The time will come when that young man who left his father’s house pure and true, with noble purposes, will be ruined. He has learned to love the evil and reject the good. He did not realize his danger, not being armed with watchfulness and prayer. He did not place himself at once under the guardian care of the church. He was made to believe that it was manly to be independent, not allowing his liberty to be restricted. He was taught that to ignore rules and defy laws was to enjoy true freedom; that it was slavish to be always fearing and trembling lest he do wrong. He yielded to the influence of ungodly persons who, while carrying a fair exterior, were practicing deception, vileness, and iniquity; and he was despised and derided because he was so easily duped. He went where he could not expect to find the pure and the good. He learned ways of life and habits of speech which were not elevating and ennobling. Many are in danger of being thus lead away imperceptibly until they become degraded in their own estimation. In order to gain the applause of the heartless and ungodly, they are in danger of yielding the purity and nobleness of manhood, and of becoming slaves to Satan. {4T 436.2}

Den tid kommer, hvor den unge mand, som forlod sin faders hus ren og sand, med ædle hensigter, vil gå til grunde. Han har lært at elske det onde og forkaste det gode. Han erkendte ikke sin fare, blev ikke bevæbnet med årvågenhed og bøn. Han satte ikke sig selv straks under menighedens beskyttende omsorg. Han kom til at tro at det var mandigt, at være selvstændig og ikke lade sin frihed begrænse. Han fik lært at ignoreren af regler og trodsen af love var at nyde sand frihed; så det var slavisk at altid frygte og skælve, medmindre han gjort noget forkert. Han gav efter for ugudelige personers indflydelse, som gjorde bedrag, ondskab og synd skønt de havde et pænt ydre. (437) Men han blev foragtet og forhånet, fordi han var så let at narre. Han tog derhen hvor han ikke kunne forvente noget rent og godt. Han lærte livsveje og talemåder, som ikke var ophøjende og forædlende. Mange er i fare for at ledes bort uden at mærke det, indtil de fornedres, efter egen vurdering. For at vinde de hjerteløse og ugudeliges bifald, kommer de i fare for at opgive manddommens renhed og ædelhed og blive slaver for Satan.