This is the second part of Archibald Alexander’s Counsels to the Young.

“2. WHILE you are young, avail yourselves of every opportunity of acquiring useful knowledge. Reason should guide us; but without correct knowledge reason is useless; just as the most perfectly formed eye would be useless without light. There is in every man a natural thirst for knowledge, which needs only to be cultivated and rightly directed… The sources of information are innumerable: the principle, however, are books and living men. In regard to the former, no age of the world which has passed was favoured with a multiplicity of books as our own… Many books are useless, others are on the whole injurious, and some are impregnated with a deadly poison… Seek the advice of judicious friends in the choice of books.

But you may also learn much from listening to the conversation of the wise and good… Cherish the desire of knowledge, and keep your mind constantly awake and open to instruction from every quarter. But, especially, I would recommend to you the acquisition of self-knowledge. ‘KNOW THYSELF’ was a precept held in…high esteem among the ancients… And this species of knowledge is also inculcated in the Christian Scriptures as the most useful and necessary. ‘Examine yourselves,’ says Paul, ‘whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves; know ye not your own selves?’ And in the Old Testament the value of this knowledge is also fully recognised, where we are exhorted ‘to commune with our own hearts’, and ‘to keep our own hearts with diligence’… As this knowledge is necessary to all, so it is placed within the reach of all. To this duty there exists in human nature a strong repugnance, partly from natural and partly from moral causes, so that by most it is entirely neglected, to their exceeding great detriment. But, when it is attempted, we are in great danger of being misled by self-love and prejudice… The mind must be enlightened in regard to the standard of rectitude to which we ought to be conformed. ‘The entrance of thy Word giveth light.’ The Word of God should dwell richly in us, and by the rules and principles of the sacred volume we should form all our sentiments respecting ourselves. This is the candle of the Lord which searcheth the inward parts of man; and without such a lamp it would be as impossible to obtain any considerable degree of self-knowledge, as to distinguish the objects in a dark room without a light…

Beware of the common illusion of forming your estimate of yourselves from the favourable opinions of those around you. They cannot know the secret principles from which you act, and flattery may have much influence of leading them to speak in your praise. Seize favourable opportunities of judging the latent strength of your passions. The fact is that, until some new conjuncture or occasion elicits our feelings, we are as ignorant of what is within us, as other persons. Study also your constitutional temperament, and consider attentively the power which particular objects and circumstances have over you. You may often learn from your enemies and calumniators what are the weak points in your character. They are sagacious in detecting faults, and generally have some shadow of pretext for what they allege against us. We may therefore derive more benefit from the sarcasms of our foes than from the flattery of our friends.

Learn, moreover, to form a correct estimate of your abilities, as this is necessary to guide you in your undertakings.

3. BE careful to form good habits. Almost all permanent habits are contracted in youth, and these do in fact form the character of the man through life. It is Paley, I believe, who remarks that we act from habit nine times, where we do once from deliberation. Little do young persons apprehend the momentous consequences of many of their most frequently repeated actions. Some habits are merely inconvenient, but have no moral quality; others affect the principles of our conduct, and become sources of good or evil to an incalculable degree…

4. BE particular and select in the company which you keep, and the friendships which you form. ‘Tell me,’ says the proverb, ‘what company you keep, and I will tell you what you are.’ ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners.’ Vice is more easily and extensively diffused by improper companions, than by all other means. As one infected sheep communicates disease to a whole flock, so one sinner often destroys much good, by corrupting all the youth who fall under his influence… The friendship of profligate men is exceedingly dangerous… Form no close alliance with such. No more think of taking them to your bosom, than you would a viper… ‘Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers’, is the exhortation of Scripture… Seek a connection with the wise and good, and you will become wiser and better by converse with such.

5. ENDEAVOUR to acquire and maintain a good reputation. ‘A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.’ A ruined fortune may be recovered, a lost reputation never. Young men are often laying the foundation of an unenviable reputation, while they are thinking of no such thing… A stain on the character is not easily washed out; at a distant period the faults and follies of youth may be revived to a man’s confusion and injury. But especially is the female character exquisitely delicate. A small degree of imprudence will often fix a stigma on the gay young lady, which no subsequent sobriety can completely erase… The reputation which we recommend must arise from a life of consistent and uniform well-doing. Prize such a character, as of inestimable value to your own peace, and as a most powerful means of usefulness. The most potent human engine of utility is influence; and this depends entirely on reputation.”

Part Two

G.M.

Part One

The following is from Thoughts on Religious Experience, by Archibald Alexander – from letters at the back of the book.

“It is a matter of series regret that young persons are commonly so little disposed to listen to the advice of the aged. This prejudice seems to have its origin in an apprehension that austerity and rigour naturally belong to advanced years; and that the loss of all susceptibility of pleasure from those scenes and objects which afford delight to the young produces something of an ill-natured or envious feeling towards them. Now it cannot be denied that some of the aged are chargeable with the fault of being too rigid in exacting from the youth the same steady gravity which is becoming in those who have lived long, and have had much experience in the world: not remembering that the constitutional temperament of these two periods of human life is very different. To the young, everything in the world wears the garb of freshness; and the novelty and variety of the scenes presented keep up a constant excitement. These traits of youthful character, as long as irregularity and excess are avoided, are not only allowable, but amiable; and would in that age be badly exchanged for the more sedate and grave emotions which are the natural effects of increasing years… But it is greatly to be desired that the lessons of wisdom taught by the experience of one set of men should be made available for the instruction of those who come after them. We have, therefore, determined to address a few short hints of advice to the rising generation, on subjects of deep and acknowledged importance to all; but previously to commencing, we would assure them that it is no part of our object to interfere with their innocent enjoyments, or to deprive them of one pleasure which cannot be shown to be injurious to their best interests…

1. RESOLVE to form your lives upon some certain principles, and to regulate your actions by fixed rules. Man was made to be governed by reason, and not by mere accident or caprice. It is important, therefore, that you begin early to consider and inquire what is the proper course of human conduct, and to form some plan for your future lives. The want of such consideration is manifest in the conduct of multitudes. They are governed by the impulse of the moment, reckless of consequences. They have fixed no steady aim and have adopted no certain principles of action. Living thus at random, it would be a miracle if they went uniformly right. In order to your perusing a right path, you must know what it is, and to acquire this knowledge, you must divest yourselves of thoughtless giddiness, you must take time for serious reflection. It will not answer, to adopt without consideration the opinions of those who may be about you, for they may have some sinister design in regard to you, or they may themselves be misled by error or prejudice… Exercise your own reason independently and impartially, and do not give yourselves up to be governed by mere caprice or fashion, or by the opinions of others.”

Part One

G.M.