The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-09-19
)W Young People
TEMPTATIONS.
The Means Of conquering "A Sketch
for Young Men.
LEssoN 3O-PARr FIRsr.

an ola 6allOr upon lie ocean, de-
sire to point the young mariner to
the dangers of the voyage. AS an
old soldier of the Cross, | hope TO
sound the alarm in such manner as
to arouse every young man that
reads these appeals to a sense of
danger and to an appreciation of
duty. As an old teacher of young
men, ] trust that l may win to the
pursuit of virtue many young man
who is in real danger of being over
come by the temptations which be-
set the path of life almost from the
cradle to the grave. Will my young
countrymen listen to these counsels,
dictated as they are by the warmest
affection. and resulting as they do
from long and varied experience
and extensive observation?
In the present lesson l desire to
call your attention to the sources of
temptation and to the means of re-
sistance, such as may assure victory.
Temptations are always solicita
lions to sin. They are from with
out and from within. They come
from the spiritual and the material,
from the animate and the inanimate.
/. We do not doubt that satan Of
fers temptations to all that are ac-
cessible to him. He is a great de
stroyer. Subtle to an extent almost
beyond conception, she adapts him
self to the weaknesses of human
nature, and lays his snares in such
manner as to be most certain to Sc
cure his prey, Active, he plies his
terrible vocation without wasting
one moment in Incidence or in pur-
suit of any other object than the
ruin of souls. Malignant, he stops
at nothing which he thinks will en-
able him to carry out his bad de-
signs. Were his cunning employed
in behalf of virtue it would be the
most consummate wisdom. Were
his energy put forth to save men,
he would be an example to all the
angels of God. Were his majigpity
to God and man turned by some
mysterious power to love, he would
shine as star of the first magni-
tude in the moral armament. Mis-
cradle himself, he seeks to carry
misery throughout the creation of
God. Corrupt in every principle,
he scatters the seeds OF death along
all the paths of human life. False
in every possible way, he practices
every form of deception and as
sumes every possible shape that he
may compass his unholy ends. He
is ever on the alert to increase his
influence and extend his dominions.
He turks amid scenes and associa-
lions in which his presence would
be least suspected. He not only
holds high carnival In the drinking
saloon and in the gambling hell,
but he obtrudes himself into the
Church, and seeks to pervert the
truth or destroy its influence. He
assails the minister of God, and
tries to place falsehood on his lips
and hypocrisy in his heart. He
would turn John or Paul into a
Judas Iscariot, and cause a fresh
betrayal of the Son OF God. He
comes in the incense of fiattery and
would arouse an ambition which ca
tiers to the most vitiated taste, and
seeks popularity at the expense of
immortal souls. He enters the do
mestic circle and leads to jealousy,
strife and death. He attacks all
the social relations, and often weak
ems the bonds by which they are
united. With all his own great but
perverted powers and with many
emissaries ready to do his bidding,
he carries on perpetual warfare upon
all principles, institutions, angels
and men that seek the good of the
universe or the glory of God. With
an effrontery which claimed allie
glance and even wanted worship
from the Son of God, he endeavors
to usurp the place of the Almighty
in all His vast dominions. Plausi-
BILE in his arguments, shrewd in his
and utterly reckless in
his promises, he excites impulses
and arouses passions as dangerous
as they are sinful. Proteus like, he
can become an angel of light, if by
this means he may lead one soul to
ruin. In al this his arts are as de-
ceitful as they are decoying and de
With untiring energy be
plies them wherever his sleepless
vigilance and restless activity may
ind proper subject or a suitable
opportunity.
2. We are often tempted by wick
ed men. These are often willing
slaves of vile and exacting master.
They tempt by the flowers of rhet-
oric and the charms of poetry; by
exciting fiction, iicentious narrative
and salacious description; by OBJ
scene speech and lascivious look.
They scorn the Deity and insult His
authority. They reject the Bible as
/ book of fables, proclaim Christ an
and denounce Christianity
IS a vile superstition. They allure
20 the scene of debauch and hush |
he voice of conscience amid it's ex-
elements. They employ the pencil |
md chisel to give attraction to vice |
md lessen the restraints of virtue.
They fawn and fatter, and sing and
lance, and plead and urge, until
gives way, purity is de
oauched, passion rules the hour and |
he dance of death begins. Wit
md humor, genius and learning,
'ank and position, wealth and power
lave all been employed to corrupt |
he pure. allure the good, entIce the
and entrap the unsuspect-
ng. Thus man has lent himself |
he willing slave of satan, when he
should have been Gods freeman.
The hcentious wretch has by vivid /
ind overweight pictures of lasciv-
Gus pleasures so aroused the imag
nation and Unframed the passions Of
he young as to lead them to in
lulge in a course of conduct at once
to God, disgraceiul to
human nature and degrading to
The worshiper of BAG
.hus has presented in cut-glass COB
cts the sparkling beverage which /
las darkened so many lives, blight
d so many homes and tempted so
many to ruin.
3. Temptations often arise in the
,nman heart The instructive de- 4