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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
about, the sport of every changing circumstance. They are ever looking
to others for sympathy, vainly depending upon others for happiness.
All who pursue this course will wreck their hopes, both for this life
and for the life to come.
Young persons who are thrown into one another’s society may
make their association a blessing or a curse. They may edify, bless,
and strengthen one another, improving in deportment, in disposition,
in knowledge; or, by permitting themselves to become careless and
unfaithful, they may exert only a demoralizing influence.
Jesus will be the helper of all who put their trust in Him. Those
who are connected with Christ have happiness at their command. They
follow in the path where their Saviour leads, for His sake crucifying
self with the affections and lusts. These persons have built their hopes
on Christ, and the storms of earth are powerless to sweep them from
the sure foundation.
It rests with yourselves, young men and women, whether you
will become persons of trust, of integrity and real usefulness. You
should be ready and resolute to take your stand for the right, under
all circumstances. Our wrong habits cannot be taken to heaven with
us, and unless overcome here, they will shut us out of the abode of
the righteous. Bad habits, when opposed, will offer the most vigorous
resistance; but if the warfare is kept up with energy and perseverance,
they may be conquered.
In order to form correct habits, we should seek the company of
persons of sound moral and religious influence. We should constantly
bear in mind that we may be fitting to inhabit the heavenly courts. The
precious hours of probation are granted that we may remove every
defect from the character; and we should seek to do this, not only that
we may obtain the future life, but that we may be useful here. Young
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men and women should regard a good character as a capital of more
value than gold or silver or stocks. It will be unaffected by panics
and failures, and will bring rich returns when earthly possessions
shall be swept away. The youth need a higher, nobler view of the
value of Christian character. Sin blinds the eyes and defiles the heart.
Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities which all should seek
earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which
is irresistible, a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to