ISISC. Ir.3 THE WATCHFUL CHRISTIAN LYING` IN PEACE. 360 give you hope in youthful death, or leave a fragrant savour on your name, or memory, among those that survive. Reflection II. Ifsuch blessedness, as I have described, belong to every watchful christian at the hour of death, then it may not be improper hereto take notice of "some peculiar advantages, whichattend those who shake off the deadly sleep ofsin in their younger years, and areawake early to God and religion." 1. They have much fewer sins to mourn over on a death-bed; and they prevent much bitter repentance for youthful iniquities. Holy Jobwas a man of distinguish- ed piety, and God himself pronounces of him, that there was none like him in all the earth," Job i. 8. but it is a question, whether his most early days were devoted to God, and whether he was so watchful over his be- haviour in that dangerous season of life, for he makes a heavy complaint in his addresses to God, Job xiii. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth." The sooner we begin to be awake 'to holiness, the more of these follies and sorrows are prevented : Happy those, who have the fewest of them, to embitter their following lives, or make a death-bed painful! . Young persons have fewer attachments to the world, and the persons and things of it, which are round about them, and are more ready to part with it when their souls are united to God by an early faith and love. They have not ,yet entered into so numerous engage- ments of life, nor dwelt long enough here to have their hearts grown so fast on to creatures, which usually make the parting- stroke so full of anguish and smarting sor- row. A child can much more easily ascend to heaven, and leave a parent behind, without that tender and painful solicitude, which a, dying parent has for the wel- fare of a surviving child. The surrender of all mortal interest, at the call of God, is much more easywhen our souls are 'not tied to them by so many strings, nor united by so many of the softer endearments of nature, and where grace has taught us to practise an early wean- ing from all temporal comforts, and a little loosened our hearts from them by the faith of things eternal. VOL. I1. g
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