Every Man…Must Be Trusted to Himself

Concerning men and physical and spiritual discipline, we cite some sentences form John Locke: “Consent to nothing but what may be suitable to the dignity and excellency of a rational creature…The great principle and foundation of all virtue and worth is… this: that a man is able to deny himself his own desires, cross his own inclinations, …tho’ the appetite lean the other way…”

And now briefly we should like to let John Locke introduce another subject for us with this short and significant sentence: “Every man must sometime or other be trusted to himself;…”

No matter how sheltered we may have been, or how mush we may have depended on others, there do come times when we have to make our own choices, when we have to face facts, stand up to temptation, preserve principles; when we have to decide the course and accept the consequences. “Every man must some time or other be trusted to himself…”

With the swiftly moving seasons, the time comes soon, or so it seems, when young people move out anyway—from home, from family, from friends: some for further education, some for work, some for marriage, or other purposes. And at these times of taking leave from the long-felt influence of family and friends, parents and others also understandably feel some cause of concern. And well would they, expect as sound principles have been instilled into the lives of those who leave.

And as for youth, well would they know that there do inevitably come times for choosing, for discriminating, for deciding for ourselves. Others cannot always go with us; others cannot always be watching; others cannot always make our choices, our decisions, or live our lives. There are countless times, when, by the necessity of circumstances, we have to decide for ourselves.

And to youth we would say: live by the sound and safe principles implanted in our hearts by righteous parents and teachers. And to parents and teachers we would say: implant sound principles as early as possible, by precept and by the righteous living life. “Every man some time or other be trusted to himself…” Blessed are they who early have implanted in their souls the foundations for facing these facts.