Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/180

 to yonder  young  man,  as  he  greets  his  newly acquired freedom:  "What  luck  I  Now  there will  be  no  more  schoolmasters,  no  more  home tasks,  no  more  strict  regulations,  no  being kept  in,  no  scolding  and  petty  fault-finding  I Now  I  will  let  myself  go,  and  do  whatever  J choose — just  please  myself  1 99  A  truly  remarkable manner  this,  of  enjoying  freedom  1  Certainly this  is  not  enjoying  freedom  as  a  reasonable being  or  as  a  Christian,  since  it  opens wide  the  door  to  the  passions  which  obscure reason  and  jeopardize  one's  eternal  interests if  allowed  to  have  full  sway.  It  is  certainly not  enjoying  freedom  as  a  well-brought-up young  man  should  do,  if  good  manners,  and the  regard  which  is  owed  to  the  family, are  thus  trodden  underfoot.  To  act  thus  is to  enjoy  liberty  like  a  savage  who  knows  no Haw,  like  a  wild  beast  which  is  destitute  o» reason.

3. My  dear  friend,  to  enjoy  freedom  after this fashion  is  to  render  yourself  unworthy of it,  to  dishonor  and  degrade  it. Such freedom as  this  is  rebellion  against  the  lawful authority of  God,  the  freedom  of  sinners,  the freedom of  evil,  of  the  flesh,  of  the  passions, unreasonable license  —  yet  more  —  it  is  bondage itself,  according  to  the  words  of  Holy Scripture: "Whosoever  committeth  sin  is the  servant  of  sin"  (John  viii.  34).

A madman  acts  in  accordance  with  the promptings of  his  own  fancy,  gratifies  his  impulses  and  inclinations,  but  is  he  therefore