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Here is the beginning of all our future mifery. Children are indulged; they are fuffered to have their own wills, to make their own choices, which are always foolish. This helps to itrengthen their corruption, which will make their hearts to ache before ever they can mafter it. Whereas, if they were brought up in the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom; if they were made fenfible betimes, what they were fent into the world for, what they ought mot to fear, and what to hope for, above all earthly blefirs; if they were taught the way of God's commandments, and difcreetly corrected when they should forget their duty; this would preferve their minds from the corruptions of an evil world.Whereas thofe that are accustomed to evil, and have the feeds of wickedness cherished in their hearts, will meet with the greatest difficulties in overcoming their evil habits.

Now, this being very often the cafe, there is no way left, but,

2dly. To fice to God for help, and beg his moft gracious affiftance to break thefe double bonds; to put his fear into our hearts; to awaken in us a lively fenfe of our eternal ruin; to draw us by the cords of love, that our faith, and fear, and love, may make us choose the way of God's commandments, and keep us ftedfaft in them, till, by perfeverance in well-doing, we have made our calling and election fure.

Let

Let us confider, that we are now no longer children; that it is now our duty to live like men, who know or ought to know the danger of living in a stupid neglect of eternity.

If children are led by ill examples to think of nothing but their prefent fatisfaction, it is because they are no better taught, and know no better; but this will not excufe them when they come to be men. It will not then be enough to fay, I do as the reft of the world does. This will not fatisfy an awakened confcience, which will tell us, that God has exprefsly commanded us not to be conformed to this prefent evil world.

To conclude:-All Chriftians agree in this, that fome time in our lives we must resolve in good earnest to put away childish things, and to live like men who have their fenfes about them. Among these, very many put off their converfion fo long, till death overtakes them unawares. Some contract fuch evil habits, as make them plainly defpair of ever overcoming them. Others live in a way of repenting and finning all the days of their life.

To prevent all thefe mifchiefs as much as may be, the Church has appointed a time when all people fhall be called upon to confider, to refolve, and to promise, to live as becomes men, as becomes Chriftians, as becomes those that hope for falvation. The time the church has appointed is, when children are come to years of difcretion. And

this

this fhe has done for a very good reafon; namely, that people may, with their own choice and confent, dedicate themselves to God, before fin and hell have got the dominion over them, before evil habits are become a fecond nature.

And a fad account are thofe parents like to make, who neglect fuch a time of preparing their children to receive the grace of God, then offered them after fo feasonable and folemn a manner. They do not confider, that the wifeft of men, without the grace of God, are too weak for fo great a work as all Christians are to go through.

What then do they think will become of their children, whom they abandon to the malice of the devil, who, like a roaring lion, walketh about feeking whom he may (be permited to) devour, finding them out of God's ways and protection?

Let all others put their trust in God, whose grace is fufficient to enable us to do whatever he expects from us. This he has fhewn in the converfion of others, whom he has effectually called from an evil life to a life of true religion, in fpite of all their enemies, and the great corruption of their nature.

God grant that we may never refift his grace, nor grieve his Holy Spirit, by which we are fanctified. To whom, &c.

SERMON

SERMON LXXXIII.

PREACHED AT A CONFIRMATION.

THE KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY FOR EVERY ONE WHO TAKES UPON HIMSELF THE PROFESSION OF A CHRISTIAN, POINTED OUT

AND ILLUSTRATED.

LUKE xiv. 28, 29, 30.

FOR WHICH OF YOU INTENDING TO BUILD A TOWER, SITTETH NOT DOWN FIRST, AND COUNTETH THE COST' WHETHER HE HAVE SUFFICIENT TO FINISH IT? LEST HAPLY AFTER HE HATH LAID THE FOUNDATION, AND IS NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT, ALL THAT BEHOLD IT BEGIN TO MOCK HIM, SAYING, THIS MAN BEGAN TO BUILD, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH.

Ο

UR Bleffed Saviour well forefaw, that when the gospel came to be preached to the world, when men were told that their becoming members of the Church of Chrift gave them a title to the protection and love of God, a right to heaven and eternal happiness, many would defire to become Chriftians.

Now, that they might not be deceived in their hopes; that they might not undertake a profeffion in hopes of being great gainers by it, and afterwards forfake it because of the difficulties they might probably meet with;

he

he makes ufe of this parable, to make men fenfible how wifely they go about their worldly concerns:-That they may not be difcouraged or difappointed, they fit down, and confider with themfelves, they confult with others wiser than themselves, they think what difficulties they fhall meet with, what it will coft them to compass their ends. From whence he would have us make this conclufion; That for the very fame reason, when people defire to become Chriftians in hopes of falvation, they ought in the first place to know what will be expected from them, and whether they will refolve to do what is expected from them.

If a man has a houfe to build, before he lays one stone, he confiders what the charge may be, whether he is able, and whether he is refolved, to lay out fo much upon it. And he that would be a difciple of Chrift, if he does not refolve before-hand to do what Chrift expects from his faithful fervants, will not only become a fcandal to his profeffion, but will certainly come fhort of what he hopes for by being a Chriftian.

Therefore, to carry on the defign of this parable:-As a man, who is about to undertake any work of moment, would be glad to be informed what difficulties he is likely to meet with, what will be neceffary to bring his work to perfection, how much he will be a lofer if he mifcarries; it is as neceffary that

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