JOHN NICHOLLS

The first two words forming the title of this article come from Ecclesiastes 12:12. Chapters 11 and 12 of Ecclesiastes are primarily directed towards the young person. “Rejoice, Ο young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity” (11:9,10). It is right and good that young people should be happy and enjoy all their powers and abilities in right ways, the Preacher is saying.

And the Preacher’s thoughts continue in the same train in chapter 12: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them”. There is an urgent need positively to seek God in the prime of one’s life. Such seeking will provide the right foundation for subsequent years.

Then, in verses 2-7, in words of pure poetry that have become a standard passage in the English tongue, the Preacher paints a melancholy picture of old age, a vivid contrast to the exuberance and vitality of youth.

Finally, after stating the outcome of all his searchings, that “all is vanity” (emptiness, vaporising), the Preacher presents an epilogue, addressed not to the aged but to the young: “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh” (vv. 11,12).

Thus the Preacher is giving advice to the young who wish to remember their Creator. “Listen to the words of the wise (the Scriptures), given from one Shepherd (God: Ps. 80:1)”, he says. Their words are like goads, pricking our conscience (Acts 9:5), urging us on in the right way. The words of the wise are also like nails, or tent pegs, that give security and stability; the teaching of the Bible gives us that security in our lives. As Jesus says, they are “spirit, and . . . life” (Jno. 6:63). In contrast, the Preacher seems to say that the “many books” that keep on being produced (in phenomenal numbers today!) are part of the “much study” which is a weariness to the flesh.

But today this weariness of the flesh has to be endured, for most careers and jobs require paper qualifications of some kind. In Scripture we find that Daniel and his friends (Dan. 1:4) were instructed in the ‘university’ of Babylon for three years to prepare them for their careers. “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22). The Apostle Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel in Jerusalem, and “after the most straitest sect of [the Jewish] religion” he “lived a Pharisee” (Acts 26:5). These men had to engage in much study to be equipped for their careers. God providentially overruled their education so that it was used in His service.

Higher education is no more intrinsically evil than other types of human training and apprenticeship. God is able to use the training and education we receive in His service if we have the right attitude to the Truth. The important thing is for us all, and particularly young people, to believe deep down in our hearts that God’s Word is truth (Jno. 17:17). “Thy word is true from the beginning” (Ps. 119:160; rendered in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges as “the sum of Thy Word is truth”). The God of Truth has spoken; therefore His Word is true.

If this is our attitude to the Scriptures, and if, like the psalmist, we hunger and thirst after the Truth of God’s Word daily, then it should not matter what subject we study at university or polytechnic. The Truth answers all that man devises by putting his ideas into their right perspective. However, experience has shown that it is unwise (and for some disastrous) to select certain courses, for example, social sciences, philosophy, politics, where the exposure to humanist thinking or degraded values will be relentless.

My advice, therefore, to young people trying to choose a course in higher or further education is: make a subject choice in an area of your interest, after you have considered what the Scriptures have to say about the subject and you have talked to older brethren and sisters whom you trust. In any event make your subject choice a matter of diligent prayer that God’s blessing might be on what you decide.

What is studied usually bears some relationship to the eventual career(s) you have in mind, although it is not always easy at 16, or even at 18 or 21, to be definite about your eventual job. Careers with the armed forces, the police and the direct production of armaments must always be avoided. Careers that will always occupy our Sundays ought not to be considered; those that require occasional Sunday working or that involve every Saturday need thoughtful consideration and should be avoided, if possible.

Many worthwhile courses of study leading to professional qualifications can be obtained by day release at polytechnics and colleges, and often employers prefer people with both job experience and educational qualifications to those from full-time education with solely educational qualifications. In a time when the economy is in recession, and jobs for graduates hard to come by, it may be worth bearing this in mind.

Whatever course is chosen, though, our motives should be Christlike: we do not embark on a course of study ‘for a good time’, ‘to doss around’, ‘to be able to earn lots of money’, ‘to get away from home’, ‘to try everything out’; but rather to work hard to achieve success in our chosen course, to enjoy finding out more about God’s world, and to gain maximum benefit from these years (Eph. 6:5-8). Christ is our Master whom we serve, and we also owe a debt to those who finance our education. With the right attitude there is no reason why the course should not be very enjoyable and enriching, as well as giving us the qualifications we seek.

What about those courses that mean we have to live away from home? Note what Daniel did. He sought the friendship of those of like faith, and they supported one another. Together their faith triumphed (Dan. 1:11,12; 2:17,18; 3:17,28). There are ecclesias in most of the British towns and cities where our universities, polytechnics and colleges are situated; but when making our choice, let the presence of a good ecclesia, having other students and brethren and sisters who are active students of the Word, be a deciding factor. Sometimes we may be the only one doing a course. In such a case remember the faithful examples of lonely Joseph and lonely Moses in darkest Egypt, who retained their integrity in times of temptation and who cherished God’s holy promises.

Another consideration is whether or not to take a ‘gap year’ by deferring entry to a degree course for one academic year. Popular ways of spending this year are to travel round the world, or join the VSO, (Voluntary Service Overseas), doing some kind of work for underdeveloped Third World countries. Universities and polytechnics often like this, as students come back with greater maturity and thus gain more benefit from their courses. In the Truth, opportunities for service abound in the Bible Mission work overseas; and sometimes smaller ecclesias in one’s own country, with a predominance of elderly members, might appreciate your help for a few months.

Finally, bear in mind the words of Proverbs 3:5,6,9,10. We are not wise enough to know what preparation we need for the Kingdom. This, after all, is what our mortal probation is leading up to. There are so many important factors, directly and indirectly, in our further and higher education, such as ecclesial, choice of friends, financial, future wife or husband, future career. God through His angels can prosper our way, directing our path, as He did that of Abraham’s servant in the matter of finding a wife for his master’s son.

Your prayers and those of your parents and your ecclesia are vital ingredients for success. And giving the very best we can offer to the Almighty is the other vital ingredient, honouring the Lord with the firstfruits of all our increase (Prov. 3:9). As the Master said, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33). In the writer’s experience, those who faithfully continue to attend the Sunday meetings and Bible Classes, and read their readings, even in the middle of examinations, do not lose by it. Their way is prospered by Him Who can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

We are brought back to the passage in Ecclesiastes 12:13,14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil”. This is sound advice for all students, whether young or old.

The greatest challenge that faces any young brother or sister who is contemplating pursuing higher education is to emerge from the system more spiritually mature than when entering it. All too often a young person will suffer a decline rather than a growth in godliness during his or her sojourn in academia. Why should this be the case?

The main hazard in higher education is not the workload, commonly blamed for taking up too much of a student’s time and eating into his ecclesial life. On the contrary, I have never had so much time in my life for Bible study and for working in the Lord’s service as during my university days. Neither is the great danger the questioning and philosophising attitude fostered in higher education, again blamed for causing young people to forsake the wisdom of God’s Word for the wisdom of the world. In actual fact, I have found that such attitudes give great scope for preaching, since others are always wanting to know your stance in life, and why you are not distressed by the way that the world is heading. Unless we are afraid to state the things that we believe then time spent in higher education presents marvellous opportunities to “give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us]” (1 Pet. 3:15).

The greatest hazard to spiritual growth in higher education is, I believe, the new environment in which the brother or sister is living. Gone are the restrictions imposed by parents at home—restrictions and disciplining which were good for our spiritual development—and in their place exists complete independence of action. No longer are there parents around to encourage attendance at all the ecclesia’s activities, promote adherence to the daily readings and prevent worldly behaviour (‘living it up’); that wholesome influence, which Paul calls the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), is no longer effective. In its place the brother or sister lives in halls of residence or a student house. In this case sixteen or more hours per day are spent in the presence of people who do not share our faith, and certainly not the high moral stance that we take from Scripture. The great danger is that a brother or sister will become like those who live around them, mainly because it is easier to go with the crowd than stand out from it. It is simpler to go out for that “quick pint down at the Union” (which mysteriously amounts to more) than to continually refuse on the grounds that

1. Bible study is more important, and

2. time spent in a bar is time wasted in poor company!

For the young brother or sister who feels that he or she can withstand the pressure to conform to the depraved standards of other students, living away from home in such an ungodly atmosphere may present no stumbling block, although 1 Corinthians 10:12 comes to mind as a warning to those with such confidence: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”. For those who do not have such confidence in their ability to withstand the pull of the world, the best advice is to ensure that accommodation can be found in the locality of the higher education establishment with brethren and sisters. Such a move will reduce the influence that other students have on one’s actions out of learning hours. (I am assuming, of course, that any young brother or sister has the good sense to go to a college or polytechnic or university where there is a nearby ecclesia; to go elsewhere is a sure way of inviting spiritual disaster.)

It is also a great help to become a highly involved member of the local ecclesia; that way any spare time can be spent with others of like precious faith rather than trying to fend off the urge to join students in their not-so-edifying activities.

As a final comment for older brethren and sisters who live near and attend a meeting near a higher education establishment, I feel it is their duty to look after any young people who come to the establishment. This can best be done by offering accommodation, because this will immediately reduce the brother’s or sister’s tendency to stray, once away from home, and provide him or her with a vital link to the local ecclesia. Starting a Bible reading group or suchlike in a home is another way of encouraging those who have moved into the area to study. Even regular invitations to meals on Sunday or Bible Class night are good ways of building a wholesome influence into the lives of new students.

The more responsibility an ecclesia accepts regarding young brethren and sisters who attend whilst studying locally, the more likely the student is to remain a faithful disciple of Christ, the greater will be the feeling of fellowship between the student and members of the ecclesia, and the greater will be the witness of that student to those around him. It is a responsibility within the household of faith, therefore, which I feel should in no wise be neglected. As Paul says in Galatians 6:10: “let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”. And again, in 1 Timothy 5:8: “if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel”.

Having now finished my course at Sheffield Polytechnic, I would like to pass on a few points that I have learned during the last three years.

First, and most important of all, try to have your beliefs mapped out before you go away. Whether you are baptized, or thinking carefully about baptism, or needing more time before committing yourself, still have your beliefs worked out. Share them at the earliest possible time with your fellow students, especially those studying with you who are likely to become close friends. A later change in direction may lead to difficulties.

By telling your friends your beliefs (as long as it is done frankly, honestly and as gently as possible—do not ram it down their throats) you will gain their respect, and their response will be pleasantly overwhelming. When discussing, remember: if you want respect, respect other people’s views also.

I was moved a number of times by how open and honest others became when I discussed my beliefs with them. I remember one evening spending nearly two hours discussing the sex-before-marriage question; and even though our viewpoints were totally different, we left, as we had started, very good friends.

My second point is one I have failed at—so I hope others do better! The official description for taking a degree is to ‘read for a degree’. The amount of other work one can get at times, tends to stop this important part of the studying process. It may also cause us to forget the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Course work, therefore, is not the only studying one should be doing. The reading and studying of God’s Word is even more important. I would agree that this studying must be in proportion to the work you are doing to gain your qualification. However, regular prayer, coupled with Scriptural understanding, certainly helps to place into context the problems or workload you may be facing. Do not forget that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:19), so studying to be one of God’s approved workmen will be far more rewarding than any job which could be gained with the qualifications you hope to attain.

My last point is one made by Paul in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. There is a lot of peer pressure to conform to the standards set by the world, and without a doubt it is possible for anyone to be caught up and absorbed into the system without even trying. Tertiary education is just as much play as it is study in the first year of the course. Sheffield Polytechnic has, like all other similar establishments, the most amazing array of clubs and societies within which hobbies, both old and new, can be pursued. (I even managed a parachute jump!) However, all the clubs’ activities which I came across eventually ended by enjoying the ‘delights’ of the local hostelries—hardly the place to have one’s mind transformed into the mind of Christ.

Of course, the place to be in order to aid development is with the local ecclesia. It is of great importance that you get to know those in the meeting and that the members get to know new students. I cannot stress enough that the meetings into which new students will walk must be able to welcome them and help them to find their feet in their new surroundings. Ecclesias, do not forget that the students (although they are likely to be temporary members) are your responsibility and need the love and support that should be offered to all God’s family. Some brothers and sisters do a wonderful job in welcoming students—open homes, lifts to meetings and youth groups, invitations to lunch and tea (not only on Sundays) are just a few of the ways in which I have experienced the love of the Brotherhood.

The help which has been offered to me has been overwhelming, and I am sure it will be waiting for all those who move away to college. However, the students must play their part also; the meetings will need the enthusiastic help of their younger members in many areas of the ecclesia’s work, and all the help given will be gratefully received.

Finally, if you hope to undertake further education, remember the Preacher’s words in Ecclesiates 12:12—look them up and remember them, and in so doing you will benefit greatly from the experience of going to college. You will not only gain (God willing) a qualification, and a whole new group of good friends—especially those from the meeting—but you will also have many enjoyable times.

Many of the hazards and opportunities of higher education I found to be similar to those experienced at school, though more acute. For example, the difficulty of maintaining a balance between keeping up with course work and not allowing the meeting to suffer as a result. The main problems that do arise stem from moving out of home, where the influence of parents will have been likely to encourage a walk compatible with the Truth, into an environment where many students are living in close proximity. In this environment the pressure is constantly there to follow their example instead. In my experience the local ecclesia was invaluable in such circumstances, brethren and sisters providing me with an open invitation, meals, lifts to meetings and fraternal gatherings. This meant that I could maintain maximum contact with them, forming friendships with those in the Truth rather than with fellow students, and spending my free time in good company. I am greatly indebted to all the families who supported me through my years at polytechnic, and would encourage other brethren and sisters who are in a position to do so to offer all the help and assistance they can to such vulnerable young people in their ecclesia.

LESLIE JOHNSON

The word ‘rationalist’ has got into bad company and has, therefore, become associated with a bad meaning. It should really mean ‘one who reasons; a sensible, sane person’. No one can complain about ‘reasoning’. In fact Isaiah 1:18 has God inviting His people to “Come . . . let us reason together”. God wants us to use our minds—all the time. Let your heart run like mad, but keep your mind under control.

The word ‘rationalise’, however, may have its shady side, since it means ‘to bring into conformity with reason’ (but whose reason? we may ask); ‘reorganise scientifically’ (but by whose standards? we may ask, since yesterday’s science was in man’s ignorance, and tomorrow’s science may be today’s fantasy); ‘find plausible reasons’ (but ‘plausible’ is another ‘loaded’ word meaning ‘deceptively reasonable’ or ‘apparently honest’).

In my classroom I had the only item of authorised graffiti above my head, facing the pupils, on a beam across the room. It read:

But there can be as many dangers in not thinking as in thinking, as our minds are not naturally disciplined in thinking; we have to learn to judge the information which our senses feed into our minds. Things are not always what they seem to be.

However, in the context of this issue of The Testimony we will suggest that the ‘rationalist’ is one who assesses the existence of God, the authority of the Bible, the miraculous conception of Messiah, his sinless life, his sacrificial death, his glorious resurrection, his ascension, his promised return, the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital city of his Kingdom, the need for baptism . . . and so on . . . and first doubts and then rejects them.

We may think he is the teacher at our school, the lecturer at our college, the very decent, good-living but unbelieving chap at work. But really he is ourselves to begin with.

As small children, brought up by solid, concerned, loving Christadelphian parents and grandparents, dedicated and wise Sunday School teachers and youth circle leaders, we may well (and rightly) believe all they tell us. I did, and my wife did, and there is a line of six generations of sound, thinking Christadelphians in our family. But there comes a time when we all need to examine our faith and its foundations for ourselves in the face of gentle or fierce opposition, not only from ‘rationalists’ but also from other religious acquaintances.

So really, before we start answering the ‘rationalist’ friend, we should start early to answer ourselves, before the questions even begin to bother us. By that I mean READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY—read it and talk about it with your friends; and if your friends do not want to talk about the Bible, then find some better, worthwhile friends. There is nothing better than reading the Bible. Too many people want to disagree with it and argue about it, and you will find that frequently they are arguing on hearsay. Ask the older brethren and sisters for answers to your questions; remember, most of us have asked the same questions ourselves and been well answered by our elders. What is the use of growing old if you have not accumulated some wisdom and ability to help the younger from your knowledge and experience? So write your everyday questions down and besiege the older ones with them whenever you meet them. Young Orthodox Jewish boys begin to learn to memorise the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) as soon as they learn to read. I am sorry no one ever suggested I did that.

So . . . get the information and the reasons into your own mind first

The main reason for that, you will find, probably and sadly, is that many ‘rationalists’ do not really want convincing of what is the Truth, they are content to believe what they want to believe. But that is no reason for not gently leading them with the wisdom you have gathered from God’s Word.

Of course, a jolly good argument is a great thrill for many of us; but remember, be a good shepherd, who (like the Good Shepherd) leads and does not drive.

I am sorry, but I am not up-to-date with modern polemic literature in the Gentile world, as we have been in Israel since 1986, but I am certain you will enjoy some of the following and find them to your taste, even if I was reading them fifty and even fifty-five years ago.

Robert Roberts’s The Visible Hand of God; The Ways of Providence; articles in the two volumes of Good Company; The Trial, his six-night debate with Charles Bradlaugh MP, the arch-rationalist and popular ‘free thinker’ of the nineteenth century, the scourge of every minister who tried to answer him. Those were really the days of Biblical polemics, perhaps a little too strong for our weaker stomachs today.

Islip Collyer’s Vox Dei; The Vegetable in the Witness Box; Conviction and Conduct; Principles and Proverbs.

What prolific writers those two brethren were!

Dr William Paley’s eighteenth-century book on Christian Evidences, particularly his chapter on the “Argument from Design”. Then follow it up with Brother Alan Hayward’s God Is and others from his pen. Why the majority of our writers have not projected far more of the design argument I cannot understand. It is so obviously true that all the sceptic can do is laugh at it, he cannot deny it. If you are into the Big Bang explanation of Creation read In The Beginning by physicist and Torah scholar Professor Nathan Aviezer.

Our Brother A. D. Norris’s trilogy, Reading the Bible, Believing the Bible, and Understanding the Bible, should be very readable and helpful to any of us anytime.

Brother John Carter’s Oracles of God briefly reviews many problems raised by the rationaliser which threaten each one of us in our early years.

Blunt’s Undesigned Scriptural Coincidences.

There are dozens of others, but above all (in this review of possible ‘food for the mind’), always remember:

READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY DAY and pray earnestly for understanding. “The word of God is . . . powerful . . . sharper than any twoedged sword . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

Adapted from pamphlet by Dr C. E. A. Turner, published by The Creation Science Movement.*

1. Evolution is only a theory, an idea of some men, though held by many people. It largely concerns the remote past and is something which cannot be proved, as no one was there to see it happen. Neither can its changes be seen occurring today. Some say these changes take a long time, but if they do not happen, no length of time will make them facts.

2. Evolution is said to be the result of blind chance, and some people would have us believe that the present order of the world around us, with all its wonderful creatures and natural laws working together, was produced by mere chance. But chance never made a box, nor a truck, to say nothing of a car; and the simplest single-celled organisms, with all their working parts, are far more complex than the City of London.

3. Living things, although they seem similar in build, are not thereby proved to have come from the same ancestors. Are they not the work of the same Wise Designer, like coins from the mint?

4. Observations of present-day life do not support the theory of evolution. Moths are said to be changing colour, but they remain moths. Gulls may have developed differences, and varieties of duck may interbreed, but they remain clearly gulls or ducks. Acquired characteristics are not passed on to new generations. New breeds of plants or animals must be continually selected and separated to keep up the strain, as gardeners and farmers well know.

5. Likeness of embryos does not prove relationship, and is only superficial. The human embryo never breathes by gills, and its supposed gill-slits are really folds in the neck. A noted anatomist stated that at no stage is it other than distinctly human.

6. So-called vestigial organs from supposed ancestors have been reduced from 180 to 6. As knowledge has increased, so the understanding of the present value of these organs has become clearer.

7. The alleged fossil record is far from complete. Groups of creatures appear suddenly and without predecessors. Nowhere are the strata found ALL in the same order with their supposed stages of developing creatures. The required intermediates are still lacking after over a hundred years of the theory, and the majority of fossil plants and animals have representatives alive today. Remember the coelacanth?

8. The imagined ape-men are largely a few bones, not complete skulls or skeletons. They are probably ape remains; and they were found in later strata than some human bones, thus making man older than his supposed ancestors! They include the Piltdown fake, the single tooth (of an extinct pig) from Nebraska, the single jaw from Heidelberg and the mixed human and ape bones from Java. Drawings of them from such very incomplete specimens are imaginary, and it is dishonest to call this science.

9. There have been, and are, prominent scientists very critical of the theory of evolution. These include Fellows of the Royal Society such as Dr Malcolm Dixon, Sir Ambrose Fleming, Sir Cecil G. Wakely, Sir Ernst Chain, Professor H. J. Lipson and Professor W. R. Thompson. Their writings show that Darwin was not right after all.

10. No proved scientific fact is in conflict with the Bible, accurately translated. Scientific theories change. The world at present remains largely as it ever was. The Bible also remains God’s inspired record of the past, and His programme for the future—of matters otherwise unknowable by man.

* Details of other publications by the Creation Science Movement can be obtained from: The Secretary, 50 Brecon Avenue, Portsmouth, P06 2AW.

If there is one thing more than another which a young Christadelphian needs, it is to take a good look at himself and decide what sort of Christadelphian he is and what sort he would like to be.

There is planning enough when it comes to deciding what exams to pass and what career to shape, and even what girl to marry. But there are few outstanding examples of lives that are tailored to the service of Christ.

The reasons for this sorry discrepancy are easy to trace. But it is more important to decide on positive measures. Here, then, are some down-to-earth suggestions of the kind I should have liked to have had thrown at me when I was about 18 or 22:

a) Look at yourself. Take a straight honest look at your own character and way of life. What habit is there in it which, in your better moments, you have the grace to be ashamed of? Axe it forthwith, and tell your friends and family that you have done so. In this way you have the moral support of their knowing what you are at. If, peradventure, you are unsure just which eye to pluck out or which hand to chop off, ask your parents—they’ll know, for certain.

b) Look at your friends. Take a good look at your friends, one by one. Ask yourself which of these are a good wholesome influence on your life, and just what it is that makes them so. Ask yourself also which of your good companions are really not so good, setting you the wrong sort of example, encouraging you in spicy but illicit talk, showing you the way to worldliness. Unless these individuals are the sort you can dominate and lead, you would be better without their company altogether, even if they are Christadelphians.

c) Set yourself a good routine. Your age-group are the most blameworthy timewasters in all the world. Your physical and mental talents are at their very best, yet in large measure you choose to frivol away both, to the glory of nobody. How many hours a week on Bible reading? How many times a week does good Bible talk come into your conversation (of course, it may be your parents who are to blame here)? Are you a Sunday School teacher? If not, whose fault? Are you at Bible Class regularly?—and because the answer’s “No”, are you using other people as an excuse? How campaign-minded are you? Two a year should not be deemed an outrageously ambitious target. Again, your attitude to the old folk—ever spend time talking to them after the meeting? ever think of putting in a visit to one of these lonely souls? Why not once a week?

d) Look ahead. To what extent is the service of Christ well marked in the blueprint you are working to? Or are the main features just what they would be if you were in the world and of it?—college, exams, good job, ladder-climbing, swanky car replacing jalopy, cosy marriage, svelte home, babies, with increasing affluence and social success thrown in? Where does the Lord come in all this? Are you determined that more important than these are your self-training as a student of Scripture and as an efficient proponent of God’s Truth? Does that blueprint of yours include a firm decision to make some positive act of self-dedication—what about work at the Christadelphian Home and Hospital or in one of the Homes for the Aged, two or three fruitful maturing years helping the Bible Mission, or migration from your ever-so-comfortable ecclesia to one which is small, struggling and isolated?

This short survey can ask you pointed questions galore, yet all to no purpose if the valve of your will is set the wrong way. Do you want to lick yourself into shape, or would you rather be a flabby worldling, of no use to Christ or to anybody else?

* From Exhorting and Testifying, by H. A. Whittaker. Available from Mrs M. Whittaker, 23 Thirlmere Ave., Standish, Wigan, Lanes., WN6 0AT. Price £3 plus postage.