the season for sprightliness, vigor, and activity. Scripture allows children exercise and diversion. Zech. viii. 5. Solomon seriously exhorts young persons to the thankful enjoyment of temporal mercies. ix. 9. Yet, it certainly was not intended to authorize the unlimited indulgence of youthful inclinations, but rather to operate as a striking reprehension of the levity and vanity too commonly indulged by the young and inconsiderate.

While he seems to allow, he means to forbid. q. d. 'Ah! young man, I know what advice would suit you, could I give it you consistently with my regard for your highest welfare. I might then encourage you to confide in your health, beauty, and strength; to abandon yourself wholly to present gratification; to lay your plan, as I did, for a long succession of pleasures and sensual enjoyments; (ii.1—10.) to indulge your appetites and passions without restraint; banish all thoughts which would embitter your sinful, and moderate even your more lawful pursuits; to give up yourself to your own inclinations, and follow the dictates of your own heart; to regard things present and visible, without any hindrance from the thought of what is future and invisible !'

Ah! my young friends, is not this agreeable advice? If the whole Bible agreed with it, many who take pains to become infidels, would excuse themselves from that trouble. But behold, here follows,

SECONDLY, An awful admonition. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Whoever thou art, thou art capable of this knowledge, thou art an accountable creature. Thou art justly considered a subject of the divine government. It is not thy youth that will excuse thee from final judgment; nor that will assure its being long delayed; nor will it be found to palliate thy guilt. God who knows the heart, hates sin, and can punish it severely. God who is love, will yet have no mercy on thee, if thou shall continue impenitent till death. Yea, God will bring thee into judgment for all these things: i. e. sins of youth, as well as of old age; youthful extravagance as well as sordid covetousness. Not only for some grosser impurities, but for all thy forgetfulness of God, neglect of his

word, ridicule of religion, like Ishmael and the children at Bethel. Alas! how are children serious in trifles, and trifling in serious things; prefer vanity to virtue; and the pleasures they enjoy in common with the brutes, to those which constitute the bliss of angels! Youth are often self-sufficient and head-strong; their passions are violent; they are eager after lawless liberty, impatient of reproof, and sanguine in expectation of happiness from the world. It is well said, Childhood and youth are vanity. God will bring thee into judgment. For what? For loving pleasure more than God. Neglect of your own soul, preferring vain company to his worship. Prayerlessness. Despising his great salvation. Neglect of the kingdom of heaven. If I were to name grosser evils, would not conscience testify against some, whose friends have no suspicion of them? Remove sorrow from

THIRDLY: A friendly exhortation. thine heart, and evil from thy flesh.

My dear young friends! we seek your interest, your honor, your safety, your endless happiness. We would only damp vain hopes, dispel delusive charms, prevent ruin and wretchedness, and guide your feet into the way of peace and durable felicity. O seek the pardon of sin, lest guilt should burden your conscience in old age, or on a dying bed ; lest it sink your soul to hell at death, and transport your flesh thither at the resurrection. Seek converting grace

tence.

Think

betimes, lest late repentance be bitter, more dubious, more painful, or lest you should be given up to final impeniSeek strength from God, against your evil propensities, your unruly desires, and hasty passions. what mischiefs these lawless indulgences may bring on you in time. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Beware lest you should have to complain, that your bones are full of the sins of your youth; lest a dart should strike through your liver, or you should mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed. Prov. v. 9—14. xxiii. 20, 21. 27—32, &c. Come then, and taste how good the Lord is, and how happy are they that love him in sincerity. Weigh the substantial enjoyments of eternity, against the lying vanities of time. If true religion abridges some pleasures, it bestows,

in their room, those that are far superior. It forbids those pleasures only, that are unlawful in themselves, or that are procured by wrong means, or that are enjoyed in a wrong way. And such pleasures are ever counterbalanced by pain ; by painful impatience in the pursuit, painful labor in attaining, painful anxiety in possessing, and disappointment and vexation in losing them. While the good man seeks without impatience, possesses without anxiety, enjoys without loathing, uses without abusing, and loses things earthly without despair. And his chief good is certain to be attained, satisfactory in the enjoyment, and permanent in its duration. It imparts peace to the conscience, purifies the heart, ennobles the mind, elevates the soul above the world, unites it to God; banishes guilt and slavish fear, the love of sin, the terrors of death, and all evil for evermore. Therefore, if you

would put away sorrow and vexation from your heart, attend without delay to the voice of heavenly wisdom. For if childhood and youth are vanity, though confessedly the season for enjoyment, what will old age be, but corroding care, pitiable weakness, full of aches and pains and fears; while laden with iniquity, and hardened in a course of sin, you stand tottering on the brink of hell, and sink into the bottomless gulph, to rise no more.

Surely all who know the worth of religion themselves, must be anxious for the salvation of others, for the diffusion of religious knowledge, and especially for the prevalence of genuine piety in the rising generation.

XXXIX.

BELIEVERS GOD'S WITNESSES.

Isa. xliii. 10.

Ye are my witnesses.

SUCH was the honorable character sustained by the Jewish church, and surely it is no less applicable to true Christians. FIRST Let me mention some of the principal things, which believers are called to witness for God.

First: You are witnesses to his being and glorious perfec

tions. You have seen, not only the greatness of his naturał perfections, but the glory of his moral excellencies-have felt his power, feared his wrath, seen his purity, tasted his grace, tried his veracity, experienced his all-sufficiency. You are sure he is God.

Secondly: To the equity of his holy law. You are sure he has a right to the throne, that he cannot deny himself, that he deserves all he demands, that sin is as bad as he says it is, and deserves all God has threatened; sure you are condemned justly; sure you have no excuse, nothing that can justify your disaffection to the divine character, or disobedience to the divine will.

Thirdly: To the excellence of his gospel. You are assured of its divine original: so glorious a gospel could have no other author. You fall in with its humbling import; you are sure you could not save yourselves; sure that the Saviour it reveals must be divine; are assured of its sufficiency and efficacy to ease wounded consciences.

Fourthly: To the power of his grace. You know you were far off, as averse as any, as attached to the world and sin, enslaved to Satan, obstinate, foolish, proud, long wooed and awed in vain. You know he can change hearts of stone. Jer. xx. 7. "Thou hast persuaded me." You are sure you did not come of your own accord; and that he can draw any, who drew you.

Fifthly: To the influence of his truth. You are witnesses to the holy tendency of the doctrines of grace, to the purity of the Christian religion. It tends to universal holiness, endears the divine character, enlivens true devotion, constrains to obedience. It teaches contentment, patience, submission, resignation; it instructs us to copy Christ's pattern, as well as to rely on his priesthood. It inculcates all relative duties; teaches us to be sober and righteous, as well as godly; yea, it renders people openhearted, generous, and devisers of liberal things. O do not ask, What MUST I do, to be safe or in repute? but be ever asking, What CAN I do for God and my fellow-creatures? It teaches love to all saints, to sinners, to the poor who cannot recompense you again, to enemies; it teaches forbearance, meekness, government of the passions,

gentleness, tenderness, sympathy, fortitude. It teaches weanedness from the world, heavenly mindedness, bearing the cross; never to rest satisfied with present attainments; but to be always watching, praying, striving, pressing on, mourning over sinful defects.

Sixthly: To the use of his ordinances. You know God answers prayer; you have prayed in secret, and he has rewarded you openly. Your heart has been overwhelmed, and you have found support, ease, deliverance. Christ really is with his people, as he promised. In Judah God is known: as we have heard, so have we seen. Where the word of a king is, there is power. Is not my word a fire? Doth it not do good? Yes, we have found him in Bethel. Are his ordinances vain institutions? No, ye have been buried with him, and seen where he lay. Ye have sat at his table, and he was known in breaking of bread.

Seventhly: To the attention of his providence. You know his eyes are in every place, his tender mercies are over all his works. He fixes the bounds of your habitations, and doth all things well. Nothing is too hard for him. He can embitter comforts, or sanctify troubles; can restrain foes, raise up friends, exalt or abase, overrule free agents, change the purposes of kings, defeat counsels; (Is. xlvi. 10.) relieve wants, by means most unlikely; support, direct, deliver, make all things work together for good.

Eighthly: To the fulfilment of his promises. Is he not faithful? a very present help? sure to perform the good thing he promised? Jer. xxxiii. 13. Just and faithful to forgive, to cast out none, to give the heavy-laden rest, to supply all need, renew strength according to our day? Is he not allsufficient? A strong hold in the day of trouble? Has one word failed? Is not godliness profitable? A support under trials? Are not crosses sanctified? Is not all need supplied according to his riches?

Does not one

Ninthly: To the glorious nature of his rest. remain for the people of God? Is it not glorious? Worthi while becoming pilgrims for it? Are not pleasures at his right hand? Is not the promise sure? Have not you had

the earnest?

Are not its main constituents known?

Is not