Part I. How The Delicate Mind Of Youth Should Be Nurtured And Instructed In The Things Pertaining To God.
Part I. How The Delicate Mind Of Youth Should Be Nurtured And Instructed In The Things Pertaining To God.
First of all, let me say that, although man can in no wise draw his own heart to faith in the only true God, even if one could surpass in power of speech the celebrated and eloquent Pericles, but only our heavenly Father who draws us to Himself can do these things; yet faith comes, according to the apostle Paul, by hearing, in so far as such hearing is the hearing of the Word of God. Do not understand, however, that the preaching of the mere spoken Word can accomplish so much, unless the Spirit within attracts and speaks. For this reason, must faith be implanted in the heart of a youth with pure and sacred words coming, as it were, from God himself. The speaker should, at the same time, also pray to Him who alone can work faith, to the end that He may enlighten by his Spirit, the one who is being instructed in the Word of God.
To my mind, it does not seem inconsistent with the teachings of Christ to lead the young to a knowledge of God through sensible objects. When the beautiful structure of the whole world is placed before their eyes, each created object points, as with a finger, to the mutability and the destructibility of all existing things; whereas he who so firmly established and harmoniously united these numberless things must be eternal and immutable. To this it should be added that he who so wisely and skillfully arranged all things ought, in no wise, to be mistrusted or supposed to forget his works or to fail to guide them all in harmony; for among men, a father would be regarded as wicked, if he did not diligently care for his household.
From this the youth will learn that the providence of God provides all things, orders all things, upholds all things; for, of two sparrows bought for a farthing, one does not fall to the ground without the providence of God, who has numbered the very hairs of our heads. His care and watchfulness surely do not diminish when the object for which God cares is small or insignificant.
It is clear from these considerations, that God, in his providence, foreordains and provides not only the things for the soul but also those needed for the body; hence, also, we see how He feeds the ravens and how beautifully He clothes and adorns the lilies of the field. Where the human mind is rightly imbued with the teaching of the providence of God, there it can no longer be anxious about food and clothing, much less be shamefully avaricious. The mind will be kept from a dangerous poison, if the temptation to avarice and the worry about making one's living be cut off and uprooted, as soon as they appear. The mind will then know that God is not only Lord, but also the Father of all those who trust in Him,—that He would have us go to Him for help no less than we go to our earthly father, and that He promised help in his own words, yea, invites us to come to Him in prayer.
When we are attacked by disease, therefore, whether it be of the soul or of the body, we are taught to pray to God alone for the true remedy. When the enemy oppresses us and with envy and hatred makes our burden heavy, we are to flee to Him alone. When we desire knowledge or skill or wisdom, we know that we are to ask these things of God. Even wife and children are to be asked of Him. When riches and honor are bestowed upon us more freely than upon others, we ought to pray to God that our hearts may not grow faint and that we be not led astray.
What more need I say? If our minds be so informed as I said before, we shall feel that all things are to be sought from God. We shall also regard it an offense against God to ask of Him favors which should not be bestowed upon us; yea, we shall be ashamed to desire or to possess anything unbecoming to us in the sight of God; on the contrary, we will strive only after those things which are enduring and will further our salvation.
The youth whom we have before us for instruction will come to a knowledge of the mysteries of the Gospel in the following manner: In the first place, he must learn about the condition of our first parents, how they died after they had transgressed the command of God. Then, he must learn how they, with their sins, brought the whole human race under sin and condemnation ; for the dead cannot give birth to living beings, no more than Moors are ever seen to be born of British parents. From all this our youth will come to know his own infirmities and his sin-sick condition. These infirmities he will also feel, when he knows that we do all things in weakness, or through frailty, or from selfish motives, or through temptation; and when he knows, too, that God is infinitely far from temptation, since there can be no temptation or weakness in Him. It undoubtedly follows from this that we, if we desire to dwell with God [in heaven], must become free from temptation. Just as the righteous man will have no association with the wicked man and as the wicked man also cannot bear the conduct of the righteous; so, also, no one shall dwell with God, except he only who is without spot or blemish, being pure in heart and holy, even as God is holy; for "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Such a state of innocence and holiness we shall not be able to attain, as long as we are surrounded, on all sides, by temptations. Here we are in a sad dilemma. As God requires such a state of innocence, purity, and holiness and yet, as we are unable of ourselves to do anything but evil in His sight, being poisoned by sin and full of vice, we have no other way but to surrender ourselves to God and to look to Him for mercy.
Then will dawn upon us the light of the Gospel, the glorious news made known to us, namely, that from such anxiety and misery, from such wretchedness, in which we all lie bound, Christ redeems us; for He is such a Savior, Restorer, and Preserver that the greatest heathen god can in no way be likened unto Him. This Jesus gives peace to our consciences, which hitherto caused us to be in despair; yea, He draws us to Himself that we may implicitly trust in Him and thus are we saved. Since He is entirely free from all infirmities and temptations, for He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a pure and innocent virgin, He first offered up his innocence and righteousness in our stead; and having borne our burdens, pains, and diseases He thereby saved all those that firmly believe these things. For whoever accepts by faith this free gift, which is offered to the lost human race by God through Christ, is saved and henceforth becomes a joint heir with Christ; wherefore he also will be with the Father in eternal bliss, for He wills that his servants be where He is.
The innocence, purity, and righteousness of Christ, which He offered up for our guilt and condemnation, deliver us from sin, guilt, and suffering; and we are reckoned worthy of the favor of God, for the reason that Christ, who was absolutely free from all sinful inclination, was able to satisfy fully the justice of God. Although He is so high and holy, namely, very God, He nevertheless is our Savior. From this it follows that his righteousness and innocence, which are wanting in us, are also imputed to us; for God made Him unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. So we now have access to God through Christ, because He is our Savior and a pledge of the grace of God unto us. He is our surety, our bondsman, our mediator, our advocate, and our intercessor; yea, He is a perfect Savior to us.
Those who have thus received the Gospel and assuredly trust therein are born of God; for the shortsightedness of the human mind can neither perceive nor understand the heavenly and mysterious council of God's grace.
This truth accounts for the fact that those who are born again through the Gospel do not sin; for he that is born of God doth not commit sin. Whoever believes in the Gospel is born of God. So, then, do those not sin who are born again through the Gospel. To explain more fully, it will suffice to say that their sins are not reckoned to them unto death and damnation, because Christ has paid the debt and has washed away their sins, by having become a precious ransom through his death on the cross.
Although we, while we are in this mortal body and are justly removed far from the Lord in our misery, are unable to escape from temptation and are therefore not without sin; yet Christ, because He is our Savior, makes full amends for our weakness and failings. As He is an everlasting, an eternal Spirit, He is also so dear and precious in the sight of God, that He pays our debt and takes away our sins; yea, Christ's merits far surpass our sins and transgressions.
Such assured confidence in Christ, however, does not make men lazy, does not make them negligent nor careless; but on the contrary, it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in doing good and living righteous lives, since such assured confidence cannot come from man. How could it be that the human mind, which is given almost wholly to impressions from without, would lean entirely, and in all hopefulness and confidence, upon a thing which is invisible and which can in no wise be perceived by the senses? From this it is to be understood that this faith and assured confidence in Christ must come from God only. Now, where God works, you need not fear that the cause will not prosper or that good deeds will not follow.
Inasmuch as God is a perfect, everlasting being, and a moving power which is immovable, but which moves all things else, He will ever move and actively engage those whose hearts He has drawn to Himself. This opinion does not require proof, but practice and experience. Only the believers in Christ learn and experience how He engages them in his service and with how much courage and joy they continue in the work of the Lord.
Now he who has well learned the mysteries of the Gospel and rightly understands them will endeavor to live a righteous life; therefore the Gospel should be taught most diligently and, as much as may be, in all its purity. We should also very early teach the young how to practice those things which please God most, those,—in fact, which He continually is to us, namely, truth, justice, mercy, faithfulness, and righteousness. For if God be a Spirit, He can be rightly honored with no other offering than a submissive mind. Therefore every youth should see to it, in all diligence, that he strive early to walk in the way that will make him become a pious man, and that, as much as in him lies, his life be innocent and godlike. The Lord does good to all men; He is helpful to everyone and wounds no person, unless he be one who has already done harm to himself. So, also, he who endeavors to be useful to all men and tries to be all things to all men, and who keeps his heart free from all iniquity, comes nearest to the likeness of God. These things are of an exalted character and difficult to do, if we look to our own strength; but to him that believeth, all things are possible.