being "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus."

4-It is to serve and obey Him, making His will our law, His word the rule of our obedience, in all civil and sacred duties, glorifying Him in our bodies and spirits which are His.

5-It is to set the Lord always before us; and to live under the continual impression; "Thou God seest me!" To keep in mind His nature, attributes, relations and works, to humble us, to comfort us, and to save us.

Thus to remember your Creator is directly opposed to indifference and carelessness concerning your salvation. These two go together, the one leads to the other. When no interest is felt no care will be manifested. But consider my young friend, it is God your Creator who calls you to remember Him; it is your soul which is at stake; it is everlasting misery which is to be avoided; and everlasting happiness which is to be obtained! Was it your health, your estate, your fortune in this life which was at stake, what eagerness and care would you not manifest! How much more should you care for your eternal salvation? It is opposed to levity and trifling; to worldly pleasures and amusements; ungodly company, the ball, the dance; sinful conformity to fashion, dress, visiting; to the reckless attempts to banish all serious care and live without thought; nay perhaps to sneer at religion and its professors. But are these pursuits becoming one destined to death, judgment and eternity? Know giddy trifler, that to save thy soul from everlasting ruin the Son of God became incarnate, and poured out his life blood on the cross. On time depends eternity, and "for all these things God will bring thee into judgement." To remember thy Creator, will be a preventative to the indulgence of sinful youthful passions. It will be an antidote to pride and

arrogancy, promoting humility of mind and a teachable disposition; to anger and malice, inspiring brotherly affection, and a forgiving spirit; and destroying inordinate attachment to the creature, because the love of God reigns supreme in the heart. It will temper the mind in the pursuit of things in themselves lawful, such as the acquisition of science, or the cultivation of other talents calculated for personal advantage and usefulness or the benefit of others. The things relating to eternity will ever hold their proper place and have a due preponderancy, "seek first the kingdom of God!" and "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?"

II. THE TIME FIXED 66 NOW IN THE DAYS OF THY

1.-Early youth is the best season for entering on this duty. The mind, like the body, is in full vigour and activity. The understanding is strong and clear to apprehend the truth, and is not as yet preoccupied by prejudice, error or infidelity; the affections are lively and embrace with greater ardour, the great doctrines and duties of our holy religion; the will is more resolute, and there is generally more natural courage to encounter difficulties ; the memory is more easily impressed and retains its recollections much better than at a later period of life: the conscience is not blinded, nor hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, but sees clearer and feels more deeply than in after age; no obstinate habits, nor inveterate propensities are formed; added to this, the flow of health. and the buoyancy of youthful spirits render easy what, under other circumstances, would be difficult and painful. Youth is acknowledged as the fittest time for the acquisition of science, or arts, and the formation of habits; so no

season can be so appropriate as this, for forming the Christian character.

2.-Youth has the fewest hindrances to a life of piety, and affords the best opportunities and helps for it. Unencumbered by the cares of a family, or the difficulties and perplexities of business, the youth has the fewest connections, and relative interests to study. How different is he from the situation of him who is farther advanced in life, who groans beneath a load of anxiety and care, with little capacity, ability or power to bear up under it, or disentangle himself from it. So has he also the greatest opportunity for availing himself of helps to his piety, having more time at his command for reading, hearing, and attending all the means of grace. He has still the privilege of choosing his companions and associates; besides this he enjoys more largely the influences of the Holy Spirit not yet grieved or withdrawn in consequence of long continued resistance.

3.-Early piety is highly acceptable to God as it tends most to his glory. When the sinner ceases to sin because he feels he must soon cease to live; gives up his course of vanity and folly, because he must soon give up his life; and desires to serve God because he knows he can serve Satan no longer; such cases can bring little honour to God. We would not absolutely consign all death-bed penitents to endless misery, for "the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever." But that piety commenced in early life, when in full possession of all our faculties and energies, is that which affords the best opportunity of manifesting the divine glory and as such is most acceptable in his sight.

4.-Early piety will prevent numerous evils into which we should otherwise be liable to fall. How many youths by the neglect of religion, fall into evil company, contract

the habit of drunkenness, neglect their business, ruin their health, hurry themselves into an untimely grave and sink their souls to everlasting ruin! Why are our prisons crowded with youthful culprits, but through the disregard of remembering their Creator? And how vast a proportion of the squalid poverty and accompanying misery, seen in the cottages of the poor, is attributable to the neglect of early piety? Improvidence, and the sinful indulgence. of youthful passions bring with them their own punishment in this world; but who can describe the misery of their spiritual condition, where the guide of their youth is forsaken, the Holy Spirit of God grieved, the horrors of guilt overwhelm the conscience, and the rage of unruly passions are like the troubled sea that cannot rest. Piety commenced early, is seen in the proper discharge of every duty civil and sacred, establishes our character, preserves health, lengthens life, often leads to competency of this world's goods, brings peace to the soul, and secures to us the kingdom of heaven when we die.

5.-Early piety has every probability of being eminent piety. Commenced in youthful vigour; pushed through the course of life, it acquires a growth and maturity to which that commenced in later ages can never attain. Excellency in science, art, trade or any pursuit can be expected only in those who early devote themselves to it; and it is from piety commenced in early youth that we look for the greatest consistency, completeness, and uniformity of character in after years; and the highest and most eminent attainments.

6. It qualifies its possessor for being most useful. Affording the best opportunity of acquiring useful talents, of improving and increasing them and turning them to the best account in both the church and the world. From what ranks does the great Head of the church generally

choose his Ministers? Is it not from pious youths? Who come forward as sabbath school teachers, tractdistributors, missionary collectors, visitors of the sick, and the active agents in every work of charity and mercy? Is it not those who have been trained to duty by early piety?

7.—I lastly remark that as it leads to the greatest usefulness, so will it secure the greatest reward, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." "He that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully." He who sows through a long life, and beside all waters, shall certainly not fail of a rich reward in an eternal weight of glory. There are degrees of glory in heaven. That these are founded on the degrees of piety, talents, and usefulness, we have reason from Holy Scripture to conclude, and as early piety may embrace all these three points, eminent piety, well adapted talents, and extensive usefulness, so will it secure this great reward. To be near the throne; to shine with peculiar splendor; let this be your object and aim !

III. THE REASONS BY WHICH THIS DUTY IS URGED. THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ΤΟ EARLY PIETY IS URGED FROM THE DISADVANTAGES ARISING FROM AGE, CONTRASTED WITH THE ADVANTAGES OF YOUTH-" REMEMBER NOW,WHILE THE EVIL DAYS COME NOT, NOR THE YEARS DRAW NIGH, WHEN THOU SHALT SAY, I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THEM.'

"Evil days and years."

Days and years of bodily and mental weakness and decay, of infirmity, sorrow and helplessness. Days and years more grievous because laden with sins and follies, which render them wretched. The aged sinner cannot live; yet trembles at the thought of death, succeeded by judgment, and an awful eternity.