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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessair?. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 32 X 1 2 3 4 5 6 LIFE AND CONDUCT BY J. CAMERON LEES, D.D., LL.D., EDINBURGH. ^f TORONTO: WILLIAM BRIGGS, WbSLEV BuiI.DINCiS. Montreal : C. \V. COATES. Halifax : S. F. HUESTIS. 1896. ^7 lUl Entered, according to Act of the Parliament nf r . ■ thousand eifft,. . .uulredand nin« v , ^'*""^''''' "' the year one Departn,ent , , .v,..,culture ' ' ''' '''"''''^" ''«'°°«- -^ the INTRODUCTION. , Tins book has been selected from the «' Guild •' Series " for young people, published in Scotland, and ^ reprinted in Canada by permission. ,| The wise counsels and practical suggestions with which this hook abounds make it eminently suit- ^able for the Epworth League Reading Course. We fcommend it to all young people who are desirous to form their character on the Christian model and to carry religious principle into the practical affairs ^of common life. Some of the chapters will furnish material for interesting programmes in the Literary Department. 3 iW 1 o C w ]W til CO ,st< ch sei Jai be( ab] fro: ■* PRHFACE. This hand-book has been written at the request of the Christian T.ifo and Work Committee of the Churcli of Scotland as one of a series of volumes which it is at present issuing for the use of Young Men's Guilds and Bible Classes. The object of the writer has been to show how the principles of religion may be applied to the conduct of young men, and in the practice of every- day life. In doing this he has endeavored to keep steadily in view the fact that the book is designed chielly as a manual of instruction, and can only pre- sent the outlines of a somewhat wide subject. His language has been necessarily simple, and he has been often obliged to put his statements in an abbreviated form. Most of the contents of this book have been drawn from a long and somewhat varied experience of life : B L- VI I'UEFACE. but the author has also availed himself of M.o writ- ings of others who have written hooks for the special benefit of young men. llo has appended a list of works which he lias consulted, and has endeavored to acknowledge his indel.te.lness for any help in the way of argument or illustration that they have fifforded him. It will he a great gratification to him to learn that the hook has heo,i in any way useful to the young men, of whose position, duties, and ten.p- tations he has thought much when writing it ; and he sends it forth with the earnest prayer that the S[.irit of God may bless his endeavors to be of service to those whoso interests he, in connnon will, bis breth.ren in the n.inistry, regards as of para- mount importance. Edinbitroh, ;^Sth June, 1S93. insclf of tho writ- oK's for tho special ppciulcd fi list of (1 has ondeavored or any help in the il»iU they hav.' to him to learn ay useful to th(> 11 ties, and temp- i writing it; and pra3'er tliat tlic ?avors to bo of in connuon with ,rds as of para- CONTIiNTS. tllAI'. I. ClIARACTKR II. SurcKss IN Life III. Pkksonal InFI,URN(E IV. Fkiends V. Money VI. Time ... VII. COUUAOE VIII. Health IX. Earnestness X. Manners XI. Temi'er XII. Recreation XIII. Books XIV. Family Life XV. Church XVI. Citizenship Appendix - List of Works - PAOR 9 20 34 47 61 7.J 86 97 109 120 131 142 154 167 178 189 201 206 ff i I EVEI clept'i W'l As w or a , " I do By at tli(j and t very ( "vvhoiii antl i'r It i alono' able J iAFE AND CONDUCT CHAPTKK J. P CHARACTER. EvE.iYT,(ryo in th. prnctical conduct of life depends upon diameter. Wl.nt is cl.aract(>r ? What ,lo we mean hy it v As when we say such a n.an is a bad cliaracter or a ^n,od clmracter. or when we use tlie words " I don't liko the character of that man." % character we m.an what a n.an really is at the back of all his actions and his reputation and the opinion the world has of bin, in the very depth of his boin. in the sight of God, "to ^vl^om all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid " It is said of Burns, the poet, that wdking a ono. the streets of Edinburgh with a fashion^ al>le acquaintance, ho saw a poorly-dressed LIFE AND COXDT^Cr. peasant, whom ho rnsho.l up to an.l o-reoterl as ^i iainihar I'rion.l. Tfis compa.iio.i oxpressod his •surprise tliat lie could lower Inn.self l.y speakin. to one m so rustic a o,u.b. " Fool ' " sai.l the poet, with flashing- oyc; "it was not the dress the peasant's l)onnet and hodden gray, I spoke to. Imt the n.an within-the n.an who beneath that bonnet has a hea.l, an.l beneath that hod- ^lon o-ray a hea)-t, better than a thousand such as yours." AVhat the poet termed the "man wHlnn," what the Scripture calls the "hidden ^"^"^ of* the heart," is character-the thine, a man really is. Now, there are five things to be rejiiembered about character. I Character is a growth.-As the man without grows, so the man within grows also- ^a-ows day by day cuther in beauty or in deform- ity. We are becoming, as the days and years pass on, what we shall be in our future earthly lif. Avhat we shall be when that life is ended. No' -one becomes what he is at once, whether what Ho IS 1k> good or bad. You may have se(Mi m the winter-time an icicle forming under the oaves of a house. It grows, one drop at a tiin. CflAUACTER. 11 1 ^Toctod as xpressed liis 'O' «peakiiig •'" said the t tlio dross, ay, I spoke lio beneath li tJiat hod- iisaiid siicli tlie "man le "Jiiddeii 10 thincr a things to tlic man ows also — in deform - years pass irtldy lil',^ ided. Xo tJior wJiat liave seen inider the at a time. until it is nioi-e than a Coot lono-. Jf the water is clear, the icicle remains clear and sparkles in the Sim: hut if the water is mud.ly, the icicle looks dirty and its l.eauty is spoiled. So our characters are Forme.! ; one little th<.no-ht or feelino- ..,,t a time adds its inihienc If those thou outside. Tlio horny hand tells of the life of CHAUACTEK. 13 'Utward life ill bo. reputation bo lield ill <1 yofc may as liis char- tlio parable i<4'lit of, Imt nan who is is regarded 3II0W him ly a moan ' the real -n by what ; for what t. " Tlieso :ton, arc I many a in in tlieiii nmst not : wo are lin extent from the e life of lalx)r; tlie deep-sot 1)row tolls of the thinker. In other words wo have a riol,t to judf,^e a man by his habitation. If the fences are broken down, tlio paths are nnkopt, the flower-bods full of ,veeds, wo may lie pretty sure the in- habitants are idle, thriftless, perhaps intem- perate. Ho a clear eye, a tirm stop, an open countenance, toll of a pure, good soul within. For example, a man of coM exterior or of formal manner may often have a warm heart under it all ; a man of rough manners may have kindly feelings that he cannot express. Wo are often long in the company of men before wo really know them, and then the discovery of what they are comes on us by surprise. III. Character cannot be always bidden.-^- There are those who seem to tliink that they can have one sot of principles for themselves and another for the outward world : that tliey can be in their heart one thing and in society another; that they can have one character anHlis,novinf,,„.oc.-,mu,t, .1 tho ,iovic. tluvt '« upon it, ),„t who,, the .sto,.,„ „,„■„,,, t,,„ „„„ ""■ "'"' ™"' " i''-"iy ",«„..h. i„ the H,,,,,;' way w],«, tho t,.„„l,l„, „f |if„ ,,^.^^j ,_^^,^^^ _^_^_^ we ca„ ,.„,„1 eloarfy what they „.■». Agai,,, who,, we go ah.„j,. the ,,«,! ..„ ,, ,,„„„„, ,, we ofte„ ca„„.t «ee tl,e ho„.,e.s that „re co„- coaledhy the foliage of the t,-<.es : h„fc i„ wh.te,- "ne. whe„ tl,e t,.ee« are !„,,. ,„„1 leaHess, we k.>ow what ld„,l of houses ..„,. the,.e, whether tlK-y are s,,„ali,l cottages or gr,„„l ,„a„sio„.s. •So ,,, the wi„te,-ti,„e of lilV, „.he„ the k.aves are ,Iow„ a>vay, ,„e,. co,„e .a,t „,„, ,ve l<„ow what k„„l of character they I,ave bee,, h„i,.U„„ up bel„„d the scee,, of th.^i,- h'fe. ,.■!) If ti,,," «>.d sorrow ,lo „ot ..veal eh,„.acte,.. eter„ity will. « "Will appear the,,, „ot as we see,,,, but «-veare. Ch.'i.st i.s to be our j,„lge. Consider wliat a striking thing it is in the life „f Christ that H,s searching glance .seen,od to go right to "'.:, !'"•""■'' '° *'"' I'i'I'lo" ."„tive, to the „,an w.tl™, "He knew what was in ,„an.» A poor wcnan passed by Him as He sat in the temple. She was poverty-stricken in her garb i? r' 16 LIFE AND CONDUCT. and slic stole up to the coiitrn)uti(jii-box and dropped in lier oirerino-. Chn.st's olance went rij^dit beyond lier outward appearance, and be- yond her small and almost imperceptible offer- ing, to the motive and character. " She hath given more than they all." All sorts oi' people were around Him : Pharisees, with their phylac- teries ; Scribes, with their sceptical notions ; Samaritans, with their vaunted traditions : but He always went right beyond the outward show. The Samaritan was good and kind, though he got no credit for piety : the Pharisee was corrupt and self-seeking, though he got no credit -for piety; the Publican was a child of God, though no one would speak to him. Christ reversed the judgment of men on those people whom they thought they knevv^ so well, but did not know at all. So it shall be at the last ; we shall be judged by what we are. IV. Character alone endures. — What a man has he leaves behind him ; what a man is he car- ries with him. It is related that when Alexan- der the Great was dying he commanded that his hands should be left outside his shroud, that all men mio world ho Before S? lie called before In* him to fai in which "This is a of all his that deat nothing m- But what All that ti with us. that neith which thie did treasui ciplined po and loving- can carr^'^ ij world." We are but If we can s Much yoocl 2 I ClIAKACTER. 17 men inio-ht see that, thou^lt con,,ueror „f the worM he ccuhl take nothing- uway with liin. Betore Saladin the Great uttered his hint sigh he caHed the he,-ald who luid carried his banner before hin, in all Ins batth's, and connnanded Hnn to fast<.n to the top oF the spear a siu-oud ■n which he was to be buried, an.I to proclaim, "This, sail that remains to Saladin the Great of all his glory." So men have felt in all ages that death strips tJiem, and that they ta'ke nothing with them of what they haNe gained. But what we are ourselves we take with us. AH that time has made us, for good or evil, goes Mnth us. We can lay up treasures in ourselves that neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and which thieves cannot steal away. " The splen- did treasures of memory, the treasures of dis- ciplined powers, of enlarged capacities, of a pure and loving lieart, all are treasures which a man can carry in him and with him into that other world." We are but farmers of ourselves, yet may, If Ave can stock ourselves and thrive, uplay Much good treasure ior the great rent-day. ^^Doxnb. 18 lAFE AND CONDUCT. "AH the jewels ;tn.l gold a man can collect h(> l)s from his l,anf 8t. Paul we have a striking instance how connng to Christ effects a change in character He became a different man from what he was • lie received a new inward life : a transh'guring change passed over the entire character : the life lie lived in the flesh became a life of faith in the Son of God ; and his experience has been the experience of many. The source of the highest and noblest character is Christ. (2) Christ is also the standard of a noble character ; the true Ideal of manhood is found in Him: "the stature of the fulness of Christ." Take the following L'HAItAcrKlt. \U '"'""■"""" ■ " I" W"""-l H-0 travH „.„,„ ],„t,,, "-'■■ '[' """-•- -tl. ^Veneh ,„o,K.v. i„ Tc T"'. "■'"' "-- ""^'y. The St,;,,,,,,,,, f ho CO,,,,,,. v,>,.ies wit,, ,..,,^ ,,,^^. „.^, ;; '■""■"■■""*'''-'•— ta„.,a..,, of eoin,,;.. wo ->v ,..t .,o„,e eo,...„pt., ,„„,„, „,. ,^„„; ooin, )j„t t ,0 stiin.I,,,-,, „f „ • ■ "^ ,,' '-''""'"'■■' f"-' tl'.. C,„.i„ti„„ i„ t,„. ,..„„. "-"«i.o,.t t„. ,..„..„ „„„ ,■„ „„ ;^;^'2 n.obe»^„.e.,„.otho.„„,oeo,„oeho„o,.,.o.:„ . 1. »o «.,.o eo,„e no,u.o„t to it a..o t,,„.,e w,,o «.ll'lobe.,t„,tho,„,,etie,.leo„,luctonife. :i! r CHAPrER II. SUCCESS I\ LIFK. We often hcfir the woi'd mccestt iisetl. The great wish that most have in l)eginni!ig Hfe i.s that they may Ijc succe.ssful. (Jne man constantly asks another the (|ue,stion regarding a third, How has he succeeded ? What is success in Vik' ( It may perhaps be defined in tin's way : It is to obtain the greatest amount of happiness possible tons in this world. There are two things to be borne in mind in estimating what success is : I. Lives which according to some are suc- cessful must in the highest sense be pro- nounced failures.— The idea of many is that success consists in the gaining of a livelihood, or competency, or wealth; but a man may gain these things who yet cannot be said to have succeeded. If he gets w^ealth at the expense of SUCCESS I\ l.FI'i:. 21 iH'altl., or if 1.0 rrots it by n.oans of trickery an.I •I'NhoneHt practices, 1„. can l.a.-.IIy 1... said to imv. suceeo,l..,I. U.- .lo.s not ^^ot real J.appincss w.tl. It. If a ,„an oains the wl.ol.. worM a...! l<'.se.s his ow.. soul, h.. cannot 1... sai.l to have succeede.1. True succss in lile is when a lair •sluue of the worMs 000.1 ,Ioes not cost either physical or intellectual or n.oral well-h.-ino-. II Lives v'hich according: to some are fail- ures must in the highest sense be pronounced successful.-TJu. lilV of our l.lessed Lonljnan one point of view, was a failure. It was passed in poverty, it clo.sed in dai-kness. We see Hin. erowned with thorns, hufteted, spit upon ; yet never was Clirist so successful as when Me huno- "pon the cro.ss. He liad finished the work .dven Hnntodo. He"sawof the travailof His send and was satisfied." Milton completed his Paradise Lost and a bookseller only gave hin. fifteen pounds for it, yet lie cannot be said to have failed. Speak, History, who are lifo'.s victors? unmll thy lone annals and say, ° Are th.y those whom the world calls victors, who won the success of the day, fi !i!,. rii' ( • 14 22 LIKI. WD coVDrrT. The martyrs uv Nero .' The ypiirtnns who fell at Thor- nu.pyhe'a tryst Or the Pursi.ma c.r Xerxes/ His judges or Socrates? Pihite or Clirist ? What ii.ny st'om (k't'eat to sonui may h.- in tlir tnic'Ht .sense .succe.sN. There are cet fain thlnrja which ilivedlif l(iii;ettin^r on witlionl lal.or. We live in times of great competition, and it' a man does not woi-k, and work hanl, lie is soon Jostled aside and falls into the rear. It is true now as in the days of Solomon that " the hand of tiie dilii^enl maketh rich." (<0 There are .some who think they can dis- pense with hard work becau.se they po.s.sess great natural talents and ability— that clever- ness or genius can be a .sul)stitute for dilio-ence Here the old fable of tlie hare an started to run a race. The hare, trusting to ):• u, mv] gift of Heetne.ss, turned aside and lo..: :, sleep: ^he tortoise ■si'o.-fxs m un:. 2:1 woll-.s..t,„„..„ ,,.,«„. e...,.,,„., „„„ „,„„^,„ ^^,, : '"■ r"""" '■ ''^ 1«»>--'- TI,o ..Everest !"™ ''"^-^ '-" "^- «-■»' -lust,,. , „„„,.„,: '"^' ''^''-•-""-- No truly e,„i,„.„t ,„„„ wa, (Z-) The.,, ,u.e »„„„. wh„ think that succa, is ' ""'■'7" •""""- "f«-hat they oul|..l,K.k •■ '" '•™ ';' '"' ^'•■™-'»-» "ve.. which they Mvehtl,.o,.„oeo„t.,,l. If ci™„„,tanee.s are -oral. .they need not work; if they ,„,.„„. -•oral e tl,ey „ee,l not work. So far fron. n,an -..« he creature of eirc,nn,tances ho .shouhl atl.er be termed the a,.hiteet of cire„n,.st,,ncea „ ''7 ""',™'"^ ""*•'■'•'''« "■■« ".a.. h„il,l.s palaces «..J ...KKher hovels. Briek.s an,l n.ortar are ■;'"''"■ ■'"^' ^"^•''» 'i" '!'» ™-el.iteet n.akes .sonu- tlnng out of then.. I., the san.e way, o„t of the Hme c.rc„,n.stanees one ,„an .-ear., a stat,.|y ecli- "'7-'".'7".""'--''J'-"l".co.n,,ete.,t,liifor ve a,n.d n.n,s. Circun,st,.nees .,„,.|y eon,,„er •'»tio.,f.-.„an;hecon,,u„,.sthen,. He iii uH «* IJFE AND C'0NI)U(;T. Breaks his birth's invidious l)ar And grasps the skirts of happy chance, And breasts the blows of circumstance, And grapples with his evil star. -Trnnyson. Against all sorts of opposiiif,^ obstacles the o-rorit workers of the world fought their way to triumph. Milton wrote Paradise L(M in l.lindncss and poverty. Luther, before he could establish the Reformation, had to encounter the ])restioo of a thousand years, the united power of an imperious hierarchy and the ban of the German Empire. Linnanis, studying botany, \Nas so poor as to be obliged to mend his shoes with folde.l paper and often to beg his meals of his friends. Coluni^nis, the discoverer of America, had to besiege and importune in turn the states of Genoa, PoHugal, Venice, France, England, and Spain, before'^he could get the control of th.-ee small vessels and 120 me.i. Hugh Miller, who became one of the first geological writers of his time, was appren- ticed to a stonemason, and while working in the '">«• away fVon, the goal, all his activity will not Ml> ..,„. So, i„.lu.stn„us habit., are not .,„f- hcent, „„.e.s,s we have a distinct idea of ^vhat wo -a.nnngat, Tho world i.s f„l, of „„,,„„„^^, pope, and ,snch people con,e to nothing. 't,,o,, «■'■« ave ™cco..led best have chosen ^hoir in and stuck to it. |>ne great ai.n, like a guicling-star above, NV Inch tasked .strength, wisdon,stateIine.s.s, to lift Iheir „.a„hoocl to the height that takes the pri.e. Browning. («) Tho choice of a trade or profe.s.sion is of e«orn,oa,i,npor(ance in settling onrain, in life, Me;. 01 en fad from having adopted a calling for : ':" ^^- ^"^ ™''-3- ""««ed. The round ■"an M, the s<,„aro hole is a pitiful spectacle It SI '('CESS IN LIFE. 27 is ilirHcnlt to lay down any special rule in regard to the choice of a profession or Inisines.s. Some are obliged to take wliate\'er opi)ortiiiiity offers, and others have to lieoiii work at too early an ao-e to permit them to Foi'm n true idea of what they are best fitted for, and iireoblio-ed to follow the w'slies of others rather than their own. This only we can say, tl.at so far as wc have a choice we should adopt the callino- that is most conoenial to us and suits our inclinations. "Crasp the handle of your beiiin- " was the direction given by a Avi.se counselh^r to one who sought advice as to what calling he should follow. Eseryone has certain aptitudes and as f;ir as he is able shouhl keep them in view. There is often a distinct indication at a very early period of life for what we are best fitted. " The tastes of the boy fore- shadow the occupations of the man. Fer<--uson's clock carved out of wood and supplied with ru.lest mechanism ; Faraday's tiny electric ma- chine made from a common l)ottle ; Claude Lor- raine's pictures in ilour and charcoal oji the walls of the bak.Ts' shops; Canova's moy tim,s and notl.„,g lo„„ eo,„es t„ „otl,i„„ i„ the o„d. If thou canst plan a i,ol,le deed And nevei- Hag till it suoceod ";7'"" """"■* "'.vl.ea.tsl,„„lj,,fe,j, "hatever obstacles cjnlend ILou It ,vin the ,,ri.c,tJ,o„'lt,.c„„l,t,,e ,,„„,. CHA.S. MaCKAY, c) The lu^kov our purpose is, the ..eater our attainiuent is h'kelv to ho Ti n f K. 1 , •• ^''^' "*>W*^'i- our ideaJ the nobler our sucpps^ Tf ' sav it hnf -f • '"'' paradoxical to ■'>^y It, but It ,s true, that no one ever reached a l?oal without startino- fVoni if • n "^ ""m It. no one ever won nil SUCCESS IX LIFE. 29 a victory without bejriuning tlie battle with it; no one ever succeeded in any work without first Hnisiiiiiir it in liis own mind. Pitch thy behavior low, thy projects high, >So Shalt thou humble and magnanimous be. Sink not in spirit ; who ainieth at the sky Shoots higher much than he who means a tree. G. Herbert. When we g-o forward to life we should make up our mind what we intend to make of life. Make up your mind aftei- prayer to God, and work for that. The third essentinl to success in life is Moral Character, in its various elements of honesty, truthfulness, steadiness, temperance. " Honesty is the h.st policy" is one of those worldly niHxims that express the experience of mankind. A small leak will sink a o-reat ship. One bad string in a harp will turn its music into discord. Any flaw in moral character will sooner or later J ring disaster. The most hopeless wrecks that toss on the broken waters of society are men who have failed from want of moral character. There are thousands of such from whom much sir 30 ^\•^l.s ''""'' -^^'^ c'-''tOan,I,ri,/, it ba.sket "■'" '""to (u„ |,,t '■' "'■ ^"-.s stu.I '><'a,.( t^^nts, J/, called h'.S ^vlio Jja,l '■ait.s (,f of (J leiii- 'llNcd ^•J-icf »Soi '*"'"^' to „ot/i '""^•''- What b. ^^■Hs Mant „r el Jill! •OU.r/it ll(_ ^^'*-"t to dvhik of t) itjj H'lll- ''inict,.r, of tl (I' ■OOfl 'ad ■^";-e, otiiens to tl pi'i'icipJe counts f-u. 111 otl '■'•« to ]„.,. „j. 'iriJiV lOl- \v froiii ihih ^^'tti ^<> >i distinct ''"'^ tijosc ^■«Hdor til ann, eiJi useless. 8J Wo -but Q\v ■ f"IMl(,'. Jt ent,s. U,, '"tJ-caits (,f letcr, of '' iiiijiy 'i iiiaii tilt of. ■'ition. SUCCKSS 1\ l,i|.].;. 31 and sure often ^-o tooether. The slow train is often the safest to travel by, hut woe ])e to it an.l to us if we Hnd the race 1^ M-e have trust in God and the hopefulness' that conies from reli^don, we will find heart to tiy a^rnin : ^e will not be utterly cast down Christian faith keeps men in ^'ood heart amid "•any discouragements. (/,) Even if a man or woman become rich or eleven- and have life pleasant around them, they cannot feel at the close of life that they have succeede.l if the future is dark before them. When Canlinal Wolsey, who had been the favorite of the king and lia.l long held the government of England 111 Ills hand, fell from power, he said, " If I had served my God as truly as I served my kirn- He would not have forsaken me in my gray liairs." The world is a poor comforter at the 32 I^IFE AND CONDUCT. ^'s. No,,,,,,, ,,,.«■„,,,,,„ l,,,.sl,,,co,,,o, successful m.t.l the- e.s«.nti,,l l„.p,,i„,,„ j, j,,„^,„, , el...nKo. Faith in Uluist, the faith that ,.,■ trato. tho f„tu..<. an,| hrin.^ ,,ow„ fVon, heaven '^ l-nght a„,i l,|es»e,| hopefulness, which casts .ts , Innnnation over the present scene an,l .■oveaLs the «ran.l object of existence, is essential to til > success. We cannot s,„n „p the teadiin^s of this eljap er better than in the words of a poen. of which we should try to catch the spirit: they express the very phiJos<.phy of success in life : Couniye, l.rotlier ! do not stumble, Though thy path be dark as ,.ight ; There's a star to guide the humbre ;-- Trust in God, and do the right. Let tJ.e roa.l be rough and dreary, And its end far out of sight, Foot it bravely ! strong or weary, Trust in God, and do the right. Perish policy and cunning, Perish all that fears the 'light ! Whether losing, whether winning, Trust in God, «nd do the right. SUCCESS IX UVE. 33 Trust no party, sect, or faction ; Trust no leaders in the tiyht ; But in every word and action Trust in fJod, and do the ri^'ht. Trust no lovely forms of passion,— Fiends may look like angels bright : Trust uo custom, school, or fashion- Trust in God, and do the right. Simple rule, and safest guiding, Inward peace and inward might. Star upon our jjath abiding,— Trust in God, and do the right. Some will hate thee, some will love thee, Some will flatter, some will slight : Cease from man, and look above thee,— Trust in God, and do the right. Norman M'Leod. Th;it is the way to succeud in life. CHAPTER III. I'EIISONAJ, IVn.l-EXlJK. Y,' "'\"" "'■"«'•" Close ,.ol„ti„„.s t„ „„„ .,„ "'" "'""^ ■■"">"■ » .unity, as „„,„|^,, „f iiidi wiiat sinv one nf n... i • ,„.^ ., "^ "' ''^'^^ '■'^ ^^'^'i'tain to toll «■"' others that i„fl„o„e.. co,„..s. J„„t „s „„o ":"' "■ a crowd se,Kl» ,,, ,„•, ,„„,,„,„^.„,^ ,^ - nUh,w„„,t„ a p,„Hl causes waves that ,„„v. "" "■'■^ ^'"«'-'- '■■-•cises influence beyond ""■^ knowledge an,n,ey„nU,.n..ca,o..lati,«r "»co(_Co„sc..,us and Uuconsci„„.s._The first IS WO the tici is t wo or 1101 Tli( of ii'oi his su 1 the sha ()th( the lllUl " Af the The 110 ( no sha< PERSONAL IXFLUENCK. 35 is iiiMuciico we -. "As in water face answereth to face:" this is the silent inlluence which we liave on others. There is no conscious exercise of power, there is no deliberate putting forth of strength, there is no noise as of iron against iron; but as our shadow is silently retlected in the still water, so u !'• 36 T-rFR AND CnXDr^CT. ::tr ""■■•' ■■^"~'"'i.e.-ce,i„«., timt ,swny our ou-ii. ^ 1 Direct or conscious i„flue„cc.-I„ ,,..,...,, „ ""■ ''""•''™'-. «'rt„i„ li,„,s „f ,,,.,, ,t .,_ -.nt,y ,„.ee Wit,,, .eop,„ .,,,,,,,,,' „.,,,,,,;; s^,owt,o,„t.,„.,.,«.,,t„,„.,,.,„,^^ / ii.ir.:;Vei,;i:i::;:':;:;.f ■'«."'' -•"■-■" '»un,, to ..,r.!!'rr wH,,"iT'a!°r™iir to warn t|,c„i timeoiKlv 'n ■ <.• ''""'-""' to h„ ■ , ,°"^'y- ^'"Not coiirao needs to w„o,y,,o„o, am, after prayer to ««, to *'"" ""'^ "«''">■ ^'-"t we ou,*t to ,lo it "A -".•d spoken i„ .,,,0 .season Low ,,00.1 is if ■^..eh a wor,, , , as often been blessed and n,ade .trv;"' -t;""'"" "" '"-'"' '-'" '^p-^- "'.^■t- ""-"gl'ttnue for speaking it ,sho„,d be Ilii I'F.nso^JAr. iN'FLrKSVK. 37 ir u clioHt'ii, l)ut it hI'.ouI.I not Im- I. It l.y uh unsfii.l. WhtMi Pnlcy tli<^ nivut imn-alist was u stii.lriit at Cainlirid^re l,,- wiiHtcd his tiiiK; in i.llcn.'ss nud frivolity, nn "ot utter it, then |„ „,,,„ |^^.„. ," ™.';"''y-" inK.,,oc.s„ot,.vccvi,,:L:i -I. -c„ to ,,i., „„,„ ,„„,t „^. ^2 ,""; ;""J »"'■ l""t'-«t. if .li.sti„ct and „.cN >i"octe„, a,w,,.s tc„.,.s to ,„„„. To „o .s o. ;^.s tospoa „„tfrec.,u.f..o,„..espo..i,,iL; 'obetl,e,lun,k,.„,,it„,of«,ha,„rf„|,t ,.. «.eke,l„e»«. a„,l „ot .,e l.ouo.st „„,, .,»„,„„ , -P..C.SSU.,. ou. di.,.ust a„., disapproval ;:*'": t" ™ «"°^' ■"» »"'•'" ecu n Ti.o outspolave been clone have b '1-0 by the ones." No learned society Z i It PERSONAI, INFLUENCE. 39 covered America, Imt one man, Columbus. No parliament saved English liberties, but one man, Pyn X. ifedei i nations rescued Scotland from her p(jHtical and ecclesiastical enemies, but one man, Knox. By one man, Howard, our prisons were purified. By one woman. Miss Nio'htinoale, our disgniceful nursino' system was reformed. By one Clarkson the reproach of slavery was taken away. God in all ages has blessed individual effort, and if we are strong enough to take up any special line of benevolent and Christian work that seems open to us we should not shrink from it. We should be on the lookout for it. But many from their circum- stances are not able to do so, and such can find their best opportunity by combining their own ejfoH ivith the efforts of others. There are many agencies at work in every communitv for the helping of man, and they afibrd to all the opportunity of wisely using their power of influence. This is true especially of the Chris- tian Church. It has been defined as " a society for doing good in the world." In many ways it carries on work for the benefit of (jthers. In \y \ 1 40 i^iFE AKn coNnrct. «^e^y Chnst.an cono,.egation there ouo.|.f , , «ome vvork in M-hich each of iK ? " t, -i iiej])iiig Jiaii, each ,.F fi -"-thing „i.,,,t,, ,„^.. ' "f '-' -na^- .lo «veete,- and letter" """^■■"« ""^'^tJ" ol .na,,neti,s„, " ,,,,i,'^, ""' , '"' ">"-"l« '«'* wuiekly .letoef its' , ""^ ''''"' ■■""' <"'-■« «""plest phases. ^^^'^^ «ome of its («) Think of the influence of a loo/- vn Christ stood in fh^ « . ' ^^ ^^^'» "'« Hi.,, ;, 1 "^""'^"^ of- "■<■ Pal.«=e of ^'^ JTiiest over ao-fli'ncf tr- --".g .liseiple, when H^ j f """ "'" ^"itl' oaths, it i« „.i,, „;. 7"';'™^-'"*^ H™ down into i~'7:''r';''-'-..dH,,t ;-r'„^'-i.. It ... ., oftr,:;:; tJiat his face was lito +i x ,. i^^®'^ clock. „ea,„i„, 21 : . "' "" '■"■"'"-'-1 S """-a'l'ance of hi, poetiy Ill t>EilS()NAL INFLUENX'E. 41 and wisdom " ; and it is written of out' of the most spiritually-minded of Scotchmen, Erskine of Linlathen, that " his looks were l)etter than a thousand homilies." There was something- in the very expression of his countenance that spoke to men of an inner life and of a spiritual dwelling in God. (h) Think of the influence of a smile: the smile of welcome when we call at a friend's liouse ; the smile of recognition when we meet him in the street ; the smile of pleasure which the speaker sees in his audience ; the smile of satisfaction in one to whom we haNe done an act of kindness. By the very expression of the countenance we can influence others, make their life more pleasant or more painful. There are those who by the sweetness of their denieanor are in a household like fragrant flowers. They are like the sweet ointment of spikenard which the woman poured upon Christ— the sweet per- fume of it " filled the whole house." (c) Think of the influence of sympathy. There are some natures that are gifted with a blessed power to brii%- consolation to men. It is not 42 LIFE AND coxnrcil tliat they are o-],'], ^f toi but s.ynieliow tl lii'ue le \'erv grateful to tJie sa.Idened 1 or facile of speech, ■y pressure of their hand is 'eart. The siinpl tell notl "'•lly action, of Av}„-ch wo thin], ;" powerfully on others, and unclos.r;;;;; oi feehni-- deep down in the hear id) Think of the infl e and lino-, „i ay utains • , , . -uence of example • thp «„„ple doing of what is rio-l.t thouo-J. ' "othino- about it • f J • f ^ ''''' ""^y ^*, about It , the upricrht life of a fatlier or -- n. a household: the steady conduct:f: W.^.n Ins company: the stainless character . oiaworkn,anan.on.hisconn-ades,oraboyin ;:;i^^ ^ ^" '--^ ^o tell. <.,.4; -ys]r. Snnles,"i,soneof the most potent nstructors, though it teaches without a to'ngu: It I.S he practical school of n.ankind workino- by act.on^ which is always .ore forcible tha^ woi.ls. P-eept may point to us the way, but it l^^-Uent continuous example conveyed Ls^ hab.ts, and hv-.o- with us in fact, that carries us along. Good advice has its weight, l>ut without the accompaniment of a good exan.ple it is of con.paratively sn.all influence, and it will be found that the con.mon saying of ' Do as I say :ill; PERSONA L I X FLU ENCE. 4:{ li i .I£fiUlk£> not as I do ' is usual Iv reversed in the actual experience oi' life." Cloodness makes o;ood. As a man who trims his oarden in a straight row and makes it beautiful will induce in time all his nei^fhbors to follow him, or at least to l>e ashamed of their ragged and ill-kept plots in contrast with his own, so is it that the uprioht, oood life of a sincere Christian man will silentl}- tell upon others. These are some illustrations of the power of influence unconsciously exercised, and the whole subject teaches us (1) Our responsibilitj-. If we are ready to ask, " Am I my brother's keeper ^ " the answer is, you cannot lielp being so. It is as easy to evars, philo.sophers and poets of all time have dwelt on the importance and sweetness of iiill FRIENDS. 49 tVi.'ii.lshi},. Tlir f„ MnHoriam ..f T.nnys..,. is a^rlo,.i(icati(.n oC tins ivlutionshij,. The highest of all examples of friendship is to be found in Christ. "His iH-haviuur in tliis KcauMfnl ivlationship is thr vny ,„in-or in which all true rrion.lshii, must s.-.. „n.l nn'm.r itsrir."* In His lilV, ut sr,. Mir hl.'ssinu-s ..f companionship in o-.„„|. >■ h,, i„,.,.,, ^vijj'j.y,., •»"l Imt .sister, an.l La/.ams." H,; ha.j intin.ate tVinnds in His n.ronj> ..f .liseiples. VvUn- and •'^"""s an.l J,)h.i sto(,.j t„ Hi,,, i„ ti;i,, ivlation. Tli.y w,.iv taken l,y Hin. into scenes which tlio rest of tlie (lisci|)les .]i,l ,„)t behoM. They loiew a friendship wit], Mini nn,.„joye,l by the others. And of that inner circle there whs one to whom the soni of Jesus clung with peculiar tenderncss-the beloved disciple. Human friend- ship has been consecrated for us all by this example of Christ. He offers himself to every one of us as a fru-nd : "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you." There are two things which specially show the importance of friendship : (ji 'Stalker's Imayo Chrhti. 50 LI IK AM) ((»\|»t'( T. (") \i is iv^-Mnl.'.l l.y others ,t.s a frsf ,,/ our chamrfrr. Tlir w.,itli cf ,. ,,,,.11 will always br rated l.y I. is eoinpanions. The pn.verhs of nil nations sliow this. "A man is known l.y the company he keeps." "Like .{raws to like." " Bin Is of a leather Hock to^rether." U our companions are worthless, the verdict oF society r(>^var,lin^r ns will he that we are worthless our- fsclves. This verdict may not in all cases Ix- true, Imt the i)robal.ility is that it will he true. If we are a.lmitted to the friendship of men of honor, inti'^mty and piinciple, people will come to believe in us. We would not, they will feel, be admitted into that society unlcHs we were in sympathy with those who compose it. If we wish, therefore, th.at a good opinion should be formed regarding us by (others, we need to l)e especially careful as to those with whom we associate closely and whom we admit to intimate friendship. (b) Friends have a special powder in moulding oar character. George Herbert's saying is true, " Keep good company, and you shall be of their number." It is difficult, on the other hand, to rUIKNK.s. 51 l.A 1)0 iimcli with thu silly mikI loolish willioiit Ix.'iii;; silly aiiy it. Here also the proverbs ot the world point tlxi lesson. " He who goes with the lame," says the Latin proverb, "will login to limp." "He who herds with the ^ s," says the Spanish, " will learn to howl." " Iron sharpeneth iron," says the scriptural proverb, " so a man sharp- eneth the couirtenance of his friend." The rapidity of moral deterioration in an evil com- panionship is its most startling feature. It is appalling to see how soon an evil companion- ship will transform a young man, morally pure, of clean and wholesome life, into an unclean, 52 LIFE AND CONDUCT. befouled, triHin) Home is better than money. If a man, strue-glin- t. y scmpc to hi: 66 LIFE AND CONDUCT. 1. We are especially to remember our steward- ship.—Money is a trust coniinitted to us, for which we are to o-ive account unto God. We are answerable to Him for the use we make of it. If we have amassed wealtli, from God has come the power that enabled us to do so. All we have is His— not our own. To each of us shall be addressed the words, "Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no lono-er steward." If we remember this great truth we shall be rightly guided, both in reirard to the accumulation and the distribution of money. We shall not inordinately desire it, for we shall feel that with its increase comes new responsibility ; and we shall be careful how we spend it, for the ound to o-ive *Li/c Qiitalion-'i, by M. J. Savage. i MONEY. 69 " as God hath prospered us " for the help of man and the cause of Christ: and the discharp-e of the obligation will become to us one of the greatest pleasures in life. 3. We should cultivate thrift. — Thrift is just forethought. It is reasonable prudence in regard to money. It provides for " the rainy da}'." If poverty be our lot, we nuist bear it bravely : but there is no special blessing in poverty. It is often misery unspeakable. It is often brought upon us by our self-indulgence, extravagance and recklessness. We are to use every means in our power to guard against it. 'I'he words of the poet Burns are full of connnon-sense : To catcli Dame Fortune's golden smile, Aaaiduous wait upon her, And gather gear by every wile That'.s justified by honor ; Not for to hide it in a hedge, Nor for a train attendant, But for the glorious privilege Of being independent. The squalor and wretchedness which often fall upon people come from their not having exercised :til il :m ly m 70 LIFE ANH CONDITcT. a little thought in the use of their money. A little self-denial would Iiave saved them, and those depending on them, from many .sorrows. A saving habit is good. " It is coarse thinking- to confound spending with generosity, or saving with meanness." The man who puts by a little week by week or year by year, against possible contingencies is wise. However small may be ouv salary and limited our income, we should try and save part of it. Every young man should be a member of a savings bank, or a benefit clul), by means of wliich he can make provision for the future. The honest endeavor to make such provision is in itself an education. 4. We should earnestly endeavor to avoid debt. —Debt means slavery. It is loss of independence. It is n-Isery. " He " (says a Spanish proverb) " that complains of sound sleep, let him borrow the debtor's pillow." Every shilling that w^e spend beyond our income means an addition to a burden that may crush us to the ground. " Pay as you go," is a good rule. "Keep a regular account of what you spend," is another. " Be- fore you buy anything, think whether you can I m s Money. 1\ afford it," is a third. But whatever rule we follow ill regard to our expenditure, let us see that it does not exceed our income. The ^v()rds of Horace (Ireelev, a oreat American writer and politician who had a large experience of life, are not too strong : '■ Hunger, cold, rags, hard work, contempt, suspicion, unjust reproacli, arc dis- agreeable, but debt is infinitely worse than them all. Never run into debt ! Avoid pecuniary obligation as you would pestilence or famine. If you have but fifty cents and can get no more a week, buy a peck of corn, parch it, and live on it, rather than owe any man a dollar." 5. We should resolutely set our face ai/ainst gambling. — Gambling is one of the curses of our time. It is the endeavor to get money by dis- pensing with labor, to make it without honestly working for it. It entails widespread ruin and degradation. Its consequences are often of the most appalling character. When the ganibling spirit is once aroused, like drunkenness, it be- comes an overpowering appetite.which the victim becomes almost powerless to resist. Gambling is in itself evil, apart from its deadly effects, {a) I'' ■ W if^'.,.^ 72 H' LIFE AND CONDtT'T, It proposes to confer gain M'ithout awrit, aw] to regard Lhose wlio do not deserve a reward, {b) It prop...ses to benefit us Avhile injnrino- our neig-ld)or. -'Benefit reccivtd," says Herbert Spencer in his Socio' ogy, referring to gambling, "does not imply effort })ut rorth ; but the happi- ness of the winnej- iuvoi /(.s th, misery of the loser. Tliis kind of abtioii is therefore essentially anti-social, sears the sympathies, cultivates a hard egoism, anurse of scientific studies that continued thi-ouohout his memorable life. Coli- bett learned -j-ammar when a soldier, sitting on the edi^e of his bed. Lincoln, the fainous presi- dent of America, accjuired arithmetic during the winter evenings, mastered grammar by catchin<^ up his book at odd monienls when he was keeji- ing a shop, and studied law when following (he business of a surveyor. ] Douglas Jerrold, during his apprenticeship, arose with the dawn of day to study his Latin grannnar, and read Shake- speare an.l other works b. fore his daily labor began at the printing office. At night, when his day's work was done, he added ryer two hours more to his studies. At seventeen years of age he had .so mastered Shakespeare that when a-.y. one quoted a line from the poet he o> d give from memory that which came nex' \\ He walking to and from his office Henry Kirke White ac(}uired a knowledge of Ch-eek. A German physician, while xisiting his patients, contrived riMK. 77 to commit to memory the Uuirl of Homer. Hn^^li Miller, while workiiicr a.s u Htont>manon, 8tiulic«l geolooy in liis off hours. Eliliu Burritt, "the learned hlacksmith," <^^aiiiey Mr. Davcnimrt Atlams. 78 TJFE AND CONDUCT. "One thing at a time "will always perform a better day's work than doing two or three things at a time. By following this rule one person will do more in a day than anothei- does in a week. " Marshal thy notions," said old Thomas Fuller, " into a handsome method. One will carry twice as much weight trussed antl packe We all know what is meant by courage, though it is not eas}' to define it. It is the detennin- ation to hold our own, to I'aeo danger without flinching, to go straight on our way against opposing forces, neither turning to the right hand nor the left. It is a quality admirable in the eyes of all men, savage and civilized, Christian and non- Christian — as admirable as cowardice, the oppo- site (|uality, is detestable. The brave man is the hero of the savage. Bravery, or, as the Scriptures term it, virtue, is a great requisite in a Christian. If it is not the first, it is the second characteristic of a Christian life. " Add," says St. Paul, " to your faith \'irtue," that is to say, courage. COURAGE. 87 It is the very glory of youth to be coura- geous—The "sneak" and tlie "cowai-d" are the abhorrence of youth. It is youth which climbs " the imminent deadly breach " and faces the deadly hail of battle, which defies the tyranny of custom and the hatred of the world. One may jia\'e compassion for age, which is naturally timid and sees fears in the way, but youth which is cowardly is contemptible. There are two kinds of courage— the one of a lower, the other of a higher type, {a) The first, the lower kind of courage, is that which has its root and foundation in our physical nature. It is constitutional ; there is little or no merit in it. Some men are born to know no fear— men of strong nerve, of iron constitution, and power- ful physique. Such men laugh at danger and scorn opposition. Theirs is the courage of the lion or the bull-dog, and there is no virtue about it. They cannot help being what they are. (h) But there is another kind of courage which is not so much physical as moral. It has its foun- dation not in man's bodily constitution so nnich as in his higlier nature. It draws its power from m::h 88 LIFE AND CONDUCT. the invisil)!*'. "Are you not afraid," was a ([ues- tioii put hy a youii^ and boastful officer to liis companion wlioso face was blanclied and pale, as they stood together amid the thickly falling" shot of a battle-field. " 1 am afraid," he replied, "and if you were half as afraid as I am, you would run." In his case there was little physi- cal courjige, but there was the higher courage drawn from a sense of duty which made him stand firm as a rock. When our Lord knelt in His mysterious anguish in (iethsemane, His whole physical nature seemed broken down, " His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." " Suffer," He said, " this cup to pass from me " ; and His strength came from the invisible. " Not my will," He cried, " but thine be done." With that sublime trust in God strengthening Him, He shrank not back for a moment : He took the cup and draiiieout. I can get away from them, but I liave to be with him all the time. He is with me when I rise uj) and when I lie down, when I go out and when I come in. It makes a great difi'erence wheth"!- I a:, thinks well of me or not." To this noble uderance we may add the words of the poet Russell Lowell : They are slaves who will not choose Hatred, .scoffing, and abuse, Rather than in silence shrink From the truth they needs must think. They are slaves who dare not be In the riyht with two or three. Second, there is the courage of resistance. — This is the chief form courage should take in the young. They are surrounded on every side by strong temptations — temptations addressed to OOITRAGE. 91 their lower natiiro, to vanity, to indoleuce, to sceptici.siu, to impurity, to drunkenness. There is many a youn^ man beset by temptation who has in reality to tiyht far harder if he will main- tain his integrity than any sohlier ))elonging to an army niakino- its way through an enemy's country. He does not know wht;n an amlaish may be sprunir upon him, or from what side the attack may come. In an old tower on the Con- tinent they show you, ^-raven again and again on the stones of one of the dungeons, the word Resist. It is said that a Protestant woman was kept in that hideous place for forty years, and during all that time her employment was in graving with a piece of iron, for anyone who might come after her, that word. It is a word that needs to be engraven on every young man's and young woman's heart. It represents the highest form of courage which to them is possible—the power to say " No " to every form of temptation. T/d7\/, there is the courage of endurance. — This is really the noblest form of courage. There is no excitement in it : nothing to be won by it. It is siuiply to bear without flinching. In the , IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) V /, / ^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 150 111 „„,2 2 2.0 6" IIIM R IIIIII.6 V <^ /^ "c-1 ^> <$> ^^'.-V C*^ o>^ ^t Si* Pnotographic Sciences Corporation ,i>^ V M ^ :\ \ /m W o'^ ^^ <> » 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 I 92 LIFE AND CONDUCT. i I buried city of Herculaneum, near Vesuvius, nov uncovered, after the guide has shown the visitor the wonders of thr place lie takes him to the gate and points out the stone box where were found, buried in ashes, the rusted remains of the helmet and cuirass of the Roman sentinel. When the black cloud rose from the mountain, and the hot ashes fell around him, and the people rushed out at the gate, he stood there immovable, because it was his duty, and died in his place, suffocated by the sulphury air. It was a grand instance of courage, but it is seen again and again equalled in common life. In men and women stricken down by fell disease ; in those on whom adverse circumstances close like the walls of an iron chamber ; in people for whom there was no pos- sible escape, who could only bear, but who stood up firm and erect in their weakness, whose cross, instead of crushing them to the earth, seemed only to lift them up. We are told that Robert Hall, the great preacher, suffered much from dis- ease. He M^as forced often to throw himself down and writhe on the ground in paroxj^sms of pain. From these he would rise with a smile. COURAGE. 93 saying, " I suffered much, hut I did not cry out, did I? did I cry out ?" These are the chief forms of moral courage in ordinary life. We have now to point out wiiat are the sources of such couratre. The first source of courage is conviction— the feeling that we are in the right, the "testi- mony of a good conscience." Nothing can make a man brave without that. " Thrice is he armed," we are oold, " who hath his (juarrel just," and he is more than trebly armed who knows in his heart that it is just. If we go over the roll of the strongest and bravest men the world has seen we v/ill find that at the root of their courage there lay this fact of conviction. They believed, therefore they spake, therefore they fought, therefore they bled and died. The man of strong conviction is the strong man all the world over. If a man wants that, he will be but a feeble character, a poor weakling to the end of the chapter. Shakespeare says that "conscience makes cowards of us all" ; but it does something else when it makes us fear evil— it lifts us above all other fear. So it raised Peter, who had 1 ...j:,: 1 :"; 1 m 94 LIFE AND CONDUCT, shortly before denied his Master, to sucli courage that he could say before his judf^es, " Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judg«» ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." It has enabled men and women to en- dure a martyr's death when one word, which they would not speak, might have saved them. The second source of courage is failh.— We use the word in the Christian sense of trust in God. When a man feels that God is with him he can stand up against all the powers of earth and hell. " If God be for us, who can be against us?" The heroes of the »:, who sub- dued kingdoms and wrought rignioousness, have all been men of faith. Recall Hebrews xi., the Covenanters, the Ironsides of Cromwell, the Huguenots, Luther, Knox. Their faith may not have been so enlightened as it might have been had their knowledge been wider. Their religious creeds may have contained propositions that are no longer accepted, but they were strong because of their Tindoubted faith in (Jod. When His presence is an abiding presence with us and in us, our COURAGE. 96 strength is jis tho .strength of ten, Because our hearts are pure. He who fears God will know no other fear. The third source of courage is sympathy— A man who lias God with him will be brave if he stand alone, hut he will be greatly helped if he is in company with others like himself and knows tl.at he has the sympathy of good men. You remember St. Paul on his journey to Rome reaching a little village about thirty miles from the great city. The look-out for him was very de- pressing. ,Ie had appealed to Caesar, but what likelihood was there of his obtaining justice in Caesar's capi!.al. He might be thrown to the lions, or made to fight for his life in the Coli- seum, a spectacle to the Roman nniltitude. Then it was that a few Roman Christians who had heard of his approach came out to meet him, and, it is said, "he thanked God and took courage." Such was the power of .sympathy. If we would be encouraged we will seek it. If we would encourage others we will give it. We will only .say in closing this chapter that its subject is most truly illijstrated by the li£e r-lv m M i si 96 LIFE AND CONDUCT. of our Lord liiinsoll'. Tlie iiiediteval conception of Christ was that He exiiibitod only the passive virtues of meekness, patience, and sulmiission to wrong. From the gospels we form a different idea. He vanquished tlie devil in the wilder- ness; He faced human opposition boldly and without fear; lie denounced the h^'-pocrisy of the Pharisees, and encountered their rage and violence. He went dalmly along His appointed path, neither turning to the right hand nor to the left. Scribes, Pliarisees, Sadducees, could noi deter Him from doing His Father's work. Amid a tumultuous tempest of ill-will He moved straight forward, foreseeing His death, "setting His face toward Jerusalem," knowing all that awaited Him there. He went throurrh Geth- semane to Calvary with the step of a conqueror. Never was He more truly a king than on the cross, and the grandest crown ever worn was " the crown of thorns." In Him we have the highest example of courage, as of all other virtues. CHAPTER VJII. 'V, HEALTH. Health means soundness of body and of mind ; the keeping- of our physical system in such a condition that it is able to do its work easily, without disturbance, and without pain; the' exercise of the mind so as not to harm the body. Tliere arc certain preliminary considerations that we should bear in mind in connection with this subject. I. The close connection between body and mind—They are both related to each other in some mysterious way. So close is the connec- tion that the one cannot be afiected without tlie other. The well-being of the one depends on the well-being of the other. The power which the mind has over the body and the body over the mind has been well and tersely described by a writer of our time. " Man," he says, " is one 7 'if Hi I If 98 LIFE AND CONDUCT. however coiiipouiid. Fire liis conscience, and he blushes; check his circulation, and he thinks tardily or not at all ; impair liis secretions, and the moral sense is dulled, discolored, or de- praved, his aspirations flag, his hope and love both reel ; impair them still more, and he be- comes a brute. A cup of wine degrades his moral nature below that of the swine. Again, a violent emotion of pity or horror makes him vomit; a lancet will restore him from delirium to clear thought; excessive thought will waste his energy : excess of muscular exercise will deaden thought: an emotion will double the strength of his nmscles; and at last, a prick of a needle or a grain of mineral will in an instant lay to rest forever his body and its unity."* When we consider the close connection between mind and body, and how the state of the one affects the other, we see how important it is that lioth should work together in that harmonious action which is health, and how carefully we should guard against anything by which that harmonious action may be interrupted. * Frederic Harrison, Popular Science Monthly Supplement. HEALTH. 99 ir. Bodily health is almost essential to success in life.-It is not ahsolutcbj essential. Init it is almost essential, {a) Thysical health is not everything. "Give a man," it has been said. " a ^rood deep chest and a stomach of which he never knew the existence, and he must succeed in any practical career." This has been said by a great authority, Professor Huxley, but it is only partially true, for many worthless people fulfil these conditions. They are, as Carlyle calls them, only "animated patent digesters." (6) Great things also have been done in the world by men whose health has been feeble. Calvin was a man of sickly body ; Pascal was an invalid at eighteen: Vo . was weak and deformed; William of Orange a martyr to asthma ; Hall, the famous preacher, suffered great paroxysms of pain ; Milton was blind; Nelson, little and lame; St. Paul in bodily presence was weak. On the other hand, some of these men might have done more if their health had been better. Health is a splen- did possession in the battle of life. The men of great physical vitality, as a rule, achieve 100 LIFE AND CONDUCT. most; otlicr tilings ])eintr equal, their success in life is sure. Everything shows that the great- ness of great men is almost as much a bodily afiair as a mental one. It has been computed that the average length of life of the most eminent philosophers, naturalists, ai-tists, jurists, physicians, musical composers, scholars and authors, including poets, is sixty-five years. This shows that the most successful men on the whole have had good bodies and been blessed with great vitality. III. The care of the body is a religious duty. — (a) It is so because our spiritual feelings are largely dependent upon the state of our health. "Certain conditions of body undeniably occasion, irritate and inriamc those appetites and inclina- tions wdiich it is one great end of Christianity to repress and regulate." The spirit has some- times to maintain a terrible struggle against the flesh. Intemperance is largely the result of bad feeding. " It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle," than for a dyspeptic person to be gentle, meek, long-suffering. Dark views of God often come from the state of the body. llEALTH. ioi It woul.l largely lift up tl.o i.ioml and .spiiitual condition of men if their .surroundings were such as tended to keep them in health. To improve men's dwellings, to give them healthy homes, pure air to breathe, and pure water to drink, would tend to help them morally and spiritually. (7>) (jod requires of us a certain amount of .service by and through our bodies. We cannot perform the work if we destroy the machines by which the work is to be done, (c) Scripture especially calls us to make the body the object of our reverent care. " Your bodies are members of Christ." The body " is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." " Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God." " If any man defile the terr ., , of God, hin, will God destroy." Yield " your members as instruments of right- eousness unto God." Sin is not to "reign in your mortal body." "Glorify God in "y our body." We are to " present our bodies a liv- ing sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service." (d) The body is a part of that humanity which Christ by His M 102 LtFE AND CONDUCT. incarnatiov took, roemo«l, sjinctifi.Ml uu\ ir\on- Kei-o])er (juantity it !s dan- gerous to liealth. It overtasks the power of digestion and is injnriou.s. We need therefore to be constantly on our gnard as to what we eat and drink le.st we run into excess. Every one must study his own constitution, find out its need, and suit the supply of food to its wants. According to the ok' proverb, " We should eat to live, not live to eat." It is a great matter for II 104 MFK AND CONDUCT. Health wl.en we are alAv to strike the proper me.linm and iieitlier eat nor.lrink too much nor too 1 ittle. To lay < low., .-ules on this subject for the ...dividual is in.possible. " One ...an's food IS another n.an's poison," A ...an ...ust deter- "une fro.,, his own experience what he ought to take, and how much, as well as what he ought to axoid. The word inte..,perance is generally Em- ployed as applying to the abuse of strong drinks. 0.1 this subject n.uch has been writtrn, son.e advocati.ig total abstinence and others judiHous and n.oderate use. Into this region of contro- versy we cannot enter. The evils of drinking luib.ts, as they are called, are plain to all. They are a terrible curse to society, a..d a terrible danger to the individual. They have ruined many a pro..n,sing career. For many, perhaps we may say for most, entire abstinence is their only safety. He who finds that he can do liis work well by drinking only water will be wise if he drinks nothing else. That will never harm him though other liciuids maij. We must judge for ourselves, but " Temperance in all thinos " i, a rule binding on every Christian man. We cannot f s JlEALTFf. 105 have l.ealth unless we strictly and constantly practise temperance. 2. Kmvcise.—Tlus is as necessary to health as food. "Only hy exercise-physical exercise- can we maintain our muscles, or^r-ms and ner- vous system in proper vigor; only by exercise can we e(|ualise V circulation and distribute the blood evenly over every part of the borenie niore or less influence over others ivi entliusi„sMi in In's i,„ture. TI'<-.-e are tl,r,.e directions we „,,.y ,,ive in regard to earnestness or enthusi,i.sni 1. Jiexpeci it in. „,/,ox-Do not join with ete m7 '■?"■'' '" "■' """""'"■"« "'"' ■■■' -t e poctable. It is always preferable to what is COW and formal. Life is better than death, and when there ,s life there is energy and earnest- ness. Even when enthusiasn, takes forms that we cannot altogether approve of, it is worthy of -poet. "Next to bein« Servetus 'who las burnt Ha,d one, "I would have been Calvin who burnt hi,,,." That was a strong way of 3«yn>g that .eal is a beautiful thing in it«elf !K>«gh ".eal that is not aeeonling to know-' ledge as not good. We n,ay „ot approve of "mny of the opinions and u.ethods of Francis Xav,er, the great .nissionary and .saint of the Roman Church, but we cannot fail to adn.ire his bum,ng .eal in the cause of Christ, and look 114 LIFK AND CONDUCT. U ! M |j with Homuthiii^" lil<<' awe on his hioli-fsoulotl devotion to the woriv of jin cNuii^^elist. He was swept on by an enthusiasm that never failed, and which carried hint o\er ohstacU's that woidd have (hiunted any ordinary num. The Puritans were denounced hy many n(K)d people of their time, and the j^m-at preacher, Dr. South, delivered a sermon against them, entitled "Enthusiasts not led by the Spirit of (lod." But we all know how great the men were, and how great a work they did tlirough the very enthusiasm tliat he condenuied. " It is better," according to the proverb, " that the pot should boil over tlian not lioil at all." The word enthusiasm literally means tilled, or inspired, by God, and the mean- ing of the word may teach us how noble a thing enthusiasm is in itself, and how worthy it is of admiration and respect. 2. We should cultivate it in uurselvei^. — It is a virtue, like all others, that can be cultivated. (a) By resolutely setting our face against doing anything in a languid and half-hearted way. If a thing is worth doing, it should be done " with all our might." (6) By studying the lives of KAHXKSTNKSS. n.i «roHt ,,„.„. \VlH.„«.,.,|„„owc.ca.cl,s„„„.,l,i„. "' ""' ™"i<^^»ti"-«» tl„,t in.spi,-,.,l tlH.,„ Thi" - perl,ap« tl„. I„.„t ,,.,s„lt „f ,.„„,„„. ,,,,,; ^' '"""'""■ '"■ vns U„. „„t,„„i,„,„ ,; „; l'o™'» "f th.. ,>M»t, H,„n„nv, l,y „„.,„,« „f it they «;.■.■.-■. I.le to ,l,,j,™,tt|,i,,j,,,^,,,lt,,,,,,,,.^.|_^^^^^^ victory. ,., By a„«„ci„ti„j, ,vi,|, n„„, „,,,„ ,„.^ ". ™rne,t. Tho.v is n„tl,i„« „„ e„nt,.«i„„„ „, ™tlu,»„..,„, a,.j „.|K.„ we e„,„e i„ contact witl. those «IK, live ,„„lcr the i,„,M,l.se of .,.«,„1 i,|„., Boiuetluns of their force a„,l power is conveycl to ourselves. The great .soul strengtliens the weak soul. While the solitary coal on the '";■;';•"" "■'■" «° ''^'^^ ""t. "-hen it is heape.1 up with othera it .springs into a blaze. O ever earnest sun I Unwearied in thy work, Unhalting in thy course, Unlingering in thy path, Teach me thy earnest ways That mine may be a life of steadfast work and praise. O ever earnest stars .' Unchanging in your light, Unfaltering in your race, Unswerving in your round, Hi lib LIFK AND CONDUCT. Toach me your oariicst ways, That mine may be a life of HteadfaHt work ami praise. O over oarnest flowers I That with untiring growth Shoot up ami spread abroad Your fragraiKo and your joy, Teac'li me your oarnust ways. That mine may be a life of .steadfast work and praise. O ever earnest sea ! Constant in flow and ebb, Heaving to moon and sun, Unchanging in thy change, Teach me thy earnest ways, That mine may be a life of steadfast work and praise. HOKATIUS BONAR. 3. We should carry earnestjiens into our religious life. — This above all. There are many who tolerate earnostness in other thinofs, l)nt who look upon it as dangeroiT in connection with religion. It in regarded as of vp.ry ques- tionable value, and spoken oi vulIi aoubt and suspicion. Let a man become earnest in prayer, earnest in work, or rise in any way above the dead level in which so many are content to rest, RAIINKsTXKSs, 117 '""' '"■ "•'■" ft"" «P"1<.' ■ i.. („„,... „f ,,„,. «u.-,v,| ,a „„ ,. ranutie, ,„• ,|„„„„„,,„, „J ,•; ""'""'"'•• ■'■''- »"»!"•-"" «itl. wl,i,.|, ..„„.,,,t. "- ... tin,. Cl,u,-el, „r Christ is „,V„ ,...,„.,|,.,l ...">' '..^ "ccuntci (■„,-. „„ Tla.,v |„,. ?,,.,.„ „ v..st.l..H, ,,(■.,,,,],,, t,,, ,,,„„,,, „,„„j,.,.,^,_ "■'';:'' '"': ""^ '•"■" -"1 !■".■ .vli,.i„„ : ,„,„„t •""ttc..ytHtual,(-|,,,,.c.l.,.,v,,,,,,,,,,,t, „,,,,,,,,„ 'ke. (/,) Z«Ll |,„s I,,,,, „ft,,, ,,,,,,,„|,,| i„ „,„. tont,om,UHmt.s„„UI|,„i„ts„f,|„et,i„„.. ,„,,, about thoMc very points „l,icl, ,„.. .sl,,,,^,,,.,, ;„ ■"y»te.y. (., Zeul l,„.s l,e.„ „lt..„ ,„a„ife.stu,l in the .nto,-,.st „r ,«ct an,l party rathor than „f Cl..'..st ('')Z..all,as„l-tontak,.npe,..s,,.ntiunf,„. I.er ally, an,l wiehJe.I a.>n,.n. n.en th,. «.,,a,Ka. of earthly warfan.. F,«. thcs. .-uasons its appearance in the Chnreh is „rton ,,.«,„•,! ,s we mijfht „«a,-,l the section in a town of a gunpowiler niamizine which .,t ., . ,, „"."K Hnirn, at any luonient, '...gilt produce ,liso.-.li.,-. rnin, an,I .Icath Vet Scripture regards ean,e»lne^ « reliyion .<« es^nnal.~Um:y,r.,, and Inkcwarn.ne.s it .■eg.u-.ls a, hateful (Rev. iii.]r,]C). It calls us to a solemn choice and to a lifelon* service. Its 118 LIFE AND CONDUCT. heroes are those who lived in the si^irit of Brain- erd's prayer, " Oh, that I were a tlaniino' fire in the service of my God." There is an alleoory of Luther which may ])e (|Uoted here. " The devil," he says, " held a o-reat anniversary, at which his emissaries were convened to report the results of their several missions. 'I let loose the wild beasts of the desert,' said one, ' on a cai'a\'an of Christians, and their bones are now l)leachino-on the sands.' ' What of that ?' said the devil ; ' theii- souls were all saved.' ' I drove the east wind,' said another, 'against a ship freio-hted with Christians, and they were all drowned.' ' What of that V said the devil ; ' their souls were all saved.' ' For ten years I tried to oet a sinole Christian asleep,' said a third, 'and I succeeded, and left him so.' Then the devil shouted, and the night stars of hell sang for joy." There are three spheres of religious life in which earnestness should be specially shown. 1. In rrayev.—ThiH is specially inculcated in the two parables of our Lord, the " unjust judce " and " vhe friend at midnight," and in His own words, "Ask, and it shall be given you : seek, and Rarn-estxkss. 119 yoshall fi,.,,. knock.,,,,,,, it „„„,„„p^„^„,,_^^^ you. One, it is s,,i,|, ea,„o to Dcncsthene., the S.-eat or,,to,-, and ,.sko,l l,i,„ to pl..„,, ,,i,, e;„.,e. He he«r,l i,i,„ «.it|,„„t „tt,.„ti„„ wl.il,. |„. tol,l |,i,, story withont oarnestnes... Tl, ,„ „,„, ^^ an. cried out .,,,,™,,sly th,,t it wa.. all t,™.' Ah. .sa„l Den,o.stl,enc.s, "I believe yon no,r." llie earnest prayer i.s the p,-evailin{c I'rayer 2. /« sacrl^ce.-'Vhi, i., ,„ all life the" test of earnestness. The .student giving „p time for the ac,,,„s,t,o„ of k„o«-le,lge; the n,erchant givin. T '"» ''ou,.s to the pursuit of l.usi„„.ss: the e ° Plore,. braving the heat of the t,.opics and the cohl of tl,ea,-etlc regions i„ his.eal for discovery It .« the sa,ne in .-eligion. We nn.st count all' ".."g«.w,thSt.Paul,..aslo.s.s.thatwe,nay„,n Lhnst, and bo foun,l in Him." 3. /„ hnprcmnff othm-^.^It is -ont of the Leart that the ,„outh speaketh," and power to "npre.ss othe,-s is given only to those who ,lo so w.th a full heart, and who a,-e eo„.,ume.l with a b".-nu,g ^eal for the salvation of .souls. These a- they whon, God has. in all ages, blessed in the conversion oi' men. CHAPTER X. MANXEUS. The word iiuinners comes tVoni the Latin manus, the hand, and literally means the mode in which a thing is handled— behavior, deportment. Manners may be defined as the pleasing or unpleasing expression of our thouglits and inten- tions, wliether in word or action. We may say or do a thing in an agreeable or a disagreeable way. According as we choose tlie one or the other, our manners may be said to be good or bad. Good manners are the result of two things. —(a) Self-respect and (b) consideration for the feelings of others. The man who I'espects him- self will be careful to say ordo notlungthatmay seem to others degrading or unworthy. The man who lias consideration for the feelings of others will be ecjually careful to do or say nothing that may give them pain, or be offensive to them. manneks. 121 Good manners beautify character. - Jt was a celebrated sayin^r of an old l.islu.i,, Willin.M of Wykeham, "Maimers uiaketl. man." This is, however, only partially tnu-. .Alannns do not make a man any more than ^ro„d clothus make a man, but if he is made they greatly improve him. Some have been truly excellent who have ha it retains its value, is much more beautiful. Civility of speech, politeness of ad.lress, courtesy in our ;d conduct. of a speaker addressino- a public meetiiif^. What he says is weiolity and impoi-tant. ffis argu- inents are powerful and well marshalled, but his speech is luicouth and disa^nveable. He says things that are coarse and vuloar. His bad manner Aastly takes away I'rom the impres- sion which he desires to make, and which, if his manner had been different, iie would have made. Ao-ain, two yoxma; men S(>rve in a place of busi- ness. The one is o-entlc in his demeai ..-, meets his customers with a pleasant smile, is always polite. The other is rough in his d<"portment, apparently does not care whether those he deals with are pleased or not. The one is a favorite with everybody; the other, who may be equally worthy as fai- as character is concerned, is disliked. Good manners often disarm opposition- People may have a prejudice against ourselves personally, or against the cause we represent. It is wonderful, however, how much may be done to soften them by habitual courtesy to- wards them, and by studiously avoiding any- thing calculated to offend them or rouse their MAXNKRft. 123 anft-cr. A wise man will always endeavor to be specially civil towards any one who differs irom hun. It is related that in the early days ol the Abolition movement in the United States two men went out preaching: one, a sage old Quaker, brave and calm ; the other, a fervid young man. When the Quaker lecture.l, the audience were all attention, and his arguments met with very general concurrence. But when It came to the young man's turn, a tumult in- variably ensued, and he was pelted oft' the plat- iorm. Surprised by their different receptions the young man asked the Quaker the reason. "Fnond," he said, "you and I are on the same mission ; we preach the same things ; how is it that while you are received so cordially, I oet nothing but abuse ? " "I will tell thee," repHed tlie Quaker; "thee says, ' If you do so and so, you shall be punished,' and I say, ' My friends if you will hut do so and so, you shall not be' punished.' It is not what we say, but how we «ay it."* In The Memoriah of a Quiet Life it IS said of Augustus Hare that, on a road alono- II* lit The Secret of Site 'C'feV.V. 124 LIFE AND C()N1)ITCT. whicli lie freciuently passed, there was a work- man employed in its repair wl.o met Jus ^^entle questions and observations with gruff answers and sour looks. But as day after day the per- severing mildness of Ins words anfAXNKRS. 120 It can bo overcome by taking pain.s. The shy man is often ,uvkw..,nl i„ n.nnner; Hn.l, what i« worse, he olVn .^\v., the i.npiv.s.siun to others of ^>e.n^^ ru.le, wh.n h. has no intention to be so There are those who, in their own fann^Iy an.l atnon,Lr their own friends, are known to be wann-hearte.l, kind an.l ^..nth", but who, front th,s defect of which we speak, have a reputation lar from envial^Ie. Any youn^. n.an who is afflicted with it should s.t himself resohitely to get the better of it. 4. We .should be specially courteous to those heloiv us in station.~~To servants in our house to those in our employ, to the poor, we should' be inarked in our civility. "It is the very essence of gentlemanhood that one is polite to the weak, the poor, the friendless, the humble the miserable, the il CfFAPTEK XL TE.MI'ER.* Temper is the IiHrmonious and w..||-l,ula..co(l wo.kin^r of the --FoHi^stf^ i, ^^^U tempered * I wish to a.kno^yhag,7~^;;;;~{;;^ this chapter to an .ntercstiMg work on '« Self-Cult.ue " l,v James Freonian Clarke. ^^ininie, i,\ il 4 132 LIFE AND CONDUCT. when it is neither too hot nor too cold, neither too dry nor too moist, having neither too much electricity nor too little. Tlien the weather is called fine. It is a pleasure to live. When the weather is bad, the balance of the elements is bi-oken, and life is disagreeable and unpleasant. The body is well tempered when the nervous system and the blood and the nutritive system all work in due harmony. When these three great constituents of the body are well balanced against each other, the result is health. The body is not well tempered in a student who takes no exercise, and where everything goes to feed the brain: nor in a pugilist in training, where everything goes to feed the muscles. The result is disease. We all know the nmsical instrument called the harp. All the strings are tuned into perfect harmony. If there is a false note struck, that is a sign to the musician that there is something wrong, and that the instru- ment needs to be tune!. The discord is a symptom that some cords are out of order. So, bad temper is a sign that some string in our moral constitution is out of harmony and needs to be tuned. TEMPER. 133 Good temper can be acquired— It is the result of culture. There are two thinc^s often confounded with it-(a) good nature and (b) good humor. Good nature is sometliing born witli us-an easy, contented disposition, and a tendency to take things quietly and pleasantly. We inherit it. There is little merit in possessing It. Good humor is the result of pleasant sui- roundings and agreeable circumstances. A good- humored man is so when everything goes right ; when things go wrong, his good humor departs' and bad humor takes its place. But good tem- per results from training and self-control- keeping constant watch over our passions and feelings, and above all being in constant har- mony with God ; for he who is at peace with God is at peace with man, and will keep the " even tenor of his way," There are various signs or forms of ill-temper that may be adverted to. One form of ill-temper is irritability. -We perhaps know what it is to have a tooth where the nerve is exposed. Everything that touches it sends a thrill of pain through us. Some Ml 134 LIFE AI^D CONDUCT. people get into a moral state corresponding to that. The least thing puts them out, vexes them, throws them into a .lisagreeable frame of mind. When one gets into that state, he should feel that there is something wrong with him— something is off the balance, some nerve is exposed. He had better look to it and go off to tlie dentist. Another form of ill-temper is readiness to find fault — This is a sure sign of a screw being loose somewhere. An ill-tempered person is always making grievances, imagining himself ill-used, discontented with his position, dissatis- fied with his circumstances. He ne^^er blames himself for anything wrong; it is always some- one else. He is like a workman who is always excusing himself by throwing the blame on his tools ; like a bad driver who is always finding fault with his horses. Some fretful tempers wince at every touch, You always do too little or too much ; He shakes with cold ; you stir the fire and strive To make a blaze ; that's roasting him alive. Serve him with venison, and he chooses fish ; TEMPER. l35 With sole ; that's just the sort he would not wish. Alas : his efforts double his distress, He likes yours little, and his own still less. Thus, always teasing others, always teased, His only pleasure is— to be displeased. If we find ourselves getting into this state of mind, it is high time to inquire what is wrong with us. Another form of ill-temper is passion. —Some people are very subject to this development. They are "gunpowdery," and when a small spark touches them they fly out, and there is a blaze. It is a very unlovely feature of a man's character, and if people in a passion could only see them- selves in a glass, their eyes flashing, their brow contracted and their features distorted, they would feel that they have cause to be ashamed of themselves. After having been in what is called " a towering rage," there often comes to a man the feeling expressed in the words, " I have made a great ass of my.self." If we have done so, we should resolve never to make our- selves ridiculous agfain. ,/'! m LIFE AND CONDUCT. m Perhaps the worst form of iU-temper is suIkmess.-Tl,is i. „„.,;,,„ ,.ot aying out, but cont,„u„,g to «,„o„l.Ier like tl,e embers of a tire where there is „o (la,„e. A sullen disposition is '« bad a sign of something being wrong as there could well be. It is like ,vha. the .loctors call suppressed gout." The disease has got driven ".to the .systen,, and has taken .so flrn, a hold that It cannot easily be ,Iislodgeer»„„ can con.e, in tin.e, to get a wonderful control over bis temper if be watehe. a.ain.,t it. The wnter knew a young n»„ who was at one t me of an ungove.-„able temper; he used to be at tones bke" one possessed." But by watehin. and resolutely putting on the bmke he grew up one ot the sweetest-tempered and most lovable oin,en He fought the wild beast within bim 'ashed ,t and kept it down. A merchant had pas.s,onately abused a Quaker, who received his outburst of ili-temper in silence. Being after- wards ashan>ed of hin,self, he asked the other how lie was able to show such patience. "Friend " «-pl.ed the Quaker, "I will tell thee. I w'.'s naturally as hot and violent as thou art I knew that to indulge temper wa. sinful, and tound .t was ia,prudent. I observed that men m a passion always .spoke loud, and I thought it I could control my voice I should repress my passmn. I have therefore made it a rule never to a low my voice to be above a certain key and by a careful observance of this rule I have' .!|l Uo I^tt^E AND CONDtrcT. I'.y the l,lessi„g „f ocl, „„.«t„,.,, ,„, ,„,._. A little care, a ,V(,r,I swalIon-,>,l „ ■ • -..tence .truck .,„„•„ i,, ,„ ,'""'■ ^ "™« '■-faint and eontrol a wise ,„ , ""' '^ '"■^eif an inland which lo ,, """ '""'" ■ whelm H. . ■ '""''^ '^•■"' o^■er- iieiin. He who is tolerant with tl„. ; . i -.iWwith thefaultlfinder, .,', """™"*- "■'"'"'ep-oi.ate,hii:"' r.::r'°" nian."-Buddhi.st .saying. """^ in. But while an act of .self-cont,.„i -":T:xur';:T,;'-r go wi-onif. We ,„„„ , . , ^ ""' temper when t IT, ""' •'""^™'"- ^ " *" ""''P " - »-ll Wanced that it will 'y iiaturuJ HicJi. " If it off the h fi rising' 'ipit' rule, etioM, by an make nil over- » tolerant, 11 passion 1 a wise 1 restore k1 when so that >\v that e it oro me, we 10 best o well itop or 3l the better it will TEMPER. 141 is our boscttin. si,, ,;,„,•, / '""'^™1*'- «7i'ij * }->^'^»-«-, 11 We ask if, wlf™ •"?•''"■"■'" ^'"''''"^'- '' "■'"•'owe ihebeaut,lulHor daily 'luty, that leave us listless and weary, are per- n.c,ous Outdoor ga„,es, for instance, ought to strengthen the physical fran.e, they ought to make us healthy and strong and ready for work But when carried to c.cess they often produce ho opposite result, and become positively hurt- ful. It the Saturdays play unfit for the wor- sh.p and rest of the Lord's day ; if an en>plover 148 LIFE AND CONDUCT. as has been stated, lias been obliged to dismiss liis clerks more tban once because of their in- capacit}^ for work owin^ to football matciies, cricket matches, and sports generally, it is clear that these have not been for their j^^ood : and the same may be said of the effect of other forms of amusement, esp'^cially when Ciirried to excess. The amusements that send us back to toil with a lightened heart and a vigorous mind are those only that we should engage in; all others are detrimental, and should be slnnmed. (r;) It is necessary to say also that annisement in any form followed as the end of life becomes specially sinful. Even the heathen moralist, Cicero, could say " that he is not worthy to be called a man who is willing to spend a single day wholly in pleasure." How much more truly may a Chris- tian feel that he " who liveth in pleasure is dead while he liveth." A life that is simply play, that is simply amusement, is no life at all. It is only a contemptible form of existence. " A soul sodden with pleasure " is a lost soul. To be a mere pleasure-seeker is not the chief end of man. Nothing growls more wearj-ing than continuous RECIIEATIOX. 149 amuHement, and no „no noe.ls un.uson.ont so ^•mch as he who is always at it. He loses the power or real enjoyment. He has. lik. K,an bartered his birthri^-ht iV,r a n.ess of potta../ He IS useless to man and o-uilty hefore (Un] It 1.S not easy to lay down distinct and definite rules in regard to recreation- to set down and catalogue those amusements which it is safe for us to follow, and tho.se from which we should '•e^rani. This has been atten.pted, but not successfully ' and the reason is evident. What may be safe for one person nuiy not be safe f<,r another. If we are told that an an.u.sen.ent has been held to be wrono-, we are ready to reply that the mere opinion of others is not binding upon us ; and perhaj.s in our contempt for views winch appear to us bigoted and straitlaced we rush into the opposite extreme. The true gUKh in recreation is a Christian spirit He who possesses it will need no list of what are lawful and unlawful made out for him He will be better guided than by any carefully compiled code of duty set before him. All, therefore, that shall be attempted in this direction is to ^ive a few general counsels w Inch may be servic^eable i IP fi! 150 LIFE AND CONDlTCr. 1. We should exercise our own judgment as to what anuiseuients are helpful or the reverse. It has been said, " Wlien you are in Ron:e, do as the Romans do." We would rather put the adage thus, " When you are in Rome, do not as the Romans do." There are questions which majorities may decide for us, and there are ques- tions wliicli every soul must decide for itself. That evei-ybody goes to bull-fights in Spain does not make bull-fighting right; neither is an amusement right because it is popular. In this, as in other matters, we must dare sometimes to be singular. Follow not a multitude to do evil. 2. What is one man's meat is another man's poison. We are not a law to oui- neighbor, neither is our neighbor a law to us. The amusement that we find injures us, lowers our moral and spiritual tone, and unfits us for the serious business of life, is the thing for us to avoid, as we a\'oid food which some men can take with impunity, but which does harm {o us. 3. Keep on the safe ground of certainty. What- ever is doubtful is dangerous, and had best be left alone. If we go skating, and have a sus- RECllEATION. 151 picion that tlie ice in a certain spot is weak, that is sufficient to make us avoid it. Possibly we micrht jmss over it without dan^-er, but the thought that it may be dangerous leads us to give it a wide bertli. " If you do not wisli to hear the bell ring," says the proverb, "keep away from the bell rope." There is a sufficiency of amusements which are lieyoiid doubt safe and satisfying, without our trying those that maybe dangerous. The best recreation often comes from change of occupation, and there is none better than tlie companionshii) of books, the sweet solace of music, the softening influence of art, or the contemplation of tlie l>eauties of nature, " tlie melody of woods and' winds and waters." There are fountains of joy open on every side of us, from which we may quaff many an invigorating draught, without drink- ing from tliose which are often poisoned and polluted 4. The pleasure that is more congenial than our work is to be taken with caution. So long as a man enjoys his work more than his amuse- ment, the latter is for him comparatively safe. I ! 152 LIFE AND CONDUCT. It is a relaxation and refreshment, and lie goes from it all the better for it ; but if a man likes his pleasure better than the duties to which God has called him in the world, it is a sign that he has not realized, as he ought to realize, the object for \vhich life was given him. 0. For the question. What is the harm ? sub- stitute. What is the good ? The former is that which many ask in regard to aiausements, 'ind the very asking of the question shows that they feel doubtful about them and should avoid them. But when we ask, What is the good ? it is a sign that we are anxious to know what benefit we may derive from them, and how far they may help us. That is the true spirit in which we should approach our amusements, seeking out those that recruit and refresh us mentally, mor- ally, and physically. Those are hints* which may l)e found useful. " Religion never was designed," it is said, " to make our pleasures less." Religion also, if we know what it means, will ever lead us to what * I am indebted for some of them to an article in The Chriistian Union, UECREATlOff. 15:^ are true, innocent, and elevating, pleasures, and keep us from those that are false, bad in their influence, and which " leave a sting- behind them " "Rejoice. O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the' sight of thine eyes : but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment " Let those who practise the first part of that text not forget the second. Hi IJ: J CHAPTER XIII. HOOKS. Books have an inilucnco on life and conduct the extent of wliich it is impossible to estimate. " The precepts they inculcate, the lessons they exhibit, the ideals of life and character which they portray, root themselves in the thoughts and imaginations of young men. They seize them with a force which, in after years, appears scarcely possible." These words of Principal Tulloch will not appear too strong to any one who can look l>ack over a long period of life. Such must ever feel that books have had a powerful effect in making them all that they are. There are many considerations that go to show the importance of l)Ooks. Books are the accumulated treasures of generations. — 'I'hey are to man what memory is to the individual. If all the libraries in the world were burned and all the books in the Hooks. ir)5 world ,lestmy,„|, the past would be little „,„re tl.an a l,l«„k. It w„„|,i |,„ „ .^i,,,,,,^^. ^.^^.^,^_ »Pon.ln,,. to tl,.,t or a „,a„ losi,,,, Uy a .stroke the ,ne,„„ry „r ,„,st years. The literature of ■the worl.l iH the „orl,l» ,„e,„ory, the worlds expenence, the worlds failures. It teaehes us wl'-v wo ea,„e fr,„„. It tells us of the paths wo have travelled. AI,„o.st all we know of the '">•) But especially by beginning with those great authors that are boyond doubt high toned, "the master- spirits of all time," we shall acquire a power of discrimination. We shall no more care to read foul, impure, and unwholesome literature than a man brought up in the society of honorable men would choose to cast in his lot with thieves and blacklegs and the offscourings of society. We have anticipated much that might be said in answer to the (^"-stion how to read, and only a few words need be written in regard to it. (1) Read with interest. Unless a l)ook interests us we do not attend to it, we get no benefit whatever from it, and may as well throw it aside. (2) Read actively, not passively, putting the book under cross-examination as we go along— asking questions regarding it, weighing arguments. Mere passive rea ling may do no more good than the stream does to the iron pipe through which it flows. Novel-readers are often mere passive recipients of the stories, and ill. ;f W 160 LtFK AND OONDUCt. thus get no real iH-uefit from them. (3) Read according to some syster., or iiiothod. (4) Kead not always for relaxatioii, rc^'icatioii, and amuse- ment, but chiefly to eual-le you Uj perform tlie duties ;o which God has called you in daily Hi'e. CHAPTER XIV FAMILY LIFE. The words Family — Home — Household —all express one idea. They imply a relationship existing between certain individuals, a circle or sphere separate from the mass of human beings, within which there are special duties to be per- formed and a special life has to be lived. It is not necessary to define particularly what is meant by the word Family, for it is well under- stood by all of us. Family life is peculiar to man.— The lower animals have notliing in all respects resembling it. In some particulars their mode of life occasionally approaches it, but not in all. The birds of the air, for instance, care tenderly for their offspring, but when these come to maturity the relation between them and their parents comes to an end. The family relation on the 168 LIFE AND CONDUCT. other hand hists througli life, and 18 only Ijroken by the hand of death, if even then. The family has been instituted by God for the welfare of man. The condition in wliich we come into the world requires it — our training for the work of life demands it — it is specially adapted to pro- mote tlie great ends of human existence. Family life is that which most truly leaves its mark upon us. — In the family habits are formed which make us what we are for the rest of our life. Home influences accompany us to the ver}' end of our Journey. Let any one ask himself what are the chief sources of his virtues, and he will feel thai a large proportion of them are derived directly or indirectly from associa- tion with his fellow-creatures in the family. The training of parents, tlie affection and in- fluence of mothers and sisters, powerfully and lastingly afl*ect our intellectual and moral nature. From a wise father we learn more than from all our teachers. When a celebrated artist, Benjamin West, was asked " What made him a painter ? " his reply was, " It was my mother's kiss." " I should have been an atheist," said a FAMILY LIFE. 109 ^'reat American .statesman, "if it },a(l not been for one recollection, and that was the memory of the time when my departed mother used to take my little hand in hers, and caused me on' my knees to say, 'Our Father, who art in heaven.' " On the other hand, those who have been so unfortunate as to have had an unhappy home rarely emancipate themselves from the evil effects of their upbringing. If they do, 't is after the severest struggle. " The child," it has been said, " is the father of the man," and it is in the family the child receives his first impres- sions for good or for evil. The world he first lives in is his home. Family life supplies a great test of char- acter. -When Whitefield was asked whether a certain person was a Christian, he replied, " I do not know. I have never seen him at ho.ue. ' People are often one thing in the world and another in their own family. In the close inter- course of the home circle they exhibit them- selves in their true colors. A man who is a ,:,ood son or a good brother is generally found to be a good man. If he is a source of evil in his H'-l itt m 170 UFK AND CONDT^Ct. own home, hi Ms i.ii.'rconrsc with the world lie will, sooner or later, he found wanting. It is Ixiyond tlie .scope of tliis book to dwell at length upon the duties incund>ent on tiie various members of a. family. It may be sutll- cient to indicate generally the feelings which should atiimate the young persons who belong to it. Probably most of those into whose hands this manual will come are membe'v of a family. What should tlierefore be their conduct at home is a ((uestion that well deserves their consideration. 1. ObnUence is the fundamental principle of family life. Every family has a head, and that head Tnust r le. " Older is heaven's first law." Where there is no obedience there can be no order in a family. The first form of authority which is placed before the child is that of the parent, and to ^^le parent he has Lo be subject. " Childre- says the apostle, " o1)ey your parents in all tli ;s, 1- this is well pleasing unto the Lord." Even for those mon'bers of a family who have grown out of the state of childhood obedience must be the rule, though in their case i-'AMILV UFB. 171 It is n„t to be. a8 in the cane of the child, uii- Muestiorun^^ obedience, but is to be founded on reason, nttection und onititude. With them obedience takes the for.n of reverence, or, to use a more iumiliar word, respect. Tlie clnld i« hound to obey his parent witiiout liesitation or reply; the young ,nan who has entered into greater liberty than the child will .still respect hi.s parents' wishes and cherish rev- erence for their authority. This feeling on h.s part is termed in the Scriptures Honor " Honor thy father an little to smooth the path of life for them when tlu'y nTo\^' oM and weak, ami are mon* ready to cast them on the puhlic charity than to contribute to their sui)))ort. Such a state of things would l)e shameful, if true. It would indicite a corruptit)n of social life at the foun- tain-heail that must lead to serious consequences. The family is the nursery hoth of the State and of the Church, and where the purity and well- being of family life is impaired, both State and Church are sure to sutler. There should be therefore an eai-nest and prayerful endeavor upon the part of the young to cherish towards their parents that loving sense of their superi- ority which is implied in the word Honor. " Let them learn first," says St. Paul (1 Tim. V. 4), " to show piety at home, and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before God." There can be no more pleasing memory for a young man to have than this, that he has been a dutiful son; none more bitter than this, that he has set at defiance, or neglected, those to whom he owes so much. 2. Affection is the atmosphere that should A lAMILV LIFE. 173 "e for tlH'in are inor*^ iiirity than leh a state It w(nilre pleasing s than this, none more defiance, or so much, that should perva.lo the liousehold. " Without hearts." it has been truly sai.l. " th.-re is no home." A collection (,r roots, ;n..| trunk, and branches, and lenvrs. ,1„ M„t makr a tree; neither .1,, a mnnber ,,1' p.-oplr dwrllin;; together Uiake a I'ome. " A certain number of animal lives that are of prescribed ages, that eat and .Irink to- gether, by no means makes a family. Almost as well might we say that it is the bricks of a house that make a h.jme. There may be a l".me in the for.-st or in the wilderness, and there may be a family with all its blessings, though half its mend)ers l)c in other lands m' in another world. It is the gentle memories, the mutual thought, the d.-sire to bless, the' sympathies that meet when duties are apart, the fervor of the parents' prayers, the per- suasion of filial love, the sister's pride and the brother's benediction, that constitute the true elements of domestic life and sanctify the dwell- ing." * These beautiful wore without love is no home, any more tha,. a body without a soul is a man. It is only a corpse. 3 Consyleration for those with whom we live in the family is the chief form which affection takes. Each member has to reinon,b.-r, not hrs own comfort and wants, but the comfort a.iu wants of those with whom he dwells. Ills welfare as an individual he must subordinate to tlie welfare of the household. There are various forms which want of consideration takes, and all of them are detestable. («) Tyram.v, where the strong ."ember of a family insists on the service of those weaker than him- self, (b) Greed, where one demands a larger FAMILY LIFE. 17i affection a humble lecause of ted those ce cannot matchless the swine 3 a higher ice of his ove is no out a soul lom we live }h affection ber, not his omt'ort aii.,.:!: J .^.s or those whom God ^^an,y.,t. Hen^kesit -g-ds , a,s h. prnil.,. to 1.^^^^^^ i.^;" /^r""^-^"--'->-onition.fthe ,;'\ ";' ^^^ P---J ---pie and teaching of taitl. Vnkke those who leave the religious -t.uct.on of their children entirely to oL he loves to teach then, himself. A j.ousehoM thu. pervaded ,,.. Christian atmosph.re is a scene of .sweet and tender beauty S„eh 1 ";i i« well depicted by 1 «::! y^t. There we see how beautiful family life "^ay be in the humblest dwelling. From scenes like these old Scotia's grandeur springs That makes her lov'd abroad, rever'd at hon.e. 12 CHAPTER XV. CHURCH* The word church is derived from the Greek word Kuriakon, the Lord's (from Kttrios, the Lord), and it has various sigiiilicatioiis. (a) Some- times it means the whole hody of believers on earth—" the company of the faithful throughout the world "— " the number of the elect that have been, are, and shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof ; and is the spouse, the body and the fulness of Him t)iat tilleth all in all."t ('>) ►Sometimes it is applied to a body of Christians differing from the rest in their con- stitution, doctrines, and usages; as, for example, the Church of Rome, the Greek Church, tlie * i'lie sul)je-.'t of "The Churcli, Ministry and Sacraments'" is to be fully .lealt with in a Guild text-book by the Rev. Norman Maeleo-l, D.D. We only refer in this chapter to those phaaes of Church life that are more immediately con- nected with Life and Conduct. t Confessioi' of Faith, i i CHL-RCH. 17fl 3 Greek word IS, the L(jrd), ;. {a) Some- l)elie\ers on ll throuj^lioTxt lect that have to OIK', under If spouse, the ; tilleth all in I to a Vwdy of in their con- i, tor example, Chnrch, the anil Sacianii^iit?; '* lOok l>y tl»p Kev. n thiM chapter to iiiini«(liatelv con- Reformed Chureli i^\ q the n,,.- r ^ «onietn„es it refers to th Ch ■« ,a„ eo„n„u„ity „f , eountry or its ,;t"T't""'''""'"-''^»«''"-'=''^l-Ch„c, "' y^""- "-■ «'<-.'el. of Scotland. (,/) of Cln-r. , 1 "'•'■<='P^te m the ordinance., "> Chu.tian.ty, w,th their proper pa.stors or -n-t- (.) u i. applied a,L to th h „ n wh,ch the public ministration, of reli,do 2 on noted a» .hen we speak of the 0,™.,, ci: :::"' •'*'■ '-^ ^"-". «'■ '^ete.., In thi.s chapter we use the word chnrch in the '"".th .sense, as representing a particular con- g-g«t-on of Christian.. To .such a connnuX very youn,, „.a„ should belong, and in con ^f "O" w.th it he is called to di.seharge certain ^pec,a duties. There are four a.spect? in J , :.:;;::d "^ '""-'■ " "^^ — ■ -^ -« I It represents Christian worship.-(„) Pubhc worship see«,s essential to the very e.Kist' 180 LIFE AND CONDUCT. v"-Vi^ ence of relii,non. At least, uvcry religion the world has seen has had its meetings for public rites and ceremonies. Faith unsupported by sympathy, as a rule, languishes and dies out in a community. Were our churches to be shut Sunday after Sunday, and men never to meet together as religious beings, it would be as though the reservoir that su])plies a great city with water suddenly ran ..-..d»t or the,,,." (Matt, xviii. ,0.) ir. The Church represents Christian teach- •ngr.-Xn tl.e co.,gre«atio„ the Wo,,I of (J„d ;, read ,i.H pi-eaeheil („\ p , • t>ieache,l. (a) Preach,.,.; has always rorij.ed t>ai't ,.f' *i. . ^^'"ay.s m I /■ ^^ivitt ot the ( hri.stiji.i Chui-ch fm.u the ve.-v m.m.i;„ * •• veij ea.'I.est t..ne.s. I,, thp second ce„turv Justin Af.... ;.eanedS,..,da,,a,t.hoh.e.rthec.r: '" "": •=""""-y «-"'«■ into one pUee. a..d the ■"e.no,...s of the apo.,tle., a.„, the Lu,.. o' p.-opl.et.sa..e,.eadasti,,,epe...,,U.s:t.:.„ , the reader ha.s cejise.I th.. -i te.isecl, tJie president xerbaJir instructs and exhfn-f« fr. n • •. . *^"^^^0 aim exnoits to the miitat on of thesp ^^t^in,..- This desc-iptio.. of an eX meets thei •e IS relio-ious teachincr. 182 r.IFK AND CONDUCT. {h) And it is the ()nly sueli teacliiiig that multi- tudes receive. Without it they would be left to grope their way alone. (<•) Whenevi-r, therefore, there has l»een a revival of life in the Church, gref it stress h laid th ach f stress lias ix'en laid u[)on tlie preaclunt;' o the Word it t'Wtl,,.,.. Tl,ei,- |«.ay,...s ""' '""'*« ''^'=«"' '" ""i™.. to tl„. 'i'),r„,K. of I'-T" '^''' """'■ '■'"" "'" "— ««i".. of ( ) At tl,.. t„M... „r the U,M tl,.,- e„k,. tl„.L I>ace«.„,„„.tHk.,.,,f,,,,,.|if„_,,„,,,i,,c,,,,.^^ 'I>ecu,, otM,.,s»i„j;,,|,ich «.,.Wes.,i.si, „„t , " "«""»"'"■'>" of tl>,. I,|„,„I „f ei,,is^ T,,„ b.'oa,l ,v,,iol, w.. b.,.a,<. i, it ,„„ j,,.. ^„„„„,„^.^ of tl,.. ,.„,,y „f c,„.i.st ? F,,.. wc l„.i„,. „„,,y. -•e all prntakcTK of tl.ut one bread." (1 Co.- X. l(i, 17.) IV. The Church represents Christian Worlc._It ,., not ,„crely a societ^■ for in. strucfon or for the cultivation of .le'vout feel- '"*,'»■ It ..- an aggre.ssive society. Every con- grejjafon of believers is a hrancl. of the <,reat 77 "'"'^'' '-^ ^™'-"»K asmnst the king,lo"n of .lark„es.s. Every individual,,, called upon to he a tellow-laborer with Christ." and not merely o work out his own salvation," l,„t to work,f„r he salvation of others. The „,otto of every true Cl„-istian Church should be, " Work for everybody, a„,l everybody at work." TI,ose ,vho 184 LIKE AN]) CONDUCT. may be able to do little as i.solated iiuiividuals may do mucli by combining their etibrtH witli those of others, 'rhe Church gives them the power and the opportunity. We may now glance at some of the special duties incumbent upon those who are connected with the Church, and particuUiriy upon young- men. 1. We should be regular in availing ourselves of the means of grace wliich the Church artbrds. If it be the home of worship, of teaching, of fellowship, and of work, it is a home from which we should not make ourselves strangers. There is a blessing to be found there, and we are remiss if we do not seek it. Every youno- man should be a regular attendant on the min- istrations of religion. He should be so (a) for his ow^n sake, and (h) for the sake of others. He may perhaps have at times the feeling, I can get my worship in the fields and my teaching from my books: I can get along without the Church. But surely he undervalues the prom- ised blessing to those who " forsake not the assembling of (themselves) together." Surely <'M|-i{('H. individuals ittbrts witli ■< them the the special B connected ipon young- g ourselves rch atibrds. eaching, of lome from I strangers, re, and we '^ery young n the niin- so (a) for )thers. He ing, I can y teaehin"' ithout the the prom- ;e not the Surely 185 "evei.^. But even f h,. ,1,1 , ">e Chmvl,. i. |,„ „„ , ''■! «H „„ „.itl,o„f «£sr: - r-=- ~ +1 ^^^^ hound to cons;me- tlnng. It shovml a g„o,l spirit. If uv are to g-et the n.o.st out of the Church, we nn.st help it to do ,ts uork-eharitable, n.issiouarv. Sunday Schorl Young Men's Ouild. If the besi heart and ta ent of young men were pnt into these and other agencies, the power of the Church for good would be increased imn.easurablv. and m>t the least of the advantage would eon.e to the ™-kers th.n,selves. Let each do his own part. There is one way, we need scarcely say, in which we can all help the Church's M'ork : hy .nVy.,. to It "as the Lord hath prospered us." 'd'i.derlhe Old iestament dispensation everyone was under strict obligation to giv, a fixed proportion of his substance for religious purpose..,, S.u'eK- we should not be less liberal when th. proportion is left to our own sen.se of duty. Freeh- n e have received. Let us also freely give. •3. While loyal to our own Church, we shoidd cherish towards all Christians feelings of eharity and good-will. Many of us, probably n.ost of "S belong to the Church to which om. parents belonged : and so long as we feel it ministers to 188 LIl'E AND CONDUCT. our Spiritual benetit we should keep by it and work with it. There is little good obtained by running t'roni eliurch to church, anil those w^ho sever themselves h-o\i\ their early religious associations are often anything but gainers. But while we are loyal to our own regiment in the Christian army, and proud, so far as a Chris- tian may be so, of its traditions and aclxieve- nients, let us ever feel that the army itself is greater than our own regiment, and not only cherisli good-will and brotherly love towards those who fight in that army, but be ready at all times to co-operate with them, and to fight with them against the connnon -^emy. It is well to be a good churchman, .5 infinitely better to be a good Christian. It is best when one is both ; for indeed he is the best Christian who is the best churchman, and he is the best churchman who is the bjst Christian. ep by it and obtained by id those who •ly ieli|>'ious Ijut jijainers. 1 regiment in 11- as a Chris- and achieve- rmy itself is md not only ove towards be ready at and to light ■^eniy. It is .3 infinitely is best when )est Christian le is the best m. CHAPTER XVI. CITIZEXSHIP. CmENSH.P i. ,,„,i,,,| f,„,„ ^,^^ j^^.^ ^,^^1 2v^tas. the »tak, ,.,,.1 eon.prehe.ufe the duties that are bindinj; „p„„ ,„ ,„ ,„^.,„|,^^.^ ^^ ^^^ state. The Hrst ,,ue«tioa then that aiises in con- «.cle.-,ng these i,s, What do we n,ean by the state ' The state may be defined as the larger amdy.-The fa.nily is the „,.i.i„ of the s.!te W In early times government was of the simple k.n.l that prevails in a IWuily. The father was the head of the household and ruled over his children. As these grew up an,l had fannlies of the,r own, they naturally looked to the age.l head of the fanuly, listened to his eounsels. and were guided by his wisdom. Henee the first torn, of the state was the tribe or elan, and the hrst forn, of government was patrhrchal. The head of the fanuly governed the tribe. (6) On the death of the patH h it wa« nece.ssary 190 LIFE AND CONDUCT. that a successor shouM be a])pointe(l. Some- times lie was the son of tlie ]>atriarch or liis nearest ilesceii(hiiit. Sometimes lie was chosen by the tribe as the stront;est and bravest man ann.titunonal L. Great Britain we have a hnnted monarch>j ; the power of the sovereign ■s controlled by the will of the people, who have a large share in making the laws. In the United ^States of America. i„ France, and in other countries, we have republics, where the voice of the people is supreme, though at the head of the «tate IS a president, elected by the people, and .bound to carry out their wishes. As the state is the larger family, the duties of those who compose it correspond with those be- longing to the members of a household. 1. There is the duty ofloyalty or patriotism. The first duty of the member of a family is love of home and of those who belong to it How ever poor or humble it may be. he feels bound 192 LIFE AND CONDUCT. to it by no ordinary tie.s. He defends its j"«- terests. Above all other households, he loves Ins own the best. The first duty of the citizen is of the same kind. He loves his land ; his own country is dearer to liini than any other on earth. He is ready to defend it even with his life. The words of Sir Walter Scott, as of many another poet, express this patriotic feeling : W Breathes there the man with soul ao dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land, Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned, From wandering on a fcjreign strand, jNIany have died for their country's sake, and in all ages this has been thought a specially noble death. History records with affection the names of such men as Wallace, Bruce, William Tell, and Garibaldi, who sacrificed very much for the land they loved. And as " peace has its victories no less renowned than those of war," it has been the pride of others to serve their country by guarding its liberties, increasing its happiness. crnzExsHip. 193 dm„-„i3hi„, it, evn. ,.e,o..,„in, it, ,„„.. The "^ to It, of then- common inheritanop R rule of tho f , "^■■"" "'" '^''™ tl'e «i,at Ins conseiMiCe clearly tells him -"•o„^ ; so. ,,,,ood citizen wi,,o4th 1 uiijusc tnat the o-ood of all ^^ i , shnnJr] 1^ . . , demands that tliev siioiiJcl be resisted. Wh'if<.v«v+i i . "^ en;Wo.o...,etJt;r^^^^^^^^^^^^ h- best to get it a,„e„,,e,, or aboli:he,l. It i, C-i. it;:;::"": :•'"■■ '""''"-"'^^ 13 ^""'"''^ obedience. "Let every p n^ 104 Uh'E AM) CONDUCT. soul," HJiya Scripture, " be subject unto the hi^^her powern. For there is no power but of God : tlie powers that be are ordained of Hod. Whosoever tlierefore resisteth tlie power, resisteth the ordinance of (lod : and they that resist sliall receive to themselves condenniation. For rulers are not a terror to ^ood works, but to the evil. . , Wherefore, ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience .sake." 3. It is a duty of citizenship to see that the laws are reasonable and just. Tn a family, the grown-up members will use their legitimate inlluence to promote the wise regu- lation of the household, that there may be peace and harmony. The same desire will animate the members of the state, (a) This is specially incumbent upon those who, like ourselves, live under constitutional government. With us, government is not the prerogative of the Crown, or of a few families, or of men of rank or wealth. It is not despotic, or aristocratic, or plutocratic, but democratic — that is to say, it is in the hands of the people, or of those of the people to whom it has been entrusted, and who form a y ^^'utM tjR. country j.s .rovonio.l Ti «»-e bound to .lo their ho.i f T '^''-^ '>- "ot the case with ,w „,„! fi only excreisp tl, • '" ''""I'''' «'» ;7'-''-in,the,,,„ej:,;:': ;^;;-. are moil wlio are wo)-fI.,. ^- ., ^'"'•>' "f pa,.,i,.„K,„, ,,„t „.h ,.!:j T "" '"""""■■^ -K .school W,,, ,,,,, „^,,^/ -of eoun government. Wl,erever a ,„.,„ '""' privilege of el,.„ • «x-erei8es the '««nc,l 7"^/'"'P'--"«ive. h„i3 ^'o «o con.scient ousJv i..rl „ -n -- c,e.. t„ pe*„n whafj^^ Mt il 19(5 LIFE AND CONDUCT. a Tnaxini in law that what wo do by another we do ourselves. We are responsiljUi for those whom wo choose to make our laws, and if wo help to choose unworthy men we cannot be held blameless of the consociuonces that may follow, (c) As it is our duty to exercise this privilege of citizenship rightly, wo are also bound not to refrain from exorcising it. We hear people say sometimes that they have nothing to do wnth politics. But by keeping altogether aloof they cannot rid themselves of their responsi- bility. By abstaining they may do almost as much to further the views they disapprove of as by taking an active part in promoting tliom. If there are evils in connection with government, the Vjost way to get rid of them is for good men to take a part in public life, and try to bring about a bettor state of things. In a free country no man can shako off his obligations by refraining from taking part in public affairs. The talent that is entrusted to us we are bound to use for the glory of God and the good of man. Our political power, however small, is such a talent, and wo are responsible for its proper employment. do by another Of the state. W ' 7 " '"' '"^ ^o"" ""g'.ixl.f.l In,,,, tl„. ,"'"■' '""■'■ "■•""»- ^ove.,,„H.„t t„ „"■'"■"'"'"■'-'•"<•■ i" - --tl. the .1,. r„ '■ T' '"• '"'""^-^-' ''''-■-"'■ the ,.,,u,,, ■;;',:;:;''"'•',"'■'''« ""'■'y«.e,l„ti,..sof cit,V,. '''•*'""•«« " l»>-t in to,,,„i, ''• v"Allc«„t,.ke our example th,> ,■„ , *' ■^ ™"' '"""enco, "■ctions, to t'uttt"" ^■'^'''■""'■"" •"• ""'• -- 7>"-'y -■!, „iti„,ate,;;i.;; iirv '' "'^ also take direct ,v„.t • ^''^ ^"^ <=«» 198 Life and condijct. tend to tlie well-being of societ3^ Much is left by the state to voluntary effort by its members. The state undertakes the defence of the country by the army and navy, the relief of the poor, and the elementary education of the people ; but beyond these and other instances of direct state action there is much left to be done bj^ the people themselves, and for themselves. The Volunteer movement, in which men take part of their own free will, and which has been of so much benefit to the country ; the erection and support of hospitals, libraries, art galleries, colleges and universities ; the furnishing of the people with amusement and recreation — are illustrations of what may be done by members of the community directly. All such efforts tend to the welfare of the state. All its members reap benefit from them. He who does not lielp and encourage them is as mean as the man who would go to an hotel and take its entertainment, and then sneak away without paying the reckoning. Whatever we can do to benefit society benefits ourselves, and in throwing our- selves heart and soul into any of those enter- by. Much is left i by its inenibers. 36 of tlie country lief of the poor, of the people ; stances of direct b to be done by hemselves. The men take part of I has been of so :he erection and 5, art galleries, urnishing of the recreation — are )ne by members such efforts tend A.11 its members 10 does not help as tlie man who s entertainment, lut paying the . do to benefit II throwinu- our- of those enter- P'-i»o« that beno/it society uv arc ,tU , ■ ^■•"«. ».j „o „,,„ .1,.;,;;: ;;•"; '">- ".^■ '•-- «,,„ee to ,w.; ,r: ? '''' "'^'•'• to -l.on, cu.sto,„: .V„,. , '^ " ' "■■ '""'"'" »"-«". of the , f '"" ""'-^ ''™"">- tl- "Iteth a nation." '•'Sl.teo„s,.e,s.s ex- APPENDIX. j:"*;r ;;rc;:;,:::,t;r;:'r Professor Bhcki^ W / . ^ '" ''^ r. Homer. Wilki„,„„^, Ancient E„,,ei,.„, Herodotus. History of Greeop r' . * L.feofPopeHi]crebmncl. ine Crusades. Sisinondi's History of thp l*..i; n Prescott's Americ^ " I^«P«'l.lic8. I^-^Iy. by p,,y,,,,,, ^^^^^^^ Chronicles, by ^VojWo^ ' !■ I 202 AlTEXDIX. The Normnnfi—Fref man and Thivrrif. Motley's Dutch Republic. Life of Gustavus Atlolphus. The French Revolution— T/uV/vs, Cadijle, Alison. Bourrienne's Life of Napoleon. VV^ellington's Penin.sular Campaign. Southey's Life of Nelson. America — Baiirrojt. The Stuart Rising of 1745, by Ruhni CImmbers. Carlyle's Life of Cromwell. Foster's Statesmen of the Commonwealth. Life of Arnold — St((nleii. Life of Dr. Norman Maclood. Life of Baron Bunsen, Neander's Church History. Life of Luther. History of Scottish Covenanters— i)ytWij. Dean Stanley's Jewish Church. Milman's Latin Christianity. II. Religion and Morals. The Bible. Socrates or Plato and Xenophon. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus' Meditations. Epictetus Seneca. The Hitopadion and Dialogues of Krishna. St. Augustine's Confessions. Jeremy Taylor. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Martineau. ^Esop's Fables. APPENDIX 203 III. POKTRY AND FlOTION. Honier. Virgil. Dante. Pje NiebeJungen Lay. The Morte D'Aaiiur. Chaucer. Shakespeare. Spen.ser. Milton. Pope. Cowper. Campbell. Wordsworth. Walter Scott. Burns. Charle.s Lamb. Dean Swift "Tui.. i; rr, , Tennyson. Browning. I>«n Quixote. Goklsmitl,, .< Viear of WakeHeld " t-eorge Ehot. Dickens. Robinson Crusoe. Andersen's Fairy Tales " M f i « Grimm's Popula'r sJ:;; ,,^'^^11 ;'"'•" hootch, Engli.h, IHshld'Sl.^^^^^^^"^ 204 APPENDIX. IV. Fine Arts. Ferguson's History of Architecture. Ruskin. Tyrwhitt. 'J. Politics and Political Economy. De Tocqueville. John Stuart Mill. Fawcett. Laveleye. Adam Smith. Cornewall Lewis. Lord Brougham. Sir J. Lubbock. VI. Science and Philology. J. G. Wood's Books on Natural History. White's Natural History of Selbourne. Geology— Hugh Miller, Hamsey, Geikie, Ansted. Botany— General Elements of British. Science of Language— Trench and Farrar, Max Mailer. Taylor's Words and Places. VIL Voyages and Travel. In every variety ; especially the old collections. oture. Economy. LOGY. il History. Ibourne. /, Geikie, Ansted. British. .nd Furrar, Max EL. old collections. LIST OF WORKS. suited in if« r. ^'^'''^ '^ef'" con- David Doaavenport Ada.s tlZ ^T^ir '^ "^^ «" noster Row. 1880. * °''" ^'^^S' P«ter- ^Ae &.,«< ,^ ^ by W H n I^ondon : John iw/ p!; ^«^«nport Adanis. r/ r^i ^^' ^^^«i"noster Row. 1880 The Threshold of Life, by W H n T. Nelson .t Sons pff' davenport Adams. O'^ ^/^e n,....,. by Th "^ ^''"- ''''■ Ward, Lock , L ;8,r ^' ''""^^^- ^^^on : ^^^'r'''^'>'by.Joh.TullochDD T . B'Tnet & Co. I8d3. ' •^' ^^^ndon : Chas. ^ife. a Book for Yo.nu, Men bv T P • «-kxe. London: Strahan It Co. '"ig^,"""'"^^-- Pli 206 LIST UF WuKlvS. The Oentlr Life, by J. Hain Friswcll. London : Sampson Low it Marston. 1870. Self-Cvltnrr, by James Freeman Clarke. Boston : J. R. Osgood it Co. 1881. Life Questions, by M. J. Savage. Boston : Lockwood, Brooks it Co. 1879. Elements of Morality, for llntue and School Tvachiit'j, by Mrs. Chas. Bray. London : Longmans, Green & Co. 1863. The Familij and its Duties, by Robert Lee, D.D. London : Longmans, Green it Co. 1863. Christianity in its Relation to ISoeial Life, by Rev. Stephen J. Davis. London : Religious Tract Society. Home Life, by Marianne Farningham.* London : James Clarke & Co. The Domestic Circle, by the Rev. John Thomson. Lon- don : Swan Sonnenschein & Co. 1886. vs. 1. London: Sampson arko. Boston : J. R. Boston : Lockwood, %)ul School Tcdchiiiii, I : Longmans, Green Robert Lee, D.D. Co. 1868. orial Life, by Rev. eligious Tract Society. ini.« London: James ohn Thomson. Lon- o. 1886. Better Not ah,-. The Dance of Mnrinv« o *^ 50 Shall We ? or, Shall we' Not? " ' V- " ' p ^ ''^ JoluKstoii, D.I). *^« -wot/ Ly Hev. Hugh The Parlor Dance f hn tv. ^ ^^ % Rev. HTSlSf ?'"*^1' *^« Cards. "Popular Amusenaens'' ^^ '■"'"" •■ « ^« The Pleasure Dance in itl^i"! ^ '^ ^ion and MoralTty Isen '^' '"" *° ^^^i' Hunter, D.L>. ^ ^- "^ '^""'"O" '»>' Rev. W. J. Plain Talks about the Tb«nf ,' ^ ^^ ^^^^ J^"^ 20 METHODIST ei^RAPHY S n:£ V-- -^f -' wa.„,, ■„„ Mary PieS. 5„ t„ 'iS """■" ' » -S Kobort Newton. B, T ,„ls j I « •« Thomas Coke. ]jy I W7'tll!t "" » ■« James Evans. Hv Rev joi.n vr" 1 50 Missionary Literature. A New Programme of Missions. By Luther I). Wishard $0 50 Gist. A Hand-liook of Missionary Information. Compiled and edited hy Lilly Ryder Uracey .... fiO A Hundred Years of Missions. Hy Rev. I). I^. Leonard . , 1 50 Foreign Missions After a Century. By Rev. J. 8. Dennis, D.D 1 50 Japan, the Land of the Morning. Hy Rev. J. W. Saunby, li. A 1 00 China and Its People. i5y W. H. 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