come a prey to Satan; who (as the Scriptures tell you) "like a roaring Lion, goeth about feeking whom he may devour."-May God preferve you from his Power, and from thofe Snares which he fpreads for incautious Youth !---May God take you under his gracious Protection; and may nothing "separate you from his Love, or be able to pluck you out of his hand !"

Strive, then, my young Friends, to fecure, above all things, the Protection of God. Strive to deferve it, by keeping his commandments, and by doing those things which are pleafing in his fight.--Confider, "the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, unto all them that call upon him faithfully: he will alfo hear their cry and will help them." ---Therefore, "if you seek him, fays holy David, he will be found of you; but if forfake him, he will caft you off for ever." And think, I intreat you, what a dreadful thing it is to be cast off from God; to be "given over to a reprobate mind;" to be deprived of his Favour,

you

"who

"who is able to deftroy both Soul and Body in hell;"---Better,---far better had. you never been born, if you rafhly draw down on yourselves fo great an Evil; -----But fear not, little Flock ;---I hope and pray that it may be your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;" ---to protect you through Time, and to blefs you through Eternity. This, be affured, he will do, if you love and fear him. Therefore, be virtuous, and be happy. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Abhor that

which is evil: cleave to that which is good." March on, under the Captain of your Salvation, against all the enemies. of his cross, and triumph gloriously. Be not ashamed to confefs the Faith of Chrift crucified; but manfully fight under his banner, against Sin, the World and the Devil; and continue Christ's faithful Soldiers and Servants unto your lives' end.---In one word--Continue in his Faith grounded and fettled; and be not moved away from the hope of his Gospel. And may God Almighty bless you, and cause you, as you grow in Years, to 66 grow

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grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift." *

Amen.

PRAYE R.

Lord and heavenly Father; we pray thee gra ciously to regard these thy Children. Protect them in the days of youth, and forfake them not when their Strength faileth. Graft in their hearts the love of thy Name; increase in them true Reli gion, that they may triumph over all their fpiritual enemies, and diligently live after thy Commandments. Blefs them, O Lord, and keep them. Endue them with thy Holy Spirit,-enrich them with thy heavenly Grace,-confirm and strengthen them in all Goodness, and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Amen.

* See note Q in the Appendix.

SERMON

ON CHRIST'S WEEPING OVER JERUSALEM:

The Destruction of that City, &c. a Warning to ourselves, to avert the Judgments of God by a timely Reformation.

Preached after reading the King's Proclamation for the Suppreffion of Vice and Immorality.

LUKE xix. 41.

He beheld the City, and wept over it.

THES 'HESE fimply-pathetic words I have prefixed to this discourse for a twofold reafon. They invite us to contemplate our bleffed Saviour in an amiable point of view, and they lead us to a confideration of certain hiftorical Events, from which we may derive a leffon of inftruction. In an amiable point of view, indeed, our Saviour must ever appear; $ 4

but

but he certainly appears more particularly fo, when we behold him at thofe fcenes where human Calamity or Misfortune awakened his Sympathy and Compaffion.

The hiftorical Events, which the circumstance of his weeping over Jerufalem leads us to confider, will, I hope, operate as Examples, to give Efficacy to the Proclamation which I have juft read to you. The meritorious endeavours of our Sovereign to fupprefs all groundless Difcontents and dangerous Seditions, were noticed by me in a former difcourse.*

Both thefe Proclamations prove his Goodness, and fhew how much it is the wifh of his heart to judge his People in Righteousness, that their good things be not abolished, and that their Glory may endure for ever."+

*See Sermon the 8th, preached at the Spring Affize at Warwick: the fubftance of which the Author alfo preached in his own Church, after reading the King's Proclamation for the fuppreffion of " feditious Writings," &c. The Text ufed on the latter occafion was Prov. xxiv. 21.

Ecclefiafticus xlv. 26,

The