Appeal to Youth
237
that life where all is purity and holiness, and where all have harmonious
characters? I have prayed for these persons; I have addressed them
personally. I could see the influence that they would exert over other
minds in leading them to vanity, love of dress, and carelessness in
regard to their eternal interests. The only hope for this class is for them
to take heed to their ways, humble their proud, vain hearts before God,
make confession of their sins, and be converted
[185]
Develop a Taste for Spiritual Things
The only safety for the young is in unceasing watchfulness and
humble prayer. They need not flatter themselves that they can be Chris-
tians without these. Satan conceals his temptations and his devices
under a cover of light, as when he approached Christ in the wilderness.
He was then in appearance as one of the heavenly angels. The adver-
sary of our souls will approach us as a heavenly guest, and the apostle
recommends sobriety and vigilance as our only safety. The young who
indulge in carelessness and levity, and who neglect Christian duties,
are continually falling under the temptations of the enemy, instead of
overcoming as Christ overcame
Many profess to be on the Lord’s side, but they are not; the weight
of all their actions is on Satan’s side. By what means shall we deter-
mine whose side we are on? Who has the heart? With whom are our
thoughts? Upon whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest
affections and our best energies? If we are on the Lord’s side, our
thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. We have
no friendship with the world; we have consecrated all that we have
and are to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His Spirit, do His
will, and please Him in all things.
True education is the power of using our faculties so as to achieve
beneficial results. Why is it that religion occupies so little of our
attention, while the world has the strength of brain, bone, and muscle?
It is because the whole force of our being is bent in that direction.
We have trained ourselves to engage with earnestness and power in
worldly business, until it is easy for the mind to take that turn. This is
why Christians find a religious life so hard and a worldly life so easy.
272
Testimonies for the Church 3:363, 364
273
Testimonies for the Church 3:374