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ESTABLISHED

An aged farmer and a young man who had recently given himself to Christ were driving along a country road. The young man was talking about his newly found Savior with all the joyous enthusiasm of a young convert, when his old and somewhat cynical companion interrupted, saying, “Oh, yes, you know you are just in your first love; but wait a little, and then you’ll—you’ll—,” and he meant

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though he did not say it, that he would get “cold,” like himself. “And what are you?” inquired the young man. “I am an established Christian,” was the answer. They drove on for some time in silence, until they were somewhat roughly brought up by the cart-wheel sticking fast in a deep rut. They got out to try and liberate it; the old man whipped the horse and spoke rather forcibly, but all to no purpose; the wheel remained immovable. After one of the fruitless efforts, the young man looked at the farmer and remarked, “I guess, my friend, it’s got established.” Similarly, there are some Christians who get into a deep rut, and stick there, and mistake their inactivity for established Christianity.—Selected.

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— June, 1889 —