our Creator will almost neceffarily lead us to remember and confider him as our Judge. How natural is it for the Mind of Man to reason thus: God, who hath furnished and adorned our Minds with the fublime Powers of Understanding, Liberty, and Freedom of Choice, and who hath planted in us a Conscience, which is a domeftic Judge and Monitor, which, after the Commiffion of any wicked unjuft Actions, fills the Soul with Remorse, and Uneafinefs; and with Peace, Serenity, and Pleasure, after the doing virtuous Actions: Muft not this plainly fhew us the Defign of our Creator, viz. That he will certainly call his Reasonable Creatures to an Account for their Choice and Conduct? I fay, the very Notion of God as our Creator will lead us to confider him as our Judge; for if he will call any to Account, who should they be but those who are under peculiar Obligations to him, having received very diftinguishing Favours and Talents? Can we think that God breathed into Man a Rational Soul only for a few Days, to enjoy the Pleasures of this World, and then to be extinguished, and never to exist in any future State? Can any imagine that the Father of our Spirits gave us fuch Powers of Reason, and Understanding, and planted in us a Conscience, whereby we are either excufed and acquitted, or accused accused and condemned, by the Sentence of our own Minds, according to the Nature and Quality of our Actions, vicious or vir tuous; and, after all this, that God fhould never intend to call us to any Account? The very Notion of God as our Creator will lead us to remember and confider him as our Judge. They who have rightly improved the Gifts of Nature, Providence, and Grace, anfwerably to what they have received, may, whenever the Father of Spirits calls for them, chearfully refign their Spirits into his Hands; Let them that fuffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator, I. Epift. PETER, iv. 19. As foon as any come to the Ufe of Reason, and are capable of making Reflection, they should remember God their Creator, and their Obligations to him. They should confider upon what merciful Design God gave them their Beings, what are the diftinguishing Privileges they enjoy, what Gifts they have received from God, what Talents he hath intrusted them with; and confider themselves as shortly to be fummoned to an Account. The very Thought of our Creator will fix in our Minds a due Reverence and Love of God, who called us from nothing into Being; who C 2 hath hath placed us in the noble Order of Rational Creatures, and will therefore certainly call us to an Account. The very Frame of our Natures, the Powers and Faculties with which we are furnished, naturally lead us to fuch a Thought, and Conduct. To forget God our Creator, to be unmindful of the Rock that begat us, must be acting an unnatural, difingenuous, and ungrateful Part. I go on to the third Thing proposed; which is this, That the Season of Youth is the fittest and best for remembering God our Creator; or that it is, for various Reasons, highly expedient, useful, and neceffary, that Perfons in Youth fhould thus remember God their Creator, fo as to reverence, love, and devote their Hearts to him, and their Lives to his Service. That fuch may be prevailed upon thus to exercise and employ their Reafonable Powers in early Life, I would offer the following Arguments: And may God make them fuccessful! ift, God requires this, and 'tis peculiarly acceptable to him when Young Perfons fo remember him as to fear, love, and devote themselves to him, and his Service. 2dly, You know not but this may be the only Time you may have for remembering and and devoting yourselves to God and to his Service. 3dly, If you live to an Advanced Age, the Confideration of having thus rightly employed your early Days will be the great Support of Old-Age. 4thly, They who waste the best Part of Life, forgetting God, and neglecting his Service, are very feldom brought to any right practical Remembrance of him in After-life. 5th, Remember God in Youth, because you are accountable to him. 6th, This will afford the best and most fatisfying Evidence of Sincerity in Religion. 7th, Remember God in Youth, otherwise Temptations to fin will eafily gain Ground over and vanquish you. Finally, This will prepare for an early Death, or will be the great Support under the Infirmities of Age, and in the nearest Views of Death and Eternity. ift, Young Persons should remember God their Creator, because he requires this; and How this is in a peculiar Manner acceptable to him. Who fhould be revered and loved above all, but your Maker and Preferver? weighty and forcible is the first and great Commandment, Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, with all thy Mind, with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength? This Commandment carries the utmoft Force of Reason and Argument with it, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, from whom thou derivedft thy Being, and all the numerous Bleffings of Life, and to whofe free Grace and overflowing Goodness thou art indebted, and obliged for the most agreeable Hopes of a bleffed Immortality. Who that weighs this can hesitate one Moment whether he shall give his Heart to his Creator or no? Or whether he fhall place his chief Affections on Creatures, and Earthly Things? Let not your Hearts be alienated from God by fenfual Pleasures, and the Vanities of this tranfitory Life, God's Claim to your fupreme Love and Efteem is rightful, and indifputable. Moreover 'tis in a fpecial Manner acceptable to God, when Young Perfons bethink themselves of his Right to their Hearts and Services, and acknowledge it not only by Words and Profeffion, but by their Actions; They that feek him early fhall find him, Prov. viii. 17. We read of OBADIAH that he feared the Lord from his Youth |