I cannot give it up,

The little world I know!

The innocent delights of youth,

The things I cherish so! ‘Tis
true,

I love my Lord

And want to do His will,

And oh, I may enjoy the world

And be a Christian still!

 

I love the hour of prayer,

I love the hymns of praise,

I love the blessed Word that
tells

Of God’s redeeming grace,

But I am human still;

And while I dwell on earth

God surely will not grudge the
hours

I spend in harmless mirth.

 

These things belong to youth,

And are its natural right —

My dress, my pastimes, and my
friends,

The merry and the bright.

My Father’s heart is kind;

He will not count it ill

That my small corner of the
world

Should please and hold me still.

 

And yet, "outside the
camp,"

‘Twas there my Saviour died!

It was the world that
cast Him forth,

And saw Him crucified.

Can I take part with those

Who nailed Him to the tree?

And where His name is never
praised

Is there the place for me?

 

Nay, world! I turn away,

Though thou seem’st fair and
good;

That friendly outstretched hand
of thine

Is stained with Jesus’ blood.

If in thy least device

I stoop to take a part,

All unaware, thine influence
steals

God’s presence from my heart.

 

I miss my Saviour’s smile

Whene’er I walk thy ways;

Thy laughter drowns the Spirit’s
voice

And chokes the springs of
praise.

If e’er I turn aside

To join thee for an hour,

The face of Christ grows blurred
and dim

And prayer has lost its power!

 

Farewell! Henceforth my place

Is with the Lamb who died.

My Sovereign! While I have Thy
love,

What can I want beside? Thyself,
dear Lord, art now

My free and loving choice,

"In whom, though now I see
Thee not,

Believing, I rejoice!"

 

Shame on me that I sought

Another joy than this,

Or dreamt a heart at rest with
Thee

Could crave for earthly bliss!

These vain and worthless things,

I put them all aside;

His goodness fills my longing soul,

And I am satisfied.

 

Lord Jesus! let me dwell

"Outside the camp,"
with Thee.

Since Thou art there,
then there alone

Is peace and home for me.

Thy dear reproach to bear

I’ll count my highest gain,

Till Thou return, my banished
King,

To take
Thy power, and reign!

I can well remember the days
when I approached my teens. I was filled with excitement by the adventures that
I had heard one enjoys as a teenager. I waited rather impatiently for the day
when I would enter this glorious age group and be with the "in" crowd.
On my thirteenth birthday I went around with a smile on my face and an air of
pride. In fact, I was so proud of myself I felt that I no longer needed to
listen to the counseling of those older than I. This is where I made my biggest
mistake. I hope that the advice I shall give will be helpful to those entering
their teens, and that they will follow it.

 

As one approaches his teens, he
should stop and think what it really means. It is a time for him to think of
seriously, for this period in his life will mold his future character. It is an
age of responsibilities, hard work, frustrations, failures, and victories. It
is during this period that the men and women of tomorrow determine what they
will be, and what type of lives they will lead.

 

To those who are entering their
teens, I should say that if you have not accepted Christ as your Saviour, do so
now, for without His love and guidance, you will never live the life you
should. He can be your guide, counselor, and comforter in your hours of sorrow
or joy. To embark upon this new era of your life without Him is unwise. Enter
your teens with the comforting thought and knowledge that no matter what
confronts you, you will have Him by your side.

 

The teens is a time when you may
decide your vocation, and you can never be happy unless you choose the right
one. If you ask Him to show you what to do, He will do so.

 

Every day as you look around
you, you see and hear of teenagers who have run into trouble. In fact, some
adults look upon all teenagers as "juvenile delinquents." They think
teenagers of today have become obsessed with doing everything which they know
is wrong, and with shunning the wise counseling of their elders. Make sure as
you enter your teens that you are not branded as one of these. Be in subjection
to those who are older than you, who are trying to help you, to the law, to
your conscience, and especially, to God. If you are in subjection to God, He
will help you to control your wrong desires, and to keep out of the temptation
of evil things.

 

I well remember when I entered
my teens, I lacked the love of God in my heart. My entire life was void. I
lived from day to day enjoying the pleasures that life had to offer — or
thinking that I enjoyed them; but I was not satisfied. Then some time later I
accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. My whole burden was lightened and I no
longer had an emptiness in my heart. All my troubles and frustrations could be
taken to Him with the knowledge that He would help me. I no longer desired to
do wrong, and I was happy. So from my own experience, I should advise you to
make this decision before you enter your teens.

 

You may
think what I have said above is foolish; I did, too, when I was your age, but
now (at seventeen) I realize my folly. This is why I have written this short
message to you, in the earnest hope that you will enter this era of your life
which leads on to adulthood with something solid to lean on. In closing, I will
remind you that I have been through those first few years, and so I know. Make
the Lord Jesus Christ the center of your life, and you will never regret it.

Vol. 11 No. 6 November, 1968

 

 

 

 

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (By One
of Themselves)

 

I can well remember the days
when I approached my teens. I was filled with excitement by the adventures that
I had heard one enjoys as a teenager. I waited rather impatiently for the day
when I would enter this glorious age group and be with the "in"
crowd. On my thirteenth birthday I went around with a smile on my face and an
air of pride. In fact, I was so proud of myself I felt that I no longer needed
to listen to the counseling of those older than I. This is where I made my
biggest mistake. I hope that the advice I shall give will be helpful to those
entering their teens, and that they will follow it.

 

As one approaches his teens, he
should stop and think what it really means. It is a time for him to think of
seriously, for this period in his life will mold his future character. It is an
age of responsibilities, hard work, frustrations, failures, and victories. It
is during this period that the men and women of tomorrow determine what they
will be, and what type of lives they will lead.

 

To those who are entering their
teens, I should say that if you have not accepted Christ as your Saviour, do so
now, for without His love and guidance, you will never live the life you
should. He can be your guide, counselor, and comforter in your hours of sorrow
or joy. To embark upon this new era of your life without Him is unwise. Enter
your teens with the comforting thought and knowledge that no matter what
confronts you, you will have Him by your side.

 

The teens is a time when you may
decide your vocation, and you can never be happy unless you choose the right
one. If you ask Him to show you what to do, He will do so.

 

Every day as you look around
you, you see and hear of teenagers who have run into trouble. In fact, some
adults look upon all teenagers as "juvenile delinquents." They think
teenagers of today have become obsessed with doing everything which they know
is wrong, and with shunning the wise counseling of their elders. Make sure as
you enter your teens that you are not branded as one of these. Be in subjection
to those who are older than you, who are trying to help you, to the law, to
your conscience, and especially, to God. If you are in subjection to God, He
will help you to control your wrong desires, and to keep out of the temptation
of evil things.

 

I well remember when I entered
my teens, I lacked the love of God in my heart. My entire life was void. I
lived from day to day enjoying the pleasures that life had to offer — or
thinking that I enjoyed them; but I was not satisfied. Then some time later I
accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. My whole burden was lightened and I no
longer had an emptiness in my heart. All my troubles and frustrations could be
taken to Him with the knowledge that He would help me. I no longer desired to
do wrong, and I was happy. So from my own experience, I should advise you to
make this decision before you enter your teens.

 

You may think what I have said
above is foolish; I did, too, when I was your age, but now (at seventeen) I
realize my folly. This is why I have written this short message to you, in the
earnest hope that you will enter this era of your life which leads on to
adulthood with something solid to lean on. In closing, I will remind you that I
have been through those first few years, and so I know. Make the Lord Jesus
Christ the center of your life, and you will never regret it.

THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN

 

I cannot give it up,

The little world I know!

The innocent delights of youth,

The things I cherish so! ‘Tis
true,

I love my Lord

And want to do His will,

And oh, I may enjoy the world

And be a Christian still!

 

I love the hour of prayer,

I love the hymns of praise,

I love the blessed Word that
tells

Of God’s redeeming grace,

But I am human still;

And while I dwell on earth

God surely will not grudge the
hours

I spend in harmless mirth.

 

These things belong to youth,

And are its natural right —

My dress, my pastimes, and my
friends,

The merry and the bright.

My Father’s heart is kind;

He will not count it ill

That my small corner of the
world

Should please and hold me still.

 

And yet, "outside the
camp,"

‘Twas there my Saviour died!

It was the world that
cast Him forth,

And saw Him crucified.

Can I take part with those

Who nailed Him to the tree?

And where His name is never
praised

Is there the place for me?

 

Nay, world! I turn away,

Though thou seem’st fair and
good;

That friendly outstretched hand
of thine

Is stained with Jesus’ blood.

If in thy least device

I stoop to take a part,

All unaware, thine influence
steals

God’s presence from my heart.

 

I miss my Saviour’s smile

Whene’er I walk thy ways;

Thy laughter drowns the Spirit’s
voice

And chokes the springs of
praise.

If e’er I turn aside

To join thee for an hour,

The face of Christ grows blurred
and dim

And prayer has lost its power!

 

Farewell! Henceforth my place

Is with the Lamb who died.

My Sovereign! While I have Thy
love,

What can I want beside? Thyself,
dear Lord, art now

My free and loving choice,

"In whom, though now I see
Thee not,

Believing, I rejoice!"

 

Shame on me that I sought

Another joy than this,

Or dreamt a heart at rest with
Thee

Could crave for earthly bliss!

These vain and worthless things,

I put them all aside;

His goodness fills my longing soul,

And I am satisfied.

 

Lord Jesus! let me dwell

"Outside the camp,"
with Thee.

Since Thou art there,
then there alone

Is peace and home for me.

Thy dear reproach to bear

I’ll count my highest gain,

Till Thou return, my banished
King,

To take Thy power, and reign!

 

One day at a time, with its
failures and fears,

With its hurts and mistakes,
with its weakness and tears,

With its portion of pain and its
burden of care;

One day at a time we must meet
and must bear.

 

One day at a time to be patient
and strong;

To be calm under trial and sweet
under wrong;

Then its toiling shall pass and
its sorrow shall cease;

It shall darken and die, and the
night shall bring peace.

 

One day at a time — but the day
is so long,

And the heart is not brave, and
the soul is not strong,

O Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou
near all the way;

Give courage and patience and
strength for the day.

 

Swift cometh His answer, so
clear and so sweet:

"Yea, I will be with thee,
thy troubles to meet;

I will not forget thee, nor fail
thee, nor grieve;

I will not forsake thee; I never
will leave."

 

Not yesterday’s load we are
called on to bear,

Nor the morrow’s uncertain and
shadowy care;

Why should we look forward or
back with dismay?

Our needs, as our mercies, are
but for the day.

 

One day at a time, and the day
is His day;

He hath numbered its hours,
though they haste or delay.

His grace is sufficient; we walk
not alone;

As the
day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

A letter was received recently
which was, certainly, of more than usual interest. Because it raises a question
that may be in the minds of others, we believe it will be most worthwhile to
share it with our readers. We quote from the letter, and then from our reply.

 

"I have never, until
recently, uttered a word in an assembly meeting, and very few outside of one.
Now I am situated in a place where I am responsible for the functioning of the
assembly. I have two great things before me, the weight and influence of which
I feel increasingly as I go on in the Lord’s things.

 

"The first thing of which I
speak is the awesome responsibility of functioning as the mouthpiece of the
assembly. The other thing is the ever-present nemesis of the Christian — the
flesh. My difficulty simply stated is that I am seldom sure that my
feelings, at such a time, are those of the Spirit guiding me and not the flesh
goading me. It is for this very reason that I have said very little if
anything. I do not feel confident that, when I do speak, it is of the Spirit,
always fearing that the motive originates in the flesh. It is subtle, and even
what begins in the Spirit may end in the flesh.

 

"So my question is just
this:how does one recognize the Spirit’s guidance? I may be too occupied with
the flesh, but I don’t think this is all the problem."

 

We quote now from our reply to
this earnest soul.

 

The spiritual exercises
expressed in your letter and its question are surely precious to the Lord
Jesus, and are to be highly valued in these days of general lukewarmness.

 

What a privilege it is—an
exceedingly high and sacred one — to exercise our priestly service in the
assembly, offering the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His Name.
Only too often have we observed a lack of appreciation and of response to the
great love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus, reflected in the assembly by
the silence of many ("Ye … are … an holy priesthood." I Peter
2:5). If one has been "feeding on the Living Bread and drinking at the
Fountainhead" through the week, the Holy Spirit will most surely arouse in
that one a spirit of praise and worship on the Lord’s Day. May God grant a
distinct and gracious revival in the hearts of those who are accustomed to be
silent at the remembrance meetings when, above all occasions, our mouths ought
to be opened in prayer and praise.

 

Your question of participation
relates, however, not to silence because of spiritual apathy, but uncertainty
as to the Spirit’s leading. I am sure that your basic concern (how to recognize
the guidance of the Holy Spirit) is, commensurate with our spiritual state,
shared by many. If your heart does not condemn you, if you are conscious of
nothing unjudged in your life, you have liberty and confidence in your prayers.
So the Apostle John assures us in his first Epistle, chapter three and verse
twenty-one. Can we not say, then, and believe, that the Holy Spirit will guide
us in our participation— it having been our prayerful desire prior to the
meeting.

 

While on the one hand our cold
hearts may, on that very account, cause our silence when we ought to be
praising, they may, being deceitful, keep us silent through excessive
introspection—our examining and analyzing our thoughts unduly. We must guard
against this.

 

That we may (and often, too,
perhaps) miss the Spirit’s direction; going ahead of, or behind Him—speaking
when we ought not, and not speaking when we should—we know our own hearts too
well to deny. Here, I suggest, we must count upon the mercy and grace of our
God. He knows our desires and motives. Those that are with a view to His glory
and the edification of the saints are wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. We can
fully count on Him then to help us in this area of participation in meeting.
While we should be, of course, exercised as to the Spirit’s leading, I suggest
that it is the enemy’s work to so occupy us with our tendency to act in the
flesh that we say and do nothing. We are to act and to speak in faith. In
"that day," when all will be made plain to us and divinely appraised,
there will be revealed the extent in which we really did so and participated in
the Spirit. Meanwhile, let us keep our eyes on the Lord by faith, and, whether
in the exercise of our priestly service or in ministry, let us have confidence
in the help and mercy of God our Father.

 

FRAGMENT

May the Saviour’s love and merit

Fill our hearts both night and
day,

And the unction of His Spirit

All our thoughts and actions
sway.

May we thus, in God confiding,

And from self-dependence free,

Find our rest—in Christ abiding—

Till
with joy Himself we see.