SERMON

XVIII.

The Necessity of early Religion.

ECCLESIASTES

12, i.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youikt.

THIS advice of the preacher fuppofcs

the importance of the rifing generation. He confidered them as worthy of his particular attention; and furely they are worthy of their own. They should not view themselves as infignificant beings, placed in the world only for amufement, pleasure and trifling, but remember, that their own happiness, and the happiness of multitudes around them, and of thousands who are coming. after them, much depends on the part which they shall act in life. They can in no way anfwer the vaft defign of their intellectual existence, nor fuftain the dignity of their rank in the rational creation, without religion. The preacher, therefore, in our text, earnestly admonishes them-to remember now their Creator in the days of their youth. We may obferve,

I. God is here exhibited to them in the character of their Creator.

As

As creation is the first and most obvious evidence, which they can have of the existence of the Deity, fo their firft apprehenfions of him, and regards to him, are in this character. In calling them therefore to early religion, Solomon, with great propriety, exhorts them to remember their Creator.

When they begin to reflect, they find that they can look back but a few months or years; that the other day they had not even an existence; that very lately they rofe from nothing, and became fuch beings as they are. Hence they know, that there must be fome invifible power, which made them.

They find themselves placed in a fpacious world, and furrounded with a thousand wonders; they behold the heavenly curtains ftretched over their heads, and beautified with innumerable lights; they fee the earth peopled with various kinds of creatures, and fpread with various bounties, for their fupply; they observe the rolling seasons, and the daily changes of light and darknefs. From hence they have fenfible evidence, that there is a fuperiour Being, who made and upholds them, and all things around them. If they naturally conclude, that every houfe is builded by fome man; the conclufion is as natural, that he who built all things, is God.

From the inward powers of perception, thought and reason, they know that the Creator muft be perfectly wife. For he who formed the eye,

Shall

Shall not he fee?
Shall not he hear?

He who planted the ear,
He who teacheth man

knowledge, Shall not he know ?

When they confider the grandeur of the world, the mighty effects produced before their eyes, and the bountiful fupplies afforded to all living creatures, they are at once convinced, that their Creator is infinite in power, rich in goodness, and prefent in every place.

These fentiments of the Deity easily arise in the mind of every serious and contemplative youth. In the firft openings of reason, the young are more given to inquifitive fpeculation than perhaps fome are apt to imagine. The new objects which continually meet their eyes, awaken thought and contemplation in their minds; and if, in this early ftage, proper affiftance and encouragement were afforded them, they would make easy progrefs in the knowledge of moral and divine things, and deeply imbibe those sentiments of virtue and religion, which might abide with them through life, and preserve them from the fatal influence of temptation and vice.

We may obferve,

II. Solomon here expreffes the piety of the young by their remembering their Creator.

It is ufual in fcripture to exprefs the whole of religion by fome leading temper or principle; as the knowledge of God, faith in him, love to him, and the fear of him. When a particular virtue or duty is enjoined, as a condition of the

divine

divine favour, we must always understand it, as including all those tempers and actions, which are naturally connected with it, or flow from it. To know God, is to ferve him with an upright heart. To fear God, is to depart from evil. The love of God, is to keep his commandments. They who have believed in him, will be careful to maintain good works.

In the fame latitude we muft understand the remembrance of God. This is not a tranfient thought, or occafional recollection, that there is a God; but an habitual, influential apprehenfion of him, and regard to him. It is fuch a firm belief of his existence, fuch a juft knowledge of his character, fuch a lively and steady sense of his prefence, as fhall awaken and preferve fuitable affections to him, and produce a correfpondent life of humble obedience.

Remembrance is not the learning of something new, but the recollection and retention of fome

thing already known. The young are here sup-
posed to have a knowledge of their Creator
to have attended to the evidences of his existence;
and to have gained a general acquaintance with
his character and will; and they are directed
immediately to apply their knowledge to the pur-
pofe of real, practical piety.

This is, then, the fpirit and meaning of Solomon's address.

tr

"O youth, thou knoweft, that there is a God, who made thee, and who created the world, in

which

which thou art placed. And, ¿ Wilt thou live ં unmindful of him? Often confider, what a being he is. Remember that he is a being of infinite power, wildom, and goodness; that he is always prefent with thee, observing all thy thoughts, words, and actions, and that he will bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing. Set him always before thine eyes, a&t under a fenfe of his prefence, call upon him for all that thou needeft, give him thanks for all that thou enjoyeft, acknowledge him in all thy ways, approve thyself to him in all that thou doft, and feek his favour with thy whole heart."

We may observe,

III. Solomon recommends to the young a direct and immediate application to religion. "Remember now thy Creator."

intend to

There are few, perhaps, but who intend to devote themselves to God. The ferve him in their youth. tinate religion today, and

young Though they procraf

think they may fafely do the fame tomorrow, yet they mean not to neglect it through all the period of their youth. They have often been told, and they partly believe, that youth is the most favourable season to begin fo great a work. They know, that they are commanded to engage in it; and they would not wholly difobey. But confider, my friends, the fame command, which enjoins you to remember God in your youth, enjoins you to remember him now. What part of youth you will take for remembering