SERMON II.

OBLIGATIONS OF YOUNG MEN.

“I have written unto you, Young Men, because ye are

strong."-1 John ii. 14.

ness.

The venerable writer of this epistle had passed through the five stages of human existence: infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Time had now silvered his locks, and given its mellow tints to a character which even in his earliest manhood had secured to him the title of “the beloved disciple." There is, through the whole of this letter, a vein of exquisite simplicity and tender

He looked back to the period of youth, and remembered how critical and important a season it had been to him. By the grace of God, his seed time had been rightly employed, and he was now reaping a golden harvest of serenity, intelligence, the confidence of good men, usefulness, and a perfect assurance of eternal blessedness. He had leaned upon the Saviour's bosom ; he had followed him the most closely in the hour of peril; and he was now finding in rich experience that such was the best preparation a young man could make for the sober realities of age and for an approaching eternity. Hence his counsels were turned to young men. I have written unto you, young men, because, ye are strong. His reference is not to the physical, but mental vigour of youth. Mental strength is a merciful gift of God, which may be wasted on trifles ; or perverted to evil; or used for great

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and good purposes. It is the power which God has imparted to form our own character, and to control the character and destinies of others. In reference to the subject before us, we are not called upon to examine the manner or time in which this strength is imparted from our beneficent and merciful Creator. It is strength, human strength, and of course derived strength, to which the apostle alludes. The praise and gratitude belong to God who gives it. To man belong the privilege and the responsibility of possessing it. Let our attention then be first directed to those great objects which the young should distinctly and constantly propose to themselves as the glorious achievements for which, by the energy, the freshness, the enthusiasm of their age they are so peculiarly qualified. We consider,

I. The noblest objects of youthful desire and pursuit.

i. Personal improvement. I mean that every young man should aim at becoming as truly good and excellent as he can be. I speak not now of his becoming great. That we will consider presently. It is painful to discover how few of the young men of Christian countries take a sufficiently elevated view of themselves, as endowed with the noblest, though perverted creature powers. One looks

upon himself in no higher light than as a mint for the coining of money. If he can learn the great art of accumulating property, he has reaehed the summit of human excellence. Multitudes are satisfied with the mere training of their muscular powers in some mechanic art, to the utter neglect of all the mighty powers of intellect and all the finer sentiments and affections of the heart. It is painful to know that every youth has a depraved heart, and still more so to observe that so few have any desire to rectify the moral derangement, and to restore to the soul the sweet, harmonious, balanced exercise of its powers. Nay, some have even yielded themselves to

look upon

the gratification of every depraved desire and feeling ; restrained only by a regard to their reputation. They

the present life, not as probationary and disciplinary, and preparatory to a better; but as the golden time for the indulgence of all the lower propensities of the mind. My proposal to the young before me is—that they look upon the immortal mind within, as their noblest possession; and upon the training of that, under the blessing of God, to piety and virtue as their most important employment. It is that part of your nature which places you but little below the angels. It is upon the proper employment of its powers, that your happiness here and your blessedness hereafter entirely depend. Your moral condition is a peculiarity in the history of God's empire. Angels before you have fallen from their high estate ; but, unlike you, they have no Mediator with God. They have no hope of pardon. Like you, they are perpetually disturbing and distracting the delicate harmony of their moral powers. But, unlike you, they are under no dispensation of grace. No sweet, overwhelming views of the benignity and mercy of their offended Creator shines upon their dreary, despairing souls. While Memory incessantly pourtrays the scenes of former glory and happiness, the finger of Hope never points them to eminences of bliss and personal perfection which may be attained. To you, young friends, to you all this pertains. There is a provision in the mercy of God, not only for the pardon of the penitent, but also for the ensuring of success to them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for honour, and glory, and immortality. Who that has once

. conceived aught of the primitive condition of man, or of angelic purity, does not see that the world within him has lost its balancing power? Disorder and discord have usurped the place of order and harmony. God was once the centre of all the social system, and love its attractive

power.

Then the created soul moved in its own sphere in harmony with the universe. Then God was its light and its life. But now the centripetal power of love is lost from the soul, and its centrifugal energies are driving the poor wandering star into the “blackness of darkness" eternal. God is no longer its centre. And hence, where once were verdant bloomings, the cold and barrenness of polar regions are seen and felt. Where the love of God exists not, there must be confusion, corruption, and death. Where self is the centre of attraction, the primitive order is destroyed, and what should have produced life and blessedness, must result in misery and death. Who that knows himself, can refuse the application of these remarks to himself? Who can say—I am right-I am clean—I am prepared without change to stand before the throne of God—this delicate machinery has never been disturbed, its balance-wheel never failed ? Man's moral depravity consists in his perverted affections, and in the voluntary blindness of his conscience and the feebleness of its directing power. The conscience was given to show us when and how far our desires and affections may be properly gratified. We are supremely selfish, when all our choices, purposes,

and actions tend only to our own gratification. We

e are ungodly when our affections rest supremely on the creatures of God. Both these conditions of the mind an enlightened conscience would check and reprove. But where it does not, there it is blind, and voluntarily blind, because God has thrown around us light sufficient to guide our steps. The conscience is feeble when, with what light we do possess, it cannot restrain the selfish desires and the idolatrous affections, from controlling the conduct and forming the character. This description embraces two great classes; first, the creature of passion. When he does any thing, it is because he feels a strong impulse to do it; consequently that which ought to stand eagle-eyed between the will, and every impulse excited by external objects, is either blind, or dumb and powerless. It either sees no wrong, or is weary of speaking the language of remonstrance, or it is no longer the balancing power, determining which impulse shall prevail, and which shall not.

This description includes also the man of earthly affections. He may be benevolent, and just, and true to man, because these are either to a certain extent constitutional propensities, like hunger and thirst, or are adopted as adapted to promote temporal happiness. He cannot see that he is selfish, for he is kind, upright, and faithful. But he may easily see that he is ungodly; by which is meant, his affections embrace not God. He is just, but not towards the Creator, whom he thus defrauds of his affections and of all his powers; affectionate, but not towards God; grateful, but not to the Man of Calvary, the God incarnate. This is moral derangement, and it must be rectified. It should be commenced immediately, under the gracious influence of that Spirit who now comes forth from the mediatorial Prince of Life, to raise and restore ruined man. The affections must embrace God supremely in their wide scope. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength. To him we must be reconciled in Christ, and of him obtain forgiveness. Conscience must become the director of actions and of volitions, under the guidance of the spirit and word of Christ. Those pernicious habits of sensuality which many have formed; those habits of self-will which all have formed; those habits of speaking and acting from passion, impulse, or desire, regardless of the moral right or wrong, must all be changed. From the pride which originates in selfishness and is sustained by moral blindness, you must come to a perpetual abiding in that holy and glorious presence which bows to heaven's