ART. IV. The Young Man's Aid. By Rev. HUBBARD WINSLOW. 12mo. Boston. 1837.

WITHOUT assenting to everything contained in this book, we may say in general terms, and with reference to the main purpose of it, that it is a well executed work in the class to which it belongs, a class indeed with which the present time may be said to abound. Doubtless the fulness of the supply indicates a corresponding previous demand growing out of a want deeply and widely felt in the community; and we would fain believe, when we see the general conscience thus evincing a deeper sensibility, that it is not because the world is worse than ever before, but because it is going to be better than it has ever yet been. We would fain hope that the restless and stirring spirit of inquiry and discussion, which has infused itself into everything in life, rousing and stimulating the public mind into a most mercurial activity, in reference to all subjects of practical interest, education, its principles and processes, religion, its forms, its speculations, its vital principles, its mighty reforming energies, we would fain hope that this state of things may be but a showing forth of the way in which He, who ruleth in the affairs of men, intends to overturn, overturn, overturn, until the principles of gospel love and gospel purity shall be everlastingly established.

In urging high moral and religious considerations upon thoughtless, or perverted minds, there is always a difficulty; and in addressing young men, as is the object in the work before us, this difficulty, if not greater, is stamped with a peculiar character, from the circumstance of their being young.

It is natural to the season of youth to be volatile, gay, and thoughtless, carried away by impulse and very susceptible of excitement, hasty, ardent, and impassioned; and when experience and deep conviction call upon young people to be soberminded, thoughtful, collected, self-restrained, there is apt to arise in their breasts a feeling of opposition and resistance to the call. It seems to be an intrusion upon their liberty and their rights, and perhaps the first impulse is to repel it with rudeness; but most of them, after all, cannot find it in their hearts to do this; they perceive, if it be an interference, to be at least well meant.

We wish never to forget what allowances are to be made for

the buoyancy and excitability of youthful animal spirits, for the imperfect development of the youthful mind, and for the deficiency of experience in early life and still, with all seriousness and fidelity, we would speak a word of caution to young men, in regard to some of the dangers by which they are beset, and in aid of the great purpose which drew forth the work before us. We would impress on young men, if we could, that the true preservative and defence against all their dangers is sobermindedness, or rightmindedness, just and true views and purposes of life.

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But we must not be too wide in our remarks. We shall confine ourselves to the dangers, that spring from the excitability so natural to youth; dangers we are to bear in mind, that are increased and made fearfully fatal by many pernicious habits and maxims prevailing in society, and by that unsound state of the public sentiment, which justifies those habits, and gives everlasting currency to those maxims.

We have intimated that the period of youth is peculiarly susceptible of excitement; and it is. But indeed every period of life is in some degree susceptible of it. In persons of sanguine and ardent temperament, particularly in early life, it abounds and needs to be restrained; while in those of phlegmatic and sluggish temperament, especially in the later periods of life, it is deficient, and needs to be cherished and increased; but to none, we believe, save the stupidly indolent, or the thoroughly worn out, is it wholly wanting. Excitability is one of the great propelling principles of human nature, without which the whole machinery of society would stand still, and life itself would be intolerably stupid and wearisome. It is not in itself good or bad, right or wrong. It is right when employed, under the restraint of reason and conscience, in the pursuit of any right object. It is wrong when immoderately indulged even in the pursuit of right objects, and when indulged at all in the pursuit of improper ones. The Creator implanted it in our constitution, as he did other instinctive principles, to answer great and necessary ends. But he put it there to be our servant, and not our master. It must be kept under the control of the higher principles of our nature, reason and conscience; or instead of answering the great and necessary ends for which it was given us, it will work our destruction.

This principle of excitability is in danger, as what we have

said implies, of being carried out in wrong directions, and of being indulged inordinately in right ones. Now the misfortune of the case is, that the tastes, habits, and pursuits of the community in which young men grow up, that is, in fact, the great influences which go to form their tastes, habits, and pursuits, are, in many instances, the result of misdirected or overindulged excitability. Religion has had too little to do in forming the tastes, habits, and pursuits of society. Indeed religion has had almost nothing to do with it. The great principles of conduct, by which men act and by which young men grow up to act, are far from being thoroughly christianized; and until the labors of Christian teachers shall be directed to this great, practical purpose, instead of being wasted in an idle babble of barren speculations, but little will be done to make our religion what it was designed to be, a living scheme of principles and conduct for all who wear its name. We proceed to consider a few great particulars, in which the excitability of young men has always been, and still is wrongly or inordinately called forth by the prevalence of unchristian views and practices in the community around them.

One of the most common, and we must say most degrading ways in which, in all past ages, human excitability has found a vent for itself, (and it still does but too much so, though not now to such excess as heretofore,) has been in the horrible and murderous spirit and practices of war. It is curious

to observe with what art and knowledge of human nature everything, connected with the wicked business of setting men to kill each other LAWFULLY, has been managed so as to foster and work up to a maddening pitch all the excitability of human nature. As if it were apprehended that men would not of themselves be hard-hearted and malignant enough for such a work as this, it has ever been a leading point of state-policy to have the ambition of young men excited by the idea of glory and popular applause, to be gained by success in arms, and their imaginations dazzled with the glitter and parade of military operations, the deference paid to military rank, the gay trappings of war, the splended uniform, the stirring sounds of marshal music; and their consciences withal soothed and cajoled by the air of religion thrown over the whole, the eulogies and prayers and funeral honors, the approving voice of good and pious men, ministers of the gentle and lowly Jesus, defending upon principle the bloody system of overcoming

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evil with evil, violence by violence: - all these means and contrivances have been resorted to, - and more in former ages than in this, - to nurse the young and excitable heart to deeds of unnatural ferocity, and to justify such deeds to that heart, by impiously writing upon them the beautiful name of religion.

Let it not be said that, because our young men live in a community where war, with its excitements, is not at present known, there is therefore no danger to their characters from this source. The doctrine and the spirit of war, hostile as they are to the doctrine and the spirit of Christianity, pervade the atmosphere in which we live. They give a tone to conversation upon the passing events of the day; they are the very breath of the newspaper; they deeply tinge our popular literature; the speeches of governors, statesmen, and politicians are imbued with them; they are an all-pervading element in our constitutions and laws;-indeed we have them perpetually proclaimed and set forth in mimic exhibition in our annual trainings and musters and reviews, those nurseries, not only of a warlike disposition, but of the vices usually associated with it, intemperance and profaneness.

This ceaseless recognisance and justification of sentiments and practices, so congenial to the workings of fiery and excited passions, and so opposed to the teachings and spirit of the Gospel, must put fearfully at hazard all soberness of thinking and feeling in many young men. Indeed the danger strikes deeper than this; even to the establishing in the minds of those sober and reflective young people, whose influence in the community for good or for evil will one day be incalculably great, such unworthy and unsound views of what the religion of Jesus teaches in regard to peace and war, as almost to reduce that religion of love to a nullity. Jesus, arraying those to whom he has said, "all ye are brethren," "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another,” — Jesus, arraying these loving brethren in hostile bands to imbrue their hands in each others' blood! The horrible inconsistency is beginning to be felt, as it has never been felt before and upon the young men of this day does it greatly depend to make it still more and more widely and deeply and practically felt, until war shall be universally regarded as only LEGALIZED MUR

DER.

The heart that breathes forth fervently the petition, "thy

kingdom come," cannot but intreat young men to be soberminded, rightminded on this subject, to take just and true views of the teachings and spirit of Christ, and solemnly to form resolutions of so living as entirely to discountenance and repudiate, in all its parts, the unchristian and barbarous and bloody spirit and practices of military life. We do not ask them to crush and annihilate the excitability of their natures, which would be as insane as to recommend suicide, to prevent continuance in sin. But we ask them to watch over that excitability, and direct it to high and holy ends. Let not this noble gift of God be perverted to base uses. Let it not spend itself upon so low an aim as military glory, the titles and parade which cover up the enormity of a system, which can never operate but to augment human guilt and wretchedness. "It is good," says St. Paul, "to be zealously affected in a good thing." Let the excitability of their young hearts be consecrated to the great work of moral reform; the great work of producing in themselves, and in the whole community, a living manifestation of the great doctrines and spirit of Christianity. When they look over the land and see it polluted by war, slavery, intemperance, lewdness, and other kindred abominations, let them not be disheartened, as if there were no power even in Christianity to stay these evils; but rather, confiding in the regenerating spirit of the Gospel, rouse themselves to active and untiring effort. An encouraging voice speaks to them, "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." All those evils, and all other moral evils, must eventually yield to the power of gospel truth, enforced with the earnestness of a loving heart, and operating at once upon guilty individuals, and upon the public sentiment around them. There are doubtless other parts of Christian duty; and yet here is a field, in which, if there were no other, all the excitability of their natures might be well and nobly expended. It is a field of benevolent effort, in which, living and acting is to live well, and in which, living and acting until death is to die well.

Another way, in which, in all past time, men have found employment for their excitability, is in the inordinate pursuit of gain; and more generally, if not more inordinately, we think, in this age of enterprise and extended commerce than ever before.

We believe a life of active business habits to be very com