Thoughts for Young Men, Part Two, by J.C. Ryle. When the Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to Titus about his responsibility as a minister, he mentioned young men as a group requiring particular attention. After speaking of older men and older women and young women, he adds this advice, encourage the young men to be self-controlled, I am going to follow the Apostle's advice. I propose to offer a few words of friendly exhortation to young men.

Now today, in part two, we come to the third major point, and that is general counsels to young men. General counsels to young men. In the third place, I wish to give some general counsels to young men.

First, try to get a clear view of the evil of sin. Try to get a clear view of the evil of sin. Young men, if you only knew what sin is and what sin has done, you would not think it so strange that I exhort you as I do. You do not see sin in its true colors. Your eyes are naturally blind to its guilt and its danger. And therefore you cannot understand what makes me so worried about you.

Oh, do not let the devil succeed in persuading you that sin is a small matter. Think for a moment what the Bible says about sin. How it dwells naturally in the heart of every man and woman alive. How sin continually defiles our thoughts, words, and actions. How it renders us all guilty and abominable in the sight of a holy God. How sin leaves us utterly without hope of salvation if we look to ourselves. How sin's fruit in this world is shame and its wages in the world to come is death.

Think calmly about all of this. I tell you this day, it is just as sad to be dying of cancer and not knowing it as it is to be a living man and dying of sin and not knowing it. Think what an awful change sin has worked on all of our natures. Man is no longer what he was when God formed him out of the dust of the ground. He came out of God's hand upright and sinless. In the day of his creation, he was, like everything else, very good. And what is man now? A fallen creature, a ruin, a being that shows the marks of corruption all over, His heart, like Nebuchadnezzar, is degraded and earthly, looking down and not up. His affection's like a household in disorder, calling no man master, all extravagance and confusion. His understanding is like a flickering lamp, powerless to guide him. Not knowing good from evil, his will is like a rudderless ship, tossed to and fro by every desire. and constant only in choosing any way rather than God's way. What a wrecked man is compared to what he might have been.

We may understand such figures being used as blindness, deafness, disease, sleep, and death when the spirit has to give a picture of man as he really is. And man as he is, remember, was made so by sin

Think, too, what it has cost to make atonement for sin and to provide a pardon and forgiveness for sinners. God's own Son must come into the world and take upon Himself our nature in order to pay the price of our redemption and deliver us from the curse of a broken law. He who was in the beginning with the Father and by whom all things were made must suffer for sin, the just for the unjust. He must die the death of a criminal before the way to heaven can be laid open to any soul.

See the Lord Jesus Christ despised and rejected by men, scourged, mocked, insulted. Look at him bleeding on the cross of Calvary. Hear him cry out in agony, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Note how the sun was darkened and the rocks shook at the sight, and then consider, young men, what must be the evil and guilt of sin. Think moreover, my friends, of all the misery and sorrow that sin has caused and is causing to this very day. pain, disease, death, strifes, quarrels, divisions, envy, jealousy, malice, deceit, fraud, and cheating, violence, oppression, robbery, selfishness, unkindness, and ingratitude. All these are the fruits of sin. Sin is the parent of them all. It is sin that is so marred and spoiled the face of God's creation. Young men, consider these things and you will not wonder that we preach as we do. Surely if you did think of them, you would break with sin forever. Will you play with poison? Will you sport with hell? Will you take fire into your hand? Will you harbor your deadliest enemy in your arms? Will you go on living as if it mattered nothing? Whether your sins were forgiven or not? Whether sin had dominion over you or you over sin? Oh, awake to a sense of sin's sinfulness and danger. Remember the words of Solomon. Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. Hear then the request that I make of you this day. Pray that God would teach you the real evil of sin. If you would have your soul to be saved, then get up and pray. Secondly, I counsel you to seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ. This is indeed the principal thing in Christianity. This is the cornerstone of Christianity. Till you know this, my warnings and advice to you will be useless, and your endeavors, whatever they may be, will be in vain. A watch that does not keep time is as useless as religion without Christ. But don't let me be misunderstood. It is not the mere knowing of Christ's name that I mean. It is a knowing of His mercy, grace, and power. the knowing of Him not by the hearing of the ear, but by the experience of your hearts. I want you to know Christ by faith. I want you, as Paul says, to know the power of His resurrection, becoming like Him in His death. I want you to be able to say of Him, He is my peace and my strength, my life and my consolation, my physician and my shepherd, my Savior and my God. Why do I make such a point of this? I do it because in Christ alone, all God's fullness dwells. Because in Christ alone, there is a full supply of all that we require for the needs of our souls. Of ourselves, we are all poor. We are empty creatures, empty of righteousness and peace, empty of strength and comfort, empty of courage and patience, empty of power to stand or go on or to make progress in this evil world. It is in Christ alone that all these things are to be found, grace, peace, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is just in proportion as we live upon him that we are strong Christians. It is only when self is nothing and Christ is all of our confidence, it is only then that we shall do great things. Only then are we armed for the battle of life and shall overcome. Only then are we prepared for the journey of life and shall move forward. To live on Christ, to draw all from Christ, to do everything in the strength of Christ, to be ever looking to Christ, This is the secret of spiritual prosperity. I can do everything, says Paul, through him who gives me strength. Young men, I set before you Jesus Christ this day as the treasury of your souls, and I invite you to begin by going to him. Let this be your first step. Go to Christ. Do you want to consult friends? He is the best friend. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Do you feel unworthy because of your sins? Do not fear. His blood cleanses from all sin. He says to you, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Do you feel weak and unable to follow him? Do not fear. He will give you the power to become sons of God. He will give you the Holy Spirit to live in you and seal you for his own. He will give you a new heart and he will put a new spirit within you.

Are you troubled or beset with a strange bent towards evil? Do not fear. There is no evil spirit that Jesus cannot cast out There is no disease of soul that he cannot heal. Do you feel doubts and fears? Throw them aside. Come to me, he says. Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away.

He knows very well the heart of a young man. He knows your trials and your temptations, your difficulties and your foes. In the days of his flesh, he was like yours. a young man at Nazareth. He knows by experience a young man's mind. He can understand the feeling of your temptations because he himself suffered when he was tempted. Surely you will be without excuse if you turn away from such a Savior and friend as this.

Hear the request I make of you this day. If you love life, then seek to become acquainted with Jesus Christ.

Now, thirdly, I counsel you never to forget that nothing is as important as your soul. Nothing is as important as your soul. Your soul is eternal. It will live forever. The world and all that it contains will pass away. Firm, solid, beautiful, well-ordered as it is, the world will come to an end. The Bible says the heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. The works of statesmen, writers, painters, architects, all are short-lived. Your soul will outlive them all.

The angel's voice shall proclaim one day that there will be no more delay. Try. I beg you to realize the fact that your soul is the one thing worth living for. It is the part of you which ought always to be considered first. No place, no employment is good for you, which injures your soul. No friend, no companion deserves your confidence, who makes light of your soul's concerns. The man who hurts you, your property, your character, only does a temporary harm. Your true enemy is the one who plots to damage your soul.

Think for a moment why you were born into this world. Not merely to eat and drink and indulge the desires of the flesh. Not merely to dress up your body and follow its lust wherever they may lead you. Not merely to work and sleep and laugh and talk and enjoy yourselves and think of nothing but time. No, you were meant for something higher and better than this. You were placed here to train for eternity. Your body was only intended to be a house for your immortal spirit. It is flying in the face of God's purposes to do as many of you do. to make the soul a servant to the body and not the body a servant to the soul.

Young men, God does not show favoritism, nor does he respect the honors bestowed by men. He rewards no man's heritage or wealth or rank or position. He does not see with man's eyes. The poorest saint that ever died in a ghetto is nobler in his sight than the richest sinner that ever died in a palace. God does not look at riches, titles, education, beauty, or anything of the kind. There is only one thing that God does look at, and that is the immortal soul. He measures all men by one standard, one measure, one test, one criterion, and that is the state of their souls. Do not forget this. Keep it in view, morning, noon, and night, the interest of your soul. Rise up each day desiring that your soul may excel. Lie down each evening asking yourself whether your soul has really grown.

Remember Zeuxis, the great painter of old? When men asked him why he labored so intensely and took such extreme pains with every picture, his simple answer was, I paint for eternity. Do not be ashamed to be like him. Set your immortal soul before your mind's eye. And when men ask you why you live as you do, answer them in his spirit, I live for my soul. Believe me, the day is fast coming when the soul will be the one thing men will think of. And the only question of importance will be this, is your soul lost or saved?

Fourthly, I counsel young men to remember it is possible to be a young man and yet to serve God. It is possible to be a young man and yet to still serve God. I fear the snares that Satan lays for you on this point. I fear that he will succeed in filling your minds with the vain notion that to be a true Christian as a youth is impossible. I have seen many carried away by this delusion. I have heard it said, You are requiring an impossibility in expecting so much Christianity from young people. Youth is no time for seriousness. Our desires are strong. And it was never intended that we should keep them under such strong Christian control as you wish that we do. God meant us to enjoy ourselves. There will be plenty of time for religion in the future. And this kind of talk is only too much encouraged by the world. The world is only too ready to wink at youthful sins. The world appears to think of it as a matter of course that young men must sow their wild oats. The world seems to take it for granted that young people must be irreligious and that it is not possible for them to follow after Christ.

Young men, I will ask you this simple question. Where will you find anything of this in the word of God? Where is the chapter or verse in the Bible which will support this talking and reasoning of the world? Doesn't the Bible speak to old and young alike without distinction? Is not sin, sin, whether committed at the age of 20 or 50? Will it form the slightest excuse in the day of judgment to say, I know I sinned, but I was young then. Show your common sense, I beg of you, by giving up such vain excuses. You are responsible and accountable to God from the very moment that you know right and wrong.

I know very well that there are many difficulties in a man's way, but there are always difficulties in the way of doing right. The path to heaven is always narrow, whether you are young or old. There are difficulties, but God will give you the grace to overcome them. God is no hard master. He will not, like Pharaoh, require you to make bricks without straw. He will make sure that the path He requires us to walk is never an impossible road. He never gave commands to man which He would not give man the power to perform. There are difficulties. but many a young man has overcome them in the past, and so can you. Moses was a young man with passions like yourself, but see what is said of him in scripture. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded this grace for the sake of Christ as of a greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

Daniel was a young man when he began to serve God in Babylon. He was surrounded by temptations of every kind. He had few people with him and many against him. Yet Daniel's life was so blameless and consistent that even his enemies could not find any fault in him except if it had something to do with the law of his God.

And these are not solitary cases. There is a cloud of witnesses whom I could name. Time would not allow me if I were to tell you of the young Isaac, young Joseph, young Joshua, young Samuel, young David, young Solomon, young Abijah, young Obadiah, young Josiah, and young Timothy. These were not angels. These were men, men with natural hearts like your own. They too had obstacles to contend with, lust to mortify, trials to endure, hard places to travel, like any of you. But young as they were, they all found it possible to serve God.

Will they not all rise in judgment and condemn you if you persist in saying it cannot be done? Young men, try to serve God. Resist the devil when he whispers that it is impossible. Try, and the Lord God of the promises will give you strength in the trying. Difficulties which seem like mountains shall melt away like snow in spring. Obstacles which seem like giants in the distance will dwindle into nothing when you actually face them. The lion that blocks the way that you are traveling and causes you great fear will prove to be chained and unable to harm you. If men believed the promises more, they would never be afraid of their assigned duties.

But remember that little word I press upon you, And when Satan says to you, you cannot be a Christian while you are young, answer him, get behind me, Satan. By God's help, I will try.

In the fifth place, young men, I counsel you to determine, as long as you live, to make the Bible your guide and advisor. To make the Bible your guide and advisor. The Bible is God's merciful provision for sinful man's soul, the map by which he must steer his course if he would attain eternal life. All that we need to know in order to make us peaceful, holy, or happy is richly contained there.

If a young man wants to know how to begin his life well, let him hear what David says. How can a young man keep his way pure? by living according to your word. Young men, I charge you to make it a habit of reading the Bible and not to let the habit be broken. Do not let the laughter of friends, do not let the bad customs of the family you live in, do not let any of these things prevent you from reading the Bible. Determine that you will not only have a Bible, but that you will also make time to read it. Allow no man to persuade you that it is only a book for Sunday school children and old women. It is the book from which King David got wisdom and understanding. It is the book which young Timothy knew from his childhood. Never be ashamed of reading the Bible. Do not scorn instruction. Read the Bible reverently. Read it as the word of God, not of men. believing implicitly that what it approves is right and what it condemns is wrong. Be very sure that every doctrine which will not stand the test of scripture is false. This will keep you from being tossed to and fro and carried about by the dangerous opinions of these latter days. Be very sure that every practice in your life which is contrary to scripture is sinful and must be given up. This will settle many a question of conscience and cut the knot of many a doubt.

Remember how differently two kings of Judah read the word of God? Jehoiakim read it and at once tore the pages to pieces and burned it in the fire. And why? Because his heart rebelled against it and he was resolved not to obey. However, Josiah read it and at once tore his clothes and cried mightily to the Lord. And why? Because his heart was tender and obedient. He was ready to do anything which scripture showed him was his duty. Oh, that you may follow the last of these two and not the first. And read the Bible regularly. This is the only way to become mighty in the Scriptures. A quick glance at the Bible now and then does little good. At that rate, you will never become familiar with its treasures or feel the sword of the Spirit fitted into your hand in the hour of conflict. But store up your mind with Scripture by diligent reading, and you will soon discover its value and power. Bible verses will rise up in your hearts in the moment of temptation. Commands will suggest themselves in times of doubt. Promises will come across your thoughts in the times of discouragement. And thus you will experience the truth of David's words. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And of Solomon's words, when you walk, they will guide you. When you sleep, they will watch over you. And when you awake, they will speak to you.

I dwell on these things more because this is an age of reading. There seems to be no end to the producing of many books, though few of them are really profitable. There seems to be a rage for cheap printing and publishing. Newspapers of every sort abound, and the tone of some, which have the widest circulation, speaks badly for the taste of the age. Amid the flood of dangerous reading, I plead for my master's book. I call upon you not to forget the book of the soul. Do not let newspapers, novels, and romances be read while the prophets and the apostles be despised. Do not let the exciting and the sensual swallow up your attention while the edifying and the sanctifying can find no place in your mind. Young men, Give the Bible the honor due it every day that you live. Whatever you read, read the Bible first. And beware of bad books. There are plenty of them in this day. Be careful what you read. I suspect there is more harm done to souls in this way than most people have an idea that it is possible. Value all books in proportion as they are agreeable to scripture. Those that are nearest to it are the best, and those that are farthest from it and most contrary to it are the worst.

In the sixth place, my friends, never make an intimate friend of anyone who is not a friend of God. Young men, never, never make an intimate friend of anyone who is not a friend of God. Understand me. I do not speak of acquaintances. I do not mean that you ought to have nothing to do with anyone but true Christians. To take such a line is neither possible nor desirable in this world. Christianity requires no man to be discourteous. But I do advise you to be very, very careful in your choice of friends. Do not open all your heart to a man merely because he is clever, agreeable, good-natured, and kind. These things are all very well in their own way, but they are not everything. Never be satisfied with the friendship of anyone who will not be useful to your soul. Believe me, the importance of this advice cannot be overrated. There is no telling the harm that is done by associating with godless companions and friends. The devil has few better helps in ruining a man's soul. Grant him this help, and he cares little for all the armor with which you may be armed against him. Good education, early habits of morality, sermons, books, all he knows well will avail you little if you will only cling to ungodly friends. You may resist many open temptations, refuse many plain snares, But once you take up a bad companion, he is content. That awful chapter, which describes Amnon's wicked conduct with Tamar, almost begins with these words, now Amnon had a friend, a very shrewd man.

You must remember we are all creatures of imitation. Precept may teach us, but it is example that draws us. There is that in all of us that we are always disposed to catch the ways of those with whom we live. And the more we like them, the stronger does the disposition grow. Without our being aware of it, they influence our taste and opinions. We gradually give up what they dislike and take up what they like in order to become closer friends with them. And worst of all, We catch their ways in things that are wrong far quicker than in things that are right. Health unhappily is not contagious, but disease is. It is far easier to catch a chill than to impart a warmth, and to make each other's religion dwindle away than grow and prosper. Young men, I ask you to take these things to heart. Before you let anyone become your constant companion, before you get into the habit of telling him everything and going to him with all your troubles and all your pleasures, before you do this, just think of what I have been saying. Ask yourself, will this be a useful friendship to me or not? Bad company does indeed corrupt good character. I wish that text were written in the hearts of all young men. Good friends are among our greatest blessings. They may keep us away from much evil, remind us of our course, speak an appropriate word at the right time, draw us upward and draw us on. But a bad friend is a burden, a weight continually dragging us down and chaining us to earth. Keep company with an unsaved man and it is more than probable you will in the end become like him. That is the general consequence of all such friendships. The good go down to the bad and the bad do not come up to the good. The world's proverb is only too correct. Clothes and company tell true tales about character. Show me who a man lives with and I will show you what he is.

I dwell upon this point because it has more to do with your prospects in life than first appears. If you ever marry, it is more than probable you will choose a wife from among your circle of friends or their acquaintances. If Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, had not formed a friendship with Ahab's family, he would most likely not have married Ahab's daughter. And who can estimate the importance of a right choice in marriage? It is a step which, according to the old saying, either makes a man or ruins him. Your happiness in both lives may depend on it. Your wife will either help your soul or harm it. She will either fan the flame of Christianity in your heart or throw cold water on it and make it burn low. She will either be wings or handcuffs, an encouragement or a hindrance to your Christianity, according to her character. He that finds a good wife does indeed find a good thing. So if you desire to find one, be very careful how you choose your friends.

Do you ask me what kind of friends you should choose? Choose friends who will benefit your soul. Friends whom you can really respect. Friends whom you would like to have near you on your deathbed. Friends who love the Bible and are not afraid to speak to you about it. Friends that you would not be ashamed of having at the coming of Christ and the day of judgment.

Follow the example that David sets for you. He says, I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts. Remember the words of Solomon. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm, but depend on it. Bad company in this life is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.

Now we come to our fourth major division in this message, and that is special rules for young men. In this last part of our message, I will set down some particular rules of conduct which I strongly advise all young men to follow.

Resolve at once, by God's help, to break off every known sin, however small. To break off every known sin, however small. Look within each one of you. Examine your own hearts. Do you see there any habit or custom which you know is wrong in the sight of God? If you do, don't delay for a moment in attacking it. Resolve at once to lay it aside.

Nothing, nothing darkens the eyes of the mind so much and deadens the conscious so surely as an allowed sin. It may be a little one, but it is not any less dangerous. A small leak will sink a great ship and a small spark will kindle a great fire. And a little allowed sin in like manner will ruin an immortal soul. Take my advice and never spare a little sin.

Israel was commanded to kill every Canaanite, both great and small. Act on the same principle and show no mercy to little sins. Well says the book of the Song of Songs, catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.

You can be sure that no wicked man ever meant to be so wicked at his first beginnings. But he began with allowing himself some little sins, and that led on to something greater, and that in time produced something greater still. And thus he became the miserable being that he now is.

When Haziel heard from Elisha of the horrible acts that he would one day do, he said with astonishment, How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat? But he allowed sin to take root in his heart, and in the end, he did them all.

Young men, resist sin in its beginnings. They may look small and insignificant, but mind what I say. Resist them. Make no compromise. Let no sin lodge quietly and undisturbed in your heart. There is nothing finer than the point of a needle, but when it is made a hole, it draws all the thread after it.

Remember the apostle's words, a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. Many a young man could tell you with sorrow and shame that he traces the ruin of all his worldly prospects to the point I speak of, to giving way to sin in its beginnings. He began habits of deception and dishonesty in little things, and they grew on him. Step by step, he has gone on from bad to worse, till he has done things that at one time he would have thought impossible, till at last he has lost his standing, lost his character, lost his peace, and almost lost his soul. He allowed a gap in the wall of his conscience, because it seemed a little one, And once allowed, that gap grew larger every day, till in time, the whole wall seemed to come down. Remember this especially in matters of truth and honesty. Be careful in even the least syllable spoken. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Whatever the world may like to think, there are no little sins. All great buildings are made up of little parts. The first stone is as important as any other. All habits are formed by a succession of little acts, and the first little act is of mighty consequence. The axe and the fable only begged the trees to let him have one little piece of wood to make a handle, and he would never trouble them anymore. He got it. and then he soon cut them all down. The devil only wants to get the wedge of a little allowed sin into your heart and you will soon be all his own. It is a wise saying, there is nothing small between us and God for God is an infinite God. There are two ways of coming down from the top of a ladder. One is to jump down and the other is to go down by the steps. but both will lead you to the bottom. So also there are two ways of going to hell. One is to walk into it with your eyes open. Few people do that. The other is to go down by the steps of little sins. And that way, I fear, is only too common. Put up with a few little sins and you will soon want a few more. Even a heathen could say, who was ever content with only one sin? If you put up with little sins, then your path in life will be worse and worse every year. Jeremy Taylor very clearly described this progress of sin in a man. Listen. First, it startles him. Then it becomes pleasing. Then easy. Then delightful. Then frequent. Then habitual. then a way of life, then the man feels no guilt, then obstinate, then resolves never to repent, and then he is damned. Young men, if you don't want to come to this, remember the rule I give you this day. Resolve at once to break off every known sin. Secondly, Resolved by God's help to shun everything which may prove an occasion to sin. To shun everything which may prove an occasion to sin. It is an excellent saying. He that would be safe from the acts of evil must widely avoid the occasions. There is an old fable that the butterfly once asked the owl how he should deal with the fire which had singed her wings. and the owl counseled her in reply not to even look at its smoke. It is not enough that we determine not to commit sin. We must carefully keep it a distance from all approaches to it. By this test, we ought to examine the ways we spend our time, the books that we read, the friends that we visit, the part of society which we interact with, We must not be content with saying, there is nothing wrong here. We must go further and say, is there anything here which may cause me to sin? This is one great reason why idleness must be avoided. It is not that doing nothing is of itself wicked. It is the opportunity it affords to evil and empty thought. It is the wide door it opens for Satan to throw in the seeds of bad things. It is this which is mainly to be feared. If David had not given opportunity to the devil by walking on his housetop in Jerusalem with nothing to do, he probably never would have seen Bathsheba bathing nor murdered her husband Uriah. This too is one good reason why worldly entertainments are so objectionable. It may be difficult in some instances to show that they are, in themselves, positively unscriptural and wrong. But there is little difficulty in showing that the tendency of almost all of them is most injurious to the soul. They sow the seeds of an earthly and sensual frame of mind. They war against the life of faith. They promote an unhealthy and unnatural craving after excitement. They minister to the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life. They dim the view of heaven and eternity and give a false color to the things of time. They take away time for private prayer and scripture reading and calm communion with God. The man who mingles in them is like one who gives Satan an advantage. He has a battle to fight, and he gives his enemy the help of the sun and wind and hill. It would indeed be strange if he did not find himself continually overcome. Young men, endeavor as much as you can to keep clear of everything which may prove injurious to your soul. People may say that you are too conscientious, too particular, and ask, where is the general harm of such and such things? but don't listen to them. It is dangerous to play tricks with sharp tools. It is far more dangerous to take liberties with your immortal soul. He that would be safe must not come near the brink of danger. He must look on his heart as a barrel of gunpowder and be cautious not to handle one spark of temptation more than he can help. What is the use of your praying, Lord, keep me from temptation, unless you are careful not to run into it, and keep me from evil, unless you show a desire to keep out of its way? Take an example from Joseph. Not merely did he refuse solicitation to sin from his master's wife, but he showed his prudence in refusing to even be with her. Take to heart the advice of Solomon, not only to not set your foot on the path of the wicked, but to avoid it. Do not travel on it. Turn from it and go your own way. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. The man who took the valve of Nazarite in Israel not only took no wine, but he even abstained from grapes in any shape, whatever. Hate what is evil, says Paul to the Romans, not merely not to do it. Flee from the evil desires of youth, he writes to Timothy. Get away from them as far as possible. Oh, how needful are such cautions. Dinah just had to go out among the wicked Shechemites to see their ways, and she lost her virginity. Lot just had to pitch his tent near the sinful Sodom, and he lost everything but his life. Young men, be wise with your time. Do not always be trying to see how near you can allow the enemy of your souls to come and yet escape him. Hold him at arm's length. Try to keep clear of temptation as far as possible, and this will be one great help to keep clear of sin. Thirdly, resolve never to forget the eye of God. Never to forget the eye of God. The eye of God. Think of that. Everywhere, in every house, in every field, in every room, in every company, alone or in a crowd, the eye of God is always on you. The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. And they are eyes that read hearts as well as actions. Endeavor, I beg you to realize this fact. Remember that you have to deal with an all-seeing God, a God who never sleeps, a God who understands your thoughts and with whom the night shines as the day. You may leave your father's house and go away like the prodigal into a far country and think that there is nobody to watch your conduct, but the eye and the ear of God are there before you. You may deceive your parents or your employers. You may tell them lies and act one way before their faces and another way behind their back. But you cannot deceive God. He knows you through and through. He heard what you said as you came here today. He knows what you are thinking of at this very moment. He has set your most secret sins in the light of his countenance. and they will one day come out before the world to your shame, except you take heed. How little is this really felt. How many things are done continually, which men would never do if they thought they were seen. How many matters are transacted in the rooms of imagination, which would never bear the light of day. Yes, men entertain thoughts in private and say words in private and do acts in private, which they would be ashamed and blush to have exposed before the world. The sound of a footstep coming has stopped many a deed of wickedness. A knock at the door has caused many an evil work to be hastily suspended and hurriedly laid aside. But oh, what miserable folly is all of this. There is an all-seeing witness with us wherever we go. Lock the door, pull down the shade, turn out the light. It doesn't matter. It makes no difference. God is everywhere. You cannot shut him out or prevent his seeing. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Young Joseph understood this well when his employer's wife tempted him. There was no one in the house to see them, no human eye to witness against him. But Joseph was one who lived as seeing him that is invisible. He said this, how could I do such a thing? How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against my God? Young men, I ask all of you, I ask all of you to read Psalm 139. I advise all of you to learn it by heart. Make it the test of all your dealings in this world's business. Say to yourself often, do I remember that God sees me? Young men, live as in the sight of God. This is what Abraham did. He walked before him. This is what Enoch did. He walked with him. This is what heaven itself will be, the eternal presence of God. Do nothing that you would not like God to see. Say nothing you would not like God to hear. Write nothing you would not like God to read. Go no place where you would not like God to find you. Read no book of which you would not like God to say, show it to me. Never spend your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, what are you doing? In the fourth place, I counsel you to be diligent in the practice of your Christianity, to be diligent in the practice of your Christianity. Be regular in going to church whenever it is open for prayer and preaching, and it is in your power to attend. Be regular in keeping the Lord's day holy and determine that God's day out of the seven shall always be given to its rightful owner. I would not want to leave any false impression on your minds. Do not go away and say that I told you that going to church makes up the whole of Christianity. I will tell you no such thing. I have no wish to see you grow up to be formalists and Pharisees. If you think that the mere carrying of your body to a certain building at certain times and on a certain day in the week will make you a Christian and prepare you to meet God, I tell you flatly that you are miserably deceived. All services without heart service are unprofitable and vain. They only are true worshipers who worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. but the practices of Christianity are not to be despised because they are not saviors. Gold is not food, you cannot eat it, but you would not say that it is useless and throw it away. Your soul's eternal well-being most certainly does not depend on the practices of Christianity, but it is certain that without them, as a general rule, your soul will not do well. God could take all who are saved to heaven in a chariot of fire, as he did Elijah, but he does not do so. He might teach them all by visions and dreams and miraculous interventions, without requiring them to read or think for themselves, but he does not do so. And why not? Because he is a God that works by means, and it is his law and will that in all man's dealings with him, means must be used. No one but a fool would think of building a house without ladders and scaffolding. And just so, no wise man would despise means. I dwell on this point because Satan will try hard to fill your minds with arguments against the practices of Christianity. He will draw your attention to the numbers of persons who use them and are no better for the using. See there, he will whisper, Do you not observe that those who go to church are no better than those who stay away? But do not let this move you. It is never fair to argue against a thing because it is improperly used. It does not follow that the practices of Christianity can do no good because many do them and get no good from them. Medicine is not to be despised because many take it and do not recover their health. No man would think of giving up eating and drinking because others choose to eat and drink improperly and so make themselves sick. The value of the practices of Christianity, like other things, depends, in a great measure, on the manner and spirit in which we use them. I dwell on this point, too, because of the strong anxiety I feel that every young man should regularly hear the preaching of Christ's gospel. I cannot tell you how important I think this is. By God's blessing, the ministry of the gospel might be the means of converting your soul, of leading you to a saving knowledge of Christ, of making you a child of God in action and in truth. This would indeed be cause for eternal thankfulness. This would be an event over which angels would rejoice. But even if this were not the case, There is a restraining power and influence in the ministry of the gospel, under which I earnestly desire every young man to be brought. There are thousands whom it keeps back from evil, though it has not yet turned them to God. It has made them far better members of society, though it has not yet made them true Christians. There is a certain kind of mysterious power in the faithful preaching of the gospel. which has an effect on multitudes who listen to it without receiving it into their hearts. To hear sin exposed for what it is and holiness lifted up, to hear Christ exalted and the words of the devil denounced, to hear the kingdom of heaven and its blessedness described and the world and its emptiness exposed, to hear this week after week, Sunday after Sunday is seldom without a good effect to the soul. It makes it far harder afterwards to run out and commit gross sins. It acts as a wholesome check upon a man's heart.

This, I believe, is one way in which that promise of God is made good. My word that goes out from my mouth, it will not return to me empty. There is so much truth in that strong saying of Whitefield, The gospel keeps many a person from going to jail and being hanged if it does not keep him from hell.

Let me name another point which is closely connected with this subject. Let no one ever tempt you to become a Christian who does not make every effort to attend church on Sunday and make the day special to the Lord. Make up your mind to give all your Sundays to God.

A spirit of disregard for this day is rapidly growing among us, and not least among young men. Sunday vacations, Sunday visiting, Sunday excursions to the exclusion of church attendance and honoring of the Lord are becoming more common every year than they were and are doing infinite harm to souls.

Young men, be jealous on this point Whether you live in the city or in the country, take up a decided line. Resolve not to miss church on Sunday and the fellowship of God's people. Do not let the plausible argument of needing to sleep, needing to sleep in to rest your body. Do not let the example of those around you, do not let the invitation of companions pull you away from the fellowship and worship.

Let none of these things move you to depart from this settled rule, that Sundays are for God's honor and for fellowship with His people. Once you don't consider Sundays important or anything special in your Christian life, then in the end you will give up caring for your soul.

The steps which lead to this conclusion are easy and common. Begin with not honoring the Lord's day and you will soon not honor God's people You will cease to honor God's book, and in time you will give God no honor at all. Let a man lay the foundation of having no respect for God's worship or the fellowship of the saints, and I am never surprised if he finishes with no God.

Young men, you may have friends who forget to honor the Lord's day, but resolve by God's help that you will always remember to keep it special. Honor it by regular attendance at some place where the gospel is preached. Settle down under a faithful ministry, and once settled, let your place in church never be empty. Believe me, you will find a special blessing following you.

In the fifth place, young men, resolve that wherever you are, you will pray. Wherever you are, you will pray. Prayer is the life breath of a man's soul. Without it, we may have a name to live and be counted Christians, but we are dead in the sight of God. The feeling that we must cry to God for mercy and peace is a mark of salvation. In the habit of speaking before him, our soul's needs is an evidence that we have the spirit of adoption. And prayer is the appointed way to obtain the relief of our spiritual necessities.

It opens the treasury and sets the fountain flowing. If we don't have, it is because we don't ask. And here it is, I say it with sorrow. Here it is that men fall short so miserably. Few indeed are to be found who pray. Oh, there are many who go down on their knees and say a forum perhaps, but few who pray. Few who cry out to God. Few who call on the Lord. Few who seek as if they wanted to find. Few who knock as if they hungered and thirsted. Few who wrestle. Few who strive with God earnestly for an answer. Few who give Him no rest. Few who continue in prayer. Few who pray always without ceasing and do not grow weak. Yes, few pray. It is just one of the things assumed as a matter of course, but seldom practiced. a thing which is everybody's business, but in fact, hardly anybody performs. Young men, believe me, if your soul is to be saved, you must pray. God has no speechless children. If you are to resist the world, the flesh, and the devil, you must pray. It is vain to look for strength in the hour of trial if it has not been sought for. You may be thrown in with those who never do it. You may have to sleep in the same room with someone who never asked anything of God. Still mark my words, you must pray. I can believe that you find it difficult to do. Difficulties about opportunities to pray and times to pray and places to pray. I dare not lay down too strict rules on such points as these. I leave them to your own conscience. You must be guided by circumstances. Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed on a mountain. Isaac prayed in the field. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall as he lay upon his bed. Daniel prayed by the riverside. Peter, the apostle, on the housetop. I have heard of young men praying in stables and haylofts. All that I contend for is this. You must know what it is to go into your room Close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. There must be stated times when you must speak to God face to face. You must every day have your times of prayer. You must pray. Without this, all my advice and counsel is useless. This is that piece of spiritual armor which Paul names last in his list in Ephesians 6. but it is in truth that it is first in value and importance. This is that meat which you must eat daily if you would travel safely through the wilderness of this life. It is only in the strength of this that you will get onward towards the mountain of God. I have heard it said that some people who grind metal sometimes wear a magnetic mouthpiece in their work, which catches all the fine metal dust that flies around them. prevents it from entering their lungs, and so saves their lives. Prayer is the mouthpiece you must wear continually, or else you will never work uninjured by the unhealthy atmosphere of this sinful world. You must pray. Young men, be sure no time is so well spent as that which a man spends on his knees. Make time for this, whatever your situation may be, Think of David, king of Israel. What does he say? Evening, morning, and noon, I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. Think of Daniel. He has had all the business of a kingdom on his hands, yet he prays three times a day. See there the secret of his safety in the wicked Babylon. Think of Solomon. He begins his reign with prayer for help and assistance. and hence his wonderful prosperity. Think of Nehemiah. He could find time to pray to the God of heaven even when standing in the presence of his master, Artaxerxes. Think of the example these good men have left you and go and do likewise. Oh, that the Lord may give you all the spirit of grace and supplication. Gladly would I consent to the fact that all of this message should be forgotten, if only this doctrine of the importance of prayer might be impressed upon your heart. And now I hurry towards a conclusion. I have said things that many perhaps will not like and not receive, but I appeal to your consciences. Are they not true? Young men, you all have consciences. corrupt and ruined by the fall as we are, each of us has a conscience. In the corner of each heart there sits a witness for God, a witness who condemns when we do wrong and approves when we do right. To that witness I make my appeal this day. Are not the things that I have been saying true? Go then, young men, and resolve this day to remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Before the day of grace has passed, Before your conscience has become hardened by age and deadened by repeated trampling underfoot, while you have strength in time and opportunities, go and join yourself to the Lord in an everlasting covenant not to be forgotten. The spirit will not always strive. The voice of conscience will become feebler and fainter every year you continue to resist it. The Athenians said to Paul, We want to hear you again on this subject, but they heard him for the last time. Make haste and do not delay. Linger and hesitate no more. Think of the unspeakable comfort you will give to parents, relatives, and friends if you take my counsel. They have expended time, money, and health to raise you and make you what you are. Surely they deserve some consideration. Who can know the joy and gladness which young people have in their power to give? Who can tell the anxiety and sorrow that sons like Esau, Hophni, and Phinehas, and Absalom may cause? Truly indeed, as Solomon say, a wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. Oh, consider these things and give God your heart. Let it be not said of you in the end, as it is of many, that your youth was a disorder, your manhood a struggle, and your old age a regret. Think of the good you might be doing for the world. Almost all the eminent saints of God sought the Lord early. Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel all served God from their youth. God seems to delight in putting special honor upon young servants. And think of what we could expect if young men in our own day would consecrate the springtime of their lives to God. Workers are wanted now in almost every great and good cause and cannot be found. Technology of every kind for spreading truth exists, but there are not people to make it work. Money is more easily obtained for doing good than men. Ministers are wanted for new churches Missionaries are wanted for new fields. Teachers are wanted for Sunday school. Many a good cause is standing still merely for the need and the want of workers. The supply of godly, faithful, trustworthy men proposed like those I have named is far below the demand. Young men of the present day, you are wanted for God. This is an age of activity. We are shaking off some of our past selfishness. Men no longer sleep the sleep of apathy and indifference about others as their forefathers did. They are beginning to be ashamed of thinking like Cain, am I my brother's keeper? A wide field of usefulness is open before you if you are only willing to enter into it. The harvest is great and the workers are few. Be zealous of good works. Come, come to the aid of the Lord against the wickedness of this age. This is, in some sort, to be like God. Not only good, but doing good. This is the way to follow the steps of your Lord and Savior. He went around doing good. And who can doubt that this is the path which makes an immortal soul beautiful?

Who would not rather leave this world like Josiah, grieved by all, than depart like Jehoram to no one's regret? Is it better to be idle, frivolous, to live for your body, your selfishness, your lust, and your pride, or to spend and be spent in the glorious cause of usefulness to your fellow men, to be a blessing to your country and the world, to be the friend of the prisoner and the captive, to be the spiritual father of hundreds of immortal souls in heathen lands, to be a burning and shining light, an epistle of Christ, known and read of all men, the inspiration of every Christian heart that comes across your path.

Oh, who can doubt? Who can for a moment doubt? Young men, consider your responsibilities. Think of the privilege and the luxury of doing good. Resolve this day to be useful. Give your hearts at once to Christ.

Think lastly of the happiness that will come to your own soul if you serve God. Happiness as you travel through life and happiness in the end when the journey is over. Believe me, whatever vain notions you may have heard, believe me, there is a reward for the righteous even in this world. Godliness has indeed the promise of this life as well as that of the world to come.

There is a solid peace in feeling that God is your friend. There is a real satisfaction in knowing that however unworthy you may be, you are complete in Christ, that you have chosen that good part which shall not be taken from you. The backslider at heart may well be content with his own ways, but the good man will be rewarded for his.

The path of the worldly man grows darker and darker every year that he lives. The path of the Christian is like a shining light, brighter and brighter to the very end. His sun is just rising when the sun of the worldly is setting forever. His best things are all beginning to blossom and bloom forever when those of the worldly are all slipping out of his hands and passing away.

Young men, these things are true. Listen to the word of exhortation. Be persuaded. Take up the cross. Follow Christ. Yield yourselves to God. Amen.