his supreme disposal, which they cannot do in a state of impenitence and unbelief. Parents must become pious before they can perform their first duty to their children. How many young parents are there in this place, who are total strangers to vital piety; who murmur and repine under the government of God; who cast his laws behind their backs; who complain of the terms of salvation; and who say in their hearts that he who made them shall not reign over them! Can such parents sincerely give up their children to God? Can they be willing that God should guide, govern, and dispose of them for ever, when they cannot bear the thought that he should guide, govern, and dispose of themselves for ever? Are they prepared to teach, to guide, and govern their children, whose immortal souls are committed to their care and instruction? So long as they neglect their own souls, it is certain they will neglect the souls of their children. And so long as they neglect their own souls, and the souls of their children, they are laying a foundation for their own and for their children's everlasting ruin. They cannot expect that God will be with them so long as they refuse to give themselves to him; and they cannot expect that God will be with their children, so long as they refuse to devote them to his care, direction, and disposal. Young parents cannot hope for a more convenient season to become religious. Their serious situation calls aloud for serious consideration. They cannot neglect religion any longer, without wronging their own souls and the souls of others. It will be no excuse to them, that family prayer and family government are growing out of fashion, or that so many neglect to make a public profession of religion, and a public dedication of their children to God. It belongs to the heads of every rising family to make Joshua's resolution sincerely and immediately. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Is it not better to set a good example, than to set a bad example? Every family must set a good or bad example; and how many families are setting bad examples, by shutting God and religion out of their houses! The present state of young parents and rising families exhibits the most melancholy prospect of religion in this town; which ought to alarm both old and young, saints and sinners.

3. The character and conduct of Samuel show the peculiar obligations of those who have been the subjects of parental dedication and instruction, to make a personal dedication of themselves to the Lord. It appears that soon after the parents of Samuel had given him up to the disposal and service of God, and he became acquainted with what they had done for him, to promote his spiritual and eternal good, he felt his own obligations to consecrate himself to the Lord. After the

inspired writer had said that his mother lent him to the Lord, he immediately subjoins, " And he worshipped the Lord there;" that is, in Shiloh. When he came to understand that his parents had solemnly and publicly given him to the service and disposal of God, he realized that they had devolved a tender and solemn obligation upon him, to give himself away to God in an everlasting covenant, never to be broken or forgotten. A similar obligation lies upon all children who have been devoted to God by their parents, when they come to years of discretion, to remember the God of their fathers to whom they have been dedicated, and to subscribe with their own hands to be the Lord's. They are under stronger obligations than other children are, who have never been devoted to God, to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, and to consecrate themselves to his service as long as they live. They have no time to spare, and no talents to bury, or abuse. Their time, and talents, and lives, have been consecrated to God. They must be extremely criminal, therefore, if they profane what is sacred, and spend their consecrated lives in the service of sin. If Samuel, after he had been lent to the Lord, and devoted to his service, had, like other vain children and youth, cast off fear, restrained prayer, and walked in the ways of his heart, and sight of his eyes, would he not have robbed God, grieved his parents, and been aggravatedly guilty of profaning what was sacred? Would not his mother have addressed him, as the mother of Solomon addressed him, and said, "What, my son? and what the son of my vows?" How could you forget and forsake God, to whom you knew you have been solemnly consecrated? How could you disregard and dishonor your father and mother, who have done all they could to preserve you from all evil, and to make you virtuous, useful, and happy? What reply could Samuel have made to such a tender and solemn reproof? He must have been speechless and self-condemned. How can those children and youth who have been publicly and solemnly devoted to God, now justify themselves, if they neglect all religious duties, if they pursue lying vanities, if they trifle with that name which has been called upon them, if they profane that sanctuary where they were consecrated to their Creator, if they despise, disobey, and dishonor their parents, who have taught them their duty and admonished them of their danger? If there be any such children and youth in this place, they have reason to fear the doom of those who, having been often reproved, and hardened their necks, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 4. In the view of the character and conduct of Samuel we may see the great importance of early piety. This is generally disbelieved and disregarded by the young. Though many of

them believe that piety is very important some time or other; and though they seriously intend to be pious before they leave the world; yet they are ready to imagine that there is little harm or danger in neglecting early piety, and even think there are some advantages to be gained by postponing religion to a later, if not to the latest period of life. They hope to enjoy the world better without piety than with it, especially in their early days; and of course they avoid it as an evil. In this opinion, many of the aged, and some of the apparently pious, seem to agree. Parents, who have solemnly devoted their children to God, allow them to spend the morning of life in vanity, as a privilege they ought to enjoy, without disapprobation, or restraint. But Elkanah and Hannah did not think so. Zacharias and Elisabeth did not think so. Mary the mother of Jesus did not think so. Parents ought not to think so. Children ought not to think so. It is an unscriptural and dangerous opinion. Early piety was of infinite importance to Samuel. It secured the gracious, constant and powerful presence of God, which laid the foundation for all his happiness and all his usefulness in life. God guided him in every step he took, guarded him in every danger to which he was exposed, and assisted and succeeded him in every duty he performed, and in every useful design he formed. His early piety had a happy and amiable influence upon him in his childhood, youth, and every period of life. Accordingly we read, " And the child Samuel grew, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men." He advanced in piety and usefulness, as he advanced in age, from the beginning to the end of his life. It does not appear from any thing recorded of him, that he ever slackened his progress in duty and usefulness, but spent all his days in promoting the knowledge of God, the interests of religion and learning, and the prosperity of the nation. And in this pious course, he found the greatest peace and self-enjoyment in life, and the happiest prospects in death. Such has always been the happy tendency of early piety. It was early piety, that prepared Moses, Caleb and Joshua, David, Solomon and Daniel, for the great good they did in the world. And it has the same tendency to produce the same great and good effects at this day. How much more good may be done and enjoyed, by those who become pious early in life, than by those who become pious late in life. It is the highest interest and indispensable duty of the youth, to give their hearts and lives to God. This would secure his favor and presence, and the favor and esteem of mankind. This would prepare them for living and dying, and the enjoyment of all good for ever. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"

5. We learn from what has been said, that it is very criminal to obstruct early piety. It is certainly a truth, that the young do meet with many difficulties and obstructions and discouragements, to hinder them from early becoming pious, besides the native corruption of their hearts. They see not a few on the stage of life, who are highly esteemed and respected, though they make no profession, nor exhibit any appearance of real piety; which leads them to imagine that it is not of so much importance as some say. They see those of their age careless and stupid about serving God and doing good, and they naturally conclude that it is as right and safe for them, as for others, to live so. Besides these, there are ringleaders in vanity and vice, who solicit them to banish all serious thoughts from their minds, and run with them in the paths of the destroyer. The proposal gratifies the depravity of their hearts, and disarms them of all the good resolutions they have sometimes made. But greater difficulties are often thrown in their way by negligent, or unfaithful, or irreligious parents. Some parents wholly neglect a religious care of their children, some are far from being faithful to those whom they have publicly devoted to God, and some practically teach their children to be profane and irreligious. But whether the young or old, whether parents or others, obstruct early piety, they do a great injury to the young, to the world, and to themselves. They promote that which lays a foundation for the greatest evils in this world, and for the personal and eternal ruin of multitudes, who might be useful and happy both in time and eternity; which must eventually give them most painful reflections, whether they themselves are saved or lost. These things, however, cannot excuse the young for neglecting piety. If they meet with these obstructions, they ought to surmount them. Young Samuel did. He gave his heart and life to God, which secured the divine presence, direction, assistance, protection and blessing. And every youth may and ought to do the same. The young are certainly to be pitied at this day. Their situation is peculiarly trying and dangerous. And if each individual does not take care of himself, he has every thing to fear, rather than to hope, from the old as well as from the young.

I would now call upon the young Samuels, if there were any here. But there are none. There are, no doubt, aged Samuels, who early gave up themselves to God, and who have enjoyed and still enjoy the divine presence. Your duty is plain, and your obligations are great, in whatever circumstances you are placed, or in whatever station you move, or whatever relation you bear to the rising generation, to use all the means in your power to lead them in that strait and narrow path in which you are walking to eternal life.

SERMON XXX.

THE BLINDNESS OF A PEOPLE TO THEIR OWN

DEGENERACY.

ANNUAL FAST, APRIL 1, 1824.

YEA, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. -Hos. vii. 9.

HOSEA prophesied after the twelve tribes became two distinct kingdoms, and having occasion to speak to both, he distinguishes them by calling the one Judah and the other Ephraim. He calls the ten tribes Ephraim, and the other two tribes Judah. In the text, he is speaking of Ephraim, as appears by the verse immediately preceding. "Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." Gray hairs are a symptom of old age, and old age is a symptom of death. The gray hairs on Ephraim, therefore, denoted his moral degeneracy, or spiritual declension. He is described in this chapter as very immoral, corrupt and profligate, which is that spiritual disorder that leads to ruin. But to give a more alarming view of his danger, it is added, that though he had gray hairs here and there upon him, yet he knew it not. He was so stupid in his degenerate and languishing state, that he took no notice of the visible and mortal symptoms upon him. This is a lively and instructive description of the tribes of Ephraim, while pining away in their iniquities, and insensibly ripening themselves for utter ruin. God undoubtedly recorded the degeneracy and danger of his once pious people, for the