The Homilist Author:David Thomas Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A HOMILY The Sins of Youth in the Groans of Age. " For thou writest bitter things against me, and mnkest me to posses the iniquities of my youth."-Job... more ». xiii. 26. F all the periods of life that of youth is the most solemn. This utterance, I know, clashes with the general sentiment of mankind. Let age be grave, but let youth be gay; let the old wrap their spirits in serious thoiightfulness, but let the young sport in the buoyancy of their natures. This is the popular thought, but I venture to question its Tightness for two reasons. First: Because where there is not godliness tltere H the strongest reason for the greatest gravity and gloom of fpirit. The human being, whether young or old, if destitute of love to God, and ruled by the principles of depravity, has every reason to put on " sackcloth and ashes; " he is under the frown of Heaven; he stands on the verge of a terrible retribution. Secondly : W/iere this godliness is, there M ettn stronger reason for joy in age than in youth. In both there should be joy. Where there is godliness in youth, there might be, there ought to be, high enjoyment. The soul, gliding on the warm and glowing tide of young life and passion, may rejoice with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." But has not the godly man, in advanced years, even stronger reasons for joy? Though age cools the ardor of animal Vol. in. feeling, and brushes away the bloom from all the objects of sensuous enjoyment, it conducts the man farther from the perilous temptations of life, and nearer to the scenes of eternal perfection and bliss, and therefore the aged Christian should be even more cheerful than the young one. Has not the soldier who is about striking the last blow, and achieving that victory over his eucmies that shall ensure him the reward of future...« less