sin and death, so that it shall hate the things
it once loved, and love those it once despised.

Young people often come to their pastor saying: "If I become a Christian,
must I give up such and such things? Must I discharge such and such
duties?" And for myself I reply to them--"I have no answer to give you. I
will not encourage you to come to Christ in this mean, bargain-making
spirit. If your conscience tells you a thing is wrong, as it does in many
cases, you have no need to ask me if Christ will require its
relinquishment. You know he will, without any compromise. But when it
comes to any doubtful matter, waive that question. You have nothing
whatever to do with it now. Christ requires of you to be willing to obey
him implicitly in all things, without regard to your own feelings or
preferences, your own prosperity or safety, no matter what duties or
sacrifices obedience involves; and I simply ask you _are you willing to do
this?_ If you are not, Christ does not want you. A young man goes to a
recruiting office to enlist. The sergeant examines him, and says: 'you are
just the kind of man I want. Here, put down your name. Your bounty is so
much; your pay will be so much.' The recruit takes the pen in his hand,
but stops suddenly in the act of writing his name, and says: 'How far
shall I be required to march daily? What kind of a tent shall I have? Must
I do picket duty beyond regular hours? To what kind of a climate am I to
be sent?' How long do you suppose the officer would keep patience with
such a man? How many of these questions would he pretend to answer, even
if he could? He would simply say to the man: 'we make no terms with you,
sir, beyond your bounty and pay. If you enlist, you do so with the
understanding that a soldier has nothing to do but obey orders; to serve
where, when, and how he may be directed. If you want to know these things,
enlist, and you will find out when you are in service.' Just so I say to
one who begins inquiring into the details of Christ's service: If you want
to find out, enlist. Commit your life to Christ's keeping. Devote yourself
to Christ's service, and 'if any man _wills_ to do his will, he shall know
of the doctrine.' An inquirer for salvation, tormenting himself about what
he must do and what relinquish, forgets that he is in no condition to
decide such a question. To decide it he wants just that spiritual insight
and those new affinities which faith in Christ and the consequen