"What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may
see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile;
depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it." Psalm
xxxiv:12-14.
We have shown in our last number that the truth of this text is based
upon philosophy, and verified by experience and observation: that
nothing is more destructive to health and longevity than to indulge in
the revengeful passions of our nature; and that constant fear, grief
and melancholy are also destructive to the human constitution, and
withering to the dearest joys of life. We have shown that violent
anger, revenge and most of the malignant passions originate from the
bad use of the tongue; and that if we would live long and see good, we
must give heed to our ways by following the injunctions of the text.
We now propose a further discussion of this subject, addressed
particularly to the young.
A single spark of fire has often wrapped a city in conflagration.
Great effects not unfrequently flow from small causes. The apostle
James says, see chap. iii--"Behold also the ships, which though they
be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about
with a very small helm whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the
tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great
a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the
whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on
fire of hell. For every kind of beasts and of birds, and of serpents,
and of things in the sea is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But
the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly member full of deadly
poison." The apostle, in the above quotation, has reference to those
who have so long indulged in evil speaking that it has become, as it
were, an incurable habit. If any man makes a practice of slandering
his neighbors, and disturbing the peace of the community, it is
immaterial to what church he may belong, or what os-tentatious
professions he may make, he is, notwithstanding all this, destitute of
christianity.
It is a painful fact that the religion of the present day is too much
accommodated to the fashions and customs of the world. Let a man, for
instance, use profane language, or get intoxicated, and he will
readily be suspended from the communion of the church. But let him
slander his neighbors, and little or no notice is taken of his
conduct. And let him slander other denominations; and it becomes, as
it were, a virtue; whereas the fact is that the latter, according to
the book of God, is much the greatest crime. It is therefore wise to
lay, in early youth, a foundation for a tranquil, virtuous and long
life.
Thus you see my young friends that virtue and happiness, temperance,
prosperity and longevity are inseparably connected by the Author of
our being, who has made them to depend in a great measure upon our
conduct. You have also seen that sin and misery, intemperance in body,
and also intemperance in mind, such as evil speaking, violent anger,
commotions, griefs and troubles, and a premature grave, are likewise
inseparably and wisely connected.
And now, my young friends, which will you choose? If you love life and
desire to see many days, let me exhort you to choose the _former_, and
to drink freely out of that golden cup in which every earthly joy of
unbroken felicity is mingled by the unerring hand of divine mercy; and
let me warn you to reject the _latter_, for in it are mingled the
bitter drugs of misery. Be temperate in eating and drinking. Be
temperate in all your pursuits in life, and in all your desires. Be
temperate in your conduct; and (as an able writer observes) pitch upon
that course of life which is the most excellent, and habit will soon
render it the most delightful. Avoid not only every word and action
that may lead to discord and contention, but, as our text says, depart
from evil and _do good_, seek peace, and pursue it. Let us do good to
all our fellow creatures, and endeavor to overcome their hatred with
love, and their evil with good.
Yes, my young friends, affectionately and solemnly would I urge you to
begin early to curb your passions, and to study sweetness of
disposition. It will soon become to you perfectly natural, and thus
you will lay the foundation for a virtuous and tranquil old age. But,
asks the youth, shall I live longer for subduing my passions and doing
good, for seeking peace and pursuing it? Certainly. Our text teaches
this; so does philosophy, and the scriptures generally. Jesus Christ
says, "Blessed are the _meek_, for they shall inherit the earth." That
is, they shall long enjoy it. "Blessed are the peace-makers for they
shall be called the children of God." The fifth Commandment says,
"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." By honoring our parents, we
are to understand a filial and submissive obedience to their precepts
by not departing from that way in which with many exhortations,
prayers and tears, they sought to train us up. In this case, honoring
them would of course require us to walk in the paths of virtue and
temperance, and to live an honest, quiet and peaceable life which
would ensure the promise, and give us many days.
Not only do the scriptures promise long life to the peaceable,
temperate and meek, but they on the other hand just as solemnly
declare that "the wicked shall not live out half their days." This
passage has occasioned much dispute among religious denominations; one
affirming that every man's time is appointed in the counsels of heaven
by the decree of God, who "declares the end from the beginning;" and
another affirming that _it is not_, for the above passage teaches that
the life of man may be shortened. But there is no occasion for dispute
on this point, for they are both right, as we have seen in the course
of our remarks. This passage is but the counterpart of our text. It is
the decree of God that the wicked, the abandoned shall not reach the
extreme of human life, because they indulge in those very crimes,
which, in the constitution of things, must inevitably carry them to an
early tomb. Of the truth of this we see thousands of instances in the
world. And God has decreed that the meek, the peaceable shall reach
the extreme of life, because they pitch upon that happy course of
conduct which naturally leads to it. All that we are to understand by
his _decree_, is that he has inseparably connected the _end_ with the
_means_ by so constituting our natures, and so ordering his providence
that _sin, dissipation, anger,_ and _revenge_ shall not only destroy
happiness, but shorten life, so certain as men pursue such a wretched
course. And that the opposite course of conduct shall not only
communicate happiness, but protract life so certain as they engage in
it.
Here then, my young friends, you may readily perceive how God punishes
vice and rewards virtue. He does not do it by any abstract law, or
arbitrary mode of procedure, but lie has in infinite wisdom
interwoven, the whole in the very constitution of our natures, so that
the wicked cannot go unpunished, nor the righteous unrewarded. To
teach that man can indulge in vice, and yet escape its punishment by
future repentance, is not only dangerous to the morals of society, but
is a direct impeachment of the divine administration, as it must in
such case, be defective. And to teach that men may live righteously
and godly and yet go unrewarded, is equally dangerous to the morals of
the community, as it is but discouraging them from engaging in a
virtuous course of conduct. To teach that men are to be rewarded in a
future world for their _goodness_ here, is but in substance saying
that virtue is attended with mental misery, and so far as it fails of
rewarding its possessor _here_, the balance is to be made up
_hereafter_. And to teach that men are to be punished in a future
state for their _badness_ here, is but in substance saying, that vice
is attended with some mental joys, and so far as it fails of punishing
its possessor _here_, the balance is to be made up _hereafter_.
It is readily granted that the righteous may suffer. But we ought ever
to make a plain distinction between afflictions and punishments, for
the Bible does this. It is impossible in the nature of things that
punishment can exist except in connexion with guilt. Paul and Silas
were cast into prison and fastened in the stocks, on account of their
religion. But nothing could disturb their mental peace--their heaven-born
repose. They joyfully sung psalms, and lifted up their voices in
prayer to God in the calm enjoyment of a pure unsullied conscience.
They suffered afflictions that were, under the government of God, to
work out for their good. There were no doubt others in that prison
justly suffering for their crimes. To them it was punishment. Because
the _former_ were suffering _affliction_, the _latter, punishment_.
The scriptures say, "Great peace have they that love thy law; and
nothing shall offend them." "There is no peace, saith my God, to the
wicked;" and he who says there _is_, contradicts Jehovah.
If you would, my young friends, avoid punishment, avoid sin. If you
would be happy, and enjoy a long and tranquil life, follow carefully
the directions of our text; for rest assured that a contrary course of
conduct will not only involve you in misery and wretchedness, but
bring you to a premature grave. Let us then take warning, and not
become our own executioners. Let us make the most of life we may, and
not turn our present existence, which is one of heaven's choicest
blessings, into a curse. Let us do good in our day and generation, and
render ourselves blessings to mankind, by living soberly, righteously
and peaceably in the world? Let us do justly, love mercy, and walk
humbly with God--visit the widow and the fatherless in their
affliction, and keep ourselves unspotted from the world.