Life's golden morning : its promises and its perils ; a series of Sabbath evening lectures to young people

Front matter

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Perils mm iOPLEf

II

I b e & OVLT )S$ iTJerr) errja rjis J000I5S.

Relations of the Christian Minister to Young Men — The Young Man and his School-books — When these should be shelved — Love for Reading to be cultivated — Import-

Contents

ance of Systematic Beading — Charming on the Pleasures of Reading— Lord Bacon on the Relative Value of Reading, Writing, and Conversation — Why Bad Books are Worse than Bad Companions — Effects of Pernicious Literature as seen in Prisons and Reformatories — "Tasters" needed — Awful Effects of an Obscene Book — Warning against Books and Papers which extenuate Crime — Also, against those which give the Revolting Details of Crime — Trashy Reading — False Views of Life — Baneful Effects of " Blood-and-Thunder " Stories— Why Young Men should not read Skeptical Books — What they should read — Cautions as to Novel-reading — The Kind of Novels which may be read with Profit — Special Rules for Reading — The Bible — What it is, how to read it, and the Blessed Consequences of so doing, Pages 43-67 in.

Tr)e Vourvsr lTJetr) etrja r>is J@) err) <32.t?s.

One Father's Darling — A Mother's Love, and the Thrilling Coincidence to which it led — Parental Anxiety — Absalom's Awful Fate — Analogy between Absalom and the Young Men of To-day — Why Young Men are in Danger — Lack of Experience — Life a Picture Gallery — Perils of Youthful Vigor— Special Snares for the Young — Life an Enchanted Hill— Dangers arising from false Principles — Consequences of underrating Honesty — Two Conspicuous Examples — Little Sins and what They lead to — The Circle which bounds Youthful Security — That Pernicious Wild-oats Theory —Seed-time and Harvest — Dangerous Places — The House of Death, and why it should be shunned — The Saloon and its Red Light — Gambling Dens, and the Steps which lead thereto — Places of Amusement — Test Questions for the Theater — A Pleasant Experience at Sea — The only Safe Pilot — The Disease and the Remedy — What to be most afraid of, . . Pages 71-97

IV

How One Young Man's Eyes were opened — Need of a Similar Operation upon the Young Men of To-day — The Spring-time of Opportunities — Symbolism of Nebuchadnezzar's Image — Lessons from a Dead Millionaire — Interesting Computation by DeQuincey— Lament of a Dying Soldier — The Forks of the Eoad — Educational Advantages of Past and Present compared — The Culpability of Ignorance — Early Manhood the Pouring-in Period — A Good Way to find out Things— Character and Reputation — How they are related — Plato's Advice to One who had been slandered — Transcendent Value of a Good Character— Character as a Growth — Moments of Decision in Life's Battle — Conditions upon which Success may be won — "Creatures of Circumstances" — Hard Work versus Genius — The Man in the White House — Grant's Crowning Faculty — Dizzy Heights not Desirable — The Moderate Altitudes which all may climb — Real Success Certain only to One Class — Wise Remark of the Philosopher Locke — Two Lives in Contrast — Importance of an Early Choice of Religion, Pages 101-127

v.

Paul as an Example to Modern Ministers — Woman's Freedom and the Responsibilities arising therefrom — Woman as a controlling Force in the World — Illustrations of Womanly Influence — The Intellectual Sphere— Importance to Girlhood of Early Schooling — Woman's Mission, and how she may best fit herself to fulfill it — Girls who have "finished their Education" — The Best Accomplishments — The Choice of our Girls wuthin the Secular Sphere— Why Girls should prepare to be Self-supporting — The Busy Women of the New Testament — The Girls who are most honored— One Cause of Sin and

Folly in Girls — Changelessness of Woman's Nature — The Sphere of Labor in which Women most excel — Woman's Choice within the Social Realm — How to secure a Good Husband — Why so Many Marriages are Unhappy — Their Bridal sometimes a Burial to Girls — Folly of trying to catch a Husband — The Kind of Young Men to avoid — Warnings against the Dude, the Spendthrift, the Swearer, and the Drinker — What Girls should do with the Young Man addicted to his Cups — The Kind of Young Man to marry— The Spiritual Realm — Something one Young- Lady had not thought of — The Artful Abbot — Reasons for choosing Christ — Womanly Aspirations and the Christian Religion— The Loveliest of Human Characters — Two Touching Death Scenes, Pages 133-160

VI '

General Rule for Home Life — First Institution framed by the Almighty for Man's Benefit — The Great Lack of Pagan and Heathen Nations — France and England in Contrast — Chief Defenses of the British Empire— The American Home— Where the Best Friends are found — Possibilities of Happiness and Usefulness presented in the Home of One's Youth— The Tender Touch of a Mother's Hand- Influence of the Early Home upon Character and Destiny—Influence of Young People in determining what their Early Home shall be— Advice to Parents on the Duty of making Home Pleasant— " She Always made Home Happy" — How the Young sometimes cast Shadows over the Plome— A Peep behind the Scenes ; or, how some Young People appear in the Home Circle— The Chief Cause of Domestic Unhappiness— Requisites to Household Bliss— How Young People may contribute to the Attractiveness of Home— General Rule for Home Amusements—The Need and Blessedness of Piety at Home- Why some Young People are not at Home— The Church as a Home— Our Final Home in Heaven, . Pages 165-189

VII.

Pleasures and Delights of School Life — Freedom from Care — Compensations of those who are Self-supporting at School — The Tender Regard which Age shows for Youth, and what Young People owe to Age in Return — Pleasures of Learning — School Companions — "Let me go to her; she was my School Friend " — A Typical American Girl in the White House — Ambitions incidental to School Life — Youthful Dreaming — Great Men in Embryo — " Who can tell what I may be?" — The Wisdom of trying to be happy — Duties of School Life — Why all who can should take a College Course — The only Sure Way to get on in Life — Advantages of the Elective System in School Studies — Locke on "The Business of an Education" — Education life-long — Good Story by Mr. Spurgeon — Duties of Pupils to their Teachers, to their Parents, and to one another — Exalted Vocation of the Teacher — Why Parents deserve Gratitude — The Boy who pities the Ignorance of his Father— An Interesting Catalogue of "Don'ts" — The Last Analysis of Wisdom — The Final Commencement Exercises — The Bell of Duty always ringing, . Pages 193-216

VIII.

General Rule and Special Lessons in regard to our Life Work — Seeking an Easy Time in Life — An Important Law of Nature — The Hard Work of trying to live without Work — A Novel Plan for stimulating to Activity — A Sponge, or a Spring, which? — Importance of acquiring Habits of Industry in Youth — Helping Mother — The Piano and the Cook Stove in Contrast — Tribute to the Self-supporting College Boy — The Greatest Need of Youth — Self-denial and Hard Labor as Factors in preparing for a Career of Usefulness — Bonaparte at School —

CONTENTS.

The Great Men of Scripture— Toil not Ignoble— The Kind of Men promoted by Providence to Posts of Honor and Eesponsibility — Christ as a Worker — The True Secret of Success in Life — Choosing a Vocation — Callings which should be avoided — The Call to the Ministry — Caution against Two Extremes — Millionaires and their Miseries — Rewards of Tireless Diligence— Cautions against doing Business solely on Faith, and other Follies— -Choosing a Partner— How to find True Rest— Young People as Workers in Moral Reforms— A Boat Ride and its Lessons — Immortality of Good Deeds, .... Pages 219-243

IX.

Play which meant Murder — Why Young People ought to Play— Letting off the Steam of Youthful Vigor— Old Heads and Young Shoulders a Misfit— Brutal Diversions of the Past — How our Anglo-Saxon Ancestors were accustomed to amuse themselves — Why the Amusement Question must always be an Unsettled One — Sports which are inimical to Health — Debasing Pleasures of the Sensualist — Amusements which occupy the Debatable Ground — Dancing, the Card Table, and the Theater — Tendencies and Consequences of Worldly Amusements — Injurious Excesses — Evil Company — Card Playing and Dancing at Home — Where these Practices lead — A Strong Indictment against the Theater — Loose Morals of the Profession — Effect of Worldly Amusements on Personal Piety — Dancing and Religion; will they Mix? — Church Members who are at a Discount — Progressive Euchre and Progressive Christianity — The Theater and the Sabbath — Immorality of Modern Plays— Test Questions — A Good General Rule— Something a Fashionable Lady had forgotten — Pleasures Avhich never surfeit, . . Pages 247-272

Definition of Society — Proper Attitude toward Society — Temptations presented in this Realm— Influence of Society in molding Character — Where Young People find their Life-partners — Sphere of Life's Grandest Opportunities—Society as an Organism for the Spread of Human Influence — Safeguards of Social Intercourse — Life on the Atlantic— Surest Method of finding Good Associates — Society's Slaves— Gossips and Scandal Mongers— Society as a Thief of Time— The Cynic— Dudes and Flirts- Paupers upon Society — People whose Feelings are easily hurt — How to be above Slights — Masquerading in Borrowed Characters— A Butterfly, or a Bee, which ?— Saying No with a big N— The Honor of being Singular— Need of Reformers in Society — Depraved Men and fallen Women ; how they should be Treated — How Society trusts us — Value of a Civil Tongue — How to be Beautiful—The Model Lady and True Gentleman — Advantages of going into Society as a Christian — The real " Kings " and "Queens" of Society — The Society Belle — Our Society Life what we make it, Pages 275-303

XI.

Looking for a King— Man's Choice not always God's— Rulers wanted in the Realm of Morals— Young People specially called — Relation of Young People to the Jewish Church — Bible Instances of Early Piety — Christ's Interest in Young People — Special Difficulties and Temptations besetting this Class — Why Special Efforts are needed in Behalf of the Young — Victims of False Notions— Antidotes to the Pleasures of the World — Needs of Young People within the Social and Intellectual Realms — How these should be met — Benefits of a Church Lyceum —

Salvation first — Final Appeal to Young People — Religion their Great Need— Its Restraints and Protections — How Early Life is "trembling with Destinies " — The Choice of Religion preparing for other Decisions — Importance of Right Beginnings — Deplorable Effects of Youthful Transgression — Why Young People need the Church — Cravings of the Youthful Nature — How these are satisfied in Religion — The Soul crying out for God — The only Experience which never disappoints — Best Time to start in the Christian Pathway — How Young People may conquer two Worlds— The Human Heart in Middle Life — Folly of Delay — The Wonderful Exchanges made when Sin is abandoned and Religion chosen — Necessity of Church Membership — How those who are in Life's Golden Morning may remain in it forever, . . . Pages 307-339 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lNTR0DUeTI0N.

,HE following Lectures were prepared by their (5Ju Author to interest and instruct the young people

tof his congregation ; they are now put forth in book form to reach a wider circle of the same class. The statement of this purpose, in view of the marked impression made by their delivery, is all the introduction that is needful. What I may say is prompted by my interest in every indication of increasing concern in the Church for the moral well-being of the young people, and by my friendly regard for the young Author, who, diligently improving his opportunities, has acquired much of the skill and force of a ready writer, while he has steadily advanced in effectiveness as a preacher and pastor.

In the Lectures to Young Men the Author deals plainly with those matters that go very far in shaping each one's career. Young men might see that their way is beset with dangers, and yet how unconscious most of them seem to be of the evils that lurk on every hand. The young man's best friend is he who leads

12 INTRODUCTION.

him to ponder these dangers — who convinces him that they are real and imminent, and, at the same time, deceptive and powerful. These lectures do not treat of ideal but of actual conditions; the Author speaks of society as it is — as the young man will find it to be, and points out its dangers with the faithfulness of a friend and the interest of a brother.

Prevalent as evil may be, there are helpful influences on every hand, and enough of them within the reach of each young man, to enable him to " make his life sublime." These influences are not so obvious as those that combine for his destruction, neither do they address his senses with the same alluring charm — but they do exist — they are potential — they may be reached and utilized, and to him who seeks his safety in them, they become a panoply, an inspiration, and a joy. The skillful teacher is he who arrests and holds the young man's attention, while he points out, with equal fidelity, the paths of danger and of safety. Our Author appreciates his opportunity and duty as a teacher, and in these Lectures takes his place as a friend at the young man's side, with practical lessons which are the result of discriminating observation and conscientious study.

The young woman is not exposed to so great or so many dangers as beset the pathway of her brother, but she is in the period of her life that almost invariably determines her character, and controls her destiny. The

INTRODUCTION. 13

lecture to " Our Girls" presents lessons that can but be helpful in conveying correct views of life in its highest relations, and in fortifying the girl's hope and purpose to attain to a true and noble womanhood.

The six lectures to Young People are of great value. In speaking of Young People, as a class, I mean those from sixteen to twenty-five years of age. This class comprises one-fifth of the entire population of our country — or nearly twelve millions of persons — and these millions are about equally divided between the sexes. A large proportion of our youth leave school at sixteen, and most of them are settled in the relations and pursuits of life at twenty-five, hence the significance of the intervening years, and the correctness of grouping them in a single period. The cautious parent may not allow that the sixteen-year-old son is a young man, but such are the educating forces of society now-a-days, and such the development under them, that youth merges into early manhood all too soon.

Twelve millions of Young People ! Within a score of years they are to be heads of families, and are to hold influential positions in every profession, and calling, and association in our country ; and the results of their influence in any and every relation and position will be determined by their attention, or lack of attention, to such lessons as are faithfully and forcefully inculcated in this Volume.

14 INTRODUCTION.

These facts emphasize the duty of the Church — all Christian Churches — to give greater attention to these Young People. As relates to the Church, where are they? In the Sunday-schools? The children are there. In our congregations ? Scarcely a tithe of them ! Are not millions of them passing through the critical and cod trolling period without any direct aid from the Church, in determining the real issues of life? How shall the Church reach these millions? Organize associations in their behalf? By no means. The Church is God's appointed Association to bring helpful and saving influences to every class.

Let Christians ponder these momentous facts; let them think of the millions named, and their moral wants, until the duty of the Church be clear. The Volume before us suggests the interest every pastor should take in this subject. May the same interest so pervade the Church, that soon, to her men and women of faith and prayer and deeds, no work of love shall be more blessed and hopeful than that in behalf of the Young People of our land.

J. M. WALDEN.

Cincinnati, Dec 7,

Part I. ^0 YeuNG FRen

T^

I.

(90NTE NTS.

ANGER Signals. — Demand of the young man's nature for company. — Necessity for care and effort in choosing company. — Early effects of depravity. — Aggressiveness of the wicked. — Evils of bad company. — Society sitting in judgment. — Hindrances to success. — Requisites to prosperity. — Why a certain young man lost a good position. — The choice of associates a criterion of character. — Pope's view of vice. — Consequences of a bad moral environment. — The way to benefit an evil companion. — The origin and peril of evil thoughts. — Warnings against the libertine, the tippler, the swearer, the liar, and the scoffer. — Special advice respecting courtship and marriage. — The kind of girls to shun and the kind to seek. — Where the best society may be found. — The best companion. — Surest protection against evil associates.

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\\)e Youna Man and r>\s Oompany,

My son, if sinners entiee thee, consent thou not."

— Proverbs i, 10.

k2HIS is an appeal to young men to avoid evil (dP associations. It proceeds, you will observe,

tfrom a person of exalted rank and of wide experience ; one who knew well the blessedness of serving God, and who was equally aware of the bitterness of serving the world. You will also observe that it is a warning against the particular evil which led to Solomon's own downfall.

Out at sea one observes light-ships and floating buoys here and there. They are to warn us that danger lurks beneath, and in not a few instances their presence is a reminder that ere these safeguards were provided, some hapless ship was grounded, possibly destroyed, by these lurking

perils. Our text is a life-buoy floated by Solomon over the dangerous rock of Bad Company, and its admonitions are all the more impressive from the fact that it marks the place where his own craft went to pieces. " My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

In considering the Young Man and his Company, the first thought arising is that the young man will have company.

He begins to mingle in company very early. The little boy has his mates at school. He plays with these at recess, and exchanges visits with them after dismissal. This, too, is the commencement of a pairing-off process which never terminates. Yes, the young man will have company. Where is the college boy who has not his chum? Walk the streets at night, and observe the large numbers of young men you meet. How rarely do we find one who is alone ! They go in pairs mostly, though sometimes in larger groups. Out of the hundreds present, how few young men came alone to this church to-night!

The young man will have company. It is natural ; it is inevitable, and, within proper limits, it is right. Too much privacy is not good for our youths. It fosters melancholy, and results often in effeminacy ; sometimes even in madness. If there is danger in company, so, also, is it dangerous for the young man to keep entirely aloof from company. It is not good for hinr to be alone.

Our next observation is, that, unless care be taken to prevent it, the young nian\s company is likely to be bad.

One reason for this is that the young man has a depraved nature. There are within him stronger affinities for evil than for good. If these evil propensities be not curbed by careful training and a strong will, they are sure to gain the mastery. In other words, if the young man be not schooled to love the pure and noble, he is likely to love the vile and the ignoble, and to seek companionship with such as these. The earth's soil will grow thorns and weeds spontaneously, but a useful crop has to be planted and cultivated. So with the heart of the young man ; so with every heart, for " the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

Another reason why care is necessary if we would avoid undesirable companionships, is, that wickedness is aggressive, whereas goodness too often shrinks from view, concealed by its own modesty. Bad people put themselves in our way more

than the good do. They are more forward and

'3 obtrusive. This is apparent wherever young men congregate. The loudest talkers, the most conspicuous, those who do the most to attract attention and to secure influence over others — who are they? You know, my young friends, that these are the boys, usually, who take pride in wickedness — smarties, scoffers, blasphemers, often. Take college life as an example. You can easily get in with those who are bent on mischief, and you will soon learn who these are ; but the young man of sterling merit, of worthy aim, and of pure and studious habits — him you will probably have to seek out. If you want his companionship you will have to court it.

Up to a certain period, this grave question, with whom the young man shall keep company, is settled for him by others. The parents or guardians settle it, or, at least, they should do so. There comes a time, however — all too soon in that anxious mother's view — when the youth begins to choose for himself. Most of the youug men before me have reached and passed that period. They are their own masters, the arbiters of their own destiny in this matter. To these I make my special appeal to-night. " If sinners entice thee, consent thou not." They will entice thee, and unless a firm resistance be made, they will ensnare and ruin thee — will drag thee, with themselves, into destruction. On the other hand, if your companionships are to be good and helpful — such as will bring you honor and lead to your salvation — care must be taken, judgment exercised, and, probably, a diligent and constant search prosecuted to find such associates; for we reaffirm, with increased emphasis, that unless the greatest prudence be brought into operation to prevent such a result, the young man's company at the present day is almost certain to be bad.

Convinced that if we would avoid bad company, we must bring the will into play, and must actively and constantly shun it, let us consider now a few of the evils resulting from bad company.

One of the desirable things of life is the good opinion of our fellow-men. This is not the greatest good of existence ; but it is a boon worth having and worth striving for. Of course, if circumstances should ever arise in which this could be secured only by the compromise of principle, it would behoove us, in that case, to let the world's good-will go, doing right though our best friends turned against us. Such circumstances, however, are in this day of rare occurrence. Usually, the judgment of mankind upon human conduct is correct. The better elements of society will always approve the good and condemn the bad. Let our young men remember this. Those who despise the good opinion of their fellow-men are fools, to say the least, and they are in danger of becoming knaves. I charge you, my young friends, to seek two things. Seek His favor, which is better than life, and seek to enjoy continually, so far as you can obtain it by an upright walk, the approval of the thoughtful and good amongst your fellow-creatures. But in order to this you must shun questionable associations, for the world will judge you no less by the company you keep than by the words you utter or the deeds you do.

Another worthy, aim of youth is success. You should strive to get on in the world. Whatever calling you adopt, endeavor to excel in it. Aim at a high mark. Most young men do this. The trouble is, how 7 ever, that while we covet success, we do not pursue the course necessary to win it. We enter the race and look longingly at the goal ; but when it comes to running in such a way as to get there, we find we can not do it, we are so heavily weighted.

Of all the weights which young men carry in the race of life, none, perhaps, more seriously impede their progress than bad company. Take the boy at school. His success there depends upon his application to study; but unworthy company obtrudes itself, and it not only steals his time, but vitiates and weakens his mind, rendering successful study impossible. Take the young man in the office, or store, or workshop. If he is to rise, he must have credit and capital and capability ; but see how bad company will prevent him from acquiring these. Credit means the confidence of business men; but how can any one have confidence in those whose associations are not good? Capital means the practice of frugality ; but who ever heard of a young man addicted to bad company saving any of his money ? Capability for the management of large affairs requires self-control, self-denial, and the acquisition of much practical knowledge; but what does the young man who runs in bad company know about such things as these, and what time or inclination has he to acquire them? Thus, such a young man, while he dreams of success, and hopes to realize it, is pursuing a course which makes his advancement in life utterly impossible. He is running in a race, and he deliberately handicaps himself with associates which hold him back. He wants to fly, and the first thing he does is to clip his own wings.

Many a young man has lost a good situation through bad company. The place was one of trust ; one which involved the keeping of accounts and the handling of money. No dishonesty had been detected, but it was found that the young man went in questionable company after business hours, and, naturally, his employers became afraid of him. And as good places have been lost in this way, so, again, has many an aspiring young man been prevented, by the company he kept, from securing such a position. Take one illustration. A young man applied for a position in a bank. He was of excellent family, of fine education, of good morals, so far as known, and was well recommended. His application was taken under advisement, and his conduct was watched. Nothing against him ; not a thing; only this, that the company in which he spent his evenings was not just right. That, however, spoke volumes to those bank directors, and, of coarse, the unfortunate young man was not engaged.

It is said of Pythagoras that he never admitted a young man to his school until he had first inquired who were his intimates; and this, rest assured, is how sensible men of business are acting to-day toward the young men who profess an eagerness to get on in the world. They want to know who your intimates are — what company you keep. If your associations are good, they will have hope for you, and will repose confidence in you ; if they are bad, they will be afraid of you, and will have no use for you. For these reasons we plead again, in the words of our text, " If sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

As a matter of course the fear which men have for the young man who keeps bad company is based upon the assumption that sooner or later evil associations poison the morals and undermine the character ; which they unquestionably do. It is unquestionable, indeed, that those who choose bad persons for their companions are already bad themselves in heart. The evil may not yet have broken out ; but it is there ; and it only awaits a strong temptation or a favorable inducement, to assert itself. Even, however, though this were not the case; even granting that a young man might be perfectly pure and upright, as spotless as the snow from heaven, when he first espoused an evil companion, how long would it be, think you, at the farthest, until the whiteness of that virgin soul would be soiled by contact with the other's vileness, and until that blameless character would be marred and ruined by habits copied from the base acquaintance ?

There is a Latin proverb which says, " If you live always with those who are lame, you will yourself learn to limp." The idea is that we can not help imbibing the spirit and copying the conduct of those with whom we associate. Whether we design to do this or not, we do it. It may be done unconsciously ; but that does not lessen the effect, nor exempt us in any degree from the awful consequences. We necessarily breathe the atmosphere of our immediate environment. Our souls do, no less than our bodies. If, therefore, that atmosphere be impregnated with pestilence, what else can we expect than that we shall fall victims, erelong, to physical or moral disease ? Exceedingly dangerous, too, are evil associations because they make us familiar with evil, and because familiarity with evil tends, of necessity, to lessen our repugnance toward it, and to throw us off our guard against its insidious attacks. As Pope says: