lent temptations of hope or fear, which would have drawn him from his duty. The perplexing doubts which harass the pious but unexperienced, concerning their steadfastness and perseverance in the ways of religion, are for him past, and his mind is serene as the regions of heaven. In reviewing the past, he sees the long interval between the season of youth and the furrowed countenance and hoary head of age, filled up in some good degree with works of devotion, righteousness, and benevolence; whereby he has glorified God, benefited his brother, and made provision that his memory should always be precious; and the recollection of them makes him re-enjoy the scenes through which he has passed. Ah! what can be more delightful than to remember, how early he was enabled to devote himself to God; how frequently he has conflicted with difficulties and trials for his sake; how rich has been his experience of the providential care and protection of his Heavenly Father; how often he has enjoyed communion with his God; lifted up his desires to him, and poured out before him the warm effusions of his soul. And if from the past, he turns and contemplates the future, views the most animating are presented to him; he fixes a steady eye upon those glories in which he knows he is interested; he rejoices that he almost touches the object of all his hopes and desires; that he will shortly be admitted into the presence of that God, whom he has so long loved,

and be delivered from a combat which has so long endured.

Surely an old age thus placid and venerable, is an object worthy of our desires: surely these peaceful recollections, these sublime prospects, amidst the dreariness of age, are deserving our exertions. Do you wish to attain them? "Remember your creator in the days of your youth; then no evil days shall come; no years draw nigh in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them." (Eccles. xii. 1. 2.)

IV. A regard to the feelings of all the pious per sons in the church universal, a respect to the happiness of your parents, should induce you early to devote yourselves to God,

You know not, my young friends, the severe pain which is felt by all true christians, in beholding unconverted youth, As the ancient and honourable pillars of the temple fall one by one; as the aged persons who have been zealous and faithful soldiers of Christ, pass in succession from the church militant to the church triumphant; we look around with anxiety upon the rising generation, to see who will supply their places, who will wield the weapons which have fallen from their hands, who will in their stead direct and encourage the body of the faithful. And if, instead of the piety which

distinguished these holy christians, we see in their progeny a disregard of God and his ordinances, an enmity and distaste to a holy life, a worldly and care< less spirit; oh! you know not the grief which such prospects excite in the hearts of all who sincerely love the Lord. Young men, amongst this pious band whom your inconsiderate conduct thus deeply wounds, there are numbers whom you are bound to honour and revere, numbers for whom you express high esteem and regard. Will you not be sufficiently generous and affectionate to pause and attend to the things which belong to your eternal peace, in order to give happiness and joy to so ma ny of your fellow-men?

Or if this consideration be too general to affect you, think for a moment how deeply the felicity of your PARENTS depends upon your early piety, This is a motive which Solomon often addresses to youth. "A wise son," (you know that in the scriptures wise and pious are used as synonymous expressions, because piety is the only true wisdom :) "A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." (Prov. x. 1.) And elsewhere, "A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him." (Prov. xvii. 25.) And again he affectionately urges, "My son, be wise and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me." (Prov. xxvii. 11.) These and numerous other exhortations of the

same import made by Solomon, were dictated by his experience. He had seen how his own pious conduct in early life, had cheered the heart of his father David, amidst the infirmities and sorrows of age; he himself had felt, from the conduct of Rehoboam, pains so deep, that they could not be effaced by the splendour of royalty, the pomp of power, the respect and veneration which the people entertained for him. All the other enjoyments of life were embittered and rendered tasteless by the wanderings of an irreligious son. My young friends, if your parents are sincerely pious, they feel a regret equal to that of Solomon, at your neglect of God, and forgetfulness of your eternal destination. Nature and grace have taught them to love you as themselves, and if all the pleasures which the earth can afford were heaped upon them, they would still be unhappy, if their child were the slave of satan and the heir of eternal sorrow. Believe me, I do not exaggerate their feelings. I have witnessed in my parochial visits, every minister has witnessed in his parochial visits, more than once, this anguish of atender father, these tears of a loving mother; anguish, tears, which were rendered still more bitter by the reflection, that they were caused by those who should have consoled and cheered their declining years. And I have on the contrary seen the eye of the aged parent lighted up with joy, and heard him pour forth his thanksgivings to God, at beholding his offspring walking in the path of good

ness and religion. When he beheld the morn of their life thus hallowed and consecrated to God, the afflictions of life lost their sting, and his soul was filled with transport.

And as by your pious or irreligious conduct, you thus affect the feelings of your parents during the whole course of their lives; so do you especially prepare for them sources of inexpressible delight or misery, at the moment when death shall separate you from them. If you should enter before them into the unseen world, they can part from you without regret if you are truly devoted to God. They know that this separation is not final; they know that they shall meet you in a better world. The view of that glory in which you are interested will enable them to say to you with christian resignation, "Farewell, our dear child; we had hoped that thou wouldst have remained to have closed our eyes and received our last breath; but God calls thee before us; go then and receive the crown of glory; go and rest in the embraces of thy Saviour; we will shortly follow thee; we will meet thee again before the throne of God; and there we shall form ties more tender and more strict, than those which united us on earth; there we shall enjoy a felicity pure as the eternal mind, and durable as the existence of God. Go then, dear child; thy Saviour beckons thee to come; the angels are waiting to convey thy soul unto him; adieu, but