her which is in Heaven.

THE CHURCH AND THE YOUNG MAN.

A Sermon Delivered on Sabbath Morning, November 4, 1866,

In The First Presbyterian Church, Troy,

At The Request of The Young Men's Christian Association.

2 Sam. xviii, 5. "_And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and
Ittai saying, deal gently for my sake with the young man, even
with Absalom._"

There are few passages of Holy writ more beautiful or suggestive than
this. Notwithstanding the astounding character of Absalom's rebellion;
though the mind of the sovereign and father of his people is torn with
indignation at this outrage upon his throne and person, and is busy with
plans for the security of his kingdom and the repulse of the invader;
though David is stunned and bewildered at this high handed display of
ingratitude and rebellion on the part of his favorite child, the father
finds place to assert itself amid the cares of the sovereign, and to
breathe a word of caution to his generals respecting the person of his
dearly loved boy.

In accordance with the request of the Young Men's National Christian
Convention to the churches, I propose to devote this service to a
discussion of their relations to the church. I take this text as setting
forth a similar charge given by our Lord and King Christ to his militant
church, to deal gently with the young man. I therefore invite your
attention to the following points respecting the relations of young men to
the church:

I. The church _must_ deal with them.
II. The church _ought_ to deal with them.
III. How the church should deal with them.

I. _The church must deal with young men._

Absalom, however foolish and wicked his revolt, however strange his
rebellion against his royal father, notwithstanding his youth and
inexperience, was a stubborn fact, with which the leaders and counselors
and armies of the kingdom found themselves obliged to deal. Otherwise
David would have been dethroned and his authority violently usurped. If
not dealt with so as to suppress him, he must be dealt with in the more
unpleasant capacity of a suppressor and tyrant.

Young men are a fact in society; and as such cannot be without relations
to the church. Not only so, they are an important fact; a prominent fact;
a potent fact. They are a force in the business, the social, the
political, the governmental relations of the community. If they have not
wisdom, they ha