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A
HOPEFUL YOUTH
[sEgm.vn.
I
believe to
be
in
a
state
of
sin
and death, and
have
no
present hope of
his
salvátion. How could
holy
parents-
fulfil
their duties
of
affection to
their
wicked children?
or
pious children
pay
due respect
to sinful
parents?
How
could a believer
fulfil
the
law
of
love to
an unbe-
lieving brother,
or a dearer
relative,
if
we
ought to
admit
of
no love
to persons
that
are
in
a state
of
enmity
to
God?
How can
we be
followers
of Gód
as dear
children;
if
we
are
not
kind
to
the unthankful, and to
the
evil
?
Luke
vi. S5.
To
those
who
have
nothing
of
serious
religion
in them
?
Gal.
vi.
10.
As
we
have oppor-
tunity, let
us
do
good to
all
men,
especially to them
who
are
of
the
household
offaith.
As
God
has
a peculiar
love
for
his own
children, for
those
who
are
renewed,
and
sanctified,
and
formed into
his
likeness;
so
ought
we
to
love
all
the
saints
with
a
peculiar
kind
of
affection,
and take
special delight in
them,
we
should express
a love
of
intimate
fellowship
unto them;
a
Jove
of
divine friendship,
of
spiritual plea-
sure, and hearty
communion
;
rejoicing together with
them in God
our
common
Father,
in
Christ Jesus
our
common Head,
and
in
the
hope
of
our
common Salva-
tion;
and
we
should ever
be
ready, in the
first
place,
to
assist and
support
them,
and
supply
their
wants
accord-
ing
to
the
calls
of
providence.
But sinners
also
must
have
some
share
in
our
love.
;id
Remark. How different
is
the special
love
of
God,
from the
natural
love
of
man
!
God
seeth
not
as man
seeth
;
he
appoints not
persons to
eternal
life,
because
of
some agreeable
accomplishments
which
they
possess
in
this
life.
Jesus Christ
himself,
considered
as God,
did
not
bestow his special
and
saving love
upon that
young Israelite,
whom,
as man,
he
could
not
help
loving.
So
Samuel
was
sent to chuse a
king for
the
Jews,
among the
sons
of Jesse,
1
Sam.
xvi.
6
When
he
saw
Eliab appear,
he
looked on
him,
and
said, Surely
the Lord's anointed
is
before
him; but
the
Lord
said to
Samuel, ver.
7.
Look
not
on
his
countenance, or
on
the
height
of
his
stature, because
I
have refused
him.
Old
Jesse, it
may
be, was
ready
to
look upon
his
eldest
son too, being pleased with
his
tall and
comely
figure,
and
to say within himself,
"
It
is
pity
that Eliab
was
not
made
a
king."
But David
was
God's
beloved.