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 yourfelves 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, fpeaking lies." ་་ Be perfuaded, therefore, to fly to the blood of Christ, the precious blood of Chrift, "who loved you, and gave “himself for you." He died upon the cross to save you from the hell which you have deserved by your fins; and he graciously invites you, faying, "Suffer the little chil"dren to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of fuch "is the kingdom of God."* Blessed are thofe children, who, like their Saviour, advance in wisdom as in stature, and "in favor 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 fuch as have been brought up under the infpection of pious parents, will greatly aggravate their guilt, if they continue to defpife them. For this reafon fome, I wifh I could not fay many, are old in fin, when they are but young in years. Wherefore, without further delay, betake yourselves 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, established, ufeful, fruitful Chriftians. If you are to continue long 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 something 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 Mark x. 14. 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."* 4. I must now preach the gofpel to thofe 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 because my office obliges me to preach the gospel to every créature. There is but little pleafure 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 gospel, and have been long accustomed 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 fanctified. He, and none else, is able to deliver you. Cry to him, that he may breathe upon the dry bones, and they fhall live. Though you are hardened in profanity, though you are befotted in fenfuality, though earthly-mindedness has overspread you like a leproly, his right-hand and his holy arm will get him the victory. He is able to create you anew unto good works; and, as you are already monuments of his patience and forbearance, to make you to eternity the happy monuments of his fovereign'and almighty grace. Is there now any remaining objection? Is there yet any room for far ther delay? Hath not time fhed its hoary hairs upon your heads, and drawn its furrows upon your brows? Make hafte then, and fly for your lives, left you lie down in forrow, and make your bed in hell. 5. Let me preach the gospel to the Self-righteous. By the self-righteous, I mean those who truft in an outward, lifeless form of duties, in a character formed upon worldly prudence, and a few of the moft common offices of civility between man and man; especially those, if any fuch have perfifted in reading this difcourfe to the close, who defpife the doctrines of the grace of God. Do any of you lean to the fashionable scheme of irreligious, pretended morality; and when you are at liberty, treat the doctrine of free grace, and of Chrift's righteousness and merit, with contempt and scorn. As the full foul loatheth the honeycomb, fo the self-righteous foul fpurns at the riches of divine mercy, and likes not the inceffant repetition of the name of Chrift. Your guilt is of the darkest and deepest dye. Your danger it is impoffible to conceive or exprefs. What views have you in drawing near to a holy God in folemn worship? Or what meeting do you expect with God, when he fitteth upon the throne of his holiness in the day of judgment? Do you ever, though in the flightest manner, make confcience of the duty of felf-examination? May I not have fome hold of you by that quarter? What fatisfaction have you in your own hearts? Dare you tell us now what paffes there? O the power of felf-deceit! You would be covered with confufion, did but the world know the foul pollution that lodges within you: how much lefs fhall you be able to ftand, the ftrict and impartial judgment of the great Searcher of hearts? Do but open the book of God, and what page will not condemn you? This fentence ftands uncancelled against you," Curfed is every one, that continueth not in all "things that are written in the book of the law to do them. "Out of your own mouths will you be judged, ye wick"ed fervants. Thou that makeft thy boaft of the law, "through breaking the law, difhonoreft thou God?" Bring forth your boafted morality, and let it be put to the trial. Will you, or dare you fay, "I have loved the "Lord with all my heart, with all my foul, with all my "mind, and with all my ftrength ?" Will you fay, I have loved his worship, and served him in public, in my family, and in fecret, and I hope he will accept of it? I think I am authorised to answer in his name, "Was it worshipping me to be finging pfalms with your mouths, " and not once remembering their meaning? to be think"ing of an hundred vain things when you were in the "houfe of God? To be praifing without thankfulness, "confefling without forrow, and afking bleffings without "defiring them; and to be more attentive to the faces and "dreffes of others around you, than to the frame of your "own hearts? Was it hearing my word, to be criticifing "the ftile and manner of the fpeaker, and laying hold, "with the utmost eagerness, of every improper motion or "ill-chofen expreffion, as a fund of entertainment for your"felves and your companions over your cups and bowls? "Or do you call your carelefs, hafty, drowsy prayers, with long intermiffions, worfhipping me in fecret?" 66 But perhaps you will rather choose to truft to the duties of the fecond table, and what you owe to your neighbour. Perhaps you will fay, I have been honeft in all my dealings, and never wronged any man: nay, I have been kind and charitable, have dealt my bread to the hungry, and supplied the wants of the afflicted and poor. I answer, in the name of God, "Many have been your defects even " in these duties; but fuppofing it to be fo, you have not "feared me. It might be from pride, from fear of cen"fure, from prudence; but it was not in obedience to "me, for I was not in all your thoughts. Was it your "duty to your neighbour, to make a mock at his fins, to "lead him into intemperance, to defpife him in your "hearts, and ridicule him in your converfation?" In one word, do but examine all your "righteoufneffes," they will "be found as filthy rags before God." not in fuch a "refuge of lies."-The bed is fhorter than "that a man can ftretch himself on it, and the covering ་ narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."* Believe it, there is no falvation in any other than in Christ. * If. xxviii. 20. Truft His atoning blood will reconcile you to God: his grace and love will captivate your fouls: his holy and blessed Spirit will write his laws in your hearts. Believe in him, and you will be more holy than ever, and yet ftand aftonifhed at your profane and blind pride and vanity. He will create in you a clean heart, and you will then blufh at the thoughts of your remaining pollution. You will apply yourselves to his fervice with zeal and diligence, and yet ftill fay you are unprofitable fervants. One view of the crofs of Chrift will make fin more odious than a thousand fine defcriptions of the beauty of virtue, which commonly ferve only to nourish and fortify the pride of If ever you desire to see the face of God in mercy, or to dwell in his prefence, believe in Chrift, for there is no other way to the Father. man. 6. In the last place, fuffer me to preach the gospel to the Chief of finners. It is the glory of our Redeemer, that he faves" to the uttermoft all that come to God by him." The dignity of his perfon, the greatnefs of his fufferings, and the infinite value of his atonement founded on both, makes him "mighty to fave." Let fuch finners attend to this, who are without excufe, whofe hearts have been a fink of the greatest impurity, whose lives are ftained with the fouleft and groffeft crimes, whofe fins have been numerous and heinous, and fcandalous; who have no plea to offer, but are sensible that they have juftly merited the wrath of God in its utmost rigor. Let fuch attend to this, as are trembling at the thoughts of a righteous judgment, and faying, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of "the living God.-Men and brethren, what fhall we "do?" Behold, I bring you good tidings of mercy unmerited, pardon unfolicited, a full and free remiffion of all your fins. "I have blotted out thine iniquities as a "cloud, and as a thick cloud thy fins: return unto me, "for I have redeemed thee." Receive this teflimony, and "fet to your feal that God is true." Think not to do injury to the grace of God, by weaving a felf-righteous cobweb, and refufing to believe, till you have laid down fome rules of a new life, and effected fome partial reformation, as if you would firft fave yourselves, |