XLII. Raise Your Heart to God: Meditation
I.WE ARE traveling to an unknown land, to the land of eternity, let us hope, of endless delight. Our life on earth is a voyage to that country. The mistake into which most young people fall, is that they make the journey to eternity in so thoughtless a fashion. You must beware of this folly. Therefore I exhort you to raise your heart to God daily, by means of serious reflection, by means of meditation or mental prayer.
2. You must already have remarked the wide difference which frequently exists among Christians who dwell beneath the same roof tree, and form but one family. Unfortunately, one not seldom finds in the present day Christians who commit sin boldly, and even with a sort of pride; but there are, thank God, other Christians, who dread nothing so much as sin.
Whence arises this difference? In the case of the latter, from the practice of mental prayer, in that of the former, from the thoughtless manner in which they live their daily life, and never reflect upon higher and eternal things. Truly it is not to be wondered at, if a man who lives in this manner veers about like a weathercock with every wind that blows. He does not live quite like a Christian, nor quite like a heathen; he indeed believes in heaven and hell, but in a cold and careless manner.
3. How does it happen, on the other hand, that the true, earnest Christian . stands as firm amid evil examples as an oak which has braved a hundred winters? Let us discover his secret, a secret more valuable by far than the secret
