CHAPTER III.

SOME OF THE SINS OF YOUTH ENUMERATED.

§ 1. It was endeavoured, in the last chapter, to show you, that you are, by nature, a fallen, depraved, and apostate creature. Now, great God, assist me, whilst I strive to convince my youthful readers, not merely of the corruption of their nature, but of the error of their ways. Display to them, whither the paths of sin lead; and bid them seek true happiness in thyself.

My young friend, I entreat you to follow me, while I point out to you some of those sins which undo multitudes. Among these evils, a thoughtless, inconsiderate spirit, is in young persons, one of the most common, and one of the most fatal. While open impiety slays its thousands, this sinks its ten thousands to perdition. A time is coming when you must consider your ways. From the bed of death, or from the eternal world you must take a review of life: but, as you love your soul, defer not till that solemn period, which shall fix your eternal state, the momentous question; "How has my life been spent ?" Look back years. They are gone for ever. port have they borne to heaven? record made respecting them in the book of God? Will they rise up in the judgment against you? Possibly you may not see many instances of flagrant crime: but do you see nothing, which conscience must condemn; nothing, which would fill you with alarm, if going

on your past But what reWhat is the

$52

THE READER URGED TO REVIEW LIFE,

this moment to the bar of your Maker? Perhaps you reply, "It is true, I cannot justify all the actions of my youthful years; yet the worst that I see, were but the frolics of youth." My friend, do they bear that name in heaven? Does your Jadge view them in no worse a light? It has ever been the custom of this world to whitewash sin, and hide its hideous deformity; but, know, that what you pass over so lightly, your God abhors as sins-sins, the least of which, if unforgiven, would sink your soul to utter, endless woe. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness." The iniquities of youth, as well as of riper years, are abhorred by him. The sins of youth were the bitter things which holy Job lamented; and for deliverance from which Da vid devoutly prayed. "Thou writest bitter things against me; and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth." "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy, remember thou me, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord!"

Take then another review of life. Begin with childhood. In that early period, so often falsely represented as a state of innocence, the corruptions of a fallen nature begin to appear; and the early years of life are stained with falsehood, disobedience, cruelty, vanity, and pride. Can you recollect no instances, in which your earlier years were thus polluted with actual sin? Can you bring to remembrance no occasion, on which falsehood came from your lips; or vanity, pride, or obstinacy, was cherished in your heart? or when cruelty to the meaner creatures was Rom. i. 18. Job, xiii. 26. Ps. XXV. 7

YOUTHFUL SINS

PRIDE.*

53

your sport? Shrink not from the review; though painful, it is useful. It is far better to see and abhor your youthful sins in this world, where mercy may be found; than to have them brought to your remembrance, when mercy is no more.

But you have passed the years of childhood; you have advanced one stage forwarder in your journey to an endless world. Has sin weakened, as your years increased? Have not some sinful dispositions ripened into greater vigour? Have not others, which you knew not in your earlier years, begun to appear? and does not increasing knowledge add new guilt to all your sins?

Among the prevailing iniquities of youth may be mentioned:

§ 2. Pride. This is a sin common to all ages; but, it often peculiarly infects the young. It is abhorred by God. "The proud he knoweth afar off." "He resisteth the proud; but, giveth grace to the humble." Every one that is proud

66

"He

in heart, is an abomination to the Lord." hateth a proud look." "A high look and a proud heart, is sin." "The proud are cursed." Pride is the parent of many other vices. It puts on a thousand forms; yet, unless subdued by religion, is found in the palace and the cottage. You may see it displayed in the character of the young prodigal: (Luke, xv. 19, &c.) Has not this sin, which God so much abhors, crept into your heart? Perhaps it has made you haughty, when you should have been humble; obstinate, when you should have been yielding; revengeful, when you should have been forgiving. You thought it showed spirit, to resent an injury or Ps. cxxxviii. 6. James, iv. 6. Prov. xvi. 5. Prov. vi. 17. Prov. xxi. 4. Ps. cxix. 21.

54

YOUTHFUL SINS PRIDE.

insult; instead of patiently bearing it, like him you call your Lord. Perhaps it has filled you with dissatisfaction; when you should have been all submission. You have thought it hard, in the day of affliction, that you should be so tried; and even if you stayed the murmur against God from passing your lips, have you not felt it in your heart? Pride has probably led you to neglect the counsels of wisdom; and to turn a deaf ear to those, who wished you well for ever. Vain of the ornaments of apparel, have you not bestowed more thought on the dress you should wear, than on the salvation of your immortal soul? and been more concerned about the shape of a coat, or the fashion of a gown or a bonnet, than about life or death eternal? Perhaps you have been one of those, who spend more time in surveying their own image in a glass, than in seeking the favour of their God. Äh! did pride never lead you to this self-idolatry? Did it never, never fill you with vanity, from the fancy of your possessing a pleasing face, or a lovely form, or manly vigour? Ah, foolish vanity! when you must so soon say to corruption, "Thou art my father; and to the worm, thou art my mother and sister!" Yet, foolish as it is, was it never yours ? "Where is there a face so disagreeable, that never was the object of self-worship in a glass? And where a body, however deformed, that never was set up as a favourite idol, by the fallen spirit that inhabits it?"

§ 3. One of the most prevalent, and most baneful kinds of pride is that, which I may term, the pride of self-righteousness. Our Lord, in the parable of the Pharisee and Publican, gives a most striking description of this sin. The

DISOBEDIENCE TO PARENTS.

55

Pharisee boasts, that he was not like others; that he had not committed such flagrant crimes as they; and that he practised duties which they omitted. On this sandy foundation, his hope for eternity appears to have rested. Nothing like humility entered his heart; but, in all the pride of fancied virtue he approached his God. This is the exact spirit of multitudes in the present day; and where young persons have been restrained from open immoralities, how commonly does it exist among them! It is pleaded, respecting them," that they are not like many profligate youth around them; they have not given way to profaneness and lying; to drunkenness or dishonesty: but, they have been kind and dutiful; tender and obliging; have good hearts; and are good young people." They may have lived all their lives careless of God and their souls; but, this is not taken into account: others commend them, and they are willing to believe these commendations. They please themselves with their fancied virtue; think themselves very good young persons: and, proud of this goodness, go forward to meet that God, who sees in them ten thousand crimes; and who abhors nothing more, than the pride of self-righteousness in a creature polluted by daily iniquities.

§ 4. Another common sin of the young is, disobedience to parents. "Honour thy father and mother; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayst live long on the earth." This is the divine commandment. There is, it is true, one case in which even parents should not be obeyed; when their directions and wishes are opposed to those of God: "we ought to obey Ephes. vi. 2, 3,