XX. JERM. The temper of the younger was moft effentially different: eager in his purfuit after pleasure, and refolved to facrifice every thing to it, he said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods which falleth to me. Hurried on by an impetuofity which too frequently attends this period of life, he defires his father to give up to him immediately, the fortune which he had most probably designed to reserve for him to a future day. Against his better judgment, the father is prevailed upon by his importunities, yields to his request, and divides the living. The young man, whofe paffions were vehement, grows impatient to launch out into the world, refolves no longer to be under restraint, but gets as far as poffible out of the reach of parental authority, where he might indulge his licentious appetites without the least rebuke or controul. He took his journey, fays the parable, into a far country. And XX. And here I cannot help stopping short, SERM. to obferve, that the first false step which the prodigal took, was most probably the fource of all his crimes, and the caufe of all his calamities-he left his father. At the time when he stood most in need of advice, he left that friend who was best able, and doubtless moft willing to give it him; and, what was still worse, he left him, we shall find, for misery and deftruction; he left that which alone. could fave and protect, for that which was most likely to ruin and betray him; he left, in short, fafety for danger, freedom for flavery, and innocence for guilt. The moral from this portion of the parable is extremely obvious. In the days of our youth we fhould remember our Creator. As foon as we leave our heavenly guide, we quickly deviate into the paths of error; XX. SERM. error; from a difregard of God, and a contempt of his laws, arifes in a great measure the licentiousness and depravity of the times we live in. Vice and irreligion go hand in hand, and never fail to aid and fupport each other: when the laws of God are broken in upon and defpifed, the laws of man are feldom much regarded. Besides, that though men are fo ready to imitate the prodigal, by leaving their Almighty Father in their youth, they too feldom copy his example, by returning to him in their more advanced age. It is highly incumbent, therefore, on every good and pious parent (and it is a duty of late very fhamefully neglected) to inftil into the minds of their children, as early as poffible, the principles of religion and morality. The knowledge of languages, of arts and fciences, is univerfally XX. univerfally taught, and inculcated with SERM. the utmost care and affiduity, whilst the noblest science of all, that of morality, the best and most useful knowledge, the knowledge of ourfelves, is feldom enquired into. Care is taken to fill the garden with every flower that may beautify and adorn it, but not one useful fruit, or falutary herb, is planted in it. When the prodigal was no longer under the eye of his father, he gave a loofe to his paffions, and without the least care for the event, indulged himself in every vice and extravagance which his constitution inclined him to, his fortune impowered him to commit, or his inclination prompted him to enjoy. But let us carefully obferve the fatal and deftructive confequences. He quickly spent all his fubftance, fays the parable, in XX. SERM. in riotous living. The effect was what might naturally be expected, fhame, poverty, and ruin! In a very fhort space of time, we fee him reduced from a state of affluence and profperity, to the loweft and most abject condition: left in a ftrange place, far from his father and friends, without the leaft hope of fupport or redress. To add to his misfortunes (a circumftance beautifully inferted in the parable) we are told there was a famine in the land; fo that those who might have taken pity on him, were deprived of the means by this national calamity, which left no room for private benevolence. And no man, fays the parable, gave unto him. Some there were, doubtless, who had the power, but they probably wanted the inclination. Men are too often glad of an opportunity of condemning, or an excufe for neglecting their fellow-creatures; and what better |