are expreffed in figurative language, I fhall now endeavor to place them in a plain and familiar light. Eccl. xii. 1. "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou fhalt fay, I have no pleafure in them."-Explanation. Rememher now your Creator in the days of youth, while in health, and full ftrength of body and mind; for thefe are the best days that ever you will fee, to obtain that religious inftruction which is effential to your everlafting peace and happinefs with God. For the years of old age, if you are fuffered to live, will foon come upon you, with all the pains, afflictions, burdens and evils which naturally attend that period in life; and, if you are then found deftitute of religion, you will find no pleafure in them. Borne down with fuch a load of infirmities, you will find nothing to comfort you on earth; nor, without religion, any thing to comfort you in the near view of eternity.

Verse 2. "While the fun, or the light, or the moon, or the ftars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain."Exp. For youth, on every account, is the most convenient and best time you will ever find to attend to religion and make your peace with God. It is the beft time; because then, if difpofed, you can enjoy all the works of God. In youth, the fun, the light, the moon, the ftars and all the works of God are pleafant to the clear fighted eyes, cheering the mind; and the lively beauties of the verdant hills and flowery meadows, after the refreshing fummer's rain, adminifter new and varied pleasure. But, in old age,

by reafon of the dimnefs of the eyes, all these fources of comfort, to cheer the animal fpirits, are darkened and loft. Failing eyes make them ceafe to pleafe. When the rain is over, and the sky clears up with a beautiful brightness, the clouds ftill hang on the minds of the aged. They forget not their forrows and infirmities. All to them ftill remains dark and gloomy. A clear sky gives them no lafting pleasure. When young, they rejoiced at the pleafing change, and beheld its beauties with rapture; but the burdens of old age are not to be removed by the clearing of the fky. The joys of the young are remembered but to increafe the gloomy contraft of declining years.

Verse 3. "In the day when the keepers of the house fhall tremble, and the ftrong men fhall bow themselves, and the grinders ceafe becaufe they are few, and thofe that look out at the windows be darkened." Exp. For, in old age, when the nerves are relaxed, the legs, which are the great pillars that fupport the temple of the body, become feeble and tremble. Hence, it is with difficulty that the aged move themselves from one place to another; with difficulty if difpofed, that they can get to the ufual places of pub lic inftruction; and, fometimes, they are fo enfeebled that they cannot go at all. And while their legs tremble, their knees bow themfelves, and no longer ftrong and firm to keep the body crect, fmite the one against the other, thus making the difficulty of tra velling from one place to another ftill greater, Befides, their grin ders or teeth are chiefly gone, a few only being left, making it difficult for them to eat their food, and destroying the pleasure, once

enjoyed. And to add ftill to their forrows, the fight of their eyes fails, fo that they can no longer look out of thofe windows of the body, either to enjoy the beauties of nature, or to read the ho ly fcriptures. But, in the days of youth, it is far otherwife. The young never complain of wearinefs of legs. They can run,they can walk with eafe from place to place, wherever they pleafe. Their legs never tremble, nor their knees fmite together: they are ftrong men; they eafily bend, and the body feels but a light burden upon them. Their teeth are ftrong and full fet; and they eat their neceffary food with cafe and pleasure. Their eyes are clear and penetrating, embracing all the beauties of nature to cheer the mind, and enable the inquiring finner to read the holy fcriptures. On thefe accounts, how fuperior, therefore, are the days of youth to the days of old age, to attend to the duties of religion! Young people can go to the houfe of public worship, at all feasons of the year, in all weathers, as often as they pleafe, and with cafe. Their ears are not deaf, when there, that they cannot hear; nor their eys blind that they cannot fee; nor their memories weak, that they cannot remember; nor their fenfe of feeling loft that they cannot feel. Oh, my young friends, can you feriously read this defcription of the decrepitude of old age, with its countless infirmities ; and yet, vainly flatter yourselves, that old age will be the best period of time to begin a religious life? Do you not in a moment fee, in fpite of all your unwillingness to acknowledge it, that the privileges of youth, on these accounts are unfpeakably greater than thofe of

age? But, the painful contraft ends not here. Verse 4. "And the doors fhall be fhut in the streets, when the found of the grinding is low, and he fhall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of mufic fhall be brought low;" Exp. And the eye-lids, (which in youth are naturally light and open, for the eyes to fee all that paffes in the ftreets,) fhall become heavy, and be long and often clofed in fleep, to fupport the feeble remains of decaying nature, when. through the lofs of his teeth and appetite, the aged man eats but little, and fleeps much, living in a kind of ftupidity and insensibility to all that paffes before him. And yet, notwithstanding his peculiar dulnefs, his fleeping fo often and fo much, he fhall not be able to enjoy fweet reft in the night, as he once did, in the days of youth; but fhall in wearinefs long for day, and tired of his bed, as well as of every other enjoyment, fhall impatiently get up in the morning, at the voice of the Robin and the Lark, (finging at the early dawn,) in every pofition wearied, reftlefs, and joylefs both by night and by day. Nor can the mufical notes of thefe fweet warblers of the early morn; nor of the fofteft tunes, fung by a choir of fingers, the admired daughters of mufic, which once enlivened, delighted and sweetened the mind, in the days of youth, in old age foothe and fweeten a a troubled mind. For, in old age, even the foft charms of mufic ceafe to pleafe. The aged can neither fing themselves, nor will their relaxed conftitution and decayed nature, admit of their receiving delight in hearing the fongs of others. To them, every thing is in a manner joyless.

would have been when young ? Has he not more fhame, more fcoffing, more trials and difficulties to encounter, in the way of religion, from his 'wicked companions and the world, than he would have had, at an earlier peperiod in life? And is he not, from that love of eafe, and dread of trouble, which are peculiar to old age, far lefs prepared to meet them? For, is it not then, that the almond tree fall flourish with the filver bloffems of infirmities, the grey hairs thickly increafing on the head, through the decay of nature? Will not then the fmal. left difappointments produce great uneafinefs, and trifles of no more confequence than an infignificant grafshopper be felt as an intolerable burden? And, thus borne down with infirmities, the defire fhall fail; and if prepared for death it would rather be chofen than life. For he fees nothing that can make him happy on earth. He beholds nothing here to create new defires. All to him is a burden, and without fatisfaction, For, when thus aged and infirm, from year to year, and from month to month, he has nothing but death to expect, while he yet lives. He is frequently, at the report of every funeral, in gloomy anticipa, tion, calling to mind his own death, and picturing to himself his own mourners, as forming themselves in the streets, to carry his dead body to the grave; and fo painful is the thought, that it often deftroys all enjoyment; having none of the divine confolations of religion, to gladden the heart with the bright profpect of eternal glory.

Death is a moft folemn and interesting change, come when it may, either in the days of youth, or of old age. It clofes forever our probationary ftate. It fhuts

us up to the laft great day of judg ment, when the wicked fhall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For, Then fhall the duft return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Thus clofes king Solomon's arguments, enforcing both the duty and importance of remembering God in the days of youth, from the confideration of the pains and infirmities of old age; and from the certainty of the foul's immortality, and ofa future judgment. Will you then, my young friends, ftill clofe your eyes upon the facred page; ftill fhut your ears against the warning voice; and ftill harden your heart against the duty of remembering God, as fo lemnly enjoined? Will you, after reading this lift of the failings, troubles and trials of old age, and of the peculiar advantages of youth, their health and ftrength of body and mind, their activity and capacity for enjoyment, still plead, that you are too young to remem, ber God, too young to begin a humble, prayerful, pious life? Will you vainly flatter yourfelves that old age will be a more convenient time to begin a religious life; that it will have fewer trials and difficulties' to encounter than youth? If you honeftly fearch after the truth, you plainly fee it will not be fo. You fee, that, on every account, youth is the beft poffible time to begin a religious life; and, that the longer you neglect religion, the lefs is the profpect of your ever finding 4 pardoning God. ZEPHO.

QUESTION. MESS'RS EDITORS,

AN explanation of Matthew v. 23, 24. is requested, by a con ftant reader of your Evangelical Magazine,