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life so naturally leads, and for which even though there " may be harm in them, you have so good an excuse to plead?' These will be satan's insinuations to your mind. Perhaps he already urges you by such thoughts as these to rejoice in your youth, and to walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes. In what manner then can one, who has your best interests at heart, more effectually shew his readiness to serve you, than by exposing the fallacy of these reasonings, and by thus endeavouring to strengthen you against their force ?

Is it secretly suggested to your heart, that you shall not certainly be brought into judgment? Yield not to such a suggestion; no not for a moment. Meet it, as it ought to be inet, with the positive declarations of Scripture. There you are expressly told, that "God will bring you into judgment;"" that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ ;" that "the books will be opened ;" and that we "shall be judg ed out of those things which are written in the books according to our works ;" that God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in, that the hath raised him from the dead."b. These are God's words: the words of him, who is truth. itself, and cannot lie. What have you to oppose to them? What have you to bring against them? Nothing but the suggestions of him, who is a liar, and the father of lies. Will, you believe satan rather than God? Will you

b. 2 Cor. v. 10-Rev. xx. 12.-Acts, xvii. 31.

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give credit to one, who is your enemy, and only seeks to deceive, and ruin you; rather than to him, who is your best, and kindest friend, and only desires to warn and save you? Surely you cannot deliberately prefer light to darkness, truth to falsehood. You must fee! convinced in your conscience, whatever satan may suggest to the contrary, that you will certainly be brought into judgment.

But the other suggestion which I mentioned is more dangerous, because more subtle; and requires therefore to be more fully, and distinctly examined, and opposed. Allowances' (it may be put into your mind) will be made for your youthful sins. God will not judge 'you for irregularities, to which your time of life so naturally feads, and for which you have so good an excuse to plead.'—And where do you learn that God will not judge you for these irregularities? In the text He hath expressly declared, that He will judge you for them. Can you produce a single passage of scripture which supports a contrary doctrine? Look from one end of the Bible to the other, if there be any thing to. justify, to countenance the notion, that God will not take account of sins committed in youth. Why hath He commanded us" to remember our Creator in the days of our youth," if yet He will not punish those who at that season of life forget Him? We are expressly told in the chapter following the text, that "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Take notice of the expressions, "every work,"" every secret thing." No exceptions are made in favour

of youthful sins. No allowance is given to them. Listen not then to a suggestion which the word of God so positively contradicts.-Besides are there not other ways in which the fallacy of this supposition may be clearly exposed? Does not God oftentimes judge youthful sins in this life and thus give earnest that He will judge them in the life to come? Do you ask how He does this? I will shew you two ways in which He does it.

1st. In the course of His providence. What we call the natural course of things is nothing else but that regular succession of events, that certain connection between causes, and effects, which God has originally appointed. Whatever therefore happens in the natural course of things may be considered, as happening by Divine appointment. It is what God under those circumstances has willed should happen. But is there any thing which in the natural course of things more frequently happens, than that youthful sins are more or less punished in after life? What are the natural consequences of early extravagance, and wastefulness, but distress, and poverty? Is a young man idle and dissipated, devoted to frivolous pursuits, and spending his time and talents in pleasure and amusements; how certainly does he suffer for his folly and misconduct, perhaps during all the days of his life? He arrives at no eminence. He obtains no respect. He has laid no foundation for useful, rational, honourable occupations. He has provided no resources for the time, when his trifling enjoyments will please no longer. He has prepared for himself a listless, discretitable, miserable old

age. Is he intemperate, and licentious in the days of his youth? What does this conduct naturally entail, but disease and pain; a debilitated body, and an enfeebled mind? See him an old man, in what ought to have been the prime of his days. In the expressive language of Job, "His bones are full of the sin of his youth:"c and they soon lie down in an untimely grave. Do you want any further proofs of the natural consequence of youthful sins? Go to the criminal, who has forfeited his life to the laws of his country. Hear his dying confessions. To what cause does he ascribe his dreadful end, but to the sins and wickedness of his youth? Take warning (he cries) by my example. 'When young I forgot God, I disobeyed and provoked 'him and now he has righteously visited my offences. 'He left me to go on in the way which I had chosen. 'He has sentenced me to reap the evil which I sowed.' Thus God in the course of his providence frequently shews that he doth not overlook the sins committed in youth. And if he thus judges them in this life, can you presume to hope that he will not bring them into judgment hereafter? But farther, there is another way in which sin is often punished in this life, namely,

2. By the strokes and stings of conscience. Conscience is, as it were, 'God's representative in our soul. He has placed it there to remind us of our duty to him, and to plead his cause within us. We may often silence, stupify, and deaden it; and so may prevent it from discharging its office aright. But when once awakened, it performs a faithful part. It arraigns us

c Job xx. 11.

at the bar of God, sets all our sins before us, loads us with accusations, denounces vengeance on us, and forces us to judge and condemn ourselves. But in thus acting the accuser's part, in bringing our sins to remembrance, and setting them in order before us, does it take no notice of the sins of our youth? As God's faithful minister in the soul, does it tell a man, that these sins are of no consequence, and need not be regarded? Far otherwise. On the contrary, it en

forces on him the solemn declaration in the text, "For all these things God will bring thee into judgment:" for the sins of thy youth, as well as those of thy riper years. In proof of this remark, look at the examples of those persons in Scripture, who are represented as being most under the influence of an awakened conscience, and see in what manner they felt and spoke upon this subject. Hear what Job declares when confessing his guilt unto the Lord; "Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the ini quities of my youth.” Hear what David says, when imploring the Divine Mercy; "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions." Attend especially to the case of the deeply penitent Ephraim, who is represented as bemoaning himself thus: "After that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded," (and now mark the cause of this deep consternation,)" because I did bear the reproach of my youth."d

d Job xiii, 26.-Psalm xxv. 7.-Jer. xxxi. 19.

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