tion? Or do we, through want of humility and condefcenfion, cause our good to be evil spoken of? Profeffors walk worthy of their vocation, when they endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; are meek and lowly, forbear one another in love, and forgive one another. "The wisdom from "above is pure, peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be in"treated, full of mercy and good fruits, without par"tiality and without hypocrify."

Would to God that our young people may realize the prefent truth! To glorify him, and finifh the work HE hath given them to do, is the end for which they were born and fent into the world. This is the earliest leffon they were taught in their tender years. To this great duty they are bound to attend firft of all, and above all things. In the gifts of nature and providence, and in a Chriftian education, they have received much from God. The spirit of gratitude faith, To him be glory.

Have you then made choice of God? Do you seek his glory, by devoting to him every power, enjoyment and business? Are you ambitious of a reputation for early fobriety? And if fo, does confcience teftify that you really are, what you would be thought to be, moft of all concerned that God may be glorified in and by you? If you draw nigh him in acts of worship, do you confider that he will be fanctified in them that come nigh him?--that he is not glorified by the mere form of piety, the heart being far from him; but when you worship in fpirit and truth? Have you confidered, that your labor in the things of this life, all laudable pursuits and induftry, and all enjoyments of life, fhould be holiness to the Lord?-that whether you eat, drink or converse, or wherever or however you are employed, God requireth you to keep his glory in view? He is glorified when every man minds his own business; abiding in that calling wherein God hath called him, whether rich or poor, high or low. God will be glo

rified, not only amidst the business, but also amidst the amusements of life. He will be glorified in all the relations and connections which you form or fustain. He will be glorified in the day of profperity and in the day of adverfity. O that there were fuch an heart in all young perfons! that they might begin life with fuch fober reflections; and refolve, by divine grace, to form themselves upon a plan of life at once fo reasonable, useful, dignified and comfortable.

A life thus referred to the glory of God is actuated by a principle immutable as his perfections-a principle which teaches how to pass through honor and difhonor, affluence and indigence, joy and forrow; and will fupport in all afflictions. Swayed by this principle, with this fupreme end, every benevolent affection is cultivated on a fure bafis, and exerted on all occafions. It operates by univerfal love: It overcomes the world: Under the government of it, men dare to be fingular in a good cause, are not afhamed of the gofpel, nor do they fear what they may fuffer for it, while they make it their care to give no just offence.

The example of the Saviour, beyond all others, unites glory to God and good-will to men. And if he was actuated by the joy set before him, let no one pretend, that his difciples, while actuated by the hope of the heavenly retributions, do not feek the glory of God. May this mind be in us which was alfo in CHRIST JESUS. AMEN.

SERMON VII.

SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT TO EARLY

SEEKING.

PROVERBS viii. 17.

THOSE THAT SEEK ME EARLY SHALL FIND ME.

THE

HE former claufe of the verfe is, "I love them "that love me." To seek God therefore denotes the fame as the love of God; and to find him the fame as to be the objects of his fpecial love. Every thing which interferes with his approbation must be renounced. An ardent, fupreme and steady defire to please him, a diligent ufe of the means he hath ordained, and endeavors to ferve him with all our heart, are included in feeking him. Thus to feek him is to have none in heaven but God; none upon earth that we defire befide him.

The text especially recommends early feeking. In the holy fcriptures we have many commendations and examples of early piety, and exhortations to it.

The leaft reflection will fhew our young people, that they could not be the authors of their own existence; nor are able to preserve it one moment-that the infpiration of the Almighty hath given understanding to man-that in him all live, and have their being-that every good gift is from him. They feel an immortal principle within them. They have the power of deliberating and choofing, of acting or suspending action. Some things, which, at first view, may feem to be for their worldly intereft, are found, upon reflection, to

be injurious to it. Capable of enjoyments fuperior to thofe of the animal life, and which depend not on any thing external, it must be wife, for the fake of thefe, to forego fenfitive enjoyments, and hazard external fufferings.

No enquiry can be fo juft and proper as this: What fhall we render to the infinite Being, who hath formed us to fhew forth his praise? who holdeth our fouls in life? who heapeth his favors upon us, though unworthy of the leaft? and who, above all, hath given his own Son to ranfom us from fin and death; and promised in him greater things than eye hath feen, or ear heard, or have entered into the heart of man? Where is God my Maker, Preferver, Benefactor and Father? the God of all grace? that I may know and fear him, love and trust in him? O that I knew where I might find him. Am I one of the human apoftacy, who have been redeemed with the precious blood of Emmanuel? This mercy demands that my forfeited, ranfomed life be confecrated to my God and RedeemTo the command, Seek ye my face, may my heart anfwer, Thy face, Lord, will I feek.

er.

What I have now in view is to point out the fpecial encouragement of SUCCESS to early religious enquiries and endeavors. This encouragement may be argued, first, from the influence of early habit. Secondly, from the inftructions and declarations of the facred fcriptures. First, from the influence of early habit.

Habits of thoughtfulness or inattention, circumspection or carelessnefs, deliberation or precipitancy, diligence or floth, frugality or profufion, are early formed-Alfo propenfities to truth or falfhood, juftice or injuftice, benevolence or malevolence, purity or impurity, things honorable or infamous, a reverence or contempt of God and providence. We are attached to the ways and manners of our education. Superftition has ftrong hold of minds educated in it. May not an acquaintance with true religion, in early life,

form a like attachment to it? If fo, then they who seek the Lord early fhall find; for he loveth those who worship, as he requireth, in fpirit and truth.

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In religion, as in other concerns, fome feafons are more favorable than others. Who questions but the first opportunity for any useful purpose is the best? Men uniformly proceed upon this fuppofition in things of the prefent life. Those at least do so, who have any claim to be thought wife and prudent. If therefore the young have the means of religion, and a capacity for it, what period can be fo convenient and promifing as theirs? Native depravity will otherwise grow with their growth, and ftrengthen with their ftrength." As was juft obferved, fome habits will be formed-fome principles and manners: Whether they be good or evil is not of small moment. Timothy's early and rare proficiency in divine knowledge, his improvement of inftructions imparted in childhood, and imitation of the faith and piety of parents who guided his tender years, afforded the higheft reafon to believe that he would prove a friend and diftinguished ornament of the Chriftian religion.

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Those who begin life in any occupation, art or science with good advice and confideration, and with proper application to the employment they have chofen, bid fair for fuccefs and eminence in their favorite purfuit. Suppose then that the mind is early ftored with virtuous and Chriftian principles, that it is early turned to the things of God; is there not a well founded hope that its path may fhine more and more. But fuppofe that early culture in fuch principles is neglected; may it not be prefumed that the mind will be poifoned with baneful principles, refembling the foil overgrown with briers and thorns, not to be eradicated without the greateft difficulty, if indeed they can ever be eradicated? The firft ftages of life are beft adapted to the acquifition of any ufeful knowledge, and efpecially of religious knowledge. They have not to encoun