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"gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; "and white raiment, that you may be clothed." But O! confider that you are naturally much more lothfome by fin than by poverty. felves deeply in the fight of God. Fly for refuge to lay hold of the hope fet before you. Accept of a free pardon of all your fins through the blood of Chrift, and of his Holy Spirit to enable you to love and ferve him. Rejoice in your portion as all-fufficient and full, and in the covenant of peace, as ordered in all things, and fure." Go in the spirit of adoption to your reconciled Father in Chrift, and ask of him your daily bread. Do not envy the profperity of others; fince it is not material whether you shall live in plenty and fleep on a bed of down, or live in ftraits and lie on a dunghil, compared to what fhall become of you for ever. But, above all, be not fo mad as to envy finners an unfanctified profperity. Rather, when you fee a man of opu lence defpifing the fabbath, or hear a wretch in a gilded chariot profaning his Creator's name, be ready to fay, "Shall I complain of poverty, when my Lord and mafter had not where to lay his "head? No, let me, on the contrary, bless that adverfity which caufed me to confider. Let very thankful for that humble station "which gives me accefs to communion with “God, and does not waste my time with crouds

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"of company. Who knoweth whether I fhould "have retained my integrity, if I had been con-

stantly surrounded with profane gaiety, swim"ming in pleasure, befieged by flatterers, folicited by fenfualifts, befet with temptations? "O that I may be poffeffed of the pearl of great "price, reconciled to God, united to Chrift, "adorned with divine grace, and that I may be my Redeemer's at his fecond coming.

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3. I would preach the gofpel to thofe who are but yet in the Morning of life. This is the most pleasant and hopeful part of a minister's work. Happy are you, my dear Children, who have been fo early called into God's vineyard, but infinitely more happy, if you are inwardly and fully determined to comply with the call. I beseech you "Remember your Creator in the days of your

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youth, while the evil days come not, nor the "years draw nigh, when you fhall fay you have no pleasure in them *." Early piety is excceding lovely in the eyes of the fober part of mankind, highly acceptable to God, and will be infinitely profitable to yourselves. Be not enticed with the deceitful promifes and falfe pretences of worldly enjoyments, which are fo ready to inflame your paffions, and fo warmly folicit your love. Believe the teftimony of all, without exception, who have gone before you, and have

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left this record written on created comforts, that they are "vanity and vexation of fpirit." Believe it, you have entered on a world of fin and forrow. You may feel the early ftirrings of corruption in yourselves, and fee its manifeft and manifold fruits, both in yourselves and others. Alas! are there not fome young perfons who learn, as their first language, to blafpheme their Maker's name? Many children who cannot work, are expert in finning. Alas! your hearts are naturally far from God. You" go aftray "as foon as you are born, speaking lies." Be perfuaded, therefore, to fly to the blood of Chrift, the precious blood of Chrift, "who "loved you, and gave himself for you." He died upon the crofs to fave you from the hell which you have deferved by your fins; and he gracioufly invites you, faying, "Suffer the little "children to come unto me, and forbid them not, "for of fuch is the kingdom of God *." Bleffed are those children, who, like their Saviour, advance in wifdom as in ftature, and in faઃઃ vour with God and man." Let young perfons in general remember, as they are growing up, that all the early opportunities of inftruction which they have enjoyed, especially such as have been brought up under the inspection of pious parents, will greatly aggravate their guilt,

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if they continue to defpife them. For this reafon fome, I wish I could not fay many, are old in fin, when they are but young in years. Wherefore, without further delay, betake yourfelves to God in Chrift; learn and love your Redeemer's name, and let the life that you live in the flesh, be a life of faith on the Son of God and only Saviour of the world. Your early entrance on a religious life will make you regular, eftablished, useful, fruitful Chriftians. If you are to continue lorg in the world, it will greatly contribute to the sweetness and ferenity of life; and if it be the will of God that you fhould die foon, it will make you meet for the inheritance of the faints in light. There is fomething very terrible in the death (often the unexpected death) of young perfons, in the bloom or middle of life, plunged in fenfuality, inflamed with luft, and bent on fin of every kind. But, bleffed be God, there are alfo fome agreeable inftances of young faints quickly ripened by divine grace, thoroughly mellowed by early affliction, refigning the world, not with fubmiffion only, but pleasure, and taking wing to a land of reft and peace, where" the inhabitants fhall not fay, I "am fick ;" and "the people that dwell therein fhall be forgiven their iniquity *."

* If. xxxiii. 24.

4. I must now preach the gospel to those who are Old, who having gone through many viciffitudes, are perhaps tottering upon the brink of the grave, and drawing near to "the house

appointed for all living." And I do it becaufe my office obliges me to preach the gospel to every creature. There is but little pleasure in addreffing fuch, because there is but little hope of fuccefs. May I not fuppofe, that some one, or more, may be led to perufe this difcourfe, who have many years refifted the calls of the gofpel, and have been long accuftomed to do evil. What caufe have you to admire the mercy of God, that you are not now" in the lake ." which burns with fire and brimftone for ever"more?" Have you not followed many of your equals in age to the church-yard, and committed their bodies to the duft? What preparation have you made, in confequence of the reprieve allowed you, and the admonitions given you? Hear then, once more, the joyful found: Believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may have life through his name. Fly to his blood, that you may obtain the forgiveness of your fins, and an inheritance among them who are fan&ified. He, and none else, is able to deliver you. Cry to him, that he may breathe upon the dry bones, and they shall live. Though you are hardened in profanity, though you are befoted in fenfu.

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