SERM. LXXXIV. Hosea 4. 11. YOUTHFUL LUSTs are very naturally and too often the fruits of intemperance. "Whoredom and wine" (saith the Spirit) "take away the heart;" that is, all fear of God, all care for the soul, all concern for what must come hereafter. In short, the sins of impurity and uncleanness will in time root out all good principles, make men forget their most solemn resolutions, and grieve that Holy Spirit by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption. And yet these are crimes too often laughed at, made a jest of, and committed, without fear of the judgment and vengeance of God, with which He has threatened such sinners, to make them have their portion with devils, and everlasting fire. What pains, therefore, ought parents to take to save their children from falling into these sins, and the punishment which certainly attends them? How often should they repeat to them the lesson which saved Joseph from being [Gen. 39. ruined by this sin: "How can I do this great wickedness, 9.] and sin against God?" How often should they put them in Prov. 7. 27. mind of the truth set down by the wisest of men: "The house of the whore is the way to hell." How careful should they be to warn them against keeping immodest, unchaste, and loose company; against hearing filthy talk, lewd songs, wanton discourses, which corrupt the heart before people areaware of the mischief! How often should young maids be told, that when they lose their modesty, they lose a great grace of God, and a great guard and security against all manner of wickedness! How often should young men be put in mind of this great truth, that to corrupt and debauch others is to make themselves liable to a double damnation ! In one word; parents who have any love or regard either for themselves, or their children's welfare, reputation, or happiness in this world, or the world to come, will be very careful to watch over their children's conduct with regard to the sins of impurity and uncleanness, which will as surely shut them out of heaven, as that God is there. We shall only mention one other evil, which children are prone to continually; and this is, TO IDLENESS, which will be attended with infinite mischiefs, if not prevented by good instruction, and wholesome discipline. There is a state of life to which every man is called; and he that fancies that he has nothing to do, no work to answer for, the devil will find that man work enough. 30.] Children, therefore, should not be suffered to get a slothful habit of squandering away their time in doing nothing, or that which is worse than nothing. "Cast ye the unpro- [Matt. 25. fitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," is a truth, which, if often repeated, would, one would hope, cure the most sluggish waster of his time and talents. Thus far we have considered the duty of parents to teach their children. And parents who neglect this duty will be most inexcusable, because there is not one of these duties but what the most unlearned parent is capable of performing. But the truth is, too many parents are little concerned whether their children are like to go to heaven or hell. They neither teach them, by their advice or example, how to attain the one or escape the other: and if the tender love of God for the salvation of His poor creatures had not made other provision for their safety, they must inevitably have perished. Now, the provisions which God has made for the salvation of men are the ordinances of the Gospel, which are the ordinary means of grace and salvation. By baptism, we are admitted into the congregation of Christ's flock; and by that ordinance we had the Holy Spirit communicated to us, for a principle of a new and spiritual life. At confirmation, you are called upon to consider this more seriously; to consider the sad consequence of grieving that Holy Spirit, of falling into an idle, careless, and wicked course of life. This is what I will, in few words, set before you,—before you who have been instructed, and know why you come to be confirmed. You who have put on solemn resolutions of living as becomes the Gospel of Christ; who, being sensible of the weakness and corruption of your nature, do resolve to pray for the continuance and increase of the gifts of God's Holy Spirit, who alone can keep you in the way of salvation; to you I SERM. now apply, beseeching you, as many as understand me, to consider and remember what I now say to you. LXXXIV. Remember, that while you keep the vows which you are going to renew, you will be under the especial protection and guidance of God and His good angels; you will be secured against the great enemy of our souls, who is continually seeking whom he may devour; that is, such as he finds have by their wicked lives taken themselves from under God's especial protection. On the other hand, if you forget the promises and good purposes you are going to renew before God and this congregation, you will grieve the Spirit of God, and force Him to leave you to your own corrupt nature and choices; and to Satan, who governs all such as are forsaken of God's Spirit. This you may be sure of, from what you may observe happens every day. You see people who have been bred and for some time lived like Christians have become afterwards as careless, and as wicked, as if they believed neither God nor religion, neither heaven nor hell. Let me, therefore, admonish you of those things which force the good Spirit to leave men to themselves. The Rom. 1. 28. Apostle tells us, "that they that will not retain God in their knowledge, God will give them up to a reprobate mind;" that is, to a mind void of judgment. This is the first step to ruin. God puts into people's hearts good thoughts, good purposes, good resolutions. These they forget, nor will they mind the checks of conscience, which is God's voice speaking to them, till at last He leaves them to take their own ways. To conclude: do not depend upon this ordinance as a charm, or hope for any benefit by it, without observing the conditions of God's promises and blessing: "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." It was the Apostle's own declaration, "Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." So be you assured of it, that neither Christian baptism, nor confirmation, nor any other ordinance of the Gospel, will profit any person without an holy life. May the good Spirit of God keep this ever in your hearts and minds! May God give you the Spirit of wisdom, to choose what is good; the spirit of understanding, to know your duty; the spirit of counsel, in all your doubts; the spirit of godly strength, to resist temptations to sin; the spirit of holiness, to be conformed to the will of God; the spirit of piety, in all your actions: and fill them, O God, with the Spirit of Thy holy fear, now and evermore, for Jesus Christ His sake. To Whom, with Thee, and that Holy Spirit, be all honour, glory, and power, now and for ever. Amen. SERMON LXXXV. PREACHED AT A CONFIRMATION. THE FOLLY AND DANGER OF EXPECTING THE BLESSINGS OF EPHES. iv. 17. See Rom. 1. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth 18; 2 Tim. 3. 5; 1 Pet. 4. 3. Luke 12. 48. walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; [that is, following their own wicked inclinations.] THERE cannot be too much pains taken to forewarn Christians against satisfying themselves with the bare performance of the outward duties of religion. It is probable, that there are more people lost, who thought themselves safe, than of such who, knowing that they had no religion, had therefore no hopes of salvation. A man who goes constantly to Church (for instance) will be apt to think himself in a better condition than one who does so seldom or never. I should be loth to encourage a man to think so of himself, till I see whether his going to Church makes him a better man than the other who stays at home. If it does not, pray what will his going to Church profit him? You will say he is in the way of knowing his duty. Be it so. But to know one's duty, and not to do it, is to be in a worse condition than if one had never had the means of knowing it. For "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required." Now, that this is really the case of the generality of Christians, any body will be satisfied, who does but seriously observe what passes in the world. For example: consider how very careful people are to have their children dedicated to God in baptism, and what a great misfortune they would |