E-text prepared by Al Haines
by
Edinburgh.
Toronto:
William Briggs,
Wesley Buildings.
Montreal: C. W. Coates.
Halifax: S. F. Huestis.
1896.
Entered, according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year onethousand eight hundred and ninety-six, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, at theDepartment of Agriculture.
This book has been selected from the "Guild Series" for young people,published in Scotland, and reprinted in Canada by permission.
The wise counsels and practical suggestions with which this bookabounds make it eminently suitable for the Epworth League ReadingCourse. We commend it to all young people who are desirous to formtheir character on the Christian model and to carry religious principleinto the practical affairs of common life.
Some of the chapters will furnish material for interesting programmesin the Literary Department.
This hand-book has been written at the request of the Christian Lifeand Work Committee of the Church of Scotland as one of a series ofvolumes which it is at present issuing for the use of Young Men'sGuilds and Bible Classes.
The object of the writer has been to show how the principles ofreligion may be applied to the conduct of young men, and in thepractice of everyday life. In doing this he has endeavored to keepsteadily in view the fact that the book is designed chiefly as a manualof instruction, and can only present the outlines of a somewhat widesubject. His language has been necessarily simple, and he has beenoften obliged to put his statements in an abbreviated form.
Most of the contents of this book have been drawn from a long andsomewhat varied experience of life; but the author has also availedhimself of the writings of others who have written books for thespecial benefit of young men. He has appended a list of works which hehas consulted, and has endeavored to acknowledge his indebtedness forany help in the way of argument or illustration that they have affordedhim.
It will be a great gratification to him to learn that the book has beenin any way useful to the young men, of whose position, duties, andtemptations he has thought much when writing it; and he sends it forthwith the earnest prayer that the Spirit of God may bless his endeavorsto be of service to those whose interests he, in common with hisbrethren in the ministry, regards as of paramount importance.
EDINBURGH, 28th June, 1892.
Everything in the practical conduct of life depends upon character.
What is character? What do we mean by it? As when we say such a manis a bad character, or a good character, or when we use the words, "Idon't like the character o