that they would fain drown it in oblivion, or escape from it in annihilation. But if eternity to the aged is obviously nigh at hand, and ought, therefore, to be a thing for which they are prepared, and which thus they can contemplate, not only without alarm, but with cheerfulness and delight,—it may at the same time be equally near to the young : for the young have no greater certainty of the continuance of their life here, than have the old; since what age alone, is sure, ere long, to do for the latter, disease or accident may equally, or at any moment, do for the former. But even were this not the fact, as we well know it is;—were all sure to attain old age; eternity would still be the concern of the greatest moment to young as well as to old.

Eternity is, with equal certainty, the final home of the young and of the old; and if it is desirable, not only to provide for a happy eternity, but also for a cheerful and comparatively happy old age, this last is an object which can only be certainly and effectually secured, by providing for it while we are young. Every moment of human life has consequences to eternity; and not only so, but every moment influences the complexion of all that comes after it. He, therefore, that would be happy in old age, should choose the path of order and goodness in his youth and he that would be happy in eternity, should make this the supreme object of his regard all his life long.

Eternity, then, being to every immortal creature the greatest concern of all,—and equally the greatest concern at every period of human life, -and all preaching being designed to assist in promoting man's preparation for eternity; all the discourses delivered by me, being designed to promote the knowledge of true religion and to excite to the practice of it, are equally addressed to the young and to the more advanced.

Occasionally, however, I have been led to address the young more particularly; as I am requested to do again this morning. And I find on examination, that similar is the tenor of the Word of God in this respect. That contains the Revelation of the Lord's Divine Truth, designed to instruct man in regard to God, his Creator, Redeemer, and Regenerator, and his duty towards him and towards his fellow-creatures; whilst, in its spiritual sense, that Revelation treats of the regeneration of man, as well as of the glorification of the Lord, and the various states of the Church, throughout. Thus the Word of God is addressed to mankind in general, and especially to the professing members of the Lord's Church, of every age and station: and though admonitions and statements here and there occur, which relate particularly to the young, and most especially to young men, yet passages of this

description are fewer than, perhaps, some would expect. Young men, and maidens too, and old men likewise, are indeed often mentioned for the sake of what they signify in the spiritual sense; in which young men denote the intelligence of truth, maidens, or young women, the affection of truth, and old men, wisdom; but it is not often that any passages occur which can be regarded as addressed, in any particular manner, to the young, more than to mankind in general. I will briefly advert to them all.

In that part of the Old Testament which is properly the Word of God, by virtue of its containing an internal sense, the only admonitory passages that I have been able to find, which particularly relate to young men, are that in the third chapter of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth;" and that which I have read as a text on the present occasion, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word." In the book of Solomon called Ecclesiastes, which with his Book of Proverbs, contains many apophthegms of sound moral wisdom; at the close of chapter eleven, is a striking address to young men. It begins with cautioning them against the seductions to which youth are particularly exposed, and ends with weighty admonition and exhortation. "Rejoice, O young man (the Preacher ironically exclaims), in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the day of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but (now comes the solemn momento, but) know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee to judgment. Therefore remove sorrow (meaning-what will cause sorrow) from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanity." To which immediately follows in the commencement of the next chapter, the precept alike of Divine Wisdom and of sound human prudence, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." I believe these are all the admonitions and sayings expressly addressed or referring to youth or young men, in the Old Testament; but though they might be indefinitely expounded, nothing could in substance be added to them were whole books devoted to the subject. According to Solomon, man is to remember his Creator in the days of his youth, to guard at this season against the seductions of sensual pleasure, and to remove the root of future sorrow from his heart, by putting away evil. According to the inspired prophet Jeremiah, it is good for a man that he bear the Lord's yoke in his youth; and according to the Divinely taught Psalmist, a young man is to

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cleanse his way or course of life, by regulating it according to the Lord's word or commandments.

In the New Testament also, though the whole is addressed to the young together with those of other ages, but little is addressed to them separately or specifically. In the recorded discourses of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, while the most exquisite tenderness of Divine Love is breathed towards little children, nothing is said particularly of young men, except with respect to him who asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, and who, on being referred to the Commandments, said, "All these have I observed from my youth :" on which it is stated, as the history is recorded in Mark x., that, "then, Jesus, beholding him, loved him." The Lord, indeed, added on the occasion, "One thing thou lackest:" but the love, which it is declared, Jesus felt for the young man, on hearing him say that he had kept the commandments of the decalogue from his youth, abundantly evinces, that thus far, he had done well, and that, as declared in our text, the way in which a young man should walk, who desires salvation, is the path of the divine commandments.

pieces of counsel In his Epistle to

The Epistles also contain a few, and but a few, intended for the especial benefit of young men. Titus, whom he had appointed Bishop of Crete, Paul directs him to exhort young men to be sober-minded. In his first Epistle to Timothy, whom he had left as Bishop at Ephesus, and who was a very young man, the same apostle says, "Let no man despise thy youth;" not meaning that he was to counterbalance his youth by assuming airs of importance, but by displaying the discretion and other virtues of the mature Christian: for he immediately adds, "but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." So also in his second Epistle, he admonishes this juvenile bishop thus: "Flee youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

These, I believe, are all the passages that specifically and distinctly are addressed or relate to young men, in the New Testament; and though the phraseology of those from the Epistles is different, in sense they perfectly coincide with the doctrine on the subject delivered in the Old Testament, and with the summary of the whole presented in our text: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word." With which, in reading the text, I have included the verse which follows; in which the young man who has just asked, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" and who has received for answer, "By taking heed thereto

according to thy Word;" responds with fervour, "With my whole heart have I sought thee;" and, conscious of the weakness of human nature, and of the necessity of seeking strength and support from the Lord, adds the petition, "O let me not wander from thy commandinents."

Thus, after searching the whole Bible through, to see what it specifically directs for the conduct of young men who would desire to be found in the way of salvation, and who have a due sense of the importance of the things of eternity, we see that it directs nothing but what it equally enjoins upon all the human race,-to keep the Lord's Word and commandments, looking to him, in dependance and faith, to be enabled to do so. Doubtless, there are some of the divine precepts which young men are under greater temptation to break than others; and every one should have a special regard to the laws of God, in reference more particularly to the sin which most easily besets him, whether from the peculiar constitution of his hereditary nature, or from his age and other circumstances of life. In youth, it is universally known, that the pleasures of the world and of the animal nature, attract with greater force than at later periods; and that this, especially, is a rock on which myriads of young persons make shipwreck. It is to this, evidently, that Solomon alludes, when he ironically bids the young man to rejoice, or to take his pleasure, to walk in the ways of his heart and in the sight of his eyes; warning him at the same time to remember, that for these things, God will bring him to judgment: and Paul has the same danger in view, when he exhorts Timothy to flee youthful lusts.

But although, what the Word of God enjoins upon youth, is the same as what it requires of all; and though there are some evils which attract with greater violence in youth, and more powerfully incite to a breach of the Divine Commandments than in the other periods of life; yet it is most certain that great advantages and encouragements attend upon those, who, from early life, seriously endeavour to cleanse their way, by taking heed thereto according to the Word of the Lord. This truth is set in a peculiarly clear and attractive light in the doctrines of the New Church. Those doctrines teach, that it is not so difficult to live the life which leads to Heaven as is commonly supposed: and yet they evince, that the life which leads to Heaven is a life of conscientious obedience to the Divine Commandments. But they shew conclusively, that to yield such obedience is not so difficult as it is represented in the common doctrines of the day, which insist, as the cardinal point upon which the whole of those doctrines turn, that man

is totally unable to keep the Divine Commandments. The doctrines of the New Church demonstrate the contrary, by shewing, that all who maintain a fair character in society, even with no other view than the worldly advantages which attend a good reputation, do actually regard, in outward practice, all the ten commandments. If there are any of them which men of respectable character in the world, less particularly attend to, it is only such as, by the manners of modern society, are not considered to involve in the breach of them so great a moral delinquency as the others; such as the command to keep holy the Sabbath day but that man is able to keep the commandment relating to the Sabbath day, as strictly as any of the others, is demonstrated by the example of the Jews, all of whom observe it in the most rigorous manner; though none suppose the Jews to possess higher capabilities for moral and spiritual attainments than the rest of mankind. It is thus demonstrated, that all mankind are able to keep the Divine Commandments, so far as concerns a practical obedience to them, from outward motives only and our doctrines shew, that if a man who desires to walk in the way of salvation does the same, but unites it with the consideration, that the Lord requires him to do so, he then keeps them from an internal motive. Such obedience is accepted by the Lord, and becomes the ground of the inseminating of all Heavenly graces into his heart. He thus truly cleanses his way, or purifies his course of life, when he takes heed thereto according to the Lord's Word. It is thus that he comes to seek the Lord with his whole heart, and the Lord then enables him, more and more completely, not to wander from his commandments. And they who begin to act thus while they are young, possess facilities and advantages, which those who do not turn to a supreme regard for Divine things till a late period of life, cannot enjoy; though repentance is always practicable, and salvation may be attained by man, so long as he continues to live in the world, and thus has not ended his day of probation.

All that I have just stated is so highly important, and the benefits of having its truth fully impressed on the mind are so great, that I will confirm and illustrate it by a short extract from the writings which deliver the authentic doctrines of the New Church, in which the whole is placed in the most satisfactory and encouraging point of view.

That it is not so difficult (those doctrines affirm) to live the life which leads to heaven as is commonly supposed, is evident from this fact, that all that is necessary for a man to do, when any thing is suggested to him which he knows to be insincere and unjust, and he feels