The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-06-13
Our Young People
BY REV. R. H. RIVERS, D. D.
Examples Of Warning and Encour-
agement.
LESSON SEVENTEENTH.

this paper. The facts stated may
be relied on as true, and each viii
carry with it its own moral. have
just read of the death of a man
whom / knew well. He was learned
he was active and Industrious. He
was gifted as an orator and made
most powerful speeches. He was
first Roman Catholic priest, Their
Methodist preacher, then an Epis
copalian, then lawyer, and then s
Roman Catholic again, and last o.
all suicide. He died by his OWL
hands, after directing his body &c
be buried with the burial of an ass
outside the walls of the city, HG
lacked principle. He wanted firm
ness. He was destitute of a high
aim, and hence his ruin.
] knew a preacher once who &C
quired great fame. He was clio
quent. He was popular. He had
the finest church and the finest con
gregation. He was honored by
every one. His pulpit was the most
attractive of any in the city. He
received the largest salary. His
people Toasted him. He said he
could hardly accept the Invitations
that were gwen him to attend so
cial parties. to eat fine sHppers and
magnificent dinners. He lacked in
tegrity. He wanted principle. He
yielded to appetite. He was guilty
of lying. He confessed that he had
lied to conceal his shame, His sin
found him out. He was banished
from the pulpit, expelled from the
church and sunk in disgrace. The
child that is guilty of deception,
that is dishonest, that cannot resist
temptation, that has no fixed prin-
ciples, will bring woe to his family
and disgrace and ruin to himself.
/ once had a schoolmate-the
smGRteSt IN the school-but he had
no principle. he vas dishonest
He became a horse thief before ne
was twenty one years of age. He
was often the inmate of a public
prison. At last he ended his life on
a gallows, 2 convicted murderer.
Now | will tell you OF James and
Joseph who were at college at the
same time and belonged to the same
class. Joseph was cautious in his
movements and prudent in speech.
James was quick, impulsive and
often rash. They were both preach
ers, both jealous, both sincere.
James was eloquent, full of fine fe-
ures and Astounding in original and
striking thought. Joseph was a
plodder. He had a poor magma
ton. His command of language
was not great. He hesitated. His
thoughts were commonplace. His
style was not attractive. James
famed like a comet. He filed you
with wonder. He SCARED on high.
You would say, never heard such
eloquence from young man. His
voice had great compass and great
sweetness. On the other hand, 10
seph kept nigh the earth. He never
scared. His voice was weak, and
his manner tame. All said James
is a genius. He will equal Bascom.
He will be numbered with the great
est men in the land. They left col
lege at the same time, and then their
courses diverged. James became
dissatisfied. He did not rise fast
enough. The ministry did not pay.
He turned lawyer. He got into diff
.ficulties with his brethren. He was
tried in the Church, became dis
couraged, sunk into poverty, lost
his great name and died suddenly
in early manhood a dissipated, un-
happy man. He lacked consisten
cy. He wanted firmness. He was
a failure. Joseph still lives. His
career has not been brilliant, but it
has been useful. He has gone on
the even tenor of his way making
mankind better by his Christian
character and example. He was
firm to his principles. He had
purpose and he carried it out. He
had an aim and he pursued it. His
life has not been a failure. Loved
and honored, he still lives to bless
society by his words of wisdom and
acts of goodness. Without the
lofty genius of his classmate and ut
terly destitute of his great powers
of oratory, he has done more for the
Master and for man, more to exalt
the one and glorify the other, than
most men of his age.
And now 1 will tell you of two
others, whom l will name Robert
and William respectively. They,
too, were classmates at college.
They were about equal In intellect
and in learning. Robert was a man
of strong mind and great stubborn
ness of will. He was violent in his
feelings, and often gave way to hate
in its worst form. His early life
had been spent with degraded men
and worthless woman. He was sus-
picious of every one. He had but
little confidence in man, and less in
woman. Not right himself, he
thought all others were wrong. He
continued to indulge his hatred to
man until he left all decent society.
He shut himself out from the world
in a miserable den, and spent bis
life in cursing man and denying
God. His countenance became dis
torted by passion. His whole soul
was turned to bitterness. If a
friend approached him he would or
der him from his presence. He
seemed to thirst for human blood.
He was a man hater; yea, worse, a
woman-hater, and still worse than
5hat-he hated God and denied His
existence. In his rage he said,
There is no God" He had mind
enough and force of character
enough to have adorned any circle,
put he lacked nobleness of purpose.
He was destitute of gentleness, char
ty, meekness, Christian faith; and
ne died a most wretched death, de |
louncing in his last moments, all
hat was good in man, pure in wo-
nan aud true in religion. William
was altogether different. He was a
Christian. He had faith in man and
still more faith in God. He studied |
The profession of the bar. He rose
Dy slow degrees. He had trial,
poverty, opposition, misfortune, all
10 contend with. He labored; he