198 MEDITATIONS ON THE star, that blazes and expires- thou wilt be mine still, my God, and my portion for ever." And now, were it possible to call from the dead some that have died in youth, O, what a confirmation would they give, to all that has been urged upon you here! They who have followed Jesus while young, might say to you, "Follow him we followed. We soon embraced his gospel, yet not one hour too soon. Early as we began with religion, we began much too late; and could we have felt grief in heaven, we should have grieved, that we did not sooner know, and love, and serve our Lord. Death cut us down in the morning of our days, yet we did not die too soon; for we had bowed betimes at the feet of Jesus; and had found eternal life in him. He washed our sins away; he renewed our hearts; and prepared heaven for us, and us for heaven. taught us to set our affections on things above. We saw others engaged with all their hearts, in the shadowy concerns of time; we pitied them, and trod the path of life. We smiled in death. Divine grace made us conquerors over the grave; and now we rest from all our labours. Heaven is a long, long, happy home. Follow our Lord, and he will be your Lord. Receive him, and he will receive you. Commit your souls to him, and all will be well with you, for time and for eternity." A MEDITATION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE CHAPTER, He Come, O my soul, and in serious meditation, again review these pleasing motives for yielding thyself, thy all, to God. I am passing through the world like an eagle through the air. I am ADVANTAGES OF EARLY PIETY. 199 young, but youth and health have vanished from millions, and will soon vanish from me. Could I now gain the throne and become the ruler of this mighty kingdom, yet, in a little while, a throne and a kingdom would be of no importance to me; but I hear of things that will concern me for ever, of blessings that may, enrich me for ever. I hear of treasures of eternal worth; treasures, like those which angels enjoy, and which make even angels happy. Thrones and kingdoms upon earth never will be mine, even for a fleeting hour; but these far better riches may be mine "when rolling years shall cease to move;" these may be mine through one eternal day. 0, let me glance again at this list of blessings! Forgiveness, how much I need it! Forgiveness so free, and full, and entire, that though my sins are as scarlet they shall be white as snow. - Peace with God; peace even in this troublesome world; peace far above all that earth can impart, and which "nothing earthly gives or can destroy." The love of Jesus; love, stronger than death, and more lasting than time; love, which was manifested for me when he groaned on Calvary; and love, which would be manifested to me, infinite years beyond the day, when it shall be said, The judgment is finished, the world, the sun, the stars, are no more. Adoption into the family of God, and the privilege of becoming a child of the Most High; the dear object of his eternal love. O, precious blessing! what more precious can even an archangel possess! what higher privilege! what nobler honour! Can he go higher than to say, I am a child of God? O my soul, wonder and adore! The highest distinctions of archangels themselves may be thine; and thou 200 MEDITATIONS ON THE ADVANTAGES mayst have the privilege of saying, Now, even in this dying world, am I a child of God; and it doth not yet appear what I shall be, but I know, that when he shall appear, I shall be like him, and see him as he is. Even here, I may enjoy his kindness and his care; know him as my. father, and rejoice in him as my portion; even here, may have an interest in all his exceeding great and precious promises; and in the heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths, of his immeasurable and everlasting love. Even here, I may look to Jesus as my elder brother, my friend, my Saviour, my Shepherd, my forerunner, my guide, my guard, my boast, my bliss, my King, my God. But, beyond all the scenes of time, his word reveals a brighter world. There I may possess an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; an inheritance, compared with whose pure delights, the sweetest earthly pleasure is but bitter pain; compared with whose wealth, the treasures of kings are poverty itself; and compared with whose duration, ten thousand times ten thousand years are as the twinkling of an eye. All this, and infinitely more than any tongue can express, or heart can conceive, I may possess. When Jesus invites me to go to him, and take his yoke, he invites me to make all this my own. And canst thou hesitate, O my soul, or canst thou delay? Shall I refuse so kind an invitation? Shall I lose all these eternal treasures, for the things of a moment, that perish in the using? O, let me not act so base, so foolish, so unprofitable a part! I see, indeed, that godliness is profitable for all things; and would be infinitely profitable to me. Without it I had better never have been born. OF EARLY PIETY, AND PRAYER. 201 Without it I must be a mere cumberer of the ground. Then my very being would be a curse to myself; and I should be a curse to my friends, and a curse to the world; but with it, in my humble sphere, I should be enabled to glorify my God; I should live to my blessed Redeemer; and might die leaning, as it were, my languishing head for support upon his Almighty arm. "win Great and blessed God, from revolving these things in my mind, to thee would I turn. O, let them not be lost upon me; let these precious blessings all be mine. Deny me other treasures, if thou wilt but give me these. Let me Christ," and know him as mine; and know all the blessings which flow from his love, either on earth, or in heaven, as also mine. Give me the comfort of hope; the assurance of faith; and the heaven of holy love; that heaven in the soul, on earth, which is the forerunner and the earnest of an eternal heaven within me, and around me, when time shall be no more. Let me not have merely a wavering hope, but a strong unshaken confidence that thou art my God; that thy prom. ises are my charter; thy love my portion; thy kingdom my inheritance. While early religion is thus profitable and honourable, and desirable, let it be my immediate choice. Let me not, by delay, make repentance more bitter, and conversion more difficult; but may I feel true humility and sorrow for having wasted, and worse than wasted, so much of my life; and again, let me entreat thee to give me grace, gladly to yield the rest to thee; or if, O compassionate Father, thou seest that I have been led to this happy choice, then, confirm me in it, and never let sin or the world divide the bands which bind my soul to 202 EARLY PIETY THE 1. thee; but may I be blest in Jesus, and humbly and faithfully cleave to him. Grant me but these blessings, and then make whatever pleases thee, welcome to me. Let afflictions be welcome, as the chastisement of thy hand; and pain, as sent to meeten me for the rest, where there shall be no more pain. If thou art pleased to prolong my days, let life be welcome for the sake of living to my Lord. But if thou hast determined otherwise respecting me, if a few weeks or months are to finish my pilgrimage below, let even early death be welcome, as a speedier removal to eternal life; and let those years, which are taken from my mortal course, be added to that eternal day, to which thou hast promised to conduct all the humble followers of thy Son. Great God, thou seest nothing in me, to add weight to these requests; and never wilt thou see such worthiness in a creature so unworthy; but grant them for his sake whose blood was shed to wash away my sins. Amen. 66 CHAPTER XI. THE PLEASANTNESS OF EARLY PIETY. "ON parent knees, a helpless, new-born child, Weeping thou sat'st, while all around thee smil'd, So live, that, sinking in thy last long sleep, Calm thou mayst smile, when all around thee weep." § 1. As another reason for early piety, glance at some of the pleasures which true religion yields. It is the common delusion of the world, that religion is a melancholy thing; unsuitable to the young and sprightly; and of such a na |