INTELLIGENCE. ON Monday the 19th instant, upwards of eighty of the members and friends of the "Newcastle Branch of the British Young Men's Society for Religious and Intellectual Improvement" took a trip to Workworth, in the powerful Steam-packet Active, Capt. Brown. The delightful day, and good feeling which pervaded the company, combined with the ancient castle and beautiful scenery of the neighbourhood, tended much to make it a day which will be hereafter referred to with pleasure and satisfaction. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, June 27th, 1837. Newcastle, June 30th, 1837. MR. EDITOR, SINCE we last had this pleasure of addressing you, we have been successful in forming a Branch Association at Gateshead Fell, a village about two miles from this town. Our Society is steadily increasing, and the discussions are carried on with great spirit, being frequently adjourned three and four times. We are, Sir, Your obedient Servants, Jos. TEMPERLEY. } Secretaries. INDOLENCE AND THE LOVE OF PLEASURE. (Davis's Directions for the Young.) I WILL attempt to guard my youthful reader against indolence and a love of pleasure. A partial or superficial glance might lead to the conclusion, that there can be no connexion between indolence and a love of pleasure. The one requires active exertion, and the other relaxation. But experience teaches us, that those who pursue with the greatest eagerness the sinful pleasures of the world, have been prepared for this in the school of indolence; a school in which the understanding loses its power, in which the affections of the heart are contaminated, and in which the imagination is filled with impure and unholy imagery. Indolence, although incompatible with the healthy and well-regulated action of the intellectual powers, is very frequently accompanied with a morbid excitement of the mental faculties, and of the bodily frame; like the uncultivated ground, which produces every noxious weed in luxuriant abundance, while no valuable plant will, in such a soil, bring any fruit to perfection. Youth is the season for salutary exercise; and if, during this important season, the body and mind are suffered to remain in indolence, the health of the former will be destroyed, while the latter will be, either a "barren wilderness," or a "cage of every unclean bird." An idle man is a blank in the creation. He is his own tormentor; a curse to his family, and a dead weight on society. Some young persons may be ready to say, "This would be applicable to us, were we called upon to fill those important stations in society, which fall to the lot of many, and were we exposed to those temptations to sinful pleasures by which the rich and elevated are assailed." To this we reply, that sinful pleasure is not restricted to the wealthy and refined. The degrading and unholy pursuits to which men are impelled by the love of the world, are within the reach of the lowest and most abject of our species. The beggar may take his share with the Prince: and the intellectual and moral character of each be equally debased. The poor are too much inclined to imagine that they cannot sin like the rich; and the rich, that the refinements of iniquity which they practise place them, as to moral character in a state of elevation above the poor. But sin, whether grovelling in filth, or clothed in purple, is equally hateful in the sight of God. His eyes are too pure to look upon iniquity: and pollution, whether clothed in rags, or arrayed in all the decorations of the most splendid fortune, is Pollution still. Never for a moment, therefore, indulge the thought, that the pursuits of sinful pleasure are confined to any particular class in society. Never give way to the idea, that any station in life, occupied by a rational and accountable creature, can be unimportant. No individual human being, however limited the sphere in which he moves, and however trifling his influence on those around him, will be despised by the thoughtful and the pious. Though you may not be called upon to occupy a station of commanding influence, yet, to yourself personally, the station which you do occupy is infinitely important. Your religious, relative, and personal duties require careful attention, well-formed habits, and fervent prayer, or they will never be so fulfilled as to be "acceptable to God and approved of men." It is indeed true, that we are not all called upon to become philosophers, or poets, or historians, or ministers of religion; but all may secure in youth some valuable knowledge, which may be useful in after life. And be it ever remembered by the young as one of the strongest inducements to rouse them from their indolence, and to call them off from every sinful pursuit, that there is one book with which all ought to be acquainted, one science which all ought to master, and one practice which all ought most carefully and perseveringly to pursue. Need we say that that book is the Bible; that science, religion; that practice, the practice of piety! Here is occupation at once for the mind, the heart, and the hands. "Get this wisdom, and with all thy getting get this understanding." Let the keeping of thy soul be regulated by this divine rule, and there will be activity, peace, and purity within; while thy lips will not be froward, thy feet not deviating from the right path, and thine hands be prepared to do whatever God commands. advice, who by the light of nature alone declared, that to suffer death for one's country was not only necessary, but honourable. So, I think, every lover of true piety should diligently seek the truth of God in the Scripture; maintain it, when found, to his latest breath, serve God in his calling according to his word, and not be deterred by any perils or menaces from supporting the truth, and holding on his course: as, then, this is my fixed determination, it is in vain that you endeavour to draw away me and others from the genuine doctrine of God's church, which you yourself ought likewise to profess.— Diaz, in reply to Malvenda. THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. THE CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN. IN a peculiar sense the Christian gentleman must be absent from the world: not, "I count all things but loss for the excellence of indeed, from the intercourse of business with the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." I MUST honestly confess, that I have made up my mind, in a cause of such immense importance as altogether affects our salvation, to undergo any dangers rather than purity of doctrine should suffer injury. I should even deem it an honour to lay down my life in testimony of the truth. For what the world; such an abstraction may not be consistent with his duties and engagements; neither does it comport with his general character and necessary relations to withhold himself from the commerce of good offices and cheerful hospitality: but he must separate himself by a decided line from the loose practices and careless demeanour of worldly men. He who sets God always before him cannot "sit among the ungodly," without a depression of spirit. The communication with the godless he cannot alto is the life of man, but a continued series of evils, if a knowledge of real religion be wanting, which can alone minister safety and consolation? Nor do I think, Malvenda, that I have learned so little, under the teach-gether avoid: he cannot avoid the contact, ing of the Holy Spirit, as to pay more regard to the displeasure of the world, or the authority of man, than to the will of the everlasting God, clearly revealed in the oracles of truth. But this I know to be the standing command of the Son of God, given from above to all generations: "Whosoever will not confess me before men, him will not I confess before my Father which is in heaven." An awful threat, indeed! not proceeding from mortal tyrant, but pro but he may avoid the intermixture. As he nounced out of the secret counsel of the "Where the noise Of riot ascends above her loftiest towers, London: R. Needham, Printer, 1, Belle-Sauvage-Yard, Ludgate-Hill. THE YOUNG MEN'S MAGAZINE. No. 9.] [VOL. I. SEPTEMBER, 1837. ADMONITIONS TO THE YOUNG. 66 action. Were they always subjected to the government of enlightened reason, they would become sources WHAT ought you to avoid? "Flee of innocent gratification; indulgence youthful lusts." The objects of ab- would leave no stain, and rememhorrence and detestation are distinctly brance would awaken no remorse. specified in this short but impressive But from their fatal predominance caution. No palliating, softening over the convictions of the underepithets are employed to lessen their standing, and the remonstrances of enormity, or divest them of their conscience, what streams of sin and disgusting qualities. They are not misery have inundated the world! pleaded for by being called, as too To these, as their immediate sources, many in modern times represent may be traced innumerable diseases them," mere juvenile indiscretions," which ruin the body, by causing its youthful follies," which maturer age premature debility, and securing its will correct; but they are marked inevitable destruction. But their by a term, which at once describes direst evil is, that they war against and condemns them. Lust, in the the soul," (1 Pet. ii. 11,) impair the language of Scripture, has an exten- mind, and pollute the heart. How sive latitude of meaning; it is ap- soon does their pernicious influence plied to evil desire in general-the corrupt the very faculty of judging, desire of what is in itself unlawful and destroy the sensibility of conand forbidden, or the intemperate science; "searing it as with a hot desire of what is in itself lawful and iron," and rendering it callous to all allowed. This explanation accords the impressions of guilt. "Whence with the assertion of the apostle John arise wars and fightings? come they in his first epistle, in which he gives not hence, even of your lusts that an accurate classification of evil de- war in your members ?" (James iv. 1.) sires: "All that is in the world, the Domestic feuds, national antipathies, lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and all the unutterable horrors of and the pride of life, is not of the war, are the awful consequences of Father, but of the world." (1 John ungoverned passions; "they defile ii. 16.) the whole body, set on fire the course The passions and appetites of our of nature, and are themselves set on nature are powerful principles of fire of hell," (James iii. 6.) VOL. I. I call them off from every cnfu porcit the there is one book with which all ought to be acquainted, one science with all caght to master, and one practice which all caght most carefully and perseveringly to pursue Need we say that that book is the Bible; that science, religion: that practice, the praetice of piety! Here is occupation at once for the mind, the heart, and the hands. "Get this wisdom, and with all thy getting get this understanding." Let the keeping of thy soul be regulated by this divine rule, and there will be activity, peace, and purity within; while thy lips will not be froward, thy feet not deviating from the right path, and thine hands be prepared to do whatever God commands. THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. die, who by the light of nature alone ? THE CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN. Is a peculiar sense the Christia man must be absent from the wor "I count all things but loss for the excellence of indeed, from the intercourse of b the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." the world; such an abstraction I MUST honestly confess, that I have made neither does it comport with up my mind, in a cause of such immense character and necessary relation importance as altogether affects our salva-himself from the commerce of tion, to undergo any dangers rather than and cheerful hospitality: but h purity of doctrine should suffer injury. I should even deem it an honour to lay down loose practices and careless rate himself by a decided my life in testimony of the truth. For what is the life of man, but a continued series of before him cannot "sit ame worldly men. He who sets evils, if a knowledge of real religion be without a depression of wanting, which can alone minister safety munication with the godless and consolation? Nor do I think, Malvenda, gether avoid: he cannot that I have learned so little, under the teach- but he may avoid the t ing of the Holy Spirit, as to pay more re- has his delights, with w gard to the displeasure of the world, or the intermeddle, so does authority of man, than to the will of the everlasting God, clearly revealed in the pleasures exclude his p oracles of truth. But this I know to be the is, however, a neutral standing command of the Son of God, given which they may be may stand together; from above to all generations: " Whosoever will not confess me before men, him will not I confess before my Father which is in heaven." An awful threat, indeed! not proceeding from mortal tyrant, but pro- or converses wit nounced out of the secret counsel of the sits in his wate Supreme. If you can hear it, and not treinble, I could scarcely think that you works," he s had human feeling, but that your breast plain beneath must be made of iron or marble. You would sech," an persuade me on account of worldly dingsys which, howevou tremendous, can be to poral, to renomice a Christia in which depends that sal reciprocities which! eternal, Yet the very II. |