When Youth Devote Their Early Days

When youth de­vote their ear­ly days

To vain de­lights and sin­ful ways

Their pros­pects dark­en as they rise

And fill them with a dread sur­prise.

Diseases are the fruit of sin

The ma­la­dy lies deep with­in;

An ev­il course the mind im­pairs

And leaves them full of guilt and fears.

Sin strength­ens with in­creas­ing days

And grows when na­ture’s self de­cays;

Indulged

it makes their fet­ters strong

And leads the cap­tive slaves along.

Beware

ye thought­less

now be­ware

No more pre­sume to per­sev­ere;

Today with sup­pli­ca­tions come

Tomorrow death may call you home.

With ear­nest­ness for mer­cy cry

And God will list­en to your sigh;

Now plead for par­don through His Son

And He’ll fo­rgive what you have done.