SECTION VI; e; have been allured by all the most engaging methods your parents or your friends could think of to acquaint yourselves with the histories of scripture, the doctrines of religion, theexamples of godliness, and the important atfairs of your immortal' souls : it is expected that you should exceed others in practical godliness since you have enjoyed all these assistances., Let us be persuaded to consider With ourselves, how. many there are of'our age that never hadone pious book put into their hands, and it may be they have never been taught to read ; or if they have learned the art of reading, it has been employed from their childhood in wanton songs, in lewd novels or trifling romances ; and thus their fancies and their thinking powers have been unhappily tinctured with iniquity, and vitiated even from their youngest years : what de- grees of holiness have we attained higher than they ? What im- provement have we macle of our privileges to acquire more eminent advances in piety, and get further onward in our way to salvation ? V. You who have had closets or secret chambers at your command, and proper .places of retirement provided for you, wherein to retreat from the world, and converse with God and your own hearts, what have you done in religion more than others? This is a most considerable advantage for improvement in godliness. Mat. vi. 6. our Saviour bids us enter into our closets, and pray to our heavenly Father who àeeth in secret, and.he promises in his Father's name that he will reward us openly: What multitudes are there in the world whose parents have been so negligent of serious religion both in themselves and their offspring, as never to contrive or provide for their chil- dren either any opportunities or any conveniences for secret wor- ship; nor have the young creatures ever been taught to retire from the world, and call upon God in secret ? And what num- bers also have always lain under such strait circumstances even from their childhood, that they are seldom able to find a retiring place, the whole family being confined- to a single room or two ? And if at anytime the word of God lias .reached their con- sciences, and awakened them to a painful sense of their sin and danger, if they have been earnestly enquiring after relief and pardon andsalvation, when their souls have been full and ready to overflow under a deep impression of divine things, they have neither had a friend into whose ears they could vent theirinward sorrows, nor a secret corner .to retire where they might pour out their souls before God ? This has been a most afflictive and painful hindrance to young and early religion : but as for yón who have enjoyed blessed advantages for retirement, what have you profited by them ? 0 say thus to your own souls, Have- I made more constant visits to heaven than others? have I con .versed morefrequently with God than they? Have I arrived at a more humble and intimate acquaintance wills Godthrough Jesus
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