Permit me then to expoftulate with you on this fubject, as the prophet did with Ifrael. How long will ye halt? How long fhall it be before you confider the fubject maturely, and fettle your minds upon it? You will not fuffer the vain imagination, that hanging in fufpenfe is chufing. Would you then put off the matter from youth to manhood? from health to sickness ? or from profperity to adverfity? There can be no better feafon to choose and fix, than youth, and health, and the day when God preferves you, fets an hedge about you, and profpers your juft purfuits. Religion is not to be undertaken by constraint, and only in the laft extremity; but willingly-on ingenuous and rational grounds-in the view of its excellence and immutability—the fame in all stages, circumstances and fituations as what equally concerns young and old, high and low, rich and poor, fick and well. Felix trembled, as he justly might, when Paul reasoned with him on righteoufnefs, temperance, and a judgment to come. He faid, however, Go thy way for this time. The prefent is the only time which we can command. Set down and confider the terms of religion. Then refolve. For while men are bufy here and there-while they are halting between different opinions, their opportunity may be gone. The voice of religion to the young is, to be about their heavenly Father's businessto do his work while it is day-to do it in imitation of the brightest pattern of early piety which was ever exhibited in human nature. Whether we look to the rifing beams, the meridian fplendor, or evening rays of this light of the world, what divine inftruction may we receive? Juftly might he, who hath given an example of early, ftedfaft and unparalleled felf-denial, require those who come to him, to deny themselves, forfake all, and take up the cross for him.

It is highly worth while, in the morning of life, to enjoy the fmiles of your Creator and Redeemer-to fhun the ftains which are not wiped away but by bitter repentance.

Where

Moreover, all would die in favor with God. is the perfon that will fay, I am willing to die with all my fins uncancelled? Death is ever coming near, whether it does or does not feem near. At this prefent time, when there are with us more funerals fometimes in a week than there are days, fhall it be thought that death is not near? Shall this thought be indulged, when we know, that, in feasons of no other than common mortality, more than half die within the age of minority? Why waver then? why poftpone preparation for an event which will determine your eternity, and may be at the door? which comes to most at an hour of which they are not aware? You can never be wife or fafe, till you have gained an acquaintance with religion, have chofen it unfeignedly and decidedlytill you are at peace with God-have a lot and portion among the friends of Chrift. Religion is the principal thing, the one thing needful. Can you then act a prudent part, while unrefolved what religion to embrace, or whether any-while wavering and balancing between this and that profeffion? No; this cannot be prudent. The fooner you determine, the better-the more comfortable for yourselves, more eftimable in the eye of man, and more acceptable in the fight of God.

It

Religion is the true dignity of man's nature: It affimilates him to his God: It acknowledges his own unworthiness and vilenefs-his infinite obligation for the remiflion of a debt of ten thousand talents. should be chofen with the earliest capacity for it. It expoftulates with you in the morning of life, How long halt ye between two opinions? It gives you no permiffion to be unrefolved a fingle day. It remonftrates with you on the abfurdity and danger of an unrefolved, divided mind. It is not an indifferent, fuperficial or changeable thing: but vaftly important, fubftantial, and, like its author, without variablenefs, or fhadow of turning. There can therefore be no rea

fon or excufe for indecision on this subject at the ear, lieft ftage of life. "How long, ye fimple ones, will "ye love fimplicity? and fcorners delight in fcorning? "and fools hate knowledge? Forfake the foolish, and "live."

Religion interferes not with the business of any ufeful calling, or with what you owe to your natural or civil connections. It directs you to purfue your common employments, and perform your relative duties, with a view to the divine approbation. It recommends, that you reflect beforehand what facrifices it may call you to make. For, in determining your choice of religion, you may not confult with flesh and blood. It may call you to prove your fincerity and affection in a manner not unlike that of the firft fol. lowers of Jefus-even to relinquifh objects most dear in life-to incur the difpleasure of kindred and friends. In all times Chrift and his cause must be dearer than houses or lands, parents or children, or bosom friends, or any separate intereft. The dictates of confcience muft refolutely and perfeveringly be obeyed, having ufed the best means and endeavors for information in religion. Hold faft the well founded perfuafion refulting from candid enquiry. Your private judgment, thus formed, muft have greater weight than the opinions of others. Juft modefty and humility may lead you to question your own opinions, when they may not coincide with those who are much older and wifer, of much longer experience and more extensive acquaintance with religion. But, with reasonable diffidence, your own judgment and confcience muft govern. Indeed, in the most effential and weighty matters of religion, the difference of opinion among good men is inconfiderable. They all agree in the spirit of religion-in love to God and man.

Thofe who have made a deliberate choice of religion, and are fixed in it, efteem all who are like-mindedefteem them for the truth's fake which is in them.-

They "honor all who fear the Lord. Pray for the peace of Jerufalem. For my brethren and compan❝ions fakes, I will now fay, Peace be within thee."Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will " seek thy good."

An emulation to acquire and fupport a decided character for integrity is highly important to young per fons. They naturally wifh to recommend themselves to mankind, as they come forward on the ftage.From the manner of their entering on life, an opinion is formed of their after character and behavior. They are esteemed, confided in and improved, or treated with caution and referve, according to the probity or duplicity and fickleness of their character. There can be no more amiable trait than the former-nor any that gives fuch affurance of ufefulness, according to the ability and opportunity of the poffeffor. The latter may be expected to be full of all fubtilty and mifchief, plotting against the peace and the rights of mankind. Such a character, fo far as known, will be abhorred by the good, and improved by the bad only to anfwer their own purposes. To begin life by deliberating on no other than virtuous and honorable pursuits, open to wife counfel, aware of the arts of feducers, deliberate in fixing on a proper employment, and on the ways and means of purfuing it fo as to fill up a place in the world to the glory of God and benefit of mankind, refolved to hold fast integrity, this is wif dom. On the contrary, to begin life with no deliberate plan of conduct, or no good plan-to begin it with rafhness, conceit, vanity and fickleness, or with craft and impofition, this is folly. Can you not call to mind fome dignified, confiftent and eminently useful character, beginning life, and pursuing the course of it, with cool and correct difcernment of the great end and various duties of it, fteadily keeping in view that end, and performing these duties, without intentionally or allowedly turning afide to the right hand

or left-the fame in all relations, fituations and circumftances? If you have known any fuch character, can you withhold your veneration? Could mankind withhold their veneration? Do you feel no ambition, my young brethren, that fuch may be, according to your measure, your own character? On the other hand, you may have known those who have appeared to have no regular plan of life, no principles, or no juft and fixed principles; ever halting between variant opinions, really indifferent to any-conforming to the fashion of the times-or addreffing popular prejudices and passions—without dignity, without confiftencypractising upon the credulity of others, or open to their wiles. You cannot withhold a thorough contempt of fuch a character. Can you poffibly wifh to be altogether fuch an one? No; you approve of him whofe religious opinions are the refult of reflection, are harmonious and fettled; not of him who hastily forms his opinions, who is conftantly at variance with himfelf-or who, under any ftudied ambiguity of language, conceals his real fentiments-and that on the moft weighty matters, and where the concealment may be followed with the most mifchievous confe

quences.

Let me then recommend, to those who are entering on life, by all means to emulate one uniform, fteady character-a character of unwavering love to religion in principle and practice. Be not as thofe who have no other, no more religion than may be thought to anfwer the ends of this world. You are haftening to another, for which, in the prefent life, fleeting, as it is, you are laying the foundation. Death will decide your eternal ftate. Hold faft the found principles of religion, faith and a good confcience. Hold them faft; for they will lead you to form the beft connections and friendfhip: They will give you peace always. In adverfity your heart will be fixed. In profperity your moderation, gratitude and munifi