who dishonor and disobey their
parents, and disregard their advice and instructions, can have no part
in the earth made new. The purified new earth will be no place for the
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rebellious, the disobedient, the ungrateful, son or daughter. Unless
such learn obedience and submission here, they will never learn it;
the peace of the ransomed will not be marred by disobedient, unruly,
unsubmissive children. No commandment breaker can inherit the king-
dom of heaven. Will all the youth please read the fifth commandment
of the law spoken by Jehovah from Sinai and engraven with His own
finger upon tables of stone? “Honor thy father and thy mother: that
thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee.”
I was referred to many passages of Scripture that clearly show the
young the will of God concerning them. These plain teachings they
must meet in the judgment. Yet there is not one young man or young
woman in twenty professing the present truth who heeds these Bible
teachings. The youth do not read the word of God enough to know its
claims upon them; and yet these truths will judge them in the great
day of God, when young and old will be rewarded according to the
deeds done in the body.
Says John: “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are
strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome
the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.