o-day, in having
assumed this position; because I have never had so good ground from which
to counsel you as to your intercourse with the world of pleasure. If I
were to put this matter to you on the ground of men's rules and decrees,
if I were to try and show you, by subtle hair-splitting, that this thing
is one degree more capable of abuse than that thing; and that, therefore,
you may use that, and must abandon this, I should expose myself to
merciless logic, and to just ridicule. I leave this ground entirely. I put
myself on God's word, and say to you this morning, be not conformed to
this world. I say to you as the first, the indispensable requisite for
deciding in what conformity consists, see that your relations to Christ
are properly adjusted. Present yourselves living sacrifices to him. Be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Submit your will to the will of
God without reserve. Then shall you be able to prove what is his will,
what is good and acceptable and perfect. Then shall your judgment be so
enlightened as to enable you to render a reasoning, a reasonable, a
thoughtful and discriminating service. This is the first thing.

For this I pray for you. For this I am anxious for you, that you be
vitally united to Christ; that you have a living, active faith in him; a
clear witness of your acceptance with him, an ever burning love for him.
If you have these, I know that the details of your lives, whether they
concern your pleasures, or your business, or your studies, will take care
of themselves. But remember this prerequisite. Do not go away saying, "my
pastor says I may lawfully indulge in this or that, and I need give myself
no further trouble about it." I say to you no such thing. I say that you
want your whole nature renewed by the indwelling of Christ, and that
without this you are not safe in the world one moment. That without this
you are in continual danger of conformity to the world. Without this you
are in no condition to decide in what you may engage, or how far you may
engage in it without abuse. Withal, you _will_ need to trouble yourself
about these matters; to study God's law; to watch closely your own heart
and life; to avoid needless temptation; to exercise strong resolution when
pleasure beckons you beyond the bounds erected by Christian duty. I bid
you rejoice in your youth. I bid you use those amusements which are
innocent in themselves, freely and with gratitude to God, but to beware of
t