1. By the gay and thoughtless —
[They have no ear for the counsels of Wisdom. They will commend her in general terms ; but will have as little as possible to do with her instructions. Let the parent labour ever so much to instil wisdom into the minds of his children, he will find, to his grief, that the enchantments of folly baffle all his efforts. It should seem no difficult task to prevail on them to think before they act, and to regulate their conduct by sound principles : but though he give " line upon line, and precept upon precept," he will have reason to bless himself, if, after all his endeavours, his family do not embitter his days by their faults and follies. The word of God too may be acknow- ledged by them as good : but not a precept in it is suffered to have an ascendant over their mind. Sabbath after Sabbath are divine instructions poured into their ears ; but none are suf- fered to descend into the heart. In fact, they are despised ; and if obtruded upon the mind as principles of action, they are rejected with scorn and contempt.]
f John XV. 2. Phil. iv. 13. § James iv. 7.
2. By the formal and self-righteous —
[Wisdom's sublimest dictates are by these regarded as the reveries of a heated imagination. The whole life of faith is foolishness in the eyes of a self-righteous Pharisee. He sees no suitableness in it to the end proposed. He thinks that an attendance on ordinances, and a performance of some moral duties, are quite sufficient : Why should he mourn and weep? What is there in faith that can benefit his soul ? Why may not his works find acceptance with God ? In vain is he told that the Gospel is " the wisdom of God in a mystery ;" and that the very angels in heaven are made wiser by the revelation of it to the Church"^. In vain is he told what the Lord Jesus Christ, that " Wonderful Counsellor," has done for the re- demption of a ruined world, and viill do in all who believe in him. No sense of obligation abides upon his mind : no expressions of gratitude flow from his lips : the Benefactor is forgotten, and the benefit despised : and he chooses rather to seek his resources within himself, than to depend for them on the bounty of another.]
3. The backsliding professor —
[The man who has once " professed godliness," has given his testimony to the excellence of wisdom. But when he de- clines from the way of godliness, he revokes his testimony, and becomes an open advocate for folly : he proclaims to all, that the ways of wisdom are incapable of affording him any solid comfort ; or, at all events, that there is more happiness to be found in the vanities of time and sense, than in the service of the living God. Yes, thou backslider, thou " exaltest folly, and praisest the wicked':" and, if thou condemnest, as thou must, the inhabitants of the city that left their l)enefactor to pine away in poverty and contempt, much more must thou condemn thyself, who hast, by thy declensions, " crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."]
Let me now improve the subject, by recommending to your adoption, L A life of consideration and thoughtfulness —
[The man who has begun to think and to consider, has already got more than halfway to heaven. It is inconsideration that ruins the whole world. Would men but inquire from day to day. What have I done ? Has it been consonant with the dictates of sound wisdom? Have I proposed to myself the best ends, and have I pursued them by the fittest means ? how much evil would they avoid, and how much misery would they escape ! O that I might prevail upon you to enter on such a course as