come to repent with the damned in hell and with the devils to believe and tremble For this end I shall 1. Endeavour to convince you of your Folly 2. Direct you how to attain true Wisdom First I shall endeavour to convince you of your Folly ye see the Text calls a wicked son a foolish son God who knows you best and hath a true judgment of you calls you fools and would have all the world to be of the same judgment with himself and therefore to account you fools and ye will at last call your selves fools when ye come to have the portion of fools and except ye judge your selves fools ye cannot be wise And that ye may as in a glass see your own folly I shall propound to you these five Questions and as God said to Job so do I in his name say to you Job 38.3 Gird up your loins like men I will demand of you and answer ye me 1. Are ye not very fools in that ye do in your hearts and lives deny the being of God There are no worse fools than they that say in their hearts There is no God Psal 14.1 For such a one saith in effect that there is no Religion no Sin no Heaven nor Hell yea he saith that he himself is nothing and that there are neither Heavens nor Earth nor Seas nor Men nor Beasts nor any other creatures for if there be no God there can be nothing else so that ye have the name of fools written on your foreheads and as it 's said Eccles 10.3 Ye say to every man that ye are a company of fools 2. Are ye not fools to make such a foolish choice It is the infinite goodness of God that ye have life and death blessing and cursing set before you and that ye have a God and Christ and the Holy Spirit and the heavenly glory to chuse and ye have Beings capable to chuse them and may take them for your own and use them as your own every day and that ye are called and commanded to chuse them and have time and opportunity to chuse them and shall certainly have them if ye chuse them and yet these as Solomon speaks Prov. 17.16 are but as a price in the hands of a fool that hath no heart to it Consider there are two sorts of Affections in all humane creatures and all are wise or fools according as they set and place these there are affections of union as love desire and delight which do unite the heart to their objects and there are affections of opposition as hatred and anger which do separate the heart from their objects And are ye not monstrous fools in that ye hate and abhor God and your Redeemer in whom there are all reasons for your love and desires and joy and in that ye love and desire and delight in sin and the devil and death and hell in whom there are all reasons for the hatred and revenge of your souls To love those things which are altogether loathsome and and to hate what is altogether lovely is a plain argument of your madness and folly 3. Are ye not fools in suffering every thing to deceive you The Scripture tells you that the devil is a deceiver it tells you of the deceitfulness of your hearts of the deceitfulness of sin of the deceitfulness of riches of the deceitfulness of wine and strong drink of the deceitfulness of harlots who promise pleasure but prove a deep ditch and a narrow pit of the deceitfulness of a lying tongue which promiseth that lyes shall serve the lyars turn and do his work but proveth to be but for a moment of the deceitfulness of theft and unjust gain which seems sweet at present but soon after proves as gravel in the mouth and yet notwithstanding all the shame and rags and stings and torments of conscience which have come upon you by trusting in these yet ye will still believe them and suffer your selves by these deceivers to be cheated of God and Christ and of your souls and of your time and of heaven 4. Are ye not fools in being so set and bent to ruine and destroy your selves Prov. 18.7 A fools mouth is his own destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul Eccles 10.12 The lips of a fool shall swallow up himself ye are so bent on your own ruine that your hearts rise in anger and hatred against your good Parents and Ministers and all that labour to save you and ye account them your worst enemies who would not have you damn'd Miserable children allow your selves but one hours serious consideration of your eternal estate and ye will see reason to condemn your selves for a company of proud and ignorant fools in attempting to run down God and his Kingdom and Religion and in valuing your cups and lusts and lies at such a rate as for them to exchange the eternal life and happiness of your souls 5. Are ye not fools in not preparing for death and judgment which are ready to overtake you To convince you of this be inform'd That men are prepared for death and judgment who by faith and repentance and holiness are become heirs of the promises of the Gospel and so have a right unto and fitness for all that glory which in performance of these promises God will give them the possession at those great days but men are unprepared when they are under the wrath and curse of God and are condemned to those eternal torments which are threatned in the Scriptures and will at death and judgment be executed upon them Now prove your selves by these things and ye may then see what fools ye are in not preparing for these days for if ye were prepared ye should then enter into a world where all will love you God and and Christ and all Angels and all Saints will love you and ye will for ever be holy and blessed in their love to you and in your love to them but being unprepared ye must then be cast into a world where all will hate you and where you will hate all the holy and blessed God will there hate you and be a consuming fire against you the devils and all the damned in hell will hate you and you will hate them and we find that our Saviour brands him for a fool Luke 12.20 who promiseth to himself an easie and merry life for many years when that very night he was to lose his soul and he gives the character of foolish virgins Matth. 25.2 to those who were unprepared for that great and terrible and sudden cry The bridegroom is come go ye out to meet him Poor children let these common things be imprinted on your hearts Death is certain the day of death is as certainly appointed as was the day of your birth and as your birth kept its time so will your death keep its time ye cannot sin away death though ye sin away the sense of death Consider also
of your youth God is much concern'd for young persons the Proverbs of Solomon are written to give to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 and one great use of the word of God is to teach young men to cleanse their way Psal 119.9 Young men and maidens and children are call'd upon to praise the Name of the Lord Psal 148.12 13. We find many mourning with holy Augustine that they loved God so late but none complaining that they loved him too soon as young as you are in heaven and hell it 's better be a young child of God than a young child of the Devil young Saints are the glory of God the fulness and accomplishment of Christ the joy of Angels the security and support of Religion the crown of their Parents and the blessing of their Generation 5. Fill your time with the fruits of the Spirit see that your hearts be fill'd with grace and then your days will be fill'd with fruit be always receiving Christ and resigning your selves to him feel your hearts continually laying hold on eternal life and live as if ye were always running to heaven spend every day so that ye may lye down in peace at night that the Lords-day may be pleasant death gainful and eternity glorious 6. Improve Gods Ordinances of worship feel your vow of Baptism always fresh and strong upon you feel the difference betwixt the Lords-day and other days see that the word Preached be mixt with faith ingrafted in your hearts that it kill your sins and reform your lives pray continually and in that duty see that ye be with the spirits of children with your Father in Heaven let all your affairs pass through praying-hearts and reckon all your own which ye sincerely pray for Sing Psalms as those that make God your song and joy and as if ye were sensible that ye are in the gates of heaven ready to enter therein to joyn with that world of blessed Angels and Saints in admiring and praising God When ye come to the Lords-Supper see all that is presented to you receive all that is offered and do all that is commanded you 7. Be saithful to the Truth and then ye need not be afraid of your selves or of any other this is your greatest safety and ye may then feel the ground firm under you and may say with David Psal 26.12 My foot standeth in an even place and if ye are called to suffer chuse it rather than sin and seeing men cannot kill your souls let not the fear of them make you destroy them your selves 8. Decline evil company do not go with them to Hell who will not go with you to Heaven but if ye are called into such company feel your selves with God whilst ye are with them and carry it as those that are sensible that there is a God in the place exercise those graces which are contrary to and do cendemn their sins be humble with the proud meek with the angry loving with the malicious that they may be reproved by your graces and that ye may not be defiled by their sins 9. Labour to be a blessing to all persons let men see that in you for which they may have cause to love and praise God bear all wrongs but do none do what in you lyes to make all persons holy and joyful but make none sinful angry or sad forgive all but let none have need to forgive you exercise their love but do not by your sins exercise their patience give all cause to bless God for you but give not cause to any to wish they had never known you 10. Dread debts do not unnecessarily bring your selves under the bondage of debtors look upon it as more just and honourable to beg than to borrow if ye are not likely to pay except in that case ye plainly acquaint the lender with your condition that he may know what adventure he makes and when ye are able pay seasonably fully and thankfully I would have none to lend to any children of mine without first advising with me except they be in a hopeful way of trade and my advice to such of you is that you be afraid of being too much trusted for it 's often seen that they who go to the length of their credit are injurious to others and prove bankrupts themselves 11. Abhor Lying This is a sin which is an abomination to the Lord whom ye should always please it 's contrary to the Divine Nature which is in every one that is born of God Ephes 4.24 It 's an abuse of your tongues which should be your glory for the use of your tongues is to express your minds but in a lye your minds and thoughts do contradict your words it 's a wrong to others whom ye would have believe you when ye do not believe your selves it makes you unfit for humane society for who will converse with those whom they cannot believe ye hereby rot your names for a lyar is one of the worst characters of the devil of hell ye destroy your bodies and souls for ever for all lyars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death 12. Do not dare to steal take nothing from any person but what ye can say ye received it from the hand of God and can praise him for it and can comfortably beg his blessing upon it kill those lusts which ye would feed with the fruit of other mens labours consider that when ye are tempted to this sin of theft ye are tempted to bring a curse on your estates and persons to thrust a dagger into your Fathers heart and to hasten your selves to an untimely and shameful death and a tormenting eternity 13. Deride and jeer no persons let your jests be harmless and make not your selves the fools of your company but whilst ye are cheerful as men and women lose not the savour of Christians 14. Haunt not Taverns or Ale-houses c. Go not into such places but when God calls you stay no longer than he will stay with you and do nothing there but what ye shall have cause to bless God for when ye come away 15. Be thankful to them who have shew'd mercy and kindness to me and you pray for them inquire how it is with their posterity and as ye are capable do them good remember Prov. 27.10 Thy own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not 16. Forgive all that have done me wrong and pray to God not to visit it on them or their posterity ye know I have had hard measure from some and I know that I have stood before God to speak good for them and to turn away his wrath from them 17. As for you that are or may be hereafter set up for your selves in a way of trade my counsel to you is this See that your persons be upright with God that ye may have a Scripture-right to the promises of the life that now is and
the heart and soul of a child running out in his pleasant and loving looks to his parents but ye disobedient children do not love your parents but do them more hurt and cause them more sorrow than all the malicious enemies and persecutors they ever met with in the world ye are always vexing and crossing and provoking them and are as continual pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides and had rather be with lyars and swearers and drunkards and with your wanton and idle companions than with your wise and grave and holy parents how merry and jovial are ye in the company of such who will joyn with you to serve the devil and dishonour God and destroy your souls but how uneasie and lumpish and sowre and discontent are ye in the presence of your parents your spiteful looks and sullen words and scornful carriage doth betray your hatred and anger and envy against your good parents Ah wicked wretches that ye cannot find in your hearts to love your parents from whom ye had your Beings under God and who have us'd all holy means to make you holy and blessed Lastly Ye have broken the Bonds of your duty to your other relations and to all men ye cannot be good brothers or sisters whil'st ye are such bloody children to your parents ye cannot be good servants or apprentices or good husbands or wives or good subjects to Magistrates whilst ye are bad children for the same sins that debauch you in that relation will debauch you in all and will make you an incumbrance to your place the troublers of the world and a very plague and curse to your generation 2. I shall now endeavour to convince you of your misery and oh that I had a heart and tongue to think and speak of this as the matter doth require Consider ye are cursed children Deut. 27.16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother and all the people shall say Amen Observe God himself doth here proclaim you cursed he only can curse or bless you having all curses and blessings at command and can set his love or pour out his wrath where he pleaseth he is able and faithful to fulfil his own threatnings and he knows you to be cursed for he knows all the children of his Grace and all the children of his Wrath. Observe further that all Gods Ministers are to pronounce you cursed vers 14. The Levites shall speak and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother The Ministers of God must with a loud voice as if they would ring in the years of all declare you to be cursed and I a Minister of the Gospel do hereby proclaim all wicked and disobedient children though some of them may be the fruit of my own body to be cursed Nay further all people yea your own selves are to judge you cursed and all the people shall say Amen They and you are to believe it and to approve of it as most just and righteous that ye be cursed But that I may convince you of your misery I shall further set before you these four things 1. Ye are out of the way of all good God hath his way of mercy and his way of wrath and ye are out of the way of his mercy for ye do not stand in the grace and love of God which causeth all good and are children of his wrath which causeth all misery and as I have told you ye have broken that Covenant which conveys all Grace and Mercy so that no good can come to you except ye turn to God and your parents 2. Ye are in the very way and road to all wickedness Many of the most horrid sins in the world first began in disobedience to parents and most of those who have proved Lyars Drunkards Whoremongers Thieves Murderers were first ungodly and disobedient children 3. Ye are in continual danger of some remarkable judgment of God in this life Exod. 21.17 He that curseth or revileth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death Prov. 20.20 Who so curseth his father or his mother his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness Your lamp of life and pleasure may seem to burn and shine at present but there is a black and dismal night hastening on all disobedient children Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young eagles shall eat it None are more like to pass into the eternal world through a shameful and untimely death than disobedient children when God leaves children to disobey their parents it 's a dreadful sign of their approaching ruine it 's recorded of Eli his sons 1 Sam. 2.25 That they hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them 4. If ye go on in your course of disobedience ye will for ever be damn'd in Hell for I say ye have broken that Covenant which promiseth eternal life to all that believe and obey the Gospel and doth as certainly bind over to the wrath and vengeance of God all that live in disobedience to God and their parents Miserable children I have sent this poor little book to overtake you before the wrath and vengeance of God do overtake you I am not altogether a stranger to the terrors of the Lord but do know what is before you and what a meeting there will quickly be between God and you better than ye do and have laboured to affect my heart in seeing what lies at your door I know that whilst ye are following the chase of your filthy pleasures evil from God is hunting you and will find you out to destroy you and I dare not damn my own soul by not warning you of those sins which will be the damnation of yours Foolish boys and girls can now laugh at the hearing of death and hell and judgment to come and when Ministers sound the trumpet in their ears to give them warning of these things they can like the War-horse in Job say among the trumpets Aha for the devil tempts his children to make sport of those things at which he trembles himself but when I remember how I have seen in some of you your down-looks your pale-faces your shivering-limbs and as Job speaks of the Adulterer when he comes to be known Job 24.17 that ye have been as in the terrors of the shadow of death when your mortal parents have found you out in your sins I cannot but think how your countenances will fall and your stout spirits sink and your mettal fail when ye come to fall into the hands of the living God Lastly I come now to exhort and perswade you to abhor and forsake your sins that ye may escape this misery I would have you to repent and believe with the Saints of God that ye may be saved before ye