thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old." For my own part, I have reason to thank God that my dear mother kept me with a tight and rigid hand; for I lost my honoured father when I was only fourteen. If this had not been the case, perhaps I might have come to some untimely end. I remember once saying to her, (for which I am sincerely grieved) I would have this and the other thing, like other boys; but she sternly replied, she would not allow it as long as I was under her roof, regardless of consequences. - She would never suffer me to do evil, that good might come. I thought her very hard and cruel at the time, but I have had reason to bless God for it since.

I remember a very disobedient son who ran away from his parents, and enlisted as a soldier. He soon began to show his insolence, but the officer severely reproved him, saying, “Sir, remember you are not with your poor father and mother now, whose hearts you have broke; you are under the imperative command of your masters; and if you refuse prompt obedience, you shall be exemplarily punished." "O," said he, "all this I could have borne, had not the officer alluded to my dear parents whom my wicked disobedient conduct had distressed and ruined!" If you reject the advice of your parents, you will be exposed to the artifice of every villain, and to the deceptions of all kinds of hypocrites.

I think I ought to admonish you to take heed how you form matrimonial connexions. In this state there is no medium; persons are either very happy or very miserable. I know that I am treading on delicate ground; and the fewer words we can express ourselves in upon this topic, as well as some others, the better. I desire to be understood as speaking generally; and I will state my opinion in two distinct propositions:-1. Parents ought not to force their children to marry against their natural inclination or will. 2. Children ought not to marry against the just and reasonable objections of their parents. When unions are formed in direct violation of these principles, whatever may be the secular advantages of either party, discord and animosity will unquestionably be the consequence. It is likewise an imperative duty enjoined upon all those who fear God, not to yoke themselves with unbelievers. See 2 Cor. vi. 14-18.

Secondly. Sabbath-breaking.-This heinous offence against the positive laws of God, that is so alarmingly

upon the increase in the present day, is the high road to every abomination. How many of our fellow-creatures, instead of attending a place of worship, and making the Lord's day a rest for both soul and body, awfully profane it in idle visits, indulging in sinful pleasures, and forming new connexions! Catholicism, and the dissipated manners of the French people, particularly in the higher walks of life, or what are called polite circles, are polluting the waters at the fountain, causing the streams of the sanc tuary to minister to their evil propensities. To speak out plainly, innumerable multitudes of nominal christians, if we are to judge of their conduct, which, I still maintain, is the best method of ascertaining men's real character, attend the house of God in the morning, that their consciences may be easy in violating the sabbath the remaining part of the day. They think it hard, beyond endurance, if they serve God in their way in the former part of the day, if they cannot obtain a licence to serve the devil and their lusts in the afternoon and evening. If this is not practical antinomianism, where shall we find it? If professed protestants proceed with the same speed in approaching infidelity as they have lately done, in these days of liberality, which is only another name for irreligion, they will be, ere long, perfectly modelled in their religious principles after the fashion of the inhabitants of France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. And I should not be surprised (for I have lived long enough not to wonder at any thing,) if, in a few years, the infamous book of sports be again read in England by legal authority, and public places of amusement opened after divine service, for the practice of licentious diversions, patronized by the bewitching and contaminating influence of the great; so that those persons who worship the god of this world, feeling the sabbath an intolerable burden, may be comfortably relieved; and also others who have just as much natural religion as will conduct them peaceably, but safely, into the pit of endless perdition. The following portion of scripture gives an accurate descriptions of their characters and employment, though not portrayed, as some would think, in very elegant language:- -"Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope," &c. See Isa. v. 18-26.

Thirdly. Guard against the sin of lying and profane swearing. With regard to the vulgar habit of swearing

and taking God's holy name in vain, no one who has the fear of God before his eyes, can hear it without inexpressible pain. The Rev. John Howe possessed a remarkable talent for putting to silence profane swearers.

A nobleman in his presence once fell into a dreadful passion, occasioned by something that displeased him, and called upon God, in a very awful manner, to damn his soul! This excellent minister, taking off his hat with great solemnity, said, “My lord, I pray that God would save your soul." This produced such an impression upon his mind, that he was never heard to swear afterwards.

The sin of lying is also a heinous offence. The father of lies, through his subtlety, ruined our first parents in paradise. You may have a degree of security against thieves, by locks and other fastenings, but nothing can restrain a lying tongue. St. James emphatically styles it," a world of iniquity;" an unruly evil that no man can tame. If you are ever detected in this dreadful vice, you will lose the confidence of your employers and companions; and think not to escape exposure, for it will be sure to betray you at last, for you will tell one falsehood to cover another, till at last it ends in your complete destruction. "Be sure your sin will find you out;" and finally, the word of God declares, that all "liars shall have their portion in the lake of brimstone and fire," Rev. xxi. 8.

Fourthly. Bad company.-Dr. Monsey used to call “human nature a rogue and villain." If it were not so, where is the necessity of bolts and bars, and such severe laws to keep it within bounds? "For the law was not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient." I would caution you against different kinds of bad company; and that you may not be deceived, you may know them by these marks. Those who advise you, either directly or indirectly, to disobey your parentsforsake the house of God-break the sabbath-live above your circumstances—are your enemies, however pleasing in appearance, and smooth or polite in language. Take the advice of a faithful friend; you may rest assured they only seek your ruin. How many have rode in carriages, by devouring widows' houses, and cheating their creditors! and rather than they would forsake a life of idleness and splendid misery, have committed forgery, and died ignominiously. Had a faithful friend met such a one a few weeks before, who was acquainted with his manner

of life, and told him, Unless you forsake your evil ways, you will be certainly hung at Newgate, like a common felon, he would either have derided him as a fool or a madman, or had believed him. Surely his knees would have smote together, as Belshazzar's did, at the handwriting on the wall. Far better would it have been for such characters had they carried a porter's knot, yea, and his heavy burden too, than by their depraved and wicked habits, ruin their wives and children, and bring swift destruction upon themselves. I therefore earnestly beseech you to look upon the person who would counsel you to live in a style you know in your conscience you cannot support by honest means, with the same indignation you would upon an assassin, who insidiously approaches to give you a mortal wound.

Beware of infidels of every description, whether open or concealed deists; they are to be known by their speaking reproachfully or scoffingly of the word of God, and extolling human reason above the holy scriptures, "which alone are able to make men wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus." To reason with a person upon the solemn subject of religion, who denies the authenticity of the Bible, will be found as ineffectual as holding a candle to the eyes of the blind. If persons will not believe from the testimony of the holy oracles the doctrine of a future state of misery and happiness, was Gabriel himself sent from the throne of God, and to stand in the open air, having a drawn sword in his right hand, and to swear by Him that liveth for ever and ever, "That the righteous shall enter into life eternal, but the wicked shall be turned into hell;" infidels would not believe him. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." Luke xvi. 31.

I have hitherto, my young friends, been speaking to you in the character of a moralist; I shall now address you as a minister of the gospel. And though I know there are only two sorts of characters present, the righteous and the wicked, that I may speak pointedly to your case, I will consider you under three distinct classes. 1. The openly wicked and profane. And I doubt not there are many of this class have heard and will read this sermon, who are greedily following the desires and devices of their own depraved hearts, putting far from them the evil day. "God is not in all their thoughts;"

To you

except to despise and blaspheme his holy name. the ironical words of the inspired preacher are sweet, and contain the doctrine you delight to practise-" Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes." But, oh, my young friends, be not deceived, hear the conclusion of the whole matter, for in the end they sting with the adder, and bite like a serpent: "But know thoU, THAT FOR ALL THESE THINGS GOD WILL BRING THEE INTO JUDGMENT." You are drinking the poisonous draughts of iniquity, and are intoxicated with the delusive pleasures of sin, and vainly think you can repent at any time, and that a few moments at the end of life are quite sufficient to prepare you to meet the Judge of all the earth. Oh, thoughtless mortals! how can you tell but God may say to you this very day or night, as he did to the impious wretch who adopted a similar mode of reasoning, “Thou fool, this day thy soul shall be required of thee !"

Some ungodly persons who read this sermon, may very probably endeavour to abuse the rich and free grace of God I have in some humble degree set forth, and continue in sin that grace may abound, saying, as you have proved that the converted thief was a hardened criminal when first need to the cross, and yet he obtained mercy, why may not we if we cry to the Lord for mercy as he did?' I reply, To depend upon such a woeful uncertainty, evinces a state of mind awfully infatuated, and hearts hardened in sin beyond conception. I neither can nor will attempt to describe the deplorable condition of such characters who can take encouragement to continue in sin because God is good!! An observation which that excellent servant of the Lord, Mr. Whitefield, often made, is worthy to be written in letters of gold"Christ saved one of the thieves on the cross that none might despair; and but one, that none might presume." If there are any of my readers crying out under a conviction of their lost state as ruined sinners, "What shall I do to be saved?" I answer, however numerous and aggravating your sins are, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. For the Son of man came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost, and hath faithfully promised, Him that cometh I will in no wise cast out.

2. Are you self-righteous persons, and think to go