Many a man is lost because he does not start right. He makes a bad
start. A young man comes from his country home, and enters upon city
life. Temptation arises, and he becomes false to his principles. He
meets with some scoffing, sneering man, who jeers at him because he
goes to a church service; or because he is seen reading his Bible; or
because he is known to pray to God. And the young man proves to be
weak-kneed; he cannot stand the scoffs and the sneers and the jeers of
his companions; and so he becomes untrue to his principles, and gives
them up.
I want to say here to young men, that when a young man makes a wrong
start, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred it is ruin to him. The
first game of chance; the first betting transaction; the first false
entry in the books; the first quarter-dollar taken from the cash-box
or the till; the first night spent in evil company--either of these
may prove the turning-point; either of these may represent a wrong
start.