SERMON VII.

THE YOUNG WARNED AND REPROVED.

ECCLESIASTES 11: 9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the way of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

For a man to walk in the imagination of his heart, is the same, in Scriptural style, as to discard all moral restraints, and to surrender himself to the guidance of his passions. Jeremiah, complaining of the false prophets, represents them as saying, "to every one that walks after the imagination of his own heart, no evil shall come upon you." The moral character of the persons here described cannot be mistaken. Moses says: Lest there be among you, man, woman, family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away from the Lord our God; and it come to pass, that while he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, and say, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare him; but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book, shall lie upon him.

Such being the character, and such the divine estimation of those, who walk in the imagination of their hearts, when an inspired writer, in giving advice to a young man, tells him to "walk in the way of his heart and in the sight of his eyes," we may safely conclude, that he speaks figuratively, and not with design, that the literal import of his words should be followed.

It hence appears that the author of our text, in order that the truth, which he delivered, might come with more poignancy, spoke ironically, as did Micaiah, when he told Ahab to go up against Ramoth Gilead and prevail; as if he had said, "seeing you are determined to engage in this fatal expedition; go, and prepare to meet the result."

Could the former part of the text be separated from the subsequent words; did it contain merely an exhortation to a life of gay festivity and sensual indulgence, unrestrained and undisturbed by the thoughts of religion; did it say nothing of being, for all these things, brought into judgment; I appeal to some present, whether they would not consider it, as the most acceptable text in the whole volume. Should you not exceedingly rejoice, at finding that the moral law was repealed; or, at having a proclamation from heaven, that henceforth your passions and desires should meet no restraints?

For such persons the following discourse is peculiarly, though not exclusively, designed; and, with the hope of exciting your attention, I would suggest to them the extent of the figure, employed in the text.

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Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee, in the days of thy youth." Exult in the vigor of your limbs, and your bodily strength and agility. Believe, that the firmness of your constitution is such, as to resist disorders, and defy dangers. Determine, that the season of youth shall not pass, without yielding you a full harvest of pleasure. Adopt, from an ancient sensualist, the following language: Come on, let us enjoy the good things, which are present, and let us speedily use the creatures in our youth. Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments; and let no flower of the spring pass by us. Let us crown ourselves with rose buds, before they are withered. Let none of us go without his part in voluptuousness; for this is our portion, and our lot is this.

"Walk in the way of your heart and in the sight of yonr eyes." Speak of religion contemptuously, as an employment appropriate to those, whose intellects, either nature or long life

has rendered imbecile. Consider and treat the pious, as absurdly sacrificing to a hope, they will never realize; foregoing their pleasure and worldly advantages from a foolish regard to conscience and another life. Represent your own conduct, as the result of superior discernment, independence, and manly courage. If Christians have faults or singularities, delight to expose them, and place them in such a light, as will attach most ridicule to the religion which they profess. If they are allured into sin, let your triumph evince, how much you have been secretly alarmed by their previous piety.

If constrained to pay an external regard to the Sabbath, and to attend on its public institutions, harden yourselves against all serious impressions, and bid defiance to every truth and every representation, there brought to your mind. Emulate the stupidity of the ancient Jews, "whose hearts had waxen gross, whose eyes were closed, and whose ears were dull of hearing; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed?"

Strive to diminish the terrors of religion, by desecrating the language, in which these terrors are conveyed. Associate the name and attributes of God with words or ideas, which excite contempt or levity. Set your mouth against the heavens, and call God to witness your assertions, whether trifling or false. Indulge in all licentiousness in defiance of him, who has said, that no impure person shall inherit the kingdom of God. Assemble for nightly revelling, for intemperance, and dissipation; and as you dread nothing so much as to exist beyond the grave, and desire nothing so much as to be annihilated at death, stupify your intellectual powers, and approximate as far as possible, to the condition and character of that part of creation, which at death mingles with the elements, and loses all susceptibility of pleasure or pain. Choose such, for your companions, who will applaud your spirit, and by whose encouragement and example your hatred of virtue will become the more inveterate.

We now come to the unwelcome part of our text: Know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. VOL. II.

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In these words, I request you to notice two things:

1. The certainty of that which is here taught: Know thou, that there will be a judgment.

2. That all youthful sins will be matter of investigation. For all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

The former of these I will briefly prove from analogy, from reason, and from Scripture.

1. Analogy teaches, that human actions will be brought into judgment.

That the resurrection is past already, is indeed branded by an inspired apostle, as pernicious falsehood; but there is no error in asserting, that the judgment is already begun. Even in the present state, there is much of a retribution. No inconsiderable difference between the righteous and the wicked results at present from the hopes of the one, and the fears of the other. The most thoughtless person has suffered much from the disapprobation of his own mind, and from the apprehension of future punishment. Knowing as you do, that reason requires a circumspect and virtuous life, you often feel the pain and reproach of self-condemnation. Your breasts are the seat of unremitting hostility between your intellects and your passions. You are occasionally constrained to pass judgment on yourselves. And notwithstanding your efforts to be fortified against it, you are not unfrequently invaded by the fear of something yet to come. You already experience, therefore, the beginning of a retribution; some foretaste of that shame and self-reproach, to partake in which the Scriptures inform you, that the wicked shall be roused from the slumbers of the grave. How can you doubt, that there is an immortal worm, when its corrodings, even in the present life, have been occasionally felt?

2. That there will be a judgment, may be shown, with a high degree of probability, from the light of nature. Your own existence and that of the universe proves, that there is a God. What his moral attributes are, is not a question, on which you can entertain any serious doubts. If he approves virtue, and hates vice, do you imagine, that he wants the means of express

ing his approbation of the one, and his abhorrence of the other? Will he treat, in the same manner, those who honor and observe his laws, and those by whom they are contemned and violated? No; if the author of the universe be pure, upright, and benevolent, no uncertainty can remain as to a retribution. On this ground, even without revelation, we might use the confident language of Solomon: Though the sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged; yet surely I know, that it shall be well with them that fear God; but it shall not be well with the wicked, because he feareth not God.

3. That there will be a judgment, is made perfectly certain by the sacred writings. Even Balaam had such clear views of a divine moral government, and of a future state, as led him to exclaim: Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his. The prophets were directed to say to the righteous man, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Many of them, saith Daniel, who sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake; some to everlasting life; some to shame and everlasting contempt. In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, our Saviour has, with some minuteness, and in language uncommonly impressive, portrayed the last judgment. Paul preached not only of righteousness and temperance, but of a judgment to come; and asserts in one of his letters, that we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Indeed this subject was so frequently introduced by the apostles, and their remarks upon it constituted so considerable a part of their preaching, that an expectation of its speedy arrival became current among their disciples.

To enumerate more passages on a subject so common, and so little questioned, can scarcely be necessary. If analogy, if reason, and Scripture, be entitled to regard, there is a season ordained, when human characters will be investigated, and when discrimination will be made between those, who serve God, and those who serve him not.