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"Those who seek That is, those who

Secondly, here they are taught how they may get their natures changed, cleanfed and fanctified. "me early, faith the Lord, fhall find me." feek God in the method appeinted in the fcriptures, will furely obtain their defires. Those who feek God, by repentance of fin, forfaking their iniquities, repairing to the blood of Jefus by faith, com mitting their fouls into his hands, looking to his righteousness alone for juftification, and to his grace for fanctification, giving up their hearts in love to God, and refolving to walk in all the commandments of the Lord. This is the fum of that feeking God contained in the bible. The young have really as much need of effectual grace, of converfion faith, repentance, &c. as any other finners. Hence the young man in the gospel who was poffetfed of fo many natural and amiable accomplishments, that Jefus loved him, yet his way wanted cleansing; there was one thing lacking; his foul was not adorned with the beauties of holinefs. Hearken to the voice of Solomon to his pupil. My fon, if thou wilt hear my words, and hide my commandments with thee, fo that "thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thy heart to "understanding: yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, and liftest "up thy voice for understanding, if thou feekeft her as filver and "fearchest for her as for hid treasures; then fhalt thou under"tand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." The fcriptures teach you to pray to God, to worship him, to fubmit to his will, to honor your parents, to love your brothers and fifters, to love all mankind, and to do good unto all as you have opportunity, and fill all your stations and relations in life with faithfulness and propriety. Thefe are a few of the counfels of the divine oracles to the children of men. They are as fufficient now as they were in the times of Timothy, "to make them wife unto falvation." Would youth be comfortable in life, ufeful and honorable in the world, have peace and hope in death, and finally be brought to thofe regions where rivers of bleffedrefs eternally flow, "Let them take heed "unto their way according to the word of God."

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A brief addrefs to thofe who are young will conclude this difcourfe I have often addreffed your fathers in the days of their youth, and this will probably be among my laft directed to you in this particular form.

My dear children and amiable youth, all that fhall be faid at prefent will flow from the most fincere intention to promote your felicity in this world and in the next. Your blifs and mifery, life and death, are placed before you, and this day you are folemnly called upon to make your election. Confider what is your state and practice. Confider you are in the hands of a God of infinite power to punish or to reward. Con fider whether you have most need of God, or God of you. What will be your final destiny if you continue in fin, impenitent and unbelieving, neglecters of God, defpifers of Jesus Christ and of your own immortal fouls? You certainly know you muft die, and pass to judgment, and thefe awful events may take place refpecting you, while you are in all the bloom of life, and in an hour when you think not. You have attended the funerals of multitudes of perfons younger than yourselves. Wherefore be exhorted in this your day to attend to the things of your peace. God is ftretching out his compaflionate arms unto you, the precious blood of the Saviour, which was fhed for your falvation, is calling upon you; the Holy Ghoft is ftriving with you; minifters, are calling upon you, praying Your pious parents, in all and with bowels yearning

for you and weeping over you. the tender language of perfuafion, for your fouls, are preffing the things of religion upon you. Yea, all the holy angels, and the whole church in heaven and earth, folicitously urging you to come and drink of the waters of life freely. Now what do you fay to all thefe mighty invi tations? Will you hear or will you forbear? If you refuse to cleanfe your way according to the word of God, remember the terrible denunciations of divine wrath against all fuch. "Because I have called and ye have refufed, I have ftretched "out my hand and no man regarded; but ye fet at nought

"all my counfel and would none of my reproof: I alfö wif "laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh; "when your fear cometh as defolation, and your destruction " as a whirlwind, then fhall they call upon me, but I will not "anfwer; they will feek me early but they shall not find me.” To avoid these awful calamities, I beseech you by all that is facred, by the happiness of heaven and the torments of the damned, that you would hearken to "Wifdom crying without, "uttering her voice in the ftreets; turn ye at my reproof; "behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make "known my words unto you. Hear and your fouls fhall "live." My dear youth, I leave you to God, and your own ferious thoughts.

SERMON X.

Sober mindedness warmly recommended to thofe who are Young.

Tit. ii. 6. Young men likewife exhort to be fober minded.

VARIOUS and extenfive are the duties incumbent upon the minifters of the gospel. So numerous, important, and folemn, that the apostle after a review and confideration of them, exclaims, “Who is fufficient for these things "" They are to teach the whole counfel of God; every doctrine, duty and virtue contained in the fcriptures. They are with propriety to address every rank, from the highest dignity of honor to the lowest grade of mankind. From those who fway fceptres and fit on thrones, down to the poor and those who fit on dunghills; all thefe various degrees are to be instructed by them. How much need have they of all kinds of learning and wisdom, common and uncommon, to enable them to adapt their inftruction to an infinity of cafes. St. Paul taught people of every clafs, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, minifters and people, fervants and children. He inftructed minifters how and to whom they should preach. He gave directions

and counfels to Timothy and Titus relative to things of the higheft importance. He fometimes prefcribes to them the fubjects on which they fhould preach, and mentions the various claffes of mankind to which they were to address them. felves, and how their exhortations ought to be ordered. In this chapter Titus is counfelled to preach the duties incumbent. on every age and fex. He must teach aged men how they ought to conduct: "fo that their hoary head being found in "the way of righteoufnefs might be a crown of glory to them." The aged women alio he was to inftrud, " that they may be "in behaviour as becometh holinefs. That the young women "fhould be fober, difcreet, chafte, keepers at home, good, &c. "Young men likewife, exhort to be fober minded." Thus minifters fhould be particular in their preaching. That by touching every ones cafe, they may affect the confciences of all. They must give to eery one his portion in due feafon. Alas, how few are difpofed to take their portion, and how ready are we to make application to others of that which we ought to take to ourselves?

The young perfons to whom Titus is to addrefs himself, he is to exhort. This word implies inftruction, direction and per fuafion. In order to exhort any person to the performance of his duty, he must be firft taught the nature, ufe and advantages of it; in the next place he must be directed how to comply therewith and reduce the inftruction to practice; then perfuafi-. on, commonly called exhortation, is neceffary-in which motives and confiderations are used, with the tendereft application to the paffions, to influence and induce perfons to yield a willing obedience. Here the benefits and bleflings of com. pliance with duty, and the dangers of non-compliance are to be urged and preffed upon the confcience by every argument.

The exhortation is here directed to thofe who are young, and the duty to which they are to give their attention is to be fiber. minded. The whole duty incumbent upon youth is compre

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