prophet; others are required to speak to them, as well as the angel to speak to Zechariah; there are other fubjects on which the young need to be addreffed, as important as that which called the prophet's attention. I fhall therefore improve our text as a general direction to speak to the young. You will ask then, what young man is to be spoken to ?

Every one needs to have fomething faid to him. But there may be special occafions to speak to fome. You will find fome who are ignorant, and need to be inftructed; fome who are rash and precipitant, and need to be warned; fome who are wicked and ungodly, and need to be reproved; fome who are inattentive to their duty, and need to be exhorted. Every one has his temptations, his dangers, his weakneffes, and his failings, and needs to be addreffed in a manner fuitable to his peculiar fituation and character.

But what occafion is there to speak to the young man?

Speak to him, because he is unexperienced; he has not had time for much obfervation and improvement. Hence through want of knowledge, he is li able to commit many grofs mistakes, and to take many dangerous fteps. Give him, therefore, the advantage of your better judgment, clearer forefight and riper experience.

Speak to him, because temptations await him, of which he is unapprized. This is with him a giddy age; a critical period. His paffions are strong, his imagination lively, his felf-confidence bold, and his forethought but fhort. Hence temptations more fuddenly furprize him, more eafily overcome him, more powerfully bear him away, than, we hope, they will do at a riper age, when his fenfes are better exercised to difcern both good

and evil.

Speak to him, because one wrong step may be followed with a train of mischievous confequences. It is of importance that he begin well; that he fet out right; that he early take the path in which he fhould walk; that he be fecured from the fatal tracks, into which incautious fouls are easily decoyed. One false step will make way for another, and that for a third, until the poor thoughtless wanderer will be fo bewildered in the mazes of errour; fo entangled in the fnares of vice, that he will not know by what means to extricate himself, nor by what steps to return back to the good way, from which he has departed.

Speak to him, because he may have many bad advifers. His wicked companions will intice him to evil; and perhaps their fair speeches will cause him to yield. Many feducing fuggeftions will be made to him; many flattering arguments will be urged upon him, to draw him away from truth and virtue. Give him your wholesome cautions, that he may cease to hear the inftructions, which cause to err from the words of knowledge.

Speak to him, because the interest of his foul is depending. It cannot be a matter of indifference what course he takes, for with this his eternal ftate is connected. The path of fin is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. The path of righteousness is the way of life, leading up to the kingdom of glory. As you would fave a foul from death, apply the means in your power to convert the finner from the errour of his ways.

Speak to him, because from your filence he will conclude that his way is right, or not dangerously wrong. There are many cafes, in which, not to reprove is to countenance an errour; not to condemn is to excufe a fault; not to restrain is to embolden a tranfgreffion.

Speak to him, because the virtue and happiness of others may greatly depend on bis conduct. If he runs into the path of vice, you know not how many he may draw after him. These again may decoy and mislead many more. His pernicious influence may fpread wide and laft long. It may reach down to fucceeding generations, and extend itfelf on each fide, more and more, in its progress. One finner destroys much good. You know not, how much evil you may prevent, and how much good you may promote, by speaking to one young man. By fpeaking to him, you may speak to hundreds.

Speak to him, because he is young, and there is hope that you may do him good. There may be fome older finners who are hardened through the deceitfulness of fin, and become callous and unfeeling to reproof. The young are not yet so far gone in vice. There is in them fome fenfibility of heart; fome regard to honour; fome apprehenfion of futurity; fome tenderness of confciences and a word properly spoken may have a happy effect.

You will next enquire, whofe business is it to speak to the young man ?

It is the business of every one who fees, that he needs to be spoken to, and who can do him good by fpeaking. Particularly,

His parents ought to speak to him. They are commanded to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to train him up in the way in which he should go. By divine authority they are charged with his inftruction, guidance and education. If they forbear to execute the charge, how God will refent the neglect, they may learn from the example of his vengeance on the house of Eli, of which he fays, " Iwill judge the

house of Eli forever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his fons made themselves vile, and he reftrained them not."

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If the youth be removed from the government of his parents, they, under whofe care he now lives, fhould fpeak to him. As he is become a member of their family, they are bound, as they fee occa fion, to advise and reprove him. Every head of a family has authority within his own houfe, and he can, if he will, maintain order and government there. Let his example be pure and blameless, and his inftructions and reproofs will be powerful and efficacious. If there be thofe in his family, who, by reason of age, are beyond the reach of his authority; or, by reason of perverfenefs, fpurn the orders of his house, he can, at least, remove them. Let every householder adopt David's refolution, "I will behave myself wifely in a perfect way: I will walk within my house with a perfect heart : I will fet no wicked thing before my eyes. A froward heart fhall depart from me: I will not know a wicked perfon. Mine eyes shall be on the faithful, that they may dwell with me. He that worketh deceit fhall not dwell in my houfe; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my fight."

Minifters ought to speak to him. Chrift has given it in command to them to feed his lambs. It is a part of Paul's charge to Titus, "Exhort young men to be fober minded." John wrote to little children and to young men, "that the word of God might dwell in them, and that they might be ftrong to overcome the wicked one." Minifters are to regard the weak as well as the ftrong, and children as well as those who are of full age. They are to give every one his portion, and to distribute in Chrift's family both milk and strong

meat.

Aged people fhould speak to him. Their years, gravity and experience, if accompanied with rightcoufnefs, give dignity to their perfons, weight to their counfels, and authority to their reproofs. On the contrary, their filence and connivance will embolden the youthful tranfgreffor, and ftrengthen his hands, that he will not depart from iniquity. Paul fays to Titus," Speak thou the things which become found doctrine, that the aged men be fober, grave, temperate, found in faith, charity and patience: The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, that they may teach the young to be sober, discreet and good."

Youths ought to speak often among themselves; to reprove, admonish, and encourage one another, as there is occafion; to exhort one another daily, left any be hardened through the deceitfulness of fin, and to be fellow helpers to the truth.

If youth, in general, were disposed to testify against the wicked practices of their affociates, they would foon difcourage them. Many are emboldened in their wickedness, because they meet with fome who treat it with a kind of jocular and mirthful approbation. Now if you would frown upon it, exprefs your abhorrence of it, and fhow that you cannot bear them who are evil, the guilty would be afhamed of themselves. The advice which the apostle gives to Chriftians concerning their treatment of a diforderly brother, is fit to be obferved by you in your conduct toward a diforderly companion. "Note fuch an one, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed: yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

You will now afk, in what manner muft we speak to him that is young?