Chapter VIII

IN the 14th of May, Frank wrote to me:

—and I go together a great deal

He is one of the most manly fellows in the

Everybody respects and likes him. Now

now.

College.

tell me, is this the right condition for a Christian, — to be honored and respected as he is? Or ought he to be fairly despised, and rejected, and spurned? That question has been troubling me a good deal lately. The Bible most assuredly says, Christ was ‘despised and rejected of men,’ and we are to bear His yoke. But then it also says that a Christian shall be blessed even in this world. What are you to do? Fairly seek unpopularity, as some I know do, because they think it right; or — well, I suppose just let it alone, as to seek popularity is most certainly wrong. Then, here is another question about it. If you are very popular, you can exert a great influence for the right; whereas, if you are unpopular, everything you do works against the cause. Oh, dear, dear, such a question is hard to decide.

*’ Another thing Often, in my walking, I go with fellows who don’t care a cent for the rules. Well now, for instance, we walk in the evening, and we come to the limits of the bounds; and there I have to stop and say, I cannot go outside, because it is against the rules. Immediately, I have no doubt, the fellows think I am setting myself up to be better than they; think I am sanctimonious, and all that. I hate to be thought of in that way, above all things.

“What does Eph. v. 4 mean? That we are never to talk foolishly or jestingly at all? That would make us dreadfully sombre and morose. I cannot believe that is what Christ -^’^its. It seems to me if we only pray at the time for help, and trust for it, we will have it; at least, I have found it so.

“What thee told me about not being discouraged by a few falls, helped me a good deal, for I was getting a little discouraged. I think I can trust now...., “Suppose thee sends out some tracts for the unconverted next week, so that when I go walking I can give them to the people I meet. I do so want to do some work, little as it may be.’

> >

In answer to Frank’s question about popularity, I wrote him:

Thee solves the question thyself, dear Frank, when thee says, ‘just let it alone.’ That is it. Do not seek popularity or unpopularity, but simply have a single eye to Jesus, and let Him take the care of thy reputation into His own hands; and remember, it is one thing to be hated for Christ’s sake, and quite a different thing to be hated because of being disagreeable. The Lo-’d Jesus was rejected and despised because of His mission, and not because of anything disagreeable in Him; and He is our example.

“Eph. V. 4 does not mean that innocent playfulness, which is, I think, perfectly legitimate for young people. The very best Christians I know, are the happiest and the merriest. Those who have entered into this blessed experience of abiding in Christ are light-hearted and fairly gay; they can afford to be natural, because they have given their natures up into the control of the Lord, and He regulates them aright. It is only the half-hearted Christians who have to be constrained and walk on stilts. As a child, whose heart is entirely set to be obedient to its parents, can go on at perfect ease and naturally until the parent tells it to change its course, so we may leave all responsibility as to our lives in the Lord’s hands, and go on at ease and naturally, unless He speaks and calls for a change of course. The branch is not all the while making an effort .o produce ixli. it simply bears it, and leaves to the husbandman all the labor of cultivation, and of making it productive. And we are nothing but the branches, Christ is the Vine, and our Father is the Husbandman! Surely, we can afford to leave ourselves to His care!

‘’ I love to think of thee, my precious boy, in the care of thy dear Lord; His arms around thee, and His love enfolding thee!”

To his ‘’Aunty Lill” Frank wrote abou* this time?

‘’Ever so dear Auntie:

“I was very glad, indeed, to get thy letter week

before last. It was very encouraging to me to find no THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. [.^tat. 16.

thee was so glad of my being able to trust Christ, although I knew thee would be. It truly is a blessed life. But my faith is weak. It seems hard to keep continually trusting. I am so apt to forget for a moment, and then immediately I fall. But, as mother says, I know I must not be discouraged by my falls; only let them make me more anxious to return. As long as I am enabled to abide, it is a far greater and deeper joy than any the world gives. Tell grandpa I do realize the Christian’s life to be a joyous one. I always used to think that when I should become an entirely consecrated Christian, I would have to be sombre and morose, and live altogether separated from the world. But I have. seen how often we are exhorted to rejoice and be joyful; and have noticed that text in John, ‘I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil.’ There is our distinction, it seems to me, — that we should join heartily with this world’s pleasure, so long as we can take Christ there with us, and can do it with a perfectly good conscience.”

With all his deep interest in the glorious salvation he had learned so fully to rejoice in, Frank did not lose his enjoyment of the college games, but entered into them with hearty energy, and a determination, if possible, to excel. On May nth, he wrote in his little diary:

“Played on cricket-crease, and made one run on an underhand ball! I guess I ‘m the best player here, only the fellows don’t know it!!! Was bowled out on a swift round arm of P. E. Nasty shooter, that I can never manage.”

And again: ^’ We played a match with G., etc. We beat by one run; score 32 and 33. I made ten runs!”

To his father he writes: “I find myself considerably behindhand on the cricket-field, but play all the spare time I have, and perhaps I can learn by the time I am a Senior. They say there is a great deal of science in cricket, and that six years hard practice is scarcely enough to make a really good player.”

On the 18th of May, he writes in his diary: “Accepted the offer to speak before the Loganian Society, on July nth. Whew!”

On the 21st, he writes: “Wrote home to B. and to father. Twelve pages to mother. Poor woman ‘I pity her, for she ’s got to read it!”

But it was not a letter any mother need be pitied for receiving — a precious letter, telling me all his life, both inward and outward, as he always did, perfectly sure of my loving sympathy in everything.

Darling Mother:

‘* I have lots to tell, and to say to thee to-day, so do not be surprised if the letter is a little long. In the first place, I am very much obliged for the basket. Its contents thee may believe were mighty acceptable, especially the strawberries, which were the first that have been out here. I would wish thee encouraged, if it is not asking too much.

‘* And now comes a piece of news, the greatest I have had to tell thee for a long while. I was walking through the study-room, the other day, when a

Senior and a Junior called to me, and said, ‘Smith, you have been appointed to make an original declamation before the Loganian Society, the night before Commencement.’ They said it was a great honor for a Freshman to have it; and wanted to know if I would accept it. I said I would think about it. And so I prayed it over, and asked God to show me what was right. I told Him I would like to glorify Him in it, and asked Him for help in writing it. Well, I slept over it, and the next morning I came to the conclusion it was right; that it would be a splendid chance for self-improvement, and that I could really glorify God by it. So I have accepted it; and now, of course, I want to do my very best. I have to choose my own subject, and, as usual, I come to thee.”

He then gave me a little sketch of the subject he proposed taking, and, after touching on other matters, continued:

“Our morning Bible-classes are gradually bringing us out. We are studying i John through, and yesterday came to the text, ‘Love not the world,’ etc., when one of the class took it literally, thinking it referred to God’s actual outward creation, and that we were not to love the beauty we see there. Of course we all came out at that, and said we thought it brought us nearer to God, to love what He has created. I know it is one of my especial delights to look at and admire nature, and then realize that the same God who made all things for us * richly to enjoy; ’ the same God who guides and governs them all, loves me individually, with such a tender, compassionate, forgiving love, and so great a love too. I feel like doing nothing but work for Him all my life.

‘^ Another idea was advanced, that we were to have nothing to do with the world in any way, except to preach to them that we ought not even to play cricket with an unconverted fellow, because it brings us into company that is not directly Christian in its influences. What does thee think? And still another idea was, that we must never, in all our lives, be five minutes in company with any unconverted person, of our own age or otherwise, a stranger or a friend, without saying something about Christ. It seems to me, for fellows of our age, young and inexperienced as we are, this would be taking a good deal on ourselves. Tell me what thee thinks.

^’I am very much obliged for thy answers about popularity, etc., and about Eph. v. 4. They are very satisfactory to my mind, and encouraging. I am afraid I have been seeking popularity too much, and it has made me unhappy.”

In answer to Frank’s questions in this letter, I wrote:

*’It seems to me that text, * He giveth us richly all things to enjoy,’ answers one of the difficulties thee mentions. God made the world for our use, and comfort, and pleasure, and I think it would be ungrateful in us not to enjoy it. And as to the other idea, that we are to have nothing to do with the unconverted, there is a full answer to be found, I think, in the directions about going to feasts in i Cor. 10* H

TI4 THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. [^tat. 16

X. 27; and Paul’s words, in i Cor. v. 9-1 1, that if we did thus separate ourselves, * we must needs go out of the. world; ’ taken with what our Saviour prayed for us, — not that we should be taken out of the world, but kept from the evil that is in it.

“As to speaking to every one about their soul — that is dreadful legality! The Lord don’t want us to make any such rules for ourselves; He wants to guide us Himself by His blessed Spirit; and if we commit it to Him, He will show us when and where and to whom to speak and then he always makes it easy. For when He leads His own sheep out. He goeth before them, and makes a way for them.”

To one of his cousins, to whom Frank was much attached, and who, like himself, had been much helped by the religious communion and fellowship enjoyed at their Hestonville parties, he thus writes:

‘’Dear:

“I have been wanting to write to thee ever since Yearly Meeting week, but have not had time.

“I was real sorry thee was not out at Hestonville when we last went. We had a jolly time. Of course, thee knows all about the H. V. P. Society and its proposed doings. Won’t it be fun to meet together in 1876? And as for the prospect of our picnic, — it seems almost too good to be true.

“What fun we have had at Hestonville! I should think thee would miss the girls very much, now thee is out in the country. How does thee do without them? And then the little meetings — thee must miss them like everything. Just think what we were this iElat. l6.] THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. II5

time last year; or, at least, I ’11 speak for myself. Christians, I have no doubt, but so cold, heartless, and dead, that we would not have worked for Christ in any way, nor have spoken in a meeting for all the world. And now what a change! Although, for my part, I am still far from what I ought to be, yet I know Christ has filled us both with so much love for Him, and so much power in Him, that we would be willing to do anything for His sake. How far superior this is to the old life, in happiness and everything else!

And, dear, what a responsible position we

hold among our cousins. Just think, we two are the only ones among them who profess to be given up to Christ! And how we shall have to hold up the standard of holiness, and show them that our life is a really

happy one. Do let us pray earnestly for and

. If they could only be made real hearty

Christians, what splendid times we’d have this summer. For, after all, I do hot know of any subject I am so much interested in as Christ.

“But my paper is at* an end. Do write soon to me. I will write every other week, if thee wi’J. And so fare thee well, my very dear cousin; aid believe me when I say I do love thee very mut 1, though I never have expressed it. Thine for life, etc.,

“Frank W. Smith.’