I now proceed to my second point; which is, to show that an habitual mindfulness of the judgment day is calculated to prove, during this dangerous season, a most important aid and a powerful preservative of youthful virtue.

I have selected for my subject this afternoon, the admonition and instruction of one who manifests an affectionate concern for the best interests of youth; and who wrote his book of Proverbs

66

to give to the young man knowledge and discretion." I offer you, then, the advice of a faithful friend; and the faithful and friendly warning which he addresses to those who are rejoicing in their youth, and bent upon walking in the ways of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes, is this-" But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." This is the counteracting consideration which Solomon opposes to the wayward course of youthful folly and dissipation. Suffer me, then, to reason with you of judgment to come.

There are many persons who think and talk very lightly of the sins of young people; and who speak of them, in very soft, and smooth, and gentle terms, as follies and frailties naturally to be expected at the glad and gay season of youth; and therefore to be excused, or at least regarded with some indulgence: and young people themselves are oftentimes led to suppose, that such excuses will be as easily accepted and allowed

before God. But let no man deceive you with vain words. The Scriptures of truth make no such dangerous distinctions. "Sin is the transgression of the law;" and "the wages of sin is death;" by whomsoever it may be committed, and at whatever period of life. Wherever there exists the moral sense, a sense of right and wrong, the capacity of distinguishing between moral good and evil, there is moral responsibility; and in every instance of transgression and disobedience, moral guilt is incurred; and unrepented and unpardoned guilt must inevitably be followed by that "wrath to come," which God has revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Such is the doc

trine of the Bible.

Now God has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness; and when the Lord shall come, He "both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." And that day of judgment is also called "the day of perdition of ungodly men." As surely then, “as it is appointed unto men once to die; so surely, "after this," will be "the judgment." And "God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." From this judgment there will be no appeal;-there can be no escape. The "cursed," or condemned, "shall go away" from the presence of the Judge," into everlasting punishment."

There may be those present who make a mock of future judgment; or who are resolved to put all serious consideration of it away from them. You may do so, my deluded hearers: and you may succeed in banishing all distressing and disturbing apprehensions of this subject from your minds; but remember, your fearlessness or your forgetfulness will not delay the approach of that day, or occasion any change whatever in its character and proceedings. And while I must turn from such stout hearted sinners as are determined to treat this subject with contempt and indifferrence, to those who may be more ready to hear; I must turn from you with this testimony;-Notwithstanding, be ye sure of this, that the day of wrath and righteous recompense will come.

Now this aweful day of final account in the which "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ," is the consideration which the wise man suggests, as calculated to sober the youthful mind, and check its ardour and eagerness in the pursuit of vain and vicious pleasure; and prove a powerful aid and preservative of youthful virtue. And oh! if that truth, "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God," were so firmly fixed and established in the mind,-so fastened upon the memory, so rooted in the very heart,-as to be an ever-present ruling principle; if it were but really and influentially believed; would not these blessed effects follow? Would not the

young man stand in awe and sin not?-Would he not have the fear of God before his eyes, and depart from evil?—Would not the belief and recollection of that strict and solemn scrutiny strike a wholesome and restraining dread into the heart?Would it not be a prevailing check upon those propensities and passions, which so perpetually strive for the mastery; and which so frequently overpower all fear of man, and all regard to human estimation, and to the true interests and happiness of man, both present and future?

The young man who is living for eternity; who realizes the bar of God, and the day of final account;―on whose mind that coming judgment which none can escape, has a practical hold and ascendency;—he possesses an all-powerful principle of self-government and self-control,—an effectual restraint upon the strong and struggling passions of the youthful heart; and is able to keep them as with a bridle.-This principle would not be affected, like inferior motives, by time, or place, or circumstances; because there would be upon the mind the full conviction, that there could be no time, no place, no circumstances, in which sinful inclinations could be safely indulged, or vicious pleasures be followed with impunity. Although, therefore, there are moral dangers and disadvantages peculiar to the season of youth;yet, here is an effectual aid, a powerful preservative of youthful virtue. And oh? had this truth

been the governing principle of the house and of the heart, how many ruined children might have been preserved from perdition; and how many heart-broken parents might have been spared from going down to the grave with sorrow and with shame!

I now proceed, as I proposed, to apply these considerations to the subject of Theatrical Amusements, for the purpose of pointing out their ruinous tendency, and the fearful consequences which may be expected to follow from them.

Every reasonable and reflecting mind will be prepared, I think, for this conclusion;-that whatever has a direct and powerful tendency to remove that check and curb of youthful excesses, and that safeguard of youthful virtue suggested in the text, and to banish from the youthful mind all fear of God, and his judgment-seat;whatever has a direct and powerful tendency to strengthen all the evil propensities of the youthful heart ;—to add greater violence to the already powerful passions of the young man ;-to increase his natural recklessness and impatience of restraint; and to minister both the incentive and the opportunity for the lawless and licentious indulgence of youthful lusts ;—must be most pernicious, and should be shunned like a pestilence by all, and specially by youth. And further, that it ought to be disclaimed, and discountenanced, and condemned, and counteracted by every well

S