The Age of Maturity and Responsibility.
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Up to the age of twenty-one years, or to that period when a young man is free from the control of his parents, guardian, or master, his rational mind is not fully developed. He acts from others more than from himself, and others are responsible, to a very great extent, for his actions. But when he becomes a full-grown man, when both mind and body have attained sufficient maturity to enable him to think and act wisely and efficiently for himself, then he takes the reigns of government into his own hands, and becomes entirely responsible for his actions, both as regards human and divine laws. This is the most important period in his whole life; for the consequences of an error here are felt at every subsequent stage of existence.
A serious consideration this, and one that ought to press, with no ordinary weight, upon the mind of every young man; and the more especially so when the undeniable fact is announced to him, that scarcely one in ten fail at this period of their lives, to fall into some error that entails upon after life more or less of disability and unhappiness.
Calm and sober reflection, and not thoughtless self-indulgence, should distinguish every young man at this time. The destiny of an immortal being, created in the likeness and image of God, is in his hands. Through the intricate mazes of life, by his own wisdom and prudence — enlightened, it is true, from God, if he will but look up — he must guide this being either to a sun-bright haven at last, or to destruction upon the gloomy shores of despair and misery! Considerations like these are, surely, enough to make the most thoughtless pause, and regard with prudent caution, every footfall in the way of life.
But reflection and prudence need not bring gloom, but cheerful confidence. When a man opens his eyes, and sees that, in a path he was about to walk in with heedless steps, there are innumerable dangers, and wisely chooses a better and a safer way — he has cause for emotions of delight, rather than depression. And such is the result with every young man who, when just entering upon a life of freedom and responsibility, wisely reflects, and shuns all the allurements of false pleasures, and the excesses into which all, at this period, are tempted to run.
A common error into which very many fall at this period, is the belief that they may run into various excesses, and indulge themselves inordinately in sensual pleasures for a few years, or during the brighter days of their spring-time, and, after that, assume the more important and real business of life. This is a most dangerous error, and for the reason that it is an immutable law of order in the human mind — that all which precedes in a man's life, goes to make up his character in all its subsequent formations. This can only be seen by those who understand something about the real nature of man, as a spiritually organized being. To those who think superficially, and only from appearances, the idea of substance and form appertains only to material things, and, so far as man is concerned, to his body only. But the real truth is, man's substantial part is his spirit, while his body is only a form, organized and built up from inert material particles, as a piece of beautiful machinery, by which the soul can act in the material world. It is this spiritual soul which is the true man.
The material eye, for instance, does not see. It, as matter, has no power of vision; but it is a window through which the eye of the spirit can look out and see natural objects. The mere closing of this window does not destroy the spiritual eye; it only takes away its medium of sight into the natural world. So of the ear, and so of all the external senses — they are but the avenues through which the senses of the soul take cognizance of things in the outer and lower world of matter. The true sight of the spirit is its power to perceive truth, and its sense of hearing, its willingness to obey the truth so perceived. That this is so, all mankind have a common perception. For, when one attempts to present a truth to your understanding, he says, "Don't you see?" And when a father wishes to impress the necessity of obedience to a precept upon his child, he says, "Do you hear?" The ground of this lies in the fact, as just stated, that there is in the human mind a perception that the soul's vision is its power to see truth, and its hearing is its willingness to obey.
From this it may be seen that man's spiritual body — his soul — is a real something — that it can see and hear, and that the natural body has, really, no eye nor ear, but only organized forms by which the spiritual eye and ear can see into and hearken in the natural world. Now, if this is true of the eye and the ear, it is true of the whole body in every general and particular thing appertaining to it; and, as the natural body, which is an outbirth from the spiritual body, is a form beautifully organized in all its parts, and is called a substance as well as a form — is it not clear that the spiritual body, the soul, is also a substance and a form? nay, that the only true substantiality is in the spiritual body, which can never die, but which retains its existence and its powers forever?
Keeping this in view, it may readily be perceived that impressions can be made on this spiritual form and substance, which will be as lasting as any thing made upon the body. That this is so, mankind have seen, in all ages, and hence the adage — "Just as the twig is bent — the tree is inclined;" and the thousand wise precepts in the codes of morality to be found in all nations, referring to the power of habit.
The position here taken is, that the natural body is the material form with which the spiritual body, the soul, clothes itself, in order to act in the material world; if this be true — and we are sure no rational man can for a moment question it — then we may, by analogy, determine some of the laws which govern the soul, by observing those which govern the natural body.
Now, the laws of natural health are those which govern the natural body, and, when obeyed, all its machinery goes on right; and it is but a wise inference to say that the laws of spiritual health are those which govern in the spiritual body, and, when obeyed, spiritual health must be the result. If we disregard the laws of natural health — diseased impressions are made upon the body, more or less apparent, which ever after remain, and show themselves, no matter how careful we may be, in after life, under certain and particular circumstances, and deprive us of some measure of ability to perform fully our duties or wishes in life. If the laws of health have been grossly abused, more serious consequences follow; and, sometimes, men's whole lives are rendered burdensome, and they, perhaps, unfitted for nearly all active duties, in consequence. Precisely similar will be the result where the laws of spiritual health have been disregarded.
"What are the laws of spiritual health?" is asked. We answer, the Decalogue, or the Ten Commandments, contains the laws of spiritual health, as laid down by the Creator of man, who alone can know what is in man, and what laws to establish for his government, in order to secure his happiness. The violation of any one of these laws, even inintention, will bring spiritual disease, as certainly as the violation of any law of natural health will produce natural disease; and this disease will impress the substance and form of the soul, and produce a change from true order, that no subsequent obedience to right precepts will ever entirely restore.
It would be easy to show how the indulgence of every inordinate desire — to do which young men are so strongly tempted — is a violation of some precept of the Decalogue, and tends to destroy spiritual health; but to do so, would extend this preliminary part of our work too far. What we have already advanced is deemed essential to the formation of true ideas in regard to life and its responsibilities, and we cannot but think that its bearing will be clearly seen. In other parts of our work, we shall keep in view the laws here laid down, and show their bearing in actual life.
From what is advanced in this chapter, we think every reflecting young man will feel the necessity of examining his ends, as well as guarding his actions, and be exceedingly careful what impressions are made in the substance and form of his soul.
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