Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-08
A FEW WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.

In different forms the history of Samson
is re.enacted on every side of us. " Is not
merely that young America is shorn CT his
strength lying in the lap Of indulgence. 1t is
not merely that many young giant called
of God to noble mission, and glorlously
endowed with all the power which talent,
education, wealth, friends, position give,
casts all recklessly away for the sake of
an hour of self. qualification with the
treacherous Delilah. 1t is not merely
that his worst foes hide their wiles be-
meath the witchery and enticaments of
pleasure, which ancient mythology rightly
pictured as a beautiful but treapherous
woman. 1t is not merely that sell indul-
gence undermines the character, destroys
the manhood, eats out the strength and
leaves the emasculated victim to fall an
easy prey to the most degrading forms Of
servitude. All this, indeed is true. Bat
every man expects to escape those dsu-
gers. Every Samson, when he enters
GAIA, does go in full assurance that its
walls cannot imprison him. Did
you ever know the young man
who doubted his power TO lay
aside the cigar, drop the wine cup, break
off with corrupt companions, step aside
from the path of Illicit pleasure at his
will? Does any man ever believe that he
can be shorn of his strength? "Saest thou
man wise in his own conceit There Is
more hope of fool than of him." Bat IN
the story of Samson's life is more than this.
In its disclosure Of his weakness it discloses
the secret of ali etrepgtb-a single parpose
resolutely pursued. This can achieve any
thing. First of all warriors, in ancient or
modern times, is the Little Corporal
whose diminutive stature is the subject, at
the outset of his career, Of much coarse sat
ire. First of all orators, in past or present
ages, is the Greek youth whose thick ut
terance seemed to forbid all hope of elo-
quence. But, on the other hand, he who
lacks noble purpose lacks the first condi-
tion of true power. All the culture which
college curriculum affords Is thrown ut
terly away by large proportion of its stu
dents for want OF q centrslizing, crystsiLlz-
ing aim. An army without a commander
is mere mob. A man without purpose
is not man. He is mere canailie Of
disorgsnized appetites and passions His
forces may be never so great il there IS no
master passion TO martial and direct all the
rest there will be no heroic battle, no
fable of the tortoise and the hare is not
that assiduity is better than genius, but
that a persistent purpose is always fseter
than titful one. Some one has epitomized
the condition of true life in the senteuce,
"Have something to do, then do it, Tbs
first condition is how often disTegarded !!
How many an antitype has Samson. whose
life comes to nothing.snot for want OF ca
paciey, nor yet for lack of opportunity,
bu. for very aimlessness Power misap-
piled Of how many lives this single zen.
tence would be the all-suficient history !
How many young man OF noble nature
and almost divine endowment, called OF
God to live in an era when Z" to be living is
sublime" yet casts his life utterly away,
like early rotted fruit, for want of 8 sub
lime purpose, and a persistent pursuit Of
it How many lives, as sadly gone TO
ruin as that of Samson, attest the truth of
the wise mans apothegm, "He that hath
no rule over his own spirit is like q city
that is broken down and without walla!
-[Dr. Lyman Abbott.