That is the fancy of too many; but it will surely turn
out to be a mistake. Those who misuse their youth, and health, and
strength, in tyrannising over those who are weaker than themselves,
and laughing at those who are not as clever as themselves, and eating
and drinking with the drunken--the Lord will come to them in an hour
when they are not aware, and cut them asunder, in some way or other,
by loss of work, or poverty, or sickness, or doubt and confusion, and
bitter shame and perplexity of mind; till they find out, poor things,
that they have been living like the unbelievers all their youth,
without God in the world, while God's love and God's teaching, and
God's happiness was ready for them; and have to go back again to
their Father and their Lord, and cry: "Father, we have sinned
against heaven and before Thee, and are no more worthy to be called
Thy children!" Oh, you who have been fancying that the Lord was gone
far away, and that you had a right to do what you liked with the
powers which He has given you, go back to Him, now at once, and
confess that you, and all belonging to you, belong to Him, and ask
Him to teach you how to use it aright. Ask Him to teach you how to
please Him with it, and not yourselves only.
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