5thly, Young Perfons fhould remember their Creator and Judge, because they are accountable to him for their Choice and Conduct. Mankind are very apt to have too flight Thoughts of Sins committed in Youth: But if they would weigh the Matter maturely, they would fee Reason to alter their Sentiments: For when any Person is come to Years of Reafon and Understanding, from that Time, no Doubt, he becomes accountable to God for his Actions. Some become refponsible for their Choice and Conduct fooner than others, according to the Measure of the natural Gift of Reafon and Intelligence they have, and the Helps and Advantages they have, fuperior to many others. God will judge without Respect of Perfons. Let no one therefore think that the Sins which are committed in Youth are venal, or very eafily pardoned; for if any have attained to the Exercise of Reason and Understanding, and knowing God's Commandments, or having a Capacity of knowing them, do wilfully break and violate them, they are, no Doubt, reponsible and accountable to God for their Choice and Behaviour; for to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him 'tis Sin. This is another Reason why all as soon as they come to the Ufe and Exercife of Reafon and Reflection fhould remember God,

and

and confecrate themselves to his Service, for they are accountable to him who is Judge of all. So, in that awful Vifion which St. JOHN had of the final Judgment, he faw the Dead, Small and Great, ftand before God, REV. XX. 12. By the Small and Great may be meant Rich and Poor, Young and Old, all who were arrived to a Capacity of being judged every one according to his Works.

6thly, A due Remembrance of God in the Days of Youth will afford a good Evidence of your Sincerity in Religion, and confequently will give ftrong Confolation. The greater and more numerous the Temptations are to draw off the Heart from God, the greater Degree of Virtue and Refolution is required to make fuch cleave and adhere to Him and Religion. When Examples of Vice are many, and the World appears in its most alluring Charms, as it does ufually to Young Perfons; when Snares of Vanity offer, tending to enfnare their Minds, and captivate their Hearts; if in the midst of all any are found maintaining fuch a worthy reverential Regard to God as establishes them in their Adherence to him, and the Ways of Virtue, a Senfe and Consciousness of this will bring fuch Evidence of Sincerity and Integrity in Religion, as will be a Spring and Source of conftant Satisfaction, This fuggefts

fuggefts another Reason why Young Perfons fhould remember their Creator, who is Omnifcient and Omniprefent, because in this Time evil Paffions are ufually strongest and most impetuous, and Temptations to fin have their greatest Force. A due Sense of God fixed on the Mind will be an OverBalance, and render you victorious over all the Snares and Stratagems of Satan; and the Temptations with which the World abounds, and by which they who caft the Thoughts of God out of their Minds are eafily overcome. They who have a fixed and habitual Remembrance of God have such a Fear of him as reftrains from all finful Departures from him. Such will fay, as NEHEMIAH (Chap. v. 15.) who having taken Notice how former Governors before him had been guilty of Extortion and Oppreffion, adds, but fo did not I, because of the Fear of God. Another Inftance and Example to confirm this Obfervation, that a right Remembrance of God, attended with a reve rential Fear of him, is a moft powerful Restraint from Sin in a Seafon of the greatest Temptation and Trial, is that of JOSEPH: How can I do this great Wickedness, and fin against God?

Laftly, This Remembrance of God I have been defcribing will prepare for an early Death,

Death, if God hath appointed thereunto; or if Life should be protracted, and lengthened out to Old-Age, the Confideration of Time spent in the Service of God, and according to the Rules of his Word, will fupport under the Decays and Infirmities of Age. When thofe evil Days come wherein Men fhall fay, they have no Pleasure in them, if any thing in the World can yield any Satisfaction or Delight, it must be the Teftimony of a good Confcience, and agreeable Reflections on Time spent to fome good Purpofe. They who have remembered God, fo as to serve him faithfully, & have persevered herein, will find, that though the Days of Old-Age are troublesome and burthenfome, attended with many corporal Infirmities, yet this will be a most solid Pleasure to confider that they have walked with God, lived foberly, righteously, and godlily; that they have done jufly, loved Mercy, and walked bumbly with God. Such may affure themfelves, that, through the Mercy of God, and the Merits of their Saviour, Death will be fo far from feparating them from God, that it will introduce them into his blissful Prefence, where is Fulness of Joy, and Pleafures for evermore.

Wherefore, let all in the Days of their Youth, all who are in the Morning of Life,

lay

Jay to Heart this most excellent and important Advice and Counfel given in the Text. Confider the Nature of the Duty recommended, and which has been explained; and the Reafons and Arguments by which it has been enforced: And may God render them effectual and fuccefsful! Whoever have lived in a woful Neglect and Forgetfulness of God, let them, without any Delay, fo think of God and his glorious Perfections, which all Nature difplays, and represents to all Rational Beings; fo think of him as the Former of your Bodies, and Father of your Spirits, who hath inftampt his own Image on your Minds; think of the Relations you fand in to him, your Obligations to and Dependance on him. That you may learn to reverence and love him, devote your Hearts and Lives to him. Remember your Creator, that fo your beft Powers may be employed in his Service: And whilst you Contemplate the noble Powers with which your Souls are furnished, you will be natually led on to regard him as your Judge, to whom you muft give an Account. And were this more laid to Heart, it would be an effectual Reftraint on thofe Lufts, and evil Paffions, and corrupt Affections, which, for want of being governed by Reason, Confcience, and Religion, hurry on Thousands in Youth to Destruction and Misery, tempo

ral