fatter himself that this will do always; but hopes with the rich fool in the gofpel, to lay up goods for a few more years on earth, and then he will begin to lay up treasures in heaven, And, in short, thus it is that most people are convinced of the neceffity of being religious fome time or another; but then, like Felix, they put off the acting fuitably to their convictions, 'till, what they imagine, a more convenient feafon : whereas, would we be fo humble as to be guided by the experience and counsel of the wifeft men, we fhould learn that youth is the fitteft season for religion; "Remember now thy creator, (fays Solomon) in the days of thy youth." By the word remember, we are not to understand a bare fpeculative remembrance, or calling to mind, (for that, like a dead faith, will profit us nothing,) but fuch a remembrance as will constrain us to obedience, and oblige us out of gratitude, to perform all that the LORD our GOD fhall require of us. For as the forgetting GOD in fcripture language, implies a total neglect of our duty, in like manner remembring him fignifies a perfect performance of it: fo that, when Solomon fays, "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth," it is the fame as if he had faid, keep God's commandments; or, in other words, be religious in the days of thy youth, thereby implying, that youth is the moft proper season for it.

I fhall in the following difcourfe,

First, Endeavour to make good the wife man's propofition, implied in the words of the text, and to fhew that youth is the fitteft feason for religion.

Secondly, By way of motive, I shall confider the many unspeake able advantages that will arise from, "Remembering our Creator in the days of our youth." And,

Thirdly, I fhall conclude with a word or two of exhortation to the younger part of this audience.

First, I am to make good the wife man's propofition, implied in the words of the text, and to fhew that youth is the fittest season for religion: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." But to proceed more clearly in this argument, it may not be improper, firft, to explain what

I

I mean

I mean by the word religion. By this term, then, I would not be understood to mean a bare outward profeffion or naming the name of CHRIST; for we are told, that many who have even prophefied in his name, and in his name caft out devils, fhall notwithstanding be rejected by him at the last day: nor would I understand by it, barely being admitted into CHRIST'S church by baptifm; for then Simon Magus, Arius, and the herefiarchs of old, might pafs for religious perfons; for these were baptized nor yet the receiving the other feal of the covenant, for then Judas himself might be canonized for a faint; nor indeed do I mean any or all of thefe together, confidered by themselves; but a thorough, real, inward change of nature, wrought in us by the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, conveyed to and nourished in our hearts, by a conftant use of all the means of grace, evidenced by a good life, and bringing forth the fruits of the fpirit.

The attaining this real, inward religion, is a work of fo great difficulty, that Nicodemus, a learned doctor and teacher in Ifrael, thought it altogether impoffible, and therefore ignorantly asked our bleffed LORD," How this thing could be ?" And, truly, to rectify a difordered nature, to mortify our corrupt paffions, to turn darkness to light, to put off the old man, and put on the new, and thereby to have the image of GOD reinftamped upon the foul, dr, in one word, "to be born again," however light fome may make of it, must, after all our endeavours, be owned by man to be impoffible. It is true, indeed, CHRIST's yoke is faid to be an eafy or a gracious yoke, and his burthen light; but then it is to those only to whom grace has been given to bear and draw in it. For, as the wife fon of Sirach obferves, "At first wisdom walked "with her children in crooked ways, and brings them into "fear; and torments them with her difcipline, and does not "turn to comfort and rejoice them, 'till the has tried them "and proved their judgment." No; we must not flatter ourfelves that we fhall walk in wifdom's pleafant ways, unless we first submit to a great many difficulties. The fpiritual birth is attended with its pangs, as well as the natural: for they that have experienced it, (and they only are the proper judges,) can acquaint you, that in all things that are dear to corrupt VOL. V.

natures

nature, we muft deny ourfelves, left, after all, when we come to the birth, we fhould want ftrength to bring forth.

But if these things are fo; if there are difficulties and pangs attending our being born again; if we muft deny ourselves, what feafon more proper than that of youth? When, if ever, our bodies are robuft and vigorous, and our minds active and couragious; and, confequently, we are then beft qualified to endure hardness, as good foldiers of JESUS CHRIST.

We find, in fecular matters, people commonly obferve this method, and fend their children abroad among the toils and fatigues of bufinefs, in their younger years, as well knowing. they are then fittest to undergo them. And why do they not act with the fame confiftency in the grand affair of religion? Becaufe, as our Saviour has told us, "The children. of this world are wìfer in their generation than the children of light."

But, Secondly, If pure and undefiled religion confifts in the renewal of our corrupted natures, then it is not only a work of difficulty, but, the perfection of it, of time.

And if this be the cafe, then it highly concerns every one to fet about it betimes, and to "work their work while it is day, before the night cometh, when no man can work."

Could we, indeed, live to the age of Methuselah, and had but little bufinefs to employ ourselves in, we might then be more excufable, if we made no other ufe of this world, than what too many do, take our paftime therein: but fince our lives are fo very fhort, and we are called to work out our fal vation with fear and trembling, we have no room left for trifling, left we fhould be fnatched away while our lamps are untrimmed, and we are entirely unprepared to meet the Bridegroom.

Did we know a friend or neighbour, who had a long jour ney of the utmost importance to make, and yet fhould stand all the day idle, neglecting to fet out till the fun was about to go down, we could not but pity and condemn his egregious folly. And yet it is to be feared moft men are just fuch fools; they have a long journey to take, nay, a journey to eternity, a journey of infinite importance, and which they are obliged to dispatch before the fun of their natural life be gone

down;

down; and yet they loiter away the time allotted them to per form their journey in, till fickness or death furprizes them; and then they cry out, "What fhall we do to inherit eternal life?" But leaving fuch to the mercies of GOD in CHRIST, who can call at the eleventh hour, I pass on to

The Second general thing propofed, To fhew the advantages that will arife from remembering our Creator in the day s of our youth; which may serve as fo many motives to excite and quicken all perfons immediately to set about it.

And the first benefit refulting from thence is, that it will bring most honour and glory to God. This, I fuppofe, every ferious perfon will grant, ought to be the point in which our actions should centre; for to this end were we born, and to this end were we redeemed by the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, that we should promote God's eternal glory. And as the glory of GoD is moft advanced by paying obedience to his precepts, they that begin fooneft to walk in his ways, act moft to his glory. The common objection against the divine laws in general, and the doctrines of the gospel in particular, is, that they are not practicable; that they are contrary to flesh and blood; and that all thofe precepts concerning felf-denial, renunciation of and deadnefs to the world, are but fo many arbitrary restraints impofed upon human nature: but when we see mere ftriplings not only practifing, but delighting in fuch religious duties, and in the days of their youth, when, if ever, they have a relish for fenfual pleasures, fubduing and defpifing the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes and the pride of life; this, this is pleafing to God; this vindicates his injured honour; this fhews that his fervice is perfect freedom," that his yoke is cafy, and his burden light."

But, Secondly, as an early piety redounds moft to the honour of GOD, fo it will bring moft honour to ourselves: for those that honour GOD, GOD will honour. We find it, therefore, remarked to the praife of Obadiah, that he ferved the LORD from his youth of Samuel, that he stood, when young, before GOD in a linen ephod: of Timothy, that from a child he had known the holy fcriptures: of St. John, that he was the youngest and most beloved difciple: and of our bleffed LORD himself,

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himself, that at twelve years old he went up to the temple, and. fat among the doctors, both hearing and afking them queftions.

Nor, Thirdly, will an early piety afford us lefs comfort than honour, not only because it renders religion habitual to us, but also because it gives us a well-grounded affurance of the fincerity of our profeffion. Was there no other argument against a death-bed repentance, but the unfatisfactoriness and, anxiety of fuch a ftate, that should be fufficient to deter all thinking perfons from deferring the most important bufinefs, of their life to fuch a dreadful period of it. For fuppofing a. man to be fincere in his profeffion of repentance on a deathbed (which, in most cases, is very much to be doubted) yet, he is often afraid left his convictions and remorfe proceed not from a true forrow for fin, but a fervile fear of punishment. But one, who is a young faint, need fear no fuch perplexity; be knows that he loves God for his own fake, and is not driven to him by a dread of impending evil; he does not decline the gratifications of fenfe, because he can no longer "hear the voice of finging men and finging women;" but willingly takes up his crofs, and follows his bleffed Master in his youth, and therefore has reafon to expect greater confidence of his fincerity towards GoD. But farther, as an early piety affures the heart of its fincerity, fo, likewife, it brings its prefent reward with it, as it renders religion and all its duties habitual and eafy. A young faint, was you to ask him, would joyfully tell you the unfpeakable comfort of beginning to be religious betimes: as for his part, he knows not what men mean by talking of mortification, felf-denial, and retirement, as hard and rigorous duties; for he has fo accuftomed himself to them, that, by the grace of God, they are now become even natural, and he takes infinitely more pleafure in practising the fevereft precepts of the gospel, than a luxurious Dives in a bed of state, or an ambitious Haman at a royal banquet. And O how happy muft that youth be, whose duty is become a fecond nature, and to whom thofe things, which feem terrible to others, are grown both easy and delightful!

But the greateft advantage of an early piety is ftill behind, -Fourthly, It lays in the best provifion of comfort and fupport

againft