is pleasing unto God 3. There is that delight in the ways of godliness as upholds the heart of a Christian under all the losses crosses and 〈◊〉 he meets withal in this world and which will yield him abundance of comfort upon his Death-bed What was that which comforted King Hezekiah when he lay under the apprehension of death but the testimony of his Conscience that he had walked with much sincerity in the ways of godliness Isa. 38. 3. By all which it appeareth that godliness doth not deprive men of all joy and delight but rather the more godly any are the more joyful at least the better right and title they have thereunto whereupon saith one Wouldst thou live chearfully then live godly The which should be an incouragement unto all Young Men who are yet unresolved speedily without any further delay to consecrate their Youth and younger years unto God and his service betimes to walk in the ways of godliness that so their lives may be the more comfortable and joyful If the Lord shall be pleased to incline any of your hearts thereunto you will have cause to bless God for it not only so long as you live here but even to all Eternity in the highest Heavens For by devoting your selves to God and his service betimes even from your Youth many sins will be prevented which otherwise will be committed by you much more good will be done by you and much greater will be your glory hereafter 5. Obj. I have time enough before me and therefore may for a while longer allow my self my liberty Hereafter may be time enough to turn from my sins unto God and to mind the eternal welfare of my Soul A. 1. Consider as the shortness so the uncertainty of thy life How many have we known in our own experience who when they have promised themselves life for many years have then been suddenly taken away Thou who sayest thou hast time enough before thee canst thou upon good ground assure thy self of another day If not what folly yea what madness must it needs be to live one day longer in such a condition in which if thou shouldst die thou art miserably undone to all Eternity True it is God hath promised pardon and forgiveness to such as in truth and sincerity turn from their sins unto him but he hath not promised the morrow to him that deferreth If thou sayest though I am not sure to live another day yet I am likely being in good health and strength I answer Peradventure thou mayest live another day But what man in his right senses would put his Everlasting Salvation upon a Peradventure Peradvenâ—… thou mayest die the next day even whilst thou art 〈◊〉 in sensual pleasures and delights and then 〈◊〉 sad is thy case like to be to all Eternity The possiâ—… of a sudden and unexpected death should meâ—… be an effectual argument to perswade every man speedily without farther delay to reform and amend his life The Merchant having a fair Wind will not defer to hoise up sail saying we have time enough because it is possible the Wind may turn and he lose his opportunity The Husbandman having a fair day will not defer the carrying home his Corn when it is fit to take it in because it is possible the next day may prove 〈◊〉 In all cases about our worldly affairs a possibility of danger hath the force of an argument for present care And why should it not as well awaken our Souls to a speedy amendment of our ways 2. Thou who still delayest to hearken unto the Call of God in the Ministery of the Word woing and beseeching thee speedily to abandon thy sins and to walk in the ways of holiness know assuredly that he will not always wait on thee his patience will not ever attend thee As there is a time of Grace in which the Gate of Mercy stands open so there is a time of Judgment in which this Gate will be shut and aâ—…l possibility of entry taken away Psal. 32. 6. David speaketh of a time in which God may be found which implieth that there is a time in which God will not be found Though thou cryest out against thy sins and cryest unto God for mercy yet will he not hear thee but turn a deaf ear to all thy prayers So the Lord threatneth Prov. 1. 24 25. Because I have called you to amendment and reformation and ye refused to hearken unto me But have set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproofs I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me but they shall not find me For the Lord usually punisheth the slighting of his Grace in our younger years with the denying of it in our elder Hence it is that the Apostle S. Paul so much presseth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very now Behold saith he NOW is the accepted time NOW is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. The time present is the only time the time to come is no time but a matter of meer uncertainty And therefore saith he Heb. 3. 7. To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to day signifieth the time present and implieth that the present opportunity of Gods offering Grace ought to be imbraced thou must hearken unto him now that he calleth upon thee in the Ministery of his Word and motions of his Spirit to give over thy sinning Trade and give up thy self unto him and his service Now that God hangs forth the White Flag of Mercy and is willing to be gracious to thee Now that Christ is woing and beseeching thee to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self upon him to own him for thy Lord and Saviour Now that the Spirit of God is striving with thee surely it will be thy wisdom speedily to turn from thy sins unto him If thou put him off till hereafter and thereby quench the motions of his Spirit how justly may he for ever reject thee 3. Thou who upon a pretence of having time enough before thee dost procrastinate and delay to look after God and Heaven consider as the weightiness so the multitude of works to be done by thee in order to thy Salvation Hast thou not a dead Soul to be quickned a dark understanding to be enlightned with the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ an hard heart to be softned a proud heart to be humbled an unclean heart to be purified and cleansed a multitude of head-strong lusts to be mortified and subdued manifold temptations to be resisted and conquered Hast thou all these and many more things to do in reference to thy future happiness and yet wilt thou trifle away thy precious time in vanity and pleasure yea in sin and wickedness saying thou hast time enough before thee Know that the forementioned
is brevis insania a short madness as Seneca calls it and maketh a man as we say beside himself so as he hath no Government of himself but is void of reason in regard of the use of it being more like an unreasonable and outragious Beast than a reasonable and prudent man It carries many men beyond the bounds not only of modesty but of humanity also 2. The effects of this passion are likewise very violent for 1. It distempers the whole body within and without It disfigures a mans face and countenance it maketh his speeches very confused his actions rude and his whole behaviour unseemly If you look upon a man pasiionately angry you shall see his eyes glaring his head and hand shaking his mouth foaming his tongue doubling and the whole man even bereaved of himself 2. Among the soberer sort of People it perverts every good thing they take in hand It hinders Prayer by possessing the head with revengful thoughts Therefore the Apostle commandeth that pure hands he lift up without wrath 1. Tim. 2. 8. It hinders profitable hearing of the word therefore the Apostle Iames Chap. 1. 19. exhorteth to be swift to hear and slow to wrath For whosoever goeth to hear the word with a mind distempered through anger shall carry away but little of that he heareth 3. Passionate Anger driveth away the holy Spirit of God who cannot endure an unquiet mansion but loveth a meek and quiet habitation The clamour and tumult of passion is such an offence to him as causeth him to withdraw 4. As Anger driveth away the Spirit of God so it maketh room for the Devil Ephes. 4. 26 27. Be angry and sin not and then followeth give not place to the Devil If you gave way to Anger you thereby give place to the Devil that furious Devil within opens the doors to let in the unclean Devil without 5. Hasty Anger is a Badge and mark of a very fool He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly saith the Wise man Prov. 14. 17. that is he both speaketh and doth many absurd things which maketh him a laughing stock to others Therefore he adviseth Eccl. 11. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Having shewed you in several particulars the heynousness of unjust Anger I come now to shew you some Remedies 1. For the preventing thereof 2. For the suppressing thereof after it hath seized on thee Remedies for the preventing of anger are these 1. Take every thing so far as possibly thou canst in the better part Do not judge every shew and appearence of wrong to be indeed a wrong Or if it be do not aggravate it and make it greater than it is But think the best of the mind and intent of him that did the wrong that he did it not wittingly or least not despightfully or in contempt For this conceit that a man is contemned or despised doth sooner stir up anger and wrath than any other thoughts Or if an injury be so as it cannot but be taken as it is yet remember that thou hast done or may do the like to others if not to other men yet to God against whom thou hast despightfully and contemptuously sinned And thereupon resolve with thy self to be slow to anger towards others as thou wouldst have God slow to anger towards thee 2. Accustome thy self to a daily and continual meditation of Gods all-seeing and all-ruling Providence how nothing cometh to pass or falls out without it So that whensoever any occasion is offered which might provoke thee to anger consider with thy self that this comes not without the special Providence of God who will turn it to thy good if thou belongest unto him according to that gracious promise Rom. 8. 2â—… All things shall work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Look up unto God and be not like the Dog to snarl at the stone never considering the flinger David had provocation enough from Shimei's cursing him to make him angry and boil up his passion to the height but he looked up to God and saw his hand at Shimei's tongues end whereupon he said Let him Curse for the Lord hath bidden him 2 Sam. 16. 11. And this quieted his heart against the revilings of Shimei Oh what a cooler of inordinate passion would it be in Christians to see the Hand of Gods Providence in all the injuries and indignities in all the wrongs and unworthy usages that they here meet withal 3. Avoid all occasions of Anger as the company of angry cholerick persons whose angry words are apâ—… to move one to passion Therefore saith the Wise Man Prov. 22. 24. Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go nor walk familiarly Avoid likewise Gaming and Drunkenness which are great occasions of angry words yea and many times of angry blows It is not possible for any man to avoid any sin that doth not avoid the occasions thereof 4. Labour to be perswaded that it is greater honour to pass by and not regard an injury than to follow and pursue every wrong with revenge Solomon saith It is the glory of a man to pass by an infirmity Prov. 19. 11. Herein lieth true magnanimity when a man passes by and not regards every light injury when he can hold the bridle and keep in and keep under and in compass so head-strong a passion Heathen men by the light of nature could say Fortior est qui se quam qui sortissima Vinâ—…it Moenia That he is a more valiant man that overcometh himself than he that conquereth a City which Solomon expresly affirmeth Prov. 16. 32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City 5. Be often viewing thy self look into thine own heart to see the abominable corruption that is there The more any man knows himself how vile and wretched he is the less angry will he be with others for he seeth more cause to be displeased with himself for his sins and transgressions committed against God than to be angry with his Brother for any wrong or injury done by him The over-high conceit that some men have of themselves of their own worth occasioneth them to be so suddenly angry with others because they are apt to think themselves undervalued by them Whereas he who understands himself rightly what a poor unworthy wretch he is will not easily think himself undervalued by others having lower and meaner thoughts of himself than others can have of him 6. Be earnest with God in prayer that he would mortifie and subdue all thy earthly affections especially this corrupt and violent affection of Anger This thou shouldst do as at all times so especially when thou discoverest the passion of Anger begin to boil up in thee Having shewed you the Remedies for the preventing of Anger
doors and windows of the soul to let in Lust. Hereupon Iob though an holy man and in Years durst not trust his eyes without a guard but ingaged himself by solemn Promise and Covenant not to stand gazing on the beauty of a woman Iob 31. 1. Alexander refused so much as to see Darius his wife a Lady of incomparable beauty fearing lest he who had Conquered the Husband should be overcome by the Wife Upon this ground it seems Zeleucus imposed that Law upon the Locrenses that the Adulterers eyes should be pulled out because sin entred in at those Casements therefore he would stop up the Windows Hearken O young man hearken to that advice which we find given Ecclesiasticus 9. 8. Turn away thine eyes from beholding a beautiful woman and look not upon anothers Beauty for many have thereby perished 3. Possess thy soul with a serious consideration of Gods all-seeing presence about thee wheresoever thou art It is the very Argument which Solomon useth to disswade the wanton young man from his filthy course of life Prov. 5. 20 21. Why wilt thou my Son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger For the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Though the unclean person commit this sin never so secretly that will avail him little It was the fear of God arising from the consideration of his all-seeing presence that kept Ioseph from hearkening to the Adulterous sollicitations of his Mistris How can I saith he do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. Art thou out of fear of being espied or discovered by the eye of man yet consider the All-seeing eye of God is upon thee 4. Shun all means occasions and provocations unto Lust and Uncleanness He that will shun any sin must avoid the occasions thereof else he will tempt God to give him up thereunto The occasions and provocations of Lust are divers 1. Fulness of Bread and Drink eating to Gluttony and drinking to Drunkenness As Temperance is the best preserver of Chastity So intemperance in Eating and Drinking is the Nurse of Uncleanness the Oyl wherewith the flame thereof is kindled and increased Ier. 5. 7 8. They were as fed Horses in the Morning every one Neighed after his Neighbours Wife implying that when men are fed to the full like pampered Horses they will Neigh after their Neighbours Wives But take away the fuel and the fire of Lust will soon go out Whereupon Lycurgus to prevent all filthiness and uncleanness in Sparta prohibited all Feasts and Banquetings by a Law for he knew that Gluttony and Drunkenness were the Mothers of Wantonness and Voluptuousness 2. Filthy and obscene talk is another occasion and incentive of Lust. For as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15. 23. Evil communications corrupt good manners Many I know take too much liberty to themselves herein and make nothing of it but do flatter themselves with a conceit of the purity of their hearts But let such know that filthy and unclean words do argue a filthy and unclean mind Obscene words being but the excrements and overflowings of a carnal and corrupt heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Thy stinking breath smells of a foul Stomach 3. Lascivious Pictures wherewith too many do adorn or rather disgrace their houses For what are they indeed but dumb Orators to perswade to Lust and lively Presidents out of which a wanton heart will easily take out a pattern of Uncleanness for its own imitation They are worse than obscene words because they vanish and are gone whereas lascivious Pictures do abide and infect many one after another For it is found by experience that wanton objects do ingender wanton fancies and imaginations which tend to filthy and unclean actions Beware therefore O young man of gazing on lascivious Pictures rather turn away thine eyes from beholding inticing and bewitching vanities 4. Stage-plays Many of which are stuffed with filthy and obscene speeches and set forth with many lascivious gestures by which they are very apt to infect the mind with Effeminate Lust and dispose the heart for unclean and filthy actions The Stage is a decoy for the Stews 5. Undecent and garish attire Men and Womens strange Apparel doth oft stir up Lust both in themselves and others also especially when such parts as ought to be covered are left naked In Prov. 7. 10. a Strumpet is set forth to allure others by her Apparel Aesop said wittily to a Gallant wantonly attired That if he did it to please men he was but a Fool for no wise man would account the better of him And if he did it to please Women he was but a Knave and meant unchastly These are the ordinary occasions of Lust and provocations thereunto which ought carefully to be shunned and avoided 5. Another remedy against fleshly lusts is to busie thy self diligently in thy Calling By this means the body of man is exercised and his mind imployed and so kept from idleness which is a great cause of Lust. Idleness is noted to be one of the causes of Sodom's Uncleanness Ezek. 16. 49. This also is noted to be the cause of David's committing Adultery 2 Sam. 11. 2 3 4. when men are idle they have no business but to sin but when men are busie in their Calling then they have no leisure to sin 6. Flee unto God by earnest and hearty Prayer for power and strength against the power of thy lusts and corruptions Beg of him that he would be pleased to cast the unclean spirit out of thee and indue thee with his holy Spirit which may inable thee to fight against the flesh and to mortifie and subdue all sinful lusts all inordinate affections and evil concupiscence This was the remedy which Paul used in this very case when he felt the thorn in his flesh which some Divines interpret to be lustful motions stirring in him For this saith he I besought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12. 8. and though he was not thereupon wholly delivered from them yet he found Grace sufficient for his support so that he was not overcome by them 7. If these means prevail not use the benefit of lawful Marriage To avoid Fornication let every man have his own Wife and let every Woman have her own Husband â—… Cor. 7. 2. And vers 9. Such as cannot contain themselves let them Marry for it is better to Marry than to burn Many there are who give Satan too great advantage against themselves by neglecting this remedy of Marriage The Popes forbidding Priests to Marry though they have not the gift of Continency hath been the cause of most abominable uncleannesses amongst them CHAP. XV. Of Prophane and rash Swearing which is another Vice whereunto Young Men are addicted IV. ANother Vice whereunto Young Men are addicted is prophane and rash Swearing which our Saviour expresly forbiddeth Matth. 5. 34. Swear not at all