590 THE PROGRESS TO RUIN enough to accomplish this. But vicious tendencies gather power, and are gratified. At length ruin seizes, and when it does, remorse takes ruthless and firm hold. For relief from remorse, the hapless victim hastens to excess in riot, and from excess in riot to remorse-the one accelerating the progress of the other. Social merriment and glee terminate in vexation and a living death. These evils break the staff of bread, rend the bonds of love, stupify the head, harden the heart, madden all the passions, uproot all genial feeling, peace, and quietness, and make man a prey to Satan and an heir of irremediable perdition. When the new ship is launched and equipped for the first voyage, with her sails all set and pennants flying, bearing a precious cargo and boldly cutting through the waves-every heart on board is buoyant with the hope of glory or of gain; but a tempest suddenly overtakes, and she is shattered and stranded: a faint type this of the moral wreck of a rising youth overwhelmed by the sure results of these and such vices, and fallen never to arise. Mental powers are neglected and perverted; kindly affections imbruted; reputation, honour, and comfort lost. Thus an eminent writer graphically portrays and vivifies the fascinations and the perils connected with these vices: "A party of youths start from the city where they reside to cross the lake that stretches between it and the other shore. Everything is favourable. They are young and strong. They have gotten the boat in the right direction. They know how to go. They set off. A little way on, their eye falls on a striking opening into which the waters of the lake diverge. Everything is attractive. The verdure upon the banks, and the rising hills richly wooded, and the melodies of birds and the ever-varying changes of form and aspect in the landscape, greatly engage. If they were to go direct across the lake as they intended, they would lose this enchanting scenery, so they think of going down a little way, and then returning. But they enter this beautiful opening of waters. How calm and exhilarating! They still proceed. Had they gone across the lake at first, all their strength would have been expended in the right direction. Every stroke of the oar would have carried them towards the de sired destination. But now they are going down and down. By and by they find themselves going faster and faster, and they cannot stop. There is a powerful impetus impelling them on. Presently they hear the roar of a cataract. They are upon the rapids, and speedily approaching the waterfall, and strength is in vain here. The physical law takes its course. They are precipitated into the abyss." So it is with many young men as they begin the course of business and activity. They may have some knowledge from domestic education and perusal of the Bible, and from other incidental means. They enter upon the morning of life. They may seem to take the first steps in the right direction; but they turn aside to vanity and folly. They think they will go a little way only in this new and devious course, and, after a while, will relinquish it and retrace their steps at last. But they go on and on till another law, operating in their nature, by which the continued gratification of evil passions and habits tends directly to augment their power into resistless predominance, renders it impossible for them to return; and nothing but the cataract of overwhelming destruction shall or can be their destination. The young should never so act as to have anything to retrieve, nor swerve from the right course. When they do so they rush into peril-involve themselves in misery and disgrace-become morally fœtid, and socially pestiferous and injurious, and often fall unregretted into an early and dishonoured grave. How frequently are tender and warm-affectioned mothers called to watch the last hours of their dying sons, when they know in their heart the wicked deeds which have wrought their ruin and quenched all their brightest prospects! What anguish what remorse! what tremor these dying youths suffer! What a dismal hell within them! They die in darkness, and without well-based hope. "After death cometh the judgment." In the world to come their souls are still burdened with guilt, and pervaded and actuated by unsated and unholy passions, and lost irremediably and for ever! But how different is it with the young who have been led to choose the right way, and helped to walk in it! Their course is one of honour, influence, and happiness. Their life has in it an attraction and beauty and hallowedness. In childhood their mothers may have breathed into their heart religion, faith, and fear. They have grown up into youth and manhood rightly trained and furnished for the duties and activities of the present state, and with the fear of God and the love of holiness. To a marked extent they are preserved amid all the fascinations and malign influences that may surround them from the pollutions that are in the world through lust. If many years are allotted to them, they still walk with God; and honours thicken on them. Youth and manhood bow with reverence and affection before them. They become as mellowed fruit. They gather meetness for the perfect and everlasting life. Though not as yet complete, yet how comparatively pure-how influential and peaceful! How desirable to live such a life as this! "Mark the perfect, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." "Thrice-welcome Death! That, after many a painful bleeding step, THE END. INDEX. Under the sub-division of Chapters the references in the Index are to all the topics discussed in the work: to the direct commandments and warnings respecting them in the Word of God: to the opinions expressed upon these subjects by ancient and modern authors, and to the facts employed to illustrate their views. The Index has been carried more into detail than is necessary, except for readers in Mechanics' and other public Libraries, whose time is frequently limited. |