Fourth Lecture [pp. 561-568]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
is that of believing, or at least acting as if they believed
any other time better than the present, for increasing
their knowledge and improving their morals. Hence
their innumerable little tricks to avoid their school exercises-their continual efforts to escape from study,
and their passion for holidays. The possession of life
is viewed-if not as a perpetuity-at least, as an estate
to be enjoyed for a very long period, the first part of
which is the only season for the enjoyment of vivid,
highly exciting and never to be neglected or rejected
pleasures. As a season of preparation and the only
one —not only for the faithful performance of all the
duties of the present life, but for securing an inheritance
in the life to come, it is rarely ever viewed by young
persons at school. If a human being leaves an estate
in trust to other beings like himself, for beneficent uses,
the whole world is ready to cry out " shame-shame!"
should these trustees violate their trusts. Yet is this
same world either entirely silent, or takes little notice
of the infinitely more criminal breach of trust committed
towards the God of the universe, by every individual
in regard to his own soul, whenever he neglects to ex
ercise its powers as he has been ordered, by one having
supreme authority to command, and unlimited power
to punish eternally, for disobedience. It would seem
as if each person really believed his life and all his
faculties actually constituted a kilt of estate, for which
he was indebted to no one, and which he had a full
and perfect right to use or abuse as he pleases. But
would this be so-could it possibly happen, almnost as a
matter of course, if the first and the last lessons which
our youth received at every place of instruction from
the nursery to the college, were accompanied and fortified by this most momentous truth, presented to them
in all its terrors, when necessary-or recommended,
where this seemed best, in all its attractions? Wol uld
they not first fear to neglect their moral and religious
duty-then love it-then cherish a sense of it in their
hearts, as their vital blood-and lastly, make it the
governing motive of their whole lives? Religious and
moral principles should be the paramount objects of all
instruction, and their constant inculcation the imperative duty of all instructers, from the humble teachers cof
our alphabet, to the most learned and dignified professors of our colleges and universities. As to the moral
malady, procrastination-which led to the preceding
remarks, it is certainly not peculiar to scholars, for it
afflicts the old as well as the young. But it is equally
certain, that unless it be contracted in youth, it rarely,
if ever, appears in after life. Every scholar then, who
feels the slightest symptom of this disease, should tapply
as a remedy, the cardinal rule-" obsta principiis""resist beginnings;" and he should strive with might
and main to guard against the first approaches, if he
washes his old age to be exempt from a malady, at once
so distressing and so fatal. To postpone any useful act,
any thing from which we ourselves, or others, may derive the least benefit, is bad enough; but to defer so essential a duty as constant attention to our scholastic
studies, in the vain expectationi that some future day
will aiswer as well as the prcecst, is like drawing a pe cunlliary order on an unknown person, without naming
any time, and for money to which we have not even the
shadow of right or title. The resemblance holds good,
too in another important particular: neither the person,
we know, nor the future day, will ever answer the draft,
for the first is not under the smallest obligation to do so,
and the last has no power to change, Cev en to accommodate idlers, that irreversible law of nature, which assures us that timtne once abused is lost forever. It may be
said, perhaps by some, that this is a truism odiously
trite and wearisome. But let the youngand theold, too,
beware how they neglect or despise it on this account.
Education and all its blessings, great and glorious as
they most assuredly are, depend entirely upon the strictest regard being paid to this truism: nor can either the
scoffs of the idle, the taunts of the infidel, or the lamentations of sufferers abate one tittle-one jot of the fatal
consequences which inevitably follow, when we disregard or contemn it.
In close connexion with this fault of procrastination,
is that of disobedience in general, for the last is the offspring of the first. Whether it arises in all those cases
where it exists, from utter incapacity to comprehend
the true grounds of the sacred obligation, "to obey
those who have the rule over them," or firom unconquerable aversion to do what they believe to be right
and necessary, is more than I can tell. But the fact of
general disobedience is unquestionable, to the woeful
experience of all who have had any thing to do with
the government of children, in any way whatever,
requiring authority to be exercised over them. It is
true, we have the often quoted "video meliora, proboque, deteriora sequor" of a Latin poet, to prove that
we may see, approve, and yet fail to do our duty; but I
have always doubted its general applicability to disobedient children. Mostof them appear to have neither
eyes nor brains to check their culpable inclinations, or
to prevent their vicious deeds; but awful indeed, is the
inquiry, how this has happened. Parents and teachers
alike, are utterly disregarded by them, when out of
sight, unless from a principle of fear; and that is of no
more efficacy in relation to their moral improvement,
than would be the ringing of bells in their ears. Even
the devils, it is said, " fear and tremble," but we are
not any where told, that such tremors and fears can
work any reformation. No, never-for this to lbe effectual, must be the joint effort of the heart and under.
standing, aided by "the Spirit of God, working with
our spirits both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Unless the minds of children can be first thoroughly
and deeply impressed with this truth, and with their
solemn, sacred obligation to regard it as of vital importance, it is labor completely thrown away to try to
control them effectually, except on account of guarding
other people from being injured by them. It is true,
they will not be quite so expert in mischief, if you can
so manage as to keep them a long time out of practice,
"the having one's hand in" being a great matter. But
the inclination "to keep it in" wvill still remain, nor can
it ever be entirely eradicated without some much nmore
active medicine than mere abstinence. The seat of the
disease lies too deep-its action on the heart is too constant, to yield to such regimen alone-excellent, as it
confessedly is, when made to co-operate with powerful
moral remedies. Teachers and parents too, may labor
this matter as long as they please; they may even wear
Out their lungs, if they fency such an experiment, with
scolding, reproaching andl threatening, but all vill prove
fal' worse than useless to accomplish their object, unless
664