PART I.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE YOUNG.

SECTION I.

AN ADDRESS TO YOUTH.

Dearly beloved Youth,

You are now in the proper stage of life to acquire knowledge, and to gain an understanding of your duty; and it is a matter of the greatest importance, that your minds should be in pursuit of that which will be for your future happiness, as well as present welfare.

2. You were not made and placed in this world, merely to experience the natural and outward things of the earth. There is a state of happiness and a state of misery; a power of good and a power of evil; and every one will be rewarded according to his works.

3. You have come, in some measure, to the knowledge of good and evil; and your faith and conscience stand as your faithful companions, to dictate all your doings.

4. You have also a precious privilege to be taught the

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way of God, and to receive instructions how to overcome that evil part in you, which always stands opposed to your own good.

5. As you rationally know these things, the next thing is, for you to consider the importance of conducting accordingly; and you should be willing to receive all the instruction that is for you, and take every method that is presented to you, to render yourselves worthy of your calling. In doing this, you will find two things that generally come the hardest to the youthful mind; viz. ;

6. First, To keep properly back in your place, and not run too fast in your feelings nor actions; and secondly, to believe what is told you from superior experience, and be willing to submit, and not try to hold a selfish idea or desire.

7. Youth is a very critical season, or time of life, like the putting forth of an orchard; if the fruit is then blasted, how can we expect good fruit afterwards? You are now not only laying a foundation for all your future days on earth, but you are also creating the faith of others in you.

8. By your works and deportment, all that know you, will form a judgment of what you are, and what you will be when you come to your full maturity: they will see what dispositions you have, and how much government you have over yourselves: thus you are forming your own characters, and your credit or discredit will soon be fixed in the opinion of others, and what is now formed, time, perhaps, may never wear away, nor blot out of remembrance.

9. A youth needs, and ought to have a great deal of patience, carefulness and wisdom, for these reasons; His mind is then stretching and grasping after greater things than it can comprehend; he feels impatient to become of age, and be, as he supposes, more able to do as he pleases; his sense and thoughts are as quick as they will ever be, but he has not understanding to regulate them.

10. His ideas are as quickly formed as ever, and many times much more so; but he has not experience to form them aright. His sense is craving and spreading; he sees a great many objects, and fancies a thousand things wherein he supposes he might take delight; but he has not discretion to govern this great flow of fickle sensation.

11. At this age, also, the mind is apt to be puffed up with pretensions of knowing considerable, and is very ready to judge those who are not apparently so sharp and sprightly, when, in truth, it is not able to judge.

12. And still, the great evil of all is, that while the youthful mind and faculties are increasing, and the creature is left more to his own ways, a vile wicked nature is also growing, and imperceptible evils creep upon the sense; a strong selfish disposition overshadows the whole mind, and youthful enticements open a wide door for the blinded soul to enter, and run the path of fatal ruin.

13. When you have well considered these things, if you are sincerely aiming to do the best you can, you will renew your zeal, and be thankful for good counsel ;

you will labor to gather good from all that you see and hear, and give your time and talents freely to do good.

MORE PARTICULAR COUNSELS.

14. It may not be improper now to proceed to point out some things for you to observe in your conduct and deportment, that will be for your benefit. As it is absolutely necessary, in order to gain the favor of your elders, the good opinion of your equals, and the love of youngers, that you should not transgress the rules of good manners in your behavior; therefore, those good things which have been taught you in your childhood, and which are now taught our children on this subject, are worth your attention, and ought not to be overlooked at any age. But as your age admits of more understanding than childhood, some further hints may be useful.

15. First. Your reason teaches you that there can be no society or collection of people without different degrees of rank or superiority; there must be a lead, and every individual, as well as every rank and order, must yield submission to that which is before it. There must be a great deal of conformity, or there would be endless confusion; therefore you must be very cautious how you treat your superiors: be careful not to hurt their feelings by forwardness of any kind.

16. Be careful to cleave to your Elders, or in other words, to those whose duty it is, in a particular manner, to watch over you for your good, and to whom it is your duty to look for counsel. If you rise against them, or lose their union, it will be a great loss to you. Let a due

respect be paid to them; for in the path of true obedience is the only hope of final happiness. If you are honest and faithful in your duty to your superiors, they may be a help and strength to you, where they could not otherwise. Strive, therefore, justly, to make them your friends.

17. This duty of submission extends, likewise, to every rank and order that is before, you, whether it respects privilege, ability or experience; because every individual thing, as well as every order, rank and power, must give place to its superior.

18. Second. As it is about the hardest thing that youth have to grapple with, really to believe and receive instruction, and be dictated in their notions, you must set a double guard in this particular. Remember that you never learned any good, nor attained to what you have already gained, but by the instructions and labors of others.

19. You should remember that riper years and greater experience must certainly have formed a better judg ment in your superiors than you have yet obtained. EXPERIENCE MAKES PERFECT; there is, therefore, no perfection without experience.

20. But it is natural for youth to think, that though they do not know so much in general matters, as those of more experience, yet they know some things as well or better. This may be true; but it is equally certain that though a youth may have knowledge and ability, yet he has not that wisdom and stability to govern his conduct that riper years will give. Reason, therefore, dẹmands that he show respect to those before him,