perhaps, the most dangerous of all temptations. For one man who is led astray by love of vice, thousands are ruined by the seductions of others. The pleasure of entertaining conversation, the fear of being laughed at, the dangerous arguments by which wicked men try to shake the religious principles of those whom they wish to ruin, and that great enemy of weak minds, bad example; these are the snares which are often fatal to inexperienced youth. Let the servant of God guard his heart against them. Let him avoid every place where he will hear religion made the subject of ridicule. Let him avoid the unbeliever, the drunkard, the gamester, the libertine. Let him be very careful in the choice of friends, and never seek the company of any but good men. With them he may be cheerful without danger, and happy with a safe conscience.

Thirdly, let him guard against the temptation of idleness. No man is so unlikely to fall into mischief, as he who is employed in honest industry. In this respect the poor are far happier than the rich; and to this, perhaps, it is owing that they escape many vices. When a man has nothing to do, he is almost always tempted to do wrong. Let every young person shun idleness.

Every man, and every woman, may find some useful employment; and every hour which is spent in doing nothing, should be considered as a misfortune, a disgrace, and a temptation to sin.

Lastly, let him guard against the temptations of vice. When I exhort a well educated and virtuous youth to avoid drunkenness, gaming, adultery, murder; he will perhaps answer as Hazael did to the prophet, "What! is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing ?"* GOD grant that he may always hear of these vices with the same honest indignation; but in order to this, he must not presume too much on his own strength, and he must carefully avoid all the temptations I have already mentioned; or he may be led on, step by step, till he loses his principles, his character, his innocence, and his happiness. He may be led on, till only the bitter tears of repentance can preserve his soul, as well as his body, from ruin. I have already cautioned you against some of these enemies of our souls, and others shall be noticed hereafter.

At present I will only mention one amongst the dangers which surround the inexperienced youth, and entreat him to avoid the society of 2 Kings viii. 13.

bad women. Virtue is never so lovely, or vice so odious, as in a woman. Let the young man attend to what is said on this subject in the Bible. "The lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Remove thy way from her, come not nigh the door of her house."*

"A virtuous woman," says the same inspired writer, "is a crown to her husband;"+ and happy is the man who is united to such a one by the sacred bond of marriage; "but whoremongersand adulterers," says St. Paul, "GOD will judge." Before I conclude this subject, let me warn every one who hears me, against the dreadful guilt of corrupting an innocent woman to her ruin. However men may regard this crime, I scruple not to say, that, when all its dreadful consequences are considered, the murderer is far less guilty than the seducer. They who kill the body, have no more that they can do; but may every young woman look with horror on the wretch, who, under the pretence of love, would rob her of her virtue, of the + Prov. xii. 4.

Prov. v. 3.

Heb. xiii. 4.

esteem of her friends, of her character in this world, and perhaps of her eternal happiness in the next. And shall not God be avenged for such crimes? Think not that the number of criminals will be any excuse in his sight. I know that such men are not always detested as they ought to be. I know that they are

often found in all societies, and even in the religious assemblies of Christians. If there be such a man in this congregation, to him I speak ; let him listen to the voice of truth. If thy wicked heart intend to seduce an innocent woman, and to take advantage of her love for thee to ruin her in this world and the next; I charge thee to consider the sin which thou art about to commit, and to tremble at the vengeance of an offended GOD. The hour of repentance must come, GOD grant that it may be now. GOD grant that the preacher may touch thee to the soul, while he calls thee to answer for thy crime at the judgment seat of CHRIST. There we must all appear; and how wilt thou then reply to the parents of the woman thou hast seduced, when they thus charge thee in the presence of her Redeemer ? "This child was the object of our fondest love, we reared her with the

tenderest care, we taught her all we knew, we set her a good example, we brought her up in the fear of GOD. She was innocent and happy; and we hoped that our declining years would be blessed by her growing virtues; but that man, that man whom she loved, who pretended to love her, seduced her from the path of virtue, plunged her in guilt, in shame, and ruin. At his hands we demand our child."

But this is not all. Shouldst thou then see that woman who was ruined by thee, banished from heaven for thy sake, consider, for a moment, what thou wilt then feel! Could thy agony be greater, if all her sins and thy own should fall with tenfold vengeance on thy guilty head? This is not a fable; it is, it will be true. In vain may a wicked world excuse such crimes, in vain may many partners in guilt persuade thee. not to reflect on the day of vengeance. The hour will come, it must be soon, it may be now, when thou shalt know and feel all the horrors of this blackest of crimes. O consider this, ye that forget GOD; repent, and beg for mercy, before it be too late!

To those who are not yet polluted with such crimes, allow me to repeat, in a few words, the