42
Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
influence. Eternal considerations should come first with you. Nothing
can have a more subtle and positively dangerous influence upon the
[43]
mind, and serve more effectually to banish serious impressions and
the convictions of the Spirit of God, than to associate with those who
are vain and careless, and whose conversation is upon the world and
vanity. The more engaging these persons may be in other respects, the
more dangerous is their influence as companions, because they throw
around an irreligious life so many pleasing attractions.
God has claims upon all three of you which you cannot lightly
throw aside. Jesus has bought you with the price of His own blood.
“Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Have you no
sacrifice to make for God? Great responsibilities stand before you
each in everyday life. Your record is daily passing up to God. Great
dangers lie hidden in your pathway. If I could, I would take you in
my arms and bear you safely over them; but this I am not permitted
to do. You are in the most critical period of your life history. If you
arouse the energies of the soul and direct them to securing things of
eternal interest, and if you make everything subordinate to this, you
will make a success of perfecting Christian character. You may all
engage in the spiritual warfare against besetting sins, and you may,
through Christ, come off victors. But it will be no child’s play. It will
be a stern warfare, involving self-denial and cross bearing. The danger
is that you will not fully realize your backslidings and your perilous
condition. Unless you view life as it is, cast aside the brilliant fancies
of imagination, and come down to the sober lessons of experience,
you will awake when it is too late. You will then realize the terrible
mistake you have made.
Your education has not been of that kind to form solid, substantial
characters, therefore you have to obtain now the education which you
should have had years ago. Your mother was too fond of you. A
mother cannot love her children too well, but she may love unwisely
and allow her affection to blind her to their best interests. You have
had an indulgent, tender mother. She has shielded her children too
[44]
much. Her life has been nearly crushed out by the burdens which her
children should have taken, and which they could have borne better
than she.