over their Abfaloms and Adonijahs; their difobedient and rebellious children. They have no other fatisfaction but this; fome glimmering hope, that perhaps divine grace may turn their hearts hereafter: or, if not, that "their own work is with the Lord, and their reward with their God;" and that in the other world they shall be fo like Chrift in holiness, as to feel no more painful fenfations on account of the wickedness even of their own children; but fhall, with calm approbation, behold their final doom, when Chrift fhall bid them depart. Such diftreffed chriftians claim our tendereft pity, and earneft prayers. Let those whom God hath honoured with pious children, and spared to see them established in the way of holinefs, celebrate his loving-kindnefs in life and death and let them confider all their joy, on this account, as a ftrong obligation upon them to employ their remaining time and strength in endeavouring to promote higher degrees of piety, zeal and usefulness in those that fhall come after them.

Let me infer,

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3. It is the duty of young persons to fulfil their parents' joy.

Let them be folicitous to cherish and manifeft thofe graces and difpofitions which will afford their parents much comfort, efpecially when they are aged and dying. "The father of the righteous," faith Solomon, "fhall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wife child fhall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and fhe that bare thee fhall rejoice."I might urge this upon you, young friends, by many confiderations. You jowe it in gratitude to God, who hath so ordered it, in the courfe of his providence, that you should defcend from a pious stock, and enjoy innumerable advantages which a great part even of the chriftian world want. You owe this in gratitude to your parents, to whom you can never render fufficient thanks, or perform equivalent fervices. Think of all the pains and forrows which your tender and affectionate mothers have endured to bring you into the world, to nurse and rear you. Think of their many fatiguing days, and fleepless nights.

Think of the toils and cares of your parents, through a series of years, to procure your fubfiftence, health and comfort. Think: of the expenfes of your education; the fo licitude with which they have been con tinually following you; the exhortations, counfels and reproofs they have given you;} and all the fighs and tears, the concern and, anxiety, which you may have coft them. And will you be fo unnatural, bafe and cruel,' as to defpife all this; to render them evil for fo much good; unkindness, and i even hatred, for all this love; and "bring! down their gray hairs with forrow to the grave "Surely you will not, cannot, be fo wicked. If you are, you will be abhor-red by all the wife and good ;* and the

great

In what light the heathen confidered ingratitude and ́ difrefpect to parents, may be learned from the following paffage Knoweft thou not, faid Socrates, that the Re-> public concerns not herself with common ingratitude? But if any one be disrespectful to his parents, there is a punishment for fuch ingratitude. The laws reject him as an outlaw, and will not receive him into any public office. Such a one is incapable of performing any great action, or distributing justice. They who contemn their parents will be blamed and abandoned by all the world. If men fee thee to be ungrateful to thy parents, they will not believe that thou wilt be grateful to others. It is particularly examined, concerning candidates for offices, whether they have been refpectful and grateful to their parents." Xenophon. Memor. L. ii, c. ii. § 13, 14.

great God, who hath feen all the concern of your parents for you, "bottied all their tears," and registered all their exhortations and prayers in his book of remembrance, will moft awfully punish you. He may, perhaps, repay you in kind, by fuffering you to have undutiful and rebellious children; who may be worfe than yourselves, and come to public infamy and execution,

your eyes even seeing it." He will, however, certainly make your plagues wonderful in the future ftate. Let thofe who have hitherto forfaken, the counfel of their pious parents, and been a heaviness of heart unto them," .think on their ways, repent, and return to the Lord; that at length their parents' forrow may be turned into joy, to fee their children, who were fpiritually dead, made alive, and thofe who were loft, found.-Thofe of you who have chofen the way of truth, begun well, and raised the expectation of your parents, ministers, and other chriftian friends, be careful that you do not difappoint us. Let not your goodnefs be "as the morning cloud, and early dew, that paffeth away," but labour to improve in wisdom and piety, to grow in

the

the knowledge of Chrift crucified, and to live by faith in him. To this end, "be not high-minded, but fear, and watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptations" that you may be more and more the joy of all that love Chrift and his caufe; and efpecially that your parents may have increafing comfort in you, and may blefs God for you with their dying breath. It is mentioned, as an amiable part of the character of the judicious Mr. Richard Hooker, that he used to say, "If I had no other reafon and motive for being religious, I would ftrive earneftly to be fo, for the fake of my aged mother, that I might requite her care of me, and caufe the widow's heart to fing for joy."I conclude with addreffing you in the words of Solomon, with a truly paternal tenderness and concern-" My fon, if thine heart be wife, my heart fhall rejoice, even mine.”

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DISCOURSE