2. On flying the world, and the snares of the devil

" AudienSf sapiens, sapientior eritr* " A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser."

1 . Young man, who yet lovest virtue, hearken to. the words of eternal wisdom ; from these thou wilt o o draw more instruction than from the combined discourse of all the wisdom of the world.

According to the Avords of the Apostle St. John ; " Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world."* Cast them away as dung — reject them as poison.

Think always of eternity, and temptations shall cease to allure.

Avoid every thing that may hurt thy soul : be not an object of scandal to any one : and watch well that thou drop not one unbecoming word.

Should thy father according to the flesh seek to turn thee from the service of God, answer him that thou hast a Father who is in heaven. Should thy mother or sister oppose the execution of thy designs, tell them they are mortal, and may be deceived ; adding, o o " He who made me, He shall guide me."

He that jrives himself up to the service of God, shall want for nothing.

Commend to the keeping of God all thy friends ; pray for their conversion and perseverance in welldoing ; ask above all that their attachment to the things of this world may never make them offend God, and thereby lose the kingdom of heaven.

The dissipation of frequent visits will bring trouble on thy soul. The world passes away, and the concupiscence thereof.* Even so thou also shalt pass away, and all that are dear to thee.

2. " Many are the. snares of the devil, and they that are anxious to become rich, or gTeat, fall into o o temptation, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires."* We have daily snares in our meat and drink, in our wandering eye, our idle tongue, the inconstancy of our hearts, and distaste for good works.

Honour, riches, and power, are but vanity ; and what seekest thou in the world, or what dost thou desire to see in the world, which is nothing and vanity ? for all is vanity, frailty, and deceit, except the love of God, and perseverance in well-doing.

Thou canst not love God perfectly, till thou despisest thyself, and the world, for the love of God, who will render thee " an hundred fold now in this time, and in the world to come life everlasting.''!

3. Oh, fellow pilgrim and brother, let it not seem hard to be withdrawn from thy friends and acquaintance, who are often an obstacle to thy eternal salvation, and the means of lessening the divine consolations.

Where aro those friends with whom thou hast laughed and sported ? Alas ! I know not : — they are gone, and I am left alone. Where are the visions of yesterday ? They have melted away. Where is our meat and our drink? They are past for ever. And have thy privations been injm-ious, or hath thy abstinence been hurtful ? — Thou must reply that they have hurt thee not at all. Therefore is not he alone wise who renounces the world and its pleasures for the service, — the reasonable service, — of God ? Most assuredly he is. Woe to all those whom the world inebriates with its J charms ; for soon all pleasant comi pany flieth away, and is lost in | o death. Behold ! all those I loved are dead, and never more will they return : nay I too shall soon follow them at the call of God. They were as passing guests on earth — I too am a pilgrim. They have left all — as 1 must forsake all. As a shadow they have passed away — I too like them shall pass away.