D "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?" A Motto for 1873. BY THE REV. J. H. WILSON, BARCLAY CHURCH, EDINBURGH. EAR YOUNG FRIENDS, -A happy New Year to you! I wish I could help to make the New Year happier and better to you than the Old has been. And how may this be? By taking the motto at the head of this page "What would Jesus do?" -making it your own, and, with the help of God, carrying it out in your daily life. If I were to ask, "What are you, as regards your religion?" you would answer, "We are Christians. Isn't it as Christian children that we give our money for missions, and send the gospel to Jews and Mohammedans and Heathens ?" Well, are you really what you profess to be? To be a Christian, is to be Christ's-is to belong to him-to be washed in his blood-to be covered with his righteousness-to have Christ as your great Sacrifice and Substitute. That lies at the foundation of all else; and you know if the foundation is wrong, everything else must be wrong. To be Christians implies that you are like Christ-that he is your Lord and Master, whom you consult about everything, and seek to obey in everything, always asking, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"-that he is your Pattern and Example, to whom you are ever looking, whenever you are in doubt or difficulty about anything, asking the question, and regarding the answer as decisive, "What would Jesus do?" Christian people are often in doubt as to whether things are right or wrong, as to whether they should or should not do certain things. This question, faithfully applied, would be what the compass is to the sailor,-it would point out the way, and guide through a thousand perplexities. Let me give you some specimens, and show you how the question applies— "What would Jesus do?" It bears on the matter of 1. DILIGENCE. "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day." (John ix. 4.) It has to do with our work, and diligence in it-common, every-day work, or more special work for God-school work, home work, business work. It frowns upon all idleness, indolence, inattention, procrastination. Half-read books, half-learned lessons, half-finished letters, half-done work of any kind, they will not stand the test. Jesus left no unfinished work. He left nothing half done. He could say, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do." |