Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-11-22
sELF-RESTRAINT. VIRTUE AND
DUTY.
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he kss,s 1is.seJf, aad 3 ~ IL eoaUoiieL' F
Selfrestraint Is one Of the most important
Of duties a, geH is virtues. Il should be
exercised daily and hourly. Without Il,
err0r and gnilt and crime are Inevitable.
There is 90 individual, however wise, how
ever elevated, OF however powerful, who
does not fsrl that at times aud seasons, his
passions, his preiudiees his appetites, and
his tastes, require TO be controlled and re-
strained. The defects of his nature attain
the mastery: and. but for the exercise Of a
f powerful mental and moral effort, he would
wander into the wrong path, commit some
excess. or perpetrate some injustice. But,
the still small voice within aim0uishes,
4 he pauses. reviews his position. bis lncllna
+ ton and the path before him. exercises the
/ virtue OF SELF RESTRAINT, ans = saved tor
! the time Ii he pursue another couTse--lt
Z he disregard the whisperlngs OF reason aud
+ Of conseience-if he permit The mere animal
I to exercise the mastery--if he cannot OF viii
( not restrain himself the consequences viii
be sad-oiten deplorable. Know thyscli.
lis the aphoTism of an ancient sage Such
( knowledge Is indeed important. Unless we
understand oar own franties and inlrmlties
I cur errorSaud Impertectious, our weaknesses
T
control ourselves An are more or less de-
fective, aud there are few who see them
selves as others see them. Nay, II ire
quently happens that the very tTallues and
infrmities that We detect and depiore IN
others, exist in ourselves to a still more sc
rious extent, and vet without cur knowledge.
We cannot or viii not recognize or confess
them. Hence. either blinded by prejudice,
by passion, or By selfshncss, We are unable
10 apply the remedy which seems SO simple
in the cases efothers We 3elude ourselves
into a belief that all men are mortal but our
selves and thus instead Of practising the
virtue Of self restraint. We fancy or assume
to fancy, that we do not require the exercise
Of any such controlling power. And yet
scarcely a day goes by, in which errors are
not committed, simply because We vii not
or cannot restrain ourselves. How often
does a garrnl0us tongue get Us into trouble.
How frequently do we speak rashly and
rapidly without thinking Of what we are
saying. or of the effect which Is likely to be
produced And so with almost every move
ment Of life. The conservative power of
SELF RESTRAINT IS forgotten or neglected..
Only few days since, young man OF ex-
cellent temper, kind heart, ample means and
many accomplishments, admitted that he
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too fond of the vine cup. He felt the evil
effects, both 10 body and mind, aud he knew
that be was not Only damaging his charac-
ter, but shortening his life. Nevertheless,
with these admissions, aud with these pros
poets before him, he could not practice the
virtue Of self restraint The abyss yawned,
he saw it he felt the impulse that was hur-
ryiug him on; and yet be could not, or would
not, avoid his fate. And 50 Bith almost
every other pernicious practice. There Is
scarcely am individual alive who Is not per
/ tectly conscious that he is in1uiglBgln some
error-fhat he Is perpetrRtIng some evil
aud that some vile habit hasto a certain ex-
tent, the control of him. Again and again
he viii determine 10 amend and reform
And set the multitude.
'sResa5se, a,,d rs.resoias, aaa de tls saa..
There Is scarcely criminal in the Penitcn-
tiary who, If be look back and review the
past. cannot point out a period IN which,
bad he exercised the virtue Of self restraint,
had he obeyed the -stiil small voice Of con
science. he would have turned from the
error Of his way and become a useful mem
Der 5f society But be lacked the moral
courage, and now he repsnts his iu6rmitv
aud the consequences. Ia sackei0th and
ashes Il is difficult to abandon habit,
however pernic0Us when 1t Is the result OF
years Of practice. and has thus become iden-
tilted, 20 certain extent, With our very be
ing, Ii then forms part Of our daily life, so
TO speak. But 10 the beginning, the infat-
uaiion may be subdued. Nay there is al
ways hope; and 1t is far less difficult 20 over
come an eyll propensity. after one or two
vigorous trials. than the infatuated are apt
70 imagine II the effort be made IN a de-
termined spirit, and With a view to al the
consequences. the end viii surely be accom-
plished. 4 solemn duty with parents, is
not only to inculeate the principle. but %
teach the practice Of self restraint. Only a
short time has gone by. since We recorded
the execution Of a father i3r the murder Of
his son. The wretched old man, a few
minutes before he was launched into eternity
admitted that his TEMPER had always been
I violent that unfortunately he bad never re-
strained or controlled it. aud that hence, he
was about to expiate bis most unnatural
I offence upon the scaffold. But Illustrations
may be found in every walk Of life A large
( portion Of mankind are too impulsiye, too
I passionate, too haSty, too eager. and too
/ reckless. They forget and disregard the re
/ straints which should be imposed by educa-
! ton, By good feeling, By consideration, by
sound morals, OF by cultivated intellect; and
/ hence, errors and indiscretions are constantly
committed. Il Is, Of course, unreasonable
+ 20 expect perfection IN human nature; how
i ever refined or elevated, and vet the indi-
yidual who understands himself, who, aware
/ Of his weaknesses and propensities. is con
( sidarate and thoughtful, and thus constantly
/ practices SELF RESTRAINT, viii escape many
/ anxietics difficulties and misiortunes, which
q disregard Of this duty, aud a violation of
this virtue, viii Immediately provoke -
+ RoJert Norris