The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on…

First, You that are young men and young women, repent of your sins, and turn from your evil ways whilst you are young; as you ought to remember your Creator so as to turn to him in the days of your youth, so you ought to remember your sins so as to turn from them, in the days of your youth. Had any of you been born without sin, and lived without sin, there would have been no occasion for your repentance; But who among you can say he is innocent? Have you not original sin and ⟨p. 24⟩actual sin to repent of? Will not your consciences witness the corruption of your natures, how averse naturally you are to good, how prone to evil. Is there not a Register in your bosoms of sins committed in your childhood, together with your more late and more aggravated youthful transgressions? And do you not then need to repent? Are you too young to repent, when you are not too young to sin? You have heard of Josiah, who had a tender heart in his tender years; and of Timothy who when a Child did know the holy Scriptures, which taught him the lesson of Repentance; and if others have attained repentance in their Childhood and youth, why may not you attain it? The Devil will persuade you it is too soon, and the flesh will persuade you it is too soon to repent; and your companions in sin will persuade you to hold on with them still in your sinful practices: many carnal arguments you may find out to move and plead for indulgence of your selves still in your sensual and sinful delights; and you may be prone to think graver years will be most suitable for the serious and severe work of Repentance; and you may presumingly hope, when you are grown up to years of more maturity, then you will mourn for your iniquity, then you will turn over a new leaf, return unto God and ⟨p. 25⟩lead a new life. But doth God allow you to procrastinate your Repentance? Doth God give you a dispensation to sin, so long as you are so young? If it be a duty to repent hereafter, is it not now as much your duty? If it be good to repent at all, is it not good to repent whilst you are young? Are you sure to live till you are grown men, and grown women? Did you never see or hear that others have died as young as your selves, and as likely to live, and that notwithstanding their hopes and presumptions of long life? Indeed you may live to be old, but think also that you may die whilst you are young;

First, You that are young men and young women, repent of your sins, and turn from your evil ways whilst you are young; as you ought to remember your Creator so as to turn to him in the days of your youth, so you ought to remember your sins so as to turn from them, in the days of your youth. Had any of you been born without sin, and lived without sin, there would have been no occasion for your repentance; But who among you can say he is innocent? Have you not original sin and