Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/206



E ARE  traveling  to  an  unknown land, to  the  land  of  eternity,  let  us hope,  of  endless  delight. Our life  on  earth  is  a voyage  to  that  country. The mistake  into  which most young  people  fall,  is  that  they  make  the journey to  eternity  in  so  thoughtless  a  fashion. You must  beware  of  this  folly. Therefore I exhort  you  to  raise  your  heart  to  God  daily,  by means  of  serious  reflection,  by  means  of  meditation  or  mental  prayer.

2. You  must  already  have  remarked  the  wide difference which  frequently  exists  among  Christians who  dwell  beneath  the  same  roof  tree,  and form but  one  family. Unfortunately, one  not seldom finds  in  the  present  day  Christians  who commit sin  boldly,  and  even  with  a  sort  of  pride; but there  are,  thank  God,  other  Christians,  who dread nothing  so  much  as  sin.

Whence arises  this  difference? In the  case  of the  latter,  from  the  practice  of  mental  prayer, in that  of  the  former,  from  the  thoughtless  manner in  which  they  live  their  daily  life,  and  never reflect upon  higher  and  eternal  things. Truly it is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  a  man  who  lives in this  manner  veers  about  like  a  weathercock with every  wind  that  blows. He does  not  live quite like  a  Christian,  nor  quite  like  a  heathen; he indeed  believes  in  heaven  and  hell,  but  in a  cold  and  careless  manner.

3. How  does  it  happen,  on  the  other  hand, that the  true,  earnest  Christian. stands as  firm amid evil  examples  as  an  oak  which  has  braved a hundred  winters? Let us  discover  his  secret, a secret  more  valuable  by  far  than  the  secret