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B. m^' ^ iiw4u M ial«iix. i. ^: PRINfTED XT THE WE8LEYAN CONFERENCE STEA^i PRESS. 1859 4 ^ 11 o-H ^ ^\ b /J THE MEN FOR THE AGE. f "Life bears us on like the stream of a mighty river. Our boat at first glides down the narrow channel, through the playful murmuring of the little brook, and the wmdmg of ,t-. grassy borders. The trees .hed their blossoms over our .ouno- heads ; the lowers on the brink seem to offer them- sav^stoouryorr^g.handp; we are happy in hope, and we grasp eagerly at the beauties around us ; but the stream hurrien on, and still our hands are empty. Our course m youth and manhood is along a wider and deeper fiood, amid subjects more striking and magnificent. We are annnated by the moving picture of enjoyment and mclustry passmg us ; we are excited at some short-lived disappointment. The stream bears us on, and our joys and griefs are alike left be- hind. We may be shipwrecke.l ; we cannot be delayed^; whether rough or smooth, the river hastens to its home, till the roar of the ocean is in our ears, and the tossing of the waves is beneath our feet, and the land lessens from our eyes, ^nd the floods are lifted around us, and we take our further voyage where there is no witness save the Infinite and Eter- nal.'' . • This is a graphic picture drawn by that attentive observer of men and nature-Bishop Heber. It portrays that onward rush which has ever marked the course of time since time ex- isted. It depicts that swiftly passing scene which opens when life is ushered into being, and closes when the spirit takes its T 4 everlasting fligl,,. It ,,;,,„„, y,f, ;„ ^.^^^ ^^ ^,^^ when ic was so stnk.ngly applicable to man's career upon earth as at the present. The age we live in is a peculiar one and one ch.ef feature of its peculiarity is its rapjity. Every^ thing appears to be in rapi.l movement. ^V'e learn faster work faster, trade faster, travel faster, and Il>e faster ; wet^ more k,,o,v more do n.ore in the course of our lifotime,I.han any of those who have trod the earth before us. The average Ce ovttr'""'"^ ''"""'" '^ "•" '"^"''^^■'•' ''"' *ere L tiZJ f"""' '='""'S'^^''»'« knowledge-more of ever, tlnng which constitutes life, crowded into that period now ^«n at any previous age in the histoiy of our race. Ou^ anc stors before the flood, who counted their years by bun d«=ds. knew far less of life than our modern 'age oTth ee eore years and ten The stripling of to-day has Ld long than his great grandfather who died half a century a^o at fho good old age of eighty. y ■'c.o at tno In days gone by, men travelled all their lifetime in the same old lumbering coaches, beheld in youth and gray hairs the same old stunted ships-lived and died in the fam'e o d an i quated nouses, But now the man that has not measured more than half life's allotted span, has seen change rapidlysu' ecedingchangc. improvement following improvement, invention g.v ng place to ,„™„t,„„, till at length he finds that the old fa he. before ),,„, had admired with all the admiration of a de-Iov.ng boy, has vanished before the untiring strides of the Wo ,ren and h,s gliding, noLseless train; the ancient ships „ose heavy prows and clumsy rig he was early taught to e nsider the wondrous perfection of naval art, now taktng ^e form of the graceful and rapid steamer; and the time honored family collage which had sheltered his birth no longer as .t stood, and still stands in his fond memory of early ■npii (lays, but transformed into the iinposinp; structure of the stately mansion. Tliese and a thousand other clianges liave takea phico within the narrow lunits of his half-sv-ent life. Theso are the products of the present age ; and they are not yet completed,— tlieir development may i)eriiaps be but just be- gun. We know not what nmrvels even this generation may yet behold. Every thing is rushing onwards. Event follows event, crisis comes crushing on crisis, with such endless suc- cession, that we no sooner begin to wonder at one, than wo are surprised by the startling presence of another. Our business, our customs, our arts and sciences, are all borno along on the great tidal wave of progress. Eapldlty is tlio characteristic feature of the age. But here arises the main ({uestlon for our consideration at present. What of the Mm :^— those who are the intelligent actors in this ever moving, shifting scene? They areneces- sarily borne onward too. They cannot stem the rushing tide ; they cannot stop its onward progress. Stop its progress ! why, whoever attempted it would be just as successful as the Dutchman who lost his liat overboard, and thought to stop the steamer's way to recover it by putting his shoulder to the mast. The Men form a part and parcel of the Age. They cannot arrest its course. Circumstances over which they have no control require that it should advance. A power as irre- sistible as that which impels the burning co let through boundless space drives it forward. Men cannot hinder it. What then are they to doV Why, there is only one thing which, under the circumstances, thoy can do. If they cannot accommodate the tendency of the times to themselves, they must accommodate themselves to the tendency of the times. If they cannot arrest the onward movement of the Age, they can at least endeavor to keep up with it. They can aim to regulate, if not retard its progress. They can step aside for u moment, and mark the course of events transpiring around m fhem.-oonHlder tluMr owt. positmn nn.l tl.o ,,atl, Mhi.-I. lies before tho.n. They can roHort .,ul s.o whnt traits of dmrj. sition need most to l,e chorishe.!, what points of olmrucf-r need most to be developed, wI,,U powers .■,nd ene-T^ieH need most to be exercised ; in ord.'r that they imy secure and re. tail! a rreditnldf, inlluentiul and useful plnee in the a-e i„ which they live. And this is what I propose to discuKs h'rieHv with the young men assendjled hero to ni-ht. under tho auspices of this Christian Association. *' What are you good for?" sai,l a gentleman to a knot of yming urchins, wlio were laying (h,wn the law to each other m ad the confidence of their boyish pride. "Good fur''" answered one of them, drawirig himself up to impress tho inquisitor with a sense of, ..t least, his own importa.ue "Why we are good to .lake men of.- The answer wrs a wise onl' Ihe ambitious youth knew that he was not always goincr to be . youth : and he probably looked forward to the t^me when he would be as great a man among his fellow men, a« he now was among his fellow %.v. I do not put this ques- tion to you, my young friends, or doubtless your pride would be as sorely wounded as was that of this youthful aspirant whde perhap. the questioner would not got off so easily' iou are good Ibr something, I should be sorry to be thought for one moment to doubt it;~if for nothing else, you are good to make m.n oi-e:,perienced, vseful, influential Men . Men of some sort, if spared, you must be. In the rapid march of time, you will soo.i find yourselyes in the place of those now before you A few short years, and you will probably know more ot life s eares aud anxieties, as well as joys and com- forts than you do now. That roying, unfettered libenv in which you now rejoice, w^ill be curtailed by more restraining les. ■ You wdl haye settled down a. the steady-going, home^ lovmg, chddreTi-petting, family man. JJut mo;e than that - Vou wdl haye taken a station of graye responsibdity. You i Ip;. will hu-e crrnnc<l n HtMnain,c.' lum.t wl i.l. wiUjnv. you, o.tnor f^)r ,,od or evil, m.-.nen.o influeu.o. Vou xvill be the J^n W ^/.. \ig, _tl,e prim, actors on tlie stao-n of llfo. Yc»u mW be in a powifu.n to ^rive a tone and oharaoter to v.mr Ti.n.s-to v.<^n- Lo that nii.^htv n.ovin. n.nss of thon-^ht and action whicli constitutes thoV,>iM<5«'o/-A/. it is with M^Fo^^Fj-t hctoro you that I venture to tlu-ow out tor your consi.lerat.on a t.-w practical, au.l accoraius to n.y ju.lsnuM.t, imiM.rtant Innts \„<1 if they shall prove efH.^tual i.i leadins you to reflect upon the e'ritical po.iti.. ' .i lite you now occupy, and ni .tinmlatinn: you to ain. .audst all the .hiftin.i^ and Imrryjn.i^ aud bustlHig of the Aj^e, at that noble one which is w.thm your reach, I shall h...e ncco.uplishcd my object, ana bo 'tuV A*re requires Men that start in life with hlo' ^-"is. Time was? when men could make their way easily through the world with little labor and no ambition, and the consequenca ^vas that there existed a disposition to become careless a..d indolent. Little was devised, and still le.s effected for the benefit of mankind. Everything was stagnant ; nothmg pro. .ressed. The wr.rld was at a stand. But the tunes have changed. Tiic worhl has received an impulse. Ivverytung is in mocion. It is an age of actum .-and whoever wdl keep pace with its progr..s, aad take part in its great operations, must sot out with high aims. " If I mioht speak as a monitor." said a recent lecturer before Young Men in England, -'my .'hole exhortation might be comprised in a .ingle word-aud that word would be— Aspire. ' And this sentiniont, which was uttered in Jl.x- eter Hall, Loudon. I wovdd reiterate in Temperance Hall, Halifax. There is a laudable aspiration— you may call it ambition, or what you like-that should posses the breast of every youth that launches forth upou the sea of life. It there is a coiitemptilde being upon earth, it is the man that .* f^^ it »■ 1 Bits listlessly on tlic wave of time, suffering himself to bo borne onwanl, anil buffeted about at its pleasare, and merely contenting himself to keej) his head above water. One of the few things I remejuber in connection with that obnoxious book to boys, Lennie's Grammar— and perhaps this was im- pressed upon my memory by something more potent than words— was being required to parse Uiis sentence : " Man is not such a njachine as a clock or a watch, which moves merely as it is moved." Whether I ever managed to p»rsG it correctly I don't remember, and wiiere WillLn Lennie got the sentence I don't know, Ijut it has often struck mo as containing a wholesome truth. Man is not an mitomatoy, and God never intended that he sliould be a 7noj)e. fie has been put in possession of marvelous powers, which he is call- ed lipon to train and develop for their destined use. He inhabits a body fearfully and wonderfully made, which requires his support, attention, and care. He has been endowed with a noble intellect, which it is alike his duty and his privilege to expand. Be has been entrusted with talents, which demand an exercise and improvement. He is gifted with an immortal spirit, which he is solemnly bound to get fitted for a place at the right hand of God. The age we live in, our position, our responsibilities, the very nature of our existence, requires that each one should start upon the jour- ney of life with that noble and illustrious motto— Excelsior I Excelsior I ! But the Age further requires Mm of sl purpose— men who live for an object. No one acts mechanically,— we never move a finger without a reason. Men will never set their whole thoughts and energies in motion, unless there is an end in view worthy of the effort. If we are to aspire we must aspir6:40 something. What is if! Ah! what is it, my young friends, that is worthy of your aspiration ? Your powers of body and mind tell you that it is nothino- jo-noble IB 4 ii^^iKmgmmmmmKmmitm e ti —nothing mean. You would not go to the trouble of fur- nishin.^ a°nian with a crowbar to overturn a pebble. Your noble feculties call for something of like quality upon which to work,— they point to something lofty as the end of their creation. What, then, is that end 'i And here I must refer to one or two of those prime objects which are frequently adopted. There is a strong, and I fear growing, disposition to regard as the swwnum bonum of our existeri^e the acquisition of wealth. It is a tendency of the Ao-e, growing out of the Age's progress and competition. AVardBeecher has well described it: "We say a man is made. What do we mean ? That he has got the control of his lower instincts, so that they are only fuel to his higher feelings, giving force to his nature ? That his affections are like vines, sending out on all sides blossoms and clustering fruits ? That his tastes afe so cultivated that all beautiful things speak to him, and bring him their delights? That his understanding is opened, so that he walks through every hall of knowledge and gathers its treasures? That his moral feeling is so de- veloped and quickened, that he holds sweet commune with heaven? Oh no! none of these things! He is cold and dead in mind, in heart, and soul. Only his passions are alive; but— Ae is worth jive hundred thousand dollars ! '' *' And we say a man is ruined. Are his wife and children dead ? Oh no ! Have they had a quarrel, and are they separated from him ? Oh no ! Has he lost his repuiation through crime ? No. Is his reason gone ? Oh no, it is as sound as ever. Is he struck through with disease ? No ;— he has lost his property, and he is ruined! " This picture is quaint, but is is true. How debasing to human dignity to pay such worship to that glittering, deceitful goddess. Mam- mon ! Wealth— base, sovdid, uncertain wealth j what an ob- ject for the adoration of an immortal spirit ! Get riches, and in what respect are you a better or a nobler man ? Wealth "*^ m^ ^vi 10 aocs not constitute, it is not oven an ingreilicnt in, inie ffreatneas. Degrading as it is for man to make tlio great purpose of life the accumulation of wealth, equally degrading is it to make it the attainment of pleasure — sensual, earthly, grovel- ling pleasure The American orator has insmuated the com- parative W3rthlessness of the one ; Scotland's greatest poet shall give us the empty nature of the other : " Pleasures arc like popples spread— You seize the flower, its b^oom is shed ; Or like the snow-falls in the river — A moment Avhit3, then melt forever ; Or like the borealis race — That flit ere you can point their place ; Or like the rainbow's lovely form — Evanishing amid the storm." There is an object which may perhaps be called a branch of pleasure, that has always, among persons of not very lofty minds, claimed and received a large share of attention. I don't exactly kno;Y how to describe it, but it developes itself somewhat after this manner : A young man spends a great deal of thought, and not a little money, in endeavoring to keep his habiliments trimmed to the prevailing fasJdon, and fancies he has ftiiled in the great desideratum of existence, if he cannot keep his appearance up to the newest style. It has always appeared to me* that the only lawful result of this disposition to idolize fashion, is to exalt most highly one par- ticular branch of . our industrial population. If a man has obtained the highest object of life when his personal appear- ance is perfectly in accordance with the popular taste, the only persons who have reason to be proud of his position are those that have placed him there — his tailors ; while he himself has no more cause for self-satisfaction than would a block of marble or wood if similarly attirtd. I must, how- ^5^8Sr|F 11 «l «ver, d„ tl.e young ,ue. of the p.-e..ut day l.o c ■ .1, to «>^ that I do,i't think that all the time, and thought, and ex !1 lavished upon this foohsh, senseless ta.hng, are con- uibuted by them A .tory i» told of an art.t m the days f .ood old Queen Bess, who was engaged to i-efrescvit u, pn. - t the people of all naf.ns in their aeeustomed appareh ifc pietured the difterent nations aeeordn.gly , but when he came to the Englishman he painted h,m all naked, with a bundle of cloth under his ann. and then wrote under h.m these words: "This mm must make his clothes to h>s own Pkin., for his fashion changes so often that I really don t know" how to make them." The afcion .s made to the habits of the people generally, but it is not stated whether t ^-a, intended to apply particularly to the males ^^ females These are objects which men sometimes place before them- selves as the most desirable to be attained in life. Need 1 ask are they worthy onesV Riches, Pleasures, lash.ons, are these, or thei,- like, fit subjects to absorb the thoughts and stand as the highest aim of ManV Has he been fumshed with that wonderful machinery for thought and act^orf that .t should work upon material, and produce results so valueless R.-.amean'i No; Young Men, there arc object far higher, more ennobling, than these, that demand the exercse of your manly energies and extensive powers. :It is that you may reap that pure enjoyment which a foithful application of your talents, whatever they may' be, will assuredly bnng you. It i. that as long as you live you may be in a position o beneat your fellow man ; and that when you die the world may feel ymr loss: It is that every faculty you possess may be called into exercise, to glorify your God upon earth ami fitted to enjoy Hin^ forever. These, my friends are objects worth living for. l-'or this end every power of body or mind with which your Creator has endowed you, should be trained to the full extent to which it is susceptible, t)r your '<»5WP ») I' I li jii A ^ eil-cumstances permit you to train it. To accomplish t/ns end I would have you, in whatever position in life your lot is cast, avail yourselves of every lawful means to acquire wisdom and knowledge, advancement, and even wealth. Set that end before you as the great purpose of your life, and then let your stimulating watchword ever be,— Aspire. The Age requires, Men of a persevering spirit. Amidst its bustling, varying, shifting movements, there ia too much of a feverish desire of change. Novelty is the order of the day— a running here and there for something new; and this begets a feeling of dissatisfaction with everything that is old. A man sets out in life with a fair prospect of success ; but before he is gone far he gets tired of his occupation, or is allured by something he fancies to be better, or some difficulty, real or imaginary, presents itself, and he becomes discontented and discouraged. He must try some other business, or seek some other clime. He makes a chango ; soon, probably, to becon.c more dissatisfied that before, and he must change again : and thus he goes on, and finds himself at the close of life just at the same point from which he started. A party of persons, in good circumstances, took it into their heads the other day to migrate from my native Province of Prince Ed- ward Island. They had heard of the fertile soil, the luscious fruit, the boundless wealth, and, above all, the balmy air to be found in the colony of New Zealand ; and all at once they discovered (for it never, I believe, struck one of them before) that the long and severe winters to which they had been accustomed were unbearable, and that, because times were not just then as bright as usual, famine was about to destroy their Island home. They went,—commisserating their hapless friends left behind to be starved to death with hunger, or frozen to death with the cold,— but these have survived to hear that the enegades have discovered their N< se( to fe A th hi P' St t' t New Zealand soil to be of little value ; fruit rarely to be seen • provisions enormously expensive ; employment scarcely to ^e obtained ; none of their expectations realized ; and but fc> prospects to cheer them,-except their warm wmter. And such is too frequently the disposition and experience of the A«re. Men are too prone to make mountams out of mole- hills when they happen to be in their road, and to see every path strewn with flowers, except that on which they them- selves are travelling. B-,t these are not the Men the Age requires. Such are not the men to make their way through life with credit, and to attain to positions of influence and respectability. We want men of a patient, untiring, persevering, spirit ; men, that having once entered upon the path of duty, will not be easily allured or frightened out of it ; men that will smile at small difliculties, and boldly grapple with gi-eat ones. Men that in the strength of God will take up their armor, and whether the contest be with the ills of life, the foes of freedom, or the enemies of the immortal soul, never lay them down again, till they do as victors. This is the spirit that bas made our eminent lawyers, our influential mechanics, our wealthy merchants. This is the spirit that has raised up our distinguished warriors, our renowned statesmen, our de- voted Christians. This is the spirit that has placed our glo- rious British nation in the vanguard of the world. This is the spirit that has spread the blessings of our holy, still more glorious Christianity among millions upon millions of benight- ed men. Young Man, hi whatever you undertake cherish this spirit, tmd you cannot fail. Select your course, get fairly started. Lay hold of the right, and then persevere. If you should get a tumble get quietly up agai'n, improve by the experience, and go firmly on. If you meet with an obstacle across the king's hif^h-wny, walk boldly up to it, And if you do not '2 f »S«'ia,»*^fejat, I „ i^. 14 frighten It away-as you probably wlll-by your aeternn'ned ook make an effort to .cale it. If you can't get over it, try to get under it. If you can't do that, then try to pull it down If you are not able alone, get some of your friends tohelp you If after a 1 you are unsuccessful, it is time enough then to go a dozen miles round to avoid it. And if you find yourself wall- ed up on ad sides, why, it is time enough then to sit down in despair. The poet has well described the persevering mnn • "I^''^<lutyvveretobepeiformed Straight to the mark, like anw from a bow . lie darted, passing- crowds of busy men Who turned, and wondered wliy Jie went so fast And why lie went at all. But on he went ' Mountains and rivers never checked liis course Nothmg could daunt him." ' "Ah! but I have seen The swiftest arrow Wtwte/ at the point % the hard rock on which it struck." " You have ! And I hare seen the blunted arrow 5/.«.;,.„,j 1 he metal newly tempered, and the wci-Jit So mcely balanced,-it wen', whizzing bj With piercing certainty, and in tlie ;W ' It quivered. Yes-give me the dauntless man, Who flinches not from labor or fatio-ue But moves right on upon the path of ilutv God will stand by the man who boldly stands By God s command,-will give him energy And courage noiv ; and after give success." ^ The Age requires Men tnat are willing to labor. There IS no greater impediment to a young man's progress in lifel .thing more effectual to keep him low in Lleale of beL ploymen . I have heard of a man who declared that if it had been caJle, any thing else he could manage it very wd but be never could get ovor thnt intolerable nanfo"" t ^^^P « rnk'M ■m 15 Whether it is the name that frightens people now-a-days I don't know. It is certain, however, that from some cause or oilier, there prevails a great objection to the thing itself. There is no lack of a love for shifting and schemmg and speculating, but tliere is a lack of love for honest, healthy, art've Work. I have no desire to depreciate those who can turn their brains to good account in promoting an honest advancement ; but I certainly do depreciate those who are un- willing to work at all,— or are desirous, no matter what their positio°n, to make the head do all the labor, and su^- the hands and feet to do none. And I do say that these are not the Men the Age requires : there are enough of them already. We want men that are willing to use all their powers ; men that in whatever condition of life they are placed, have an eye to see what is necessary to be done, and heart to do it. Men that will not waste an hour in scheming and contriving how they may get a piece of labor effected, without bending their own backs, ruffling their own clothes, or smarting their own finders, when at the risk of this little inconvenience, they could easily accomplish it themselves in five minutes. We want men that are neither too proud nor too indolent to ivorh. "Action, action," was the motto of Demosthenes, and by following its principle, he rendered his own name as immortal as the classic land of his birth. Youno- Man, the world is before you. You have to make your own place in it. If you wish that place to be an honor- able one, don't be afraid of work. There is dignity in labor : it is only your shallow-brained upstart that would consider it 7nean. Never be ashamed of healthy, thrifty, honest labor. Don't mind what other people think or say of you for working ; they are just as likely to find fault with you if you don't. A gentleman had occasion to require a little piece of manual Tabor. Thinking it not worth while to employ a man to do^ it, he set about it himself. His opposite neighbor seeing him. t B 16 exclaimed, - Look at so and so, ho is so miserably mean that he would rather do that job hi.nsolf than pay mm poor fellow a trifle for doing it." The other heard it, and began to thmk^ that perhaps it was, as we used to say at College, infra dig., beneath his dignity to be thus engaged. The next time ho required the same work done, he hired a man to perform it. Ilis same observing neighbor was considerate enough to remark-- There is a man that would actually take the trouble to go after a laborer and pay him to do that little job, and then waste his time in watching him at it, when ho might have done it all himself in ten minutes. V/hat a des- picable thing it is to be lazy !" Then, my friends, you want to acquire lcnowhdcje—\^\,^x for It. Do not depend upon your natural abilities, however bright tdey may be. It is only by hard, determined, inflexible application that yoa can develope the powers of body or of inind. Labor is the only road to wealth, and labor is the only road to wisdom. There is no royal path now-a-days to eitber. Tne son of our illustrious sovereign, the Prince of Wales, has to go to Oxford, as well as the son of the poor country parson. Aye, and if he will know as much as his humble compeer, ho will have to study too. " There's no royal road to grcamess, Men must ever dime to fume : All the wealth in misers' coffers Would not huv a deathless name. Is a noble goal before 3-0 u ? Would you great achievements dure ? Brother, then, be up and doing ; Brotlier, you must ' win and wear ! ' 'Tis the lesson nature teaches All throughout her wide domain ; And the text from which she preaches l^, ' thiit labor leads to gain.' w Moral worth mv\ honest merit— Brighter crowns than mnuiu-ch'a hear — These you never can inherit : Brotlier, tliese you ' win ivml wear.' " The Age requires Men of a self-rehjinrj confidence. Tlic world Ts now so full of societies, and associations, and companies, that men are in danger of losing sight of their individuality. Let me not he supposed to despise or thmk lightly of united effort : union is strength ; and when there ar" great works to be accomplished, nothing can be so effec- tuaUs combined exertions ; but I speak of th ii cendency to lessen the efforts, and weaken the self-confidence of individ- uals. We get into the habit of supposing that we can do little or nothing, unless we have the co-operation of others. The individual is prone to hide himself in the mass ; and no- thing proves a greater drawback to his usefulness and advrncement. It is well that we should have props to sup- port us in infancy— that we should have leading strings to walk in, when we are absolutely unable to walk without them. But it is well also, that in due time these props and leading strings should be removed, and we left to our own resources. That beautiful sample of scientific skill, the arch, must be properly supported while it is being turned, but when the key-stone is inserted the form is withdrawn— the arch settles down upon its own strength, and the more weight is placed upon it, the firmer it becomes. Is there a youth that has been raised In luxury and case, sheltered and pro- tected by his parents or friends? Is he inclined to lean on them still for support, to avoid personal responsibilities, to live entirely under the guidance of others, and to remain secure from all the difficulties and dangers of active life ? then, let me tell hiui, that while he does so he will never rise above the level of a helpless, useless, dependant. If he wishes to become anybody, or anything— if he ever expects to attain a mt'^,^m<m-:mmmmmmmmmmm'msmmm If! ' 18 lio.sitlon of manly and orcdifnllo in(lo|)on(lonoo— be will knock away these supports from liiniself, even if 1,1s friends are not anxious to witlulraw them f.om him. The old eao-le driven her young out of the nest, to try their wings and°developo their strength, and tlius teaches them to cLave the air for them- selves, that they may ]>e able to rise above the storni-a wholesome example for indulgent parents, if they would see their oflF:^pring prepared to meet the storms and hardships of life. The great majority of those who have made their way to eminence and distinction were early thrown upon their own resources. Daniel Webster and lienry Clay-names of which our American neighbors may well be proud— be<^an their career pennyless and friendless, but with an indonmrbk energy and self-relying spirit. At the age of 17 John Pri- deaux left his father's humble cottage : his worldly all con- sisting of a change of linen and a few coins in a leathern ba^^ • some years after he returned, one of the greatest scholars '^.f the day, and Bishop of Worcester. Eobert Stephenson com- menced life as the son of an obscure day-laborer, working with lis f-ither, for a few shillings a day, in a coal-pit. He i;ft be- hind h.m at Its close, the other day, half a million of money the noblest achievements of engineering skill in the world' and a deathless fame. Dr. Livingston, who learned the rudi- ments of Latin over a spinning-jenny, qualified himself, by his own exertions, to become one of the greatest travellers of the age, and to carry the glorious Gospel of Jesus (as he is now doing) to the very centre of benighted Africa ' But why enumerate ? In every rank we find men that were early left to the exercise of their own powers, trained in the rou^h experience of life to bear its hardships, and to perform fts duties ; and almost invariably we find them, noted by their life, and esteemed by their fellows, as men of rnjlnence respectability, and worth. 19 .'gan In innnlratinc; selfreUmicp, do not tliinl', my young frlonds, that I want to olierlsh that dospicahlo spirit that ia sometimes put in its place — self-cnnreit. There is quite enough of that among tlio young ah-eady. Perliaps the present age has the share of other ages and its own hesltles : certainly no previous one could ])oast of more. There is your narrow-niinded, vain-conoeited, youth, wiio is several inches taller in his owvi estimation now at 20, than ho will be at 05. Friends and relatives may advise and suggest, urge and per- suade him for his good ; but ho has so much moral buckrum about him that he cannot stoop to listen to their counsel, lie thinks it would destroy his manhood forever if ho should attend to the voice of experience and ago. He has little to do, and spends his time in making himself, in his own eyes, an accom[)lishod (/ent, but in the eyes of every one else a, jntiable fop. There is your young haK-taught mechanic, who thinks he knows as much, if r ■ more, than his nipstor. He breaks away from his restraint, to try the world alone, and comes out a miserable hotch. And there is your flighty young clerk, who fancies himself an accomplished merchant. Ho is ready to risk his thousands, even where experienced heads have failed ; and turns out a mortified, and, not un- likely, dishonest hankrupt. Those characters are plentiful enough. It is not such a spirit as this I vnsh to encourage, my friends, when I advise you to rely upon your own re- sources. I don't want any to run away with the idea that he is the wisest man in the world, — that he knows every- thing, and there is nothing more that he can know. I don't wish you to conceive that you are ready to walk over ever;^ - body's head before yoi; have a leg to stand upon. I don't want you to overrate your powers ; but to have a correct idea ol what your pv^wers are. I don't want you to scorn to acquire knowledge ; I want you to make the best use of what knowledge you get. I want you to combine self-co •iknce i H_%.i,=^ *i._*«isj,^^ 20 wIHi //;//;;/% ; to have a just son«o of the imperfection of jour attainmonts ; Init. at the same tiu.o, of the vant amount wlii.-l. you can, nevertheless, aecom|,Ii.Mh, if y„u call these athumnents into active use. IW-Get -your arch erected. Kai.so the necessary structure of ekTuentary knowled^ro. Get hold o^rH,htjmn:,pk8, as the keystone, to unite, cni- plete. and give striugth to the whole ; and then knock awny the props; settle down upon your own bearings; learn to become self-sunportmg; and you will find, that with your increasmg trials will come enlarged ox,.erience, accumulate.! wisdom, and consolidated strength. Bring your own powers to the test ; and manly vigor, talent to pl;,n, and enerc^y to execute, will soon be developed. Y..u will become ^suc- cessful, and may become a meful and rnfluenlial man. The Age requires Men possessing decision of character • -Aien that will heartily say Yes, if convinced of the rhdit' but wnen satisfied of the wrong, can as firmly say No. Finn- ness IS a most valuable trait. Without it a man is not worth a button, nor ever can be. Without it a man becomes a r^ood natured nobody. The poverty-stricken possessor of but\.ne Rohtary principle, that of obliging everybody under the sun nierely for the asking. He is like the judge who invarinbW decided according to the views of the closing speech. Havinrr no mind of his own, such a man is a mere cypher, without weight of character, and utterly destitute of influence. He can never command th. .ess^ect or e.term of his fellow-men • all that he ever w;iJ o.,^^ i^ ^ sort of patronizing pity' Ihemanto be respected and admired, and who will carry multitudes with him, whether right or wrong, is i.e wh. plants his foot upon a spot, and keeps it there, no matter what may oppose him ;~the very rage of opposition but gives new in- spiration to his stability of purpose, and makes him see that at he is ,.0 much the more a man. It is said of Washing.- ton, that he was never known to desert a cause which he had TW til onco e'n})racu(l, or channo an opinion wiU(!li, f:om n full know- ledgo of faots, ho hu'l deliboratuly forinud. In this rospect Washington waj a mode*! ; ami his caroor tostifiof that tho. 3 is nothing lost by being firm. Young Men, if you want to make the most of life, lot your character be marked by decision. Yf u will effect an im- mense saving of time, of labor and of trouble by being deci- ded. Why, some people spend half their time in trying to make up their mindn on matters that come before them, and after all remain in that pitiable state of uncertainty, the most wearing and unhappy of all states. They ( ontiimo to vacillate and »,aver, and one half that they do brings thorn dissatisfac- tion and vexation, because it is done without any fixedness of purpose. My in"inds, learn to act in all your undertakings, whether great r small, with decided firmness. After duj consideration, make up your min^ about every thing that de- mands your attention. Let your decisions bo like the laws of the Modes and Persians — unalterable : but take care, first, that they have proceeded from a sound head and good heart, — je sure that they are right. The Young IVTan for an Age like this, with its many ques- tionable maxims, and still more questionable practices, must leurn to take his stund upon the rock of riyht, — must resolve io adhere, rigidly, unswervingly adhere, to the principles of equity and truth. The world will tell you that this cannot bo done always ; that to get on in life, you must not be over- scrupulous ; that you must comply with, or at least counte- nance, many little transactions that will iiot bear to be too closely scrutinized ; that, in fact, you cannot be decidedly correct in everything, and be safe. But is there no God who controls the affairs of men ? Is not truth stronger than false- hood, right safer than wrong ? Do we not see in our limited views of the world, that tlie good as it struggles with !he evil is ever advancing ; that like a licrcules, it is strangling one w M M w lifter another of the scri)cnts that arc coiled around it, and tramplmg^theni under its feet? Can you stand by the Truth safe/i/ ? To bo sure you can. Temporary inconvenience you may have to endure ; present loss you may sustain ; but in the long run you are safe. Right will yet triumph over wrong, good over evil; aye ! and the man who has faitlifullv acted his part in the contest, will have the satisfaction Jf knowing that he has aided the glorious triumph. And what Ihougli you could not do it safely ! Better to risk any loss, and make any sacrince,— far better to risk even life if neces- su.y in standing boldly for the riglit, than to meet the reproof of a guilty conscience, and the anger of a God, in yielding to the wrong. At the critical moment in the battle of Waterloo when every thing depended upon the steadiness of the British nmks, courier after courier dashed into the presence of the Duke of Wellington, announcing that unless the troops at an nnportant point were inmiediately relieved or withdrawn, they must soon yield to the impetuous onsets of the French. By each of these the Duke sent back the same stern messaoo -Stand firm I" - But we shall all perish," remonstrated tlie oftcer. -Stand firm!" was the reply of the iron-hearted chieftan. - You'll find us there," answered the other, as he fiercely galloped away. And so he did. Every man of that doomed brigade fell bravely figliting at his post-but Water- loo was tvon / Safely ! They are only the faint-hearted and , craven who speak of inexpediency and danger. -He that is truly brave asks only, " Is it right ?" You may be threatened with temporal suffering~with the disjjlcasuro^bfyour.-chi. , ployers— with dismissal from your situation- with tlk^ with- drawal of custoniers-with tlie alienation of friends^-with •' all thmgs that are feared by the timid and selfish. Let sm% answer ever be, - Is it riglit Y" Whatever sacrifices or suf - fermgs it may involve, stand by the rujht. Though the world * should assad you ; though friends should misunderstand you • ' I tliongh your firmness be mistaken for obstinacy, and your faithfulness for conceit : tlioun;]i difFieultie.s sliouki thicken around yuu ; though clouds should gather over you ; — take your stand upon the rock of right ; plant your foot there, and there remain, despite the tompost and the storm, looking with calm, unfaltering eye on the angry billows, heedless of the thunder's distant murmuring and the lightnino:'s nearer flash — Stand upon the rigid, and stand firm. o Once more, the Age requires Men of Christian principles. This, my friends, I adduce in conclusion, perhaps I should have placed it at the very beginning. Doubtless it stands, both in importance and in time, preeminently first. I have pointed out a few traits of character which I think your -well- being demands to be exercised and strengthened, especially in this rapid and fitful Age ; but think not for one moment that even these if cherished independently and alone, will ensure your welfare. They will leave you short, infinitely short of that high and ennobling place to which I would have you aspire. To attain that place requires more than an adherence to moral principles — more than the cultivation of virtuous sentiments, it requires the development of all that comprises that exalted character — the Christian. Well did the poet smg, " The Christian is the highest Btyle of man." You will nevoff secure that position which the Almighty has fitted you to occupy, until all your aspirations, all your desires, and Itll yoitr efforts, are based upon, and influenced by, holy Christian principles. You can never desire to make that ' high object, the glory of God, your aim ; you can never have #ie' wisdom or ability to carry out that desire, unless you ■ possess that which the world dislikes, but every manly spirit loves, ])urity auRilpic^ty of heart. W<»uld y^^n ])e prcipared to %: -»t »> -°--'-^*-'-ifiF- 24 run a noble rnce, worthy of the name of man ? Then you will start with God for your Father, Christ for your Saviour, the Spirit for your Guide, and Heaven for your Eternal Home. If you would 1)0 adipted to the requirements of the Age, you must be a Christian, aye, a decided, active, zealous. Christian. It is an age when all the powers of darkness are mustering to do battle with the truth, and to crush the good. The emissaries of Satan are active, errors and false doctrines abound, lusts and vices rage. These, my friends, are God's enemies and yours. He has a mighty work to perform here, and He invites you to be His agents to perform it. He calls upon you to be the Regenerators of the World, to go forth in His strength and fearlessly oppose the evil, and support the truth. He requires you to be faithful Witnesses for him in a world of darkness, and to comir-once a life of holiness now, which will be perfected in glory. Let it be your highest aim to do a Christian's work upon earth. Let it be your noblest aspiration to fit your soul for heaven. Like the eagle in hi^ flight, who, strong in his mountain vigor, keodless of the polting hail, defying the flashing fire, pierces the thunder cloud and soars still onward and aloft ; till he leaves the storm raging fiir beneath him, and floating in the calm of the -:pper air, draws light fi-om the fountain of the sun, and basks in his golden rays. So let it be with you. .Be true to your God as the eagle to his aim ; and you will breast successfully every opposing ill, you will pass througli the dark clouds of trouble unimpeded and unhurt ; until, stand '""• with the storm beneath your foet, you will enjoy the heavenly calm of an approving conscience, and summer in the blissful smile of the God whom ^ju adore. ■ k 25 " Higher, higlier, ever higher- Let thy watcliword be ' Aspire !' Noble Christian youth ; Whatsoe'er be God's behe^c, Try to do that duty best In the strength of truth. " Let a just ambition lire Every motive and desire, God and man to serve ; Man with zeal and honor due, God with gratitude most true, And all the spirits nerve ! " From the perils deep and dire Of temptation's sensual mire. Keep thy chastened feet ; Dread, and hate, and turn away From the lure that leads astray :— Satan's pleasure eheat ! " And while thus a self-denyer, Stand the stalworth self relyer, Bravely battling on, Though alone,— no soul alive Ever stoutly dared to strive. But saw the battle won ! " Higher, then, and always higher ; Let man's motto be ' Aspire ! ' Whosoe'er he be : Holv liver! happy dicr! Eimh's poor best, and heaven's chou' Are rcoorved fur tuke ! "