16 PRAYER FOR A DIVINE BLESSING ON THIS BOOK.

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round thy throne, exult over some penitent' awakened by this feeble instrument; some youth embracing the gospel of thy Son, and finding every good in him. Great God, grant this request. O, let the sorrows of the Saviour urge it! O, let the intercession of the Saviour obtain it! O, let the influences of the Spirit accomplish what is thus desired! for, blessed Lord, it is here devoutly acknowledged, that, without that Spirit, "books are senseless scrawls, studies are dreams, learning is a glow-worm, and wit is but wantonness, impertinence, and folly." And O may it seem meet to thy divine Majesty, to grant, that when the author of this book has finished his course, that then, though dead, he may yet speak in the following pages; and continue to call on the young to "remember their Creator in the days of their youth!" If this be a sinful ambition, compassionate God, for Jesus's sake, forgive it; but if it be a desire which thy Spirit has produced in the writer's heart, for Jesus's sake grant the request. Bestow thy Spirit, O God of love! Bestow those blessed influences, O thou Saviour of mankind, who hast received gifts for men! Bestow them, O Father and Lord of all, and bring some youthful sinner to the feet of thy crucified Son! Though it be but one, grant that one may go to him for life. But O, again permit the petition, that if it please thee, the persuasions and motives for early piety here presented to the young, may be effectual to the conversion of many; and that many who shall read them may be led to Jesus, and be found to have their names written in the book of life, when time shall have

PRAYER FOR THE READER.

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erased every name that is written even upon rocks below.

And now, O God of grace, hear this supplication, and teach the young reader with sincerity of heart, to join in that which follows. Grant this, great God, for his sake who died on Calvary below, who lives, and reigns, and pleads for man above; and whose is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and for ever. AMEN.

§ 3. A PRAYER FOR YOUNG PERSONS, IMPLORING THE

DIVINE BLESSING UPON THEMSELVES WHILE READING THIS BOOK.

Great God, thou seest me, a young and thoughtless creature. Young as I am in years, yet far have I gone in sin. So far that thou mightest justly have said with respect to me, "Cut down that cumberer of the ground;" and had that dreadful sentence been long ago pronounced and executed, I must have owned it just. My years are few, but my sins are many; more numerous are they than my days or hours, more countless than the hairs of my head. Alas! blessed God, what a part have I acted! I have received life from thee, and employed it in neglecting, and sinning against thee. I might have died at my birth, have seen the light and closed my eyes in death, but thou didst watch over me in infancy, didst guard me in childhood, and hast brought me to the blooming days of youth; and how have I requited thee? Wretch that I have been to requite thy love with ingratitude, thy goodness with neglect. Distracted creature that I have been, to spend

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PRAYER FOR THE READER.

the flower of my years in grieving thee, my best friend; in pleasing Satan, my infernal foe; and in undoing my own immortal soul. O, make me sensible of my sin; teach me to bewail and loathe my folly; and help me to forsake it! Now let me begin to live that life, which on a dying bed I shall wish to have lived. Merciful God, thou hast spared me in mercy; let me not appear to have been spared in vain; but let my life, which has been too long spent without thee, now be devoted to thee. Pour out thy Spirit on me, for he alone can teach me what thou art. Give me to thy Son, and thy Son to me. Thou art permitting me in this little book to read a serious invitation to early piety. Teach me to regard the truths I read; and may I read them with a devout and attentive mind. May the persuasions and motives here presented to me, reach my heart; and may I, when I reach the conclusion of this book, be no longer the thoughtless creature I have hitherto been; but may I be found to have chosen that good part, which none can take away. But, ah! great God! what am I that I should speak of reaching the conclusion even of this little book! Though I have read its first pages, I know not that I shall live to read its last. Young and vigorous as I may now be, perhaps, before I can reach its end, my time may be finished, my eyes closed in death, and my soul called to meet thee, my long neglected and much injured God. O then, teach me to be wise without delay! Teach me what religion is, and enable me to choose it as my portion. Teach me what I am, and lead me to Jesus Christ, thy once crucified but now exalted Son. O, make me thine! O

PLAN OF THE BOOK.

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Saviour, make me thine! O God of glory, make me thine without delay, and teach me all thy will! Then, whatever be the instrument that awakens my soul, thine shall be the praise, for it is thy work, and the glory is justly thine.

Hear me, O thou most merciful Father, and wash my sins away in atoning blood; hear me, and let my youth from this day be devoted to thee; hear me, for the sake of thy beloved Son; and now to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be glory and dominion, world without end. AMEN.

§ 4. Having, my young friend, sought God's blessing, allow me now to explain to you the plan I design to follow in this little work. As my object is to persuade you to devote your youth to God, it is needful for me to address you as one whom I may suppose to be negligent of that best of blessings, humble piety. I shall, therefore, endeavour first to show you what is your natural condition, (Chap. 2). After this, I would entreat you to accompany me while I descend more into particulars (Č. 3), and set before you some of the more common sins of youth. I would then point you to the Lamb of God; and would represent to you the nature of true piety (C. 4). Pursuing this subject, I would (C. 5) affectionately warn you against those delusive supports, on which many rest to their eternal ruin. I would then urge on you the infinite importance of early piety, by showing you (C. 6) the worth of your soul. By referring you (C. 7) to the advice of the eternal God. By displaying to you (C. 8) the love of God and Christ. By setting before you (C. 9)

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PLAN OF THE BOOK,

the peculiar acceptableness of early piety. By enumerating (C. 10) some of its numberless advantages. By glancing (C. 11) at some of its pleasures. By conducting you (C. 12) to take a view of the happy conclusion of a life of religion; and attempting (C. 13) an imperfect description of that heaven and that eternity to which religion conducts the soul. But fearing, that in many instances, all the pleasing motives which these considerations yield, may be of no avail; I shall then present to you reasons for religion, drawn from very opposite sources. I would here show you (C. 14) that while you neglect early piety you are destitute of all real good. I would describe to you (C. 15) the unkindness and ingratitude visible in such a course to God, and its cruelty to yourself. I would show (C. 16) the vanity of youth; and (C. 17) the sorrows and dangers that attend the way of transgressors. I would remind you (C. 18) of the approach, to the most careless, of judgment and eternity; and (C. 19) would glance at the dismal abodes of eternal wretchedness to which youthful sins would lead you. Í then (C. 20), if you have not chosen true religion, would affectionately beseech you to choose it without delay. But, knowing how many objections are started against early piety, I propose (C. 21) to answer some of the principal of these. Having noticed these, permit me to occupy a few more lines (C. 22), în entreating you, without delay, to make your choice; and then (C. 23) to conclude the whole with a few directions, and some brief addresses. May God make this little book promote his glory, and your eternal benefit. - AMEN.