THE Return of this blooming Sea­son of the Year puts me in Mind of my Duty towards my young Friends in this Congregation; those growing Shoots, those bloom­ing Flowers of human Nature.— To you therefore, my dear Youth, I would now address myself: And would do it with all the Tenderness of a fatherly Heart.

AMONG you, I hope, I shall not meet with Discouragement, of the samd king, which I often meet with in my Addresses to others. Among you, I hope, I shall not find any Veterans in Sin, confirmed and hardened in Wickedness by a long Practice; though, alas! we sometimes meet with the shocking Curiosity of one young in Years, but old in Sin. Among you, I hope [Page 4]to find that Tenderness of Heart, and those soft impressible Passions, which are so peculiar to your Age, and which may render you more susceptive of religious Impressions, than those whose Hearts are at once hardened by Age. and by a long Habit of Sinning; these Circumstances afford me Encouragement. But alas! even among you, soft and pliable as you are, I ex­pect great Discouragements, tho' of another Kind. You are gay, merry and thoughtless; and cannot bear to fix your Thoughts upon such disagreeable Subjects; and flatter yourselves it is time enough for you to submit to the Mortifi­cation of attending to them, as you advance farther in Life. Your Passions and Appetites are strong and unruly: Your Hopes warm and sanguine. And therefore I am afraid sundry of you will hardly allow me a serious Hearing, tho' our for an Hour. However, whether you hear, or whether you forbear, I must endeavour to de­liver my Message to you, in the Name of God.

IT is a very encouraging Thought, that the blessed Jesus has a very tender Regard for such young Creatures. This he shewed in his warm Resentment against those that would have kept them from his Arms, while he dwelt among Men.

SOME of his Friends brought their young Children to him, that he might touch them, or lay his Hands upon them, as a Sign of his bles­sing them, after the Manner of the Patriarchs and Prophets, in their solemn Benedictions. But his Disciples, thinking it beneath the Dignity [Page 5]of so great and divine a Prophet, to be troubled and teazed with little Children; and appre­hending that such thoughtless Creatures could receive no Advantage from him, rebuked their Parents, and would have sent them away. This must be a very affecting Discouragement to Parents to find themselves forbid to come to Christ, and that by his Disciples, who ought to have intro­duced them, and encouraged their Application. But when Jesus saw the dear little Creatures sent away from him, he was greatly displeased. If good Men thro' Mistake, and bad Men thro' obstinate Wickedness discourage these young Immortals in coming to Christ, he himself is willing they should come, and warmly resents it, when any Hin­drance is thrown in their Way. This gracious Shepherd takes special Care of the Weak and Young in his Flock; he ‘gathers the Lambs in his Arms, and carries them in his Bosom.’ Hence he tells his Disciples and all around him, ‘Suffer the little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not.’ They are all welcome to my Arms: And the little Sinners stand in need of a Saviour.

WHEN he says, ‘ Suffer them to come, and forbid them not,’ he does not mean, meerly, that they should not hi [...]der or discourage them; but he means, that they should positively assist and encourage them to come to him; and that Pa­rents should be so far from hindering them, that they should b [...]ing them themselves.

THIS [...] particularly addressed [...], and through them, to all the [Page 6]Ministers of the Gospel. And I feel its Obligation binding me in particular to this agreeable Duty. Indeed the lovely Forms, the Blooms of Reason, and the engaging little Actions of those amiable Creatures, whom I now address, might win the Affection even of a stranger, and excite him to perform every kind Office in his Bower for them.

OUR Saviour adds a Reason why he would have little Children suffered to come to him, which is, ‘For of such is the Kingdom of Hea­ven.’ This may be understood in two Senses. It may either signify the Gospel Church, which is often called the Kingdom of Heaven, and even the heavenly Church consists of such little Chil­dren as these: Such little Creatures are admitted as Members into this divine Society, and are entitled to its Privileges. And therefore, ‘Christian Parents ought to bring them to me; and it is their Duty to come as soon as they are capable of acting. Therefore forbid them not, but encourage them.’ Or it may signify the Church of God, both in its earthly and heavenly State, consists of such Persons; that is, of Persons, who resemble little Children in Tem­per; who, like them are humble, meek, pliable, forgiving, easily appeased, teachable. I rather chuse this Sense, because the Connection seems to lead to it; for the very next Words are, ‘Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, he shall not enter therein.’ This is also agree­able to what he says elsewhere, when he makes a little Child an Emblem of the Christian [Page 7]Temper. ( Matt. xviii, 2, 3, 4.) ‘Jesus called a little Child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever therefore shall hum­ble himself as this little Child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’ In this View the Argument is conclusive: For if Children have some Dispositions, in which even Men must resemble and imitate them, before they can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; then certainly Children are capable of being brought to Jesus, and it is their Duty to come to him.

You see, my dear Children and Youth, that you have a Right, and that it is your Duty, to come to Jesus. Therefore, oh! come to him: Come to him this very Day, without Delay.

BUT here, I hope, you start a very proper Question, ‘What is it to come to Christ? or, in what Sense are we to understand this Phrase, as it may be applied to us now, since he is re­moved from our World?’

COMING to Christ, in my Text, did indeed mean a bodily Motion to him: And this was practicable, while he tabernacled in Flesh among Men. But even then, it signified much more. It signified coming to him as a divine Teacher, to receive Instruction; as a Saviour, to obtain eternal Life; and as the only Mediator. through whom guilty Sinners might have Access to God. It signified a Motion of Soul towards him, cor­respondent to the bodily Motion of coming: A [Page 8]Motion of the Desires, a Flight of tender Affec­tions towards him. In this View it is still prac­ticable to come to Christ; and it is our Duty in these latter Da [...]s, as much as it was theirs who were his Contemporaries upon Earth. It is in this View I now urge it upon you: And in this View it includes the following Particulars:

1. A clear Conviction of Sin; of Sin in Heart, in Word, and in Practice; of Sin against Know­ledge; against alluring Mercies and fatherly Corrections; of Sin against all the strongest Ties to Duty. Without such a Conviction of Sin, it is impossible you should fly to him as a Saviour: [...] ‘came not to call the Righteous, but [...] Repentance.’

2. AN affecting Sense of Danger, upon the Account of Sin. You cannot fly to him as a Saviour, till you see your extreme Need of Salvation; and you cannot so your Need of Salvation. till you are sensible or your Danger; sensible that you are every Moment liable to everlasting Condemnation, and have no Title at all to the divine Favour.

3. AN humbling Sense of your own Inability to save yourselves by the Merit of your own best Endeavours. I do not mean, that you should neglect your best Endeavours; or that you should not exert your utmost Strength in every good Work, and in the earnest Use of all the Means of Grace: For you never will come to Christ, till you are brought to this. But I mean that while you are doing your utmost, you must be sensible, that you do not deserve any Favour at [Page 9]all from God on that Account, and that you neither can nor do make any Atonement for your Sins by all your good Works; but that God may justly condemn you notwithstanding. Till you are sensible of this, you will weary yourselves in vain, in idle self-righteous Efforts to perform the Work which Jesus came into the World to per­form, and which he alone was able to do; I mean, to make Atonement for your Sin, and to work out a Righteousness to recommend you to God. It is an eternal Truth, that you will never come to Christ as a Saviour, till you are deeply sensible there is no Salvation in any other; and particularly that you are not able to save yourselves.

4. AN affecting Conviction, that Jesus Christ is a glorious, all sufficient, and willing Saviour: that his Righteousness is perfect. equal to all the Demands of the divine Law, and sufficient to make Satisfaction for all our Sins, and procure for us all the Blessings of the divine Favour; that he is able and willing to ‘ save to the utter­most all thut come unto God by him,’ and that he is freely offered in the Gospel to all that will accept him, however unworthy, and however great their Sins. Indeed it is an eternal Truth, that though Multitudes perish, it is not for want of a Saviour. There is a Saviour all sufficient, and perfectly willing; and this you must be con­vinced of before you can come to him.

5. AN entire Dependance upon his Merits alone for Acceptance with God. Sensible that you have no Merit of your own, on which to [Page 10]depend; and sensible also that Jesus is a sure Foundation, on which you may safely venture your eternal All, you must cast all your Depen­dance and fix your entire Trust on Him. You will as it were hang about him, as the only Sup­port for your sinking Soul, and plead his Righ­teousness as the only Ground of your Acceptance with God. This is so unnatural to a proud self-confident Sinner, that you must be brought very low indeed, throughly mortified and self-emptied, before you will submit to it.

6. A chearful Subjection to Him as your Ruler; and a voluntary Surrender of yourselves to his Service. If you come to Him at all, it will be as poor penitent Rebels, returning to Duty, with Shame and Sorrow, and fully determined never to depart from it more. To embrace Christ as a Saviour, and yet not submit to Him as our Ruler; to trust in his Righteousness, and in the mean time disobey his Authority; this is the greatest Absurdity, and utterly inconsistent with the wise Constitution of the Gospel.

AND now, my dear young Friends, I hope even your tender Minds have some Ideas what it is to come to Christ. And therefore, when I exhort you to it, you know what I mean. Come then, come to Jesus: Ye little tender Lambs, come to the great Shepherd of Israel who loves to crrry such as you in his Bosom. Come, deeply sensible of your Sins. Young a [...] you are, you have been guilty of Sins beyond Number. You have spoken many bad Words, you have been peevish, sullen; angry, obstinate, [Page 11]disobedient to Parents, wild, thoughtless, and too full of Play. And which is worse than all, you have bad Hearts. Must they not be very bad Hearts, that are so little inclined to think of the great God, and love Him, who made you a few Years ago, and who has ever since been bestow­ing a thousand blessings upon you every Day? Must they not be very bad Hearts, that are so little inclined, or rather so averse, to Prayer, to Reading, and to the Service of God in general? That are so unwilling to think seriously of God and Eternity? That are so strongly inclined to Sin, and childish Follies and Vanities? You can­not but know, my dear young Creatures, that this is your Case; and therefore, believe it, you are Sinners, great Sinners. Yes, tho' your Forms are lovely, and your pretty little Actions very engaging, yet you are very guilty Creatures. Therefore come to Jesus as Sinners.

COME also sensible of your Danger. Believe it, while you have no Interest in Christ, while you do not love God, and delight in his Service, you are in Danger every Moment of Falling into Hell. The Threatnings of the Law of God are in full Force against you. The great God is justly angry with you every Day. The Lions of Hell are going about seeking to devour you. You have no Title to Heaven, and no Security of the present Life. Children and Youth die, you know, as well as the Aged, Yes the cold Hand of Death may seize you, lively, gay and merry as you are. And oh! WHERE are YOU THEN? Therefore come to Jesus as perishing [Page 12]Sinners, deeply sensible of your Danger. Come to Him, as a drowning Man catches at a Plank or Rope to save him. Cry to Him, ‘Save me, Lord; I perish. I stand upon the sl [...]ppery Brink of Ruin, ready every Moment to tumble in. Oh! stretch out thy Hand and save me.’

COME to him deeply sensible of your own utter Helplessness. Pray, read, repent, attend upon all the Means of Grace; do every good Work. But despair of ever saving yourselves by the Merits of these Things. Be sensible that all your Righteousnesses are but as filthy Rags: that after you have done all, you are but unprofitable Servants, and deserve no Reward at all from God. While you are full of yourselves, self-sufficient and presumptuous, you can never come to Christ. And oh! that you might this Day obtain a just View of your lost and helpless Situ­ation in yourselves! Even then, you would have no Ground for Despair: For tho' you are help­less in yourselves, yet ‘God hath la [...]d Help for you upon One that is mighty.’ Therefore,

COME to Jesus as an all-glorious, all-sufficient and willing Saviour. Oh! that you did but see his infinite Glory and Beauty! Then I need speak no more to you, you would of yourselves give yourselves up to him forever. Your Hearts would be instantaneously captivated by his irresistible Charms. Oh! that you were but sensible of his All-sufficiency! then you would no more hesitate and doubt whether you might venture your eter­nal All into his Ha [...]. You would be fully [Page 13]convinced that you might most securely trust Him with ten thousand Souls, if you had them. Oh! that you were sensible, how willing he is to save you! you would no longer doubt whether he would receive such guilty Creatures as you. Can you hear him declare over and over, "Him that con [...]eth to me. I will in no wise cast out." Can you hear that Prayer for his Murderers, from his dying Lips, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.’ Nay, Can [...]ou see him agonizing on a Cross for you, and yet question, whether he is willing to save you? Oh! if he be not willing, more than wil­ling, why these affectionate Assurances and kind Invitations? Why this Labour and Sorrow? Why these Tears, these Agonies, this Expence of Blood? Believe it, He is willing, He is eagerly desirous to receive the Vilest and most Guilty among you, if you are but willing to come to Him. Therefore come to Him, as to an all-glorious, all-sufficient, and most willing Saviour.

COME to Him also with a full Dependance up­on Him for Acceptance with God, and every Blessing. Trust in Him, though He should slay you. Venture your All upon Him. Lean upon Him, as you are coming out of this Wilderness. Renounce all Dependance upon your own Righ­teousness, Build no longer upon that Quick­sand, or you sink forever. But behold, God has ‘laid in Zion for a Foundation a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Corner-stone, a sure Foun­dation;’ and here you may safely build the high Fabric of your immortal Hopes.

[Page 14] FINALLY: Come to Him as to your Ruler and King. Yield yourselves willing Subjects to his Laws for the future. Let every Thought become a willing Captive to Him. Let his Will be your Rule. Let his Law regulate your Tem­per and Conduct; direct you to what you should love and hate. what you should desire and avoid; what you should do and forbear.

THUS come to Jesus Christ, my dear young Creatures, and he will certainly receive you into the Arms of his Favour; and there he will bear you safe through this World, till he lodge you forever in his blessed Bosom. I know you can­not come to him in your own Strength; but it is your Duty, and it is in your Power to endeavour to come to Him. And it is in the Use of your best Endeavours, and in that Way only, that you have any Reason to expect the Assistance of divine Grace to enable you.

THEREFORE, come, come! The Spirit of God in this sacred Book, and in your Consciences, and the Bride, the Church of Christ, say Come; and I that have heard it, and all the Ministers of The Gospel, say Come ‘And let him that is athirst for the Blessing of the Gospel, come; and whosoever will, let him come, and take the Water of Life freely. ^*’

Do you need Arguments to excite you to come? Then my Text will furnish you with sundry of great Weight.

1. JESUS was highly displeased with those that would have kept little Children from him. And [Page 15]how much more will He be displeased with you, if you keep yourselves from Him, by your own voluntary Act? Let others do what they can to hinder you, you may go to Him in Spite of them. But if yourselves continue unwilling, your Case is desperate; you commence your own Executioners, and die by your own Hands. Must not Jesus resent it, when he spreads his Arms to receive you; and yet, you refuse to come to Him? And are you willing to in [...]ur the Wrath of the Lamb? Are you willing to rouse Him into a Lion, to tear you to Pieces? Are you willing to cast yourselves out of Favour with the only Saviour [...] If you offend that only Friend, and turn him into an Enemy, who can befriend you? Must you not perish without [...]medy [...] Oh! that you would seriously confider, my dear Youth: what it is to [...]u [...]n the blessed Jesus against you! better the whole Universe be against you than He,

2. JESUS commands others to suffer little Children to come to Him; and not to forbid them. And how much more does he command you? If others should suffer you, then how much more ought you to suffer your selves to come to Christ? Oh! will you throw Obstructions in your own Way? Are Parents, are Ministers, are all around you, obliged to suffer you, and even en­courage you to come to Christ? Are you [...] Liberty, do you think, to forbid yourselves [...] Surely the Duty, in the first Place, lies upon you. Therefore, Oh! come to Him without Delay.

BUT as this Part of my Text may he applied with peculiar Propriety to Parents, I must make [Page 16]a short digressive address to them.—Fathers and Mothers! "O suffer your little Children to come to Jesus, and "forbid them not."—Forbid them not, by your own Examples. Let them not see you neglect Jesus Christ yourselves, and going on is Sin: For this will be the greatest Hindrance you can cast in their Way. Forbid them not, by discouraging the Appearances of Thoughtful­ness, and serious Impressions on their tender Minds.—Forbid them not, by flattering them with false Hopes, and healing their Wound slight­ly, speaking Peace to them without good Reason; but endeavour to make them sensible of their Sin­fulness and Danger, and their extreme Need of a Saviour; of the Difficulty of Conversion, and a Course of strict Religion: in short, let them know the Truth of their Case.

I told you before, that this Prohibition "forbid them not," implies an Injunction positively to encourage and assist them in coming to Christ. Therefore, Parents, do all you can by Instruction, by Example, by Prayer to God, and by every Means in your Power, to bring your dear Chil­dren to Christ. Remember He hath laid his Commands upon you; and dare you disobey, especially, when the same Duty is inforced upon you by the strongest Ties of Nature?

BUT I return to you. my young Friends, to whose Service I have devoted this Hour. And my last Motive to you derived from the Text is,

3. "Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." This, I told you, may be taken in two Senses; and in both it may be a strong Inducement to you to come to Christ.

[Page 17] IF the Meaning be, that the Church of God consists of Persons, who in Temper and Disposi­tion resemble little Children, then it is natural to reflect how much you are obliged to come to Christ, that the amiable Qualities you have, may be finished and compleat. You already have many lovely Dispositions, and even a Stranger might see many Things in you that might en­gage his Heart. Even a Saint must resemble you in some Things, and be as a little Child, as a Preparative for Heaven. But alas! you want one Thing; and that is, inward Holiness. And with­out this, all your amiable Qualities are utterly deficient, and leave you guilty, vile, loathsome Creatures, in the Sight of God. Without this, you are really but gilded Masses of Corruption and Deformity. But should you come to Jesus, He would put his Comeliness upon yon. He would make you all-glorious within: He would compleat your Character, and [...]ender you all-ex­cellent throughout. But alas! if you come not to him, the agreeable Qualities you have, will gra­dually decay, and you will degenerate into down­right unmingled Wickedness. When you sink into the infernal Regions, you will contract the very Genius and Temper of a Devil; all the Re­mains of Virtue, and whatever of the Image of God you may have retained since the Fall, will drop from you. Thus "from him that bath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath."

BUT if we consider this Reason, ‘for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven,’ as signifying, that the Gospel Church upon Earth, and even the hea­venly Church, consists of little Children as well as [Page 18]Adults, then what a great Inducement may this be to you to labour to be of their happy Number? Why should not you enter into the Kingdom of Heaven as well as others? There's young Abijah, in whom was found some good Thing towards the Lord God of Israel, even the wicked Family of Jeroboam. There are Jeremiah and John the Baptist, who were sanctified from the Wo [...]. There is Timothy, who from a Child knew [...] Holy Scriptures. There are Thousands of little Creatures, who just stayed long enough upon Earth, to know themselves, and their God and Saviour, and have their deprav'd Nature chang'd, and then wing'd their willing Flight to Heaven. It is not to my present Purpose to enquire into the future State of those that die in Infancy before they are capable of Reason. But as to the many who die in their earlier Days, when Reason has begun to dawn, they are considered as moral Agents, and rewarded according to their Works: And we have good Reason to hope, that sundry of them in their short Space of Life, are effectually prepar'd for a happy Eternity. I have myself seen promising Appearances of such early Piety, in various Places. And O! when shall I be so happy as to see many such Appearances among the dear Children and Youth in my Congregation? Why should not young Sinners come to Christ from Hanover, as well as other Places? Many of you lately heard from the Lips of a very sincere and zealous Preacher, the Rev. Mr Robert Henry, Minister in Lunenburg, Virginia; that in his Congregation near [...]we [...]t [...] Youths, some of them not above nine or twelve Years old, were under [Page 19]very promising Impressions of Religion, and ear­nestly pressing into the Kingdom of God. And are not young Sinners among us, as much con­cerned to come to Jesus, as in Lunenburg? Is Sin only a local Evil? O [...] is Jesus only a local Saviour? I mean, is not Sin a [...] pernicious an Evil, and is not Jesus as [...]eedful and as amiable a Sa­viour; in one Place as another? O! my dear Youth, shall other Ministers have the Pleasure of leading the tender Lambs of their Flocks to Jesus, while your p [...]or Minister is lest to weep over you as the willing Prey of Sin and Sa [...]an? Shall Heaven be peopled with young Immortals from other Places, while the Youth among as are crowding the slippery down-hill Road to Ruin? O! who can bear the Thought! O! that you would suffer me this Day to snatch you as Brands out of the Burning, before you catch Fire, and blaze unquenchably!

I have another Inducement of this Kind to communicate to you, which is indeed the best Piece of News I have heard this long Time [...] It is in a Letter I received two Days ago from one of the best of Men, and m [...] favourite Friend in Pennsylvania; I mean the Reverend Mr. Samuel Finley, Tutor of a large [...]cadem, (where some finish their Education, and others prepa [...]e them­selves for the C [...]lege) and one of the T [...]ust [...]es of N [...]ss [...]-Hall or New-Jersey [...] above 100 Miles from [...] And I cannot commu­nicate it to you with more [...] and Simplicity [...] is an Answer to [...] had seat h [...] some Account [...] lately received from my [Page 20] British Correspondents, of a remarkable Revival of Religion in England, especially among the Clergy of the esta [...]lished Church. He proceeds thus:— ‘I thank you for the Extracts from your English Letter, &c. They raised my heavy Heart a little while, and furnished Materials for Con­versation. I greatly rejoice that the Lord Jesus has put in my power to make you a large Com­pensation for the good News you sent me. I can shew you greater Things than even those, as they appeal to me more unexampled and sur­prizing. God has done great Things for us, whereof we are glad. By this Time you stand a [...] to discover what these glorious Tid­ings are. Why, no less than that our gracious Redeemer has pour'd out his holy Spirit upon the St [...]ents at our College (i. e. the College of New-Jersey) not one, of all who were present, neglected; and they were in Number Sixty The whole House, say my Correspon­dents, was a Bochim (a Place of Weeping) Mr. William Tennant, who was on the Spot, sa [...]s, he never saw any in that Case, who had more clear Views of God, Themselves, their Defects, their Impotence and Misery, than they had in general—that there never was, he be­lieves, in one House, more genuine Sorrow for Sin, and longing for Jesus—that this glorious Work was gradual, and spread like the increasing Light of the Morning—that is, was not begun by the ordinary Means of Preaching, nor pro­moted by alarming Methods; yet so great was their Distress, that he judged it Improper to use any Arguments of Terror in Public, lest [Page 21]some should sink under the Weight— [...] makes this gracious Visitation the more remark­able was, that a little [...] some of the Youth had given a greater Loose to their Corruptions th [...] was ordinary among them. A Spirit of Price and Contention prevailing, to the gr [...] Grief and even Discouragement of the worthy President—that there was no public Outcries, but a decorous silent Solemnity—that before he came away, several had receiv'd something like the Spirit of Adoption, being tenderly infected with a Sense of redeeming Love, and thereby disposed and determined to endeavour af [...] universal Holiness.’

MR. Treat, and Mr. G. Tennant tell me in theirs, that the Concern appeared rational, solid, and scriptural, and that in a remarkable Degree. I was informed by some of the Students, who had been my Pupils, that this religious Concern first began with the Son of a very considerable Gentle­man of New-York. The Youth was dangerously sick in College, and on that Occasion awakened to a Sense of his Guilt: His Discourse made some Impression on a few others; and theirs again on others; and so it became almost general, before the good President, or any others knew any thing of it. As soon as it became public, Misrepresen­tations were spread abroad, and some Gentlemen sent to bring their Sons Home: but upon better Information, the most were sent back again— The wicked Companions of some young Gentle­men left no Methods untried to recover them to their former Excess of Riot; and with two or three they have been lamentably successful.

[Page 22] Mr. D [...]ield, a worthy young Minister, in­ [...]med [...] the other Day, that a v [...]ry hopeful [...] through the Jerseys, especially among young People. In several Let­ters from Philadelphia, from Mr. G. Tennant, and others, I have Assurance of a Revival there, for which good People are blessing God. Lawyer Stockton informs me, that he is certified by good Authority, of a gracious Work of God at Yale-College in New-Haven.

‘SAY now, my dear Brother, are not these glorious Things? Are they not beyond Ex­pectation? Can you believe for Joy? It is true that the Lord hath thus appeared? or is it only a pleasing Dream? It is true! it is a Reality!’

Bound every Heart; and every Bosom burn!

THIS is the joyful News, my Brethren, which I had to communicate to you; and I hope I re­ceived it in Season, as a proper Supplement to this Discourse. Shall this excite you to Emulation? You see Religion is not the Concern of the Old, or the Ignorant, or Poor only. Here were young Creatures— Scholars in a College, where Learning is carried to as great Perfection already, as any where in America.—Scholars, the Sons of Gentlemen of Note and Fortune.—here these were made to mourn for Sin, and cry [...]nd long for Jesus. And why will you not make this your Concern?

BUT Oh! how vain are all my Endeavours, while God withholds the Influences of his Spirit? The Students in the College of New-Jersey had heard many masterly, solemn, and pungent Dis­courses from their worthy President, and many that preached occasionally to them: but all this [Page 23]had no Effect. The Work must not begin, till sick Boy becomes the Instrument. This make the Finger of God more conspicuous, and shew that the "Excellency of the Power is his." Oh! if he would but please to pour out his spirit upon us, hard and [...]ad as we are, we should soon selent and revive.—Blessed Spirit! descend into this Valley of ‘ [...]y Bones, breath on these slain, that they may live.’

THE agreeable Piece of History I have com­municated to you opens to us a very encouraging Prospect with regard to Posterity, and the Churches in general. From the College of New-Jersey, you and many other Congregations expect Supplies, when I and my Brethren, who are now acting our Part upon the Stage of Life, have made our Exit, and are silent and forgotten in the Dust. And when. "the Fountain is purified," we have Rea­son to hope, that "pure Streams" will issue from thence, to water the Garden of God. O let us be thankful for so important and ex [...]sive a Blessing.

AND now, my dear You [...], I am just about taking Leave of you: and therefore, I want you to come to some Determination. You are the Seed of the Church: and to you we look for the Preservation of Religion in this Place, when its present Supports are broken, and mouldred into Dust. The World is arrived to an intollerable Height of Wickedness, and we long to see Mat­ters take a new Tom. To you we look for this blessed Revolution: For as to Veteran Sinners, they are so accustomed to do Evil, that there is little more Prospect of their Reformation, than of the Aethiopian's changing [...]is Skin, or the [Page 24]Leopar [...] [...] of Sinners. [...] he generally [...] is very uncertain, and [...] your Business, [...] hour Delay, you may be in Eternity, you may [...] in H [...]ll [...]ever you are aware. Where Groo [...] [...] [...]guments is her [...]? And [...] shall [...]one of them have any Weight upon you?

LET me now conclude with a very reasonable [...] to my young Friends; and that is, that as soon as you get home this Evening, you would go by yourselves, tho' it were but for a Quarter of an Hour, and seriously think over what you have heard, and pray to God to bless it to you, My Children and Youth, your Affectionate Mi­nister make this Petition to you and were it necessary, would present it on his Knees to the meanest of you. Spend a little Time this Evening in Prayer, in examin [...]g whether ever you have come [...]o Christ or not and in meditating on the [...] of your Sou [...]s. Can you refuse a [...] so reasonable, and so interesting to your­selv [...]? If you are hard [...] enough to do it, I shall only warn you in the fatherly Language of S [...]o­mon. You ‘will mourn at the last, and say, How have I [...] Instruction, and my Heart despised Reproo [...] and have [...] the [...] of my Teachers, nor i [...]ined mine [...] to them that [...].’