Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-02-27

Rev: Eldridge G. Brooks, of the Twentieth
street Universalist church, preached last Sun
DAY afternoon the eighth of his series of dis
courses on the Representative Characters in
the Old Testament" choosing for his subject,
'Absalom, the Fast Young Man" The text
was from Samuel, xiv rs, and xviii
IN all Israel there was noneto be much praised
as ADsalom Tor his beauty . = And Absalom
prepared him chariots and horses and fifty men to
run before him.'
After reviewing the career of Absaom, as
recorded in the Scriptures and supported by
the corroborative testimony of ancient histo-
rlans, and showing that his mode OF eXtrava
giant living, his crimes, his base ingratitude to
his loyal father, the fact that his death was
caused by one of the personal attractions of
which he was proud, and that he was bur
led IN "a great ditch in the wood, and covered
with a nameless heap of stones, the speaker
proceeded
"And after this review of his career need
say why he reached his end, or that only too
graphically he represents the methods, tenden-
cleS and inevitable results of q Fast Young
MANI Life is ever, through all change of time
or circumstance, essentially the same Names
and dates differ; scenery, costumes and actors
change; situations and attitudes vary, but ii is
essentially the same great drama that is CON
stantly acted over and over again on the stage
OF the world. Substitute Bloomngdale road
tor the riding courses of Judea-the brown
stone fronts and luxurious appointments of
modern aristocracy for the dwelling and furni-
ture OF the Jews-or the drinking shop, the
gambling hell and the house of designation or
prostitution Of today for the haunts of the disso
lutte IN the shadow of Mt Zion-and with this
difference, the fast young man of this city and
today, whether one OF the roughs Or one of the
ton, whether on the Bowery Or Broadway, is the
same in his cardinal estimate of life in substan.
1--WE aims and character, and in the direction
and tendency OF his course, this fast young
man Of two thousand eight hundred years ago.
Absalom is dead and the great heap of stones
piled above his dishonored body has crumbled,
and his burial place is forgotten; but never
since he so ANONYMOUSLY ended his career
have there failed to be those who in some way
were re-enacting his part and to day there are
vast numbers in the world who have only to
look to him. in the kind of life he lived, in the
kind of character he formed, in the kind of
death he died, to see what essentially is their
Lte-what the character towards which they
are aiming, and what, unless they change
themselves betimes, will be the kind of life
they will surely die"
In viewing Absalom as type of a class, the
speaker proceeded to refer specially to three
things among many others -
l. The grief and disappointment he occa
stoned.
II. The low estimate of life on which he
acted.
Ill. The speedy and dishonorable end which
he reached.
Under the first head the speaker alluded to
the misery caused in families by the dssoute
young men of the present time. In the sec
ond place, our subject teaches that, looking at
Absalom as the type of a class, we see the ig.
noble estimate OF life of which EAST career
-, I,,,
ed. He saw no grand or noble meaning in ex
istence. He recognized no great principles to
which life should conform, aud no lofty or
generous aims by which it should be filled
All its more serious employments and soberer
satistactions were to him very dull and prosy
things, altogether without flame or sparkle.
lie thought of himself only as body, seldom
or never as soul Life to him. therefore, was
simply season to possess, to enjoy, to sport,
to drink, to dash and to make display. And
if any serious minded friend ever ventured to
speak to him of God and responsibility, and
his religious needs and duties, he doubtless
only laughed and turned away, saying time
enough tor that, perhaps sneeringly pronounc-
ed all such talk CANNON" and cant"
And here we have the estimate of life upon
which every fast or vicious career proceeds.
This, indeed, is the definition Of "fast" young
man. one who torgets that he is anything more
than body, or that he is in the world for any
other object than mere enjoyment.
But it is time that we come to the final les
son of our subject. Absalom, as the result of
his fast and dishonorable life, died young
man. an ignominious and dishonored death
And this, as you do not need that l should
say, only illustrates the general law. A 'JaSt'
life cannot be LiUed Nth impuRity. In this field
OF waste and disorder as in every other Gods
violated law, however it may be forgotten,
never fails to assert and vindcate itself "The
vicious die early" They fade like shadows,
or tumble like wrecks and ruins into the grave,
often when quite young almost always before
forty. Bloody men," says the psalmist,
"shall not live out half their days: {" and the
remark is equally true about EAST" men.
They live unsteady spend their twelve hours
i'll six; turn night into day, or use for carous-
al or dissipation time that should be used for
rest; and in their rush in the chase of pleasure
get out of sight and into the darkness while
Others are in the glow and glory Of life. Many
a man and many woman, too dies thus, long
before their time. They keep up such con-
slant steam that the boiler is consumed or ex-
plodes. The machinery is destroyed by reck,
less speed, aud its inevitable wear and tear.
The physical system cannot endure the inces-
SAINT strain and drain of sensual excitement
and the most robust muscle and vigor waste in
the furnace of such an intense and passionate
life.
The speaker, after referring to the death of
Edridge Page dow, Jr.) in San Francisco,
alluded to the numerous recent bank dealca-
tions and robberies as resulting from the ex-
pensive habits of fast young men. He again
required to the career of Absalom, concluding
his discourse in the following terms:
Only as one ayails himself or herself of the
instructions OF the Bible--is filled with rev.
erence for Gods planted on the rock of re-
ligious princple-cultivates faith in Christ
and initiates His example, is he secure against
living like Absalom, like AbsaIom to die.
That life that death Shall they speak to
us in vain Young man, young woman, shall
they speak to you in vain? The past is but a
book, all the pages of which are more or less
sustained by lessons just such as Absalom
teaches. And shall they be taught you for
naught? Oh, could dishonored graves and
nameless pits give up their dead, how many
victims of dissipation could they show us I'M
timely punished And what a procession it
would be, could we see these victims, shatter-
ed, wasted, ruined, passing here before us
But sadder still would be the sight, could the
worlds living victims of dissipation thus pass
before us See them pouring out from pris-
ons and almshouses, and coming up from the
resorts OF the lost and the vile Make way
for them as they pass with character blasted,
and manhood wrecked, and self:respect all
gone-ragged, bloated-the pitiable hulks of
what were once noble and promising young
men fast young men gone to seed
And bark They speak to you, young
men, Will you listen to them! "Such as
you are we 'cere such as we are you will be- if
you walk IN our path. Think of what you
are. Ihlnk OF the proud destiny that is posi-
Die 10 you as American young men-of what,