the camp, bearing his reproach, and esteeming nothing dear, compared with thy love; nothing valuable, compared with an interest in Jesus.

Lord, for my Redeemer's sake.

Grant this, O blessed
Amen.

CHAPTER X.

The advantages of early Religion.

SECT. 1. The Reader reminded that earthly treasures are not real wealth, but that early religion leads to lasting treasures. ...s. 2. Early Piety advantageous, because it is comparatively easy....s. 3. Honourable....s. 4. Profitable....s. 5. The subject pursued, in a few poetical extracts, descriptive of the christian's blessedness....s. 6. In a brief Scriptural view of the christian's privileges and blessings....s. 7. Appeal to the young Reader on the worth of these blessings....s. 8. The profitableness of Piety further displayed, by considering more fully the love of Christ to his friends;...and, s. 9. That of the eternal Father to his children....s. 10. Early Piety shown to be advantageous, as by it the evil of an unprofitable life is avoided....s. 11. The christian a profitable character to others and himself....s. 12. Early Piety truly advantageous, because all events are blessings to its possessors....s. 13. Because nothing can come amiss to them....s. 14. Because their blessings shall never be taken away......s. 15. A meditation, ending with prayer.

SECT. 1. AMONG those things which have most influence on the mind of men, are profit and pleasure. While recommending early religion to you, think not that I wish to render you poor or unhappy. Far from it: I rather wish you to be truly rich and truly happy; not merely for the little span in which earthly pleasures or riches are enjoyed; not merely for a period so short as ten thousand thousand ages, but for ever and ever. Where is that treasure to be found that will enrich you for eternity? Not amidst the wealth of this world: Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me; andthe sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the

with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold." Where are they that, but a few years back, possessed pleasures and honours, parks and palaces, crowns and kingdoms All vanish

ed from the world.

——“And now, ye lying vanities of life,

Ye ever tempting, ever cheating train,

What are ye now, and what is your amount!"

While intreating you to pursue more solid good, I would recount to you some of the advantages of religion in youth. Omitting early considerations, we may notice these: early piety is easy, honourable, profitable, and pleasant piety; and piety that God will remember and honour when, of all delights of earthly wisdom, wealth or pleasure, nothing but a name remains. these subjects I propose addressing you in this, and the two following chapters.

On

Sect. 2. Early piety is comparatively easy. The total corruption of man's heart is such, that, at every period of life, there are difficulties in turning to God in reality. At any time it is needful to strive to enter the straight gate: but it is much easier to turn to God in youth, than it is in later life. The heart is not then so hardened, as it is by a longer life of impenitence and sin. The mind is not so averse to instruction, as it is when prejudices have so darkened all its faculties, as almost to exclude the heavenly light. When sin has long reigned triumphantly, when Satan has long led the sinner captive, it is hard to escape from his tyranny, and many have experienced this. The Scriptures confirm the doctrine of the difficulty of conversion late in life, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." In this sense we may apply, with dreadful propriety, the words of Nicodemus, Can a man be born when he is old?' When is it that the tree may be trained according to its owner's wish? While it is young and tender. When is it that disease is most easily checked? Not when it has laid fast hold on the vitals, but when its first

6

1Job xxviii. 13, 17. 2 Jer. xiii. 23.

symptoms appear. When is it that the mistaken travel ler may most easily forsake the wrong, and return to the right path? Not when he has travelled for miles in a wrong direction, but when he enters that way.

Were you rushing down a steep hill, when might you most easily stop? Not when you had nearly reached the bottom, but when you began to descend. So,

""Tis easy work, if you begin

To fear the Lord betimes,

While sinners who grow old in sin,

Are hardened in their crimes."

In another view early religion is comparatively easy. There is reason to believe that God will sooner hear your prayers for mercy, and grant you peace and pardon, if you turn to him immediately, than if you refuse for awhile to listen to his calls. If you delay to turn, God may af terwards delay to manifest his forgiving love; and may lead you through tedious scenes of doubt and pain, anxiety and fear, which, but for these refusals, you would have never known. An eminent christian,* now with God, and who was converted by no means at a late period in life, after feeling disappointment that his mind was not relieved from its oppressive burden so soon as he had hoped, observed, "I have now learned how unreasonable was such an early expectation. I have been taught to wait patiently upon God, who waited so long for

me."

Before your sins are more multiplied, before your heart is hardened, before Satan gains a firmer hold upon you, O turn to God! Make not work for future repentance. Harden not your heart now, lest God, in righteous judgment, should harden it for ever. Employ not your best years in shutting the gate of life against yourself, or in Elling with difficulties the only pathway to heaven. If a person with but one way from a precipice, were to ploy himself, for weeks and months, in stopping up that way, or in making his escape by it tenfold more difficult, how great would be his distraction! If another, with one door opened, to let him escape from a dismal dungeon, were to spend the time in which he should fles

from prison and the gallows, in fastening up that one door with bolts and bars, how great, how dismal would be his folly! But, my young friend, if you do not now turn to Jesus and to God, far greater will be yours! By continuing careless of the Lord, you will fill with difficulties that one way of escaping from hell, which is now comparatively easy; you will shut against yourself the doors of mercy, by which you should flee from destruction; and will make it tenfold more difficult for your own soul to escape the flaming sword of divine Justice, the eternal prison which is never opened, and the fire that never shall be quenched.

The

Sect. 3. Another advantage attending early piety is, that it is that which is most honourable to God and to yourself; and it is that which has the fairest prospect of becoming eminent piety. Religion is honoured, when the young but faithful votaries of the Lord are seen renouncing the world in the prime of their lives. The world seems to imagine that religion is only suited for gloom and age; but they show that it has charms, that win the hearts of the sprightly and the young. world seems to suppose, that what Satan leaves is all that should be devoted to God; but the young followers of the Lamb show, that such are the excellencies of his service, that it calls for their youth, their health, their prime, their all! How have the glories of religion been displayed by those young converts, who, after a short course of humble piety, have bid an early, and yet joyful farewell to all beneath the sun! who have seen no charms in this deluding world sufficient to tempt their wish to stay; but who have calmly departed to eternal rest, before they had passed even sixteen, eighteen, or twenty years below. Will not you, my young friend, make that offering to the Lord which such have made? Will not you tell a deluded world that religion is better than life?

Early piety is honourable, as it is that which is most Jikely to become eminent piety. Faint, at the best, is the likeness of God on his children in this world. The greatest saint is only a penitent and pardoned sinner; but when christian graces are most matured, when faith, and hope, and love, and holiness, appear in their fairest earthly form, then is religion honoured most; then even its enemies, at times, are constrained, as it were to bear

66

testimony to its excellence. Such were the testimonies that the ancient heathens bore to the virtues of the primitive christians. 66 These," said one, "are the men who speak as they think, and do as they speak." "Behold," said another, "how the christians love one another." Even the apostate Julian, their great enemy, recommended their charity and benevolence. Who is it that bear

Ah!

most of these divine fruits? Is it the late convert? no. Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God; they shall STILL bring forth fruit in old age. It is the piety of those who knew religion in earlier life that thus bears fruit in age; and, having borne it long, still bears it then, and becomes eminent on earth, or is glorified in heaven. If, as many believe, there be various degrees of happiness and glory in the eternal world, who have so fair a prospect of reaching the higher as those who begin the soonest? A person setting out on a journey at day-break, may travel further by noon, than he who sets out at noon would do by midnight. So in religion, they who yield their hearts to Christ in youth, may get much forwarder in the way to heaven, by middle life, than they could do by extreme old age, if they were to put off the care of the soul to later years. Thus, every way, early religion has its advantages. If you now come to Christ, and should live to old age, he may make your piety more eminent here, and give a brighter crown hereafter; or if you should die, as many do, in the prime of life, you will have lived long enough to find the way to glory and God.

"Long do they live, nor die too soon,

Who live till life's great work is done."

Whatever may befal you, nothing would come amiss, when either life or death were a blessing; when a longer stay below might more mature the work of God in your soul, and a shorter one would remove you to speedier glory. Think of those whose earlier piety make them blessings to the church of God here, and who are now blessed in the family of God above. Theirs is the truest honour. Their names shine brightly in the records of religion upon earth; and they themselves shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.