;.

applauded. Beholding their tempérance, humility, juftice, and external decency of behaviour, the Lord Jefus loveth them. He approves the virtues they exhibit and gives them a place in his affections, which he denies the fons of riot and diffipation. Would to God fuch perfons would confider thefe things, and having begun well, that they would persevere. How pleafing muft it be to the great Head of the church, to fee them fruitful in every good work! What joy muft it give to the court of heaven! What fatisfaction to all ferious minds!

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Secondly-Let me recommend it to perfons in younger life, to imitate the example in the text, fo far as it was approved by Jefus Chrift, and was a ground of his complacence. Like him, avoid those guilty exceffes, to which your time of life is peculiarly expofed, and be fober, chafte and regular in your converfation. there not a dignity in fuch behaviour? Is it not a glory to any period of life? If there is a character truly vile and contemptible, it is that of the mere raké, the ftupid, fenfelefs débauchee! To fee a perfon wafte the morning of life in fenfual exceffes; to fee him diffipate his fortune, and destroy his constitution, in these crim

inal purfuits, can there be a more humiliating fight? How muft the parent blush at the thought of fuch defcendants! How muft fociety tremble at the prospect of fuch members! If either the one or the other are truly wretched, it must be, when they are witneffes of the unrestrained licentioufnefs of the rifing generation! To calm their fears, as well as promote your own glory and felicity, imitate the example of this young man, as far as it is worthy of your imitation. Copy his modeft and winning deportment. Obferve all thofe rules of moral conduct, by which he fquared his life. And let it be your great ambition, as you grow in years, to grow in favour both with God and man. This will afford you the highest pleafure, upon reflection. And this will be a fuitable preparative, for a more intimate acquaintance with Jefus Christ, in a better world.

Finally. Let me exhort all of every age, fex and character, not to reft fatisfied in Lany thing but those chriftian graces, that faith, repentance and evangelical obedience, by which only we can be rendered meet for the inheritance of the faints in light. To juftice, temperance, chastity, and external regularity of manners, let us

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add

add a fincere love to God, and faith in Jefus Chrift. Because we have escaped the groffer pollutions, and have not indulged in any very criminal exceffes, let us not imagine we lack nothing. But let us remember, we are materially deficient, till we are formed to the moral image of our Redeemer, and have become new creatures. Till renewed in the temper of our minds, and fanctified by the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of pure, rational and lafting felicity.

Wherefore, let us ask of him, who giveth to all liberally, that he would communicate to us the fuperiour aid of his Holy Spirit. Let us carefully improve all thofe means of grace, which are adapted to make us perfect in Christ Jefus. Let us not stop at any attainments we have already made, nor imagine we lack nothing while unwilling to take up our crofs, and follow our Divine Mafter. But to our "faith, let us add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity," then fhall we be the happy objects of God's eternal love, and rejoice for ever in the tokens of his favour. Amen.

Sermon III.

DUTY TO PARENTS.

LET

TIMOTHY, v. 4. ́

THEM FIRST LEARN TO SHEW PIETY AT HOME, AND TO REQUITE THEIR PARENTS; FOR THAT IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE BEFORE GOD.

Of all the duties, prescribed by the gofpel, none will admit of lefs difpute than that of children to their earthly parents. Our obligation to love, reverence, and obey thofe, who have been inftrumental in bringing us into existence, is one of our earlieft convictions. Amid all

the corruptions and infatuations of mankind, filial duty has retained its influence. "Honour thy father, and thy mother," is a law, as well with the favage as the fage, with the infidel, as with the chriftian. And we may rely, that no one, who has one fentiment of gratitude, any pretenfion to good manners, in fhort,,

any

any thing amiable in his compofition, will be habitually wanting in filial piety. An undutiful child is a monfter in the moral world; he refifts one of the primitive laws of nature; and though he may poffefs fome fhowy qualities, yet we may be. fure, that he has a bad heart, and that he has forfeited almoft the common civilities. of mankind.

Duty to parents being, therefore, fo in-. difpenfably binding, we cannot wonder at the rank affigned it in the chriftian system of morality. In fo pure and excellent a religion, as that of Jefus, we might expect to find many directions relative to filial obedience. Accordingly, we may observe that parental authority has not been overlooked by the facred writers. They have, in the plaineft language, afferted this authority; and have injoined fubmiffion, on the part of children, as a proper requital for favours received. This is the idea held up in the text. If any widow, fays the apoftle, have children or nephews, let them learn first to fhew piety at bome; and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before God."

The text leads me to confider parents in the light of benefactors, to whom a requital is due:And to confider children

as