142 A HOPEFUL YOUTH [SEAM. VIII, plants shall one day be fruitful trees in thy vineyard ; they shall be pillars in thy holy temple." But alas ! there is a death upon our hopes, there is a darkness and a Iethargy upon your souls : We look upon you inall these your endowments, we mourn over you with compassion, and with zeal we express our grief and our love : " Awake, ye young sinners, who have deserved our love; awake, that ye sleep not to everlasting death." 5. To those that are rich in this world, and are fur- nished with the former good qualities too. I am well assured, while I address myself to this assembly, I speak to many personsof this character*. Ye are wealthy and condescending, like the young man in my text; ye are often uncovered, and ye pay reverence to the ministers of the gospel, as he did; ye give us honours and civili- ties beyond our merit or wish ; ye come and ask of us the same question, What shall we do to inherit eternal life? And we tell you from the word of God, Love not the world, nor the things of the world; for where the love of the world is, the love of the Father is not. If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Mortify your affections that are upon the earth, and deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow Christ: Become his dis- ciples, without reserve, in faith, and love, and univer- sal holiness. While we propose these paths to eternal happiness, shall , it be said concerning you, they went away sorrowful, having great possessions ? Your condescending and affable deportment, looks brighter by all the rich lustre ofyour habits; and the bigger your circtunstance` are, the more lovely is your humble attention to the ministers of Christ, and your readiness to hear our words is the more .commendable But will ye be hearers only, and never practise ? The time is coming, and the hour makes haste uponyou, when ye shall stand upon the borders of the grave, and look into that world .of spirits, where all the honours and dis- tinctions of this worldare known no more. Ye shall be stripped of those vanities whichye loved above God and heaven. Thinkhow mean and despicable a figure your souls will make amongst fallen angels, , if the love of this world, and neglect of God should bring you into that *This discourse was delivered at Tunbridge -wens:
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