afleep in their fins, and every moment in danger of being confumed in the fire of God's indignation-to" cry aloud," and even to "lift 66 up his voice like a trumpet"; exhorting them, if I may fo exprefs it, to extinguish those terrible flames with the tears of repentance, while there is opportunity for it? Is not this the trueft charity? As was faid in the other cafes, he does not make, but only give warning of the danger, that it may be escaped. And has not God enjoined this upon all who are, by office, the preachers of righteousness? He fays to each of them, in effect, as he did to the prophet of old: "Son "of man, I have made thee a watchman to the "houfe of Ifrael: Therefore hear the word at MY MOUTH; and give them warning from ME. When I fay unto the wicked, Thou "fhalt furely die; and thou giveft him not warning, nor fpeakeft to warn the wicked from "his wicked way to fave his life; the fame "wicked man fhall die in his iniquity; but his "blood will I require AT THY HAND. Yet "if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not "from his wickednefs, nor from his wicked he fhall die in his iniquity; but thou way, "haft delivered THY SOUL." + 66 IT should also be remembered, that exhorting young men, or others, to be fober-minded, muft, by natural and juft implication intend, ufing all arguments and motives that are proper to that end. And therefore, fuch as the laftmentioned, muft not, cannot be omitted; tho' D + Ezek. Ch. III. there 66 there are many others to be infifted on, with the fame general view. Indeed, a minister of the gofpel fhews no lefs benevolence and tenderness to his hearers, by admonishing them of the danger of infidelity and impenitence, provided it is done in a rational and fcriptural way; than by exhorting them to be fober-minded, wife and virtuous, from a confideration of the prefent peace, and future rewards of religion: Such confiderations as those which now clofe this difcourfe, addreffed by Solomon to his own Son; and found among thofe excellent proverbs, the defign of which was, to give fubtlety to the "fimple, to the young man knowledge and un"derstanding". My fon-Happy is the man "that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth "understanding. For the merchandise of it is "better than the merchandife of filver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubics: and all the things thou "canft defire, are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand : and in "her left hand riches and honour. Her ways 66 are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay 66 hold upon her; and happy is every one that "retaineth her." † 66 + Prov. III. 11- -18. SERMON Of Sobriety in general, in Principle and Sober Thoughts of One's felf. Short TITUS II. 6. YOUNG MEN likewife exhort to be fober M minded. Y beloved young brethren of this Society, having a defign to adapt a number of difcourfes particularly to your fervice, as a mark of the refpect and good-will which I bear to you, as well as from a regard to my duty more immediately to God, whose I am, and whom I ferve with my fpirit, tho' in weakness: I thought I might very properly make these words of the apostle Paul to Titus, the fubject of my intended difcourfes. D 2 IN IN the morning I made fome remarks on Titus and the Epiftle to him; on the terms young men", and "fober-minded"; and then confidered, more particularly, what that manner of addrefs implies in it, which is expreffed in the text by the word "exhortation". These feveral obfervations were defigned only as introductory to my main defign; which was exhibited in the preceeding difcourfe, under four general heads. The first of these, to which I fhall now proceed without farther preface, was, FIRST, BY divine affiftance, fomewhat dif tinctly to explain to you the nature of that fobriety, which is fpoken of in the text; and to recommend it to you in a curfory way. BUT, let me here juft remind you of fomething obferved in the preceeding difcourfe; that the original Greek word, tho' perhaps most commonly used in a reftrained fenfe, to fignify being grave, chafte, temperate or moderate, yet eafily and naturally admits a very extenfive meaning. It may comprehend all that is commonly intended in the writings of Solomon, by " wisdom"; i. e. true religion in general, both in principle and practice. And there is, if I mistake not, a particular pofitive reafon for understanding it in fuch a latitude in the text. In this comprehenfive fenfe, it will accordingly be confidered in the enfuing difcourfes. FOR the farther illuftration hereof, it may be obferved that this expreffion, "fober-minded," naturally fuggefts to us, that true fobriety, or all true wisdom, begins, and has its feat in the mind, 66 mind, foul or fpirit; the intellectual, immortal, and most excellent part of our compound nature: That it confifts in the foul's, or mind's being rightly informed, difpofed, and under due regulation. If the mind be not duly enlightened, rightly affected, and under a proper influence, no perfon, whether old or young, can be truly wife, virtuous or fober. Not the body, but the mind itself,is moft properly the refidence, or feat, of true wisdom and fobriety; of all morally good qualities. However inoffenfive, blamelefs or regular a perfon's external behaviour in life may be; yet if you fuppofe him at the fame time to have a mind deftitute of knowledge, uninformed with truth, void of fincerity and good principle; or, in one word, if you fuppofe him deftitute of a fober mind," in the ftrict, literal sense of these words, you certainly fuppofe him to be neither wife nor good, in a moral sense. You fuppofe, indeed, fome appearance of wisdom, of fobriety, or of virtue; but it is only the appearance, not the reality; the fhadow without the fubftance. Or, if I may be indulged the expreffion, you suppose a fair, magnificent temple, but no Deity, no God within. Nay, farther: If you fuppofe the foul, or mind of man, unadorned with knowledge, virtue, and good principle; do you not, of confequence, fuppofe it to be deformed and debased by error, ignorance, vice, or pofitively bad principles ? Doubtless you do. The mind of an infant has, indeed, been confidered by fome, as a charte blanche, orclean paper, fit to receive any infcription, impression or |