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A.
HOPEFUL YOUTH
[SEAM.
VII.
to
shake
the
foundations
of
the gospel, to diminish the
authority of
the
scriptures, and
to
unsettle
the hope of
feeble
christians!
There are others
who
employ the
best powers
of
the
soul
:in
pursuing
the interests
of
this
life;
they
are
wise
in contrivance
to
gratify
their
Appetites, to
fill
their
cof-
fers,
and
to
heap
up
to
themselves wealth and honours
;
and
wise
to
secure
all
these
to
their posterity after
death:
They
call
their
lands
by
their
own names,
and
perpetuate
their
memory
to
the
latest
generations, but make
no
provision
for
their
own souls
:
they are
wise
to set in
order
their
houses
in
the day
of
their
health, and
all
things
prepared
for
their
dying hour,
besides
the con-
cerns
of
their
own
eternity;
these
are
delayed from
day
to
day,
and left
at
the utmost hazard
;
and
still they
think
the next month, or
the
next
year,
it
is
time
enough
to
prepare
for heaven, when perhaps
a
summons
is
sent
suddenly
from on
high; Thou
fool, this
night
is
thy soul
required of
thee,
Luke
xii.
20.
What
confusion
and
fear,
what hurry and
distress
of
spirit
will seize
you in
that
hour
?
You
that
have laid
out
all
your
wisdom
upon the little
businesses
of
this
life,
and
trifled
with
affairs
of
everlasting importance
;
you
must
go down
to
the
chambers
of
death
in
suprize and anguish
;
you
must
leave
all
the fruits
of
your
wisdom behind you,
and
be
branded
for
eternal
fools.
pity those
who
are
blessed with
a
large memory, and
would plead
with you this
day for the sake
of your
souls.
The
memory,
it
is
a
noble
repository of the
mind,
it
is
made
to
receive 'divine truths,
to be
stored
with
the ideas
of
God and
his
grace, with
the
glories
of
Christ
and
,
heaven: it
is
given us to
furnish and supply
the
heart
and tongue upon
all occasions,
for worship, for confer-
ence, and for
holy
joy.
What
pity
it
is
so wonderous
a
capacity should
be
crouded
with
vile images, with
wan-
ton scenes, with
profane
jests, and idle stories
!
Or,
at
best,
it
is
filled
with gold, and
silver,
and
merchandize;
with lands
and
houses, ships
and insurances
;
it
is
all
in-
scribed
with stocks;
annuities, and purchases,
and turn-
ed
into
a
mere
book
of
accounts,
a
trading
shop,
or
an
everlasting exchange
:
Night
and
day,
the ,buyers and
sellers
are
passing
through
this
temple,
'which
should
be
consecrated-- to
-God;
and there
is
no
room left
for.
the