of your minister, much more will the blood of your children be required at your hands™.]
2. To young people —
[You have from the moment you came into the world a business assigned you by your heavenly parent, and you are bound to execute it from the very beginning according to your capacity. If you commence it early, you have a special pro- mise from God, that you shall succeed in your efforts". And tell me, what period of life is there, in which you can be so well employed as in doing your Father's will? You may think that youth and manhood are seasons rather for pleasure and for temporaJ pursuits : but the more you resemble Christ, the happier you will be. Who is there amongst you that does not congratulate Samuel, Obadiah, Timothy, on their early sur- render of themselves to God. Be assured, that such a retro- spect in your own case will, in a dying hour, be a source of much comfort to your souls. In the meantime you will greatly honour God by dedicating your whole lives to him, and will diffuse blessings through the world, instead of being, as alas! too many are, curses to all around them. And thus, it may be hoped, you will conciliate the favour both of God and man0. But if unhappily you be blamed for consecrating yourselves to God, then must you be ready to give a reason of your conduct with meekness and fear v."~\
m Ezek. xxxiii. 8. " Prov. viii. 17.
0 ver. 52. p 1 Pet. hi. 15.