46 QUOTATION, ON HUMAN sweet-tempered and open, and not disobedient to their parents or other superiors, the former are deemed good-hearted young men, and the latter, innocent young women. Those who love them best, have no solicitude about their spiritual interests: and it would be deemed strangely strict in themselves, or in others, to doubt of their becoming more religious as they advance in life; to speak of them as being actually under the divine displeasure; or, if their lives should be in danger, to entertain any apprehensions concerning their future destiny." He continues "Innocent young women! Good-hearted young men!" Wherein does this goodness of heart and this innocence appear? Remember that we are fallen creatures, born in sin, and naturally depraved. Christianity recognises no innocence or goodness of heart, but in the remission of sin, and in the effects of the operation of divine grace. Do we find in these young persons the characters which the holy scriptures lay down, as the only satisfactory evidences of a safe state? Do we not, on the other hand, discover the specified marks of a state of alienation from God? Can the blindest partiality persuade itself that they are loving, or striving "to love God with all their hearts, and minds, and souls, and strength?" Are they "seeking first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ?" Are they "working out their salvation with fear and trembling?" Are they "clothed with humility?" Are they not, on the contrary, supremely given up to self-indulgence? Are they not, at least, "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God?" Are the offices of religion their solace or their task? Do SINFULNESS, FROM WILBERForce. 47 they not come to these sacred services with reluctance, continue in them by constraint, and quit them with gladness? Are not the youth of one sex often actually committing, and still more often wishing to commit, those sins of which the scripture says expressly, "that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God ?" Are not the youth of the other mainly intent on the gratification of vanity; and looking for their chief happiness to the resorts of gaiety and fashion, to all the multiplied pleasures which public places, or the still higher gratifications of more refined circles, can supply And now, my young friend, with all the seriousness I can use, allow me to ask you, if you were this moment to be summoned before the throne of your Judge, and were accused of having lived negligent of God, and thus of having lived a life of dreadful sin; would you not be obliged to plead guilty to the charge, or, at least, to stand speechless and confused before your Maker? Does not your conscience tell you, that you must? and if it does, "God is greater than your heart, and knoweth all things." PRAYER FOR A YOUNG PERSON CONVINCED OF THE TRUTH OF THE PRECEDING STATEMENT, AND HUMBLED FOR SIN. Thou kind, compassionate, and ever-blessed God, teach me, a poor sinful creature, to approach thee; and grant, that through the Lord Jesus, I find acceptance with thee. Shame may and confusion of face should cover me, while I draw near to confess my sinfulness before thee. Open blind eyes, to discern my real state. my 48 PRAYER FOR A YOUNG Soften my hard heart, that it may feel its miseries, and tremble at its guilt. No longer let baneful delusions hide the truth from my sight. Compassionate God, thou hast been kind to me; but I, an unkind, unthankful wretch to thee. Not many years have departed since I first drew the breath of life; but, alas! how have those years been spent? My youth has been crowned with thy mercies; and yet I have forgotten thee. I have loved; but not loved thee. I have had fears; but felt no holy fear of thee. I have sought to please others; but lived displeasing thee. I have had a heart sensible of the tenderness of friends and relatives; but insensible of thine. The trifles and vanities of time have engaged my attention; while thy infinite love has been passed unregarded by. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but I have not known my God. The most savage beasts of prey have learned to love the hand that fed them; but, viler than the brute creation, I have forgotten the God in whom I live, and move, and have my being: and, Oh! poor blind creature that I have been! still I have claimed the name of Christian, and thought myself a child of God, and an heir of heaven. No longer, great God, let such delusions blind my eyes; but help me, while I confess my folly, to feel what I am. I am the sinner which thy word describes. Like the lost sheep, I have wandered from thee; like the prodigal, forsaken thee. I have even rebelled against thee. I have been a lover of pleasures more than a lover of God. My heart is deceitful above all things; and has been the fountain whence every sin has flowed. I have by nature the carnal mind, PERSON PENITENT FOR SIN. 49 which is enmity against thee: and, gracious God, the sad fruits of this enmity have been my neglect of thy favour; my unconcern at thy displeasure; and my forgetfulness of thy love. I have resisted thy Spirit; but listened to the suggestions of Satan. I have slighted thy word; but have been guided by the maxims of a corrupt world. Thou hast bid me remember thee in my youth; but I have forgotten thee. Thou hast commanded me to love thee; but I have neglected thee. Thou hast encouraged me to pray to thee; but I have often restrained prayer before thee, or, when I professed to pray, have mocked thee with solemn sounds on a thoughtless tongue. Thou hast been a tender Father to me; but I, worse than a rebellious prodigal to thee. Thou hast wooed me by thy compassion; and, by the gift of numberless mercies, hast, as it were, said, Now love me, now give me thine heart: and I have not heard thy voice; or, if I have, refused to give what thy love claimed. I have undone myself; and thou hast interposed to save me. Thou hast even given thy best-beloved and adorable Son to die for me; yet even this matchless mercy melted not my hard heart. Can I, great God, hide my infernal wickedness? I cannot. It is open to thy view; and ever glaring in all its horror before thine eyes. Shall I extenuate my transgressions and corruption? Shall I plead much ignorance? - but I might have known thee. Shall I plead the thoughtlessness of youth? I dare not; for thoughtless as I have been of thee, young as I am, I have been thoughtful about the trifles of a moment. Shall I no, I dare not, say, thou art not wor --- 50 PRAYER FOR A PENITENT. thy of my love; for had I ten thousand hearts, thy love would deserve them all. Shall I plead that I have been kind, benevolent, and useful to my fellow-sinners? Ah, my God! the plea would but aggravate my guilt: I have been kind to them; but unkind to thee. I have loved them; but been averse to thee: though thou hast an infinite and everlasting claim on my regard. My heart has glowed with gratitude for their tenderness; but been cold and unmoved by thine: though theirs has borne no more comparison to thine, than a drop to the ocean, or a grain of sand to the world. Kind and muchinjured God, I own my guilt before thee. "I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight." I have sinned against thee. I have sinned against thy once suffering, but now exalted Son. I have sinned against thy Holy Spirit. I have sinned against my own immortal soul. God, be merciful to me a sinner! No tears of penitential grief can wash away my stains. Teach me to plead the Saviour's death, and cleanse me in his atoning blood. Create in me a clean heart; and renew a right spirit within me. Let no more of the precious days of my youth be spent careless of thee, as many have already been. Take my heart, and make it thine. Take my youth, and let it be devoted to thee. Take me now in the flower of life, and let me live to thee alone: that while I live, I may live to the Lord; and when I die, may die to the Lord; and thus whether I live or die, may be the Lord's. Grant these requests, O most merciful God! for the sake of thy dear Son; to whom I would flee as my only refuge; and to whom be the kingdom, power, and glory, for ever and for ever. AMEN. |