I. AN IRONICAL PERMISSION. young man, in the days of thy youth." "Rejoice, O 1. The Permission itself is as wide, as the most eager youthful disposition could wish; it might rather indeed be taken for a command. "Rejoice."-Pleasure and enjoyment are objects of universal desire; and here the utmost measure of them is recommended. In early life, more especially, we grasp at joy, and delight in a cheerful heart. Well-you are here counselled to do this with your whole soul; nay, the counsel is repeated, as though there were some danger lest you should disregard it" Let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth."—Again, "Walk in the ways of thine heart." Not in the ways of piety-these, as all young folks know, are gloomy and disagreeable. Not in the way recommended by parents, or Christian instructors-that is full of constraint and mortification. Not even in the way of diligence, prudence, and industry-even there too you will encounter many vexatious difficulties. No-take "the way of thine heart." If you love pleasure and idleness, take it! If you love drink, take it! If you love races, fairs, feasts-follow them all! Or, if your pleasures be of a more decent and decorous kind, still" walk in the way of thine heart” after wealth, honour, power, comfort: put no restraint on thy desires, but gratify them to the utmost.Once more, "Walk in the sight of thine eyes." Whatsoever thou seest that is pleasant, aim at it: whatever thou seest to be right, ask nobody's opinion, but follow thine own: whatever thou seest is done by others, do the same thyself. In short, let Self be thy only god; and honour it with all thy mind, and soul, and strength. Surely, my friends, here is licence large enough for the most greedy inclination. Methinks I hear some of you beginning to say- If all this be in the Bible, I shall like the book better than I have done but is it really so, as it seems to say?' No !-it is just the contrary the Wise man is forbidding that which he appears to recommend. 2. The bitter Irony of this permission is-or ought to be-most awakening. It tells you, that Such is generally the Course of heedless youth. They need no prompters. Of their own accord they are too ready for follies like these; as though there were no God, no heaven, no hell, and even no dying bed, " every one turneth to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle."1 Such, moreover, is the foolish Advice, which young people delight to give and receive. "Hand joins in hand" to work wickedness. Songs are made to harden the conscience, or, as they call it, to drive away care:' and the continual cry is—' Never fear! Peace, peace!' Such, lastly, is the most fatal Curse which an angry God could pronounce, on those who are bent upon the world and sin; Take it, take it-and make the best of it!' Thus he gave the people of Israel quails in his anger and a plague together with them. Thus in his anger he gave permission that Balaam should go with the princes of Moab-which was the direct road to Balaam's destruction. Thus God says in Hosea 5- Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone!" And in this sense he addresses many a carnal heart in the language of my text; as if he should sayI will no longer interfere-I will send thee • Go now, 1 Jer. viii. 6. ? Prov. xi. 21. 3 Num. xi. 31-33. 4 Numb. xxii. 20. 5 Hosea iv, 17. no more terrors, no pressing invitations. Revel on in sin; forget that there is a God; live and die and perish, for I will interrupt thee no more ! ' Brethren! will any one among you accept so awful a permission as this? Yes-thousands, alas, do accept it: they live after their own heart's lust, till Justice can wait no longer. Then comes the sentence upon this barren, unfruitful soul-" Cut it down!" and the next moment is hell-weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth-and that for ever ! That all this is not a mere fancy of my own, you may learn from the second part of the text; in which you have―(and may the Lord write it on every heart!) II. A SOLEMN WARNING: ، Know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." I can easily conceive, (for I know the heart" of a young man,) that this will be thought a very severe warning by some here present. That frequent excuse— 'I meant no harm'-has doubtless risen to your lips, ready to be uttered as soon as I should say “ Thou art the man!" You 'cannot believe' (you say) that youthful levities, or even excesses, will ever be hardly dealt with.' This, however, plainly arises from your thinking, "that God is altogether such a one as yourself”—a thought, at once condemned by what you hear in my text. "For all these things"-for all the usual frolics, self-indulgences, and sins of youth; for all of them, without one exception, “God will bring thee into judgment." Yes-even "for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment; "3 and how much more, then, for unbridled lusts, appetites, and passions-for cursing and lying for broken sabbaths, and a Gospel despised !-But let me point out, 1 Luke xiii. 7. 2 Psalm 1. 21. 3 Matt. xii. 36. 1. The Principle of that judgment, into which you must be brought, and of which you are so solemnly warned. It will proceed upon the principle, that youthful sins are offensive to God. Even from the youngest among us, God requires a loving and obedient heart. He addresses you in words of peculiar kindness, saying" I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me." 1 And can all this be forgotten by him? Can he think lightly of self-will, passion, lying, or uncleanness, in those to whom his most special invitations are sent? No, no! If he "remember the sins of our youth "2 alone, we are undone. Another principle of that judgment will be; that youthful sins actually disqualify you for the enjoyment of heaven. Look at the giddy follower of feasts and races, of drunken revels and of violent sports! If it be possible, put him into that heavenly world-among prophets, saints, angels! Is he not manifestly out of his element? Why, he cannot endure the short-lived seriousness of an earthly sabbath! What then must an everlasting sabbath be? No-the judgment decides upon him, and upon every "lover of pleasure"-Unfit for the kingdom of God! 3 Not meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light! -Consider, further, 2. The Manner of that judgment. It can only be known from God's express word: I will therefore refer you to two distinct Scripture statements, which ought to "make both the ears of every one that heareth them to tingle. "-One of them is the description, given by the Judge himself, of what will take place "when the Son of Man shall come in his glory.' Read it at your leisure; and then plead for sinful 3 Luke ix. 62. 1 Prov. viii. 17. 2 Psalm xxv. 7. 5 Matt. xxv. 31-46. 995 indulgences, if you can!-The other is a prophetic vision, in which St. John witnessed, by anticipation, what we must all behold in reality hereafter. " I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works. . And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire." To that awful scene, O sinner, thou must be brought and I shall meet thee there. Ah! I already see the Judge! I behold him questioning thee he is examining his books-and there it is written, that thou didst follow his ironical advice! Oh what woe-but stop! before the sentence is pronounced, let me tell you of 3. The Remedy against that judgment. This, you perceive, is not in the text but the blessed Gospel supplies it; and it is my glad office to set it forth, that you may hear, believe it, and live. I say not- Ab stain from all sin;' it is now too late for that! nor• Make atonement for the sins of youth, by the virtues of riper years;' that is impossible! No, but-Come to Christ, your future Judge, but now gracious Saviour.' In earnest prayer, ask of him a free pardon-a new heart-the favour of God-his sanctifying Spirit. All these his blood has bought; and they shall be given to all who seek them. Turn then your back on sin and destruction. With a " repentance not to be repented of, " 2" ask the way to Zion, with your face thitherward, saying, Come, and let me join myself to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." s 1 Rev. xx. 12-15. 2 32 Cor. vii. 10. 3 Jer. 1. 5. |