let us be perfuaded to cleanfe our ways by hearkening to his commandments. Let us make hafte and delay not; but do with our might what our hands find to do. Above all, let us not defer, to a dying moment, the vaft concerns of eter nity. We have before confidered the improbability of being brought home in advanced age, of being born when we are old; let us, therefore, feek him early, if haply we may find him! The morning of our days is a feafon peculiarly favourable; he loves them, that evidence fo feafonable a love for him ; and to them an entrance fhall be adminiftered most abundantly into the joys of their Lord.

Finally, my brethren, let not the glare of fenfual enjoyments, the world itself, the flesh, nor the devil, engrofs that care, attention and affection which fhould be ultimately placed on your Creator. Make yourselves early acquainted with his divine character; improve with diligence the means of grace; and whatsoever things are true, juft, pure, lovely, and of good report, if there be any virtue, if there bet any praife, think on thofe things.

Sezmon IX.

OBLIGATIONS TO PIETY ARISING FROM

A RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

I CHRONICLES, xxvII. 9.

KNOW THOU THE GOD OF THY FATHER; AND SERVE HIM WITH A PERFECT HEART, AND WITH A WILLING MIND.

IN this language did David ad

drefs his illuftrious fucceffor, when he was on his death-bed, and in hourly expectation of appearing before God, and giving an account of his administration. He had figned his laft will and teftament, and fettled the weightier affairs of his kingdom; but ftill he could not leave the world, without fuggefting fuch counfel as, he imagined, might have a good effect on his fucceffor. At a season fo very folemn, he had reason to think, that his counfel would command unusual attention;

tention; he, therefore, affembled the princes of Ifrael, and all the fuperiour officers of his court, that they might hear. his dying injunction, and be witneffes of the temper with which he left the world. No fooner had they come into his pref ence, than he addreffed them in the words which follow: "Now, therefore, in the audience of our God, keep and feek all the commandments of the Lord, that ye may poffefs this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever." Then turning to him, who was to fucceed to the throne, he adds: "And thou, Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy father; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind for the Lord fearcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off forever."

Better. counsel could not have been given to a young prince; nor could better advice be fuggefted to any, who defcended from virtuous and religious ancestors; and who, juft entering on life, have their character to form. It is highly expedient to remind young perfons of the moral inftructions which they have received,

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received, and of the example which has been fet before them. And it is more than ever expedient at this time, because an inattention to the concerns of religion,. and a contempt of the principles and practices of our predeceffors, feem to have prevailed to an alarming degree. A variety of circumftances has given boldness to impiety; and I know of no period, when the religious interefts of the rifing gener ation demanded a more vigorous fupport, than at this day.

Under thefe impreffions, I have chofen the counsel of David as the fubject of my difcourfe. And my defign is, to urge thofe, who have defcended from parents, eminent for their piety, to "know the God of their fathers; and to ferve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind."

And, in the first place, the relation in which you ftand to perfons of this defcription, is one argument in. favour of early piety. Do not, however, mifunderstand me. I do not mean to infinuate, that you should blindly adopt their principles, or follow their practices; nor was this the idea of David, when he expreffed himself as in the text. He only meant, that from experience he could recommend religion as a fource of the pureft pleasure,

as

as the best guide, as the only effectual fupport in time of adverfity, and an unfailing confolation on the bed of death. And, I

believe, no one ever made the fame choice, without having the fame conviction. Could those, who, in all ages, have made the principles of religion their study, and the duties of it their practice, addrefs us from another world, they would affure us, that in keeping the commandments they had found their reward..

That every generation has a right to read and think for itself, is unqueftionable. The religious fentiments of our fathers are a proper fubject of examination; and as to their example, we may inquire how far it confifted with their profeffion. But when we can raise no reasonable objection, either to the one or the other, we ought to reverence their character so much, as to follow their steps. In confirmation of this remark, we have the expoftulation of God himself with the nation of Ifrael: "Wherefore, I will yet plead with you, faith the Lord, and with your childrens' children will I plead. For pafs over the ifles and fee, confider diligently if there be fuch a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are no gods? But my people have changed

their