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EARNEST WORDS
TO
IN A
SERIES OF DISCOURSES.
BY
E. P. BOG-EES,
PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AUGUSTA, GEO.,
AND AUTHOR OF "DISCOURSES ON ELECTION."
CHARLESTON, S. C.:
PUBLISHED BY WALKER AND JAMES.
SOLD BY JOSEPH A. CARRIE & CO.,
AUGUSTA, GEO.
.1851.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
E. P. ROGERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of South-Carolina.
CHARLESTON:
STEAM TOWER-TRESS-OF WALKER AND JAMES,
No. 101 East llay.
TO THE
Young f&en ot SliiQusta,
FOR WHOSE BENEFIT THESE DISCOURSES WERE ORIGINALLY
PREPARED, AND WHO LISTENED TO THEM WITH
GRATIFYING ATTENTION,
THIS VOLUME
IS RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
Ttjesk discourses are simply what they purport to
be—Earnest Words to Young- Men. Called, in
the Providence of God, to the pastoral charge of a
Congregation embracing a large number of this in¬
teresting and important class, the author has felt it
his duty to speak to them often, and earnestly, on the
subject of their peculiar dangers and obligations.
They have listened with a respectful attention, for
which he has been truly grateful. This has encour¬
aged him to send out this volume, and thus to speak
to others on the same themes. Profoundly sensible
that much of what he has said has been better said,
by others, he still hopes that his words may gain a
hearing, and that the Young Men of our country, in
whom he feels the deepest interest, will listen to one
who speaks to them with a brother's voice—from a
brother's heart.
E. P. ROGERS.
Augusta. Geo., Jane, 1851.
CONTEXTS.
DISCOURSE I.
PAGE.
The True Glory of the Young Man, - - 9
DISCOURSE II.
Intemperance and Profanity, - - 43
DISCOURSE III.
Sabbath-Breaking, - - - -77
DISCOURSE IV.
Gambling, - - - - - -107
DISCOURSE V.
The Infidel, the Young Man's Enemy, - - 13q
DISCOURSE VI.
True Manliness, - - - - - 181
DISCOURSE VII.
The Obligations and Duties of the Scholar to Re¬
ligion, - - - - - 219
. DISCOURSE VIII.
Labor, ...... 259
DISCOURSE I.
THE TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN.
Proverbs xx : 29—" The glory of young men is their
strengths
1st John ii : 14—" I have written unto you young men
because ye are strong."
In that peculiar interest which always
gathers around the young, Religion fully
participates. Throughout the word of God,
admonitions, instructions, warnings and pro¬
mises, are often addressed to them, and in
language of remarkable significance and
force. The importance of the period of youth;
its peculiar advantages, its special dangers
and duties, these form a very prominent sub¬
ject among the writings of inspired men,
" who spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost." This is especially true of the writings
of the wisest man who ever lived, and this
fact is one of great significance. Uninspired
l
10 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
men, too, in every age, have attributed great
importance to this period of human life, and
whether their object has been to corrupt or
to purify, to degrade or to exalt, human na¬
ture and character, they have devoted their
first, and closest attention to the young. This
has been particularly the case in the later, and
riper, ages of the world. The attention of
the philosopher, of the philanthropist, of the
statesman, of the Christian, is now univer¬
sally directed to the season of youth; and
the noblest minds, and largest hearts, are de¬
voting their energies and affections to their
improvement, until the sentiment of an old
Latin poet would seem to express the spirit
of the age,—" The greatest reverence is due
to a child."
And this peculiar interest is not due merely
to the fact, that there is much about the open¬
ing spring of human life, which is in itself,
interesting, touching and beautiful. It is true,
that it is the age of helplessness, of compara¬
tive innocence, of winning and attractive
traits, of physical beauty, and of natural
grace. Youth, even in the inanimate crea¬
tion, and among the brutes, is a season of
interest. We look with pleasure upon the
opening bud, the growing plant, the playful
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 11
lamb ; and no man with a human heart can
behold a smiling infant, or a sportive child
with indifference. But the interest of which
I speak, is not merely the instinctive emotion
with which we contemplate the period of
youth. It is a deeper, broader, intenser, feel¬
ing. It is founded upon right views of the
nature of man, of the magnificence of his
powers, of the immortality of his being, and
of the intimate connection between his pre¬
sent character, and his eternal destiny.
We have an illustrious example of this in¬
terest, in the history of our Divine Redeemer.
Even infant children were not deemed un¬
worthy of his regard, and one of the most
touching scenes in his life—one which the
harp of the poet and the pencil of the paint¬
er have contributed to immortalize—is that
which represents him among his rebuked and
wondering disciples, pressing the little ones
to his bosom, and invoking upon them his
priceless benediction.
In this peculiar interest in behalf of the
young, I have ever most fully sympathized.
And although it is a very common mode of
ministerial effort, to labor especially for them;
and discourses upon this subject are becoming
trite and frequent,—yet I am far from believ-
12 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ing that additional labors are unnecessary,
or that enough has been said, or written, about
the duties and the dangers, of the season of
youth. A subject like this, can never be ex¬
hausted. You can easier fathom the depths
of the ocea*i, than its infinite recesses. You
can better scale the Alpine summits, than its
eternal heights. Not until you can estimate
the grandeur of the human soul, or appreci¬
ate fully its relations to God, to heaven, and
to hell, can you fully comprehend the momen¬
tous character of this subject. It cannot be
examined too closely—it cannot be presented
too frequently. " Like marble, it may be pol¬
ished as long as the stone remains. Like
gold, it increases in brilliancy by each suc¬
cessive attrition."
Actuated by such sentiments, and encour¬
aged by that respect and attention which
former efforts have received at their hands, I
have determined to address myself once more
to the young men of this community, upon the
subject of their peculiar obligations and duties.
There is one aspect, in which we may re¬
gard the period of youth, which deserves
peculiar consideration. It is the commence¬
ment of a rational, accountable, and immortal,
existence.
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 13
The feelings with which we contem¬
plate the shooting up of a plant, the bud¬
ding of a flower, or the first life of one of the
brute creation, are very different from those
with which the birth of a human being, are
regarded. In the one case we behold the
commencement of an unconscious, irrational,
irresponsible, and ephemeral existence. The
flower is beautiful to the eye, and exhales
its fragrance upon the air ; then fades, dies,
and is forgotten. The tree spreads over us
the canopy of its branches, and drops its fruit
into our lap, then bows before the blast, shakes
down its green glories, and passes away. The
noblest of the animal creation, after a few
years of toil and drudgery, or forest warfare,
die, and sink into annihilation. Not so with
man. He comes forth into the world as feeble
as the flowers of spring, and far more insig¬
nificant in his physical being, than many of
the brutes. But how superior is he, to all the
other works of God. The light of reason
glows within his mind—he is a being of more
than material mould. He has powers, and
faculties, and affections, which belong not to
matter. He can think, and speak, and de-
velope character, mental and moral, and sus¬
ceptibilities of suffering, and enjoyment, of a
l*
14 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
most exquisite, and expansive nature. He is
an accountable being. He has a conscience,
a sense of right and wrong, a capacity for
understanding and feeling the force of moral
obligation, and discharging moral duties;
and more than all this—he can never cease
to be! He had a beginning, but he will
never have an end. Every" other created
thing in the world will die, and be no more;
but man is immortal—he cannot die. He
must live ; and though life may be to him a
burning curse, he cannot escape from it. He
may destroy his body, but it is only throwing
off the drapery of the man—he lives still and
must live forever. Unless some fiat from the
Almighty shall go forth to consign him to
annihilation—die, he cannot; live forever,
he must. He cannot divest himself of his
immortality ! And when we remember, that
this spiritual and immortal nature of man,
may be to him the source of joy and glory,
such as transcends the power of language to
describe, or that it may surround him forever
with unutterable torments, how awfully mo¬
mentous, does the commencement of such an
existence appear ? Who can estimate the
tremendous consequences, and results, of this
being? Look at the sleeping infant, in its
THUS GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN.
15
cradle. It is a being born for eternity—for
an eternity of glory or of woe ; with angels
or with devils. Is life then a light thing with
that child ? But yesterday it was not. Now
it will never cease to be. You think it a
solemn thing when an individual dies. Ah !
it is a solemn thing to enter into life. The i
hour of birth, welcomed with glad congratu¬
lations and exulting hopes, crowned with gar¬
lands, and celebrated in songs, is an. hour of
fearful, yea, appalling solemnity—the begin¬
ning of a rational, accountable, and everlast¬
ing, existence ; an existence which is to be
perpetuated amid the anthems of seraphs, or
the howlings of fiends! Oh how solemn a
thing is the beginning of a life like this !
Remember, then, my young friends, how
important is your youth. It is the commence¬
ment of a never-ending existence. Only a
few years ago, and you were not. But the
time will never come, when you will cease to
be. A rational, accountable, immortal being,
you must live on, and when the earth itself
is wrapped in the scorching sheet of the last
conflagration, your existence will be only
begun. How can you then exaggerate the
importance of the season of youth ?
" I have written unto you young men," said
16 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the Apostle, " because ye are strong." And
although he was addressing young Christians,
and referred rather to spiritual, than to bodily
vigor, yet these words are very applicable to
all who are in youth, even if they have not
become by faith in Christ, the sons of God.
The wise man also observes, that "the glory
of young men, is their strength." This cha¬
racteristic of youth, furnishes a reason for
making them, the object of peculiar solici¬
tude, and special effort.
In what sense then is youth the season of
strength, and how is this strength, the Glory
of the young 1
I. It is the season of bodily vigor.
The young man, is generally the most per¬
fect embodiment, of physical life and vigor.
The eye sparkles with its brightest lustre, the
cheek bears the ruddy glow of health, the
blood courses rapidly through the veins, and
the frame is then most active and hardy.
Advancing age, dims the sparkling of the
eye, displaces the bloom from the cheek,
makes the life-current flow more" sluggishly
in its channels, bends the frame, and relaxes
the sinews. Time draws his finger across
the smooth and open brow, and leaves deep
furrows there—makes the grasshopper be-
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 17
come a burden, and bows the strong man
into the feebleness of a second childhood. It
is in youth that the man is erect and vigo¬
rous—his frame can endure fatigue and
hardship, can bear the heaviest burdens, un¬
dertake the most arduous tasks, and accom¬
plish the most desperate achievements. A
young man in the flush of his vigor and the
pride of his strength is the finest embodiment
of physical life which we ever behold.
II. It is the season of mental activity and
vigor.
Though the mind, being immaterial, can¬
not, strictly speaking, be said to be subject
to decay ; yet manifesting itself as it does in
this life through the body, its developments
will be quickened or retarded, made strong
or feeble, according to the state of the body.
That philosophy, which would degrade the
intellectual nature of man, to a level with
the physical, and assert that reason is but
the result of man's peculiar material organi¬
zation; which robs him of the splendid birth¬
right of immortality, will, I trust, find no ad¬
vocates among you, and needs no refutation
here. I would simply refer you to the ac¬
count of man's creation, given in the book of
Genesis. You are told that God "formed
18 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man
became a living soul."* Here it is distinctly
taught us, that man's physical constitution
was first organized, and that then by another
and distinct act of omnipotence, "vitality, and
intelligence, were superadded, in connection
with a separate existence, directly imparted
from Jehovah, and therefore in immediate
relation with him." ^
But it is in the earlier part of life, that the
intellectual powers are most vigorous in their
development, and action—I do not mean to
say that the season of youth, is the ripest in¬
tellectual season, for this would be palpably
absurd. Long discipline and training, the
attainment of varied learning, and the storing
of the mind with knowledge, only tend to its
ripeness and power. But the perceptive fa¬
culties are more acute> the memory more vi¬
gorous and retentive, the whole intellectual
nature more pliable and susceptible of culti¬
vation, in youth. We ordinarily look for a
failure of the mental faculties, as the evening
of life approaches, and the body gives tokens
of dissolution ; but in youth they wax stronger
* Gen. ii.: 7.
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 19
and more vigorous daily, so that it is the sea¬
son of strength, even in reference to the intel-
•lectual nature.
III. Youth, is the season of hopefulness and
enthusiasm.
To the eye of the young man, life seems a
cloudless sky. The reflections of age upon
the vanity of the world, and its admonitions
to sober views and expectations from its pur¬
suit and possession, are apt to be regarded by
him as the promptings of misanthropy, or the
murmurs of imbecility. To him there is every
thing to cheer and arouse, to stimulate to
effort, and nerve to high and resolute action.
Thus, it is the season of enterprise and adven¬
ture ; of active industry and hopeful exertion.
It is appealed to, for the successful prosecu¬
tion of any great enterprise. Is a foreign
country to be invaded, or our own defended?
The standard is raised, and the young, are
called to rally round it. The war summons
passes by the aged, and pours its trumpet blast
into the ears of the young ; and they, in the
enthusiasm of their youth, rush forward at the
call, ready to " do or die." Does some Cata-
line, desire to subvert the liberties of Rome,
and enthrone himself upon their ruins ? He
labors to corrupt the young men, of the nation,
20 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
to turn their enthusiasm into the channels of
revolution, to fire their youthful spirits with
the torch of rebellion, and thus ensure the
success of his unhallowed schemes.
This characteristic of youth, though liable
to abuse, is yet most valuable and admirable.
It is the spring of noble effort, and honorable
ambition. It inspires with courage to sur¬
mount obstacles, brave dangers, despise op¬
position, and rise superior to disappointment.
The winter of age chills the blood, and extin¬
guishes the fire of enthusiasm, and thus de¬
stroys the capacity for resolute and undaunt¬
ed action, and endurance. " The glory of old
men is the grey head, but the glory of the
young is their strength."
Such are some of the characteristics of the
young man, which make him the object of pe¬
culiar regard, of fond expectation, of intense
solicitude. Vigorous in body, active in mind,
sanguine and enthusiastic in soul; here are
elements of no ordinary character, for good or
for evil. He claims the regard of all, who
wish well to their race. The statesman, the
political-economist, the philanthropist, the
patriot, the Christian, ever keep him in their
eye, and in their heart. The angels watch
his pathway with peculiar solicitude, while
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 21
the Great Father of the Universe, yearns over
him, with the sublime and inexhaustible love,
of an infinite God. Nay, more—the wicked
on earth, and devils in hell, concentrate their
most earnest and diabolical influence upon
him, and the Arch Fiend, the sworn enemy of
the human race, exhausts the resources of
hell itself, to make the young man his eternal
victim.
But the question now arises, in what sense
is it, that the glory of the young, is their
strength ? It is obvious, that the mere pos¬
session of those characteristics, of which I
have spoken, cannot in itself, be a source of
true glory, to the young man. It is not in the
fact that his frame is erect and vigorous, that
his eye is bright, his arm sinewy, his muscles
well strung, and the crimson tide bounds
merrily in his veins, that his glory lies. It is
not that he can bear the heaviest burden,
strike the severest blow, endure the most
toilsome labor. There are beasts of the field,
before whom his strength is weakness, and
the glory of physical force, is one in which the
lion, and the elephant, are immeasurably his
superiors. It is the object to which he de¬
votes the energies of his youth; the use which
he makes of his strength, that adds glory to
2
22
EARNEST'.WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
his crown. Physical energy and vigor, ex¬
pended in noble enterprises, in the active,
promotion of every thing which can glorify
God and bless mankind, become then the glory
of the young. But if his bodily powers,
his glorious strength, the splendid resources
of his being and his youth, are prostituted to
the service of the world and of Satan ; if they
are expended in pursuits which are only use¬
less, hurtful, destructive to himself and to
others; then his strength is not a glory, but
a shame—not a blessing, but a curse. Bet¬
ter that the raging lion, that the merciless
hyena, should be let loose upon a community,
than that the strength of the young man, his
activity and vigor, should, by its devotion to
vicious pursuits and unhallowed practices,
make him a most deadly instrument of cor¬
ruption and death to those around him. That
strength which, expended in honorable and
useful action and enterprise, in the service
of God and his country, would be indeed his
glory, when wasted on vanity, sacrificed to
intemperance, prostituted to sensuality, wed¬
ded to profligacy, becomes a crown of infamy
rather than of honor, and makes him a blot
upon society, rather than its ornament. By
a law of righteous retribution, also, it reacts
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 23
upon himself, and makes him a miserable
wreck, a fallen pillar, a ruined temple—the
scorn of foes, the pity of friends—a libel upon
humanity, an outcast from God ! It was not
for this, that you were created, young man.
It was not for this, that you were made so
fearfully and wonderfully. It was not for
this, that you came from the creative hand of
an omnipotent God, his noblest work. He
made you for his glory. He gave you a
body, a mind, and a soul of wonderful pow¬
ers, deep susceptibilities, intense affections,
that all these might be consecrated to him,
and actively employed in his service. He
never gave you your tongue to be used in
the language of profanity,, of ribaldry, or of
infidelity; and when you use it thus, the
power of speech is not your glory, but your
shame. Better be " a dumb dog," than a
man who thus abuses the noble gift of speech.'
When he formed your hands, he never meant
that they should be used in robbing your
neighbor of his money on the highway, or
at the gaming table; or of his life, with the
pistol, or the dram. He nev'er gave you your
bodily frame, that you might pamper it with
sensual indulgence, bloat it with drink, or
rot it down with profligacy. You were made
24
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
to glorify God, in your body and your spirit,
which are God's; and it is only when your
bodily powers are consecrated to his service,
that it ean be truly said of you, '"the glory of
young men is their strength."
Nor, again, can the vigor and activity of
mind, characteristic of the season of youth,
be in itself, the glory of the young man. The
devils in hell, surpass him in intellectual ac¬
tivity ; but their mental vigor only renders
them more dreadful in their malignity, more
terrible for evil and corruption. The greater
a man's intellectual power, the greater his
capacity for vice, as well as virtue—for evil
as well as good. The intellectual power of
such men as Voltaire and Paine, gave them
indeed pre-eminence, but not glory. It made
them, not the ornaments, but the curses of
society, and consigned them to an immor¬
tality of infamy. The steam engine is a
splendid \nvention, and of great service to
man when kept in check by the regulator,
and applied to its legitimate uses. But with¬
out this regulating, restraining, and guid-~
ing principle, it becomes an agent of destruc¬
tion, whose power is irresistible, and appal¬
ling.
So in the case of the young man. His
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN.
25
mental activity and vigor, his lively imagina¬
tion, his acute perceptions, his vivid fancy,
his retentive memory, while under the direc¬
tion of a right education, and the restraints
of virtuous principle, they may constitute his
true glory, and make him an agent of all that
is useful and noble, and good to his race ;
without such education and restraint, will
make him a curse to his generation, and win
for him only that shame, which " is the pro¬
motion of fools." And what is a right edu¬
cation ? Is it the storing of the mind with
unsanctified learning? Is it the mere devel¬
opment and cultivation of the literary taste,
while in the process the moral instincts and
sensibilities, are vitiated and blunted ? Is it
merely the sending of the youthful mind to
wander among the temples and groves of a
Pagan mythology, and kindle with the brilli¬
ant but unhallowed fires, which burn upon,
their altars ? Or is it the bringing of the intefsj
lect into contact with the sublimest truths,
the loftiest principles, the purest standards of
taste, which can be* found in the creation of
God ? Is it the bringing of the human mind
into immediate communication, with super¬
natural realities and eternal truths; realities
and truths which are appropriate to the im-
2*
26
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
mortal nature of man, and which possess the
strongest power of. mental development?
That education, which does not appeal to
the immortality of man—which does not re¬
cognize his diviner part, must be radically
defective. There is in the mind of man a
dormant energy and power, which may be
aroused in time, but can reach its culmina¬
ting point only in eternity. That which is
merely natural and physical, cannot wake up
this latent energy of the mind, and bring it
out into action. It sympathizes only with
the supernatural and spiritual, and Responds
only to the " power of the world to come."
He whose education is merely that which
the world provides for the young—an educa¬
tion purely temporal—which opens for the
thirsty spirit only the broken cisterns of
earthly wisdom, and bids the student sit at
the feet of earthly teachers only, will never
have the^-'hidden depths of his being '* stirred
withiru.him, and the noblest powers of his
soul, quickened into vigorous and healthful
play. No man can be truly educated, whose
immortality is neglected by his teachers.
I deem this subject of such great impor¬
tance at this day, when so much is said and
attempted, in the cause of education, that I
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 27
must be pardoned for dwelling upon it. It is, I
suppose, the acknowledged object of educa¬
tion, to educe, to bring out, to invigorate and
direct, the highest faculties of man. He who
knows the most, is not the most thoroughly
educated man. There may be great and
varied learning, yet no true education. That
consists, not so much in pouring in to the
mind, as in drawing out of the mind itself.
And the deepest recesses of the mind cannot
be reached, its noblest powers developed, and
its finest chords made to vibrate, except by
the force of truths, which, like the mind itself,
are supernatural and eternal. For instance,
there are two great truths, which are fitted
to exert a more gigantic power upon the
human mind, than any faet in history, any
principle in philosophy, any problem in ma¬
thematics. They are God, and Immortality.
Bring these truths, in their colossal magni¬
tude, and their sublime magnificence, into
contact with the mind, and they reveal depths
within it, which had never before been fath¬
omed, and bring energies into play, which may
have slumbered from its creation. There is
such a thing as an education which weakens,
while it developes, which corrupts, while it
expands the mental powers. But that pro-
28 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
cess, by which the mind grasps the great
truths of religion, is in itself an invigorating
process. There is not only an imparting of
knowledge, but of manly energy to the soul.
" Never do the tides of that shoreless ocean,
the human soul, heave and swell as they do
when they feel what the scripture calls 'the
power of an endless life.'" Never is the
deeper and loftier nature of man, so roused,
as when it is made profoundly conscious, of
its own depth, and grandeur. Never is the
intellect subjected to such a masculine de¬
velopment and discipline, as when it grapples
with those eternal truths, and supernatural
realities, which are embraced in the revela¬
tion of God.
And that this is true, can be shown, I think,
from the intellectual history of the world. I
am aware that it is the popular theory, that
the present age far surpasses those which
have preceded it, in the elements of mental
activity and power, and in literary attain¬
ment-—that this is the age of the school-mas¬
ter, the day of education ; and that it may
be reckoned presumptuous to question the
correctness, of this popular theory. But if
that age may be said to be the ripest, when
the general mind, is most full of original
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 29
power and vigor, then the ages which pro¬
duced such men as Bacon and Milton, Owen
and Howe, must stand pre-eminent, over
those which have succeeded. Those ages
were the times, when the public mind was
brought into contact with profound and eter¬
nal truths, and their developing influence
was most deeply felt and manifested, by
thoughtful men. The English mind in the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was
under a very different system of education,
from that which has prevailed in later days.
" The very statesmen of those days," says an
eminent writer, " passed their youth, surround¬
ed by the incessant din of theological contro¬
versy. * * * In the midst of this fer¬
ment their minds were developed. They be¬
longed by nature to that order of men who
always form the front rank in the great
intellectual progress." There probably never
was an age, when supernatural, and eternal
truths, were brought so constantly before the
mind, and when profound and continued re¬
flection, characterized the mental habits of
the people. Therefore, was it an age of
strength, of intellectual vigor—an age which
made deep marks upon the world, deeper
perhaps than any which have been made
30 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
by our much vaunted, ''modern civiliza¬
tion."
But, to return from what is certainly a di¬
gression, (though I would hope not entirely
inexcusable,) I observe that the true intellec¬
tual glory of the young man, lies not in the
mere fact, that he has mental activity and
vigor, but in the sort of education which he
gives it, and the use which he makes of it.
It is a great mistake for him to suppose, that
because he is not destined to professional life,
he needs no intellectual training—and that
because his pursuits do not require him to
pass through a collegiate course, therefore
he is to pay no attention to the cultivation
of his mind. I care not what may be your
vocation, whether commercial, mechanical,
or agricultural, in that vocation you need
your mental power, your creative faculty
educed and strengthened. This is capital, al¬
ways available, always valuable/and which
you cannot lose. You need to be thinking
men, men of original power and energy, men
whose vigor and activity of mind are not
wasted upon superficial and ephemeral sub¬
jects, whose vivid imagination and lively
fancy, are not exercised upon that which is
false, delusive, or corrupting, and whose re-
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 31
tentive memory, is given to the accumulation
of the deepest truths, the sublimest realities,
the most colossal facts. To this end I would
direct you to the study, not simply of physi¬
cal, hut moral science—not to those facts
and principles which are natural and tempo¬
ral, but to those which are supernatural and
eternal. This field is open to you all, what¬
ever your position or occupation. Its great
text book is in your hands, in your vernacu¬
lar tongue ; and its careful study will not
only elevate and purify your moral tastes,
and furnish satisfying provision for your spi¬
ritual necessities, but will develope and
strengthen your mental energies, enlarge
your intellectual capacity, and make you in
respect to that which constitutes real manli¬
ness—a strong man, one whose strength is
his glory, and not his shame. Said the Psalm¬
ist—the entrance of thy word giveth light;
it giveth understanding to the simple." The
study of the word of God, strengthens the
mind, as well as purifies the heart; it edu¬
cates the intellectual, as well as the moral
man; and it is a noble testimony to the
enlargement of a man's capacity, for deep
thought, and extended views, and exalted as¬
pirations, and all that contributes to the glory
32 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of his intellectual nature, to say of him, that
he is mighty in the scriptures."
The mental vigor and activity then, of the
young man, becomes his glory, when it is
exercised on the lofty truths, and sublime con¬
ceptions of religion. With these truths, the
immortal mind, notwithstanding the corrup¬
tion of its moral nature, still has the deepest
affinities. They alone possess the true power
of intellectual development. They speak to.
man's deeper nature, and awake the jechoes
which will vibrate in eternity. If you neg¬
lect them, it matters not what attainments
you make in natural science, or in classic
learning; you have never entered the noblest
field of thought, nor consecrated your mental
faculties, at the purest, and loftiest, shrine.
You have not reached that point, where, in
reference to your intellectual powers, it may
be said of you, " the g'lory of young men is
their strength." But what shall I say of the
young man who uses his mental faculties
only to cavil, at the truths of Christianity—to
pretend to argue, (for it would be rather an
unwarrantable stretch, even of courtesy, to
call it argument in reality,) against the Bible,
and revealed religion, and boldly proclaim his
skepticism, or infidelity. His intellect is not
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 33
a glory, but a shame to him. He thinks he
shows an independent and vigorous mind,
in rejecting Christianity, and a manliness
in avowing himself a skeptic. Poor young
man ! Infidelity herself might blush to own
him, as her champion, and pray to be deliv¬
ered from her friends. Without learning,
without reflection, without investigation, he
retails the second-hand arguments, and stale
objections of others, and pins his faith, or
rather his infidelity, upon the sleeve of one
who denied his God perchance in life, but
writhed in agony when he came to meet him
in death. And while he reviles believers
as credulous, dogmatic, shallow-minded, and
superstitious, he is himself an example of
credulity, dogmatism, superficiality and weak¬
ness, which excites at one time pity, and at
another contempt. I repeat it; the skeptic,
even the oldest, most learned, and best fur¬
nished with weapons for his war against
truth, is a monument of credulity and mental
weakness. Much more the youthful infidel,
the stripling skeptic, the little David, who
comes forth so boldly against the Goliah of
Christianity, but who, unlike the youthful
hero, has not the God of Israel on his side—
who measures his sword of lath against the
3
34 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ponderous weapons of intellectual giants,
whose little finger is thicker than his loins—
much more must he resign all pretensions to
strength and independence of mind, depth of
thought, and glory of intellect. '' Tlte fool
hath said in his heart, there is no God !"
Finally ; the enthusiasm and hopefulness
of the young man, the ardor and fire of his
young existence, contribute to his true glory,
only when they are evoked by the most exalted
objects, and expended in the noblest pursuits.
To the mind of the ardent and sanguine
youth, the world holds out the most flattering
inducements to engage with all his energies
of body and soul m her service. .Wealth
spreads before him her sparkling heaps of
treasures, and seeks, with her potent spell, to
bind his glowing soul in her gilded fetters.
Fame seeks to excite him with the heart-
stirring music of her silver tongue. Pleasure
spreads for him her choicest feasts, and with
her revelry and song, and dance and wine,
would ravish his senses, kindle all the sus¬
ceptibilities of his spirit, and inflame the en¬
thusiasm of his nature, with brilliant but
consuming fires. Oh ! what a crisis in his
history, is the hour when he first looks upon
the world, as the open field, in which he is to
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 35
play his part in the game of life ! The scene
looks gay and attractive—a thousand ave¬
nues seem to lie open to wealth and distinc¬
tion, a thousand voices are calling, a thou¬
sand eager hands are beckoning—the glitter¬
ing prizes of fortune are spread before him—
shall he not rush into the arena, and, nerved
by the wild promptings of high enthusiasm,
struggle boldly for his share ? What is
worthier of his aspirations, his affections, his
endeavors, than gold, the master-key of the
world's store-house ? At what shrine can he
make his offerings more nobly, than at the
shrine of honor? Or where can he so well
gratify the intense longings of his soul, the
kindling cravings of desire, which just begin
to burn and thrill within his bosom, as at the
fountains of pleasure ? Stay ! stay, young
man ! " Behold, I shew unto you a more
excellent way." There are nobler objects on
which to expend the enthusiasm of your youth.
There are purer sources, from which you can
procure satisfying and permanent ministra¬
tion to the cravings of your spiritual nature.
There are treasures fariricher than the yel¬
low gold. There are honors, whose wreaths
shall never hang withered and lifeless on the
tomb. There are pleasures that never satiate,
36 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
nor mock your longings. These treasures,
these honors, these joys, are found in the ser¬
vice of God, in the practice of piety, in the
walks of virtue, in the hope of glory. How
much more worthy are they of your desire
and pursuit. How much better calculated
to rouse all the enthusiasm of a generous
soul. You may expend the ardor and ear¬
nestness of your being upon the things of this
world, and find that if they keep the promise
to the ear, they break it to the hope. You
will find that you have been chasing sha¬
dows, or grasping bubbles, or building pa¬
laces of clouds and mist, and that when the
heat of the chase, and the ardor of the strug¬
gle are over, there is nothing left but weari¬
ness and disappointment, remorse and despair.
Not so with him who devotes himself to the
pursuit of those treasures and honors which
are in the gift of piety alone. All here is
real and substantial, satisfying and perma¬
nent. The inheritance is " incorruptible, un-
defiled, and fadeth not away." The crown
shines not with the fading jewelry of an
earthly coronet, but with the resplendent
gems of a celestial diadem. The harp is not
broken and discordant, sending forth, in fee¬
ble and desponding tones, the dirges of dis-
TRITE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 37
appointed hope, and swept at last only by the
spirit of sadness and wailing ; but full string¬
ed and jubilant, attuned for the anthems of
eternity. The cup will not be wreathed with
flowers that blossom only to fade, and filled
with a draught which leaves a bitter taste
behind ; but twined with amaranthine gar¬
lands, and brimming with sweet waters from
celestial fountains.
Would you seek for a field, worthy of the
enthusiasm and earnestness of your youthful
life ? I direct you to religion. If all that is
sublime in principle, majestic in truth, pure
in precept, lovely in example, and mighty in
power, be worthy to rouse the ardor, excite
the admiration, and enkindle the affections
of the human soul, religion is thus worthy,
if to serve the noblest and most exalted of
beings, to struggle in the sublimest conflicts,
to achieve the most splendid triumphs, and
rear eternal trophies, opens a magnificent
field of ambition and aspiration, such is
opened by religion. If to follow in the path
which has been trodden by the noblest and
most heroic men ; a path pressed by the foot¬
steps, wet with the tears, hallowed by the
blood of a God incarnate ; a path raised far
above the arena where worldlings dig for
38 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
gold, or partisans scramble for place; whose
course is onward and upward, and which
leads to the splendors of a celestial palace,
and an everlasting throne ; if this be wor¬
thy of the intensity of youthful ardor, and
the kindlings of early enthusiasm, religion
points to such a path, and bids you go.
If to secure a satisfying portion for the
unuttered cravings of an immortal mind ; to
rise superior to misfortune ; to meet the va¬
ried ills which flesh is heir to, and conquer
them by faith in unseen and eternal realities ;
to triumph over the last enemy, and render
the grave itself subservient to a new and
lofty life ; if this be something adapted to
awaken the irflensest interest, stimulate the
most fervent desire, and excite the most
strenuous endeavors, then this interest, desire
and endeavor, should be excited by religion—
then should the young man " seek first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness," hav¬
ing the promise, that " all other things shall
be added" thereunto. If youth be the season
of strength, the season of hopefulness, of en¬
thusiasm, which are the springs of effort, and
the pledges of success, in the battle of life,
then it is the season to which the claims
of religion should be especially commended.
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN.
39
If in the heart of the young man is most
easily kindled the fire of ambition, and the
desire for splendid achievements, let religion
secure and sanctify these elements of strength,
and nobleness ; for she alone can give a wor¬
thy field for their development, action, and
triumph. In the language of an eloquent
preacher, " Christianity deals with ambition,
as a passion to be abhorred and denounced,
whilst urging the warrior to carve his way
to a throne, or the courtier to press on in the
path of preferment. But she does not cast
out the elements of the passion. Why should
she ? They are the noblest that enter into
the human composition, bearing most vivid¬
ly the impress of man's original formation.
Christianity seizes on these elements. She
tells her subjects that the rewards of eter¬
nity, though all purchased by Christ, and
none merited by man, shall be rigidly pro¬
portioned to their works. She tells them
that there are places of dignity and stations
of eminence, and crowns with more jewelry,
and sceptres with more sway, in that glo¬
rious empire which shall finally be set up by
the Mediator. And if ambition be the walk¬
ing with the staunch step, and the single
eye, and the untired zeal, and all in the pur-
40 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
suit of some longed-for superiority; Chris¬
tianity saith not to the man of ambition, lay
aside thine ambition ; Christianity hath need
of the staunch step, and the single eye, and
the untired zeal; and she, therefore, sets
before the man pyramid rising above pyra¬
mid in glory, throne above throne, palace
above palace, and she sends him forth into
the moral arena, to wrestle for the loftiest,
though unworthy of the lowest."*
Oh! it is a noble and a winning sight, to see
a young man, in all the vigor of his body,
the activity of his mind, and the earnestness
of his soul, consecrating himself to the ser¬
vice of God. It is a sight to behold which
angels bend from their thrones above, while
a tide of sublime gladness runs through the
radiant multitudes. Then is his strength his
glory. Then are we sure that he will secure
the noble end of his being, and become one
of God's richest blessings to the world. Thein
can we predict for him a career of useful¬
ness, peace, and honor, through his mortal
life, while the glorious rewards of heaven
will crown his immortality.
I speak then, to you, young men, and would
Rev. Henry Melville.
TRUE GLORY OF THE YOUNG MAN. 41
that my voice, like that of a brother, might
thrill the deepest centre of your hearts. I
speak to you, of your true glory. I open
before you the path of honor, the path of
wisdom,, the path of peace. I know it is not
the popular path. I know that the world
will beckon you to another and a far diffe¬
rent course. I know that she will tell you
that hers is the road to wealth and to dis¬
tinction, and to pleasure, but believe her not.
She is a deceiver, and has ever been such.
Thousands have believed her flattering pro¬
mises, and hoped to realize her splendid
visions. They have sacrificed to her the ac¬
tivity of their youthful bodies, the vigor of
their minds, the high enthusiasm of their na¬
ture, and when the age of weakness, and in¬
firmity, and despondency, has come upon
them, when she has robbed them of the dew of
their youth—she has basely deserted them,
and left them to the sorrows of a miserable,
hopeless, remorseful old age, and they, in
the bitterness of their souls, have cursed her
for an ungrateful and treacherous mistress.
Listen not to her voice; heed not her lying
promises; accept not her hypocritical invi¬
tations ; she would lure you only to destruc¬
tion. In the ways of wisdom, in the walks
42 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of piety, in the paths of Christian virtue and
activity, lies the true glory of the young
man. Here, alone, can he secure the re¬
spect and confidence of his fellow men, the
approbation of his own conscience, the sym¬
pathy of angels, the everlasting favor of God.
DISCOURSE II.
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY.
Proverbs xxiii : 29, 30—Who hath wo? who hath sor¬
row? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause?
who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine they that go to seek mixed wine.
Exodus xx : 7—Thou shall not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name in vain.
In these passages of Scripture, you are
warned against two vices, which are near
friends, and often found in each other's com¬
pany. They are Drunkenness, and Profane-
ness, or intemperate drinking, and intempe¬
rate speaking.
I first call you to notice the young man's
temptations to the former vice.
I remark, in general, that the word intem¬
perance has come to be very commonly used
in a limited and restricted sense in our day,
so that very few receive any idea from it,
except that of the immoderate and hurt-
44 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ful use of intoxicating liquors. But the word
temperance, means simply moderation, the
regulating of our conduct, our habits and
deportment, according tb reason and pro¬
priety. The laws of temperance may be
violated as truly in eating, in dressing, in
general living, in speaking and in acting, as
in drinking. The latter is but one form of
intemperance, though.one of fearful and de¬
structive power. But there are many in¬
temperate eaters, who are not drunkards;
and there are many intemperate talkers and
Speech-makers, who are called very tempe¬
rate people. And some of the most striking
cases of intemperance of this sort, may be
found sometimes among the warmest advo¬
cates of temperance, or what they call tem¬
perance. Men who declare that the act of
taking liquors or wine, into the human sys¬
tem, is in itself a sin, and cannot be done in
any case, or under any circumstances, with¬
out a gross breach of moral principle ; who
declare that fermented wine should not be
used at the sacrament of the Lord's supper;
and that all Christians who do not come up
to their standard, on this subject, are unwor¬
thy of the name of Christ, and ought to be
cut off from fellowship with his people ; such
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 45
men are very intemperate persons. Decided¬
ly tile most intemperate person in speech,
whom I ever knew, was a highly respectable
and pious lady, who declared to me, with
much emphasis, that if she Was at the point
of death, and was assured that to be bathed
in alcohol would save her life, she would die,
rather than touch the accursed thing! I
never saw a greater breach of temperance,
in the vilest drunkard that ever found a rest¬
ing place in the gutter. I have seen tempe¬
rance lecturers, too, who were very zealous
men, and who, if you should venture mildly
and modestly, to suggest that they might
possibly be going a little too fast in their
reforming career, would look upon you with
such manifestations of holy horror, as were
quite overwhelming; who yet would all day
long be masticating, with the most exquisite
relish, a filthy and useless drug, which nature
rejects, when first offered to her taste, with
disgust and nausea, and polluting the pure
air of heaven, or the places of public resort,
with pestilential breathings, compared with
which, the breath of a drunkard is, to my
thinking, as sweet as the perfumes that
come from the rose-blooming vale of Shiraz.
Temperate men, indeed ! theirs is truly a
4
46 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
one-sided virtue. They are like Ephraim,
" a cake not turned," all burnt to blackness
on one side, and raw dough on the other ;
useless on both.
I, however, use the term temperance, to¬
night, as applied and confined to the habit
of indulging in intoxicating drinks. And my
object is, in a plain but affectionate manner,
to caution young men against the tempta¬
tions to this vice that surround them, in a
peculiar manner.
I. The ardent and excitable temperament
of'youth, is often a temptation to intempe¬
rance.
Youth, as every one knows, is peculiarly
the season of excitement. The blood bounds
merrily in the veins, the fire of the eye is not
dimmed or shaded, the bodily powers are in
their first flush of life and vigor, and every
nerve within the system thrills-and vibrates
with intense and joyous ecstasy. It is the
season of mirthfulness, of hope, of wild and
feverish desire. The appetite for food and
drink is especially keen at that age, and the
fondness for physical excitement and gratifi¬
cation peculiarly strong. This constitutional
ardor, which is peculiar to the, season of
youth, renders the temptation to indulge in
intemperance and profanity. 47
drinking almost irresistible. The exhilara¬
tion which the sparkling wine cup produces,
the genial glow, the exquisite thrill, the wild,
tumultuous excitement, which follow repeat¬
ed draughts, is ravishing to the youthful
spirit. He breathes a new air, he is lifted
up far aflove the vulgar details of working
life, and when he is fairly charged with drink
enough to make every thing dance and spar¬
kle round him, then he is a man indeed, and
that is life.
And, when a circle of such youthful spi¬
rits meet to spend a social evening, then
the temptation comes with increased power.
They, perhaps, have but few resources of
a literary or intellectual character ; the re¬
straining and refining presence of woman
is wanting; what is left for them but the
decanter and the cigar ? Smoking and
drinking, second-hand jests, stale witticisms,
wretched puns, maudlin sentiments, and bac¬
chanalian ditties, these are the young man's
social enjoyments ! This is his refreshment,
after the business of the day is over, and
here the foundation is laid for dissipation,
vice, drunkenness, poverty,infamy, and death.
Beware, young men, how you recklessly
trifle with your ardent and excitable natures.
48 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
There is a magazine of passion within you,
to which it is destruction to apply the torch
of indulgence. Boast not of your strength
of resistance, of your ability to keep within
the bounds of reason and moderation. Others
have boasted as loudly as you, and where
are they ? Some have sunk into early graves,
some are living—but as the beast Iiveth—
the last tFaces of humanity obliterated, in
poverty, in disease, in degradation, the scorn
or the miserable pity of the world. Bring
the strong passions of the youthful soul into
subjection to reason and moral principle,
and they shall be like the noble, well broken
steed, who bears his rider right gallantly on
in the path of honor and of safety. Let
them overcome your reason and your princi¬
ple, and they will be like the same fiery steed,
uncontrolled and uncontrollable, hurling his
rider headlong over the precipice, or dashing
him, into a shapeless and quivering mass
beneath his iron hoof!
II. The limited extent of social and intellec¬
tual privileges afforded to young men in cities,
furnishes a temptation to intemperance.
The social feelings are strong in young
men, and their situation in cities contributes
to render them stronger. They are confined
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 49
closely during the day to business, and gene¬
rally are at leisure during the evening. But
(and my remarks are especially applicable to
our larger cities) they have very few social
privileges or enjoyments of apure and refining
character. There is too much indifference
on the part of employers to the social enjoy¬
ments of their clerks, and in large cities
there is a vast number of them, who have
literally no place in which their evenings
can be spent, but the attic of a boarding-
house, the saloon of a grog-shop, or an oys¬
ter-house, or the places of public amusement.
These resorts are mainly supported by young
men. They are driven there for want of
some place in which their leisure hours may
be more profitably and pleasantly spent.
Now, it seems to me to be the duty of the
merchants and men of business, in every
city, to feel a deeper interest in the social
and intellectual welfare of their clerks and
the young men in their employment. Faci¬
lities for their mental cultivation should be
afforded and liberally sustained—libraries,
reading-rooms, lectures, should be provided,
and made accessible and inviting to them.
The family circle should be kindly open to
their visits, and every influence which may
4*
50
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
be calculated to restrain, to elevate, and pu¬
rify the young man, should be thrown around
him, and by those for whom he is daily tax¬
ing his strength and devoting his best time.
It is for want of this interest in their social
enjoyment and their intellectual cultivation,
that so many of our young men in cities are
led into habits of dissipation. You cannot
expect them, after the labors of the day are
over, to immure themselves in their lodgings,
without comforts or resources. They have
the warm, social feelings of the human heart;
they need recreation, and they will have it.
If the better and purer fountains of social
enjoyment, of mental culture, are not open
to them, they will seek it from other sources,
and drink from muddier pools. They will
form clubs, or associations, whose principal
features are of a convivial order; they will
entertain each other in their own rooms, or
at' places of public resort—they will become
addicted to late hours, and jovial companions,
and frolics and " sprees," until they have lost
all relish for refined society and intellectual
enjoyment, and prefer to spend their leisure
hours, amid scenes of senseless revelry, and
in the company of the rowdy, the profligate,
the drunkard, and the harlot !
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 51
When the young man has reached this
point, he is well nigh lost ! Pause, young
man ! stop where you are! How do you
spend your evenings? There is no excuse,
in this city, for any of our young men, who
pass their leisure hours in the haunts of vice
and debauchery. The social circles of our
houses are open to you. Wherever I visit,
I find young men kindly welcomed—they
are a very prominent part of every social
gathering, and no respectable young man
need spend his leisure hours in dissipation,
as far as I know, for want of a pleasant fire¬
side circle, where he may be sure of a wel¬
come.
III. The example of those who give tone
to society, furnishes temptation to intempe¬
rance.
I am exceedingly anxious to be correctly
understood on this point, and shall take occa¬
sion to express myself with great plainness
and particularity, so that my real sentiments
may be known. If I am then misinterpreted,
let the responsibility rest on those, who are
either too obtuse to see a distinction between
things that differ, or too unprincipled to do
justice to those who are so bold as to differ
from them. I remark, therefore, that there
52 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
is much said at the present day, by many of
our temperance men, from which I wholly
dissent. The declaration, for instance, that
the use of intoxicating drinks is a sin "joer
sethat no man can be in the habit of
using them, in any quantity, and be a good
man ; that a pledge to total abstinence should
be made an indispensable condition of church
membership ; that a refusal to take such a
pledge, should be punished by ecclesiastical
censure ; that fermented wine should be ban¬
ished from the communion table ; that the
Bible nowhere teaches that there is any such
thing as its proper and authorized use; all
these statements repeated, and insisted upon
with a vast amount of windy declamation at
the present day, by a host of one-idea re¬
formers, I utterly disavow, and believe them
entirely unwarranted by the teachings of
the Bible, or by common sense. These men
take the same ground which is taken by the
more rabid of the abolition party at the North,
in reference to slavery, and their principles
are fully as disorganizing and dangerous.
My views on the general subject of the
use of intoxicating drinks, and the stand
which Christian men, and benevolent and
patriotic men, ought to take, in regard to
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 53
the temperance reformation, are these ; and
they have not been hastily adopted. I be¬
lieve that to every thing that God has made,
he has assigned its legitimate and proper use,
and that it may have its abuse. I believe this
is true of all the products of the earth, of
every thing which God has made and given
to man. The abuse of any of tbese things
is a sin. For instance, God made the tongue
to be the instrument of communicating truth,
of exchanging ideas, and thus, of benefiting
and blessing mankind. The man who thus
uses his organs of speech, uses them aright.
But he who makes them the instruments of
teaching error, the organs of profanity, or
vile and corrupting discourse, abuses them,
and is guilty in the sight of God. The abuse
is the sin, the use the virtue. The abuse
never abrogates the use, or destroys the right
of all to that use. So, I believe that the
articles of food and drink, which God has
provided, have their proper use, and they
have also their abuse. Many men abuse
meat; they indulge in gluttony ; injure their
health ; and lay the foundation for painful
and deadly disease. But this fact does not
abrogate the right of men to use animal
food, in proper quantities, and at suitable
54 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
intervals. I know there are some who deny
this, and say that men ought not to eat ani¬
mal food. They are no more ultra and sense¬
less in their reasonings, than many who rea¬
son from the abuse of articles of drink, against
their use ; yet the world has not progressed
quite so far in the spirit of reform, as to sanc¬
tion their doctrines as to meat. Now, I fully
believe that every man has a perfect right
to use, in a proper manner, the gifts of God,
and that the abuse of those gifts by another,
never touches the abstract question of right.
In this point of view, the denunciations of
reformers against all who do not come up to
their standard, are resolvable into a com¬
pound of ignorance and impudence. It is
idle to talk of the example of a man who
properly uses any of the gifts of God, as
affording a sanction to another man to abuse
these gifts. You might as well say that a
man who uses his organs of speech to pray,
encouraged another to use his for. cursing
and blasphemy. I am aware that many re¬
spectable writers are at variance with me on
this point, men whom I* by no means con¬
found with the itinerant lecturers on this
subject, with whom our land is filled. A
celebrated physician says, "All use of ardent
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 55
spirits is an abuse." Another says, " On
every organ they touch, ardent spirits ope¬
rate as a poison." Now, if this be true,
how can they be used as a medicine 1 If
there is no such thing as a use for them, in
any case, and under all circumstances they
are poisonous, what shall we think of the
word of God, when it says, " Give strong
drink to him that is ready to perish, and
wine to him that is of a heavy heart." What
must be thought of an inspired apostle, who
enjoined upon a son in the ministry, to " drink,
no longer water, but a little wine, for thy
stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities."
Now, in my judgment, the cause of tem¬
perance does not need such advocates as
these. There is better, safer, more scriptu¬
ral ground to stand upon than this, where
we may labor conscientious^, hopefully,
and effectually, for the reformation of men.
While, as I said, I believe that the proper
use of all the Creator's gifts is lawful to man,
and that no abuse of them by others infringes
upon my abstract right to use them, yet cir¬
cumstances may arise in which I am called
upon, at the bidding of an enlarged Christian
charity, or sense of expediency, to restrain
my own right, and avoid the use of that
56 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
which, so far as I am concerned, I might con¬
tinue to use with propriety and safety. It
then becomes my duty to waive my right, in
compassion for the weaknesses of others, and
make a sacrifice of my Christian liberty, that
I may help to raise up those who have fallen,
in the abuse of their natural freedom. This
is the ground, and the only ground, on which
I became a total abstinence man. Seeing
the evils of intemperate drinking, which can¬
not be painted in too glowing colors—wit¬
nessing the misery, the pauperism, the crime,
and the wretchedness, which are its legiti¬
mate fruits ; believing that there is no safety
for one who has abused his right of using
these beverages, till he has formed the habit
of intemperance, but in abstaining entirely
from their use; and being sincerely desirous
of aiding these unfortunate men to recover
themselves from the snare into which they
had fallen ; I deliberately and cheerfully re¬
linquished what I claimed, and still claim, as
a right, and pledged myself to total absti¬
nence, from the habitual use of all intoxica¬
ting drinks, as a common beverage. I re¬
gretted the necessity for this step, but not on
my own account. It made little change in
my personal habits. It took away nothing
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 57
from my previous enjoyments. I regretted
that others could not restrain their appetites
and passions; but as a Christian man, and a
Christian minister, taking as my guide the
example of Paul, who, while he distinctly
claimed that he had the right to use all that
God had made, yet, with a true spirit of
Christian charity, and noble self-denying be¬
nevolence, exclaimed, " If meat make my
brother to offend, I will eat no meat while
the world standeth, lest I make my brother
to offend," I felt called upon, in this pecu¬
liar state of the.case, to say that if it would
be a help to any man, or body of men, in re¬
covering themselves from the snares of in¬
temperance, to have my name with theirs, as
pledged to total and entire abstinence from
all intoxicating drinks, as an habitual bever¬
age, I could not refuse to give it. The act I
have never regretted, though the necessity
for it, in their case, I do regret.
Now, what I did, I would be glad to see
done by every man in the community, and
on the same grounds. For I firmly believe,
that until this ground is taken, and the sober
and virtuous, and respectable portion of the
community, take the position which I have
described as my own, very little will be done
5
58 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
to stay the progress of intemperance among
us. It is in reference to this point that I said
the example of those who give tone to socie¬
ty, operates as a temptation to young men,
to habits of intemperance. The young man
who sees the wine, or brandy, daily on his
father's table ; who is invited to partake of it
at a social gathering, at the house of his em¬
ployer ; who sees those who occupy the first
rank in society, and whom he respects and
admires, using those articles commonly and
freely ; is in danger from their example. Is
it not so ? Do not our young men sometimes
become so excited, by the use of wine and
other stimulants, which they find wherever
they yisit, that they pass beyond the bounds
of moderation—forget themselves when they
ought to be under perfect self-control, and
rush into scenes and excesses, which bring
sorrow and shame upon the hearts of those
that love them ?
You must not understand me here, as charg¬
ing upon any man, or any class of men, that
they are wilfully destroying others, by their
social habits. Denunciation is not my ele¬
ment. I leave that to those who make up in
zeal what they lack in discrimination, and
fill up with wind the hollow places of their
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 59
arguments. But while I do not choose to
play into the hands of any set of reformers,
whose principles I dissent from, though with
respect for their motives, yet, on the other
hand, I must be allowed to speak my own sen¬
timents, with the utmost candor. I wish that
there was no general wine drinking in our com¬
munity. I wish that all our gentlemen, and
all our ladies, could feel as I feel on this sub¬
ject—that " it is good neither to eat flesh, or
to drink wine, or to do any thing by which a
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made
weak." For the sake of our sons; of all our
young men, whom we desire to see respect¬
able, useful, virtuous men-—who will be our
stay and pride in life's declining years, and
transmit our name, untarnished, to posteri¬
ty—I would that all would unite in doing
away "with every custom which may operate
injuriously upon them, or contribute to blast
our hopes, or bring down our grey hairs, with
sorrow, to the grave. On this ground, I would
be glad to see every man in our city, a total
abstinence man. I would that no tempta¬
tion were ever before the young, in our social
circles. I would that it were not deemed
necessary, in our social gatherings, to do so
much feeding, and make such costly and
60 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
elaborate provision for the mere animal part
of our natures. I pretend to no stoical in¬
difference to the good things of this life. I
should, as soon as any man, rebel at a her¬
mit's fare; yet, still I think that we might
preserve all our social enjoyments, and meet
each other frequently, in friendly gatherings,
without the burden and cost, on the one
hand, of providing so liberally for the appe¬
tite, and the temptation, on the other hand,
to indulge it far beyond the limits of modera-.
tion, and propriety.
Let me not be understood, as by any means
indulging in a spirit of dictation, or censori-
ousness, or advocating anything inconsistent
with the generous hospitality, and kind social
feeling, for which our city is distinguished.
No man has a keener relish for the enjoy¬
ments of social life than myself. No man
loves to meet his friends oftener, and spend
hours of pleasant, unrestrained intercourse
with them, throwing off the burden of care
and responsibility, for a time, which we must
so constantly carry in this world; and wreath¬
ing the brow of labor and toil with flowers,
whose beauty and fragrance shall cheer us
amid our daily tasks. I would only plead
for the highest form of social enjoyment, and
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 61
deprecate every thing which may be the
means of placing temptation before another,
which he may not be strong enough to with¬
stand.
And I would invite all our young men to
become total abstinence men. It was a long
time, before I became convinced that it was
my duty to take such a step. But, after
anxious and prayerful deliberation, I was led
to believe that I should be more useful to my
fellow-men, and could, with a better con¬
science, go to the drunkard, and urge him to
abandon his cups, if I gave up even the very
limited use of beverages, of this sort, to which
I had been accustomed. I have never re¬
gretted it, and I would earnestly invite you
to the same course. I have no idea that I
have thus unfitted myself for the society of
gentlemen, and you need not fear this effect
in your own case. Where is the individual,
in this city, whose good opinion is worth
anything to you, who will think less of any
young man for owning himself a friend to
entire abstinence from every thing that can
intoxicate ? Will your parents love you less
for this? Will your employers have less
confidence in you ? Will the community at
large regard you with less favor, because
5*
62 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
you take this stand ? No ! be assured it will
be far otherwise. Even those who do not
take this step themselves, will be glad to see
you taking it. Every one will honor you for
it, except those who want your countenance
and support, either in their own habits of
dissipation, or in sustaining a business which
is more of a curse than a blessing to the
community.
But if these motives have little weight
-with you, then I must use the words of warn¬
ing, and I will do in the language of God,
and not of man. " Hear thou my son, and
be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Be not among wine-bibbers, among riotous
eaters of flesh, for the drunkard and the
glutton shall come to poverty. Who hath
woe ? who hath sorrow ? who hath conten¬
tions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds
without cause ? who hath redness of eyes ?
They that tarry long at the wine—they that
go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon
the wine when it is red, when it giveth his
color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and sting-
eth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold
strange women, and thine heart shall utter
perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. . 63
that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as
he that lieth upon the top of the mast. They
have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was
not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it
not; when shall I awake 1 I will seek it yet
again." Here is a picture of a drunkard,
drawn by a master-hand, three thousand
years ago ; and its original you can see al¬
most any day, in the streets, or in some of
the lurking places of our city. You may
present such a picture yet, to the weeping
gaze of friends, or the scornful and derisive
looks of the crowd. Every such miserable
man began where you begin; who can say
that you may not end where they have end¬
ed ?
Beware, then, young men, of the tempta¬
tions to intemperance which surround you.
Oh, do not yield yourselves, in your pride,
and vigor, to the. embraces of this fair, but
destroying fiend. Our fondest hopes are built
on you. Parents, friends—your country and
the world, are looking to you for all that can
comfort, and bless, and adorn, and save ;
"you are the strength, the hope, the glory of
the land." Give not yourselves away to this
destroying appetite. You may say, with
pride and confidence, I am in no danger.
64 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
The drunkard's loathsome character I abhor.
So said he, when like you he stood forth in
his youthful bloom, and took the first step in
the road to ruin. So have many said, who
were seduced by the wiles of the tempter,
and who forfeited their lives to the outraged
laws of their land, or slept prematurely in
the drunkard's grave. " Let him that think-
eth he standeth, take heed lest he fall."
II. Young men are in danger, from temp¬
tations to Profanity.
The sin of profanity is one to which young
men, in cities, are peculiarly addicted. It is
the use of language which implies an utter
want of reverence for all sacred things. It
is a universal sin. All over our land, in the
social circle, in the place of business, in the
steamboat, on the rail road, wherever you
go, your ears are shocked with the accents
of profanity, and your blood sometimes chill¬
ed in your veins, by its most blasphemous
and revolting forms. We hear it from every
age, and class, and sex. The child, who can
scarcely lisp in his native tongue, learns to
use his organs of speech in the utterance of
an oath ; taught in these rudiments of the
learning of hell, by a parent, or perhaps by
an aged grandsire, whose tremulous lips can
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 65
scarcely pronounce the imprecation which is
the horrid lesson he teaches to his uncon¬
scious, yet apt disciple. But it is more com¬
mon to hear the language of profanity from
young men, than from any other clask It
seems to accord more with the impetuosity
and ardent temperament of youth. Young
men are apt to express themselves with en¬
ergy and decision, even upon very unimport¬
ant subjects—hence the temptation to give
that force, which their remarks would not
perhaps, possess intrinsically, by adding a
liberal seasoning of oaths and curses ; throw¬
ing in, as it were, some of the Devil's" small
change, to make up what may be wanting in
the weight of their' conversation. Then, the
ardent and excitable passions of youth will
naturally lead to profanity. Young men are
not remarkable for cool blood. They are
easily excited, always ready to take up and
resent an affront. Their honor is of that kind
which cannot be trusted to take care of itself,
and requires continual looking after. In the
excitement of temper, strong, passionate and
startling words, are the most natural outlets
of feeling. There seems to be an utter in¬
adequacy, in common forms of speech, to
relieve the excited mind, and the language of
66 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
profanity and cursing seems to be a sort of
safety-valve, by which the accumulated pas¬
sion may be let off. A late writer on this
subject, gives me the following illustration :
" A clergyman one day encountered in the
street, a neighbor in a frenzy of passion,
pouring forth oaths like a torrent of burning
lava. The good man stood aghast, like
Christian in the dark valley, where hell vo¬
mited up its flames and sulphur on either
hand. But presently the swearer ceased, and
turning from the object of his passion, to the
minister, he said mildly, 'Good morning, sir,
you can pass on now; for I have cleared my¬
self out.'' What a sink of corruption must
that man's heart have been, to be relieved
by such a purgation ?
Young men too often form the habit of pro¬
fanity, from the idea that it gives a racy, and
piquant tone, to their conversation. They
often mistake it for wit, and there is, per¬
haps, no character which young men are
more ambitious of sustaining, than that of a
wit. Says a popular writer—" Every com¬
munity is supplied with self-made wits. One
retails other men's witticisms, as a pedlar
* Thompson's Lectures to Young Men.
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 67 .
puts off* thread-bare garments. Another
roars over his own brutal quotations from
scripture—and we find street-wit, shop-wit,
school-wit, fool's-wit, drunken-wit, and al¬
most every kind of wit, but mother-wit; puns,
quibbles, catches, would-be jests, thread-bare
stories, and gew-gaw tinsel; every thing but
the real diamond, which sparkles simply be¬
cause God made it so that it could not help
sparkling."* To this I would add, swearing-
wit—a very common form of wit among
young men. A joke which would be very
flat, and pointless in itself, seems to be a very
good thing, when garnished with a seasoning
of profanity ; and an oath or two, ripped out
with becoming emphasis, seems to add mar¬
vellous force to remarks that would other¬
wise be somewhat tame and insipid.
The habit of intemperate drinking, too, is
a fruitful source of Profaneness.
Intemperance and Profanity are members
of the same family, and are generally found
in each other's company. Often, a man, who,
in his sober moments, is never known to in¬
dulge in this sin, when excited by liquor, will
pour forth a volley of oaths, which will curdle
* Rev. H. W. Beecher.
68 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the blood of the hearer. And when he is a
little " high," you can easily know it* by the
fact that his discourse is seasoned with a
strong spicing of this sort, which it lacks in
his hours of reason and sobriety.
■Now, it may be remarked of this vice, that
it is one for which no kind of excuse can be
plead. It is the most unnecessary and pro¬
fitless kind of sin, in the whole catalogue of
vice. For almost every other kind of vice,
some motive can be assigned—some tempta¬
tion plead—some excuse offered. A man
may ,be tempted to dishonesty by avarice, or
by the pressure of want. He may become a
gambler, from a desire to minister to his cra¬
ving for excitement. He may lie, steal, kill,
or be a profligate, because there is some ap¬
parent good to be gained thereby; but it is
very difficult to see what motive can impel
a ^man to the sin of profanity. It cannot
benefit his body, his mind, his character, or
his fortune. There is no real pleasure im¬
parted by it—dhere is no profit to be gained
from it, and it is impossible to discover any
object, worthy of the efforts of a rational
being, which can be secured by it. Robert
Hall says—" It is, properly, the superfluity of
naughtiness, and can only be considered as a
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 69
sort of pepper-corn rent, in acknowledgment
of the devil's right of superiority. If we at¬
tempt to analyze it, and reduce it to its real
motive, we find ourselves at a total loss to
discover any other than irreligious ostenta¬
tion—-a desire of convincing the world that
its perpetrators are not under the restraint of
religious fear. But as this motive is most
impious and detestable, so the practice aris¬
ing from it is not at all requisite for that pur¬
pose, since the persons who persist in it may
safely leave it to other parts of their charac¬
ter, to exonerate them from the suspicion of
their being fearers of God. We beg leave to
remind them that they are in no danger of
being classed with the pious, either in this
world, or in that which is to come ; and may,
therefore, safely spare themselves the trouble
of inscribing the name of their master on
their foreheads. They are not so near to the
kingdom of God, as to be liable to be mis¬
taken for its subjects." The uselessness,
then, of this habit, should be a reason for
abstaining from it.
Again, it is a most senseless and absurd
use of language.
If the language of a habitual swearer
was fairly analyzed, it would appear the
€
70 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
most ridiculous and senseless jargon—
the most contradictory and absurd use
of words, which can be imagined. Young-
men may, perhaps, pride themselves upon
their colloquial powers, their education, their
taste, or their understanding of the use of
their vernacular tongue; but the profane
young man deserves to wear a fool's-cap and
bells for the rest, of his days, for his perfectly
irrational, and absurd use of the forms of
speech. I hope you will not think me irrev¬
erent, or undignified, if I give you an ex¬
ample, simply to illustrate my meaning.
How common is it to hear the adjective
" damned " used in connection with a word
of an entirely opposite signification—for in¬
stance, a young man, in speaking of the
weather, will say—" It is a damned fine day."
Now, the young man wishes to express his
pleasurable emotions, or his sense of the de¬
lightful character of the weather. See with
what appropriateness he expresses himself.
The word " damned," as you will find by re¬
ferring to the dictionary, means " condemn¬
ed," " lost," " miserable," " in a state of hope¬
lessness, or despair." Use any of these terms
in the place of the profane adjective, which
they describe, and what sheer nonsense it
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 71
makes. Another youth speaks of something
as " devilish good." Now, every thing per¬
taining to the devil, is usually considered as
being of the worst possible character. "As
bad as the devil," " as ugly as Satan," " as
malicious as the devil," are common forms of
comparison. Yet, if the synonomous term
were used, or the meaning of the word cor¬
rectly given, no man, who pretends to com¬
mon sense, would ever think of using such
an expression. This is a fair sample of the
conversation of the swearer. This is the
way in which he uses language. Why—
were it not so awful a sin, it would provoke
a smile to listen to such absurdities of speech,
from men who think that they know how to
use language with propriety, and who, per¬
haps, pride themselves upon their conversa¬
tional powers.
Again, the habit of Profanity is an ungen-
tlemanly and vulgar habit.
It is an accomplishment in which per¬
fection is reached only in the lowest walks
of life. It is never tolerated among peo¬
ple of refined tastes, and real gentility.
But the best evidence of its vulgarity, is that
it is considered as utterly Inconsistent with
the presence of ladies. A man who will in-
72 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
dulge in profanity, in the society of respect¬
able females, is, by common consent, and
even by his fellow-swearers, branded as no
gentleman. And why, I beg to know, is a
different standard of decency and propriety
to be provided for gentlemen, in their inter¬
course with each other ? Why should not
that breach of decorum, which would expel
a man from the presence of ladies, equally
unfit him for the company of refined and
well-bred men? Profanity is essentially vul¬
gar in all its aspects and associations. It
flourishes in greatest luxuriance, amid the
vilest haunts of debauchery. It is the favo¬
rite dialect of the blackleg, and the harlot—
and no man, who aspires to the character of
a true gentleman, should ever sully his con¬
versation with phrases borrowed from sour¬
ces like these.
Profanity is an awful sin against God.
God is the greatest, and wisest, and loveliest
being in the universe. His exaltation is that
of Power and Virtue. He only is great—
He only is good. His character, his word,
his institutions, are in the highest degree
sacred. The more the human mind knows
of God, the more it feels its own littleness
and vanity. The mightiest minds have bow-
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY.
73
ed before him in reverence, and humility,
exclaiming in awe and adoration, " Who,
by searching, can find out God ?" Before
him angels bow, and archangels veil their
faces—and the blessed spirits of Heaven re¬
joice to pay him the deepest homage of their
holy hearts. And shall man—poor, feeble
man, whose habitation is in the dust, and
who is crushed before the moth, who by one
word of the Almighty was called into exis¬
tence, who lives upon his bounty, and whom
one word of his mouth could reduce to his
original nothingness—shall he east contempt
upon the name, attributes,. and word of God,
his Maker; associate that dread name, in
speaking which angels tremble, with all that
is vile, or polluted, or contemptible, and not
be held guilty in his sight ? It is the most
wanton and direct insult which can be offer¬
ed to the Almighty, and it will surely bring
upon the man, who dares thus defy his Maker,
the withering power of an anathema from
Heaven. The language of God, spoken amid
the thunders and lightnings of Sinai, is—
" Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
And, remember, that there are many ways of
6*
74 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
violating this command. You may avoid
the grosser sins, and yet be guilty of irrever¬
ence. When you use any of the names of
God lightly, when you quote from, his word
in jest or mockery, when you call upon him
on the most trifling occasions, or invoke in
anger his wrath upon man or beast, you are
alike guilty of Profanity ; and I remark in
conclusion—
Profanity ensures the eternal ruin of the
soul.
There is, perhaps, but one other sin
which has equal power to deaden and extin¬
guish the moral sensibilities. It sears the
conscience, hardens the heart, familiarizes
the mind with sin, establishes a fellowship
with the vile and abandoned, and removes
forever from the soul, the only adequate safe¬
guard and restraint—reverence and fear of
God. No swearer shall enter the kingdom of
Heaven. Not there, in that world of purity
and holiness; not there, where nothing enters
" that defileth, or maketh abomination, or
loveth and maketh a lienot there, where
the heavenly air vibrates to the sound of an¬
gelic harp strings, or bears the cadences of
the new song of redeemed saints to the throne
of God—not there must the swearer find his
INTEMPERANCE AND PROFANITY. 75
eternal home. But in that world of outer
darkness, where are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators;
where devils and malignant fiends are crowd¬
ed together, where groans of anguish mingle
with cursing and blasphemy, " where the
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quench¬
ed, and the smoke of their torment ascend-
eth up forever and ever there is the swear¬
ers place. His earthly training has fitted
him for high rank in the infernal world ; and
as here he clothed himself with cursing as
with a garment, there it shall cling to him
like the poisoned shirt of Nessus, or be ex¬
changed for the scorching folds of the eter¬
nal fire-sheet of Hell !
Beware, then, young men, of intemperate
drinking, and intemperate speaking. Beware
of Drunkenness, and Profanity—two kin¬
dred vices—they will ruin you for Time, and
they will ruin you for Eternity.
DISCOURSE III.
SABBATH-BREAKING.
Exgdits xx : 8—" Remember the sabbath day to keep it
holy"
I purpose to address you, on the present
occasion, upon the sin of Sabbath-breaking.
I have introduced my discourse with the most
appropriate passage which can be found in
the sacred Scriptures, viz: that command in
the decalogue, in which the due observance
of the Sabbath is enjoined upon men by the
Almighty, and on which, as the principal
foundation, we rest the argument for its sa¬
cred character.
The sin of Sabbath-breaking is a common
one, perhaps one of the most common in our
country. Individuals, associations, states and
governments, participate in it. It is one of
which many young men are occasionally
guilty, who refrain from other vices, of a
78 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
grosser character, of which I have before
spoken to you. But it is no small offence
against God, to profane his holy day; and
though I cannot attempt, in the limits as¬
signed me, on the present occasion, to pre¬
sent the argument for the Sabbath, with any
thing like completeness, yet I must advert to
those more prominent considerations, in favor
of this institution, on which the duty of its
observance rests.
The first great institution which God gave
to our race, was that of the family. This
lies at the foundation of all our social rela¬
tions, and is the lawful parent and originator
of domestic enjoyment. Next to this, comes
the institution of the Sabbath, established,
like that of marriage, in paradise itself, and
given for the universal race of men. They
who contend that it was designed only for
the Jewish nation, may as well say that it
was intended only for Adam and Eve, as
they were the only dwellers in paradise,
when the institution had its origin. But our
Saviour distinctly declared to his disciples,
that " the Sabbath was made for man"—for
man universally—man in all nations, in all
ages, in all circumstances ; for the whole
human family was the Sabbath given, to be
SABBATH-BREAKING.
79
an universal and perpetual institution, bind¬
ing to the end of time. The observance of
one day in seven, as a day of rest from all
unnecessary worldly labor, a day of special
religious service and commemoration, this,
we claim, is binding upon all men by the
express command and ordinance of God.
We do not regard any one portion of time,
as intrinsically sacred, but only that such a
proportion, as one day in seven, according to
the example of God, in the work of creation,
shall be thus observed.
Of course, the first argument for this ob¬
servance, is the command of God. One of
the prominent statutes on the first table of
the law, is, " Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy." And, in many other passages
in the word of God, the institution is insisted
on, with great strictness and solemnity of
decree and of promise, so that no man who
receives the Bible as a revelation of the
word of God, can doubt, for a moment, that
it is his will that one-seventh portion of our
time, shall be considered as peculiarly be¬
longing to him.
But this institution, like that of marriage
and of government, while it must rest pri¬
marily on the will of Jehovah, and must be
80 earnest words, to young men.
acquiesced in, 011 the authority of a " Thus
saith the Lord," yet, like those other institu¬
tions, is Wonderfully adapted to the nature
and wants of human society, and fitted to
advance and secure the best interests of man.
Its influence on general morality cannot
be estimated too highly. " It holds a rela¬
tion to morality, similar to that which mar¬
riage sustains to social purity." Had its
benign and beneficial influence been always
exerted upon the world, its surface would
have presented a more beautiful and glad¬
some aspect. Idolatry, With its blind super¬
stitions, and its degrading rites, would have
been unknown, for the Sabbath has been the
great means of preserving and extending the
knowledge and worship of the only living
and true God. •Do away with the obser¬
vance of this day, and you would soon see
the last vestige of morality swept away from
the face of the earth. Infidel France tried
once the hazardous experiment, but the re¬
sults were so fearful, that her rulers were
obliged to appoint a decade, or every tenth
day, as a sort of holy-day—thus paying their
unconscious tribute to the value of the Sab¬
batical institution. And wherever the Sab¬
bath is known, honored, and observed, there
SABBATH'BREAKING.
81
is the soundest general morality, the greatest
good order, intelligence and virtue, among
the people.
But another argument for the Sabbath, may
be drawn from what seems to be a law of
man's nature, written by the finger of God,
as plainly as the law which is engraved upon
the tables of stone, given amid the thunder¬
ing^ and lightnings of Sinai, to the Hebrew
patriarch. It has been most satisfactorily
proved, that the physical constitution, both
of man and beast, absolutely requires such a
proportion of rest from toil, as is furnished
by the observance of the Sabbath.
Most of you are familiar- with the fact
that, in the year 1832, the attention of the
British Parliament was called to this sub¬
ject, and a committee was appointed by them,
to make an investigation into, the facts con¬
nected with the system of seven days of
labor, without an interval of rest, showing
its bearing upon the health and life of the
working classes. In the discharge of their
duties, this committee took the testimony of
many men of different professions, which
harmonized in a remarkable degree. The
most intelligent and experienced physicians,
testified that the observance of one day in
7
82 EARNEST WORDS TO 1YOUNG MEN.
seven, as a day of rest from labor, was abso¬
lutely necessary to the health and vigor of
the physical powers ; that man and beast
could actually accomplish a greater amount
of labor, through a life-time, with less wear
and tear of the bodily powers, by observing
one day in seven as a day of rest, t have
not time to present to you any of the very
interesting and astonishing details, with which
the report to parliament is filled. Suffice it
to say, that the testimony was conclusive as
to this point, that the Sabbath is hot merely
a religious or political institution, but one
growing out of the very nature of man, and
to which, not only religion, and theology, and
a wise political economy, give their fullest
sanction, but which finds an unanswerable
argument for its propriety and beneficial in¬
fluences, in the principles of physiology, and
the laws which regulate the animal economy.
The celebrated Wilberforce has given his
decided testimony to the incalculable bene¬
fits conferred by the Sabbath upon the phy¬
sical, intellectual and moral nature of man.
" What a blessing," says he, " is Sunday, in¬
terposed between the waves of worldly busi¬
ness, like the divine path of the Israelites
through Jordan." " It is curious," says he
SABBATH-BREAKING.
83
again, " to hear the newspapers speaking of
incessant application to business, forgetting
that by the weekly admission of a day of
rest, which our Maker has enjoined, our
faculties would be preserved from this con¬
stant strain."
A distinguished financier, charged with
an immense amount of property, during the
great pecuniary pressure of 1836 and '37,
said, " I should have been a dead man, had
it not been for the Sabbath. Obliged to
work from morning to night, through the
whole week, I felt on Saturday, especially on
Saturday afternoon, as if I must have rest.
Everything looked dark and gloomy, as if
nothing could be saved. I dismissed all, and
kept the Sabbath in the good old way. On
Monday it was all bright sunshine. I could
see through, and I got through. But had it
not been for the Sabbath, I have no doubt
that I should have been in the grave."*
The institution of the Sabbath then rests
on the positive command of God, and on its
adaptedness to the nature and wants of man.
Whoever, therefore, is in the habit of disre¬
garding the Sabbath, by making it a day,
* Sabbath Manual.
84 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
either of business, or amusement, sins against
God, and wrongs his own nature and consti¬
tution physically, mentally, and morally.
Young men are especially in danger of
forming the habit of breaking the Sabbath.
I. Their close confinement in the case of
those who are engaged in business, during
the week, often leads them to a desecration
of the Sabbath. The young man who has
labored hard during the six days of the week,
often till late at night, under the pressure of
business, thinks that he has a right to spend
the Sabbath for his own amusement, in his
own way. He feels his need of rest, and he
imagines that this confers on him the privi¬
lege of taking that rest in any way that he
chooses. But this question of right will not
stand the test of examination. Men have no
self-appointed rights and privileges. As the
creatures of God, and the accountable sub¬
jects of his moral government, they have no
rights, except those which are derived direct¬
ly from him. All human rights are derived
and dependant. God, in his word, has speci¬
fied these rights, and no man can claim any
which God has not there authorized him to
claim. In that word, the right to use six
days in the week for his own lawful business
SABBATH-BREAKING. 85
or pleasure, has been distinctly granted to
man. His Creator and Sovereign has told
him that these are his own, and that he may
use them in the promotion of his own busi¬
ness or enjoyment, regulated and controlled
only by the great laws of his moral empire.
But he has never told man that he may use
the seventh day as if it were his own. To
that portion of time God has arrogated a
special claim, and the man who says that
that day is his, arrays himself boldly in defi¬
ance against his Maker. God never gave but
six days to man for labor, or for recreation ;
and he who takes more, is robbing God of
that which belongs to him. And further¬
more, God never gave human governments,
or associations of men, the right to appropri¬
ate this day for their own purposes; and when
it is taken by government, for the transac¬
tion of public business, or by corporations
for their own business, it still is an insult to
God, and an offence against his law—the
criminality of which is not lessened or ex¬
tenuated by its division among a multitude of
individuals. The right to the observance lies
back of all human government, and rests 011
the same, foundation with government itself;
the will of God, and the necessities of .man.
7*
86 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
The young man then, who claims that be¬
cause he is engaged closely during the week
of labor, he has a right to spend the Sabbath
as he pleases, reasons from false premises,
and arrives at an incorrect conclusion. God
has given no man any such right. His ex¬
press command is, "Remember the Sabbath
to keep it holy." He says, "I give you six
days for yourself. I reserve one for myself;
beware how you infringe upon my rights, or
rob me of my due."
But the young man, who uses the day only
as a day of dissipation or pleasure, as thous¬
ands do, not only infringes upon the rights of
God, but makes the Sabbath a curse, and
not a blessing, to himself. Its most healthful
and appropriate influence upon the physical
system, is thus lost. Pleasure, or what is
commonly understood by that term, is often
the most wearisome labor ; and I can safely
appeal to many a young man who has made
his Sabbath days seasons of dissipation and
frolic, and amusement, whether they have
not been in the end, the most wearisome days
of his life. Has not your head ached sadly
after a Sunday frolic ? Pfave you not often
been unable to sleep well on Sunday night,
and instead of rising on the Monday morn-
SABBATH-BREAKING.
87
ing refreshed and invigorated, and ready for
the labors of the week, have you not been
jaded, listless, and scarcely able to drag your
weary limbs from your restless bed, to the
scene of your ordinary avocations? Many
a young man has pleaded his hard labors
during the week, and his need of rest, as an
excuse for spending the Sabbath in his own
way, who has made it any thing but a day
of rest, or wholesome recreation ; to whom
it has been a day of toil and weariness, con¬
tributing more to enfeeble his body, debase
his mind, and corrupt his morals, than the
most laborious of those spent in attention to
his regular business. It is a great mistake
to imagine that idleness is rest—that inac¬
tivity contributes to strengthen the restora¬
tive powers. A change of occupation; a
relaxing of the tension upon certain chords,
and bringing others into play and exercise ;
a season of comparative repose, though not
of unmitigated sloth, will do far more to re¬
cruit the bodily and mental energies, and fit
the man for useful and honorable toil, than
reckless gaiety, scenes of animal indulgence,
or any thing which, in common parlance,
goes by the name of pleasure. Indeed, I
know of no more laborious man than a man
88 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of pleasure—nor of a more unnatural and
wearing life, than a life of pleasure. The
galley-slave chained to his oar, the convict on
the tread-mill, the slave in the cotton-field,
yea, the horse in the mill, has a happier, a
more useful, and even a more honorable lot.
What shoals of young men pour forth from
our large cities, on the Sabbath day, seeking
for recreation and amusement. Some drive
out into the country, some go upon the water,
some spend the day in hunting or fishing,
some in gambling, or still more disreputable
occupations; but all find that their rest is
weariness, their pleasure, toil. I have seen
the departure for, and the return of many
young men from a Sunday frolic. " Look on
this picture, and then on that." He starts in
the morning in high feather, arrayed in re¬
splendent suit, fresh from the hands of the
fashionable tailor, and from his glossy beaver
to his brilliant patent leathers, presenting an
exterior modelled in perfect accordance with
the rules of fashion. He drives the most
spirited and fleetest nag that can be found at
the stable, and which has been for a week
engaged for his special use; and thus erect,
and with a most jaunty and stylish air, he
speeds along at the rate of twelve miles an
SABBATH-BREAKING. 89
hour, bound for a day of pleasure. Walk
out towards the avenue leading into the city,
as the twilight comes on, and you will see
him coming slowly back, his horse covered
with dust and sweat, his head on a line with
his back-bone, the fire of his eye all gone,
and scarcely able to jog along at a snail's
pace ; the driver, sitting on an unsteady seat,
the reins hanging loosely from his hands—
his coat covered with dust, or splashed with
mud, his new hat with the crown knocked in,
or the brim turned up, and his whole appear¬
ance so miserable, so sneaking, so perfectly
" used up," that you can scarcely believe that
it is the same young man, who started so gal¬
lantly in the morning for his Sunday excur¬
sion. Or see a wretched water party caught
in the rain, or upset in a squall, and narrow¬
ly escaping with their lives, wending their
weary way homeward, bedraggled with mud
and drenched to the skin—their finery ruined,
their tempers soured, their money thrown
away—and tell us how much rest, how
much pleasure, these Sunday frolics give?
No ! no! there is 110 real rest, no rational
recreation in scenes like these ; and the ex¬
perience of every young man, who has
been accustomed to spend his Sabbaths in
90 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
this manner, will amply corroborate this as¬
sertion.
II. Young men are in danger of forming
loose ideas of the sanctity of the Sabbath,
from the low standard of public feeling and
action, in regard to this institution, and from
the example of others.
So long as their employers travel on busi¬
ness on God's holy day, so long as the whistle
of the locomotive and the rattling of the cars,
are heard as much on the Sabbath as on any
day in the week, so long as the day of rest is
openly profaned by the general government
of the land—so long it will be difficult, yea,
impossible, to bring up our children and
youth, to a proper standard of feeling, with
regard to this institution. The thundering of
the loaded train as it drives through the quiet
village, is a strange commentary in a Chris¬
tian land, upon the teachings of the word of
God, and the professed faith of his people.
And here I would inquire how much more
latitude, in morals, is to be allowed to a gov¬
ernment, or a corporation, than to individu¬
als ? It is often said that " Corporations have
no souls;" it is very certain that some have
no consciences. But I would ask, have they
no accountability'? And are a body of men
SABBATII-BREAKING.
91
associated together, justified in doing that
which they could not rightfully do in their
individual capacity? 1 mean where the law
of God is concerned. For instance, is it
right for a rail road corporation to run their
cars on the Sabbath, when its individual
stockholders would shrink from transporting
their goods, or passengers, in their individual
capacity, on that day? What right have
corporations to disregard the laws of God,
which individuals do not possess ; and if it
be sin for a man to do a certain thing as an
individual, how is the moral delinquency
lessened by his consenting, as a member of
an association, that the same thing shall be
done on a larger scale ? I believe that at
the great day men will be called to an ac¬
count for what they have done in their corpo¬
rate, as well as in their individual capacity.
The transmission of the mail, and the run¬
ning of rail cars and stage, coaches on the
Sabbath, also exerts another evil influence,
besides lowering the standard of public mo¬
rality on this subject. The starting and ar¬
rival of a coach or train of cars, always
calls out a' number of loungers, to whom
these are events of great importance. They
are always seen lounging about the office, or
. 92 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the depot, generally with cigars in their
mouths, and hands in their pockets. They
have no business there—-they are not travel¬
ers, or connected with the road; they are
only loafers, and on Sunday their name is
legion. They congregate there in crowds,
and hang around the places I have named,
as if they had all that pertains to them in
special charge. Let this system of Sunday
traveling, stage and rail road running, be
broken up, and the loafer's occupation is
gone; and a great temptation to Sabbath-
breaking on the part of those who " do not
travel, but only wait on those who do," will
be at once removed.
Let me urge upon the young men, whom
it is my privilege to address, the duty of
observing the Sabbath as a day of rest from
worldly business and sinful amusement. If
you spend it in riding or in walking for plea¬
sure, or in the company of the idle and vi¬
cious, in scenes of dissipation and revelry, in
reading bad books, or in indolence and sloth,
you are disobeying the command of God, to
" Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
And this is the first great reason why I
would warn you against the desecration of
the Sabbath. It is an insult to God, and
SABBATH-BREAKING.
93
surely this is a consideration which should
have weight with you. Who is God, who
has given you this commandment ? He is
" the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eter¬
nity, Whose name is holy"—who stretched
out the heavens, and established the founda¬
tions of the earth ; who controls the move¬
ments of nations, and guides the stars in
their courses'; Who made man out of the
dust, and sustains him by his power ; whose
goodness is infinite, and whose wrath when
once it is kindled, burns to the lowest hell.
This is no weak and impotent Being, at
whose authority you may scoff, and whose
law you may break with impunity. His is
'the might of Omnipotence, and though heaven
and earth pass away, the extremest threaten-
ings of his . law shall be fulfilled upon the
hardened transgressor. You cannot disobey
his commands, and expect to escape. The
judgment, though long delayed, will come.
There is scarcely any form of sin, which has
been rebuked so signally, as the sin of Sab¬
bath desecration, Men have housed their
grain upon the Sabbath, and the fl mies have
broken, out, and consumed their barns, with
all their stores. I knew of a factory, where
the water had been drawn off, to admit of
8
94 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
repairs, on the Sabbath. A party of boys,
playing with powder, kindled a flame near
one of the buildings, which was commu¬
nicated to it, but which might have been
extinguished, had there been the usual sup¬
ply of water at hand ; but, by a righteous
retribution, the avarice, which would not
allow the owners to stop their works for re¬
pairs, except on the Sabbath, was punished
through the very means they took for the
accomplishment of their purpose, and the
loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, was
the result. Parties of pleasure have em¬
barked upon the water, and met by the storm,
commissioned of God to be the minister of
his vengeance, they have found their grave
beneath the billows. Many striking instances
of the immediate interposition of the Al¬
mighty, in vengeance upon the Sabbath-
breaker, are on record, which prove that the
way of sin, is the way of danger, and of
death. But, even though the punishment
does not always tread close upon the heels of
the crime, think not, my hearer, that you can
at last escape the wrath of God. The day
of reckoning will come—you will be laid on
a bed of death, and then the memory of Sab¬
baths profaned, will not add roses to your
SABBATH- BREAKING.
95
pillow. You must stand before God in the
judgment, and hear those awful words of
doom,1 which consign the Sabbath-breaker,
with the liar, and the drunkard, and all the
ungodly, to that world of torment, " where
the worm dieth not, and the fire is not
quenched." Think, oh, young man, when
you are next tempted to profane the Sab¬
bath, that you are insulting God ; that you, a
frail creature of the dust, whom one breath
of the Almighty could blast in an instant, are
braving the quenchless indignation of that
dread Being, before whom angels bow in
reverence, and devils tremble in despair !
Again, let me warn you against Sabbath-
breaking, because of the stain it will cast
upon your character. No young man can
afford to be indifferent to the value of a
good character. And, I say confidently, that
no young man, who habitually disregards
the Sabbath, can sustain a good character.
It is rarely, if ever the case, that vice stands
alone, and men who habitually break the
laws of God, will render themselves liable to
the suspicion of not being over scrupulous
in regard to the laws of man. A distin¬
guished merchant, long accustomed to ex¬
tensive observation and experience, and who
96 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
had gained an uncommon knowledge of men,
said, " When I see one of my clerks riding
out upon the Sabbath, on Monday I dismiss
him. Such an one cannot be trusted." This
may seem a harsh statement, but it will be
fully warranted by facts. No young man
can be in the habit of breaking the Sabbath,
without blunting his moral sensibilities, vi¬
tiating his perceptions of right, and thus
paving the way for further and more rapid
progress in crime and sin. The company,
too, of Sabbath-breakers, is al ways corrupt¬
ing. The young man who spends his Sab¬
baths in places of public resort or amuse¬
ment, will find associates there, whom he
does not meet amid the scenes of his daily
business; associates, whom he cannot be¬
come familiar with, without being corrupted
and depraved, and who will be likely to lead
him into scenes and places, from which he
cannot return, without leaving his heart-
purity behind him.
Many facts might be adduced here, show¬
ing that Sabbath-breaking is a most prolific
source of evil. " A father, whose son was
addicted to riding out for pleasure on the
Sabbath, was told that if he did not stop it,
his son would be ruined. He did not stop
SABBATH BREAKING.
97
it, but sometimes set the example of riding
out for pleasure himself. The son became a
man, and was placed in a responsible situa¬
tion, and entrusted with a large amount of
property. Soon he was a defaulter, and
absconded. In a different part of the coun¬
try, he obtained another responsible situa¬
tion, and was again entrusted with a large
amount of property. Of that he defrauded
the owner, and fled again. He was appre¬
hended, tried, convicted, and sent to the State
Prison. After years spent in solitude and
- labor, he wrote a letter to his father, and,
after recounting his course of crime, he add¬
ed, ' That was the effect of breaking the Sab¬
bath when I loas a boy.'' "
" A gentleman in England, who was in the
habit, for twenty years, of daily visiting con¬
victs, states that almost universally, when
brought to a sense of their condition, they
lamented their neglect of the Sabbath, and
pointed to their violation of it, as the prin¬
cipal cause of their ruin." That prepared
them for, and led them on, step by step, to
the commission of other crimes, and finally
to that which brought them to the prison,
and, in many cases, to the gallows. He
8*
98 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
attended three hundred and fifty at the piace
of execution, when they were put to death
for their crimes. And nine out of ten, who
were brought to a sense of their condition,
attributed the greater part of their depar¬
ture from God, to their neglect of the Sab¬
bath."*
Beware, then, young men, of the begin¬
nings of sin. It may seem to you to be a
small thing to take the Sabbath for your
pleasure or amusement, but it is a sin of the
first magnitude against God, and it will
assuredly leave its stain upon your soul. If
it can be said of a young man, that he is a
regular and conscientious observer of the
Sabbath, it *s a noble testimony to his worth.
It certifies to the possession of other good
qualities, and is a passport at once to confi¬
dence and regard. I repeat it, no young
man can be a habitual Sabbath-breaker,
without incurring the suspicion of being ad¬
dicted to other immoralities, and this should
be dreaded by every man ; for no one can be
independent of the regard of the wise and
virtuous portion of the community. That
.* Sabbath Manual.
SABBATII-BREAKING.
99
young man, who has learned to despise the
good opinion of others, has traveled a good
portion of the road to ruin.
And, I would address myself to the older
portion of the community, and beg them to
be careful of their example in this matter.
The character of our young men, is a matter
of peculiar solicitude to us. It is our wis¬
dom to surround them with all healthful and
purifying influences, and lead them, by pre¬
cept and example, in the ways of honesty,
industry, virtue, and piety. So long as we
continue to be a commercial city, so long the
character of our young men will materially
concern us. Let that father, who would see
his sons growing up to be honorable and
virtuous young men, an honor to his name,
and a blessing to his declining years, be
careful ever to set them an example of re¬
spect for the institutions and laws of God.
Let them not take counsel from his exam¬
ple, to profane God's holy day, and thus
begin a career of vice, which may lead them
to infamy, and bring down his " gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave." Let that mer¬
chant, or mechanic, who would have honest,
faithful, and trustworthy clerks, or appren¬
tices, in his employment, be careful of his
100 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
example. They will take their tone in mo¬
rals from him. If he profanes the name of
God, or his Sabbath, they will do likewise.
" Like master like man." A swearing, Sab¬
bath-breaking employer, will be likely to
have swearing, Sabbath-breaking clerks;
and who will trust his interests to such
hands 1 He that has come to rob God, with¬
out a scruple or a pang, has not far to go in
the downward path, before he can contem¬
plate robbing his employer, with as little
compunction. Sunday frolics draw hard
upon the purses of young men, and- many
an employer has paid the stable and tavern
bills of his Sabbath-breaking clerks, long
before he was aware of it. Think it not
strange, if you are unscrupulous in your
desecration of God's day, and set the exam¬
ple of its profanation to the youth in your
employment, that they become such apt
scholars under your tuition, that they go far
beyond their teacher, and you, in the end,
pay dearly for the sad instruction you have
given. And when you dismiss from your
employment your idle and negligent young
man, or surrender him to the law for theft
or forgery, start not, when he tells you, that
had you set him a better example of obe-
SABBATH-BREAKING.
101
dience to the laws of God, he might have
been saved from breaking those of man.
You may, some of you, be disposed to ask
me, In what manner should the Sabbath be
observed? You will observe that I have
but glanced at the argument for the institu¬
tion itself, and have not even adverted to the
change in the day observed under the Chris¬
tian dispensation. I have taken it for grant¬
ed, in this lecture, that you admit the fact of
the divine institution of the Sabbath, and of
the propriety of observing the first day of the
week as a day of holy rest. But the ques¬
tion, How am I to observe it ? is one of
great and practical importance, and I shall
devote the remainder of the hour to its an¬
swer.
I. No worldly business, except that which
is of a necessary character, should be trans¬
acted on the Sabbath. No planter has any
right to cultivate his fields on the Lord's day,
or to require his servants, or cattle, to labor.
The day was made for them as much as for
him. No merchant has any right to open
his store on the Sabbath, or compel his clerks
to attend to business on that day ; nor to post
up his books, or attend to correspondence
himself. All labor of an unnecessary kind,
102 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
is a breach of the Sabbath. All traveling
for business or pleasure; riding out for
amusement; all gaming, or sporting, or hunt¬
ing, is a breach of the Sabbath; all parties
of pleasure; excursions into the country;
meetings for festivity or sport; every thing
of the sort is prohibited by the command¬
ment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy." All working of factories; all re¬
pairing of the same, or any part of them;
all transportation of freight or passengers on
rail roads, in steamboats, or stage coaches,
on the Sabbath, is in opposition to the Divine
command; and the men who are engaged in
it, either as consenting owners, agents, opera¬
tives, or travelers, must be set down as Sab¬
bath-breakers. All posting up of books, or
examining accounts, or making out of bills,
or reading or writing business letters, is a
breach of the Sabbath. "I once," said a
merchant, "made out an invoice of goods on
the Sabbath, to send out on Monday by the
steamer, and with as fair a prospect, I
thought, of making money as I ever had in
my life. Upon those goods I lost #10,000.
I have been pretty careful since how I take
the Sabbath for business." That man thought
gain was godliness. If he had made, instead
SABBATH-BREAKING.
103
of losing,-$10,000 by those goods, he would
have been just as much a Sabbath-breaker,
and the moral character of the transaction
would have been the same. A lawyer, of
distinguished talents, on his death-bed, said
to his friend, "Charge every young lawyer to
do nothing in the business of his profession
on the Sabbath. It will injure him, and les¬
sen his prospects of success. I have tried it.
My Sabbath efforts have almost always fail¬
ed. Tell all the young lawyers that if they
would succeed, they must not take the Sab¬
bath for business. It is the way to fail."*
The way to observe the Sabbath then, is to rest
from all unnecessary worldly labor—business
or amusement. And when you plead necessity,
be sure that the necessity is a real one-—one
of God's making, and not your own—or else
you will hot avoid the charge of being a Sab¬
bath-breaker.
Keep the Sabbath then by sustaining the
appropriate religious services of the day—
by your presence and participation^ How
many there are who are never seen in our
houses of worship. How many young men,
and men who are not young, are there who
* Sabbath Manual.
104
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
never, from year to year, are seen within the
hallowed walls of the sanctuary. But, as
one object of the Sabbath is to glorify God,
and advance the spiritual interests of his
creatures, and as his worship and the preach¬
ing of his word, are his appointed instru¬
ments for the accomplishment of this object,
it follows, that those who absent themselves ,
from the sanctuary, are infringing upon the
law of the Sabbath, and are guilty of its
profanation.
This is also true of those who attend oc- .
casionally, but absent themselves for frivo- j
lous and insufficient reasons. The weather, |
or a slight indisposition, or any trifling ex¬
cuse, will keep many away from the house
of God. Many make the Sabbath their 1
nursing day. If they are unwell, they will
fight against it till Sunday comes, and then
take God's time, to stay at home and use
remedies for their cure. They cannot spare ;
their own time—they must steal God's time !
for their own purposes. But are they with- H
out sin 1
Reading the Scriptures and other works
calculated to improve, expand, and purify
the mind; devotion; seeking out, relieving
and instructing the poor and the ignorant;
SAB B ATH-B RE AICING.
105
visiting the sick and afflicted; these are the
appropriate duties of the Sabbath, and these
I urge upon you. In your youth form the
habit of reverencing God's institution. Let
no solicitation of ungodly companions tempt
you to profane the Sabbath. Are you at a
distance from your early home ? Remember
the counsels of a pious father-—the fervent
petitions of a praying mother; and walk in
the ways of virtue and holiness. It is the
path of wisdom, of dignity, of blessedness.
Your earthly career will be more prosperous
that you have honored the institutions of
God, and remembered the Sabbath day to
keep it holy. Your character, among men,
will be fairer, and you will more readily
command the confidence of the wise and
good. But this is but a secondary motive.
The blessing of the God of the Sabbath will
be upon you—his smile will play round your
pathway, illumine the darkness of your dying
bed, and light you to your Eternal Home.
But if in your youthful pride you trample
on God'-s institutions ; if you rob him of his
time, and profane his Sabbaths, I must pre¬
dict for you a doom of sorrow and of shame.
It may be yours in this world. Your break¬
ing the Sabbath may be as it has been with
9
106
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
thousands—-but the commencement of a ca¬
reer of crime and infamy, that shall drive
you from your fellow-men, to herd with the
out-cast and the vile. Or if prosperous in
this short life, your's will be a hopeless
death—a miserable Eternity !
The time is short—soon you will be called
to meet your Judge. How, in that awful
hour, will the Sabbath-breaker appear ?
DISCOURSE IV.
GAMBLING-. *
Proverbs i: 10-15.—11 My son, if sinners entice thee, con¬
sent thou not. If they say, come with us; Let its lay wait for
blood, let us lurk -privily for the innocent without cause ; Let
us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole as those that
go down to the pit; We shall find all precious substance, we
shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us, let
us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with
them; refrain thy foot from their path."
My subject, this evening, is Gambling ; the
temptations to it; and its consequences.
If a full and accurate revelation could be
made of the nature and extent of this vice all
over our country; if it could be known how
much money is actually lost and won at
games of hazard; how many men who sit in
* For valuable suggestions on this subject the author is
indebted to Rev. H. W. Beecher's and Rev. J. P. Thomp¬
son's Lectures to Young Men.
108 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
high places, move in the most honorable walks
of life, and even maintain a standing in the
Christian church, are guilty of its practice ; if
the direful misery, the torment of soul, the
drunkenness, the robbery, the forger}-, the
murder, and the suicide, which are its legiti¬
mate fruits, could be fairly laid before the.
community, it would excite a thrill of horror,
equal to what might be produced, by a glance
into the awful secrets of Hell itself. Pure and
virtuous minds have not, and cannot have the
remotest conception, the faintest idea of the
real facts in the case ; and they would stand
aghast at their revelation. Could the whole
history of gambling in this small city be fully
laid before the public, disclosures might be
made which would startle the strongest
nerves, and cause you to feel that even a
humble effort like the present, to stem the
tide of vice, and crime, and misery, which
bids fair to sweep away our fairest hopes,
was not wholly uncalled for.
Gambling, has been defined to be " the sta¬
king or winning of property upon mere ha¬
zard." There is a difference between simple
gaming and gambling. Persons may play
at cards, or billiards, or ten pins, or backgam¬
mon, or any other game merely for amuse-
GAMBLING.
109
ment, and although these games have been
so generally associated with gambling and
vice of all sorts, that most sober persons think
they had better be avoided, yet nevertheless
they cannot be said to be sinful in themselves.
The same reasoning which was adopted in
my lecture on Intemperance, in reference to
total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks
on the principle of Christian charity and ex¬
pediency, will hold good in respect to them.
But that spirit which condemns all amuse¬
ment as wrong in principle and hurtful in
practice, I reject as at war.both with com¬
mon sense, and religious teaching. Men need
amusement. The mind, from its very consti¬
tution, cannot always be kept at work. Like
the body, it needs its seasons of refreshment
and repose. And he is sinning against his
own bodily and mental constitution, and thus
against that Great Being who is their author,
who keeps his physical and intellectual pow¬
ers always on the stretch, and considers all
time as wasted, and more than wasted, which
is spent in amusement or recreation. We are
apt to boast our superiority in these days of
modern civilization over ages past, and yet I
think in one thing we have been the losers.
We have no amusements for the people—ex-
9*
110 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
cept those whose influence is alike disastrous
to body, mind, and morals. I confess that I
think our people would be the gainers by the
adoption of something like the customs of the
olden time. If they had their May-day festi¬
vals—their days of manly and healthful sports
—if the sturdy yeomanry of our land would
sometimes come together to hurl the bar or
the discus, to try their skill in archery, or in
any of those healthful and refreshing exerci¬
ses for which old England was famous years
ago—I do not believe they would be the lo¬
sers. But be that as it may, it is folly to sup¬
pose that men will live without amusement.
They will have it, they ought to have it, and
that of the right sort. I cannot see a group
of merry children at their childish games,
without wishing that I could be a child again,
and join in their merry sports, and smooth the
brow of care, and lighten her weary burdens,
by their innocent and inspiring influence.
Nor do I feel- called upon to proscribe in¬
discriminately all games. Games of chance,
indeed, I consider at best as of doubtful ten¬
dency ; but those which tax the memory, the
imagination, the wit, the inventive or percep¬
tive faculties, and which combine a pleasant
excitement with the mental labor, are most
GAMBLING.
in
valuable in their refreshing and invigorating
tendencies. Like music, they should be a
part of the fire-side accomplishments of every
family—and children should be encouraged,
rather than rebuked, for mingling them with
their graver studies.
But gambling is a very different thing from
gaming. Tt is the staking of money, or arti¬
cles of real value, upon mere chance or ha¬
zard. Hundreds and thousands of dollars are
made dependent upon the issue of a game at
cards, or the cast of a pair of dice. Large
fortunes have been swept away in an hour,
and unfortunate and guilty men beggared,
crazed, and destroyed by the demon who sits
above the gaming table, and presides over the
casting of the die.
Gambling has its origin in an inherent
quality in the mental constitution of the hu¬
man race. I refer to its excitability. This
is an universal element, and infused into the
mind for the best and wisest purposes. When
kept within proper bounds, it is the spring of
action, and by moderate, and uniform, and
continued exercise and use, it keeps man in
a steady and healthful course of industrious,
useful, and honorable labor. But pushed be¬
yond its necessary and beneficial influence,
112 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
it becomes in the highest degree exhausting
and destructive. Man loves excitement, and
the more intense and ecstatic the better. The
soldier seeks it on the battle-field, amid the
strains of martial music, the roar of cannon,
and the shock of contending armies.' The
sailor seeks it on the stormy ocean, amid the
surging of the waters, the wild music of the
storm wind, and the crashing of the thunder.
The politician seeks it amid the exciting
strifes, and deep drawn schemes, and laby-
rinthian intrigues of the political arena, and
it is a strange thing to see how amid all the
asperities and ascerbities of his career, the
derangement of his private affairs, the con¬
stant vexations which try his temper and
arouse the vindictive passions of the soul, in
the midst of black ingratitude, scowling envy,
wearisome toil, and heart-sickening disgust,
of political life, he should yet cling to it, even
to old age—but it ministers to the excitabili¬
ty of his nature, and these very things have
a charm for him which the gentler scenes
and softer influences of social and domestic
life cannot exert. The young lady seeks ex¬
citement in the ball room, or amid the flip¬
pancies of the fashionable party, or in the
sentimentalities of the last new novel. It is
GAMBLING.
113
this principle which leads crowds of people
to public executions, or horse races, or spec¬
tacles of any sort—the listless and jaded mind
craves excitement, and the craving becomes
a burning and quenchless fever.
This is the source of gambling. This na¬
tive element of the mind is thrilled to its
deepest centre by the excitement of play.
The intensest emotions are aroused, the fierc¬
est passions kindled, there is no excitement
on earth equal to it. The passion of love,
hatred, revenge, fear, all must bow before
this ruling demon. The mind becomes in¬
flamed with the very fires of hell, and they
burn on, and burn on, until every other pur¬
suit becomes flat and insipid, every other
source of emotion dry and exhausted ; there
is the most intense and continued concentra¬
tion of all the faculties and passions of the
soul upon this one thing, and the desperate
Gambler will sit over his game spell-bound
in its enchantments, though the pestilence
should be raging around him, though his
friends should be expiring at his side ; though
heaven should be crumbling above him, or
hell opening her sulphurous jaws beneath his
feet.
There are all sorts of Gamblers. There is
114 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the genteel and polished, a quiet, smooth, un¬
ostentatious man who makes but little noise,
offends no one, is never seen in liquor, never
engages in a brawl, and would pass in any
society for a gentleman. This is Satan as an
angel of light. His whole heart is eaten out
with the passion for play. It is his deepest
and most earnest life. He has 110 eyes, or
ears, or senses for anything else. He feels no
temptations to other vices—all the passions
of his soul are absorbed in this. He is the
most dangerous of all the varieties of the
tribe. Sleek, smooth, and stealthy as a cat,
he is as treacherous too, and woe ! to the un¬
wary who falls into his toils. He will not
leave him, till, like the vampyre, he has suck¬
ed the last drop of his life-blood, and he will
do it without a change in the marble fixed¬
ness of his face, without one tremor of his
smooth white hand ; the hottest fires of the
pit may be burning within, but his outer man
is as cold and passionless as the lifeless mar¬
ble.
Then there is the gay, dashing, jolly Gam¬
bler, the hero of the turf, the ring, the bar¬
room, and the saloon. He courts society, and
affects notoriety, and with a circle of admi¬
rers about him he will crack his jokes, which
GAMBLING.
115
are generally of the broadest character, sing
his songs in praise of Bacchus or of Venus,
retail his spicy anecdotes and well seasoned
descriptions, a perfect oracle of fun and good
nature and humor. But he never forgets his
vocation; by night or by day he is always
ready for its exercise ; and if a countryman
is in town, with the price of his year's crop
in his pocket, or a rich young man who wants
to see something of life, they need not fear
but that he will find them. His jackal is al¬
ways on the scent, and ready to allure them
into the den. Everything there is gay, and
attractive, and exciting. Their new friend
is all smiles, and frankness, and humor ; the
game begins ; the good cards all seem to fall
to his hand ; with his jolly laugh he sweeps
off the stakes ; but if his victims grow impa¬
tient, or desperate, as ruin comes over them,
then he starts up in another character ; his
honor is touched, and woe to the man who
calls that in question ! Curses and threats,
the pistol, and the bowie knife, are now his
language and his weapons; and the swin¬
dled, crushed, despairing wretch, who has
fallen into his maw, must creep out of that
den to find sympathy and aid where he best
can. His jolly friend winks at his accomplice
116 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
as the victim leaves in sullen silence, or with
bitter curses, and chuckles like a meny fiend
as he counts and divides the plunder.
Then there are itinerant Gamblers—fellows
who have their circuits, and stands ; Ihey are
to be found on steamboats, at mass meetings,
at fairs, or wherever men congregate—sly—
insinuating, cool, or bold, dashing, and roy-
stering—they can take any shape they choose,
adapt themselves to any character ; all is fish
that comes to their net—and their name is
legion. But enough of these worthies—let
us say something about their vocation itself.
Gambling is robbery.
It is a well established principle in fair
dealing among men, that an equivalent should
always be rendered for the thing received.
The farmer brings his produce or his crops to
market, and sells them for a fair price; the
buyer receives an equivalent in value for the
money he gives. So the mechanic renders
the product of his labor for the price he re¬
ceives, and the merchant also. So the pro¬
fessional man renders an equivalent for what
he receives. The skill, learning, and elo¬
quence, which the advocate displays and uses
in conducting your case, are worth to you
fully the amount of his tee. The skill and
GAMBLING.
117
attendance of the physician, too, are a fair
equivalent for the compensation he receives.
The same is true of the teacher, and of all
fair and honest business, or avocations. But
what does the Gambler render in return for
the money which he wins at play ? What
has his victim to show that is an equivalent
for the property which has been wrested from
him, not indeed by open force, but by cun¬
ning, if nut by the most abominable cheating ?
Two men, or four, sit down to a game of
whist, or any other game you please. At the
expiration of the game, one of the party has
. lost $10,000, which the other has won. This
vast amount of property has passed from one
man's possession into that of the other, and
what has he received for it? What has the
other man given in exchange for it ? No¬
thing, absolutely nothing. On what principle
can you call this an honest transaction ? A
distinguished writer* has laid down this prin¬
ciple : " There are but two possible methods
by which we can acquire property honestly
from others, viz., b}^ free gift, or by rendering
an equivalent for what we receive. But pro¬
perty won by gaming is not obtained in either
* Dr. Dwight.
10
118 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of these ways. That which is acquired neither
is, nor is intended to be given, and instead of
an equivalent the gamester renders nothing
for what he has received. No man ever sat
down to a game with an entire consent that
his antagonist should win his property, i. e.
where the property staked is considered as of
some serious importance. Every person who
is a party in a game of this nature, intends to
win the property of his antagonist and not to
lose his own. He stakes his own, only be¬
cause the stake is absolutely necessary to
enable him to win that of his antagonist.
Thus, instead of consenting to lose his own
property, each of the parties intend merely
to obtain that of his neighbor for nothing".
This is the only real design of both, and this
design is as unjust and fraudulent as any
which respects property can be. That such
is the only real design, the loser proves in the
clearest manner, by deeply lamenting his loss,
and the winner, in a manner little less clear,
by exulting in his gain."
Gambling then, is, after all, but a form of
robbery, and one of the worst kind—as it is
cool, systematic, and difficult to be restrained
or punished by law. Tt is a method of acquir¬
ing the property of another unjustly, against
GAMBLING.
119
his will, and leaving him deprived of his own
without the slightest consideration in return.
It makes no difference in the moral aspects of
the case, that the parties agree to abide the
issue. No man has a right to stake his pro¬
perty at hazard—and no other man has a
right to take advantage of his exposure of it,
to such a risk. In the sight of God, and in
equity, it is robbery ; and palliate it and dis¬
guise it as you may, a Gambler is not an
honest man. Money gained in this way is
not honestly gained, and it is never blessed.
Sooner would 1 drag through life, under the
galling burden of hopeless poverty, than share
a Gambler's cursed gains. I should expect to
see bloody stains on every bank note, and
have my fingers scorched as with coals from
the bottomless pit with every piece of coin.
But while the man who steals from a till
or a. bank is branded with infamy, and con¬
signed to the dismal walls of a dungeon, the
Gambler forsooth is an honorable man, and
walks forth free and unrestrained among the
really honest and upright. The mean cow¬
ardly knave, who has not boldness enough to
rob his fellow on the highway, will rob him
at the gaming table, cheat in shuffling, cheat
in dealing, have his accomplice, sometimes a
120 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
partner in the game, sometimes a bribed ser¬
vant or waiter, sometimes a bidden thread,
vrhich, when pulled, reveals the mystic sign
to the initiated; will ply his victim with drink ;
lure him on by allowing him to win ; tempt
him to double his stakes, and then fleece him
of every dollar ; and yet no hand is laid upon
him, no prison doors open to receive him ; he
is an honorable man,—and yet, in fact, he is a
meaner villain than the bold highwayman,
who stops you on the road, claps a pistol to
your breast, and bids you " stand and deliv¬
er." He, at least, avows himself to be a rob¬
ber ; he fights under his real colors, nailed to
the mast ; but "the Gambler takes the mean¬
est way of doing the dirtiest deed." He does
the devil's work, but is ashamed to let the
hoof be seen!
But Gambling is not only positively dishon¬
est, but it utterly unfits a man for any honest
avocation. Who ever heard of a gamester,
who was industrious in his application to any
honest calling ? There is no excitement about
the ordinary details of business—it involves
dry, wearing, and tiresome labor—its gains
are small and slow, they can be acquired only
by a long course of patient and assiduous de¬
votion to business, regular habits and cau-
GAMBLING.
121
tious movements,—and these are not the cha¬
racteristics of the Gambler. He who can
make thousands by a lucky hit at cards or
dice, will not be likely to drudge and sweat
day after day for tens, and pursue the dull
routine of a farm, a workshop, or a counting
room. The very first effect of a taste for
gambling may be seen in the neglect of regu¬
lar business. The mind becomes diseased, it
craves intense and continued excitement, such
as cannot be furnished by the details of its
daily vocation. A burning fever has seized
it, and it is restless and inflamed, and craves
an adequate ministration for its longings,
which it cannot have save in scenes which
lie remote from the paths of honorablemdus-
try, and virtuous labor. A habitual Gambler
cannot be an industrious man, in any of the
honorable avocations of life. This alone is
degradation. Labor ennobles man. It has
in it the spring and aliment of the noblest
traits of character. No man can be great
who despises labor. Those who have done
most for the world have done it by toil, real,
homely, brown-faced, back-breaking work.
Genius may conceive the most splendid and
beautiful ideas, but labor only can give form
and life to the visions of the soul. The mind
10*
122 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of the painter may in an instant call before
it scenes of surpassing loveliness and majes¬
ty—but his hand must toil long and wearily
ere those scenes will glow and breathe upon
the canvass—and thus move and melt the
hearts of men. The genius of the sculptor
may see in the rude, mis-shapen stone, a form
of exquisite symmetry, and angelic loveliness,
but labor must do her work, ere that form
will spring from the shapeless marble, and
stand like a thing of life, before the gaze of
admiring multitudes. Of what avail had been
the. splendid conceptions of Milton's imagina¬
tion, had it not been for the hard prosaic toil
which gave them form, and embodied them
in immortal verse ? I do full homage to ge¬
nius, but without labor, she is a disembodied
spirit, a viewless abstraction,—she has no
life or mastery over the souls of men.
Whatever therefore diseases the mind, and
unfits it for labor, is dishonoring and disas¬
trous to man. Viewed only in this aspect,
gambling is one of the bitterest curses which
can be entailed upon man, for nothing is so
surely inimical to all honest continued indus¬
try, as the passion for play.
Again, this vice, more than any other, dries
up the sympathies and affections of our na -
GAMBLING.
123
ture. The influence of any absorbing pas¬
sion, whose object lies outside of the home
circle, may often be seen first, in a growing
indifference to its power. The man who has
begun to acquire a relish for intoxicating
drinks, is soon found to be a wanderer from
his family. He courts the excitement of the
place of revelry and carousal, and finds the
atmosphere of gentler scenes stifling and op¬
pressive. So too it is often the case that the
politician or the speculator cannot enjoy the
scenes of quiet domestic life ; his mind en¬
grossed with party schemes, or the plans of
avarice, burning with a restless lust for office
or for wealth, is unfitted to acknowledge and
fee 1 the gentle influences and charities of so¬
cial life; they do not feed the master passion
of his soul; the chords of his being are not
in harmony with their melodies—and they
bring no happiness to him. But there is no
passion which so completely dries up the af¬
fections, and withers every green thing in the
heart, as the passion for play. The drunk¬
ard in his sober moments may enjoy the so¬
ciety of his wife, or the endearments of his
children ; the politician may leave the in¬
trigues of party, and the speculator turn from
the schemes of avarice for the refreshment
124 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of home and social life ; but the Gambler, the
desperate Gamester, knows no home, has no
heart for domestic enjoyments. His heart is
like a barren heath, where no flower springs
up in beauty, or exhales sweet fragrance.
He is like a blasted tree,—no ivy clings round
him, no young shoots spring from the rugged
sides ;—every gentler emotion has been burn¬
ed out from his bosom ; no holy flame kindles
upon the desecrated shrine of his heart's tem¬
ple. He lives but for the indulgence of the
one great passion, which has become the
complete and controlling idea of his soul—
and so utterly does he at last become its slave,
that he would throw the dice upon the coffin
of his nearest friend, or gamble on the tomb¬
stone of the wife of his bosom.
This vice is the parent and companion of.
almost every other. It is a fruitful source
of drunkenness. A gambling establishment,
without a bar, would be an anomaly. The
wine cup is as much a part of the concern,
as the cards or the dice. By its liberal use,
victims are prepared for the other, for when
a man has " put an enemy into his mouth to
steal away his brains"—he is then fit.forany
vile purpose to which malice or cupidity
may put him.
GAMBLING.
125
Profanity, too, is very often associated
with this vice.
The language of cursing is suited to the
mental excitement induced by play, and the
professed Gambler is almost sure to be an
adept in this the dialect of the pit.
The sanctity of the Sabbath, too, is not
very likely to be much regarded by the Gam¬
bler. It is no uncommon thing in the annals
of this vice, for the whole Sabbath day to be
spent in gambling, and if the amount of Sun¬
day gambling, which is carried on in this
city, were known, one universal expression
of astonishment and horror, would be heard
from all the sober portion of the community.
Gambling is associated, also, with the
worst of crimes. It has been the parent, in
hundreds of instances, of forgery, murder and
suicide. And, in this connection, I would
speak of one form of gambling, which is
very common, and which is not considered
by every body, as entitled to be called by that
name. Prefer to the system of lotteries. If
gambling be the staking of money upon haz¬
ard or chance, what difference does it make
whether the issue depend upon a cast of the
die, or a turn of the wheel 1 I know that.
the lottery system has the sanction of anti-
126 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
quit.y, and, in some of our States, of legisla¬
tive enactment. Colleges have been en¬
dowed, churches been built, public revenue
has been raised, and charitable institutions
founded, by its aid. But of late years public
opinion has been somewhat modified on this
subject, and the ruinous effects of this system
upon public morality have come to be so
well understood, that it is very generally
prohibited by law in most civilized, countries.
In regard to the comparative morality of
gambling in lotteries, or in the ordinary way,
it is very difficult to see any difference at all.
Says an able writer of the legal profession,
"We have in lotteries all the constituents of
gaming: the transferring of property from
one to another, without receiving an equiva¬
lent ; the exciting of an unnatural thirst for
gain ; and the placing of property at the
disposition of hazard. .For, in no case, ac¬
tual or supposed, can it be more completely
subjected.to the control of chance, than in
the lottery wheel." In respect to the influ¬
ence upon its adherents, it can scarcely be
reprobated in too strong language. The in¬
fatuation of the ticket-buyer, is like that of
any other Gambler; business is neglected,
time is wasted, property is squandered, crime
GAMBLING. 127
is resorted to, checks are forged, money is
stolen to enable the man to take chances in
every scheme, and ruin of property, ruin of
character, ruin of every thing, here and here¬
after, is the inevitable result. I have known,
personally, a gentleman of the highest re¬
spectability, who squandered an enormous
fortune upon lotteries, and when past seventy
years of age, and dependent on his friends,
was in the habit of buying a ticket in every
scheme. I knew another, who drew twenty-
five thousand dollars, who died in five years
insolvent. I knew of another, who drew
fifty thousand dollars, and this was not
enough to discharge his debts to lottery
brokers. The records of the Insolvent Court
of Philadelphia show that, during a period
of five years, the sum of two hundred thou¬
sand dollars was squandered for lottery tick¬
ets, by individuals who applied for the bene¬
fit of the insolvent act.
An editor of a Northern paper says: "A
man who, a few years ago, was blessed with
twenty thousand dollars of lottery money,
yesterday applied to us for ninepence, to pay
for a night's lodging." But such instances
might be multiplied a thousand fold, and
they would not begin to tell the history of
128 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
lottery dealing upon the public morals. In
Paris, it has been found that the number of
deaths by suicide, caused by disappointment
in the drawing of lotteries, is one hundred a
year. ''The drawing of a single lottery in
London, was followed tlm same night, by
fifty suicides, by holders of unlucky tickets."*
Dealing in this system, then> is gambling
to all intents and purposes. It prepares the
way for other forms of the same sin, and it
leads to the most fearful crimes. The his¬
tory of gaming should be written in blood.
Every crime which man can commit, has
been connected with it. Drunkenness, lust,
swindling, robbery, forgery, murder, suicide,
these are its fruits. It is in league with
death. It has made a covenant with hell.
A confirmed and desperate Gambler is, per¬
haps, most like a fiend, of any living embo¬
diment of sin. Every faculty of the mind is
sharpened to the utmost, only for rascality
and baseness. The fire of every gentler
feeling has long since gone out in his bosom,
his heart is hardened to adamantine hard¬
ness, and every vile and malignant passion
twine like venomous serpents around its core.
* Thompson's Lectures to Young Men.
GAMBLING.
129
In the words of a powerful writer, " When a
man begins to gamble, he is, as a noble tree,
full of sap, green with Heaves, ,,a shade to
beasts, a covert to birds. When he becomes
a thorough gambler, he is like that tree, light¬
ning smitten, rotten in root, dry in branch, and
sapless seasoned hard and tough ; nothing
lives beneath it; nothing is on its branches,
unless a hawk or a vulture perches, for a
moment, to whet its beak, and fly screaming
away for its prey."*
Young men are tempted to this vice, by
their social propensities, and the want of
more pure and refining sources of social en¬
joyment. This, which, in a preceding lec¬
ture, I adverted to, as a cause of forming
the habit of drunkenness, is no less a cause
of gambling. When a circle of young men
come together to spend the evening with but
little relish for literary enjoyment or mental
improvement, their resources are very limited,
and the temptation is strong, to indulge in
anything that will minister to the excitability
of their natures. What so easy and agreea¬
ble a resource as a game of cards. But, after
playing a few games simply for amusement,
*Rev. H. W. Beecher.
11
130 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the interest flags, and it becomes a tame and
insipid thing. Some one then proposes a
small stake, not for the sake of gambling, but
simply to add more interest to the game, and
in this way the beginning is made, which ends
in confirmed, desperate, and ruinous gambling.
Now, I will undertake at random to draw
some pictures, and ask you to look well at
them, and see if you can trace any resem¬
blance between them and scenes which have
actually occurred in this city. We will sup¬
pose a party of young men, after the bu¬
siness of the day is over, assembled in one
of the stores, or in the sleeping room of one of
their number. They have been accustomed
to meet and play whist, but have hitherto
played only for amusement; but now, one of
the number proposes, as playing for nothing
is rather dull business, that they should play
for " six cents a corner." This proposition is
favorably received, and the game goes on
with new interest. There is more excitement
now, than they ever felt before. Each player
examines his hand with greater earnestness,
and is almost ready to accuse the dealer of
unfairness, if his proportion of " face cards"
or " trumps," is smaller than he wishes. By
and by, as the excitement increases, the ■' cor-
GAMBLING.
131
ners are doubled," and doubled again, and
thus they go on, enlarging the stakes, as their
excitement increases. Will those young men
ever be likely to play for nothing again ?
But look at another scene. The game is
different now. There is no money seen here;
surely those young men are not gambling.
But what are they doing with those button
moulds or those kernels of corn ? Ah ! those
kernels are worth something, and they some¬
times rise in value very rapidly, even when
the market outside is flat. What does that
young man say? "I'll bet you two corns."
This does not seem like a very heavy bet, but
those kernels cost something, and when that
party finish their game, five, ten, or twenty
dollars, have been lost and won, with button
moulds or corn.
There is another game still, and this rer
quires great skill and practice, and when the
young man has' become a proficient in this
game, he is well entitled to a professorship in
the art of gambling, and may " brag" of his
knowledge. Have you ever known young
men, dependent upon small salaries, lose $150
in a single night, at this game, in this city?
Have you ever known it played on a Satur¬
day night until daylight on Sunday morning,
132 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
and then seen the young man who passed the
night before in gambling, spend the Sunday in
his bed, preparing thus for the business of the
week of labor 1 Many a scene like this has
been witnessed in this city, and I doubt not
that many of my hearers could fill up these
outlines with the figures and the colors of real
life. These scenes are not frequented mere¬
ly by young men, apprentices, and clerks—
but by older men, men of business and stand¬
ing in the community, and our younger men
make their boast of being kept in countenance
by them, in this vice. It is not an unheard of
thing, for a young man to say that gambling
would not disgrace him in this city, for he
had played at Faro, with men of business, and
wealth, and family—whose names were not
concealed in his boasting. If this be so—if
men of standing, of influence, and wealth, will
gamble—if they will play " the stool pigeon
game—if they will gamble all night and ex¬
cuse their absence from their families, on the
plea of business, who can wonder that the
young man, without social enjoyments, with
no adequate restraints of a domestic nature,
and with but few enjoyments, should be led
almost unconsciously to form this habit, and
under the example of those who should lead
GAMBLING.
133
him in the ways of honor and virtue, take his
first steps in the road to ruin. Young man,
have you entered upon this broad road that
leads to death ? Do you play at games of
hazard ? Only for amusement, do you say ?
This is what all Gamblers begin to play for.
Beware of the very first beginnings of this
vice. There is a fascination about it, like that
of the serpent. You had better play with
the serpent, than begin to indulge in it.
It will wind coil after coil around you, till
you are hopelessly involved, and ruthlessly
crushed. If you begin, it is almost a certain
thing that you will go on, and where will
you stop ? Seek your amusement in some
other way—come not to this source; " there is
death in the pot." From such small begin¬
nings as a quiet game for a quiet supper, men
have come to stake all and more, than they
were worth ; stake the bread of their wives
and children, on one desperate cast, and los¬
ing, wipe off the score with the pistol or the
dagger. I could tell you of a young man
who began his career in a genteel coffee¬
house of public resort, with three other young
companions, over a game of whist, and end¬
ed it on the gallows, before the gaping and
shuddering crowd.
11*
134 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
I would warn you against everything which
may tempt you to this vice. I would not
play at games of hazard even for amusement.
I would not stand by and see others play. I
would not bet on anything; and here I pause
a moment to ask if betting is not a form of
gambling ? Is it not the staking of property
upon chance ? Does it give any equivalent
for its gains ? Is it an honest mode of acquir¬
ing property ? Is it a dignified or a gentle¬
manly practice? When I hear a man so
ready to back up his assertions with a wager,
it always seems to me that he has a low es¬
timate of his own veracity, and feels it ne¬
cessary to bolster it up with a pile of money.
How much money was lost and won in bets up¬
on the issue of the last Presidential election in
our country ? What have the losers to show as
an equivalent for their losses ? Did they pay
them cheerfully, as men ought to pay honest
debts—or grudgingly, and with increased bit¬
terness, as if their moral sense told them that
the whole transaction was dishonest and dis¬
graceful ? And the winners, did they feel an
honorable pride in their gains, as the result
of laudable enterprise and skill, in some avo¬
cation that was useful to their fellow men ?
GAMBLING.
135
Betting is only one form of gambling, and it
should be discountenanced by all honest men.
Beware, then, young men, of the first ap¬
proaches to this vice. It is a river which
seems to flow gently along by green banks
and sunny slopes, with a quiet easy motion,
but as you glide along the current is swifter,
the banks are higher and steeper, and before
you know it, you are whirling among the
foamy rapids, and swept over the fall into the
boiling abyss below. How many wrecks are
there, the crushed fragments strewed along
the shore, and broken hearts bleeding for
their ruin! Will you tell me, young man, that
there is no danger of you ? Oh, but there is
danger, if you have taken the first step. If
you play, even for amusement, there is dan¬
ger. The most desperate Gambler, he who
will cheat, lie, plunder, aye kill, began thus.
He played for amusement. You will find
that the mere playing does not, after awhile,
give you the excitement you crave, and then
you must have a stake—and then it must be
increased—and as the fire burns, it demands
fresh fuel, and it will have it, and you are
lost before you are aware of it ! Do you say
it is my own business—I have a right to play.
138 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
Oh, yes ! you have a right to play, and by the
same argument, you have a right to lie, and
swear, and steal, and murder, too. You have
"a right to sin in any way, against man and
against God, and be damned forever ! I do
not question your right, and if you are deter¬
mined to do this, why, nobody can help it.
Any man can be damned who chooses to be.
All heaven cannot save him. Legions of
shining angels with outstretched wings, may
stand between you and perdition, but you
may break through them all. A bleeding, dy¬
ing Saviour, may throw himself in your path,
and raising his pierced hands, may implore
you to pause and repent, but you may tram¬
ple him under foot, and rush madly on to the
everlasting burnings. But is this wise or
safe—and will there be no repentance, no
gnawings at your heart-strings, of the undying
worm of conscience ? Will there be no kindling
around you of the quenchless flames of remorse
—no weepings and wailings over your lost
soul ? Pla}r on! if you will—play on!—but you
know not the nature of your game. Life is
with you one great game, the issues of which
Eternity alone will unfold. On its chequered
plain the moves are made, which will decide
it. Satan is your antagonist, and the stake
GAMBLING.
137
is your own soul. How stands tliat game as
yet ? Over it, angels are bending with in¬
tense solicitude. And devils, too, are watch¬
ing its progress with infernal passion raging
in their bosoms. Beware ! beware, young
man, how you play the game of life—for a
world could not redeem the stake—and if you
throw from you innocence, and purity, and
virtue, and piety, as you must do, if you be¬
come a Gambler, it must be lost! And then
infernal shoutings will ring through the
burning halls of Hell, as the Arch Fiend,
with whom you have played the Game of
Life, shall clutch the mighty stake, and sweep
your soul away !
DISCOURSE V.
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S
ENEMY.
Proverbs 13 : 20.—" He that walheth with wise men, shall
be wise ; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed"
It is often said that " a man is known by
the company he keeps." It is no less true
that a man is made by the company he keeps.
Nothing is more certain, nothing more in
accordance with the principles of our social
nature, than that we assimilate in character
to those with whom we are most intimate.
The choice of companions then becomes a
matter of first rate importance, especially to
the young man. For as the social instincts,
and affinities, are stronger and more active in
youth than in a later period of life, so the
influence exerted upon the young man by his
chosen associates, is more powerful, and
140 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
makes deeper marks upon his character and
history.
You will find by a careful perusal of the
writings of • the wisest man who ever lived,
that very frequent allusion is made to the
season of youth, especially in reference to the
influence of which I have spoken. The de¬
structive tendency of association with the bad
of both sexes, is dwelt upon in many a pas¬
sage of great force and impressiveness ;—
while the purifying and elevating influence
of companionship with the virtuous and the
wise, is held up in striking contrast. And he
who is accustomed to observe the history of
men, will find a most striking confirmation of
the truth of the Bible. No man ever expia¬
ted his crimes upon the scaffold, or became
the inmate of a dreary prison, no.man ever
sunk from respectability to degradation, and
became an outcast from society, independent¬
ly of the influence of vicious companions. If
there is a truth written in characters of ap¬
palling distinctness upon the face of society,
it is the truth recorded in my text, that while
"he that walketh with wise men shall be wise,
the companion of fools shall be destroyed."
The worst enemies of .the young man, are
evil companions. I care not how trying may
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 141
be the circumstances under .which he com- ,
mences life. He may be in the deepest pov¬
erty ; he may be friendless and alone ; the
grave may hide the parents who loved him,
and the friends who would have extended to
him a helping hand ; he may be obliged to
labor in the humblest employments and for
the scantiest wages; fortune may roll the
mightiest obstacles in his path, and shadow
him with her darkest frowns ; still if he have
wisdom and courage sufficient to avoid the
contagion of evil companions, if he selects
for his associates the honest, industrious, and
virtuous, I can predict for him a happy, repu¬
table, and prosperous career. On the other
hand, let him be cradled in the lap of fortune ;
let him be surrounded by powerful and affec¬
tionate friends ; let him enter upon life under
the most flattering auspices; and if his chosen
associates are among the idle, the vicious, and
the profligate, it needs 110 prophet's eye to dis¬
cern his fate. Before him is a downward road,
and ruin is at its termination. And this is not
strange or unreasonable. It is the legitimate
effect from the cause.. The first effect of bad
company is to familiarize the youthful mind
with vice ; the next is to weaken and finally
destroy its moral sensibilities ; the next, is to
12
142 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
make the man insensible to the opinions of
the wise and good ; and then the work of de¬
struction is fairly commenced, and it needs
almost a miracle to save the youthful victim
to the ensnaring and destroying influence of
ungodly associates. The love of parents, the
entreaties of friends, a sense of the value of
reputation, the frowns of society, the wreck
of his earthly hopes, all will prove but ropes
of sand in holding him back from the awful
precipice towards which he is rushing. He
will plunge madly on, and be dashed into
hopeless destruction in the dreadful fall.
If such be the influence of evil companions,
how should we warn the young against them.
With what passionate earnestness, what pow¬
erful appeal, what beseeching entreaty, what
solemn warning, should we come to his aid.
Would you see him walking above a mine,
which in its explosion will tear him limb
from limb, and not warn him of his danger ?
Would you see him struggling for life in the
devouring waters, and not rush to his rescue 1
" God do so to me and more also," if I labor
not with all the ability and zeal of which I
am capable, to warn and protect the young
men, for whom I must be responsible, and in
whose best welfare I take the deepest inter-
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG M AN V ENEMY. 143
est, from those whom I firmly believe to he
their worst enemies, for the body and the
soul, for time and for eternity.
And if you ask me who is the young man's
enemy, I answer—In a special sense, the In¬
fidel and Skeptic. In the array of foes which
beset the. path of the unwary youth, he, in my
judgment, occupies the foremost place. The
sentiment has been well quoted by an able
writer,* " that the natural bias of youth is
almost always towards skepticism or infideli¬
ty ; and such is the case not merely because,
according to Bacon, a little philosophy in¬
clines us to Atheism, and a great deal of phi¬
losophy carries us back to religion ; but youth
has an intellectual bias against religion, be¬
cause it would humble the arrogance of the
understanding, and a moral bias against it,
because it would check the self-indulgence of
the passions." It certainly is true that there
are many young men, whose minds are more
or less tainted with the principles of Infideli¬
ty-. They perhaps do not openly avow it.
They do not in all cases reject everjj thing
connected with Christianity; but they are
covert Skeptics, and disposed to cavil, and
* Rev. Dr. Hawes, of Hartford, Ct.
144 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
object, and speak lightly of doctrines, gene¬
rally admitted to be true, and principles ordi¬
narily regarded as sacred. It is also equally
true, that men who are corruptors of youth,
usually commence their destructive work by
assailing their religious principles, and exci¬
ting a distrust in the truth of the Bible. And
herein they show an infernal craftiness wor¬
thy of their own great master and teacher,
for he that has fully thrown off the fear of
God, is very well prepared to abandon all
fear of man ; and the young man, who has at
last yielded to the sophisms and sneers of an
infidel tempter, and discarded all sense of ac¬
countability and duty to his Maker, has not
far to travel in his descending career till he
reaches the point of a like contempt for all
obligations and responsibilities to his fellow
men. And because I look upon a firm belief
in Christianity, and a sense of obligation to
God, as the best and only adequate basis of a
virtuous and noble character, therefore do I
say, that he who occupies the most prominent
place among the worst enemies of the young
man, is the man who denies his God, and
sneers at all religion.
I ask your attention therefore to the influ¬
ence of Infidelity upon the young man—in
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 145
order that you may thus see the truth of my
position that its advocates are his worst ene¬
mies. I shall consider this influence, both as
it regards man's intellectual and moral na¬
ture.
You will all allow that in his intellect and
moral constitution, is found the chief glory of
man. It is this which gives him his splendid
pre-eminence over the brute creation, and
makes him but " a little lower than the an¬
gels." Whatever is calculated to affect inju¬
riously his intellectual and moral nature, aims
a blow at the noblest part of man; and he
who is the agent in inflicting this injury, be¬
comes his most deadly enemy. This is the
work of the Infidel, as I shall now endeavor
to prove.
Consider then, the monstrous proposition
which Infidelity proposes to the mind : " there
is no God." The proposition is in itself the
climax of intellectual audacity and absurdity.
For the question at once arises—How is it
possible for any mind to arrive at the stupen¬
dous knowledge, that there is no God ? Sup¬
pose the Infidel should now appear before us,
and make the declaration, that God is not—
that the idea of his existence is a delusion,
which cannot be proved; can you conceive
12*
146 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of a grosser act of presumptous folly, or a de¬
claration more insulting to your understand¬
ing?
To illustrate my meaning, suppose that an
individual should rise in this assembly and
say to me, sir, there never was such a man
as George Washington, and the popular belief
on that subject is all a delusion, and the feel¬
ings which are cherished towards him by the
whole nation, are perfectly groundless and
absurd. I reply. Sir, your declaration is an
astounding one ; how can you prove it ? In
this way, he replies —George Washington is
said to have been born on the 22d of Februa¬
ry, 1732, in the county of Westmoreland, in
the State of Virginia. I lived in that county
at that time. I knew all its families, and I
am confident that there never was any such
person born there as George Washington.
Further, it is said that in 1755 he served
under Gen. Braddock, in his expedition to the
Ohio ; that he displayed great bravery in
battle with the Indians ; that two horses were
killed under him, and four balls passed
through his coat; and that it was owing to
his coolness and skill that any of the troops
were saved from that bloody field. This is
the common notion, and it is very generally
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 147
believed; but, sir, I was in that expedition. I
knew Gen. Braddock and all his officers,
especially his aids, and there was no such
person among them as George Washington.
Again, it is generally believed that on the
14th of June, 1775, he was nominated to Con¬
gress, by John Adams, as Commander-in-Chief
of the American forces, and unanimously elect¬
ed to that station; that he took command,
conducted the war from year to year, was in
battles in different places, until on the 18th of
October, 1781, he received the surrender of
Lord Cornwaliis at Yorktown, which virtual¬
ly decided the contest and established our
independence. This is all a delusion. I was
in Congress at that time ; no such person was
ever nominated, or elected to Ijie command
of the army. I was in every battle through
the war, and never heard of such a person.
I was at the siege of Yorktown, and at the
surrender of Cornwaliis, and know that there
was no Washington there. The popular idea
respecting him is all a delusion, which only
testifies to the credulity, ignorance, and su¬
perstition of the American people. Suppose
now that an individual should rise and make
a statement like this respecting the Father of
his Country. With what derision, with what
148 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
indignation, with what execration, would he
be received! He would be regarded as a
madman or a fool. Your understandings
would be grossly insulted by the very propo¬
sition, and you would feel that in advancing
such an idea, and expecting you to credit it,
the individual had virtually stigmatized you
as wanting in common sense. But what does
the Infidel declare to you and to the world ?
He says there is no God. God is an eternal
being. Does the Infidel say that in all the
eternal past he has himself existed, and knows*
therefore that no proofs of Deity lie hid in its
" unfathomable recesses." If not—if he cannot
say that he has always been, how can he tell
you that there is no God ? If the present do
not declare him, may not the past have done
so ? But God is an omnipresent being. He
is every where. Has the Infidel a like ubiqui¬
ty ? Does he stand up and say to you, I have
been every where; I have explored the vast
domain of creation; I have travelled over
continent and island, over seas and oceans. I
have traversed every foot of ground from pole
to pole. I have penetrated to the earth's deep
centre, and I have seen no signs of God. I
have visited every nation, and have examined
every individual man, woman, and child, on
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 149
the globe, and found that in no mind was
there any evidence that there is a God. But
more than that, I have visited and examined
other worlds. There is not a star that twin¬
kles in the firmament, not a world in all the
countless systems which crowd interminable
space, which I have not explored. And in
all those vast systems and worlds, I find no
evidences whatever that God exists. I have
examined every spirit in the universe, and
none have spoken to me of a God ; and there¬
fore I come back to you, my deluded, credu¬
lous, superstitious fellow men, and tell you
that there is no God. What a monstrous ex¬
hibition would this be ! How unparalleled
the audacity of such a declaration ! Why,
sir ! you would reply, how dare you insult our
understandings with such absurdities'? You
say there is no God, and arrogate to yourself
the attributes of the very being you deny.
You must be eternal, or God may have been
manifested at every period in the past when
you did not exist. You must know every
thing, or that which you do not know may
be the truth of the Divine existence. You
must have been, nay you must at this moment
be every where, or in the place where you
are not, may be convincing evidences of a
150 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
God. You must be a God yourself, to.be able
to know that there is no God !*
Here then you have the Infidel! Here is
the man who ridicules the credulity, the weak¬
ness, the superstition of believers. What think
you of him now ? What an opinion he must
Qntertain of your intellectual powers, to pre¬
sent to you so monstrous a proposition. Is he
to be respected, to be believed, to be admired,
to be esteemed a friend ? The raging maniac,
the gibbering idiot, is more worthy of your
confidence and friendship.
But, Infidelity may present herself in anoth¬
er phase, and take a different position. The
Atheist may say, not that he knows that there,
is no God, but that the evidence on which you
rely does not establish the truth of his exist¬
ence. What is that evidence ? It is contained
in the world around you? Where did this
world come from ? How was it made ? It
must have had a maker. It could not create
itself? There are marks of design in all its
parts. There is an adaptation of means to
an end. There is intelligence, the workings of
mind stamped on every part of the world.
The maker of the world then must have been
* Chalmers' Natural Theology ; Foster's Essays. '
THE INFIDEL, THE1 YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 151
intelligent—must have had mind, and mind
adequate to the work which it has produced.
When you see a fine building, arranged with
every convenience, and furnished with every
comfort, you say, a wise architect has design¬
ed this building, a skilful workman has erected
it. When you examine a piece of machinery
of an ingenious and useful character, you are
led at once to the designing mind which con¬
trived it. The steam engine, the magnetic
telegraph, the daguerreotype, convey to you
the idea of a mind, and one of extraordinary
power and sagacity, to invent and put them
into successful operation. You ask the Infi¬
del to tell you, how the world with all its
vast and complicated machinery came into
existence, and what does he say ? Why, that
it is the fruit of the laws of matter. You can
see the absurdity of this. A law is a rule of
existence and action, not a cause of such ex¬
istence—and it is palpably absurd to say that
a rule of action which implies a cause, is itself
that cause. The philosophical necessity for
an adequate cause of these laws is perfectly
inexorable, and from it there can be no es- '
cape. The movements of yonder factory may
be in accordance with mechanical laws, but
with what face would you assert to a stran-
152 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN,
ger that the factory and its machinery grew^
out of those laws.
But the Infidel will tell you aghin, that the
existence of things is owing to chance or cas¬
ualty. This is indeed the climax of absurdi¬
ty, yet this is gravely asserted by men who
revile believers as credulous and weak-mind¬
ed. Chance the originator of existence !
How outrageous the assertion ! Look at the
world in all its departments: observe the
principle of order, the regularity of system
running through the whole ; the wonderful
adaptation of means to an end, and that end
the comfort and happiness of rational and in¬
telligent creatures, and ask yourself, can this
be the-work of chance ? Why did it not hap¬
pen that the sun, having no fixed law, should
at one time come so near the earth as to
scorch and consume it; and at another, re¬
tire so far as to bring upon it the darkness
and cold of more than a Siberian winter?
Why does it never chance that the diurnal
motion of the earth is increased in velocity,
and thus the equatorial regions of our world,
be continually flooded with the elevated
ocean ? Or, why does this motion never hap¬
pen to be retarded, so that our part of the
globe and that lying north of us, might be
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 153
subjected to the same destructive inunda¬
tion ?
Why does it happen al\Vays, that the
moon's distance from the earth, is just great
enough, and its size just large enough, to at¬
tract the tides as she does now, and prevent
the terrible effects of stagnant oceans and
seas ? Why does she not chance somtimes to
come nearer, and so increase the tides as to
overflow our shores and spread desolation
around us 1
Why does it not happen, that the air we
are breathing and by breathing rendering un¬
fit for use again, should always grow heavier
by respiration, and thus sink and escape by
its increase of weight, and save the lives of
this crowded assembly ? Should it not hap¬
pen thus, by a most happy chance, every one
of us would be in danger of our lives, while
sitting in this room.*
But why need I multiply such illustrations
as these ? The doctrine of chance is so pal¬
pably absurd, that it precludes reasoning.
Suppose that all the materials of which this
building is composed, were thrown together
in a heap, how long would it be before they
* See Nelson on Infidelity.
13
154 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
would happen to come together in just this
shape ? If chance be the presiding spirit, how
shall we account for the order and regularity
of the arrangements of the parts, and their
adaptation to the end proposed ? Why did not
the windows happen to be in the floor, this
desk in the cellar, and those fire-places on the
roof? How is it with the tens of thousands
of parts of the human body ? How do they
happen to be alike and universally in the right
place ? Why do you not find some men with
their eyes in the sole of the foot, or their
mouths under their arms ? If these things
are so absurd on a small scale, what must we
think of him who can say of the great, mag¬
nificent world, it came by chance-—its exist¬
ence is casual ? Yet this is the Infidel, this is
the man who would commend himself to your
admiration, to your confidence, to your friend¬
ship, as a man of too great a mind to be in
fluenced by the dogmas of Religion, or deceived
by the sophisms \)f its advocates. This is the
man, who is to elevate and strengthen your in¬
tellectual nature, and make you indeed a man.
Such should not be allowed to influence you
one moment. He is the weakest and most
credulous of mortals, scarcely deserving of
pity, and almost beneath contempt. He is the
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 155
worst enemy of your intellect, as well as of
your soul. He robs it of the most glorious
truth which can be presented to its grasp, in
striving with which it would be expanded and
enlarged to a masterful degree, and offers in
its stead, not only a lie, but one of the weak¬
est puerility, and the rankest absurdity.
But, (for I am anxious, mindful of an'old
maxim, to do full justice to the Infidel,) there
is another phase of infidelity, much more plau¬
sible, and which is often successful in con¬
trolling the mind, where the grosser and more
shameless theories fail. It is that which af¬
firms that as Religion is a spiritual system,
and relates to spirit rather than to matter,
therefore, we cannot have any certain know¬
ledge in respect to it; we must take every¬
thing, upon trust, and can have no certainty, no
'demonstration of its truth. I am laboring to
show you that the Infidel is not entitled to
your intellectual respect and confidence : that
infidelity is a foe to man's intellectual eleva¬
tion and progress, as well as to his spiritual
welfare ; and therefore unfriendty in the
highest degree to your best interests. And I
therefore wish to examine the positions which
are generally taken by her advocates, that
you may see how illogical, absurd, and de-
156 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
spicable they are. The Infidel says, then—
you may have certain knowledge in regard
to material things ; you can see them, you can
touch them, your senses assure you of their
reality, and you therefore must believe in
them—but you cannot see God, you cannot
touch God, your senses cannot prove to you
that He exists—therefore you cannot have
any certain, satisfactory knowledge of God.
So of all spiritual things—you cannot have
any definite certainty about them, and there¬
fore you ought not to believe in them.
Now, this, to a superficial thinker, and
most skeptics are of this class, may seem to
be unanswerable and convincing. And yet,
nothing is more really illogical and false.
The Infidel says, I believe in the existence of
matter, because I see it and feel it, and the
evidence of my senses cannot be doubted ; if
you will give me such proof of God, I wall be¬
lieve in Him. Now, I will undertake to say
that the Infidel does believe some things as
certainly, with which his senses have nothing
to do, as those which appeal directly to them.
For instance, he believes that the sun shines,
because he sees it and feels its beams. So
he also believes that two and two make four.
He believes this just as firmly as that the sun
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN's ENEMY. 157
shines. But what have his senses to do with
this ? Neither the sense of sight, or hearing,
or smell, or taste, or touch, can prove to him
that two and two make four, and yet he will
stake his life upon the certainty of that pro¬
position. So, here is an instance of certainty,
about matters which do not appeal to the
senses at all.
So, also, there are other things which the
Infidel firmly believes, which he cannot see or
touch, or know by the evidence of his senses.
He believes that he has a body and a mind,
that he can see, and that he can think ; that
he can hear, and that he can remember ; that
he can touch, and that he can exercise emo¬
tion ; but the proof of these things is by no
means the same. His senses have nothing
to do with thinking, or memory, or love, or
hope, or fear. How does he know that he has
a mind, or a memory, or a will, or affections 1
He cannot see them, nor touch, nor taste,
nor handle them ! Yet he believes them,
as truly as he believes that he has hands,
or feet, or eyes, or a material body. Now,
if it is a fair argument against believing
in God, that he cannot have physical evi¬
dence of his existence, it is equally conclusive
in relation to all truth which is not in the na-
13*
158 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ture of things susceptible of physical evi¬
dence. The Infidel is just as much bound to
disbelieve in the operations of his own mind,
because he cannot see them, as to disbelieve
in God because he is invisible; and therefore
he ought to disbelieve, that he does disbelieve.
But now I go a step further, and affirm
that the position of the Infidel, when he
says that he cannot be as certain of spir¬
itual things as of material, is absolutely false,
and that man can not only be satisfied of
their existence, but can be as certain of
things which he does not see, as of those
which he does. For instance, he looks at the
sun; he sees its radiance. How does he know
that it shines ? He says he sees it. But how
does he know that he sees it ? Where is the
seat of knowledge ? It is not in the eye ;
the mere material structure which is the or¬
gan of vision. It lies in the mind. It is a
mental .operation, after all, which convinces
the man that he sees the sun. Knowledge
cannot exist in matter. The eye cannot
know—it is the mind that knows, and ad¬
vises him of the fact that he sees the sun
shine. Then, if a man knows that he sees
the sun shine, he knows that he has a mind,
though he cannot see that mind. He knows
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 159
it just as certainly as he knows any fact in
nature, because he cannot have knowledge
of that fact, without a mind. But mind is
not a material, but a spiritual existence.
Here, then, is an instance where the man can
be just as certain of that which is spiritual,
as of that which is material. You are cer¬
tain that I am addressing you. Why ? Be¬
cause you see my form, and hear my words.
But how is this made certain to you? By
the operation of your mind—for as I said, the
seat of knowledge is in the mind, and not in
the body. And, therefore, if you are certain
that I am before you, you are equally certain
that you have a mind within you ; and a
mind which is capable of receiving impres¬
sions from outward objects, through the
senses, and of being affected by them.
To express the proposition in a word, it is
this—A man "cannot be certain of anything
at all, without being certain of mind."* He
cannot have knowledge of matter, without
just as certain and positive knowledge of
mind, for mind is the seat of knowledge ;
therefore it follows, as mind is spirit, that the
position of the Infidel is false, and that man
* Rev. Dr. Spencer.
160 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
can have as real, and accurate, and satisfac¬
tory knowledge of what is purely spiritual,
as he can of what is only material.
Now, if a man is certain that he has a
mind, within him, (and he cannot be certain
that he has a body without it,) yet this mind
is spiritual, invisible, intangible, and, in its
essence, incomprehensible; he cannot see it,
or touch it, or hear it, and yet believes in its
existence ; why is it irrational, or credulous,
to believe in the existence of God, though He
is an invisible, intangible, and incomprehen¬
sible spirit ? Why is it more absurd to be¬
lieve in one great mind, the ruling spirit of
the universe, than in one little mind, the
ruling spirit of one man's little world? You
may say, I believe in the existence of my
own mind, because of its operations. But
look around you—the world is full of the
operations of an infinite mind. What is the
cause of all things ? Answer me that ques¬
tion. This world, whence came it ? Who
made it ? Mountains, valleys, rivers, plains,
plants, trees, flowers, fruit, insects, birds,
beasts, fishes, men, bodies, minds, souls—
whence came all these ? Who made them ?
Who could make them ? " Every house is
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 161
builded by some man, but he that built all
things is God."
I say then, that the Infidel is the worst
enemy to the young man, as it respects his
intellectual influence. He is not worthy of
his confidence, or respect. His bold assump¬
tions, his puerile theories, his uncandid so¬
phistries, his forced conclusions, his miser¬
able credulity, his brazen audacity—these
testify to his unfitness to be the guide,the com¬
panion, the friend of a rational man. Pre¬
tending to be wise, he is but a fool; claiming
to have attained a freedom from the shackles
of credulity and superstition, he is yet the
weakest and most credulous of mortals. He
meets the historical facts, the sublime mira¬
cles, the heavenly precepts, and the unparal¬
leled history of Christianity with petty ob-.
jections, mere speculative reasoning, and the
weakest human theories, and the vainest im¬
aginations. " Christianity invites you to be¬
lieve, on far stronger grounds of faith, than
men are governed by every day : Infidelity
tempts you to disbelieve on grounds which
no single human being ever acted upon in
common life. Christianity draws her argu¬
ments not from mere human reasonings, but
from God, from facts, from experience, from
162 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the plainest dictates of moral duty, from
proofs tangible, and level to our capacity of
judging. Infidelity draws her objections from
the corrupt heart of man, from theory, from
conjecture, from the plainest contradictions
to common sense, from reasonings out of our
reach, and beyond our capacities. Christi¬
anity calls on us to obey her revelation, as
the remedy of our maladies, and a stupen¬
dous salvation from eternal death; and makes
all her discoveries and mysteries intelligible
and simple, in respect to our duties and
wants ; Infidelity calls us to speculation and
presumption; denies the malady; concerns
herself with finding fault with the mysteries
which she will not apply aright, and leaves
man without salvation, without guidance,
without consolation, without hope—a wan¬
derer in the wilderness of the world."*
Beware, then, of Infidel companions, if
you would surround yourselves only with
those minds which will exert an elevating
and strengthening influence upon your own.
The greatest men whom the world has ever
seen, have been firm believers in the truth
of Christianity. Newton, who trod the fir-
* Wilson's Evidences of Christianity, vol. ii., p. 203.
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 163
mament with the step of a master, and Mil¬
ton, who swept the harp strings with the
hand of a seraph, bowed and worshipped at
the shrine of a Christian faith. Would you
strengthen and ennoble your intellectual
man ? Scorn the flimsy sophisms, and "su¬
perficial objections of the skeptic, and grap¬
ple boldly with the magnificent doctrines and
colossal facts of Divine Revelation. Turn
from the turbid and shallow brooks of Infi¬
delity, and bathe your spiritual energies in
the pure and fathomless ocean of Truth.
But if the Infidel is to be excluded from
your intellectual companionship and , confi¬
dence, much more ought he to be regarded
as an enemy to your moral interests. I use
this term as including your duties here, and
your destiny hereafter. And I shall try to
show the hostility of Infidelity toyman's mor¬
al and spiritual interests, by an examination
of the principles, the practices, and the end,
of Infidels themselves.
What then are the principles which Infi¬
delity proposes for the regulation of man's
conduct ? What is the standard of moral
obligation which she sets up for the world ?
As a substitute for a divine revelation, she
would give you the light of reason as your
164
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
guide; and in place of the will of a perfect
God, she would propose utility as the stand¬
ard of obligation.
Let us, then, inquire into the moral cha¬
racter of those who have had no guide but
reason, and the light of nature. And when
we go to the history of the ancient world,
how sickening, how disgusting is the record.
Imperial Rome erected her thousand altars
to the vile passions, terrible diseases, and ap¬
palling evils of a corrupt humanity, and ap¬
pointed rites corresponding, in character, to
that of the worshipped divinity. "Some
were vindictive and sanguinary; others were
jealous, wrathful, or deceivers; and all of
them were unchaste, adulterous, and inces¬
tuous. Not a few of them were monsters of
the grossest vice and wickedness : and their
rites were absurd, licentious and cruel, and
often consisted of mere unmixed crime, and
shameless dissipation and debauchery. Pros¬
titution, in all its deformity* was systemati¬
cally annexed to various Pagan temples, was
often a principal source of their revenues,
and was, in some countries, even compulsory
upon the female population." Under the full
blaze of the light of reason, with all the aids
of learning, eloquence, and arms, there never
. THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 165
was a people so thoroughly sunk in moral
degradation, so besotted in vice and corrup¬
tion. The first chapter of Paul's Epistle to
the Romans contains a picture of their de¬
pravity, worthy of hell itself.
And if I should direct you to the nations
of modern days, who guide their moral con¬
duct by the light of reason, it would only
furnish additional testimony to the inadequa¬
cy of this instructor. What is their history,
but a history "of dwarfish virtues, and gi¬
gantic vices a history of polygamy, incest,
infanticide, and profligacy of the grossest
sort. Yet this is the state of things, where
the influence of Christianity is unknown ;
and where the feeble light of reason vainly
attempts to irradiate the dark mass of human
corruption. Let Infidelity triumph—let her
blot out the Bible from the world, and with
it all knowledge of the Bible's God, and in
ancient Rome, and modern India, you may
have a true picture of what our world would
be.
Again, utility is proposed by the Infidel as
the standard of obligation. How completely
does this "subvert the whole foundation of
morals." There are often cases where the
practice of virtue seems to be directly contra-
14
166 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ry to our interest, and where temptation to
crime is presented, with the prospect of impu¬
nity. In such cases Infidelity justifies the
worst of crimes, for the advantage to be se- j
cured by them, makes them right and expe¬
dient. There is nothing in Infidelity which
can preserve a man from becoming a thief, a
murderer, a perjurer, an adulterer, whenever
he may have the opportunity of gratifying
hate, or avarice, or lust, in their commission,
with a reasonable prospect of impunity or
concealment. And what would be the state
of that community where Infidelity reigned
supreme ? No interest of man would be safe.
The rude hand of the spoiler would be extend¬
ed to snatch from him his most precious
things; society would be changed into a j
howling wilderness, and men into ferocious
tigers. All the finer feelings of the soul, all
its generous emotions, and tender affections,
would be withered and blunted ; and all self- i!
ish, malignant, debasing, revolutionary, and H
anarchical passions and practices, would j
riot madly over the miserable wreck of the
social fabric.
Such are the principles of Infidels, such the
morals they would substitute in the place of
the standards of Christianity. They erect no
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 167
barriers against vice. They present no ade¬
quate motives to virtue. Blotting out God
and immortality, they degrade ^tid corrupt
man. Denying a future retribution, they make
earth a present hell.
Such being their principles, let us ask what
are their lives? Voltaire,Rosseau,Paine, Vol-
ney, are names which stand out with peculiar
distinction upon the rolls of Infidelity. List¬
en to the character of Voltaire, as it is de¬
scribed by his own biographer and fellow-
countryman.* " Impiety received him as he
left his cradle. He learned to read at the
age of three years, by committing an irreligi¬
ous book to memory. When a boy at school,
his daring blasphemies, connected with his
natural talents, induced his tutor to predict,
that he would raise the standard of Deism in
France. As his youth advanced, he was ad¬
mitted into those horrible associations of de¬
bauchees and infidels, in the highest classes
of society, who disgraced the close of the reign
of Louis XIV. In mature life he was re¬
markable for an unsettled, satirical, impetu¬
ous disposition ; a temper wayward, even to
malignity; outrageous violations of the de-
* M. Auget.
168 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
cencies of the domestic circle ; ridicule and
hypocrisy at the death-bed of his friends ; du¬
plicity, unti^ith, and even perjury in his deal¬
ings; artifice, buffoonery, sarcasm, and the
most unblushing calumnies in his controver¬
sies ; a treachery towards his friends so deep¬
ly seated, that he loaded with flatteries .and
caresses in his letters, the very persons whom
he was at the same time covering with ridi¬
cule ; and even calumniated in clandestine
writings some of those individuals on whom
he was pouring forth in his ordinary corres¬
pondence, the warmest testimonies of friend¬
ship or consideration. As he approached old
age his impiety became systematic, restless,
aggressive, persevering, malignant, and al¬
most furious. He was accustomed to say, ' I
am weary of hearing that twelve men estab¬
lished the Gospel; 1 will see if one cannot
overthrow it.' I say nothing of the impurity
of his conduct, the gross obscenity of his lan¬
guage and conversation, the notorious adul¬
tery in which he lived, because all this he
avowed; it appears in all he said and did ; it
is thought indeed nothing of by the Infidel
party ; it forms the conventional style of their
books and correspondence, and constitutes
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 169
one of the darkest features of their moral de¬
gradation."
Such is the testimony of one of his own
countrymen to the character of this distin¬
guished Infidel.
What shall we say of the author of the
" Age of Reason ?" His character was one
of such gross and shameless wickedness, that
I am not willing to describe it in detail. Suf¬
fice it to say, that for dishonesty, pride, cruel¬
ty, selfishness, ingratitude, blasphemy, profli¬
gacy, adultery, filth, and drunkenness, he has
rarely been equalled by man. So low did
he fall in his last days, that he was pitied and
despised even by his own disciples. What
must be thought of a man himself steeped in
the very mire and filth of profligacy, who
could say, " I detest the Bible, on account of
its obscene stories, voluptuous debaucheries,
cruel executions, and unrelenting vindictive-
ness."* Does it not remind us of Satan re¬
proving sin ?
And what shall I say of Rosseau, who could
pay such a glowing tribute to the character of
the divine Redeemer, and yet live a life of the
most heartless and abandoned profligacy 1
* Age of Reason, Part I., p. 12.
14*
170 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
What shall I say of Shaftesbury, Hobbes,
Tindal, Bolingbroke, and other like worthies,
but that their lives were in accordance with
their principles, and who found it necessary,
in order to maintain such a course of conduct,
to renounce and vilify Christianity.
Here then you have the lives of the distin¬
guished champions of Infidelity. Are these
the men whom you will make your models,
and teachers ? Are they worthy of your re¬
spect, confidence, and friendship ? Will you
take them to be your chosen companions, and
expose yourselves to the contamination of
their example ? Oh my young friends, avoid
them as you would shun the deadly pesti¬
lence. They are like the Upas tree ; no green
thing can grow beneath their blighting shade.
Purity, honor, integrity, faith, cannot live in
the atmosphere poisoned by their pestilential
breath ! They cannot prepare you for life.
They cannot set before you a pure and per¬
fect standard of virtue. They cannot elevate
and purify your moral tastes, and stimulate
you to the noblest conquests over self, and
sin. # They cannot raise the fallen column of
humanity from the dust, and place it in its
pristine stateliness upon its base. Their influ¬
ence is only debasing and corrupting, and
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MANS ENEMY. 171
they are the worst enemies of their species.
In the impressive language of Robert Hall, I
would exhort you to "settle it therefore in
your minds as a maxim never to be effaced or
forgotten, that Atheism is an inhuman, bloody,
ferocious system, equally hostile to every
useful restraint, and to every virtuous affec¬
tion ; that leaving nothing above us to excite
awe, nor round us to awaken tenderness, it
wages war with heaven and with earth : its
first object is to dethrone God, its next to de¬
stroy man."*
But in order that you may be able to judge
of the claims of Infidelity upon man, let me
now conduct you to the closing scenes in the
lives of her champions. Come, my young
friends, and see how the Infidel can die. If
his theories are correct, there is nothing in
death to be contemplated with emotion, much
less with terror. We should expect him to
meet the King of Terrors with an undaunted
front, and resign his breath without a pang.
If ftie system of Infidelity is true, there is no¬
thing beyond the grave at which the soul
should " shrink back upon herself and trem¬
ble at destruction." Her followers need not
- Sermon on Modern Infidelity.
172 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN. .
fear the draught of the cold, dark water of
death. They have nothing to dread in giving
up their mortal being. How then do they die ?
In death's honest hour, when all motives to
deception lose their power, and the false rea¬
sonings which blind the judgment are dissi¬
pated, how do they appear ? Go with me to
the bedside of the Hon. Francis Newport, a
London barrister, and a noted Infidel, a man
of family, talents, and fine education. He has
been taken sick and laid upon his bed with
death in view. This is his language. "Whence
this war in my breast? What argument is
there now to assist me—against matters of
fact ? Do I assert that there is no hell while
I feel one in my bosom? Am I certain that
there is no after retribution, when I feel a
present judgment ? Do I affirm my soul to
be as mortal as my body, when this languish¬
es and that is vigorous as ever? Oh! that
any one could restore me to my ancient guard
of piety and innocence ! Wretch that I am!
whither shall I fly from this breast? What
will become of me ? O apostate wretch!
from what hopes art thou fallen ! Oh that I
had never known what religion was ; then I
had never denied my Saviour, nor been so
black an heir of perdition! Oh that I were
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 173
in hell, that I might feel the worst; and yet I
fear to die, because the worst will never have
an end." Here, says the narrator, he paused,
and looking at the fire, exclaimed, " Oh that
I was to lie and broil upon that fire, a thou¬
sand years, to purchase the favor of God, and
be reconciled to him again ! But it is a fruit¬
less wish; millions of millions of years will
bring me no nearer to the end of my torments,
than one poor hour. Oh Eternity ! Eternity !
Who can discover the abyss of Eternity !
Who can paraphrase upon these words, for
ever and ever /"
Some of his friends came from a distance
to see him, to whom he made a most solemn
address, in the course of which he exclaimed,
"I have despised my Maker and denied my
Redeemer, I have joined myself to the Athe¬
ists and profane, and continued this course
under many convictions, till my iniquity was
ripe for vengeance, and the just judgments of
God overtook me, when my security was the
greatest, and the checks of my conscience
were the least. God has become my enemy,
and there is none so strong as to deliver me
out of his hands. He consigns me over to
eternal vengeance, and there is none able to
redeem me." His voice again failed, and he
174 earnest words to young men.
began to struggle and gasp for breath, which
having recovered, with a groan so dreadful
and horrid as if it had been more than human,
he cried out, Oh ! the unsufferable pangs of
hell and damnation ! and then expired."
Infidels have pointed to the death-bed of
Hume, as an instance of calmness and peace
in the dying hour. He indeed is the most
favorable instance which they could have
selected, and the account given by his friend,
Adam Smith, is doubtless as partial as it
could be made, with any regard to facts, in
the case. But how unworthy, not only of
a philosopher, but of a rational man, was
Hume's demeanor in his last illness? His
great desire was, not to take a retrospect of
his life, and fix upon whatever was calcula¬
ted to afford him strength and consolation,
but to drive off thought and memory, and
divert his mind from any uncomfortable re¬
flections. He amused himself therefore with
correcting a new edition of his works, of
which, as Dr. Mason well remarks, a con¬
siderable portion is destined to prove that
justice, mercy, and faith, and all the circle of
both the duties, and the charities, are obliga¬
tory, only because they are useful; and by
consequence that their opposites shall be ob-
THE INFIDEL. THE YOUNG MAN S ENEMY. 175
ligatory when they shall appear to be more
useful; that the religion of Jesus Christ which
has ' brought life, and immortality to light,' is
an imposture ; thct adultery is a bagatelle,
and suicide a virtue. This, with reading ro¬
mances, and conversing with infidel friends,
with a game at whist, or with puerile and
insipid jests about Charon and his boat, and
the excuses he should make to him, for not
being in readiness to go, was this great phi¬
losopher's preparation for the solemnities of
the dying hour. Is this the way for a rational
being to die ? Does it not shock every better
sensibility of the soul ! Let those whose in¬
terest it is to represent their champion as the
conqueror over the last enemy, boast of the
composure of his death; but this vaunted phi¬
losopher died " as the fool dietn."
And how was it with Voltaire ? His dying
bed was a scene of horror. He alternately
supplicated, and blasphemed his God ; and as
death approached, was perfectly overcome
with affright and fear. Some of his friends
fled in dismay from the Scene, exclaiming that
it was too horrible to be beheld. "And the
nurse who attended him, being' many years
afterwards requested to wait on a sick Pro¬
testant gentleman, refused, till she was as-
176 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN*
sured he was not a philosopher, declaring, if
he were, she Would on no account incur the
danger of witnessing such a scene, as she had
been compelled to do at the death of Vol¬
taire."*
Of a similar character was the death of
Thomas Paine. He dfeaded to be left alone,
and would not suffer his attendant to quit him
for a, moment. Often would the agony of his
soul break out in piteous exclamations, " O
Lord, help me ! O Christ, help me !" His phy¬
sician declared his conviction, that had he
not been so completely committed before the
world, he would have publicly revoked and
renounced his Infidelity. His Infidel friends
he denounced as miserable comforters, and
declared of himself that if ever the devil had
an agent upon earth, he had been one. His
miserable victim, whom he had seduced from
her husband, exclaimed in anguish, "For
this man I have given up my family and my
friends, my property and my religion. Judge
then of my distress when he tells me that the
principles he has taught me, will not bear me
out."f
* Wilson's Evidences of Christianity, p. 231.
t Wilson's Evidences of Christianity.
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 177
Here then you have Infidelity in the solemn
and honest hour of death. How does she
appear, amid its fearful realities ? You-have
seen how she teaches men to live, here you
can see how she enables them to die. And
now I ask you, how he is to be regarded who
would recommend to you Infidelity, as a sys¬
tem for you to live, and to die by ? Will you
count him as a friend, who would degrade
even your mortal life, and rob you of your
immortality ? Shall he be esteemed worthy
of your confidence and friendship who insults
your understanding with his puerile and ri¬
diculous theories, who withdraws from you
every adequate motive to the practice of vir¬
tue, who degrades you to a level with the
beasts that perish, represses every lofty aspi¬
ration, starves out the nobler life of the soul,
provides no adequate ministration for the ne¬
cessities of your immortal nature, and after
this short and transient life coolly consigns
you to annihilation, or bids you take " a fear¬
ful leap in the dark." Oh no ! my young
friends, he is your worst enemy, the most to
be dreaded and shunned. Other enemies may
attack your purse, your fame, your health,
yea your life. Insidious, malignant, terrible,
15
178 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
as they may be, they are not to be dreaded
half as much as he, who without aiming to
ruin your business, or blast your reputation,
or draw you into habits and practices which
will conduct you to an early grave, aims to
destroy your nobler being, and to rob you of
your soul. Shun the Infidel, or the Skeptic,
as you Would shun the pestilence, as you
would avoid a tiger. Take him not into your
confidence, or friendship. No matter what
his talents, or manners, or position may be ;
let him not presume to call himself your
friend. You had better seek an alliance with
povertjr, and reproach, and misfortune, and
every temporal evil that can afflict humanity,
than with him. Association with the Infidel
is a covenant with death, an agreement with
hell!
Let your chosen companions be men who
fear God, and obey his word, and reverence
his institutions, and the influence of such a
companionship will be elevating and purify¬
ing. Above all, be firm believers yourselves
in the sublime truths of Christianity, and faith¬
ful followers of its heavenly precepts. They
will strengthen and cultivate your intellectual
nature, and purify and refine your moral
THE INFIDEL, THE YOUNG MAN'S ENEMY. 179
tastes. They will secure for you the respect
of the wise and good on earth, and ripen you
at last for an eternal and glorious association
with angels and with God.
DISCOURSE VI.
TRUE MANLINESS.
1 Kings 2 : 2.—" Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself
a man "
Such was the counsel of a dying monarch
to his youthful son, the heir apparent to the
kingdom. That monarch's life had been of a
most eventful character. He had risen from
a shepherd's cot to the throne of a mighty
empire ; and in his progress had passed
through many and strange vicissitudes of
earthly condition. While yet a stripling, he
had met the fierce Goliath, the giant cham¬
pion of the heathen host, in single combat,
and come off conqueror in the unequal strife.
He had been in turn the hero of the songs of
the people ; the son-in-law of the king ; the
bosom friend of the prince of the realm; the
fugitive from the court ; the hunted outlaw ;
the forest wanderer ; the anointed monarch ;
15*
182 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the victorious general; and finally the suc¬
cessful and prosperous king. Now in his old
age, being about to depart from the scenes of
his earthly greatness, and lay his head as low
in the dust as the meanest of his subjects, the
aged monarch summons to his side his son
and heir, to give him his last counsels and his
parting blessing. We might suppose that he
would have charged his son to extend still
farther the conquests which he had made;
that he would have dictated the policy which
he was to pursue in regard to the vast inter¬
ests of the realm ; that he would have bade
him extend his dominions, increase his trea¬
sures, and make his name glorious among the
sons of men. Such would have been the coun¬
sels of most monarchs and heroes, but such
were not the counsels of Israel's dying king.
Referring to the near approach of the hour of
his dissolution, to give increased solemnity to
his charge, he says, " I go the way of all the
earth ; be thou strong therefore, and show
thyself a man ; and keep the charge of the
Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep
his statutes, and his commandments, and his
judgments, and his testimonies, as it is writ¬
ten in the law of Moses, that thou mayest
prosper in all that thou doest, and whitherso-
TRUE MANLINESS. 183
ever thou turnest thyself." He did not say
to the youth who stood by his side, make thy¬
self a great warrior, a mighty conqueror, a
powerful sovereign, a wise statesman. There
was a nobler character still, to which he bade
him aspire. " Study to show thyself a'man."
Be worthy of this distinguishing appellation.
It is the loftiest title which you can bear. It
confers a distinction which has a real and
intrinsic value. It brings an honor which
will survive the fading crown, and the dis¬
solving throne. You may be driven from
your palace, as was your father before you,
and be hunted as a partridge upon the moun¬
tains ; you may lose all the splendors of roy¬
alty, and the trophies of conquest; but the
glory of true manliness you cannot lose. It
will brighten amid poverty and reproach,
rebellion and disaster. It will shine serenely
as the star of hope, when the sun of prosperi¬
ty has gone down ; and pour its radiant beams
around your dying couch, and only fade when
eclipsed by the eternal brilliancy of the hea¬
venly glory.
Such was David's dying charge to the
youthful prince. And he not only charged
him, thus to aim at true manliness of charac¬
ter, but he directed him where to seek for its
184 earnest words to young men.
attainment. It was not to the precepts of
philosophers, nor to the counsels of statesmen,
that he bade him look for instruction. It was
not in the career of the warrior, or the
intrigues of diplomatists, the enterprises of
commerce, or the accumulation of wealth,
that he was to find the elements of true man¬
liness ; but in the walks of virtue, in the
practice of piety, in obedience to God. Here,
and here only, was the secret of a manly cha¬
racter, and of sure and abiding honor.
Believing that in the heart of every young
man, whom I address, there is a chord which
vibrates in unison with the charge of the
monarch of Israel to his son, I shall proceed
to address you this evening upon this subject.
The indispenscibleness of piety to true mardi-
ness.
There is no higher style of earthly charac¬
ter than that of a true man. He is the no¬
blest work of God. There has been but one
exemplification of this character since the fall
of our great ancestor Adam. It was " the
man Christ Jesus." Without the adventitious
distinctions of rank or wealth, in poverty, in
obscurity, in sorrow, and in shame, his was a
character which the world has admired for
two thousand years, and will admire to the
TRUE MANLINESS.
185
end of time. In all the elements of real man¬
liness he has never been equalled by the sons
of men. Laying out of view his divine power,
by which he wrought the wonderful miracles
which won for him the shoutings of the mul¬
titude, and contemplating him simply as a
man ; looking at those elements of dignity,
and nobleness, and virtue, which properly
belong to humanity, how admirable was his
character, how symmetrical, how beautiful,
how sublime ! Listen to the language even
of a skeptic himself, the famous Rosseau, and
mark how he speaks of Christ. " Is it possi¬
ble that the sacred personage whose history
it (the Bible) contains, should be himself a
mere man ? Do we find that he assumed
the air of an "enthusiast, or an ambitious sec¬
tary ? What sweetness, what purity in his
manners ! What an affecting gracefulness
in his delivery ! What sublimity in his max¬
ims ! What profound wisdom in his discours¬
es ! What presence of mind ! What subtili-
ty ! What truth in his replies ! How great
the command over his passions ! Where is
the man, where the philosopher who could so
live and die, without weakness and without
ostentation ?"*
* Rosseau's Works, vol. v., pp. 215-218
186 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
Such is the impressive tribute paid by one
who was no follower of Christ; to the beauty
and splendor of his character as a roan. In
acquiring such a character, my young friends,
you will derive your most certain and valua¬
ble assistance from that religion of which
Christ was the author and the exemplar.
In order that we may see that in religion
alone, can the elements of real manliness be
found, let us inquire what are its distinguish¬
ing characteristics. I will place before you
those traits and qualities which are univer¬
sally considered as belonging to a true and
noble man, and inquire into the influence of
religion in their development and cultivation.
I. Courage is generally considered as es¬
sential to manliness.
Among men who live in a state of nature
courage is esteemed as the highest and no¬
blest characteristic of a man. In all savage
nations it is the great virtue of human cha¬
racter. Among the ancients, especially the
Greeks and Romans, it was enthroned as su¬
preme among the virtues. Integrity, wisdom,
goodness, truth, all bowed before it, and as
inferiors, paid their homage at its shrine.
And in all ages of the world, it is considered
as one of the loftiest qualities of man. The
TRUE MANLINESS.
187
want of it, imposes a stigma upon the charac¬
ter which is ineffaceable, and brands the man
with a title of infamy. No charge will so
soon bring the flush of wounded pride and
indignation to the cheek as the charge of a
want of courage. To the young man espe¬
cially this is an insult which cannot be borne.
Says a spirited writer,* " Its influence upon
the whole creature is immense. Mind with¬
out it is feeble—with it, omnipotent; without
it, the slave—with it, the ruler ; without it,
dashed like a rudderless bark upon the tem¬
pest-tossed ocean of circumstance, the shud¬
dering toy of the wind and the waves—with
it, riding like a thing of glorious life through
the rifts of the ocean, growing in grace and
beauty, with the swell of the billow, and the
•fury of the storm. With it, the soul may be
composed in the midst of fortune's darkest
frowns ; without it, wretched in her sunniest
smiles. It lends the wing of power to ambi¬
tion ; imparts the life-blood of confidence to
effort; kindles with unfading lustre the open¬
ing future of hope; knits to Herculean rigidity
the muscles of resolution ; breathes Prome¬
thean fire into the will; and sends the entire
* H. H. Jackson, Esq.
188
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
ydr&ca<l£er' forth like the Roman gladiator,
/ armed and equipped for the test of the arena,
the crisis of th$ conflict, the achievement of
the triumph."
Such is courage, and there are strings with¬
in your bosom which are vibrating in thrilling
murmurs as you look at the picture which a
master hand has thus graphically sketched.
You feel that to be a man, you must have a
courageous soul.
What, then, is courage, and where shall
we look for examples of its true and noble
character 1 It may be defined to be that
quality of the mind, which enables man to
face danger, to encounter obstacles, to en¬
dure suffering, without fear, without despon¬
dency, without complaining. The greater
the danger, the more formidable the obstacle,
the severer the pain, the more sublime is the
manifestation of courage. Its lowest form is
physical,—its highest, moral. Yet the world
generally put a higher estimate on the former
than the latter. The man who fearlessly
flings himself into the river to save a drown¬
ing child, or rushes boldly into the burning
house to rescue an aged and helpless victim
from the flames ; the soldier who leads his
little band gallantly on against overpowering
TRUE MANLINESS.
189
numbers, storms the deadly breach in the face
of the thundering and fire-breathing cannon,
and wins the bloody field against fearful odds;
these are the men who are crowned as heroes
by the world, and whose courageous and
manly spirit is applauded with the loudest
acclamations. Yet there are scenes of trial
and danger, where these heroes may quail
and shrink away: where their boasted man¬
liness fails, and they prove themselves to be
very cowards, unworthy of a manly name.
That young man, who under the excitement
of the moment, and amid the plaudits of an
admiring crowd, with scarcely an intelligent
perception of his danger, springs into the ra¬
pid stream, or rushes into the burning house
to save a stranger's life, will perhaps desert
his dearest friend when a fearful and conta¬
gious disease has placed her fatal seal upon
him, and he is cast out from home, and friends,
and comforts, to die alone, or amid cold-
hearted hirelings, who care not for his dying-
agonies. He could meet the flood and the
flame in a moment of enthusiasm, and under
the stimulus of an admiring crowd ; but he
dare not face the pestilence, as in the silence
and obscurity of the sick chamber, or the dis-
16
190 Earnest words to young men.
mal horrors of the pest-house, it comes to bear
away its victim.
See this courageous youth, in another scene
of trial. The tempter is urging him to sin.
He puts the wine cup to his lip. He invites
him to the midnight revel. He lures him to
the gambler's den, that vestibule of hell. Con¬
science whispers—-refuse to drink—refuse to
go—refuse to touch the cards. Visions of
aged parents far away, of a praying mother,
of a pious sister, of a family altar, where loved
ones pray for the absent son and brother, rise
before him, and urge him back. He wavers,
he parleys ; but the jeering laugh, the malig¬
nant sneer, the pointed finger, the opprobri¬
ous word " coward," are too powerful for him;
he dares not refuse ; he is afraid to say " No !"
he has not courage to turn his back upon the
tempter ; he is vanquished, and is lost. He
crosses that threshold over which purity, and
integrity, and peace, aye and honesty, never
! return with him ; he crosses it because he is
a coward ; he dares not say "No!" to the
| fiend who is tempting him to his ruin.
There is a name in the annals of our coun¬
try, which at one time promised to be asso¬
ciated with all that was daring, heroic, and
TRUE MANLINESS.
191
famous ; but which has come down to us cov¬
ered with ignominy, and destined to an im¬
mortality of infamy. It is the name of a
man who in fearless bravery on the field of
battle was without a peer ; who for endu¬
rance of hardship, resolution, and perseve¬
rance, against the most formidable obstacles,
fortitude under personal privation, was scarce¬
ly equalled even by that band of heroes who
won our independence. But it is the name
of one who could not conquer himself—who
could not resist the impulses of extravagance
and ambition, who dared not avow himself a
bankrupt, and who sold his character, his
friends, his country, rather than meet the hu¬
miliation and opprobrium which by his wan¬
ton prodigality he had justly incurred. It is
the name of Benedict Arnold, once the hero
of the North, the Murat of American history ;
but now only remembered as the traitor and
the coward.
There is another name on the pages of our
country's history, which is surrounded by lines
of mingled splendor and gloom, of glory and
of shame. Another has well described him.*
" His mind has been cultivated to a rare pitch
of excellent learning, and his heart expanded
* Rev. G-. W. Bethune.
192 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
by large views of social interests. He loves
his country, and his country has answered his
love, by committing her higher trusts to his
care. He has objects yet more dear. He is
the husband of an affectionate wife, and the
father of worthy children. He promises to
himself many years of patriotic usefulness,
and domestic happiness. But in an evil hour
his duty has led him across the path of one,
who lives but for vengeance. He is chal¬
lenged to the field, where there is no distinc¬
tion but in the assassin's skill and the bravo's
desperation. He knows and abhors the bar¬
barous rule which calls him forth. He thinks
of his country, its dangers, its necessities, and
his power to save it. He looks upon his lov¬
ing household, smiling unconscious of the
agonies in his soul, which he dares not utter.
He sends them to sleep with the first falsehood
which has ever passed his lips. He arranges
the scanty fortune which in another day may
be all they will have to supply the loss of his
care. And then he thinks of heaven. He
opens his Bible, but it has no promise for him
and he dares not read. He kneels, but he
dares not pray. How can he pray with mur¬
der in his heart ? The morning dawns upon
his night of horror. He braces himself for
TRUE MANLINESS. 193
the conflict, and seems calm, for he is afraid
to confess the wretchedness he feels. The
brutal punctilio is settled, and in another
moment he is before an angry God, and leaves
his opponent to live, a self-abhorrent and
guilty thing, with a ' damned spot' upon his
soul which no tears can wash away. Why 1
Because he was a slave of the world's fear,
a very coward, who dared not do right; a
selfish coward, who would sacrifice all he
ought to love and maintain, rather than bear
the taunt of fools ; a senseless coward, who
rushed upon God's wrath, to escape such
sneers as true valor should despise."
The hero of a hundred battles, Who has
dared to face death on the field again and
again, and has won for himself the greenest
laurels of the conqueror, may shrink away
before the world's dread laugh, and fear to
meet the scorn of his fellows, when they tell
him that his honor is in danger, and must be
vindicated. He becomes a murderer and a
suicide, a breaker of the laws of God and
man, a violater of his own conscience, the
occasion of agony and bereavement to an
innocent family and circle of friends, a blot
upon civilized society, because he dares not
face the sneering crowd, who can provide no
16*
194 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
better balsam for his wounded honor than the
guilt of the suicide or the remorse of the mur¬
derer. The duellist a man of courage ! He
is the veriest coward that walks the earth.
He is afraid to do right; and no man has any
claim to this noble quality, who dares not say
before the world, that he fears to do wrong,
and that he will brave any and every sacri¬
fice, rather than swerve from the path of
moral rectitude. He who takes this manly,
this noble stand, will have the respect of the
truly wise and good among men, and can
afford to despise the censures or the sneers
of all beside. And even if his fellow-men
scorn and condemn him, he has what is far
better than earthly honors, the satisfaction of
a good conscience, the approbation of God.
It is not among earthly heroes that we find
the noblest examples of true courage. The
warrior who is the world's hero, has every¬
thing to stimulate him to deeds of daring.
He is surrounded by all " the pomp and cir¬
cumstance of glorious war." Ambition fires
his soul. Visions of glory beam upon his
sight. His companions in arms are inspired
with a like enthusiasm. The stirring music,
the booming cannon, the wild shoutings of
foes as they meet in the death strife,—all this
TRUE MANLINESS.
195
excites his soul to a wild delirium, so that
danger and death have lost their terrors ; he
does not realize the danger, he is not sensible
of exposure, he cares not for death. Under
the influence of this excitement, he may
achieve prodigies of valor, without one exhi¬
bition of the noblest kind of courage.
Turn now to that gloomy prison, and I will
show you a hero. In that deepest, darkest,
most loathsome cell, loaded with chains, ema¬
ciated with confinement and privation, lies a
solitary captive. It is his last night on earth,
and yet his sleep is as calm and untroubled
as an infant's. The grating of the dungeon
doors, and the harsh voice of his gaoler,
awake him, to die. No shade of fear passes
over his face, no tremor agitates his feeble
frame. With a calm, undaunted mien, he
walks forth to death. No band of compani¬
ons are there to sustain him by their sympa¬
thy, or rouse him with a kindred enthusiasm.
No crown of earthly glory is to be won with
blood. Alone in the midst of a sneering and
reviling crowd, he treads the fatal path. The
death that warriors love to die, awaits not
him. A stake, a chain, a pile of faggots, a
torch, are there. The hero of the battle field
might well recoil in horror from such a death.
196 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
But he recoils not. With the step of a con¬
queror he marches on. They bind him to the
stake, the pile is lighted, the kindling flames
leap madly up to devour their victim. No cry
of anguish breaks upon the ear ; no murmur
of recantation is heard ; no revilings of his
foes ; no invocations of the vengeance of hea¬
ven. The calm accents of prayer rise above
the crackling of the flames ; the notes of the
conqueror's song peal through the murky air,
and the martyr is in heaven, crowned with a
more glorious diadem than ever hero wore,
and leaving an example of courage more
splendid and sublime than ever gleamed from
scenes of conquest or fields of blood.
The history of the Christian martyrs is a
history of heroes. The annals of time fur¬
nish no parallel to their sublime achieve¬
ments. Through scenes of reproach and per¬
secution, of torture and of death, they passed
with an unfaltering step, sustained, not by
the admiration of applauding crowds, stimu¬
lated by no ambitious aspirations, or earthly
crowns, stigmatized as fanatics or bigots, the
object of ribald scoffs and malignant fury,
strong only in the consciousness of right, and
looking for no reward but the approval of
their judge. They were men, true men, no-
TRUE MANLINESS.
197
ble men, men " of whom the world was not
worthy."
Religion cultivates and exercises the cou¬
rage of the soul. It calls man to a sublimer
conflict, than the strife of armies; a conflict
with himself. It developes with masterful
power the heroic element in man. Never
was there a nobler hero, (I speak it with the
deepest reverence,) never was there a nobler
hero than the Lord Jesus Christ. His career
was a perpetual martyrdom. With the infi¬
nite resources of divinity at his command, he
endured the deepest sorrows that can oppress
humanity. The Creator of all worlds, he vol¬
untarily became a homeless outcast. The
theme of angelic praises, he was. willing to
be the scoff and the jest of mortal men. Him¬
self the well-spring of life to the universe, he
laid down his own life in sacrifice for his
guilty creatures. He faced every danger, he
encountered every foe, he bore every burden,
he drank every cup of sorrow, he grappled
with the last enemy, without a murmur, with¬
out a fear ; and achieving in the midst of his
expiring agonies a sublime victory over him¬
self, he prayed for his murderers—" Father,
forgive them, they know not what they do."
198 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
The spirit of Christ, the spirit of Christianity,
is pre-eminently a heroic spirit.
II. Another element of true manliness, is
Magnanimity.
The literal meaning of this term is great¬
ness of soul, and from the very signification
of the word, you will at once see, that it must
rank high among the virtues which compose
a real manly character. It is a quality which
belongs especially to the moral nature, not to
the physical, although it is not entirely inde¬
pendent of the intellectual Yet it is a virtue
which may be possessed and exhibited, even
by those who are not distinguished for high
intellectual endowments. Its value and im¬
portance may be best perceived by a refer¬
ence to the elements of which it is composed.
One of these is disinterestedness. The selfish
man can never be truly magnanimous. He
who makes his own little self the centre of
the circle in which his thoughts, aspirations,
aims, and affections, revolve, can never be a
true and noble character. Selfishness con¬
tracts and dwarfs the mind, pinches and shri¬
vels up the heart, withers every generous
impulse, and converts the whole man into
something like an animated mummy. Out
TRUE MANLINESS.
199
upon a selfish man ! He wants the essential
characteristic of manhood, a noble soul. -He
is a stranger to truly expanded views, and
exalted aspirations. The beginning and the
end of his life,, is still himself and no thoughts
of the welfare of others, no going out of self
for their benefit, no sacrifice in aid of their
happiness ever enters into his ideas of life, or
duty, or enjoyment. This selfish, sordid spirit,
is especially unlovely in a young man. It
seems to be more unnatural then, to be in¬
consistent with the fervor and enthusiasm of
a youthful spirit. But it is a thing of culti¬
vation, of growth, of habit. He who was in
his early days a generous, spirited, and noble
youth in all his impulses and aspirations, may
become, under the discipline of the world, a
selfish, contracted, sordid man, with no claim
to true greatness of soul, or elevation of cha¬
racter.
True magnanimity is disinterested. It thinks
of others, before itself. " It takes no counsel
of the spirit of self-indulgence ; asks not
whether the accomplishment of a noble pro¬
ject will require personal effort or even suf¬
fering ; but walks with zeal and patience
over the most thorny paths," rejoicing "to
spend and be spent" for the good of others,
200 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
and realizing in its own experience the truth
of that sublime annunciation worthy of the
divine Redeemer, " It is more blessed to give
than to receive." And where in all the teach¬
ings of earthly philosophy, will you find so
noble a sentiment as this ? Where among
all the maxims of worldly policy, will you
find a principle so truly great ? Is this the
spirit of the world ? In what school is man
thus instructed ? Only in the school of that
teacher whose life was one brilliant exempli¬
fication of his precepts.
Another element of magnanimity is a
forgiving spirit. This is not the spirit of the
world. She counsels revenge, for injuries
received, and upholds the law of retaliation
upon the offender. But true greatness of
soul is far nobler in its spirit. It is not pusil¬
lanimous or cowardly; it may have the keen¬
est sense of injury, it will defend its rights,
and never suffer their wilful violation to pass
unrebuked; but its spirit is not a malignant,
but a benevolent—-not a malicious, but a for¬
giving spirit. It is perfectly consistent, in its
fullest exercise, with justice. There are re¬
lations which man sustains to society at
large, which may require him to pursue a
different line of conduct towards an offender,
I"RUE MANUIffESS. 201 i
i
from what he would pursue in other circum- I
stances. If a man has broken the laws of !
my country, in his attempt to injure me, then
I have no right, nor does magnanimity re¬
quire me to screen him from punishment.
My relations and obligations to society are
such, that it is my duty to see that law is en¬
forced in his case, and the punishment which
is deserved be duly inflicted. But even in
that case, I am bound to cherish no personal j
malice against him—to exercise no vindic- j
tive spirit. I am bound to forgive him per¬
sonally, and must be ready and willing at
all times, to do him a kindness, when circum¬
stances place it within my power to do so.
While I am just—strictly and sternly just—
towards those social interests which have
been injuriously affected by his treatment of j
me, yet, in my private personal relations to j
the offender, magnanimity requires me to |
cherish a forgiving spirit. But when, on the !
other hand, the injury committed against me j
is entirely of a private character, having no j
bearing upon the public welfare, then justice j
has no claims to be provided for, and I am j
especially bound by the principles of true
magnanimity, to manifest, towards the offend¬
er, a generous, forgiving spirit. This is not
17
202 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
saying that I must take no notice of the of¬
fence, or make no distinction between my
friends and my enemies. No!. I am bound
to rebuke the offender, to show him his fault,
and, if possible, bring him to repentance ; I
am not required to treat him as a chosen and
cherished friend, and confide my interests to
his hands; but I am forbidden, by the prin¬
ciples of real greatness of soul, to cherish
towards him a malicious, vindictive spirit,
which would lead me to retaliate upon him;
to injure him in his person, his character, or
his business ; and I am sacredly bound to
exercise towards him a generous, forbearing
and forgiving spirit, and lose no opportunity
of doing him a kindness. Do you say this is
hard—yes, it is hard ; no man knows its dif¬
ficulty more than I do. The natural prompt¬
ings of our proud hearts, are to resent and
retaliate, when we are injured, and to over¬
come this instinctive feeling, often requires a
desperate struggle in the soul. But. it is a
noble conquest of one's self, a triumph great¬
er than his who taketh a city.
There are few men who are so favored as
to pass through life without provoking enmi¬
ty, or suffering injury from another. " If it
be possible," says an inspired Apostle, "if it
TRUE MANLINESS. 203
be possible, as much as lieth in yon, live
peaceably with all men."* This would seem
to impty that cases might arise when it would
not be possible " to live peaceably with all
menand such is human nature, that even
in the highest and purest state of society, it
is impossible always to avoid the attacks of
malice, or prejudice, or unprovoked hostility.
There are occasions, almost daily, for the ex¬
ercise of a magnanimous spirit towards those
who have injured us. But the spirit of the
. world is not one of true greatness of soul in
this respect. Her code of honor is a false, a
cowardly, a cruel code, unworthy of men,
unworthy of devils. She tells the young
man that he must resent injury, that he must
not allow himself to be insulted with impu¬
nity—that his honor is sacred, and must be
defended at all hazards. And thus, under
this plausible pretext, she kindles the infer¬
nal fires of revenge and malice within his
heart—teaches him to return blow for blow,
railing for railing, insult for insult. If an in¬
dividual has lowered himself by wantonly
injuring or insulting him, he must lower him¬
self to an equal depth, by retaliation, accord-
* Romans, xii. : 18.
204 EARNEST WORDS TO. YOUNG MEN.
ing to the dictates of her code, or prove him¬
self unworthy of respect. Not so! If a man
insults me wantonly, he degrades himself, not
me, and I will not be a partner in the degra¬
dation. If he forgets what is due to me, I
shall not forget what is due to myself; and I
repeat, that a man who wantonly insults me,
puts himself far below me, and if there are
no public relations concerned, which make it
my duty to bring him to punishment, I will
maintain the elevation of my position over
him, and not degrade myself by resorting to
his weapons. If this is dishonor, be it so !
It is noble, it is magnanimous, to bear the
scorn of men, in the practice of virtue. The
code of honor laid down in the Scriptures is
honorable enough for me. The world may
say, " an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth," but give me that code of true great¬
ness of soul, that spirit of noble generosity,
of real magnanimity, whose language is, "If
thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt
heap coals of fire on his head." And where,
I ask again, do you find this element of real
greatness and nobleness of soul most beauti¬
fully and strikingly manifested ? In the most
illustrious instances of ancient history, where
TRUE MANLINESS.
205
will you find this forgiving spirit ? There
were men of noble traits among them—men
who did much for their country, and their
race, and whose names have come down to
us, still fragrant in our memories. But in
vain we look to a Socrates, a Demosthenes,
a Cicero, for any displays of real magnani¬
mity in this particular. Their code was the
same with that of the modern duellist. It
made revenge a virtue, exalted the law of
retaliation as the highest principle of action,
fostered and applauded the brute-like endow¬
ments of humanity, and stained with the
guilt of murder and suicide many an other¬
wise noble character. Turn to the page of
sacred history, and there you will find a cha¬
racter of heroic greatness of soul. There is
one who was made a mark for the shafts of
calumny, invective, and abuse ; whose name
was cast out as evil among men, and men¬
tioned with execration or contempt. Every
term in the vocabulary of abuse was ex¬
hausted upon him. Every insult, which
hatred could suggest, or malice employ, was
heaped upon him. And how did he bear all
this? "When he was reviled, he reviled not
again ; when he suffered, he threatened not,
but committed himself to Him who judgeth
17*
206 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
righteously." And was this of necessity?
Was he so weak that he could not resent the
insults he received? By his word,.he could
hush the raging elements, control the angry
ocean, break the sleep of death, and rescue
its victim from the grave. And by a breath
of his nostrils he could have blasted his ene¬
mies ; by a wave of his hand he could have
sunk them in the yawning earth, or scathed
them with Jehovah's lightnings. But he re¬
torted not with angry words ; he raised not
his arm to avenge his injuries ; he went
steadily 011 his pathway of mercy and kind¬
ness, forgiving his enemies, and returning
good for evil. And will any man presume to
cast reproach upon the nobleness, the manli¬
ness of the Redeemer's character ? The at¬
tempt would be as absurd as it would be im¬
pious. For it has been the testimony of ages,
that the character of the Lord Jesus Christ,
considered simply as man, is the most perfect
and beautiful exhibition of manhood which
the world has ever seen.
Here, then, we turn for another element of
true manliness. Magnanimity, real noble¬
ness of soul, whether exhibited in an unsel¬
fish or a forgiving spirit, finds its great model
and* illustration in the character of Christ.
TRUE MANLINESS. 207
Let that character then be your model, and
you may be certain of approximating towards
real manliness. Take any inferior standard
as your guide, and your character will be¬
tray a like inferiority.
III. Another element of real manliness is
Candor.
A fair and candid mind,-free from the do¬
minion of prejudice or passion, admitting or
rejecting no idea without fair investigation,
willing to lay aside its own preconceived
opinions, when these are shown to be incor¬
rect, and ready to do full justice to the opin¬
ions of others, is an essential and a noble
element in a true manly character. Yet this
is a rare virtue in man. There is great
strength and stubbornness in pride of opin¬
ion, and early prejudice. The domain of the
latter is widely extended, and her sway de¬
spotic. "There are religious prejudices, and
political prejudices, and national prejudices,
and prejudices pertaining to every profession
and occupation among men." Superiority to
these is a great attainment, and as rare as it
is great. Many men will not examine a sub¬
ject presented, because they have formed
their opinions respecting it, in accordance
with some early prejudice, and do not-wish
208 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
to be convinced if they be in error. Many
will pass their judgment upon the character
and conduct of others, without any knowl¬
edge of the circumstances under-which they
act, or of the motives which impelled to such
action, and hastily approve or condemn, with¬
out the information essential to the justice
and value, either of their censure or their
praise. How much of the scandal and cen-
soriousness, so prevalent in our world, and
which sometimes makes one sick of abiding
in it, is owing to the want of candor. How
many-men there are who allow themselves
to be so blinded by prejudice, that they can¬
not really discern the truth, and without in¬
tending to do so, actually give currency to
that which is wickedly false. Young men
are especially in danger of being misled by
prejudice. They are not patient of investi¬
gation, but, with the eagerness of youth,
jump tok their conclusions with thoughtless
haste. They are easily deceived by appear¬
ances, and not inclined to the labor and
trouble of searching beneath the surface for
truth. This is especially the case in refer¬
ence to moral subjects. A young man has
taken up the idea, derived, perhaps, from an
ungodly parent or associate, or gained from
TRUE MANLINESS.
209
a cursory glance at some infidel publication,
that Christianity is a delusion, or that the
Bible is not inspired, or that some of its doc¬
trines are false. He does not attempt to in¬
vestigate the question fairly. He feels no
interest in removing his doubts. Perhaps he
wouid prefer to believe that there is no God,
and no hereafter. Therefore he will not,
with a candid, docile spirit, search into the
truth of these questions. He takes it for
granted that his opinions are right, because
they are his opinions, and does not like to
suppose that a mind like his can be in error.
In the self-confidence of youth, he has a very
good opinion of his own intellectual powers,
and subjects over which his seniors spend
days and years of study and investigation,
he despatches with a most cursory and su¬
perficial examination. This is no evidence
either of mental power or real independence
of thought. Scarcely one man in ten thous¬
and can be found among those who are skep¬
tical on the subject of religion, who have
ever given that subject a thorough and can¬
did consideration. " A little learning tendeth
to A theism, but a great deal bringeth us back
to religion." And I know of no more pitiable
sight, than a youthful skeptic, a stripling in-
210 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
fid el, who, with - all the temerity, inexperi¬
ence, and self-confidence of youth ; with no
candid and thorough searching into the
depths of the subjects; perhaps only the
retailer at second, third or fourth hand, of
the objections and assumptions of others; so
coolly disposes of the magnificent truths, sub¬
lime doctrines, and colossal facts of Christi¬
anity, as exploded theories, or superstitious
fancies. I am often reminded, when I see
such young men, of a Greek fable, which I
presume is familiar to many of my hearers,
where a fly is represented as alighting upon
the horn of an ox, and after buzzing there
some little time, inquiring of the animal
whether he incommoded him by his weight.
Christianity has not much to fear from these
Lilliputian adversaries, but they will never in
this way show themselves to be men.
In what school, I now ask, is this trait of
manliness likely to be most truly manifested,
and inculcated ? Not in that of the world.
Prejudice reigns supreme in her circles, and
true candor is a quality with which she has
but little to do. The religion of the Saviour,
only, can truly free the mind from the do¬
minion of prejudice, and foster a candid and
generous spirit in man. That religion incul-
TRUE MANLINESS.
211
cates humility, and distrust of self, which are
essential to this virtue. Its precept is, " In
lowliness of mind, let each esteem another
better than himself." It enjoins a due con¬
sideration for the feelings, and opinions of
others, and a constant and deep sense of our
own ignorance, and weakness. Thus, it is un¬
friendly to a proud, self-confident, arrogant
spirit, weakens the sway of prejudice, and
frees the mind from a narrow and bigoted
bondage to opinions, or to practices, which
will not bear the ordeal of a severe and hon¬
est scrutiny. I am aware that those who
profess to be followers of the Redeemer, and
are members of his visible church, do not all
exhibit this candid spirit. I know there are
religious, or rather sectarian prejudices,
which are bitter and unyielding; but this is
not the legitimate influence of religion, and
only shows us what poor weak beings we are
even when partially sanctified by the grace
of God. You may point me to those differ¬
ences which divide the Church of Christ, and
wrhich are often advocated with much acri¬
mony and denunciation ; and you may ask
me, if these are the illustrations of the candid
spirit of religion? I answer, no ! this is not
the spirit of religion, nor the spirit of Christ,
212 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
and it is to be mourned over and rebuked, as
most unlovely and wicked. But this is not
the spirit of the whole Christian Church, nor
of all its members. I can speak for myself,
and declare that I. have no fellowship with
this narrow and bigoted spirit, and do utterly
abhor and repudiate it wherever it is found.
The great question with me is, not whether
a man is a Presbyterian, or a Baptist, or a
Methodist, or an Episcopalian, but, is he a
Christian ?—then he is my brother, and in
essentials we will enjoy a true unity ; in non¬
essentials, allow each other liberty ; and in
all things study to exercise charity.
Such, I believe to be the true spirit of reli¬
gion, a spirit of candor, and liberality, and not
of prejudice and bigotry. And for the culti¬
vation of this element of real manliness, I
commend you to her teachings.
IV. Another element of manliness, is Re¬
verence.
I regard this trait as essential to a complete
and symmetrical character, although it may
perhaps be omitted, in the popular idea of
manliness. Certainly it is not a very promi¬
nent characteristic of the present age. There
are three respects in which the times we live
in are sadly deficient in this quality. Reve-
TRUE MANLINESS. 213
rence for age, reverence for old opinions and
customs, and reverence for law. The scrip¬
tural injunction, "Thou shalt rise up before
the hoary head," seems to be quite obsolete
in these enlightened days. In the family, the
state, and the church, it may be said to be the
age of irreverence. In fact the period of
childhood, with its peculiar duties, and obli¬
gations, is fast disappearing from the social
state. Our young people pass from infancy
to manhood, almost at a bound, and the sea¬
son of humility, of deference to elders and
superiors, of modest unobtrusiveness and pu¬
pilage, of respect to parents and teachers, and
to the older portion of the community, seems
to be almost blotted from existence. Then,
old opinions and customs, which our fathers
honored and observed, are set aside as far
behind the spirit of the age, and the car of
reform, social and moral, is guided by men,
whose driving is like that of "Jehu, the son
of Nimshifor they drive furiously. And
above all, there is an irreverent spirit abroad,
which sets law at defiance, and justifies the
violation of solemn statutes, and constitution¬
al provisions, by an insane and blasphemous
appeal to " a higher laio." It scoffs at all
Jaw, divine or human, which rebukes its fa-
18
214 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
naticism, or restrains its insolence. It vents
itself in anti-sabbath, anti-slavery, anti-
capital punishment, anti-rent, associations
and movements ; in mobs, and street fights in
opposition to the execution of law ; and in
tumultuous assemblages within doors, which
much resemble the famous* town-meeting in
Ephesus, in Paul's day, with the single excep¬
tion that they have no " town clerk " to ap¬
pease the uproar. It is a blessed thing that
we as yet have had little occasion to say of
our own community " they that have turned
the world upside down, have come hither
also."
Against this radical, leveling, irreverent
spirit, I would warn you. It is no part of
manliness, to treat the aged or their opinions
with disrespect; to cast contempt upon the
sacred institutions of religion; or to slight the
majesty of law. Such was not the spirit nor
the example of Christ. He was dutiful and
obedient to his parents ; he paid tribute even
to a corrupt and tyrannical government, and
he rebuked his disciples for opposing the exe¬
cution even of unjust and cruel enactments.
Here then we have these elements of cha¬
racter—courage, magnanimity, candor, reve¬
rence. Add to these faith, benevolence, in-
TRUE MANLINESS.
215
tegrity, humility, and they combine to form
a beautiful and noble character, one which
may well be the object of every young man's
aspirations and endeavors. True courage of
soul, which never fears to do right; that no-
I bleness of mind which sacrifices its own com-
! fort, for the sake of promoting that of others,
| and which achieves a triumph over self in
| the forgiveness of injuries ; that candid spirit,
which liberates the mind from the dominion
of prejudice, or passion, and preserves it from
the contracting influence of bigotry, and the
unloveliness of intolerance ; a spirit of reve¬
rence, displaying itself in opposition to insub¬
ordination in the family, jacobinism and agra-
rianism in the state ; radicalism and fanati¬
cism in the church ; a lofty and earnest faith,
which holds communion with a purer life,
and is animated and exalted by the " power
of the world to come a self-sacrificing and
expansive benevolence ; a pure integrity, and
a modest humility ; these are the elements
which make up the character of a true and
perfect man, and which crown it as the no¬
blest work of God. Such was. our great pro¬
genitor, as he came from the Creator's hand,
a worthy monument of the wisdom and the
power of the Eternal Jehovah. Such was he,
216
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
; before sin tore the diadem from his brow, and
the royal robe from his back, and drove him
forth to wander in guilt and degradation, an
exile from paradise, an alien from God. Such
may all his children be, through that re-crea¬
ting and vivifying influence which the second
Adam exerts upon our fallen'nature, by which
i the broken column is raised again in glory,
j and the ruined temple of humanity, irradia-
| ted with its pristine splendors. Such may
each one of you be, my youthful brethren,
through the elevating and sanctifying influ-
j ence of pure religion. And what nobler field
of aspiration and effort could I open before
you. You may expend the dew of your youth
I and the vigor of your manhood in the pur-
| suit of wealth, or the rewards of ambition,
and be left at last beggared and obscure, a
bankrupt alike in fortune and in fame. But
a manly character is a fortune which will
| not fail, and will ensure you a reputation
i which time cannot efface. Take the counsel
j of the aged monarch of Israel to his son," Be
strong, and show thyself a man." Aim at
this, as your noblest end, to be a perfect man.
I do not say you will attain to the full mea¬
sure of its stature in this life, but I do say that
if you start with this as your aim, and use
TRUE MANLINESS.
217
the best means which God has provided for
its attainment, you certainly will, by his
blessing, make rapid progress in all the ele¬
ments of nobleness, virtue, usefulness, and
happiness, while in this mortal state ; and lay
a broad and lasting foundation for the perfect
glories of your immortality. Let it be ever
remembered by each and all of you, that
you cannot embody the idea of a man, a true
man, such as he was when he came from the
creative hand of his Maker, without the aid
of piety. You cannot successfully cultivate
true manliness, independently of the study of
its finest models. They are found not in the
history of Grecian philosophers, or Roman
heroes, but in the records of the Hebrew pa¬
triarchs, the ancient seers, the early martyrs,
above all in the life of the God-man, Jesus
Christ. Go then to these Holy Scriptures for
your principles of action, your rules of life ;
and by God's grace you will be men, true
men, useful men; noble men, because Chris¬
tian men. You may not have the praise of
man, but you will have the praise of God.
You may not attain to wealth or fame on
earth, but you will have treasures in heaven,
and a throne among the cherubim. Men
may not call you a victor or a hero, but by
18*
218
EARNEST WQ:RDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the grace of God you will be made " conquer¬
or, and more than conqueror " over the worst
of foes, and crowned at last with a diadem
which shall sparkle forever in the sun-light of
heaven.
DISCOUKSE VII.
THE OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES OF THE
SCHOLAR TO RELIGION *
Matthew vj. 33.—" Seek ye first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
The boy, who has been reared at the foot
of the cataract, never hears its roaring. It
was the lullaby of his infant slumbers. He
pursued the sports of childhood amid the
sound of its many waters. He grew up to
manhood, under the echoes of its mighty
anthem, reverberating around him, until he
is reckless of that sublime music, which so
awes and thrills the stranger. This is but
an illustration of the principle, that famili¬
arity with any object, weakens its power
upon the mind. Who thinks of the inesti¬
mable value of the air he breathes ? Who
* Delivered before the University of Georgia, on the Sab¬
bath preceding the Commencement of 1849.
220 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
realizes that it is his life ? It has-been blow¬
ing about him from his infancy. He has
never known its want, and has therefore
never understood its value. The same prin¬
ciple holds good, in reference to moral truth.
The most sublime, the most important truths,
are those which are plainly revealed and
constantly pressed upon men, and they are
those to which they are most indifferent.
That greatest of all truths, there is a God, a
truth written on the earth beneath, in lines
of beauty, and flashing from the heavens
above, in characters of light, borne upon the
winged blast, and re-echoed from the deep
caverns of the human soul, is this the truth
which moves, and melts, and sways, and up¬
lifts the hearts of men ? No ! myriads have
heard its enunciation from nature, and from
revelation, and with here and there a solita¬
ry exception, have lived^and died as though
God were not!
And yet, in the face of this very principle,
I come before you to-day, to place before
your minds, one of the most common, yet
most neglected truths, in the word of God.
The language of the Divine Redeemer,—
" Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness," does not come to your ear
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 221
clothed with the charrn, of novelty. You
have heard it again and again, in days gone
by. It has doubtless been urged upon you
in eveTy variety of address, and with be¬
seeching and eloquent importunity, until it
has ceased to have any power upon your
minds. And as I name it as my theme to¬
day, though you may listen with respectful at¬
tention, yet it would not be strange if there
was a feeling of disappointment in your
minds at the triteness of my theme. And
yet as I have sought with earnest solicitude,
to find a fitting subject, I have not been able
to select one more appropriate to an occa¬
sion like this. It is one of no ordinary in¬
terest. I see before me, a band of young
.men, preparing to leave these classic halls,
and with hearts thrilling with exhilarating
hope and high ambition, to enter upon the
crowded arena of actual and earnest life.
Each, doubtless, has traced out for himself
the path in which he is to tread—and as his
eye follows its windings, perpetual sunshine
sparkles in the track, and hope spans it with
her bow of promise. And far be it from me
to bring clouds upon your future journejq or
attempt to dim the radiance of that beautiful
222
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
arch. It is not for me to tell you, that the
future will teach you that
" Hope, when she paints her gay bow in the air,
Leaves its brilliance to fade in the night of despair;
And joy's fleeting angel ne'er sheds a glad ray,
Save the gleam of the plumage that bears him away."
If now, you hear only the singing of the
morning lark, I will not call you to listen to
the melancholy music of life's dirges, or sad¬
den your youthful visions and aspirings, with
the experience which those only know who
bear the burden and heat of the day. Yet
what theme so fitting as that which comes
to you in the Redeemer's words, to-day ? As
I stand here, a Christian teacher, to give the
last admonition to this departing band, not
only my solemn duty to Him from whom I
hold my high commission—not only the re¬
sponsibility which is thrown around this oc¬
casion, by the thought that I shall meet you,
in the judgment, but the very laws of fitness
and harmony point me to my subject.
Wealth, ambition, science, pleasure, earthly
love,—all these will commission their minis¬
ters to urge their claims upon you. As the
minister of God, it is for me to call you to
consider at this time, your obligations and
| DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 223 '
i
duties, as scholars and as men, to the religion
of the Bible. And while the God of this j
world may invite you to engage in the strife j
| for gold, or fill your ear with the trumpet call j
! of fame, or bid you join the throng who pay I
their homage at the shrines of mirth, I would
address you in the words of Jesus,—" Seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteous¬
ness, and all these things shall be added unto
you.'''' I would stand by your side, as you
look with eager eye, and throbbing heart, out
upon the world, and prepare to join the ranks
of those who strive to win her treasures, or
her crowns, and with a brother's voice, and
brother's love, beseech you, ere you plunge
into the crowded scenes of actual life, to give
some consideration to the paramount claims
which the religion of Jesus has upon you, as
scholars, and as men.
I. And I remark, in the first place, that the
j divine origin of Christianity imposes an ob-
|j ligation upon you, to give it your respect,
j your obedience and your affection. On this
ji point I shall dwell but a moment, as it would
j| be a work of supererogation, to enter into
j an argument before an assembly like this,
j for the divine origin of the system of religion
I contained in the Bible.
224 earnest words to young men.
And yet, I would call you to notice one
point in the argument, which may not, per¬
haps, be altogether trite and familiar. Of
course, all revealed Religion rests upon the
idea that there is a God. If there be a God,
and if He has made a revelation of his will
to man, of course it is a matter of the high¬
est interest to him, to understand and obey
the truths and the precepts it may be sup¬
posed to contain. Now, Skepticism, and even
Atheism, does not relieve man from this ob¬
ligation. You may imagine that when you
boldly denjr that there is a God, you thus rid
yourself of all obligation to Him, and to His
revelation. But this by no means follows.
You must not only deny that God is, but that
He can be; not only that His existence is
actual, but that it is possible, before you can
escape from the gripe of that colossal truth,
God is. Until you can show, that in all the
ages of a past eternity, there never has been
in any world, to any mind, any convincing
manifestation of God; until you are able to
say that in all the ages of a coming eternity,
there will be no such manifestation, you can¬
not say God cannot be. And though you may
shut your eyes to the evidences of that truth,
which spring up from the earth beneath, or
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 225
sparkle in the heavens above, yet not until j|
you have travelled on tireless wing, through j
all the realms of creation, visited every world
that hangs in space, searched into all their
histories, and penetrated to the remotest
bounds of the universe, can you be able to
say God may not be! But if God may be—
if it be" possible that He is, then the grasp of
obligation is on you at once. If it be uncer¬
tain, unproved that He is—yet if it be not
certain that He is not, if He be not actually
disproved—then the idea of a possible God,
brings an obligation upon the human soul,
from which it cannot escape. The most rigid
" Baconian mind" demanding the clearest
evidence, the most convincing proof, before it
can assent to the actual existence of Deity,
must be equally assured that his possible ex¬
istence can be disproved,* before it can reject
utterly the idea of Deity. None but a God,
can disprove a God. And this bare admis¬
sion that God may be, is enough to lay man
under a moral obligation in respect to God,
which will remain always urging its claims,
as long as the soul endures. Much more,
then, Christianity, which comes to you in all
* Chalmer's Natural Theology ; also Foster's Essays.
19
226 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the majesty of a proved and acknowledged
revelation from heaven, has paramount claims
upon you. If even the possible existence of
God, would fasten upon him who should be
utterly heedless of that idea, the charge of
impiety, much more does the acknowledg¬
ment of Him, make it in the highest degree
reasonable and proper, that men should be
urged, to " Seek first the kingdom of God, and
His righteousness."
With what more appropriate theme can I
come to you to-day ? As with eager step and
kindling eye you prepare to rush forth into
" the world's broad field of battle," to engage
in its exciting strifes, I throw myself in your
way, and ask you to pause a moment in your
course. Say you to me, Stand aside—delay
us not—Life calls us to its work,—the world's
cry is ringing in our ears,—the field is before
us—'wealth is to be gained, laurels are to be
won-—pleasure's cup is to be drained ; I tell
you these are the voices of the earth ; I speak
to you a message from heaven ! My words
claim the first audience and consideration at
your hands. The voice that comes from hea¬
ven should be heard before that which comes
from earth. The God who made you, and
sustains you, and has redeemed you, and to
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 227
whom you must give account in the great
day of judgment; He speaks to you now,
and the awful tones of his voice should rise
above the clamors of the vain and perishing
world. A system of truth and morals, hea¬
venly in its origin, its spirit and its aims; a
system coming with divine authority from
heaven to earth ; a system bearing the broad
signet of the Eternal Jehovah, and professing
to be a summary of the whole duty of man ;
such a system is pressed upon your attention,
and you cannot be heedless of that admoni¬
tion which comes to you from the divine
origin of Christianity itself, to " Seek first the
kingdom of God, and His righteousness."
With what authority can the world, or her
ministers speak to you, that can compare
with the authority of a message like this 1
Will you turn away from God, to listen to
man ? Shall " the puny articulations of hu¬
man eloquence," as they speak to you of
earthly things, so absorb your attention, that
you cannot hear the sublime and impassioned
accents of heavenly truth, as they discourse
of infinite and eternal realities ? Oh, no ! let
it not be said that God hath spoken to you
from heaven, and you would not listen to His
voice. Christianity is the voice of God to you.
228 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
It is the voice of a Father crying, " My child,
my wandering child, why hast thou forsaken
me ?" It is the voice of a Sovereign, exclaim¬
ing, " My lawful subject, why hast thou re¬
belled against me V It is the voice of a
Redeemer, saying, " Condemned and lost one,
look to my Cross and be saved !" It is the
voice of a Friend, crying "Come unto me, ye
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." It is the voice of the Eternal Judge,
saying " Prepare to meet thy God !" What
are all the voices of the earth compared to
these ? With an earnestness and solemnity
which should arrest your immediate atten¬
tion, and render you insensible to all inferior
things, do they press upon you the Redeem¬
er's admonition, " Seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and Plis righteousness."
II. As scholars you are under peculiar ob¬
ligations to Christianity, because of its power
to expand and strengthen the human mind.
That man knows little of Christianity, who
supposes that its influence upon the human
intellect can be anything but an elevating
and ennobling influence. If intellectual, like
physical strength' and growth, are promoted
by appropriate food and exercise, then Chris¬
tianity can claim the highest advantages, in
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 229
the work of mental culture. We know that
the man who accustoms himself to lift the
heaviest burdens, will have the strongest arm.
It was not by plucking rose leaves, nor toss¬
ing feathers to the breeze, that the huge
limbed Ajax learned to tear massive rocks
from their beds, and hurl them thundering
through the air. You are familiar too with
the daily process, by which the Athenian
wrestler was able to astonish the city, by
bearing upon his brawny shoulders, through
the public streets, a full grown ox. So in
mental education. He who accustoms him¬
self to take the height of the loftiest truths,
to measure the depths of the profoundest prin¬
ciples, to grapple boldly with the most co¬
lossal facts, will have the greatest stretch of
thought, the mightiest power of mind, the
noblest vigor of intellectual life. But we
claim for Christianity that she brings before
the mind, and stretches out before the imagi¬
nation, the vastest and-most magnificent field
of thought, and reasoning, and investigation,
which the universe affords. At her bidding-
truths rise before the intellect whose lofty
heights you cannot" scan, and to measure
whose unfathomable depths, the most master¬
ful mind has no sufficient sounding line. And
19*
230 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
he that would wrestle with the mighty facts,
the gigantic truths, embraced within the reve¬
lation of God, will rise from the unavailing
straggle, acknowledging that the weakness
of God is stronger, and the foolishness of God
is wiser than men. And yet, he who disdain¬
ing his equals boldty grapples with one who
is mightier than himself, though he be worst¬
ed in the strife, yet feels that his own muscles
have been hardened, and his sinews strength¬
ened in the struggle, and that in this respect
he has not fought in vain. And so the man
who in his intellectual grappling with " the
deep things of God," has been taught that his
intellect is not omnipotent, and that the finite
cannot master the infinite, in the discipline
to which his powers have been subjected,
and the severe tension which has been put
upon his mental sinews, has gained a strength
and expansion, and vigor of mind, which he
would never have acquired from an investi¬
gation of the principles of human philosophy,
or the study of any of the mere sciences of
earth. There is a grandeur and a sublimity
about the truths of Christianity which is at
the same time awful, yet inviting, and though
men may be indifferent to their spiritual
bearing, and care nothing for their melting,
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 231
and purifying, and saving influence upon the
heart, yet when the question is simply about
the expansionrand invigorating, and enrich¬
ing the mind, others may go to the masters of
Grecian philosophy, or sit with delight at the
feet of the ancient bards, but we would call
them to the study of the principles of divine
revelation, and bid them listen to the teach¬
ings of Moses, of Isaiah, of Paul, yea of a
greater than these, of Jesus Christ.
The influence of Christianity upon the hu¬
man mind, may be seen, by a glance at the
literary character of the Holy Scriptures, in
which the Christian system is revealed to
men. Considered merely as a work of lite¬
rature, the Bible is " as much above all other
books as its author is above all other authors."
The Historical element is rich and valuable
beyond description. There is no history so
ancient, none so worthy of confidence, as the
Mosaic history. The records of all other his¬
torians who attempt to treat of ancient events,
are but a tissue of puerile absurdities, shape¬
less traditions, and monstrous and incredible,
fictions. But the great Hebrew historian
gives»us a succinct, connected, and satisfac¬
tory account of the earliest history of our
world, commencing with its creation, and ex-
232 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
tending over a period denominated fabulous
in the historical writings of other nations.
To every intelligent mind the creation of the
world in which he lives must be a subject of
natural and interesting inquiry. But when
we compare the various accounts of this great
event, derived from other sources, the tradi¬
tions of the Chaldeans, the Phoenician theogo-
ny, the Egyptian account as given by Diodo-
nus Siculus, and the theogony of the Greeks,
with the simple account given by the Hebrew
patriarch, how infinitely superior is the lat¬
ter, in all the essential characteristics of a
credible history. For all we know of the
history of our world, from the creation down
to the reign of Solomon, we are indebted to
the Bible. " Sanconiathan, Berosus, and Ma-
netha, are the oldest human historians^ but
Moses was five hundred years before the first,
and more than one thousand before the last."
But the scripture history possesses not only
the merit of antiquity and correctness, as a
record of facts ; it is also superior to any other
historical work in the excellence of its style,
and its general literary merit. The literature
of the world has never furnished such instan¬
ces of historical composition as the narra¬
tives of the Bible. For graphic description,
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 233
for truthfulness to life, for simplicity, and
pathos, and power, they are inimitable. The
history of Abraham and Isaac, the beautiful
story of Joseph, the lives of Samuel, and Da¬
vid, and Nehemiah,the history of our Saviour,
and of the great Apostle to the Gentiles, far
surpass all specimens of historical composi¬
tion, which can be furnished by the literature
of any nation. It is said that Dr. Johnson
once read the whole book of Ruth to a fash¬
ionable circle in London, as an oriental tale,
and at its close the . exclamation burst from
the lips of his fascinated audience, " Where
did you find that beautiful pastoral?"*
The Fine Arts have paid their tribute to
the historical compositions of the Bible. The
noblest specimens of art have been scenes
from Bible history, Rembrandt, Rubens, Ra¬
phael, Leonardo Da Yinci, Guido, with many
of more modern times, have all selected the
scenes of the Bible for the noblest specimens
of their wonderful art.
But, passing from the history, to the logic
and the argumentative character of the Bible,
here we must be struck with its eminent su¬
periority. There is nothing in the best efforts
* Spring's Obligations of the World to the Bible.
234 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of uninspired men, that can compare with
the argumentative writings of Paul. The
English classics, (even the writings of Addi-
i son himself,) present no such specimens of
! rich thought, of masterful logic, or of melt-
|| ing pathos, and subduing tenderness, as are
;i found in the greatest abundance in 'the dis-
; courses of the Redeemer.
:j And when we come to Eloquence, where
| will you find the orator of ancient or modern
days, who can equal the sublimity of Isaiah,
or the glowing fervor of Paul ? The annals
of human eloquence record no such strains
of beauty and sublimity, as the prophet swept
from the harp strings, when " he sang of Je¬
rusalem's glory," or such passages of splen¬
dor and majesty, as came from the pen of the
apostle, as he unfolded the glorious doctrine
of the resurrection of the dead.
And when we enter another, and a most
important and attractive department of lite¬
rature, that of Poetry, here, too, we find that
the Bible is above all other books. You
may point me to Shakspeare, and Scott, and
Cowper and Byron, and Burns, but I speak
to you of greater than these. The triumphal
ode of Moses, the Psalms of David, the vei'Se
of Job, the songs of Solomon, and the strains
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 235
of the Prophets, "have carried the dominion
of poetry into regions inaccessible to worldly
ambition." The sublimest strains of Milton,
"the deep passion of Dante/' cannot equal
some of the sublime poetry of the Old Testa¬
ment. In fact, the world has never known
such strains as came from the old Hebrew
bards. For the clustering together of the
most splendid imager}*, for majesty and grace
of diction, and especially for the dramatic
element, Hebrew poetry must stand unequal¬
led and alone, in the literature of the world.
This latter element, which is one of prodi¬
gious power, is especially prominent in the
poetic strains of the prophets. Says a gifted
writer,* " We hear in them the voices of
busy multitudes, and the din of bustling ac¬
tion. They hurry us across a stage, hung
with every form of scenery; fields waving
with harvests, or bristling with spears ; na¬
tions charioted and crowned in triumph, or
sitting in sackcloth, solitary. In our ears are
the shouting for the summer fruits, or the
trumpeted alarm from the mountains, or the
doleful creatures howling over the ruins of
ancient splendor, and sometimes sweet strains
* Rev. W. B. Homer.
236 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of the orchestral music of heaven." " And
how full of the loftiest dramatic life, is the
vision unfolded at Patmos, where the spirit
of Hebrew poetry looks out at the eye of the
last of the prophets, and
' Gorgeous tragedy,.
In sceptred pall, comes sweeping by.'
With what a magic hand are we hurried
through the three great acts of this sublime,
yet mysterious drama, to watch the shifting
scenes in seals and vials and trumpets, each
movement of the grand plot, amid thunder-
ings and earthquakes, till time deepens into
eternity, and the toiling church on earth, be¬
comes the praising church in heaven."
No mean tribute has been paid to the poe¬
try of the Bible, by the great masters of the
art, among uninspired men. Shakspeare,
Scott, Southey, Byron, Campbell, and others,
have been indebted to this source for some of
their most striking characters and scenes.
The Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of Shaks¬
peare, may be found in Ahab and Jezebel.
Byron's Apostrophe to Rome, as the " Niobe
of nations, childless and crownless, in her
voiceless woe," is taken evidently from the
" Lamentations of Jeremiah and his ode
to Napoleon, is suggested by Isaiah's ode on
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 237
the fall of Senacherib. There are passages
in Southey's " Curse of Kehama," which re¬
mind us at once of Ezekiel's vision; and when
Campbell tells us of Britannia, that
" Her march is on the mountain wave,
Her home is on the deep,"
does it not seem as if David gave him the
idea, when he says, " Thy way is in the sea,
and thy path in the great waters."
If only for their literary merit, the Holy
Scriptures claim the study and the admira¬
tion of all intelligent men. The scholar,
especially, cannot be regardless of their
claims. Says an eminent writer, " I know
of no standard by which the character of
literary and scientific men may be so safely
and successfully formed. The more he reads,
the more I am confident an accomplished
scholar will study the Bible. And the day
is coming, when its claims to the love of
the scholar, shall be universally recognized.
Christianity has nothing to fear from the ad¬
vancement of science, and the spread of in¬
telligence among the nations. In proportion
as the human mind is freed from the mists of
ignorance and the shackles of superstition,
will Christianity triumph. Wise men of
the East, shall again offer incense to the
20
238 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN. 1
|
child of Mary. The scribe and the rabbi
shall yet wreathe garlands for the ark of the
covenant. The science of Prance, and the
learning of Germany, shall become as truly
j tributary to the cause of truth and holiness,
as was the gold of Ophir. And the most
illustrious classics of antiquity shall gather
their freshest bays, to adorn the temples,
once crowned with thorns."*
III. Christianity has paramount claims up¬
on you, because of her elevating and purify¬
ing influence on human character.
I doubt not that in the bosoms of the young
men whom I address, is burning the fire of
j an honorable ambition to be worthy of the ■
| respect and confidence of their fellow men, j
! in all the relations of life. As you look out I
I • i
upon the world, and long to mingle in its ex¬
citing scenes, the stirring words of the poet
no doubt wake many a thrilling echo within
the chambers of your souls: ||
i " In the world's broad field of battle, jj
j In the bivouac of life, ;j
j Be not like dumb, driven, cattle ; li
Be a hero, in the strife." j
Christianity chides not this feeling. She |
does not frown upon ambition. She recog-
* Dr. Spring.
DUTIES OP THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 239
nizes its elements as in themselves noble.
But she would sanctify those elements ; she
would consecrate every fervent aspiration of
the youthful spirit, to the noblest ends. She
would open for you an arena, where your
best powers will be exercised, and where
laurels may be won, which shall bloom with
unfading beauty, when the chaplet of the
scholar, and the conqueror's crown, lie for¬
gotten in the dust.
No influence has ever been exerted upon
human character, from any source which has
been so purifying and ennobling as that of
Religion. The morality of the ancients was
defective in its very foundation. The stream
cannot rise above the fountain, and the his¬
tory of the old world proves conclusively,
that low and mistaken views of moral truth
must lead to corresponding degradation of
moral character. In Egypt, Asia Minor, and
Greece, we see the illustrations of this truth.
Even where, in the latter country, the arts
and sciences had advanced almost to perfec¬
tion, and the age had reached the highest
pitch of refinement, " vice only put on an
embroidered garb, and one of a more deli¬
cate texture." The celebrated "heroic ages"
of the anpient world, were distinguished for
240 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
exhibitions of the vilest and most fiend-like
passions of the depraved nature of man. Re¬
ligion sanctioned the most flagrant excesses,
and set the example of profligacy in the Gods
themselves. Literature lent her aid to the
work of general corruption. The lyric poets
of Greece and Rome, sang but of the charms of
beauty, or the joys of revelry, while no strains
! of poetry or music commended the practice
of virtue, upheld the chaste and honorable
relations of human societ}% and strengthen-
| ed the sanctity of law, and the requirements
of equity. Their orators, philosophers, and
statesmen, even such men as Cicero and
Cato, actually commended vice, and encour¬
aged the young to its commission. We can¬
not look, then, to ancient philosophy, or hea¬
then morality, to find the elements of a splen¬
did and beautiful human character. Shall
we then turn to the so-called philosophers
and moralists of modern times? Shall we
go to Bolingbroke and Volney, who taught
that the very essence of morality was a re¬
gard for self; to Hobbes, who made the civil
law the only foundation of right and wrong ;
to Shaftesbury, who made the obligation to
virtue to consist in the advantages to be de¬
rived from its practice, and taught that vice
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 241
was to be shunned only as far as its results
were pernicious ; or to Hume, who affirmed
that " moral, intellectual, and corporeal vir¬
tues are nearly of the same kind?" These
are not the teachers to whom I would direct
a child, a brother, to be instructed in the way
to acquire a virtuous and noble character.
I turn to Christianity, and ask you, where
have been such splendid exhibitions of hu¬
man excellence displayed, as among her ad¬
herents and friends? What list of noble
names among the archives of any nation can
boast the record of men like the ancient pa¬
triarchs, the royal minstrel of Judea, the lofty
seers of Old Testament story ? Where were
ever clustered together nobler elements of
character than were found among the dis¬
ciples of our Lord ? The noble enthusiasm
and unconquerable energy of Peter; the ele¬
vated and pure morality of James ; the win¬
ning loveliness of John; the genius, elo¬
quence, and devotion of Paul, all combine
to present before us models of the finest cha-
i racter, and instances of the rarest human ex¬
cellence. And to go back to the Old Testa¬
ment, there is one character drawn there
which, to my mind, is one of the noblest and
! most attractive of any in sacred or profane
i| 20*
242 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
history. I do not now speak of Abraham,
nor Moses, nor that holy man who was so
ripe for heaven that God took him to be with
himself, and of whom has come down to us,
from that far off and mysterious age, the
sweet and simple record, "And Enoch walk¬
ed with God, and he was not, for God took
him." But I speak of the gentle shepherd
I boy, the stripling conqueror of the giant Phi-
Ij listine, the monarch and the hero, the sweet
! singer of Israel—David, the son of Jesse,
i Amid all the vicissitudes of his most event¬
ful life, his was a most symmetrical, and
rich, and beautiful character, excelling even
in those qualities which men of the world
admire, and especially in that one element
to which the world pays the highest honors,
the heroic. "There never," says one who
has sketched his portrait with the hand of a
master,* " was a specimen of manhood so
rich and ennobled, as David, the son of Jesse,
whom other saints haply may have equall¬
ed in single features of -his character ; but
such a combination of manly, heroic quali¬
ties, such a flush of generous, God-like ex¬
cellencies, hath never yet been seen embodied
* Rev. Edward Irving, of London.
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 243
in a single man. He was a hero without a
peer—bold in battle and generous in victory;
by distress, or by triumph, never overcome.
Though hunted like a wild beast among the
mountains, and forsaken like a pelican in the
wilderness, by the country whose armies he
had delivered from disgrace, and by the mo¬
narch whose daughter he had won, whose
son he had bound to him with cords of bro¬
therly love, and whose own soul he was wont
to charm with the sacredness of his minstrel¬
sy, he never indulged malice or revenge
against his unnatural enemies. In friend¬
ship and in love, and also in domestic affec¬
tion, he was not less notable than in heroic
endowments, and in piety towards God he
was most remarkable of all. * * #
David was a man extreme in all his excel¬
lencies—a man of the highest strain, whether
for counsel, or expression, or action: in peace
and in war, in exile and on the throne.
"But to conceive aright of the gracefulness,
and strength of his character, we must draw
him into comparison with men similarly situ¬
ated, and then shall we see how vain the
world is to cope with him. Conceive a man
who had saved his country and clothed him¬
self with gracefulness and renown in the
244 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
sight of all the people ; by the chivalry of his
deeds, won for himself intermarriage with
the royal line, and by unction of the Lord's
prophet, been set apart to the throne itself;
such a one conceive driven with fury from \
house and hold, and through tedious years
deserted of every stay, but heaven, with no
soothing sympathies of quiet life, harassed
forever between famine and the edge of the
sword, and kept in savage holds and deserts ;
and tell us, in the annals of men, of one so
disappointed, so bereaved, and straitened,
maintaining, not fortitude alone, but a sweet
composure and a heavenly frame of soul, in¬
diting praise to no avenging deity, and couch"
ing songs in no revengeful mood, according
with his outcast and unsocial life ; but indit¬
ing praises to the God of mercy, and songs
which soar into the third heavens of the soul;
not indeed without the burst of sorrow, and
the complaint of solitariness, and prophetic
warnings to his blood thirsty foes, but ever
closing in sweet preludes of good to come,
and desire of present contentment. Find us
such a one in the annals of men, and we yield
the argument of this controversy. Men there
have been, driven before the wrath of kings,
to wander outlaws and exiles, whose musings
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 245
and actings have been recorded to us in the
strains of earthly minstrelsy. Draw these
songs of the exile into comparison with the
Psalms of David, and know the spirit of the
man after God's own heart, the stern defiance
of the one, with the tranquil acquiescence of
the other ; the deep despair of the one, with
the rooted trust of the other; the vindictive
imprecations of the one, with the tender re¬
gret and forgiveness of the other. Show us
an outlaw who never spoiled the country
which had forsaken him, nor turned his hand
in revenge upon his persecutors ; who used
the rigor of his arm only against the enemies
of his country; yea lifted up his arm in behalf
of that mother, which had cast her son crown¬
ed with salvation, away from her bosom, and
held him at a distance from her love, and
raised the rest of the family to hunt him to
the death—in the defence of that thankless,
unnatural mother-country; find us such a
repudiated son, lifting up his arm, and spend¬
ing its vigor, in smiting and utterly discom¬
fiting her enemies, whose spoils he kept not
to enrich himself and his ruthless followers,
but dispensed to comfort her, and her happier
children. Find us among the Themistocles',
and Coriolani, and Cromwells, and Napoleons
246 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of the earth, such a man, and we will yield
the argument of this controversy which we
maintain for the peerless son of Jesse."
So splendid a character as this cannot be
found in the annals of earth's most heroic
sons. Stained and marred as it is by crimes
of the deepest dye, yet even in his fall David
proved the deep nature of his tried and tempt¬
ed soul. To quote again : " Such oceans of
affection as lay within his bosom, could not
always slumber in their calmness. The hearts
of a hundred men strove and struggled to¬
gether within the narrow continent of his sin¬
gle heart," and was it wonderful that in the
struggle his better forces should sometimes
have been overcome ? But if the deepest peni¬
tence that ever poured itself forth in heart-
wringing and broken waitings and confes¬
sions, can atone for sin, then David may be
forgiven. For his " penitential psalms dis¬
cover the soul's deepest hell of agony, and
lay bare the iron ribs of misery, whereon the
very heart dissolveth," so that both in his sin
and in his sorrow we see the manifestations
of a soul, far greater and more masterful,
than the vast crowd of men, who, though
they might have sunk to the depths of his
sinfulness, could never have reached the lofty
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 247
heights of his holiness. Oh ! the Soul of the
son of Jesse, the shepherd boy, the conquer¬
ing hero in the unequal strife with the Philis¬
tine giant, the wandering outlaw, the royal
monarch, the sacred poet, the inspired pro¬
phet, the man, was a soul of exceeding earn¬
estness and vastness. "Its harp was full-
stringed, and every angel of joy or sorrow
swept over the chords as he past, but the
melody always breathed of heaven."
Such was David, the man after God's own
heart. Where, in all the history of men,
will you find a nobler character ? But be¬
hold a greater than David is here. In Jesus
Christ you find the only perfect man—the
only faultless and truthful embodiment of
Christianity. There is not an element of
dignity, of nobleness, of loveliness, and beau¬
ty, which is not found in its perfection in the
" God manifest in the flesh." It stands upon
the pages of the record, a blaze of heavenly
light, with no dark spot to mar its radiance.
It cannot be described—language is not ade¬
quate to describe it. Like Genius, its power
can only be felt. For two thousand years it
has been the admiration of the world ; yea,
the admiration of Heaven. This is the model
which Christianity holds up to man. Chris-
248 earnest words to young men.
| tianity is only Christ in us. To be a Chris-
j tian is simply to be like Christ. And no
I man who would gather to himself the ele-
! ments of a noble character and a lasting
I &
i fame, can be regardless of that system, which
alone can elevate, purify and adorn his whole
nature, and bring out in him, in all its beauty
and grandeur, the image of God.
I have thus spoken to you of the claims of
j Christianity upon you, considered in respect
i| to its Divine origin, its intellectual influence,
|| and its power to adorn and dignify human
j: character. Important and interesting as are
j these aspects of this subject, there is yet one
j which as far transcends them, as "the mighty
I substance of Eternity" outweighs "the fever¬
ish shadows of Time." It is the influence of
Christianity upon the eternal salvation and
J glory of the soul. This is indeed the great
j theme of my discourse to-day ; but, oh! how
j incompetent is the human intellect to do it j
II justice ! This is the point vchere my subject j
j comes nearest to you, and addresses you as ;
| men; and as such, presses its claims upon
you with overmastering force. It has ever
been a foul slander upon Religion, that it de- j
graded and vilified human nature, and paint¬
ed humanity in the darkest and most repul-
DUTIES OP THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 249
sive colors. No system of human philoso¬
phy, with all its boastings, ever so dignified
human nature, ever so fully recognized its
original nobleness, and made such provision
for restoring its magnificent ruins, rearing
again the stately column now lying in the
dust, and restoring its pristine splendors to
the defaced and desecrated temple. The
great truth of Christianity that the Son of
God died for sinful man, pays a most im¬
pressive tribute to that race in whose behalf
such a stupendous sacrifice was made. And
,the admonition of that Redeemer, " Seek first
the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,"
comes to you as men, recognizing the noblest
fact about your being, the fact that each of
you have an undying soul, whose eternal sal¬
vation should be an object of your first and
fondest regards.
In proportion, then, as you entertain the
loftiest views of man as he was, and as he
again may be, through the recovering grace
of God, should you be deeply interested in
Religion. What are you? Not a mere ani¬
mated clod—a being made to drudge upon
the earth for three score years and ten, and
then sink into annihilation—hut a man with
a soul, spiritual in its nature, infinite in its
21
250 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
powers, of most exqu:site susceptibilities, and
of boundless duration. The life of the body
is not your life. Death may shiver the casket,
but he cannot touch the jewel. He may
strain and sunder the cords of the frail tab¬
ernacle, but the immortal tenant can spring
unhurt from its ruins, and smile in derision
at the skeleton king. The soul is the man—
without it you have but the shell of humani¬
ty: a cold, passionless, dead thing, incapable
of thought, or feeling, or action. But the
soul has powers which can scarcely be limit¬
ed. It can travel on untiring pinions, through
all the realms of space. It can enter the
vast storehouse of nature, and bring forth
her most hidden treasures. It bends the ele¬
ments to its control; it uses the swift winds
as its ministers, and by them propels its huge
vessels across the ocean, and circumnavi¬
gates the globe. It spans the earth with its
iron roads, and over plains, and across rivers,
and through the bowels of the mountain, it
drives over them its thundering car. Yea,
it snatches the winged lightning from the
clouds, and sends it obedient on its errands.
Who can limit its powers, or say to it, " Hith¬
er shalt thou come, and no farther?"
Its susceptibilities of joy or sorrow, too,
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 251
are alike vast and immeasurable. Every
chord attuned to gladness 01* anguish is
stretched across it, and acute and diversi¬
fied as are the nerves of physical sensation,
they are cold and inactive, compared with
those that vibrate within the soul. They
can respond either to the music of angels,
or to the whisperings of fiends. They can
thrill with holy and heavenly rapture, or be
wrung with malice and despair. They can
make a heaven for man, or they can kindle
for him the unquenchable fires of hell.
To souls like these—of masterful powers,
of exquisite susceptibilities, and of undying
life—Christianity offers her purifying and
saving influence. Condemned as man is
by a holy and inexorable law, she reveals to
him a way by which the condemnation can
be taken off, and the captive be redeemed.
Fallen, far fallen from his former holiness,
and the sublime grandeur of his character,
she restores him from his degradation and
brings out in his soul, in all its beauty, the
lost image of God. By nature depraved, and
averse to good, the affections of his soul wan¬
dering from right and truth, and heaven, and
fastening in all their intensity upon unworthy
and perishing things, she changes the evil
252 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
heart, washes away its pollution, fixes the
wayward affections on holy and satisfying
objects, and brings all the passions of the
soul into harmony with the lawTs of holiness
and truth. She bears him up in every sore
struggle with temptation, strengthens him in
every conflict with sin, dries his tears and
soothes the natural anguish of his spirit
when death robs him of his loved ones, goes
with him in his lonely journey through the
dark valley, makes him "conqueror, and
more than conqueror," in the mortal strug¬
gle, and then crowns him in heaven with "a
crown of glory which shall never fade away."
But that she might thus adorn and bless
the soul, a mighty price was paid. A right¬
eous God had been grievously offended, the
thunders of his broken law had been heard
rolling through the heavens, and the earth
had quailed and trembled under the anathe¬
ma of Jehovah ! The curse of death was
on the race, and that malediction could not
be taken off without shedding of blood. Some
being of sufficient dignity and worth to be
able, by his suffering, to htone for the sin of
an apostate race, must be found to pay the
fearful price of man's redemption. It was
paid by the Incarnate Son of God. He paid
DUTIES OF TIIE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 253
it in Bethlehem, in Gethsemane, on Calvary,
in humiliation, in sorrow, in death. He
quenched the fiery thunderbolts of Jehovah's
anger in his own blood. He bowed his guilt¬
less head to the stroke of avenging wrath.
He rose from the dead, to plead for sinners
before the throne of God; and it is from the
lips of this sorrowing, dying, interceding Sa¬
viour that the admonition comes to you to¬
day, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
His righteousnessand by all that is noble
and precious about your being, by all your"
hopes of pardon, and bliss, and glory, which
shall never fade or die, I charge you to be¬
ware how you slight his words. To do it
safely, you should be more, or less than men.
But as men, true men, men with souls that
can rise to the blessedness of the cherubim,
or sink to the tortures of the lost, you cannot
be indifferent to the claims of Jesus, for he
only can redeem, sanctify, and save your
noble, your immortal spirits.
Oh ! that my voice could ring within the
deepest chambers of your spirits, and wake
up thrilling echoes in the bosoms of this
youthful band. I know that as you stand
upon the border line of the great bustling
world, and the distant hum of its busy crowds
21*
254 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
strikes upon your ear, you may be impatient
of my appeal. You see in the distance (and
that "distance lends enchantment to the
view") the sparkling of earth's wealth, the
glitter of her crowns, the seducing bright¬
ness of her joys. It is as if you gazed upon
some brilliant pageant, as it passed along,
and your hearts are panting to mingle in the
exciting scene. Yet, stay—one moment—
and listen to the parting admonition of the
Christian teacher. I would not call you from
active, honorable life—I would not dim nor
quench the fire of ambition that burns with¬
in you. But I would have you fitted for life,
furnished with every element of dignity and
usefulness, and happiness, and taught how to
use them well. And I tell you that you can¬
not be fitted to live, save by the influences of
piety. Unless you recognize the noblest fact
about your own being, the fact of your im¬
mortality, and base all your plans, and pur¬
poses, and endeavors upon this, you will
never truly live. You may mingle in the
strife for gold, and scrape up your portion of
the shining dust. You may run Ambition's
exciting race, and reach the top-most round
of Fame's ladder. You may revel for your
three score years and ten, in the pleasures of
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. 255
earth. -What then? Is this life? Was the
soul that lives within you made but for this?
Ah, no ! life does not begin in earnest here.
Earth is but the school where spirits learn to
live— .
" Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though strong and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave."
When this corruptible part is put off, and
Death has freed the imprisoned spirit, then
life begins.
" Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Whs not spoken of the soul."
There is a loftier than this earthly life, for
which we now may ripen and prepare. And
while men look not beyond the narrow
bounds of this fleeting world, in their aspir¬
ings and their hopes, they forget that its
brightest radiance is reflected from heaven.
The highest glory of the earth is that it may
be the vestibule of heaven. Alas ! alas !
with too many it is but the ante-chamber of
hell! Shall it be so with you ?
Life calls you now, my youthful brethren,
to its work. The quiet groves and halls of
college claim you no longer. The sad words
of parting, from teachers, and from brothers,
256 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
will soon be uttered. . The ties which have
been for years gaining strength and tender¬
ness, will soon be broken, and you will part,
never, it may be, to meet again on this side
of the " great white throne." Each for him¬
self will carve his own path, and follow its
windings, feeling sure that it is the path to
happiness and fame. Some will make it
their vocation to minister to the suffering,
check the fury of disease, and ameliorate
the pangs of sickness. Some will give them¬
selves to the work of protecting the civil
rights and interests of society, and as the
expounders and administrators of one of the
noblest of the sciences, will seek to be use¬
ful and honorable members of the State.
The pursuits of agriculture, that most an¬
cient and honorable of the avocations of
men, will claim a portion of your number,
while others may be found among the "mer¬
chant princes" of the land. Literature and
Art may here find their votaries. In all these
varied pursuits you will be the better for Re¬
ligion's aid. If you would be sure of suc¬
cess in this life, of an useful, honorable, hap¬
py career, of a noble character, and a lasting
fame, of the respect of the wise and good on
earth, and the approbation of God in Heav-
DUTIES OF THE SCHOLAR TO RELIGION. ^257
en—" Seek first the kingdom of God, and.
His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added unto you."
There is a solemn interest gathered around
this hour. Tell us, thou silent, mysterious
future, what hast thou in store for these
youthful spirits ? We feel an intense yearn¬
ing of soul to know what life will be to you.
Will it be more than living ?
" It is not all of life, to live."
We ask not what Death will be to you. Show
us your life, and we need no further revela¬
tion. But we ask in vain. Day by day, as
it comes, will reveal its own history. I re¬
joice that the future is hidden from our view.
It may be there are eyes here which would
not be tearless, were that future to be un¬
veiled. Let Hope be the ruling spirit of this
hour. Could we know that within the bosom
of each of you, was forming now the heaven¬
sent purpose to heed the Redeemer's words,
and be mindful of the claims of God and
Holiness, with what glad hearts we would
bid you go, and live. With what unwaver¬
ing confidence would we predict for you an
honorable and useful life—a peaceful death,
a glorious eternity. With joy would we now
bid you farewell, expecting never more to
258 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
meet you all 011 earth; but looking forward
to a glad meeting on the morning-of the
rising day. Then, when the thunders of that
morning shall have riven the sepulchres, and
waked the unconscious sleepers—-when you
and I shall appear before the throne and hear
the "welcome, " Come, ye blessed," there will
be deep gladness in our hearts, that at this
remembered hour, it was mine to speak, and
yours to hear and obey, the Redeemer's, ad¬
monition—" Seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and His righteousness, and all good,
and noble, and blessed things shall be added
unto you." Farewell !
DISCOURSE VIII.
LABOR.
Proverbs x. 4.—■" The hand of the diligent maketh rich."
God's first great ordinance for man, was
Labor. Some have supposed that the neces¬
sity for toil, was one of the fruits of sin ;
but I apprehend that this is a mistaken view.
When man came from his Creator's hand, in
all the beauty and glory of his perfect phy¬
sical, and mental constitution, and his moral
rectitude, he was not destined to a life of in¬
dolence and sloth. He was put into the
Garden of Eden, to dresS it and keep it. He
was intended to be a laborious being, and
God gave him a bodily and mental Constitu¬
tion, admirabty adapted to such a destiny.
His physical energies, and his intellectual fa¬
culties, recognize labor as the law of their ex¬
istence, and development. Whoever is fami¬
liar with the laws, and working of ma¬
chinery, is aware of the fact, that its con-
260 »EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
stant operation is essential to its preserva¬
tion and value. A watch is better for being
kept running ; a steam-engine suffers by long
inaction ; and manufacturers will tell you
that it is better for their factories to be kept
in constant operation, even at little or no
profit, than to suspend their working for any
length of time. The injury, which is the
inevitable result, to the machinery, from in¬
action, is more to be dreaded, than a reduc¬
tion of profits, or the wear and tear of actual
operation.
So it is with the human body and mind.
Man is a working machine, (and this, as I
shall attempt to show by and by, instead of
being a degrading is an ennobling view,)
and his powers and faculties, whether physi¬
cal or intellectual, never can attain their fuU
growth, expansion and glory, save by con¬
stant and diligent exercise. The surest way
to dwarf and enfeeble a man's body, is to
keep it in a state of slothful indolence. Who
is it that has the brawniest arm ? It is the
man who wields the ponderous sledge. Who
has the broadest shoulders, and strongest
back ? The man who bears the heaviest
burdens 1 Who has the greatest hardness of
muscle, and toughness of sinew, activity of
LABOR.
261
frame, and power of physical endurance 1
It is the hard-working man, who knows not
what it is to have an idle moment, but whose
physical powers have attained their legiti¬
mate development, and reached their truest
dignity, in active, and unremitting labor.
And who has the most matured and strong¬
est mind, the acutest powers of perception,
the most retentive memory, and the greatest
amount of knowledge ? It is the man who
has cultivated, and strengthened, and en¬
riched his mind, by constant mental exer¬
tion, and by thought and study, by deep re¬
search and investigation, has qualified him¬
self to be a champion upon the mental arena.
Labor, then, is not only the first ordinance of
God, for his creatures, but it is the law of man's
physical and intellectual being. Everyman,
therefore, is bound to labor. And idleness,
wherever it is practiced, whether of body or
of mind, is one of the first and greatest sins,
against the laws of God, and against the
dignity and happiness of man. This princi¬
ple is generally recognized in our country.
We are emphatically a working people. There
is no class of privileged idlers, among us,
who have a hereditary right to be lazy men,
22
282 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
and upon whom indolence descends by a law
of entail, or by right of primogeniture. Most
men in this country must work, if they would
eat; and may the day be far removed, when
this most wdiolesome necessity shall be done
away. But yet there is every where a temp¬
tation to indolence and sloth ; for stern, every
day, homely labor, has no poetry, or romance
about it; and ease is pleasant to us all;
and industry is a thing to be cultivated, as
well as any thing else ; and industrious habits
must be formed, and formed in early life ;
and men need to be taught that it is good for
them to be laboring men ; and, therefore,
any attempt to commend Labor to the peo¬
ple, so far from being a needless task, be¬
comes a solemn and important duty.
I address myself, then, once more, to the
young men about me, upon this important
subject. It is not because I consider that
there is any peculiar necessity, in your case,
for admonition on this topic, for, so far as my
knowledge extends, the young men of this
city are among its most industrious classes.
But I would " stir up your minds by way of
remembrance," and it may be possible to
make Labor commend itself yet more to you
LABOR.
263
all, and on higher considerations than those
which have hitherto actuated you in your
industrial pursuits.
I would, then, in the first place, define
Labor; for it is very important that we
should know what it really is. I call Labor,
honorable Labor, (I speak of no other,) habi¬
tual industry in some useful avocation. There
are, then, several elements in Labor. Indus¬
try—a laboring man is a working man, and
one who works smartly, not one who merely
pretends to labor, and whose object seems to
be, to see how little he can accomplish in
a given time, but a man who works with his
might, who puts an earnest soul into what
he is about, and is eager in his design to
accomplish certain results. Then, this in¬
dustry must he habitual. It must not be the
child of excitement, flashy and spasmodic,
intermittent, or periodical. It must be steady
and constant—the fruit of settled principle—
a habit of the mind and the body; or it is un¬
worthy of the name of Labor. But the most
important element in Labor is, that this
habitual industry be expended on some use¬
ful avocation. A man may be a very busy
man, and after all be a very idle man. There
are such in almost every community ; always
264 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
busy, always in a hurry, as full of business
as they can be, and never having an unoc¬
cupied hour, but their labor is not expended
in any useful occupation. They are busy
idlers, and their energies are absorbed, and
their time expended, in most industriously
doing nothing. And there are men who are
devoted to their occupation, and always en¬
gaged in its prosecution, who are not labor¬
ing in the best sense of the term. Their
occupation is neither necessary or useful.
They do nothing for the real wants of their
fellow-men. They do not contribute any
thing to the public stock—they make no¬
thing, or distribute nothing, for the real ne¬
cessities of men, and thus, though they be
busy, they are not laboring men. And there
are some, whose uselessness is in direct pro¬
portion to their industry. They are not only
doing nothing for the comfort and support of
the community, but their business is directly
opposed to its best welfare. A man who
keeps a grog-shop, may be most incessantly
occupied in his business; he may be up
early and late ; on the week day, and on the
Sabbath day ; but the more he labors, the
less is he doing for society. Less did I say ?
This is too mild and tame language for such
LABOR.
265
laborious men. They do labor, but they
labor for an infernal master; and they
serve him with a devotion and fidelity, that
will one day be most fitly rewarded ; but
they are canker spots upon the surface of
society—the pests and the curse of every
thrifty community. So, too, men may keep
gambling houses or tables, and be most de¬
voted in their attention to their vocation,
but such industry is no profit to the public ;
it is such as makes Satan chuckle with mali¬
cious glee, for the hum of honest, thrifty in¬
dustry, is hateful to him; the shuffling of the
cards, or the rattling of the dice, this is the
music he loves to hear. Play actors, and
circus riders, clowns and mountebanks, or¬
gan grinders, and monkey fanciers, the whole
race of strollers, may be habitually occupied
in the pursuit of their avocations, but they
lack the most important element in honora¬
ble labor—utility to the public. And with
all the tinsel and velvet, of the men, and
the paint and assurance of the women, the
whole race are not doing as much for the
real wants of the world, as the slave who
toils in the cotton field, or the child, who
traverses the streets, in search of rags for
the paper mill. Labor—honorable, elevating
22*
266 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
labor, is habitual industry, in some necessary
and useful avocation.
Labor is of two kinds—physical and intel¬
lectual. One man works with his hands,
another with his head. Now men who work
only with their hands, are often prone to un¬
dervalue intellectual exertion—and imagine
that manual labor is the only productive la¬
bor. But a greater mistake than this, it is
not possible to make. Mere manual labor,
independent of the mind, is the lowest form
of industry. The laborer who digs the canal,
or grades the surface for a rail road, labors
with his hands only, and his industry, though
indispensable and commendable, is not of so
high a character as that of the engineer who
lays out the canal, or surveys the route for
the rail road. So, too, the man who works
upon a building, is laboring in a very impor¬
tant sphere, even though he is but driving
nails—or laying bricks,—but his work is pure¬
ly mechanical, and you would not call it as
high a grade of labor as his who designed
the building—and whose mind directed where
to drive the nails—and in what form to lay
the bricks. Those who work with their hands
are more indebted to those who work with
their heads, than they are apt to imagine.
LABOR.
267
The various implements of mechanics, or ag¬
riculture, in their adaptation to their various
purposes and uses, are the product of some
creative mind. And the labors of that mind,
in its silent and concealed workshop, have
produced mighty results, which by many are
credited to the mere instruments through
which it acted. Many are accustomed to
sneer at what are called the learned profes¬
sions, as if they did not belong to the work¬
ing classes, because their labor is not per¬
formed in the shop, or on the fields. I can
speak for my own profession, and say that if
a minister, who does his duty with ordinary
fidelity, may not be called a working man,
then there is no such thing as labor. To say
nothing of the intellectual labor which they
perform, and which is an item which cannot
be appreciated fully, by any but those who
are called upon to do it, the manual labor
which they undergo is by 110 means a small
item. A minister who writes the ordinary
amount of sermons, during the year, will cover
more than two thousand pages of manu¬
script—besides all other various forms of
written labors. But this is the smallest item
in the sum of his toils. The brain is as la¬
borious an agent as the arm, and the man
268 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
who exercises that organ as a minister must
exercise it, daily, though he may never leave
his chair or his fireside, will be more exhaust¬
ed and wearied at night, than the farmer who
has gone over acres of land with his plough,
or the mechanic who has done more than the
ordinary amount of work at his trade. The
fact that professional men, and especially
ministers, grow old faster, and are shorter
lived, than any other class of men, with the
exception perhaps of seamen, whose failure
of health and brevity of life may be more
chargeable upon their habits, and tempta¬
tions, than to their legitimate occupation,
proves that they belong to the working classes,
and are hard workers too.
Having made these remarks upon the gene¬
ral subject of labor, I proceed now to place
before you some considerations, why you
should cultivate habits of industry—and be
habitually laborious in the pursuit of some
useful and lymorable avocation.
I. An idle and lazy young man, is a sort of
anomaly, or monster, among the works of
God.
Youth is generally, in the nature of
things, the season of activity and usefulness.
It is so in the natural world. The tree is
LABOR.
269
most valuable, and answers most truly the
end of its creation, in its youth. Its sap is
richer and more nutritious, than in age ; it
sends forth its branches with a more vigorous
growth ; adorns them with a greener foliage,
and loads them with choicer fruit. When the
season of youth is past, and the winter of age
comes on, we do not expect that it will con¬
tinue its growth and productiveness. We
look not for new shoots, fresh blossoms, or
additional supplies of fruit. We are willing
that it should then rest from its labors, and
we look upon it with a kindly eye, even
though its trunk be gnarled and unsightly,
and its branches withered and bare—for we
remember the greenness and fruitfulness of
its youth. We respect it, for what it has
been, and when the axe is lifted to cut it
down, every feeling of our nature cries,
" Woodman spare that tree" So too with the
animal creation. The season of youth is the
season of labor—the season of value. The
horse that has carried us faithfully for years,
when age comes, is released from his burdens,
and allowed to range the fields at will. So
with man, when age has farrowed his brow,
and whitened his locks, and dimmed his eye,
and palsied his arm ; he may then retire from
270
EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the toil of his earlier days, and repose himself
by his own fireside, leaving the business of
life to younger and more vigorous hands.
But a young man, whose blood runs quickly
in his veins, whose eye is sparkling, whose
limbs are strong and muscular, and whose
whole existence is in its green spring time;
if he be a lazy man he is an exception to ail
the works of God. If in this season of strength,
and buoyancy, and health, he is doing nothing
for the world, he ought to be ashamed to be
breathing his share of the atmosphere, and
taking it from sustaining working men ; or to
consume that food which might invigorate
those who labor, and eat the bread of their
own industry. He should be rebuked by all
the living forms of nature. The patient ox,
as he draws the plough through the ridges,
has a lesson for l^m ; while Holy Writ ex¬
claims, " Go to the ant, thou sluggard, con¬
sider her ways and be wise."
II. Labor is one of the greatest means of
preserving the bodily health.
It does this directly, and indirectly. Its
direct influence is to keep the bodily powers
in a healthy state, by regular use and exer¬
cise. The lazy man cannot keep the ma¬
chinery of his body in healthy, because he
LABOR.
271
does not keep it in working order. Occu¬
pation—labor—is one of the greatest means
of health. There is less sickness among
those who labor, than among those who
do not. There is scarcely any blessing
more valuable than sound bodily health.
It adds a charm to every enjoyment. It ena¬
bles us to contribute to the happiness of
others, and to discharge all our duties on the
broadest scale. It is a blessing to the body
to be obliged to work. I have seen many
who called themselves invalids, and were af¬
fected with numberless complaints, whose
principal disease was laziness—and for whom
no better panacea could be prescribed, than
regular, stern daily labor. Then the lazy man
is far more likely to form habits which will
exert an unfavorable influence upon his
health, than the working man. He is a loung¬
er—and there are always resorts for such in
every city, or village—quiet retreats, where
the grim visage of sunburnt, sweaty, hard-
fisted toil, never intrudes, but where the lazy
man may while away his hours, with his
cheerful glass or cigar, with other congenial
spirits, who hate labor as much as he does.
He is never too lazy to eat or drink, and dis¬
plays in these avocations, an industry that
272 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
never tires. So that he not only enfeebles
his bodily powers, and injures his health by
a want of proper exercise and industry, but
he acquires habits of dissipation, which waste
more terribly his powers and energies, until
at last they destroy him altogether.
III. Labor is the parent of prosperity.
A lazy man cannot be a prosperous man.
Labor only tendeth to profit. " The hand of
the diligent maketh rich." Solomon has given
us, in most graphic language, a description
of the sluggard, and all that appertains to
him. He represents him as one who lies
late in the morning in his bed, and when
other men are about their honest business,
he is begging for "a little more sleep, a little
slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep."
Then follows a description of his plantation.
" I went by the field of the slothful, and by
the vineyard of the man devoid of under¬
standing, and lo ! it was all grown over with
thorns, and nettles had covered the face of
it, and its stone wall was broken down."
What a truthful picture of a lazy man's es¬
tablishment. Who has not seen the original
a hundred times?
Prosperity attends only upon industry.
There has been a tendency in our country
LABOR. 273
to forget this; to despise the small and slow
gains of regular labor, and aspire to making
a fortune in a day., There was a time when
the genius of wild speculation rode rampant
over the land, and a perfect infatuation seem¬
ed to possess the people. Old-fashioned,
homely, plodding industry was despised ; its
moderate but steady gains considered be¬
neath the notice of men, who aspired to
make fortunes in a day, and to begin life
at the point where their fathers, after years
of patient and unremitting industry had ar¬
rived. The consequence was such as might
have been expected. Bubbles, which had
been inflated till they seemed to be large and
solid masses, burst and spread ruin and deso¬
lation around. Men who retired at night
imagining themselves owners of thousands,
awoke in the morning and found themselves
without a dollar. Corporations without capi¬
tal, mere bodies without souls, which had
been galvanized into a sort of spasmodic
action, which, to the unwary, seemed like
life, expired, and the hard earnings of those
who had been deceived by their specious
promises, went to pay their funeral expenses !
And yet the actual loss of property in these
disastrous times, was not so great an evil
23
274 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
as the influence of the mania upon young
minds—producing a repugnance to slow, pa¬
tient industry, with its small but certain
profits, and a baseless ambition to become
great operators, and make immense fortunes
by cunning and shrewd speculations.
The man who would be prosperous must
labor. It is the indispensable condition of
success. He must toil on, day after day,
with patient industry. He must rise early,
and work late ; he must have no idle hours ;
he must have no time to waste in dram-shops,
or billiard rooms, or oyster cellars. If he
would succeed, Labor—daily, steady, homely
labor—must be his portion. This is the way
in which others have attained success. Few
men who make speculating their trade, ever
secure their gains. Speculation is a lottery,
in which there are vastly more blanks than
prizes, and young men would do well to let
all lotteries alone !
IV. Labor secures reputation. ,
When you see a young man diligent in his
calling, industrious in all his habits, and assi¬
duously devoting himself to his business, you at
once have confidence in his character. You
associate with the idea of industry, other ele¬
ments of virtue. As idleness is the parent of
LABOR.
275
vice, so industry is the companion of virtue.
Such a man will rise in the good opinion of
his employers, will command their confidence,
and ensure their aid, when he may be in cir¬
cumstances to require it. But a lazy young
man is a suspicious character. If he seems
to have nothing to do, but walk the streets,
or to lounge in places of public resort; if his
chief business appears to be to display his
person, and be the walking advertisement of
his tailor ; to cultivate his hair or his mus-
tachios; he will not stand very high in the
opinion of practical men. The picture of
such a youth has been so graphically drawn
by a master hand, that I would introduce it
here. " Sometimes he sweeps along the
street with consequential gait, sometimes
perfumes it with wasted odors of tobacco.
He also haunts sunny benches, or bn&ezy piaz¬
zas. His business is tq see; his desire to be
seen; and no one fails to see him, so gaudily
dressed, his hat sitting aslantt^ppn a wilder¬
ness of hair, like a bird half startled from
her nest, and every thread arranged to pro¬
voke attention. He is a man of honor—-not
that he keeps his word, or shrinks from mean¬
ness. He defrauds his laundress, his tailor,
and his landlord. He drinks and smokes
276 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
at other men's expense. He gambles and
swears, and fights—when he is too drunk to
be afraid—-but still he is a man of honor, for
he looks fierce, Wears mustachios, and says :
'Upon my honor, sir ! do you doubt my honor,
sir?'"* Such men, you may be sure, will
never prosper. Like the butterfly, they may
flutter in the sunshine of summer, but the
winter's cold will pinch them sorely. They
have 110 character, and a young man had
better want his right hand, than want char¬
acter. They have no friends but birds of a
like feather, and in the days of want, which
must come sooner or later, they will be for¬
lorn indeed. Industry secures reputation—
and a good name, in this good land, is always
a sure and available capital to the young
man.
Y. Labor is honorable.
It is surprising that such false views of
labor should be current in the communi¬
ty; that labo# should be looked upon as
degrading, and not as elevating to man.
Who is the most honorable—'the man who
is doing something for the world, strength¬
ening and improving his own bodily and
* Rev. H. W. Beecher.
LABOR. 277
intellectual powers in useful exertion, and
adorning and blessing the community in
which he lives: or the man whose life is
but a blank; who never does any thing for
the bodies or the minds of others ; who con¬
sumes the product of other men's labors, but
never produces anything for the public stock ;
who relies upon others, and not upon himself;
who spends the wealth which an industrious
parent has accumulated by hard toil, or drags
out a miserable existence, as a lazy depend¬
ent and hanger on upon his friends ? These
are the men who talk of labor as degrading.
They have too high a sense of character for¬
sooth to work for their bread; they cannot
stoop to the low occupations of mechanics,
or trade ; but there is not a meanness in the
whole catalogue of dishonor of which they
are not guilty. They will sponge upon those
that do labor; they will borrow money which
they never mean to pay; they will run up
bills which are in vain presented for settle¬
ment ; they will smoke, and drink, and go on
parties of pleasure at the expense of others;
they will be guilty of the most pitiful eva¬
sions, and resort to the most sneaking subter¬
fuges to avoid or deceive their creditors ; and
yet they are men of honor, who cannot think
278 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
of degrading themselves by honest, homely
industry, in some useful calling. When I
see such a youth who is too high-souled to
labor, but not to sponge upon those who do,
I look upon him, in spite of all his lofty
professions and consequential vaporings, as
really, in the scale of true respectability,
beloio the meanest and lowest honest laborer;
beneath even the chimney sweep and the sca¬
venger!
There is often, in the community, a false
estimate of the comparative respectability of
the various industrial avoca,tions of men. In
many parts of our country there is a disposi¬
tion among the young men to undervalue ag¬
ricultural pursuits, and to consider merchan¬
dize as a more ho.norable calling. Ashamed
of following the plough or wielding the scythe,
the young man turns his back upon the farm
and goes to the city to be a merchant. He
toils for years harder than he ever did upon
the farm, and is still only in a subordinate
position—a clerk or a book-keeper, it may be
on a scanty salary—while his early compan¬
ion is the independent owner of his broad
acres, and a man of character and influence
in his native village. In all our large cities
you will find several classes of men, for
LABOR. 279
whom I feel a sincere sympathy, though I
cannot but blame them for their false esti¬
mate of the respectability of the different
modes of labor. First, is the class of whom
I have spoken ; who never rise above a clerk¬
ship ; who live to be grey-haired men, and are
still subordinates ; who have given up all
hope of being principals, and have sunk into
mere animated ledgers, or itinerant interest
tables; who wear out a life in the confine¬
ment and. toil of the counting-room in the
crowded city, and live and die in the same
contracted sphere. Then, there are those
who, by dint of more boldness, or upon a fic¬
titious or borrowed capital, do set up for
themselves, and their life is spent in the most
desperate endeavors to preserve a credit,
which is always tottering. They begin with
nothing, and the end of a harassing, toilsome,
weary life is that they have only held their
own, and end just where they begun. Others
after a short mercantile existence, fail, and
desperate and hopeless—unwilling to turn
their attention to honest, steady labor—be-
coihe office-seekers and politicians ; they are
now their country's friends, and their country
must support them. The meanest office in
280 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
the gift of power will make such men push
and fight, and scramble, and lie, and perjure
themselves ; and forgetful of every noble at¬
tribute of humanity, crouch like dogs, and
lick the hand of party leaders. Now, had
these men been content to remain in their
native village, and follow the honorable avo¬
cations of husbandry, they might have been
independent in their circumstances and cha¬
racter ; respected and honored by their fel¬
lows; enjoying, in a hale and hearty old age,
the fruits of the honest toil of their earlier
years. Or had they betaken themselves to
mechanical pursuits, secured the practical
knowledge of a good trade, they would have
risen to be masters, and been sure of a com¬
petence and standing in society. They would
have been useful men, and useful men are
honorable and respectable men. The truth
is that one department of useful labor is as
honorable as another, and the man who is
doing the most for the world, in his own par¬
ticular line> is a truly respectable man. Ag¬
riculture, mechanics, and manufactures, are
the first elements of public prosperity. They
are the creative agents—the producers, and
merchandize, and commerce distribute the
LABOR.
281
fabrics and articles which they produce. A
laborious man, then, is a man to be respect¬
ed, rather than an idler. No man ever yet
gained a reputation and became honored by
his fellow-men, who was not a laborious
man. Labor makes amends for the lack of
genius. Genius, without labor, is worthless ;
while labor, even without genius, will be
successful. Men of genius, as they are com¬
monly called, are very useless beings, if they
are only men of genius. They feel that they
have no need of labor, and so they never ac¬
complish any thing beyond long hair and
doggerel rhymes. They may "court soli¬
tude, affect reserve," and talk about folding
their talents in a napkin, but you may shake
the napkin by all its corners, and you find
nothing in it.
VI. Labor is pleasing to God.
The Bible abounds in passages in which In¬
dustry is reckoned among the cardinal virtues.
In the fourth commandment Labor is enjoined:
" Six days shalt thou labor." And in other
places it is said, " He becometh poor that
dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of
the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth
in summer is a wise son, but he that sleep-
282 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
eth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but
the slothful shall be under tribute. The soul
of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing,
but the soul of the diligent shall be made
fat. Seest thou a man diligent in his busi¬
ness he shall stand before kings—he shall not
stand before mean men. He that tilleth his
land shall have plenty of bread, but he that
folioweth after vain persons shall have pov¬
erty enough. The sleep of a laboring man
is sweet, whether he eat little or much. Let
him that stole, steal no more ; but rather let
him labor, working with his hand the thing
which is good, that he may have to give to
him that needeth. For the drunkard and the
glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsi¬
ness shall clothe a man with rags." From
these passages we learn what estimate God
puts upon Labor, and that Idleness is, in his
sight, a grievous sin. The more man be¬
comes like God, the more acceptable is he to
his Maker. But God (to speak it reverently)
is the most industrious being in the universe.
He is constantly engaged in preserving and
providing for the creatures He has made. In
Him all creation lives, and moves, and has its
LABOR.
283
being. His eye is ever watching over the
universe—His hand is ever outstretched in
its behalf. He fills the world with living
and breathing forms of beauty, and the hymn
of constant praise to the Creator is heard in
the merry music of the laughing rivulet, and
the solemn dirges of the fathomless ocean.
His angels are not an idle race of celestial
intelligencies; they are his swift-winged
messengers to all parts of his widely ex¬
tended realm. Labor is the law of heaven—
it is the law of being—the law of beauty—
the law of blessedness. It should be the law
of earth. God cannot look with pleasure
upon an idle man. He is an anomaly among
his works. Industry is pleasing to Him, and
He has ranked it among those virtues which
are followed with His blessing. The idle
man is not likely to be a good man. Idle¬
ness, itself a vice, is the fruitful parent of
vices. A working man is more likely to re¬
spond to the claims of religion than an idler,
for religion is a thing of life and action; she
calls on men to be up and doing—" working
out their salvation with fear and trembling,"
striving to "enter in at the strait gate," and
giving "all diligence to make their calling,
284 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
and election sure." Far sooner would I
preach the gospel to a community of work¬
ing men, than to one of idle sluggards, for
there is something within the mind of an in¬
dustrious, enterprising, living man, which will
respond to the trumpet call of the gospel;
while its most eloquent and thrilling notes
fall powerless upon the dull ear of a laggard,
or a drone. The noblest life of man is a life
of action. Heaven is not a place of indolent
ease, and dreamy repose. The soul throwing
off the clog of a corruptible and mortal body,
will soar with unfettered pinion to a world
of holy, but real active life, where its mag¬
nificent powers, and deep, decayless affec¬
tions will be forever expanded and absorbed
in Infinite and Eternal realities. Therefore,
in calling upon you, young men, to be indus¬
trious, laboring men, I feel that I am calling
you to take at least one step toward piety.
In eschewing Idleness, you will free your¬
selves not merely from that sin, but from the
many vices that follow in its train. You
will be useful to your fellow-men, and the
world will be better, at least temporally,
that you have lived in it. But, remember
that you may be very busy men, very indus-
LABOR.
285
trious, laborious men, never idle, never wast¬
ing your time upon pleasure, or dissipation,
engaged always in the prosecution of some
useful and honorable avocation, and yet you
may live and die without having even begun
the great business of life. God's great ordi¬
nance for man is Labor; but the language
of the Saviour is—" Seek ye first the king¬
dom of God, and his righteousness." Labor¬
ing industriously in your earthly vocation,
and seeking the kingdom of God, and ripen¬
ing for a higher life, are not at all incompati¬
ble. Life, in all its departments of busy ac¬
tion, is the great school where, under the dis¬
cipline of God's providence, and under the
influences of His grace, men are to be edu¬
cated for a purer and a better world. He is
not educating his soul for heaven in the best
method, who secludes himself from actual
life, and courts the solitude of the cloister.
The means of spiritual progress lie strewn
all along the highway of busy life, and man
may find them " in the city, and the opening
of the gates." I am not then calling, you
from life ; I would not draw you for a mo¬
ment from the path of active'and honorable
industry ; I only ask you to labor with all
286 EARNEST WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
yoflr energies of body and mind, but labor
on right principles, and for the highest ends.
What are the ends for which you labor now ?
For wealth ? I do not condemn that, if you
regard wealth as a means, and not as an end.
Wealth does add much to a man's power of
serving God, and his generation. But in it¬
self it has not a single element of worth.
Fill this room full of gold and jewels, and
what is it worth in itself? What can it do
for you ? Can it give you ease in sickness?
Can it give you joy in sorrow ? Can it wipe
your tears away, when you bend over the
grave of some loved and lost one? Can it
quiet conscience-^can it take away the fear
of death—can it satisfy one of the deep un-
uttered cravings of your spiritual nature ?
Then why should you toil and strive for it,
with the untiring devotion of your being ?
Do you ask—For what shall I labor? I
answer—For the strengthening and expan¬
sion of your faculties and powers, that God's *
work may thus appear glorious, and that the
advances you make in the power of thought
and action, may tell upon the future dignity
and happiness of your glorified body andj
sanctified softl. Labor that God's great pur-
LABOR.
287
poses of love, towards a ruined world, may be
carried out through you, and that you may be
a blessing, in your day and generation. This
pre-supposes that God is supreme in your
heart; His will, your rule of action; His glory,
your ultimate end. Without this as your start¬
ing point, you are not prepared to labor ac¬
ceptably to God, or profitabl}?- to the world.
It is a noble sight to see a young man, in
all the vigor of life's spring-time ; the blood
bounding in his veins ; his pulses throbbing
high, and his heart beating full and strong
within him ; with the fire of his eye undira¬
ined, and the wings of hope and fancy soar¬
ing with tireless pinion ; the perfect embodi¬
ment of life, and energy, and hope ; conse¬
crating the enthusiasm of his youth and the
flush and flide of his being to God. Such
an offering is most acceptable to God, and he
that makes it may be certain that a blessing
will' crown his life. The elements of dignity,
of usefulness, and of enjoyment will be with¬
in his grasp. He will be an ornament, and
a blessing, to his country and his generation ;
and when, after a life of labor in the faith¬
ful discharge of the duties of earth, having
been diligent in his business, industrious in
288 earnest words to young men.
his calling, and in all his ways developed the
beautiful and blessed influence of piety upon
him as a working man, he shall meet his
God in the judgment; he shall hear the joy¬
ful words—" Well done ! good and faithful
servant, thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many
things, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord !"
end.
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