CHAPTER X.

MR. WARREN'S SECOND QUESTION.

"IT was not without a special object," said Mr. Warren, "that I called your attention to this parable to-night. Each division has important lessons for you, but I fear most those thorn seeds. The ' care of life' has yet to come upon you, for now you stand scarcely within the threshold of its influence. While I readily admit that boyhood and youth have cares as well as sports, yet you will as readily allow that till the duties of manhood devolve upon you, you can not fully know what care is, or what its power to draw you from the feet of the Master. And not to youth, but to manhood, comes the delusive snare, 'the deceitfulness of riches.'

"But will not our firm resolve, by

Christ's help, to do our whole duty, guard us here?" asked John.

"Undoubtedly, if you are true to that resolve. I warned you, however, I believe, that you must be constantly searching to discover your duty, and not be content simply to discharge it as it presents itself to you without such study. We are so ignorant and sinful that we often fail to see all that God requires of us, and while our neighbors wonder we can be so blind to duty, our consciences may not be sufficiently enlightened to reprove us."

"I have found that true, even thus far," said Robert, calling to mind his famous bargains. "I do not doubt that I have much more to learn, and I intend to keep constantly trying to discover these unheeded duties."

The others responded heartily to this remark, and Mr. Warren resumed: "While every thing is included in this resolution,

to do right at any sacrifice, there is one point, one very weighty point, included in it which may escape your notice, as it does that of many Christians. You may think it one requiring independent consideration and decision, for you will probably find it much harder to decide than that first one of duty. So, though it is really included in that first question, I prefer to bring it to you as a second question. If your lives give it the true answer, the thorn seeds will not supplant the good seed."

James began to look anxious; he instinctively shrank from the performance of many duties which the bolder natures of his friends found little difficulty in meeting. Nor did he alone look thoughtful. Jerry remembered how long he had hesitated to answer the Duty question. Robert, though he had been charmed by the nobleness of such a resolution, even before he became Christ's, yet remember

ed that he had found it no easy thing to conform his life to its requirements. And John, though of that eager, whole-heartedness of disposition which made such a resolution the natural consequence of his love to the Saviour, had yet found the struggle with sin, one demanding more than human power to win the victory. So they all looked thoughtful.

"Will you not first ask God to grant us grace to give this question the right answer?" said Jerry, eagerly.

Mr. Warren gladly complied with this request, evidently the unanimous wish of all.

"Let us ever remember to pray, 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,'" he said, with much feeling, when they were again seated. Then he paused a few moments, leaning his head thoughtfully upon his hand. At length he resumed,

"There are some persons in this world

who are content to drift along without any object in life. They are the creatures of circumstances. What they are and what they accomplish in the world, either for themselves or for others, depends simply upon the influences to which they are. subjected. Like drift-wood, they have a certain value, but it is not very great. There are others who have some definite aim in life, some object which they are striving to accomplish. They are more or less, according to their ability, powers in the world, for good or evil. You will readily see, young men, that the first, though they may be Christians, are yet not very useful characters; while the last, if Christians and their object right, will accomplish something, if not, as is very likely, all they desire.

"I judge that you will all have some object for which you will strive, with more or less ardor, according to your several