tance? Who can tell but that the moment you shall preach Christ to him, he will cordially embrace him and go on his way rejoicing.

6. SPEAK TO THAT YOUNG MAN who seems almost

on the point of giving up as unavailing his attempts to obtain an interest in Christ. For weeks and even months he has been thought an anxious inquirer, but has made no perceptible progress towards a state of reconciliation and acceptance with God. Often his heart tempts him to ask, why should I wait for the Lord any longer? Why should I walk in continual sorrow and heaviness of soul? But he is evidently laboring under a very serious mistake, and this mistake tends to detain him in a condition of imminent peril. He secretly thinks to purchase salvation by his anxities, his cries, and his tears. He fancies that after so long a season of conviction and distress, God must in some way be laid under a sort of obligation to show him mercy. He half persuades himself, that he can be profitable unto God, as one man is profitable unto another. He conceives it to be hard for him to seek so long in vain. And discouraged in the pursuit which yields only present suffering and promises nothing but suffering hereafter, he is often secretly debating the question in his own mind, whether or not to suspend all further endeavors after life. But shall he give up the pursuit of heaven? Ye redeemed people of the living God, SPEAK TO THAT YOUNG MAN. Show him his mistake. Tell him of his danger. Teach him how unprofitable and worthless have all his services been in the sight of God. Point out to him the way of safety. Urge him immediately to flee from the wrath to come. Entreat him not to linger any longer amidst circumstances so full of hazard. Beseech him to give away his heart, himself, to the Lord. One word fitly spoken to him now, will tell most auspiciously on his immortal destiny. It may rouse his slumbering soul to agonize to enter in at the straight gate, before the door of hope is closed forev

He

er against him. He will attend to what you say. will believe you to be in earnest. He will feel that you are sincerely seeking his good from a full conviction of his danger. Hasten, then, to drop a word of friendly admonition, of affectionate entreaty in his ear, before he shall have determined to obey the promptings of a wicked heart, aided by the allurements of a wicked world, no more to care for his soul. It is a season of great and momentous interest with him. Deal faithfully with him. Spare no pains. Spare not his feelings-if by any means you may bring him to speedy repentance.

7. SPEAK TO THAT YOUNG MAN who once thought himself, and who once was thought, a subject of renewing grace, but now affords most painful proof that he is a stranger to the power of spiritual religion. Poor deluded youth! Must he be lost? You remember the marked change which he formerly exhibited in his feel-. ings and conduct. You cannot have forgotten how alive he once appeared to the evil of sin, and how cautiously he seemed to guard against it. You still recollect with what apparent fervor he formerly was wont to pray in the retired circles of his associates. There was so much visible humility, sincerity, and gentleness of spirit, that you for a while could not but fondly hope, that he had passed from death unto life. But now you see him more changed than ever-exhibiting more indifference to the things of God than ever. He no longer praysno longer searches the word of God-no longer loves the place of prayer-no longer mingles with his former associates in the ways of Zion. He would gladly abstract himself from every circumstance of place or person that reminds him of his past religious pretensions. Ah! he can now even scoff at serious religion, ridicule its spiritual professors, and treat with contemptuous neglect, its solemn institutions. Those lips, from which once proceeded the language of prayer, are now heard to pronounce the name of God in vain, and to utter strange oaths, and idle and profane discourse. Must

he be lost. O, ye who through grace have been kept from falling SPEAK TO THAT Wretched YOUNG MAN. He was inexperienced. He was ignorant of the arts and powerful allurements of the world. He was unconscious of the wiles of the destroyer. He was seduced from the only place of safety, fast by the oracle and mercy seat of God. Wicked companions made him ashamed of his bible, of his closet, and of his religion. He was gone far from God before he was aware that he had actually begun to decline. SPEAK TO HIM. You know the power of temptation, you know the way to escape from it. Whether he is only a grievously fallen christian, or a victim of self-deception. You may speak a word in season to him. But delay not. The business requires haste. If any thing effectual is done for his recovery, it must be done speedily. The speed of an angel would not outrun the rapidity with which the elements of ultimate destruction are gathering about him.

Finally. SPEAK TO THAT YOUNG MAN, who remains unaffected by the scenes of a revival, that is awakening and renewing many in the circle of his particular acquaintances. Say not, there is no hope in respect to him. Though nothing has moved him yet, something you may say, may reach his heart. He has been the subject of many prayers. There are those whose hearts are filled with agony on his account. There are relatives whose eyes have been held weeping, night after night, at the thought of his unconcern, amidst so much to awaken his solicitude. He evinces no peculiar aversion to the truth and religion of the gospel. He is habitually attentive to the preached word. He admits the importance of the great concern. But he has no sensibilities awake to the subject. The prayers and the tears of his friends are however entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. God witnesses these agonized hearts. He is waiting to send an arrow of conviction to his heart, through your instrumentality. Only speak in demonstration of the Spirit, and that arrow shall fly,

his heart shall feel, his tears shall flow, his will shall bow, and he shall rise up as alive from the dead. Be not faithless-be not unfaithful-be not slow and reluctant to act. RUN, SPEAK TO THAT YOUNG MAN. Is it a small thing to save a soul from death?

I have thus, my brethren, attempted to illustrate and enforce one branch of your duty to young men by specifying several distinct classes of them, who need to have you speak to them concerning their spiritual condition and prospects. No apology is due for the minuteness of my specification, or the urgency of my exhortations. Young men constitute a very large, and a most interesting part of my audience from Sabbath to Sabbath. And here is the only place where I have an opportunity to speak to most of them on these great subjects. They are more withdrawn from the usual means of religious impression than any other class. They are assailed by a more numerous and formidable array of temptations than any other. Their saving conversion would promise great usefulness to the church of God. If they are not converted, they will be likely to become formidable foes to the cause of saving piety. SPEAK TO them then. In your daily intercourse with them follow up the instructions they hear on the Sabbath. SPEAK TO THEM often. SPEAK TO THEM kindly. SPEAK TO THEM earnestly. SPEAK TO THEM seasonably. SPEAK TO THEM in view of death, judgment, and the world of retribution. O, SPEAK TO THEM with a heart glowing with heavenly love and fervent from the altar of devo tion; and your words shall be to them the words of salvation.

SERMON XXX.

The Believer's Refuge in Calamity.

ISAIAH XXVI. 20.

COME, MY PEOPLE, ENTER THOU INTO THY CHAMBERS, AND SHUT THY DOORS ABOUT THEE: HIDE THYSELF AS IT WERE FOR A LITTLE MOMENT, UNTIL THE INDIGNATION BE OVERPAST.

EVERY one can easily conceive of persons being placed in circumstances of difficulty, danger, or distress, in which the proffer of safe and adequate guidance, protection, and support, must appear eminently deserving a prompt and grateful acceptance. Doubtless the in

dividual has rarely lived, who has not at some period of his life, found himself placed in such circumstances. To be shielded from an impending array of temporary evils, is a favor the value of which few have not been taught by their own personal experience. To be covered in the day of battle, to be snatched from the sinking wreck of a vessel, to have our persons and dwellings left untouched by the sweep of furious tempests, or the more frightful rage of resistless conflagrations, to escape from the contagion of a spreading pestilence, are instances of providential protection with which all are familiar, and in whose benefits all have in some degree participated. The intervention of providence in cases of temporal deliverances, is sometimes so marked and special, that they become no unsuitable representative or type of that spir