Faithful Reproofs Necessary
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every post of duty, especially at the great heart of the work. Like sleep-
less sentinels, those who profess the truth should guard the interests of
the cause at the office; they should sacredly guard themselves and one
another from spiritual contamination.
Those who have imbibed the spirit of independence, and come to--
---as students in our school, thinking to do as they please in all matters,
should be quickly undeceived and brought under proper discipline.
But especially should the youth residing at-----be brought under the
strictest rules, to guard their integrity and morality. If they refuse to
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submit to these regulations they should be expelled from the school
and cut off from association with those whom they are demoralizing
by their wrong example.
Parents living at a distance send their children to-----to be educated,
feeling perfect confidence that they will there receive the proper moral
training and not be exposed to wrong influences. It is due these patrons
of our school that the moral atmosphere there be purified. A lack of
propriety and a disregard of strict virtue has been developing among a
certain class of young men and women in-----. Some of these are low
in the scale of morality and are influencing the young students who
have been sent there from a distance and have not the advantages of
parental advice and protection. This should be attended to at once, for
it is a matter of grave importance.
The influence of some youth in-----is demoralizing. They seem
to think it praiseworthy to appear independent and to show disrespect
to the authority of their parents. Paul gives a faithful description
of this class of youth in these words: “This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God.”
The influence of this class upon the youth of-----is doing much
harm. Their conversation and example are contemptibly low. The
young whose morals are established, and whose minds are of an el-
evated character, would find no attraction in their society and would
therefore be beyond the reach of their influence. But there are young
men and women who find pleasure in the company of just such per-