against it, and despise it: or, if your mind be too tender for that, as in some young people it is, you have another remedy, as obvious and easy as it is necessary; keep out of the way of hearing it. Allow the most agreeable persons, that would weaken your sense of duty, as little familiarity with you as ever you can and strengthen yourselves in goodness continually, by the example, the countenance, the encouragement, the advice, of serious and discreet, and amiable companions.

3. A third thing which due sobriety of mind requires, especially of the young, is to avoid affectation: pretending, and endeavouring without cause to be what they are not, and to like or dislike what they naturally do not. While any thing continues in fashion, they, beyond others, are hurried away by a strange desire of appearing much fonder of it, not only than there is ground to be, (which belongs to the last head,) but than they really are: and often behave sillily, and sometimes wickedly, to express their passions for things, which at the bottom they have none for; at least, hardly any other, than what they took up, merely because they thought it looked well; and can easily lay down again at the shortest warning, as experience shews, and be just as highly delighted with any thing else. Now plainly such as these prostitute their share of good sense to whatever happens to be the reigning folly. And there are too many others, who though perhaps very zealous against these public affectations, have their private ones, to which they allow full scope. I am sensible, that matters of this nature may seem beneath the notice of this place: but nothing is so, which produces real evils in life. It is very true, in young minds, as in warm and light soils, numbers of weeds will spring up. But if they are nursed

and cherished, instead of being rooted out, they will exhaust the ground, and choak the good seed. Therefore examine whatever you perceive within you, rather with the greater care for its being of your own growth; and never tolerate strong fancies with weak reasons for them. Do not imagine things graceful, or important, or proper, without knowing why or that you can ever make them so, if they are not so: or that any way whatever, of thinking, behaving, or appearing, is in the least the better for your adopting it. Some perhaps may for a while, injudiciously or artfully, applaud your peculiarities: they may procure you much notice, and seemingly of a favourable kind; but this will never end well. you will get a wrong bias, and lose the true notion of the value of things; will lay yourselves open to the designs of the crafty, fall into contempt with the discerning, and by degrees with every one. Youth indeed hath advantages, which may partly conceal, partly excuse these absurdities: but then they will fix upon you, and remain with you, after every thing that can palliate them is gone. You will have put on a character under a false notion of its becoming you, and not know how to lay it aside, even when it misbecomes you most notoriously. And if all affectation be thus bad, how dreadful is that monstrous affectation of profaneness and vice, not uncommonly seen in persons who perhaps would like full as well to be pious and virtuous, if they could but believe it would make near so genteel a figure! But venture to believe, that a blameless conduct, though it will not raise so early or so great a talk about you, will, sooner or later, distinguish you to your advantage, which nothing else can: or, however the world may overlook you at present, God will do you abundant honour hereafter. Whatsoever thou takest in

hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss *.

4. The fourth particular comprehended under St. Paul's general direction for young people in the text, and the last that can be mentioned now, I shall express in his own words:-Not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but to think soberly +. Liveliness and want of experience peculiarly dispose them to err in this point: and the superficial education, the disregard to all authority, human or divine, and the liberty and the practice of saying and doing what every one pleases, that prevail in the present age, have heightened and spread the error to degrees never known before. Hence they perpetually despise the most useful qualifications, and the worthiest behaviour; admire trifles, follies, and sins, as distinctions and excellencies; claim a high merit for accomplishments of which they have little or no share; imagine themselves totally free from defects that are most glaringly visible in them; pity and scorn those whom they have more cause to envy: and thus, judging falsely, in the most dangerous manner, of things and persons, others and themselves, are utterly misled in the main concerns of life. Yet they fail not to see, but take a pride in observing, from time to time, that this is the case of such and such of their acquaintance: now, would they but reflect, that it may be their own too, it would be no inconsiderable step towards a cure. It must put them on examining what advantages and good qualities they are really possessed of, what the real value of them is, what deductions are to be made from them on account of imperfections and failings, and what ground they have, on the whole, to hope for the esteem of + Rom. xii. 3.

Ecclus. vii. 39.

wise men, and the acceptance of an all-wise God. It must remind them to consider over again the hasty judgments of their early days, and review with a suspicious eye, perhaps many notions which they are very well satisfied in, without knowing why, and are proceeding to act upon at all adventures. Most people indeed should have more diffidence than they have, but the young much more than others. It is not natural, it is not possible, that, in the very entrance of life, one who hath taken no pains to know any thing should know every thing. And therefore when such are found, as they are every day, perfectly contented with themselves; absolutely clear, that their own way of thinking and acting, whatever it chances to be, is right; when they will venture, in questions of the greatest moment, to decide, without the least hesitation beforehand, or the least doubt afterwards, perhaps directly contrary to what the ablest persons in all ages have done; and hold every one in utter contempt, that can possibly be of another opinion; this is surely an astonishing want of sobriety of mind. At least be a little modest till you can truly say, that you have considered and inquired with some care for afterwards, in all likelihood, you will be so of course. Especially be modest, in proportion as any point is of consequence, and out of your reach. For instance, in religion. The duties of it are plain, and plainly reasonable. So are the doctrines too, as far as we can understand them, and judge of them: but we can understand and judge of some of them but very imperfectly. They relate to the infinite nature of God, to the boundless views of his providence, to future times, it may be a future world. No wonder, that of such things we do not comprehend the whole: though he may have good

reasons whether we perceive them or not, for telling us part: and yet, without comprehending the whole, some parts must seem unaccountable. Now such difficulties as these, or possibly less, a raw self-sufficient youth chances to think or be told of, runs away with them, and derides the weakness of those who believe what they are taught. But can it possibly make any doctrine of religion doubtful, that persons, bred up in the manner that, God knows, too many are, and living afterwards as may be expected, do not understand it, or do not like it, or have heard more of the objections against it than the arguments for it? Or should they not rather learn to suspect, that they have not a sufficient acquaintance with the subject? For what will become of good sense and right behaviour in the world, if people are to think themselves masters of every thing which they know but any thing of, and to despise every thing they know nothing of? This is both a very unreasonable and very immoral turn of mind: it destroys all reverence for truth, all attention to the virtuous conduct of their faculties and their lives: it leads them, for the most part, to early misery here, and hardens them beyond all things against that penitent conviction, which alone can prevent their misery hereafter. Justly therefore doth the Prophet denounce: Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight. Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff: so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom go up as the dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel*.

* Isaiah v. 20, 21. 24.