〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foulness of their sin by the strangeness of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have read of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a common Swearer upon every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of God in vain whâ—…h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord against him as that he sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mouth as eat out his Tongue the very instrument wherewith he had so abused the name of God I have likewise met in Authors the relation of a young Gentleman of Cornwall who being in the company of other Gentlemen swore most dreadfully for which being reproved by some in the company he swore more and more At length as they were going over a Bridge in their journey which went over an arm of the Sea this swearer so spurred his Horse as he sprang clean over the Bridge with the man on his back who as he was going cryed horse and man and all to the Devil Such remarks of the Divine vengeance thou maist fall under here but O what remains to be look'd for hereafter These Oaths which now vanish with the speaking and fly into the wind will all meet thee in the belly of hell and there those darts which thou hast thrown up against Heaven will all be fired and stick in thy heart for ever O Young man consider therefore what folly and madness it is for thee to hazard thy body and expose thy soul which is of more worth unto thee than ten thousand Worlds to the suffering of all these fearful punishments both in this life and the life to come for just nothing for a vain and unprofitable sin which bringeth good neither to soul or body CHAP. XVI Of Lying which is another Vice whereunto Young men are addicted VI. ANother Vice whereunto Young men are addicted is Lying which doth usually accompany swearing Therefore Hos. 4. 2. we find swearing and lying yoaked together Common Swearers I know do ordinarily twit those who make Conscience of an Oath that though they will not swear yet they can lye But sure we are that they who make no Conscience of an Oath will make less Conscience of a lye they who make no bones of dishonouring God by taking his name in vain will make no bones of deceiving their Neighbour by a Lye In the opening this Vice I shall shew you 1. What a Lye is 2. What be the kinds and sorts of Lyes 3. The greatness and heynousness of the sin 4. Some Motives and Arguments against it I. For the first A Lye is a deceitful expression of ones mind against his mind Or It is à speaking an untruth wittingly and willingly with a purpose to deceive II. For the sorts or kinds of Lyes They are commonly three viz. An Officious A Sporting And a Pernicious Lye An Officious Lye is that which is intended to prevent some danger or procure some good either to our selves or neighbour Many of these are mentioned in Scripture as the Midwives of Aegypts Lye Exod. 1. 19. Rahabs Lye Iosh. 2. 4. Michaels Lye 1 Sam. 19. 14. A Sporting Lye or a Lye in jest is that which is made meerly to make one merry to pass away time with the like such are old Wives tales of Robbin-hood Fortunatus and the like A Pernicious Lye is that which is made for some evil hurtful and dangerous intent against our Neighbour Q. Are all these kind of Lyes sinful A. Yea. 1. For the last none can doubt It 's a sin against truth in the general nature of it And a sin against love and mercy in the end and intent thereof 2. For the second namely a Sporting Lye no great doubt is made for to say the least of it besides that it is a sin against truth it is also an unwarrantable and an idle mispending of precious time which ought rather to be redeemed 3. For the third namely an Officious Lye though some make doubt thereof yet it appears to be sinful and unlawful 1. The Scripture maketh no difference or distinction of a Lye when it condemns it but indefinitly and generally forbids and condemns all manner of Lying therefore the Officious Lye is a sin 2. That which is committed against God though it make never so much for man is sin But every Lye is committed against him for in every thing we do we have to deal with God and must approve all our actions to him therefore before him to say any thing with our Tongue which in our Consciences we know to be otherwise is to sin against God who is a God of truth 3. Men may not Lye for God much less for a man Isa. 61. 8. I hate Robbery for Burnt-Offering and he that hates to be served by Theft does as much hate to be served by a Lye Obj. Many Saints and holy servants of God have used ' this Officious Lye as Rebecca and Iacob Gen. 27. 18 19. Abraham Gen. 20. 2. A. The best have their sins and we are to follow their Vertues and to fear their faults Their faults were never recorded for our imitation but for our Caution Obj. Yea but God commendeth and rewarded many for their Officious Lye A. It is not so God never commended nor rewarded any for their Lye Indeed many did excellent works by this means which had yet been better had they not used a Lye as Rahah the Aegyptian Midwives and others In their works they gave great testimony of their faith though in their Lye of their frailty Now it was their faith which God commended and the things they did not the manner of doing them for therein they failed and God was merciful to them So much for the several kinds of Lyes III. For the third particular namely The greatness and heinousness of this sin of Lying Surely of sins that are lightly accounted of in the World and commonly committed it 's one of the most heinous which appeareth 1. In that it is so full of infamy that such as make no Conscience of any sin yet cannot endure to be charged with a Lye 2. It tends to the utter overthrow of humane Society For what comfortable Society or commerce can there be where men regard not what they say How shall a man know what to look for or what to trust to unless men speak the truth one to another He that uses to Lye how can he be believed when he speaks truth 3. Lyars in Scripture are reckoned amongst Murtherers Idolaters and other heinous sinners whose lot and portion without true and unfeigned Repentance will be hell-fire to all eternity Rev. 21. 8. But the Fearful and Unbelivers and Murtherers and whore-mongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone 1. The heinousness of Lying appeareth in that it is a sin against knowledge and Conscience It cannot be committed ignorantly but against knowledge and consequently against Conscience if it be not past feeling 5. The heinousness of this sin appears in that it is ordinarily an aggravation of other sins It
their duties especially these Ephes. 6. 5 6 7 8. Col. 3. 22 23 24 25. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Tit. 2. 9 10. 1 Pet. 2. 18 19. c. Take your Bibles and turn to these places read remember and practise them And because there is a sort of wicked Young Ones who not being contented with being vile themselves do desire to draw others into the Fellowship of their works of darkness therefore let not that word depart from you in Prov. 1. 10 My Son if sinners intice thee consent thou not And verse 15. My Son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path See also Prov. 4. 14 15. c. And now for you Young Men whose years of Apprenticeship are expired and who are no longer Servants because you are free from your Masters You have a wide World before you take heed that you be not lost in it by wandring from the Paths of Gods Commandments either 1. In the abusing of your Liberty or 2. In the using of your Trades As for your Liberty Remember that though the Yoke of your Masters be off yet you must keep the Yoke of Christ on or you must take it upon you if yet you have not As you had a Master on earth whose Servants you were to be for a certain time so you have a Master in Heaven whose servants you must bâ—… for ever And this will be no unwelcom news to you if you do but understand what a good Master the Lord is to all that serve him in sincerity and with all their heart Though therefore you have obtained freedom from man yet you must not take any freedom to sin against God and though you are in that respect at your own dispose yet you must not live as if you were your own I think that Young Men at the coming out of their time had need count it one of the special times of their life wherein they should be most watchful For it may be easily observed in too many that there is such prophaneness then manifested as if Hell were broken loose In the using of your Trades and Callings you must manage all things as those that do not make mens practises but Gods Precepts the Rule of your Buying and Selling. Beware of the love of Money which is the root of all evil and be sure you go not out of Gods way to get an Estate That will be sad gain at last which brings the loss of the Soul It is mens horrible unbelief and ignorance and distrustfulness of Gods All-sufficiency that makes them think they shall not get enough for themselves and theirs to live comfortable upon unless they should stretch their Consciences beyond the due bounds And know that what is unjustly gotten will be followed with a Blasting when that which is honestly come by will be followed with a Blessing And now for a Conclusion to all of you What hath hitherto been spoken is but as it were to prepare you a little for that great Duty of Remembring NOW your Creatour in the days of your YOUTH Be sure you never well remember your selves if you forget the Lord. When the Prodigal Son came to himself he presently thought of returning to his Father Luk. 15. 17 18 19. Notwithstanding all your sins against God his Bowels of Love will receive you if you do not refuse the mercy that is offered to you He knows as well how to pardon the Penitent as to punish the Impenitent It is his infinite goodness to your Souls that you should have some to warn you before it be too late In the number of which I have desired to be one out of an hearty well-wishing to your Eternal good Read and consider what follows and the Lord give you understanding and add his own blessing teaching you faithfully to improve all the helps and furtherances he is pleased to vouchsafe unto you for your Souls advantage T. G. THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE THe Text opened and explained Page 1 The Doctrine That it is a Duty incumbent upon all Young Men to consecrate the prime and strength of their days to the service of God 4 The Reasons of the Point 5 1 Use. Reproof of those who devote the Flower of their Age to the service of Satan and their sinful Lusts and reserve their decayed strength for God and his service 13 2 Use. Exhortation unto all Young Men to offer unto God the First-fruits of their lives 15 Several Objections of many Young Men against their early seeking and serving of God answered 17 Several Directions suitable to Young Men. 36 1. That they labour to be well rooted and grounded in the Principles of Religion 36 2. That they return to the Lord. The Nature of Conversion opened with some Arguments thereunto 37 3. That at their first setting up they content not themselves with a competent Stock of Money to begin the World withal but that they likewise get a good Stock of Grace 46 Helps thereunto 48 4. That they live godly and gracious lives with Directions thereunto 53 I. At thy first awaking in the Morning lift up thine heart to God in a thankful acknowledgment of his mercy to thee in the night past 53 II. So soon as thou art ready before thou goest about the works of thy Calling withdraw thy self into some private place and there pour out thy Soul unto God by Fervent Prayer 54 III. Having begun the day with Prayer then betake thy self to the duties of thy particular Calling 57 In following whereof special regard ought to be had to the ENDS and MANNER of performing them 57 For the Manner of following thy Calling these Rules are to be observed 58 I. Be diligent therein but with these two Cautions 58 1. Beware of laying out the strength of thy heart and spirit upon thy worldly businesses which ought to be reserved for Communion with God 58 2. Beware that thy worldly businesses and imployments do not ingross thy whole time but allow thy Religious Duties their proper and sufficient season 59 II. Follow thy worldly businesses with an heavenly mind 60 1. By raising matter of Heavenly Meditations from the same 60 2. By oft lifting up thine heart to God in short Ejaculatory Prayers for his direction assistance and blessing on thy pains and endeavours 61 III. Be Iust and Honest in thy dealing with men avoiding all guile and deceit 62 The Heads of several frauds and deceits to frequently acted in matters of Commerce and Trading 63 For the preventing of which several Rules are given 66 Motives and Arguments to Iust and Honest dealing 67 The hâ—…inousness of sundry Vices whereunto Young Men are addicted is set forth with several preservatives against them The Vices mentioned are 1. Rash and hasty Anger 70 2. Drunkenness 75 3. Wantonness and Uncleanness 83 4. Prophane and rash Swearing 91 5. Lying 95 6. Back-biting and Tale-bearing 100 IV. Another Direction for the leading a godly and gracious life is
before old age seiseth on thee which will be full of pains and sorrows so that thou canst take no delight in any thing neither canst thou find any desire or strength for service Here the dayes of old age are called evil because men are then subject to manifold infirmities and afflictions as if he had said seeing the Elder dayes are like to be evil dayes full of pains and griefs be sure thou do not add thereunto the bitterness of thy youthful lusts and pleasures and the butthen of those duties which should have been the business of thy youth Shall the sins and the works of an whole age be laid upon thiâ—…e aged Shoulders what an intolerable burthen will that be to thee who wilt find it hard enough for thee to bear up under thy diseases and infirmities Be doing rather now in the dayes of thy youth lay up against the time to come be aforehand with thy necessary work get to be rich in greace abundant in good works serving the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of thy life which may comfort thine heart against the evils of thine old age that so it may not be unto thee an evil but as it was to Abraham a good old age Gen. 25. 8. The drift of the Wise man in these words is to stir up young men to consecrate their youth and younger years especially to the remembring and serving of God because old age being full of weaknesses and infirmities is very unfit then to begin to serve God or to mind the great work of Repentance and Reformation CHAP. II. Containeth the grand proposition with the Reasons thereof FRom the drift and scope of Solomon in these words may be raised this point of Doctrine Doct. It is a duty incumbent upon all young men to consecrate the prime and strength of their dayes to the service of God So to remember God as to devote themselvs to him This was Typified under the Law where the Lord required the first-fruits to be dedicated unto him the first-born to be sanctified unto him and the young Bullocks and Lambs to be offered in Sacrifice unto him Which was written for our learning to teach and instruct us to offer unto God the service of our youth as well as of our old age And is it not most equal that as the first-fruits of other things so the first-fruits of man of his ripened understanding and affections should be given unto God Was the Lord greatly offended when as men reserved the best of the flock to themselves and offered the old the blind and the lame unto him And will he be well-pleased that we devote our youth and younger years to the service of Satan and the satisfying our own lusts and reserve for him only our decrepit old age This is likewise commended to us in the example of divers young men recorded in Scripture We read of Isaac that while he was young he accustomed himself to prayer and meditation Gen. 24. 63. Of Iosiah that when he was eight years old he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord And in the eighth year of his reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father 2 Chron. 34. 1 3. Of Obadiah that he feared the Lord from his youth 1 King 18. 12. And of Timothy that from a Child he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3. 15. If any shall ask wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way Surely by following the example of such rare young men as these were The Reasons of the point Reas. 1. Youth is the fittest time that can he given unto God as being the Spring time and excellentest part of thy life In the grave there is no serving God in thine old age it is bad serving him by reason of the manifold weaknesses and infirmities which do accompany the same therefore thy Youth must needs be the fittest time for his service For 1. Youth is most active and vigorous quick and lively being not at all clogged with the infirmities of age Then is thy body strongest thy wit sharpest and thy memory most capable and retentive How unworthy then is it for thee to Sacrifice thy youth to Bacchus and Venus to ungodly sensuality and luxury and at last to lay thine old bones upon Gods Altar O what Pity is it that the Devil the world and the flesh should have thy cream and flour And how shameful that God to whom thy whole life is due should have only thy bran and dreggs 2. Youth is the time of strength and the service of God being no easie work calls for thine utmost strength the strength of thy body as well as the strength of thy mind Our Saviour requires strive to enter in at the strait gate The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a striving with our utmost skill strength and activity as wrestlers do for mastery And saith the Apostle work out your salvation where the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to work with the greatest industry Old men whose strength is wasted are like to make but poor wrestlers and as poor workers And therefore what fitter time can there be in earnest to set upon the difficulties of Religion and Godliness and the mighty and weighty works thereof than in the strength of our days Reas. 2. The service of thy Youth is the most acceptable service unto God When Abraham manifested his willingness to sacrifice his young Son Isaac upon the Command of God oh how kindly did the Lord take it and thereupon promised yea swore unto him saying Because thou hast done this thing that in blessing I will bless thee Gen. 22. 16. In like manner if thou shalt consecrate thy younger years unto God which is as it were to sacrifice thy Isaac he will take it kindly at thy hands and thou shalt be remembred with a blessing in thine age for with such sacrifices God is well pleased When our Saviour heard the rich man in the Gospel say All these Commandments have I kept from my Youth the Evangelist noâ—…eth that beholding him he loved him to shew possibly how he loveth the service of young men how pleasing and acceptable it is to him And it is questionable whether God who calls for the first fruits of thy life if thou deny him that will accept the gleanings of thine age Reas. 3. Another reason may be taken from the momentary shortness and muâ—…able uncertainty of thy life So short it is that the whole of it from first to last is little enough for thy necessary work To get an interest in Christ to mortifie thy Lusts to furnish thy self with Grace to fill up thy fruits of righteousness and thereby to make sure to thy self a bet-ter life believe it these are not the works of a few days or hours And so uncertain is thy life that thou hast no
Custom 5. Thy long continuance in a sinful course of life will make thy Repentance much more grievous and bitter Some men in their New-birth feel far greater pangs and throws than others some are even on the wrack through dreadful horrours in their Consciences and a deep apprehension of the wrath and vengeance of God due unto them for their sins and these are usually such as are either guilty of some gross and heinous sin or else have for a long time run on in a course of sinning against God St. Paul having been a blasphemer and a persecutor of the Church of God his New-birth cost him many a bitter throw he was so deeply humbled and cast down with a sight and sense of his sins and heinousness of them that for three days he did neither eat nor drink Act. 9. 9. Mary Magdalen having been a notorious sinner it is recorded that at her Conversion she wept so abundantly that she washed the feet of our Saviour with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head Luk. 7. 38. And indeed most mens sorrow and humiliation for their sins is usually suitable to the number and heinousness of their sins As therefore thou wouldst avoid those dreadful terrours and bitter throws those heart-melting sorrows which possess many in their New-birth it will be thy wisdom speedily even now in thy Youth and younger years before thou hast contracted many great and heinous sins to ingage thy self in the ways of godliness 6. Continuance in sin without sincere repentance will make thy condemnation more intollerable By delaying to turn from thy sins unto God as thou dost prepare more matter for thy grief and sorrow so thou dost treasure up more fuel for thine everlasting burning which the Apostle plainly expresseth Rom. 2. 5. But thou saith he after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and Revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds whether they have been good or bad So that continuance in sinning without true and unfeigned repentance must needs occasion an heavier weight of vengeance at the last For he that adds to his sins doth certainly add to his own punishment treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and gathering as it were more wood to increase those flames which shall burn to all Eternity Reas. 6. May be taken from the benefits which follow and accompany thine early serving of God 1. Thereby thou wilt prevent manifold sins especially thy youthful lusts which to many prove very bitter in their Age when God is pleased to set them home upon their Consciences or suffer them to fly in their faces As every Calling so every Age of life hath its special and peculiar sins unto which it is most subject Thus Covetousness is usually the Old Mans sin and Voluptuousness the Young Mans sin the remembrance of which oft-times is very grievous in Old Age Therefore Iob speaks of some wicked men Iob 20. 11. whose bones are full of the sins of their Youth meaning that they feel more smart of them in their old age than ever they found pleasure and delight in them in their Youth It must needs be a sad burthen when men in their old age do feel the heavy weight of their Youthful lusts And yet what more ordinary we read of Iob that though he was one that truly feared God and eschewed evil as God himself restifieth of him Iob 1. 8. yet was the remembrance of the sins of his Youth very bitter unto him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the sins of my Youth saith he Iob 13. 26. Oh then how bitter and grievous will they be unto them who in their Youth do wholly prostitute themselves to lust and lewdness Such as in their younger years have taken great pains and thereby got heats and colds are apt to cry out of Aches and Stitches in their Age. Young sinner look for it thy early pleasures and youthful wantonness and that drudgery which they have put thee to are like to be Stitches in thy aged sides and Swords in thy heart and soul. Oh young man how should the consideration thereof stir thee up even now in the days of thy Youth to remember thy Creator and to dedicate thy self unto him thereby thou mayst prevent both thy present sins and those bitter returns they are otherwise like to make thee after many days 2. By thine early serving of God the exercises of Religion will be more pleasant and easie unto thee For often use will bring thee to a custom and long custom will work in thee an habit which will be easie and familiar and habits whether good or evil will be more easily gotten in Youth than in Age. We find by daily experience when young men are put Apprentices unto such Trades as are hard to be learned they soon attain unto the mystery of them and become dexterous therein Whereas if men in their old age should set upon the learning of them they would never attain unto any perfection therein In like manner if thou from thy Youth wouldst accustom thy self to the exercise of Religion and works of Sanctification thou wouldst sooner attain the skill and practice of them Whereas if thou shouldst put them off to old age they would come off very hardly and thou wouldst find thy self very unapt and untoward thereunto 3. The sooner thou beginnest to serve God here the the greater will be thy reward hereafter in Heaven For thy reward there will be proportioned to thy work here Though no man shall be rewarded for his works but only for the Merits of his blessed Saviour Jesus Christ yet God of his free grace hath promised to reward us according to our works as the Apostle expresseth Rom. 2. 6. He will render to every one according to his deeds implying that the measure of glory hereafter shall be proportioned to the measure of our sanctification and obedience here So that I may apply that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Look as here mens Harvests are usually answerable to their sowing in like manner the reward of Gods people in Heaven shall be answerable to the seed which is sown by them here he who soweth liberally here abounding in duties of Piety and works of Righteousness shall have a liberal reward in Heaven Now the sooner any man beginneth to ingage his heart to God the more service will he do him in this life and consequently the greater reward shall he have from him in the life to come Oh what stronger argument or greater incouragement than this can Young Men possibly have to devote and consecrate themselves from their Youth and tender years to the service of their Creator The point being thus proved by Scripture Examples and Reasons come we now to the application thereof
CHAP. III. Containeth a sharp reproof of those who devote their Flower and Prime to the service of Satan and their sinful lusts and reserve their decayed strength for God Use 1. IS it a duty incumbent upon all Young Men to consecrate themselves to the service of God then such are to be reproved who devote their Flower and Prime to the service of Satan and their sinful lusts and reserve their decayed strength for God and his service accounting the very dregs and refuse of all to be good enough for him for whom the best and principal is not worthy Under the Law they were forbidden to offer any thing unto the Lord that had a blemish or that were lame and blind Lev. 3. 1. 22. 18 19 20. and Deut. 15. 21. And for transgressing this Law the Lord reprehended his people by the Prophet Malachy 1. 8. If ye offer the blind for Sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Offer it now to thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts Was the Lord greatly offended when as men reserved the best of the Flocks to themselves and offered the old the blind and the lame unto him And will he be well pleased that thou shouldst dedicate thy best unto Satan and reserve for him only thy decrepit lame and withered age when as thy body is full of diseases and thy mind of infirmities Will God accept the Devils leavings Shall sin have thy blood and thy spirits and thy marrow and thy God be put off with skin and bones He that hath had the best may even take all God will laugh at thee in thy Evening who laugh'st at him in the Morning of thy days Is it not extream folly while the Ship is sound the Tackling good the Marriners hail and strong to lie playing and sporting at Road and when the Ship is crazy the Tackling weak and rotten the Marriners sick then to hoyse up sail for a Voyage into a far Country And how wise a man art thou who wilt delay the Voyage for Heaven till thy Vessel be broken and those Worms thy Lusts that have been bred in it have eaten it through and made it utterly useless We generally confess that our sins must be left and that God must be sought and served but we cannot accord of the time when to begin One saith he will begin when he hath served his Apprenticeship and is out of his time another when he is made Free and set up for himself another when he is Married another when he is Old Thus every one is apt to procrastinate The whole World almost are men for hereafter When must God be minded Hereafter When must these souls be looked to Hereafter When must these sins be sent packing Hereafter When we have served our selves of this World then we 'l be for the other World and when we have satisfied our Lusts then we will satisfie our Consciences and when we are unfit and unable for any thing else then we will follow God When we are scarce able to turn our wearied bones in our bed then will we think of turning to him Canst thou think God will accept thereof Believe it if thou canst Mark what the Prophet Malachy speaketh Chap. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and consecrateth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Who hath the Male of thy Flock whose is the First-born of thy strength Doth the Devil carry away that and must this corrupt thing this weak and weary and sickly time of thine age be the offering for God what thinkest thou will he say to thee but cursed be the deceiver that hath in his Flock a Male and consecrateth unto the Lord a corrupt thing CHAP. IV. Containeth an Use of Exhortation unto all young men to offer unto God the First-fruits of their lives Use 2. OF Exhortation unto all Young Men to offer unto God the First-fruits of their lives to give themselves to him betimes and forthwith to have done with the service of their sins and in earnest to betake themselves to holiness and righteousness of life Though the Devil the World and the Flesh have been aforehand with Christ and have gotten possession of thine heart yet now without further delay give a Bill of Divorce to them all cast out the Bond-woman and her Children and open unto Jesus Christ who stands knocking at the door of thine heart for entrance who by the admonitions of his Ministers the motions of his Spirit and checks of thine own Conscience doth call out unto thee Open to me I pray thee let me come in Oh let not thy love to thy Lust so far prevail with thee as to put off Christ to another time but this day open to him imbrace him for thy Prince and Saviour resign up thy self unto him to serve and obey him before thou art too far ingaged in the service of sin and Satan say with David That God shall be thy God and thou wilt seek him early Psal. 63. 1. Even now in the spring of thy life while the day of health and the day of Grace hath dawned upon thee Consider O Young Man how unfit old age is either to grapple with thy Lusts or thy duties to resist the tyranny of sin or to bear the difficulties of Religion We find by experience that the soul acting by and through the body acts according to the disposition thereof When the body is dull and heavy through age or infirmity the soul acts thereafter Is thy dulness and coldness all that thou wilt spare to the God of thy spirits How will he take it at thy hands when the Devil hath rode thee off thy legs and so lamed and cripled thee that now thou canst do no more then thou wilt be for God think how well this will please thy Maker Ye shall not see my face said Ioseph to his Brethren except you bring your younger Brother with you Gen. 43. 2. And how canst thou look to behold the face of the Lord Jesus with comfort if thou bring not unto him thy Youth and strength Now therefore O Young Man in the morning of thy life while the faculties of thy soul and parts of thy body are fresh and quick set thy face Heaven-ward especially considering how great thy work as a Christian is like to be even greater than thou canst dispatch in an Age. Those evil customs and habits which have been long growing cannot easily be cut off Those strong corruptions which have taken root in thine heart cannot readily be removed That knowledge grace peace comfort and assurance which thou needest cannot be attained without great labour and industry The work of Religion requires time it concerns thee to set upon it presently and not to be so very a Fool as to say It 's time enough yet Though thou hast foolishly mis-spent so much of thy Oyl already in
vanity and pleasure in sin and wickedness yet now be ashamed of thy folly and bewail thy former mis-spent time and manifold miscarriages resolving with the assistance of Gods grace to abandon thy lusts and to give up thine heart unto God with all speed Thou hast a price yet in thy hands be so wise as carefully to imbrace and faithfully to improve the same Young Man if thou mind not now in the days of thy Youth the things of thine eternal welfare it is a question whether ever thou wilt do it It is rarely found that such as have run out their Youth and strength in the service of the Devil do ever prove the true Servants of God in their age For an old sinner to be converted is no ordinary nor easie thing Can a man be born when he is old was Nicodemus his wonder And truly for an old sinner to be Regenerated and born anew may be the wonder of us all Examples of this kind are so rare that if it were considered it would make old sinners tremble How few do we find among all the Disciples of Christ that came in at the last hour Besides canst thou imagine that such a sinner deserveth favour who cometh in to serve God at last when he can serve his Lust no longer Now O Young Man what is thy purpose and resolution Art thou yet for thine old ways and sensual delights Or dost thou intend to give a present adieu to them together with all thy lewd Companions And to give up thy self to God to devote thy self to his fear and service For ought thou knowest this may be the very day and time of thy last choise Oh be not so foolish and unwise as to chuse the pleasures of sin here for a season which without unfeigned Repentance will assutedly end in everlasting torments before the Path of Life which certainly leads unto eternal bliss and happiness Why wilt thou not now be wise to Eternity Why wilt thou not speedily renounce thy former wicked courses and lewd Companions and imbrace the ways of godliness The Lord perswade thine heart thereunto Better thou hadst never been born than that thou shouldst at last be found in the case and way that now thou art in What not yet enough of thy folly and vanity When wilt thou return O when shall it once be CHAP. V. Containeth several Objections of many Young Men against their early seeking and serving of God I Know there are several Objections which Young Men are apt to make for themselves against their early seeking and serving of God which I shall endeavour to answer Obj. 1. Should I now in my Youth set upon the practice and walk in the ways of godliness I must look for nothing but jeers and scoffs from my Companions and Acquaintance Answ. 1 True it is none are more evil spoken of and traduced than such as walk in the ways of Holiness but the ground of it springs not from their just deservings but from the worlds malice and enmity to God which is derived to them for his sake 2. Those jeers and scoffs which are cast upon thee by thy Carnal Friends should be an incouragement rather than a discouragement in the ways of Godliness in that they may prove a blessing unto thee For saith our Saviour Matth. 5. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Therefore the Primitive Saints rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer scorn and reproaches yea any thing for the Name of Christ. Scoffs and disgraces do oft-times increase as the Graces of Gods people so likewise their glory He that takes from a Saints credit doth add to his Crown 3. Though thy Neighbours and Companions may outwardly scoff at thy holy walking yet know that at the same time they may inwardly reverence and honour thee for there sits a kind of Majesty in the face of holiness which draws even from carnal men fear and reverence Obj. 2. Should I now in my Youth bid adieu to my fleshly and betake my self to a godly life I shall lose my Friends and make them mine Enemies Answ. If thou shouldst lose thy carnal friends upon such an occasion thy loss will prove thy gain Thou shalt gain Christ for thy Friend who will be better to thee than all thy Relations Can they obtain the pardon of thy sins procure thy peace and reconciliation with God quiet thy troubled Conscience support thy fainting Soul and chear up thy drooping Spirit Miserable helps and miserable Comforters will they all be to thee Whereas Christ is both able and willing to do all this and much more for thee Mark that notable promise in Matth. 19. 29. Every man that hath forsaken Brethren or Sisters Father or Mother Wife or Children or any near and dear Relation for my sake shall receive an hundred fold Christ will be instead of all Relations unto him who is infinitely more than all worldly comforts whatsoever Yea such shall be rewarded with everlasting happiness according to that of our Saviour Luk. 6. 22 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in Heaven Obj. 3. If I should now in my Youth set my self to the seeking and serving of God I must look to be low and poor in the world for who ever grew rich by a strict and holy walking Yea have not the rich men of the World raised their Families to such Greatness and Grandeure by wicked practices and unconscionable dealing Ans. I. True it is the wicked for the most part thrive and prosper in the World God giving them their portion in this World to make them the more inexcusable II. It is not Godliness but rather the want thereof that often occasioneth poverty The Wise Man saith expresly Prov. 23. 21. The Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty And speaking of the sin of Whoredom saith Prov. 6. 26. By the means of a Whorish Woman a man is brought to a piece of Bread that is to such extream poverty that he hath scarce a piece of bread to eat but is forced to beg from door to door for a morsel of bread So that it is Wickedness and not Holiness that brings beggery and ruine There is I know a Devilish Proverb frequent in the mouths of wicked and prophane men That Piety and Plain Dealing is a Iewel but he that useth it shall die a Beggar But much good may it do the unrighteous with all their gettings the godly shall never be so poor but that they shall have riches enough 1. First the Lord hath in his Word made many gracious promises to bless the Righteous as in their Bodies and Souls so in their Goods and Estates as Deut. 28. 1 2. 〈◊〉 shâ—…ll come
to pass if thou shalt 〈◊〉 diligently unto the 〈◊〉 of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandments blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field Blessed shall be thy Basket and thy Store The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy Storehouse and in all that thou puttest thine â—…and unto c. And saâ—…th our Saviour Matth. 6. 36. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you that is food and rayment yea wealth and all temporal blessings so far as they shall be good for you shall be freely cast upon you as an over-plus into the bargain 2. We find the Lord hath made good these promises to his people so far as hath been good for them whereof we have many instances in Scripture as in Abraham who was both a good man and a great man abounding with much wealth and riches The like we read of Isaac of Iacob and of Ioseph in Aegypt of Iob and others In all which grace and greatness sweetly met together As the Ark brought a blessing to the house of Obed-Edom so I may truly say Godliness brings a blessing to the house and person in whom it is Having the promise of all needful temporal good things here as of eternal happyness hereafter 1 Tim. 4 8. So that there can be no likelier way to thrive and prosper in the World than betimes to give up thy self to God and to consecrate thy youth and younger years to his service III. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal. 37. 16. 1. For first Godly men have an heart given them from God to use and enjoy their estate whatever it is for their own good and the relief of others They have mercies and taste of them they have goods and do good with them whereas wicked men for the most part either have no heart at all to use their estates or else they spend them upon their â—…usts for which they shall full dearly answer at the great and dreadful day 2. What the godly have they enjoy with much comfort and contentment with much peace and quietness of mind and they find more sufficiency and fulness in their little than many rich wordlings do in their plenty and abundance For these though they have much yet they find no contentment nor satisfaction no quietness therein but much vexation of Spirit Whereas the righteous though they have but little yet they have a good and quiet conscience with it which is a continual feast yea they find a fulness therein so that they sit down abundantly satisfied and contented therewith For God puts a fulness into their little and makes it more satisfactory to his Children than greater abundance is to carnal worldly men Obj. 4. Should I hearken to your counsel I should thereby deprive my self of all joy and delight which is the very life of my life and lead a sad melancholly life For what doth more abridge men of pleasure and delight than walking in the ways of godliness Ans. 1. A godly life will not deprive thee of all joy and delight but only change thy rejoycing in evil for rejoycing in that which is good Whereas before thou rejoycedst in the pleasures of sin in rioting and revelling in chambering and wantonness now thou wilt rejoyce in the assurance of Gods Love and of thine own Salvation in the undoubted Testimony of his Grace and Favour towards thee which is indeed a blessed change of joy from carnal to spiritual from that which is vain and frothy unto that which is sound and solid 2. The godly sometimes by reason of their present affliction under which they lie may seem sorrowful yet are they always rejoycing as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 6. 10. As sorrowful yet always rejoycing And our blessed Saviour promised unto his Disciples and in them to all the faithful that he would give them such a permanent joy as no man should be able to take from them Joh. 16. 22. whereupon said David The Voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the Righteous Psal. 118. 15. 3. Though wicked men think and say that the godly lead sad melancholy lives yet certain it is that the ungodly when they are alone are generally melancholy Indeed when they are in Taverns and Alehouses with their vain Companions then they can laugh and sing but in their secret retirements none so dull and dampish as they yea through the checks and clamours of their guilty Consciences they are oft-times sorrowful in the very midst of laughter For wickedness is so far from producing peace and comfort that it is properly the cause of sorrow and discomfort Therefore saith the Prophet Isa. 5. 7. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt and then no wonder that it follows There is no peace to the wicked it being the property of wickedness to be troublesome and vexatious so that little joy or comfort can be found in a vicious course of life whereas godliness brings great pleasure and contentment to the mind of a man which the Apostle implieth 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world The satisfaction which ariseth from the testimony of a mans own Conscience in the faithful discharge of his duty is very pleasant and delightful In which respect saith David Psal. 19. 11. In keeping thy Commandments there is great reward There is not only a reward hereafter to all such as sincerely indeavour to â—…eep the Commandments of the Lord but likewise a reward here in keeping them men finding a complaâ—… and delight therein being satisfied that they have in some measure performed their duty 4. There is no joy comparable to their joy who set themselves to serve God in truth and sincerity Such the Apostle Peter saith Rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Therefore the Wise Man speaking in the commendation of godliness saith Her ways are ways of pleasantness Prov. 3 17. As if he had said Though worldly men do judge the ways of godliness to be sad and uncomfortable yet they do indeed yield great joy and pleasure to those who walk in them and therefore may well be termed ways of pleasantness For 1. In ways of godliness God doth communicate himself to the Soul and the Soul doth injoy sweet communion with God The Soul doth injoy as the influences of Gods Grace so the light of his Countenance which is as it were an Heaven upon Earth yea the greatest happiness poor Creatures can possibly attain unto 2. The ways of godliness are ways of pleasantness because the walking in them is pleasing and delightful unto God And a gracious heart must needs take great complacency and contentment in that which
words are to be understood not only as a Curse or Judgment but also as a Charge and Command Answerable thereunto is that Precept in the Moral Law Six days shalt thou labour So that no man hath a priviledge to live idly but either by the sweat of his Brow or of his Brain ought to be serviceable in his Generation For thine incouragement unto diligence in thy Calling Solomon tells thee Prov. 10. 4. The â—…and of the diligent maketh rich And Prov. 13. 4. That the Soul of the diligent shall be made sat Whereas Idleness is the root both of Beggery and of all manner of wickedness yea the Devils chiefest opportunity and advantage for tempting men unto sin and therefore may be called the hour of temptation For when the Devil findeth men most idle he will be sure to set them on his work Therefore it was good counsel which Saint Ierom gave to one of his Friends Be thou always about some lawful business that when the Devil comes he may not find thee idle If Satan at any time find thee not about that which is good he will soon set thee about that which is evil Though thou must be diligent in thy Calling yet take these two Cautions 1 Caution Beware of laying out the strength of thy heart and spirit upon thy worldly businesses which ought to be reserved for communion with God Thou must so follow the works of thy Calling as one that hath other matters in thy head businesses of an higher nature lying upon thee even the great things of Eternity the salvation of thy precious and immortal Soul This the Apostle intendeth in 1 Cor. 7. 31. where he adviseth us so to use the World as if we used it not or as not abusing it by such an immoderate loving and inordinate seeking after it as takes off the heart from a due minding the great concernments of our Souls As Esau wasted his strength by overmuch Hunting and by his too greedy desire of Iacob's red Pottage lost his Birth-right Gen. 27. 29. so mayst thou by an over-eager hunting after Wealth waste the strength of thy body and indanger thine Heavenly Inheritance It will be therefore thy wisdom so to mind and follow after things Temporal that thou mayst not lose no nor abate thy care of things Eternal I deny not but the World may and must be minded by thee but still in its place secondarily and subordinately What is the World to thy Soul What is Bread or Cloaths or Money or an House or Lands to the Everlasting Kingdom Let that word be still in thine ears and upon thine heart whatever thou art about First seek the Kingdom of God First that is not only before all things but chiefly and above all things seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness let thine heart be ever more intent upon God than upon all things in the world besides 2 Caution Though thou must be diligent in thy Calling yet beware that thy worldly businesses and imployments do not ingross thy whole time but allow thy Religious Duties their proper and sufficient season Be sure thou observe thy praying and thy reading times yea and thy seasons for meditating on God and communing with thine own heart Oh let not thy Worldly Imployments prove Heavenly Impediments Put not off thy serving God for any earthly advantage whatsoever Happily thou wilt say I must provide necessaries for my Family I must have bread for my self and them True and must thou not have Grace and Christ too Is not thy Soul more than thy Body Is not Christ and Grace more necessary than thy daily bread If thou wilt not raise thy Estate upon the ruines of thy Soul if thou wilt not sell thine hopes for hereafter for thy present commodity and undo thy self for ever for fear thou shouldst be undone here then look to it that whatever wants thy Soul may have its due share of thy time Let not holy duties give place to the world let the world give place to them I know it is the practice of too many upon a pretence of much business either wholly to omit their private devotions or else to run over them so hastily that they are lost in the doing as good do nothing as nothing to purpose God will not be so put off nor can thy Soul subsist upon the Income of hasty duties If thou wilt find no more leisure to pray God will find as little leisure to answer 2 Follow thy Worldly businesses with an Heavenly mind as a Citizen of Heaven and a Pilgrim on Earth Though thou hast thy hand in the Earth yet let thine eye and thine heart be towards Heaven often meditating on heavenly things and setting thy thoughts and affections on things above As S. Paul when he was at Rome in his body yet was at Coloss in his Spirit Col. 2. 5. So though as yet we are absent from Heaven in our bodies yet in our Spirits we may be continually present there and there let us daily be both searching into the blessedness of that better Country and studying our way thither and laying up a treasure for our selves there There is scarce any worldly business which calls for the continual intention of thy thoughts upon it but some spare time may be gained from it for spiritual thoughts and heavenly meditations And great care and watchfulness there should be against such an over-intention of mind upon whatever earthly affairs as does shut the Lord out of doors and throw Heaven under our feet Let our whole life be a walking with God as Enochs was Gen. 5. 22. Let us learn the skill to serve the Lord in our serving the necessities of our bodies and let us often catch at opportunities for more immediate converses with him Learn particularly these two things 1. To spiritualize all outward objects and occurrences by raising matter of heavenly meditations from the same There is no creature in which there are not manifest footsteps of the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God Every flower or spire of grass every worm or fly declare the power of our great Creator How much more the curious Fabrick of mans Body and the glorious Host of Heaven from each of which thou mayst take occasion to think of God with admiration As a Christian seeth all things in God so may he see God in all things and thereby make some spiritual use and improvement of them He may with the Bee suck sweetness out of every flower not only for sensual delight but also for spiritual profit And truly the benefit of the Creature is half lost if there be nothing but an outward use made oâ—… them The bruit Beasts can behold the outward things if man see and learn no more what is his Excellency above the Beasts A wise Physitian can extract some good out of those Herbs that ignorant persons cast away as useless In like manner wise Christians can and ought to extract some spiritual profit to themselves
be able if they be honest 't is because they cannot help it And 't is a poor shift they alledge to save themselves from blame viz. Caveat emptor let the buyer look to himself Wherefore hath he his eyes and understanding If he be deceived he hath deceived himself Is that all thou hast to say Caveat Emptor Why that 's no more but this Let him count me a knave that he hath to do with let him trust his own eyes and not my words or Oaths oâ—… Conscience for there 's no trust to be given to them Is not this it thou sayest and dost thou not herein say well for thy self 4. How many do deceive their neighbours in weights and measures using false weights and false measures and yet take the full price for their commodities which is a plain cheat that is abominable in the sight of God as Prov. 20. 10. Divers weights and divers measures both of them are alike abomination to the Lord. As if he had said Though men may make light of this kind of deceit and haply boast of it yet God abhorrs it and the rather because it is a sin that tends to the overthrow of humane society 5. How many use unjust and uncharitable courses to raise the ordinary price of their commodities as by forestalling the Market or by ingrossing commodities that having them all in their own hands they may sell them at their own rates Which is a branch of uncharitableness raising their gain out of their brothers loss 6. How many buy such goods as they know or have just cause to suspect that they are stollen thereby making themselves accessary to the theft and making thieves if there were fewer Receivers there would be fewer Thieves 7. How many do make a gain by promise breaking who will readily promise to pay ata day but make no Conscience of keeping their word or their time not regarding how much their neighbour suffers by being disappointed at his day Christians should be men of their words should consider before they promise and then make Conscience of punctual performance 8. How many seek to put off all the bad money they can though thy know it to be bad even for good Wares Haply you will say you took it for good money Though you did yet except you can return it to the parties from whom you received it it is a branch of deceit Better it is to suffer wrong than to do wrong in any kind Because one hath wronged thee will that be thy warrant to wrong another whatever palliations or pretences men may have yet the thing is palpably injurious Justice requires that there be an equal and true value betwixt the price and the commodity When thou knowest the commodity thou buyest to be good and the money thou payest for it to be naught where is thy justice Thus you see what mysteries of iniquity there are in most Trades which are too well known and too much practised by many Tradesmen For the preventing of which I shall briefly give you some few general Rules to be observed in your dealing with men 1. Ever observe that Golden Rule of our Saviour Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them As thou wouldst not have mixt wares sold thee for that which is pure nor that which is sophisticated and naught for that which is perfect and good do not thou offer the like to others As thou wouldst not be wronged nor over-reached by others do not thou go about to wrong or over-reach others But whatsoever thou wouldst that men should do thee do thou even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets that is This is that which every Book of the Law and Prophets require of us this is the summe of that which in the Law and Prophets is delivered concerning our carriage and behaviour towards our Neighbour 2. When at any time thou art summing up thy gains and gettings put all thy unrighteous gains in the one sâ—…ale and thy soul which thou hast by thine unjust and deceitful dealing exposed to sale for them into the other and withal consider how light all those gains and gettings are in comparison of thy soul. And this through Gods blessing may be a means to take thee of from all dishonest dealings For what is the gain of many thousands nay of all the wealth in the World to the loss off thy precious soul Surely all the wealth and riches in the World can no more countervail the loss of one soul than all the dirt of the street can countervail the loss of a rich Jewel Young man thou art now going forth into the World and thine eyes and thine heart are set upon getting an estate and gathering thee substance against the time to come but beware thou lay not up an evil treasure a treasure of lyes and oaths and deceit with thy treasure of money or goods Resolve from thy very first to have none by thee but honest gain if God increase thee bless him for it but resolve rather to be poor than not to be honest and upright For riches profit not at the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death Prov. 11. 4. 3. Consider that all the ways and works of unrighteousness though acted never so secretly and cunningly shall one day be made manifest to all the world For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles. 12. 14. At the great day of Judgment whereof Solomon had made mention before all the ways and works of wickedness all the deceits of men though never so closely committed shall be discovered to the view of all And therefore the day of Iudgment is called Rom. 2. 5. the day of Revelation because then all the hidden things of dishonesty all frauds and deceits shall be made manifest I shall close this Direction with giving you some few Motives and Arguments unto just and honest dealing in your Commerce with others 1. Honest dealing is the likeliest way to thrive Look into the Scriptures and you shall find that Righteousness as well as Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come promises of things temporal as well as of things spiritual and eternal 1 Tim. 4. 8. Though a righteous man have but a little estate yet that little is better than great Revenues of the wicked and unrighteous Psal. 37. 16. The unrighteous man who hath got an estate by fraud and deceit may fare more deliciously every day but the righteous man may eat his Meals with more true joy and contentation 2. Iust and honest dealing with men will prove an honour and Ornament unto Religion and Profession Yea there is nothing will grace Religion so much in the eyes of all men than for such who make profession thereof to be just and honest true and faithful in their dealing with others This
shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. As associating thy self with wise men is an excellent means of getting Knowledge and Wisdom So contrariwise associating thy self with Drunkards is the high way to drunkenness and folly their company is no less contagious to such as adjoyn themselves to them than such as are infected with the Plague or Leprosie There are two Arguments which are very prevalent with many Young Men to perswade them to go on in this so heynous and dangerous a sin but being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary they will be found very light 1 Arg. Taken from the hope of Repentance they flatter themselves with a conceit that they can repent when they list and that Heaven-gate will open to them at the first knock A. 1. Repentance is the gift of God from whom every good and perfect gift cometh Jam. 1. 17. And therefore ought to be accepted by us when it is offered to us and not to be delayed and put off from time to time For as God is merciful to offer Grace so he is just to punish the neglect thereof 2. How many are there who though they have fully resolved to repent and turn from their sins unto God in their old age or in the time of sickness yet have been prevented and cut off by some sudden death One drunken fit may cut off that hope How many instances have there been in the world of men that have died Drunken Some Drunkards have been twice dead at once dead drunk and drunken unto death carried away from the Ale-bench to their Graves and thence to the Judgment And what if it should be so with thee where is then thine after-repentance And how many that have over-lived their drunken fits have been deprived of the use of their senses and understanding in the time of their sickness and so have died sensless And how many who though they have lived to old age yet have been more hardened against Repentance than in their Youth which cometh to pass through the just Judgment of God For what can be more righteous than that they should be left to forget God when they are old who would not remember him in their Youth And this the Lord himself threatneth Prov. 1. 24. c. 2 Arg. Is taken from their present impunity They flatter themselves with a conceit that because God doth not presently execute vengeance upon them for their Drunkenness therefore they shall not be punished and thereupon take heart to go on in their sins according to that of the Wise Man Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil implying that impunity increases impiety and makes sinners the more obstinate because the Judgments of God threatned against them are not presently executed therefore they go on in their wickedness But let such know that though God is slow in executing his Judgments on wicked and ungodly men thereby to lead them to Repentance yet will he be sure in the execution at last and the longer he is fetching his stroak the sorer will be his blow and the deeper will he wound when he strikes In which respect Gods wrath may be compared to a great Bell which is long in raising but being up it gives the greater sound CHAP. XIV Of Wantonness and Uncleanness which is another Vice whereunto Young Men are addicted III. ANother sin whereunto Young Men are addicted is Wantonness and Uncleanness Prov. 7. 7. It was a Young Man that followed the Harlot to her house Young Men are generally apt to this Beastly sin and to make light of it when they have done accounting it but a trick of Youth and a Venial transgression as if their Youthful propensity thereto and the commonness thereof in men of that age might be their sufficient Apology and excuse Therefore I shall shew you 1. The Kinds and Degrees of this sin 2. The Heynousness of it 3. The Danger thereof 4. Some Remedies against the same I. For the Kinds and Degrees of this sin it is Either Contemplative or Practical Contemplative Uncleanness is when the mind pleaseth it self with lascivious and wanton thoughts delighting the sensual appetite And thus there may be a world of wickedness in a mans heart though the act of pollution be refrained There 's many a Whorish heart where there have not been Whorish acts And I am perswaded that the outward act of Fornication and Adultery is not more heynous among men than the lustful and unclean thoughts of the heart are to God An Adulterous heart an Adulterous eye an Adulterous tongue are all an abomination to the Lord. Of Practical uncleanness there are many degrees 1. Fornication Which is when the sin of Uncleanness is committed by single and unmarried persons 2. Adultery When both or one of the Parties delinquent are Married as the Notation of the word intimates Adulterium quasi ad alterius torum the going to anothers Bed And this is so much the more heynous as it is a wilful shipwrack abroad when it hath an Harbour and safe remedy provided at home 3. Incest Which is committed by persons that are within the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity 4. Polygamy The having of many Wives at once 5. Rape or Ravishment Which is a violent deflowring of a Woman who never consented thereunto Such was Amnon's sin in deflowring his Sister Thamar II. The Heynousness of this sin appeareth 1. From the Titles given to it in Scripture The Prophet Ieremy calls it Villany Jer. 29. 23. Because they have committed Villany in Israel and have committed Adultery with their Neighbours Wives Where the latter branch is Exegetical shewing what that Villany was which they committed even Adultery with their Neighbours Wives This sin is likewise termed lewdness filthiness and uncleanness But most commonly it is called folly and the Actors thereof Fools Gen. 34. 7. 2 Sam. 13. 13. And Prov. 7. 7. Solomon calleth the young Fornicator a simple one void of understanding For what greater folly than for the satisfying thy filthy lusts to cast thy self head-long into innumerable evils here and into eternal torments hereafter 2. The heynousness of this sin appeareth from the manifold threatnings in Gods Word against it 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God As if he had said I know many of you are apt to flatter your selves with a conceit that God who is the Father of mercy will not be so severe as for this sin which is so natural to cast you into Hell or shut you out of Heaven But saith he Deceive not your selves neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate shall inherit the Kingdom of God that is except they truly repent and leave off those sins And Eph. 5. 5. This ye know that no Whoremonger nor unclean person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom
Consider how God expects to be honoured by our thoughts as well as by our words and actions by the workings of the heart as well as by the way of the life Holy thoughts are something of the root of an holy life who knows how much precious fruit may be in a good thought It 's true if they die as soon as they are born and bring forth nothing God will but lightly regard them but there is great hope that where the Grace that is in the heart does put forth into holy thoughts it will thence spring up into holiness of life Therefore O Young Man forget not daily to render unto God thy Thought-service as well as thy Tongue-service and the rather because thou hast more opportunities for the one than the other Thou hast not always opportunity for outward performances but thou mayst when thou pleasest think of God and the matters of Eternity where-ever thou art What can hinder thee from giving a Visit to Heaven every hour and oftner Send these winged Messengers up constantly let there be frequent comings and goings betwixt Heaven and thine heart let thy Messengers go up and they will doubtless bring thee down gracious and comfortable returns He whose eye is much upon God his Eye will affect and warm and quicken his heart and beget upon it the very Visage and Image of God in the view of whose Face he lives These good Spies sent up in search of the good Land above will return with such Clusters of the precious Fruits thereof as will revive and incourage and also strengthen the heart for that hard service it may be put to in its journey thither None make such haste Heaven-ward and such sensible Progress in their way as they whose eye is continually there 7. Whensoever thou goest unto God in Prayer amongst other thy sins bewail the multitude of vain worldly wanton thoughts that lodge in thine heart and there Revel it day and night Think it not enough to confess the outward acts of sin but likewise the inward contemplative wickedness and speculative filthiness which is in thine heart For the outward acts of wickedness are no more transgressions of the Law than the inward thoughts which do beget and produce the outward acts And sinful thoughts are the more abominable for that they are the Fountain and Original of all actual sins Such therefore as please themselves with this fancy that they were never guilty of outward acts of Uncleanness Drunkenness Murther Oppression and the like so long as they entertain and harbour inward lusts after those or any other sins and live in contemplative wickedness they shall find those to their cost and woe as dangerous as the outward gross acts of wickedness and uncleanness Besides we ought to bewail our vain thoughts because of the number of them which indeed are numberless Not a moment of our lives but swarms of vain thoughts arise in our hearts so that though they may be accounted lesser sins in comparison of outward gross acts yet by reason of their multitude they may prove as dangerous as they Many Sands by their multitude may sink a Ship as well as a few great Mill-stones So vain wicked worldly wanton thoughts by reason of their number and multitude may sink a Soul to Hell as well as a few outward gross acts Therefore O Young Man thou hast cause to humble thy self for thy sinful thoughts as well as for thy sinful words and actions And having confessed them unto God then amongst thy Petitions let one be for Grace to inable thee to keep down all wicked wanton thoughts and to give thee his sanctifying Spirit which may spiritualize thy carnal heart making it more holy and heavenly fit to produce heavenly thoughts CHAP. XIX Of the well ordering and governing our Words II. AS thy thoughts must be well ordered and governed so likewise thy words which is of special importance for preservation both of our outward and inward peace and wherein consisteth much of the truth and reality of our Religion For if a man seem to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue but breaketh out into bitter and reviling speeches that mans Religion is vain or to no purpose Iam. 1. 26. Though his Profession be glorious yet it will little advantage his Soul Therefore Solomon adviseth next to the keeping our hearts to keep our tongues Prov. 4. 23 24. we ought to be the more careful of our tongues 1. Because we are very prone to offend therein corrupt speaking being the ordinary issue of our corrupt nature 2. Christ hath delivered it as a certain truth That for every idle word that men shall speak they must give account in the day of Iudgment And that by our words we shall be justified and by our words we shall be condemned Mat. 12. 36 37. Because mens words do declare what their inward disposition is therefore by their words are they justified or condemned Beware therefore O Young Man that thou dost not vainly and causleslly increase thy accounts either by rotten and unsavoury or by idle and unprofitable discourses Far be it from thee to use this wind of words as Bellows to kindle against thy self the flame of Gods wrath here and the fire of Hell in the life to come But rather let it be thy care with the Prophet David To take heed to thy ways that thou offend not with thy tongue Psal. 39. 1. For thy better help therein take these few Directions 1. Be not too free of thy tongue but let thy words be few knowing that in multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Prov. 10. 19. And Prov. 17. 27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit knowing when to speak and when to keep silence and vers 28. Even a Fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise because he hath this happiness not to discover his want of wisdom Many a mans folly and ignorance would not appear could he but keep his own counsel And the Apostle Iames Chap. 1. 19. exhorteth to be swift to hear and slow to speak To which purpose Nazianzen well observeth how God hath appointed a double guard to keep in the tongue namely the lips and two rows of teeth that it might be restrained from breaking out by this double fence Be not therefore lavish in words but sparing in thy speech for silence is an excellent Vertue and saveth many a mans Credit Reputation and Conscience 2. Let your converse one with another be more fruitful communicating your experiences your comforts and supports one to another exhorting one another and provoking one another to love and good works This questionless is one end of Gods bestowing his gifts and graces upon us that we might impart what we have received to the spiritual good and benefit one of another And hereby shall we increase and improve our own gifts and graces by communicating we
increase our store We may warm our own hearts by our endeavours to warm our Brethrens That your discourses may be the more profitable have ever in your mind some useful questions to propound to others but therein be sure to have respect to the abilities and capacities and the edifying of your selves or them to whom you propound your doubts If they be Learned Divines or experienced Christians then you may desire the opening and clearing some difficult place of Scripture or the resolving some Case of Conscience or the explaining some hard point in Divinity If they be your Equals in understanding then suit your discourse to their capacities and let it be your wisdom to observe wherein mens abilities chiefly consist and to apply your selves to them accordingly whereby you will much advantage your selves and give others occasion to improve those gifts and talents which God hath bestowed on them 3. When others are talking of worldly or common matters labour to turn the stream of their discourses to some spiritual and savoury subject to talk of God or Christ or Heaven or of the way and means that lead thereunto It is much to be lamented that professing Christians should so often meet together to so little purpose How is their time generally taken up with discourses of worldly matters without a word of God or Heaven whereas if we are furnished with skill and resolution to imbrace all opportunities which might minister matter of digression from worldly to spiritual and heavenly discourses we might make our meetings far more profitable than they are 4. Be not over-forward either in revealing that which another hath committed to thy trust or in revealing thine own secrets to another lest in the end he proving to be unfaithful thou be inforced but too late to repent thy folly That which thou wouldst not have told to another tell no body for if thou canst not why shouldst thou think another will conceal what concerns thee 5. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth Eph. 4. 29. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting Ephes. 5. 3 4. It is better to forbear speaking than to vent that which is vain and unprofitable or worse than silence Abstain therefore from all evil speakings of which the Apostle there mentioneth three kinds 1. Obscene and wanton speeches which he calleth filthiness and reckoneth amongst those evil speakings which he would not have named amongst Christians Yet how full of them are the mouths of many young men who make it their repast and reputation to utter wanton speeches to tell filthy tales and to sing Songs of love and lightness full of abominable filthiness which plainly sheweth the pollution and uncleanness of their hearts for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 13. 34. Obscene and unchaste speeches as they spring from so they are great provocations to lust For evil communications corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. words being as the vent of an unclean heart and as Bellows to blow up its filthy fire into a greater flame Know then O Young Men it doth highly concern you in special to be watchful over your words in this kind For of all sorts of corrupt speeches this filthy speech is the most beastly and corrupting There are others more irksome to the ear as Blasphemies Swearing Cursing and the like but wanton and lascivious talk is the most inticing and so much the more to be taken heed of because it 's somewhat pleasant and delightsome both to carnal speakers and hearers Observe the Songs that Young Men and Maidens have most frequently in their mouths and you shall find them to be full of filthiness Is it any wonder then that so many fall into divers kinds of unclean and beastly actions when as their words are so seasoned or rather poysoned with this filthiness How can Chastity be preserved when such provocations to Lust are continually used The Soul of Iust and Righteous Lot was vexed with the filthy speeches of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7. And how canst thou think that thou hast a righteous Soul in thee if thou take delight in uttering or hearing filthy speeches 2. Another kind of evil speaking which the Apostle mentioneth is foolish talking whereby he meaneth vain and unprofitable discourses of whatsoever cometh into mens heads which tend to no good purpose but are used only to pass away time Many I know are apt to think that vain and idle words are not to be reckoned of But let such remember that God registreth them all and will bring them one day to a reckoning for the same before his Judgment-seat O Young Man how doth it then concern thee to be watchful over thy words and speeches Oh think not vain and unprofitable discourses to be so light as not to be regarded Consider to what end God made thy Tongue namely to glorifie him and edifie thy Brother Consider also what a precious thing time is which we ought by all means to redeem and thou shalt find that to pervert the right end of the Tongue by babling foolish things and to mispend so much precious time thereby is no light or small sin 3. Iesting is the next kind of evil speaking mentioned by the Apostle Eph. 5. 4. whereby he especially meaneth such jesting as tends to the abusing of Scripture or deriding such as fear God or mocking of our Neighbour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text Aristotle sets down for a Vertue which the Apostle there condemneth for a Vice And truly Iesting especially without great watchfulness as to the matter and measure of it doth very ill become Christians For 1. It 's not agreeable to our Profession which requireth a very grave and serious Spirit and behaviour 2. It 's apt to put the heart out of tune to discompose it for those weighty and spiritual concernments which we have before us and to dispose us for vanity and frothiness 3. It 's an occasion of mispending much precious time and of abusing that gift of Wit which God hath given for the good and profit of others and not for the hurt and disgrace of any Pleasantness of converse so it be innocent and tending to good is both allowable and commendable but that liberty of Wit which we intend for a recreation should be but as Sauce to our meat but little as to the measure of it and profitable as to the end of it namely to whet the appetite to that which is better CHAP. XX. Of the well-ordering our Actions III. AS thy Thoughts and Words must be well ordered so likewise thy Actions and that in the whole course of thy life This the Apostle intendeth Phil. 1. 27. Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Iesus Christ that is as you have imbraced the Gospel of Christ and made a Profession of Religion so see that your Conversation be suitable and answerable thereunto thereby manifesting the power of the Gospel in you
Oh how sad a sight is it to see men making a Profession of Religion instead of adorning the same with a godly life disgracing it and denying the power thereof in their loose and carnal conversation Let such talk what they will of their Faith that they do believe in Jesus Christ and therefore doubt not their condition is as good as the best yet let them know that that Faith will not save them which brings not forth a godly life Though Faith alone justifies yet Faith which is alone not accompanied with good works doth not justifie nor save It is a dead Faith Jam. 2. 20. Wilt thou hope to live by that Faith which is dead Young men let it not content you to be only believing but be doing Christians be not professing only but be living Believers Hast thou Grace prove that thy Grace is true by this that thou hast not received the Grace of God in vain Let thy love prove thy Faith and thy labours of love prove thy love and the fruit of thy labours prove that thou hast not either believed or laboured in vain Be a Christian for action let Religion be not only thy Profession but thy business Let it not be the business of thy Sabbaths or of thy praying times but let it be the ordinary business of thy life let thy whole course evidence that Godliness is not an Airy or empty notion an insignificant and useless form or shew but that there is a spirit of life and power in it which worketh in thee mightily That thy actions and the way of thy life may be according to Godliness I shall give thee 1. Some general 2. Some particular Directions General Directions are these 1. Ingage thy self deeply in a design for Eternity Resolve for Heaven and the way that leads to it Be not longer a man for this world but for the Everlasting Kingdom and study out with plainness of heart what is the surest way to the blessedness to come and what ever thou findest it to be what ever Objections thou meetest with against it let that be thy way Studiously consider how thou mayst get into that way and contrive and cast about how thou mayst effectually make progress in it Godliness is the way to blessedness and therefore let that be thy great study how thou mayst live godly Till thou hast in good earnest taken up a godly design thou wilt never do any thing to purpose in it The most of men are so far from living a godly life that they have not yet designed any such thing Some good may be done at times by them but it is only as it falls in their way by accident rather than upon any serious good intent This God regards not at all nothing is acceptable to him no nor like to be profitable to us but what is done upon design upon this godly design When the series or course of our actions do as the several Links in a Chain all hang together and draw all one way then there 's like to be something done to purpose When there is only some little good scattered up and down here a Link of the Chain and there another but not joyned in a Chain together they will not help us on our way Let that therefore be your first care take up an heavenly design and therein let all your particular acts of Religion hang together 2. Let thy whole life be a prosecuting and serving thy godly design And that thou mayst the more effectually prosecute it and prosper in it 1. Let Faith and Love be the Root of thy life and the several actions of it 2. Let the Word and Will of God be the rule of thy actions 3. Let the glorifying and injoying God be the end of them 1. Let Faith and Love be the root of thy actions 1. Let Faith be the root of them 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Heb. 11. 6. without Faith it is impossible to please God Our persons must be accepted first before our actions and neither the one nor the other will be accepted without Faith in Christ Heb. 11. 4. A godly life and a life of Faith are the same A life of Faith hath its Original from above is fetch'd down from Christ and is maintained and carried on by a continual supply of fresh influences from him without whom we can do nothing If thou wilt live godly thou must look to Christ and lean on Christ and go to Christ for all thy strength and motion A Christian is beholding to Christ for every good motion he moves for every Grace he hath and for every good duty he doth Carnal Professors are beholding only to their Books or their Teachers or their Acquaintance or their Parts their Understanding their Memories c. Nay it may be to their Flesh and their Lusts for all their Religion they would not pray as they do nor take such pains to hear as they do nor profess as they do did not their pride or their covetousness or their company prompt and press them to it But the Religion of a sincere Christian whatever advantage it may have from Books or Teachers or good Society yet it springs and rises all from Christ. That Faith which is their Root uniting them to Christ doth also as their root suck such spirits and sap and strength from Christ and convey it to their Souls that they are thereby furnished for and quickned to every good 〈◊〉 Let it be thus with thee O Soul let thy Faith iâ—… Christ be the root from whence all thy actions and 〈◊〉 strength for action comes 2. Let Love be the root of thy life Let thy duties be the works of Faith and labours of Love The love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5. 14. Christians love Christ both his Person and holy ways and thence 't is they follow him so fast They love to be holy and therefore follow Holiness they love to pray and love to hear and love to labour for Christ and to watch with Christ and walk with him and therefore 't is they live a Praying Hearing Labouring Watchful life Love quickens them to duty and love sweetens every duty Young Man thou wilt never bear through the hard services and great severities of a godly life thou wilt never â—…old out in that constant care labour watchfulness self-denial which Religion will put thee upon unless thy love to Christ do quicken thee on and sweeten all to thee Carnal Professors whatever they do they do all for fear or from force or fashion they would be bad enough or do little enough if they did dare if they were not afraid or ashamed or were it not from the influence of some things external upon them Though thou also must make use of fear and all manner of Arguments and helps to lead and press on thy backward heart yet see to it that thy love
to Christ be the main Spring that sets all thy Wheels a going this will both give vigour and a sweet relish to all thou dost and according to this according to what love there is in thy duties so will thy acceptance be with God 2. Let the Word and Will of God be the Rule of thy life Psal. 119. 9. Wherewithal shall a Young Man cleanse his way The question may be inlarged wherewâ—…thal shall a Young or Old Man cleanse and order his way And the Answer will be the same By taking heed thereto according to thy Word This Word is a Light to the feet and a Lanthorn to the steps it sheweth thee what is good and that good must be done it sheweth thee what is evil and what evil is to be avoided it sheweth thee what good is to be done and how what evils are to be eschewed and how thou mayst avoid them Young Man do not as the most of thine Age use to do be unruly live not according to thy unruly head or heart according to thy unruly lusts and passions but live by rule live not by the rule of Custom or by the rule of example after the course of this World but let God be thy Ruler and his Law be thy Rule As many as walk according to this rule peace shall be on them and mercy Gal. 6. 16. Enquire diligently what would God have me do How would God have me live Would God have me live an idle life Would God have me to swear or to lye or to covet Is not this it that the Lord would have me do to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 12. And if this be it that the Lord would have go and live accordingly 3. Let the glorifying and enjoying of God be the end of thy life and of all the duties and actions of it Let this be the scope of thy life the mark at which thou aimest that thou mayst honour God and be happy in him And that thou mayst eye and pursue both these in one let this be the aim and intent of thine heart in thy whole course To work out thine own Salvation Phil. 2. 12. In this one work is included all that thou hast to do or mind In this thou wilt best glorifie God and secure his everlasting love to thine own Soul Therefore upon this set thine eye and thine heart in all thy ways So that if the question be put wherefore livest thou wherefore livest thou thus thus holily thus humbly thus watchfully thus self-denyingly that thou mayst be able to answer Why I live thus that herein I may work out my Salvation Resolve to set thy self about nothing nor to allow thy self in any thing concerning which thou art not able to say I am herein working out my Salvation I am herein serving the Lord and endeavouring the saving mine own Soul Young Man dost thou live to this end what goest thou so often to the Alehouse or the Tavern for Is that to serve God and save thy Soul what is the intent of thy greediness upon the world of thy sensual licentious life of thy scoffing at the strictness of Religion dost thou all this also for the pleasing of God and working out thine own Salvation Canst thou say when thou art Drinking and Revelling when thou art swearing and Lying or when thou art loytering and playing away thy time canst thou then say Now I am serving of God herein I am working out my Salvation Or when thou art playing the Hypocrite and Formalist professing and praying and hearing and talking of God and the matters of Religion deceitfully out of pride or for ostentation or so coldly and negligently as thou ordinarily dost canst thou then say I am now praying for my life bearing for my life Will thy pride and thy hypocrisie bring thee to Heaven Are these false Duties that have nothing but a Lye at the bottom that are the Covert of a rotten heart are these they on which thou meanest to adventure thy Salvation Young Man if thou wouldst in earnest make this thine aim indeed the serving of God and saving thy Soul and have thine eye and thine heart much upon it this would both discover to thee whether thy way were right or wrong and also fetch thee off from all thy vain and wicked ways and quicken thee on in and hold thee close to that righteousness sobriety and godliness of life which is indeed the way to blessedness Thus much for General Directions CHAP. XXI Containeth particular Directions for the ordering our lives and actions according to Godliness IN the next place I shall give thee some particular Directions I. Beware of living in the wilful omission of any known duty The omission of good maketh us as liable to eternal vengeance as the committing of evil The unprofitable servant we read was â—…ast into outer darkness where was nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth not for mispending his Talent but for not improving it to his Masters advantage Matth. 25. 24 30. And Luk. 16. 20 25. We read how Dives was tormented in Hell not for taking away from Lazarus but for not relieving him in his wants And at the day of Judgment the Reprobate are condemned not for oppressing the Poor but for not feeding them not for stripping them of their Apparel but for not cloathing the naked Mat. 25. 42 43. And no marvel considering the omitting of a known Duty ariseth from a wicked heart and from a mind averse from God and unwilling to his service Besides sins of Omission are always accompanied with sins of Commission when we cease to do good immediately we begin to do evil Bless not then thy self O Young Man in thine harmless condition thinking thou art as good a Christian as the best because thou art not as bad as the worst but canst thank God with the Pharisee thou art neither Adulterer nor Drunkard nor Extortioner it were to be wished that some could say so much but know that this is not sufficient A man may truly say this I am not as bad as others and yet suffer with them in the same Lake of fire Thy Omissions may be thy undoing Yea not only a total omission of all that 's good but an ordinary and wilful and allowed omission of any one thing thou knowest to be thy Duty This cannot stand with sincerity which however it may be at some time will in ordinary certainly have respect to all the Commandments of God Psal. 116. 9. O how sadly doth this speak to thee thou halting and trifling Soul Many things thou dost and therein thou comfortest thy self but are there not many things also which thou knowest thou shouldst do but wilt not Thou knowest it is thy duty to pray to pray in thy Family in secret in thy Closet to be constant to be instant in prayer Dost thou so Thou knowest it to be thy duty to
examine thy self to search thy heart and try thy ways that thou mayst know the estate of thy Soul Dost thou this How seldom dost thou spend any pains this way It may be thou hast never done it nor so much as seriously put the question to thy self Whose Child am I or How may I know whether I be the Child of God or the Child of the Devil Thou knowest it is thy duty to watch to watch thine heart and watch thy tongue and watch against corruption and temptation Dost thou do it Thou knowest it is thy duty to sanctifie the Sabbath by forbearing thy Calling thy Recreations and Carnal Pleasures by spending the whole day in the publick and private exercises of Religion not allowing thy self in vain and impertinent talk or idle or worldly thoughts Dost thou so Thou knowest it is thy duty to do good to others to their Souls by exhorting or reproving them to their bodies by feeding or cloathing or otherwise relieving them Dost thou so Is there none of all this nor nothing else which thou allowest thy self in the neglect of If it be so how canst thou think thy self sincere O Young man if thou wouldst please God indeed and have evidence that thou art his resolve on Universal obedience and be ready to every good work Let not Conscience fly upon thee at last and tell thee one thing thou lackest one thing thou wouldst not do Be faithful study to know thy whole duty and rest not till thy heart be willing to follow the Lord in all things whatsoever he commands thee II. Live not in the practice of any known sin For 1. One sin is a Violation of Gods Law as well as many Jam. 2. 10 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all A wilfull breach of one part of the Law makes thee guilty of the Violation of the whole Law The Law of God is a chain of holy precepts if one link of a chain is broken you may say the chain is broken 2. One sin allowed and delighted in is enough to keep thy soul out of Heaven As Adam by eating one forbidden fruit was cast out of Paradise So maist thou out of Heaven for but one sin that thou hast committed and not repented of 3. The living and delighting in one sin doth evidence a rotten and unsound heart As it is made in the Scripture a note of uprightness to make Conscience of every known sin So it is made a note of Hypocrisie to seem to make Conscience of the forbearance of some sins and yet to live and lye in the practice of others Hereby was Herods Hypocrisie discovered who though upon Iohn Baptists Preaching he reformed much and did many good things yet would not part with his beloved Horodias notwithstanding she was his Brothers Wife 4. One sin never goeth alone but is ever accompanied with more For it is the natural effect of sin especially being wittingly committed to make men apter to sâ—…n Rom. 6. 19 You have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity God in his just judgement oft-times as a punishment for some oâ—…e sin leaves men so to themselves that they break forth into the committing of others 5. For a man to live and lye impenitently in the practice of a known sin is the dreadfullest judgement in the World Better were it for a man to be given up to the Devil than to the power of one sinful Lust. The incestuous person was delivered up to Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5. but he was restored again and the better for it Whereas we seldome read or hear of any who were given up to the Lusts of their own hearts that ever recovered O Young man how doth it then concern thee to withstand every Lust not to indulge thy self in any sin but especially to keep thy self from thine own iniquity I mean thy natures darling sin to which thou art most propense by thy complexion and constitution and of all thy Lusts are lothest to leave Let not that bear rule in thee as formerly but bend thy greatest force against it As the King of Syria commanded his 32. Captains to fight principally against the King of Israel for full well he knew that the King being once slain the whole Army would soon be discomfited So if thy beloved sin that reigns and rules in thee were once subdued thy other sins would soon be vanquished What saist thou now O man wilt thou hearken to this counsel not to allow thy self in any one sin thou knowest to be so Hast thou hearkened to it Thou knowest it is a sin to lye and yet dost thou not lye Thou knowest that defrauding over-reaching defaming backbiting scoffing quarrelling thou knowest that these are all sins are there none of them which thou allowest in thy self Thou knowest 't is a sin unnecessarily to keep company with sinners to be the companion of Drunkards the companion of Swearers and the vile ones of the earth dost thou keep not only from the wayes but from the company of such Are they no company for thee who are no friends to Godliness Dost thou know thine owne iniquities thy special sins that have greatest power over thee and thou hast greatest pleasure in and dost thou keep thy self from these Is there not one Lust that thou wouldst have spared to thee God will not spare thee one sin the Scripture will not allow thee one and if thou wilt approve thy self to him let not thy Conscience allow thee what God allows thee not and let not thine heart love and entertain and practice it whether Conscience allow it or no. If thou wilt be upright keep thee from all but especially from thine own iniquity III. If thou hast been overtaken with any sin and thereby made a wound in thy Conscience seek an healing Plaister by sound Repentance and faith in the blood of Christ. Lie not secure in any known sin into which thou art fallen but rise speedily again make up every breach between God and thy soul betimes What the Apostle saith of wrath Ephes. 4. 26. the same may I say of other sins Let not the Sun go down upon them Do not presume to sleep one night in any sin unrepented of It is dangerous sleeping at the brink of hell Hast thou fallen into sin do not say it is but one or but a little one 'T is sin be it great or little one or more t is sin and that 's enough to destroy thee for ever unless thou repent Go speedily and make up the breach repent and seek thy pardon and thy peace But what shall I say to you O rude and wicked Young men whose whole life is a continued course of iniquity who have so black a cloud of witnesses to testifie against you who are so sunk and drown'd in Lust and sensuality whose hand is never out but is alwayes ingaged in one wickedness or other whose whole life hath been an
Apprenticeship to the Devil What O what shall I say to you Is this a state to take your rest in Is this a state to laugh and be so merry in How is it that you are not all upon your knees or fallen upon your faces that you are not all in tears and in tremblings Do you sit at the Wine and chear your selves with strong Drink Vinegar and Gall and Worm-wood is more proper for you sorrow and bitterness of soul. What friends do you mean to outdare the Almighty Do not you fear the wrath of the Lamb Are you death-proof and hell-proof Is the judgement to come but abugbear Dare you to meet the Judge of all the earth and to stand before his Bar with all your loads of guilt upon you How will your courage come down and your brisk and wanton looks be appaled How will these stout hearts quake and these bold spirits of yours shiver and fall and hide themselves if it were possible from that terrour of the Lord in his dreadful and terrible day O how is it that you have no more pity no more bowels for your poor perishing dying souls What will you still be laying on more Irons heavier loads What yet more Oaths and Lyes and Drunkenness and Whoredoms and Obstinacies in them What will you never leave loading till your backs be broken and you be past remedy O repent repent and turn to the living God and he will yet have mercy on you IV. When through Grace thou art recovered take heed of falling back again A relapse is dangerous in bodily diseases much more in spiritual Christ gave this advice to the Woman taken in Adultery and forgiven Go and sin no more John 8 11. As also to the poor lame man whom he healed at the Pool of Bethesda which he back'd with a strong reason Go and sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee lest the rod be turned into a Scorpion Iohn 5. 14. Is the unclean spirit departed from thee beware that he return not lest thou become sevenfold more the Child of Hell in thy latter end than thou wert in the beginning Let thy former sins and the smart they have put thee to be warnings to thee as long as thou livest Hast thou repented Art thou reformed Bless God for so great a mercy Look back upon the mire of the pit out of which thou art delivered and take heed to thy self how thou ever comest there again CHAP. XXII Of Moderation in the Use of Meat and Drink V. BE moderate in all things more Particularly 1. In the use of Meats and Drinks 2. In Sports and Recreations 3. In the pursuit of worldly wealth and seeking after riches I. Be moderate in the use of Meats and Drinks Feed for the satisfying thy hunger and strengthning thy body for the service of God and not meerly for the pleasing thy fleshly appetite I deny not but the Lord sometimes gives us liberty to eat and drink not only for necessity but also for delight And I grant it is a blessing from God promised unto the faithful Joel 2. 26. That they shall eat in plenty and be satisfied but it is that they may take occasion thereby to praise the Name of the Lord for his bounty and goodness But wilt thou therefore eat to Gluttony and allow thy self in such intemperance as will make thee as ready to curse God as to bless and praise him Our Saviour warns his own Disciples Luke 21. 34. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surseiting and drunkenness It is observable how he adviseth us to be as watchful against Gluttony as Drunkenness Many look upon Drunkenness as an heinous sin but as for Gluttony they make no sin of it at all not considering that a man may offend and make a Beast of himself by excessive Eating as by excessive Drinking The Rich Glutton went to Hell not for any Drunkenness that we read of but for Gluttony Luk. 16. 19. Therefore O Young Man it concerns thee to be watchful over thy self herein Let not thy Table be an Altar to thy Belly lest it become a snare to thine heart Beware of feeding thy Lust instead of refreshing thy Body Eat for service more than for pleasure to preserve Nature rather than to pamper the Body And when thou art feeding thy Body forget not to refresh thy Soul by meditating of Gods goodness and bounty and Christs sweetness who is the Bread of Life That thou mayst be the more watchful against this intemperance consider the manifold mischiefs which usually accompany the same 1. It is exceeding hurtful to the body filling it with crudities noysom humours and dangerous obstructions the Mother of most diseases If thou wouldst enjoy an active healthful body rise always from the Table with an Appetite But oh the folly of many men who for a short delight which lasteth no longer than the meat is swallowing down do endure many hours grievances through the oppression of the Stomach and pain of the Head yea oftentimes dangerous Surfeits which hazard life it self What pity is there to such who will sell their healths and their ease for a few Meals let them smart for it their sickness may cure them of a worse disease 2. It dulletb the Wit infatuateth the Mind emasculateth the Soul and the powers thereof quencheth and devoureth the vigour of the Spirits whereby a man is often made fit for nothing but to be a Sleeper or an idle Drone Is this thy thankfulness for the bounty of the Lord to thee to make such use of it that thou art good for just nothing 3. It is a great incentive to Lust when men 〈◊〉 provision for the flesh they soon fulfil the lusts thereâ—… Rom. 13. 14. Forbear to pamper nature lest it prâ—…ve wanton and impetuous 4. I would ask such as give up themselves to the satisfying their carnal appetite making their Bellies their Gods whether they do not think that they must one day answer for the good Creatures of God which they have vainly consumed If they make any question thereof hearken to what the Wise Man speaketh Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce O Young Man in thy Youth and let thine heart chear thee in the days of thy Youth but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgment As if he had said Take thy course O Young Man give up thy self to thy Lusts and please thy sensual appetite eat drink be merry but know thou shalt one day full dearly answer for the same CHAP. XXIII Of Moderation in Sports and Recreations II. BE moderate in thy Sports and Recreations Spend not too much of thy precious time therein Certainly if thou didst but seriously weigh and consider how much work lieth before thee and how little time remaining for the doing of it thou wouldst not trifle away so much thereof in vanity and pleasure but wouldst rather spend the greatest part of that time thou canst
spare from thy particular Calling in renewing thy peace with God in clearing up thine Interest in Christ and making thy Calling and Election sure I deny not but Recreations are lawful and may be used provided 1. That they be such as are not forbidden either by the Law of God or Law of Man For the pleasing of our selves in any of those must needs be displeasing unto God 2. That they be used moderately not spending too much time in them nor taking too much pains about them for thereby you will rather be disabled for the discharge of the duties of your Calling than fitted thereunto which crosseth the main end of Recreations The Mowers whet is counted no let but rather a furtherance of his work But if he spend the whole day or half a day in whetting he spoils his Sythe and hinders his work Now our Recreations ought to be as whetting to the Mower wherein no more time must be spent than doth conduce to the better fitting us for the duties of our general and particular Calling But contrariwise how do the greater part of Young Men either accustom themselves to unlawful Recreations sporting themselves in sin and wickedness or else abuse their lawful Recreations by lavishing away much of their precious time therein making a Vocation of their Recreation as if their work were to play and their pastimes were the very Trade to which they had served an Apprenticeship and idleness were the business of their lives Ah Young Men is your peace yet to be made with God the pardon of your sins yet to be obtained your Salvation yet to be wrought out And is the time allotted for these things both short and uncertain and yet do ye squander it away in sports and pastimes Doth your everlasting happiness and misery depend upon your well or ill improving of your time here and can you so prodigally lavish it out in sensual pleasures and delights O that men indowed with reason should be so foolish and unwise as to hazard the eternal welfare of their precious Souls for a few pleasing vanities which last but for a moment It was the sad expression of Lysimachus who had lost his Kingdom for one draught of water For what a short pleasure have I made my self a Bondslave for ever Oh the folly and madness that possesseth the hearts of many Young Men to throw away their time upon their Lusts and pleasures as that which is nothing worth which hereafter if they had it they would give a whole world to redeem it but cannot obtain Do you lack Pass-time Sports to pass away the time company to pass away the time Why man is all thy work done that thy time now lies upon thy hands Look to it thou mayst hereafter beg for an hour one hour to pray in one hour to repent in which now thou meerly triflest and playest away O what a precious commodity would time be in Hell One day of Grace one day to repent in what a joy would it be to the damned Souls but then it will be too late it 's gone and will not be recall'd for ever The more to restrain you from all excesses in your sports and pastimes let me propound a few considerations 1. Consider the shortness and uncertainty of that time which is allotted to thee here for the doing of all that is to be done for Eternity Thy life here is but for a moment in comparison of that which follows after yet upon this moment depends thine Eternal state Thou art in this World but a Probationer for the other World Look as thou behavest thy self here either in well improving thy Time and Talent to the glory of God or in mis-spending it in fruitless sports and recreations and in satisfying thy carnal Lusts accordingly will be thy state and condition hereafter to all Eternity O Young man what a folly then must it needs be to deprive thy self of that fulness of joy which is at Gods right hand to all Eternity for the enjoyment of a few pleasures here which last but for a moment 2. Consider that the time here spent in vanity and pleasure will yield thee little comfort on thy death-bed What was it wherewith Hezekiah comforted himself on his supposed death-bed Not with calling to mind his former glory pleasures and delights but his serving God in integrity and uprightness of heart Isa. 38. 1. Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart and have done that which is good in thy sight This was that which then yielded hiâ—… much peace and comfort Go O Young man to the bed-side of a dying man and mind him both of his Worldly vanities with which in times past he was delighted as also of all those duties of piety and works of righteousness which he hath performed in the whole course of his life And then ask him in which he doth now take most comfort and delight and you shall find that he will be confounded with shame to think of the former and exceedingly rejoyce with the remembrance of the latter 3. Consider how thou must be called to an account at that last and dreadful day of Iudgement as for thy other sins so for thy mispent time for the many precious hours thou hast vainly spent in sports and pastimes Thou maist now make light of spending thy precious time in vanity and pleasure in satisfying thy carnal Lusts thinking never to hear of them again But assure thy self there is a day coming how near thou knowest not when thou must give account unto God of all thy merry meetings yea of every hour spent in worldly pleasures and delights Now O Young man think with thy self how sad the case will be when thou shalt recollect how many dayes thou hast spent in sports and Recreations and how few in fasting and humiliation How many hours thou hast spent in Carding and Diceing in Drinking and Tipling and how few in Reading Hearing Praying and the like CHAP. XXIV Of Moderation in seeking after Riches III. BE Moderate in the pursuit of worldly things in seeking after riches that thou maist not be drowned in the cares of them Joh 6. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life Where by Meat our Saviour meaneth all things which this world affordeth for the use of man one kind being by a Synecdoche put for all other kinds And by labouring he meaneth an inordinate and immoderate endeavour after the things of this World For the word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to endeavour after things with the greatest earnestness pain and diligence So that our Saviour doth not simply forbid the labouring for earthly things but 1. The inordinate intention of the mind of him that laboureth when it is filled with zeal for and with carking distrustful thoughts about these earthly things Oh the carnal distrust of many Worldlings who think they shall never have
unprofitable yielding little profit to those who have most of them Matth. 16. 26. What will it profit a man though he gain the whole World and lose his Soul As he assuredly will who sets his heart more upon gold than upon Grace and Godliness and seeketh more earnestly after worldly things than after an interest in Christ after the light of Gods Countenance and the assurance of his loving favour Suppose a man have an affluency of this Worlds goods yet what profit or priviledge hath he above him that enjoyeth but a competency A little will be enough to a prudent mind and enough is a feast When thou hast the most what wilt thou have more than for Food and Rayment out of all thy store For what 's over and above thou must be Accountant to thy Lord and Master at the Great Day how and where thou hast bestowed it for him Obj. It may be thou wilt reply that the rich may have daintier Diet and more costly Apparel than the poorer sort of people A. To which I answer That the rich have no greater priviledge or profit thereby because the pleasure of eating and drinking consisteth not so much in the daintiness of the fare as in the goodness of the stomack He who feedeth on his course fare with an hungry appetite taketh more delight in his Meat than he who is glutted with often feeding on his delicious fare Neither hath the rich man any more benefit by his costly Apparel than the poor man by his plain habit which keeps him as warm as the finer and richer But how many rich Misers are there who though they have abundance of this Worlds goods yet have not the heart to use them but spare from their own backs and pinch their own Bellies to fill their Purses What profit or benefit have such by their riches but only the beholding them with their eyes Besides no outward riches can make us better in the best things They cannot make us more acceptable to God neither can they make us more rich in Spiritual Grace more Vertuous or Religious they cannot assure us of Gods love nor of our future happiness they will not profit us at the day of death being then like Iob's Friends miserable Comforters adding to our grief neither will they benefit at the day of Judgment but rather increase our Bills of account how we have gotten how we have used and spent them Thus you see how unprofitable riches are to the owners and possessors of them 5. Consider how riches are not only unprofitable but also hurtful and pernicious to those who setting their hearts upon them do inordinately seek after the same Hurtful they are not in themselves and in their own nature but through our corruption whereby we are apt to abuse them unto evil 1. The immoderate seeking after riches will both keep us from the performance of Holy and Religious Duties and distract us therein 2. It will expose us to manifold temptations as 1 Tim. 6. 9. and put us upon the committing of any sin for the obtaining a little worldly wealth 3. It will hinder us from attaining unto Heavenly Happiness and like the Camels bunch keep us from entring into the strait Gate These considerations seriously weighed will be a special means to take off thine heart from an immoderate seeking after worldly riches CHAP. XXV Sheweth the danger of bad Company and the advantage of good Company IV. BE careful of thy Company especially whom thou makest thy bosom and familiar friends for that is a matter of exceeding great concernment to thy Spiritual Welfare This I shall branch into two Heads 1. Avoid the Society of wicked and prophane persons 2. Desire and imbrace the Company of the Godly I. Avoid the Society of wicked men which hath been the bane and ruine of thousands of Young Men. I do not say that all manner of Society with graceless and prophane persons is sinful and unlawful and that thou oughts not to come at all into their company nor to have any intercourse and commerce with them in buying selling and the like But thy care must be to avoid all intimate society and familiarity yea and all needless and unnecessary conversing with them 1. For first It is exceeding dangerous without a just Warrant and Calling to be much in the company of wicked and prophane men especially such as are Scoffers of Religion and Traducers of good men who by their loose Conversation and continual railing against Religion and the Professors thereof will take off thine heart from all love and delight in holy and Religious exercises and work in thee a distast and contempt of the ways of Godliness There is a secret and bewitching power in prophane company to impoyson and pervert even the best disposition sin being of a contagious nature more infectious than the Plague and the Soul much more catching of the contagion of sin than the body of any infectious disease It is a thing of great difficulty ordinarily and intimately to converse with wicked men and not to be tainted with their sins For besides that they are apt to infect others we are very apt to receive the infection having the seeds of all sins remaining in us Ioseph though he were a Vertuous Young Man yet living in the Kings Court soon learned to swear ordinarily by the Life of Pharaoh Gen. 42. 13 14. Common experience telleth us how many hopeful Young Men who have blossomed fairly and brought forth some good fruit yet by frequenting the company of wicked and lewd persons have proved very prophane and debauch'd The Philosophers do well observe that all waters both in colour and taste do participate of the nature and disposition of those grounds through which they pass In like manner men do participate of the disposition and manners of those with whom they frequently and familiarly converse 2. It is not for the honour of Gods Children to hold intimate society and 〈◊〉 with wicked men men being generally reputed to be of their temper and disposition with whom they ordinarily and intimately converse according to that old Proverb Birds of a feather will flock together The company in which thou delightest sheweth what courses thou lovest and what spirit thou art of If therefore thou delightest in the company of lewd and prophane persons thou hast cause to suspect that thine heart is not right The beloved Disciple Iohn makes it a sign That we are passed from Death to Life if we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. And 't is Love that makes their company delightful And what sign is it in thee that lovest and associatest with the haters of the Brethren Search and consider if this do not mark thee out for one whose Soul abideth in death Therefore O Young Man as thou desirest to keep up the credit of Religion thine own Reputation with the godly and the hopes of thine own uprightness with God beware of evil workers and as much as possible keep
out from among them And whensoever thou dost occasionally fall among them abide there with fear not with pleasure and no longer than needs 3. By an unnecessary conversing with prophane men thou makest thy self accessary to their sins even to their Blasphemies Ribauldry and Prophaneness For by thy silence thou givest a secret consent to their wickedness and so makest them thine own 4. Intimate and needless society with the wicked will make thee liable to their punishments He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. that is whosoever partake with wicked men in their wicked ways and courses shall assuredly partake with them in their punishments Therefore S. Iohn as it is recorded of him going to the Bath at Ephesus there met Ebion and Cerinthus two blasphemous Hereticks belching out their blasphemies against Christ whereupon he made all the haste he could out of their company fearing some eminent Judgment from the Lord to fall upon them Who was no sooner departed but presently the house fell down and destroyed them with their Companions Ah Young Man know assuredly that if thou needlesly and frequently associatest thy self with wicked and prophane persons thou wilt partake of their Plagues If therefore thou art ingaged into evil company speedily withdraw thy self from them The Physitians rule in reference to persons infected with the Plague is good to be observed towards prophane company Cito Longe Tarde 1. Speedily flee from their company 2. Flee far away 3. Return slowly to them again Now Visited persons are not more infectious than lewd company therefore as thou regardest the health of thy Soul 1. Speedily flee from them 2. Flee far away 3. See them amend before thou returnest to them again Never expect to be one of Christs true Disciples till thou leave that accursed Fellowship Hadst not thou better say to them Depart from me I will know you no more than have Christ say to thee at the Great Day Depart from me into everlasting fire I know you not For one of these will certainly be if thou dost not here depart from thy lewd Companions leaving their Society thou must hereafter depart from Christ into Hell fire where instead of roaring and singing there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But it is not only the company of dissolute scandalous persons as Drunkards Swearers and Scoffers of Religion that I would advise thee to shun but even persons meerly civil dead-hearted formal Professors of Religion Let not these be the Companions of thy choice or thy Bosom Friends who being unacquainted with the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Power of Godliness cannot minister any savoury profitable discourse to their hearers So that whosoever shall frequently associate himself with such neglecting the Communion of Saints he will soon find his zeal for God and the ways of godliness much cooled his fervency in holy duties much abated his love to God and his people much lessened yea and an universal decay of his Graces insensibly to grow upon him So that a Christian instead of proceeding forward in Religion and growing in Grace he will go backward and find a spiritual decay in himself Therefore O Young Man in the choice of Friends for thine intimate Acquaintance and familiar converse seriously think of this II. Desire and imbrace the company of the Godly who may further thee in the way to Heaven make them thy familiar Friends and Companions The more thou conversest with such the greater increase wilt thou find in thy self of Knowledge Faith Love Zeal Humility and other Graces The very presence of a Religious Person much more his gracious speeches his holy advice his seasonable reproofs and his godly Conversation will be a great help to thee in the way to Heaven There is a certain vertue in the words and behaviour of men indowed with Heavenly Wisdom which by the blessing of Gods holy Spirit doth work effectually on those who are conversant with them for the inlightning their minds with the knowledge of God and his Truths for the inflaming their hearts with a love to God and zeal for his glory O Young Man thou canst not imagine what spiritual advantage may be got by conversing with holy gracious persons especially if thou beest careful to treasure up those Christian experiences thou hearest from them and what else may make for thy spiritual good Thus will the Communion of Saints be improved to the edification of Saints Having done with the Directions which concern your selves in particular I now proceed to such which relate to others CHAP. XXVI Sheweth wherein a peaceable Disposition consisteth I. BE peaceable towards all Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Those two phrases if it â—…e possible and as much as lieth in you though they may seem limitations of the duty yet they are also amplifications thereof and shew that there must be nothing wanting in our endeavours but our utmost ability must be put forth in following after peace A peaceable Disposition consisteth in these eight things 1. In a backwardness to give offence unto others A man of a peaceable disposition will forbear all provoking language and carriage or whatsoever may stir up others unto wrath I confess too many Young Men are like unto the troubled Sea continually casting forth the foam of passion and fury but he who hath peace in his heart will shew it in his words and actions 2. In an unaptness to take offence when given well knowing that it is the sudden taking an offence that doth occasion strife and contention rather than the giving it as it is the second blow that makes the fray Many out of their pride think it a point of â—…aseness ignominy and disgrace to put up the least wrong But Solomon saith Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to pass over an offence taking little notice thereof and putting the best interpretation on it If God were strict to mark what we do amiss what would became of us God indeed is strict to mark what we do well if there be any little good in the midst of manifold imperfections Gods way is to pass by the imperfections and take notice of the good O Young Man if thou wouldst behave thy self as a Child of God and a Son of Peace be not strict in observing every petty injury and offence done unto thee but rather pass them by taking no notice of them 3. In a forwardness to be reconciled unto those who have wronged thee I have read that there was sometime a variance between two Famous Philosophers Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus at length goeth to Aeschines and seeks for Peace and Reconciliation and withal said Remember though I am the Elder yet I first sought for peace True said Aeschines and for this I will ever acknowledge you the Worthier Man for I began the strise but you the peace
company welcom and acceptable unto all Yea it will win the hearts of all with whom you have to do and even knit them unto you Davids courteous carriage made all the servants of Saul to respect him Yea it is said All Israel and Judah loved him 1 Sam. 18. 16. On the other side Churlishness Bitterness Testiness and such other Vices which are contrary to this Vertue alienate mens minds from them yea and exasperate them against them But withal take notice that this courtesie and gentleness must neither make thee an Hypocrite and Dissembler nor over-familiar with thy Inferiours especially such as are in subjection under thee For Gods Image which all Superiours carry must be respected of them and accordingly must they carry themselves Nor yet must this make any over-remiss in reproving Offenders for so would this comely Vertue be turned into an hurtful and dangerous Vice indeed it serveth to sweeten reproofs that they may be better accepted Be courteous to all but beware of connivence much more of compliance with evil men in their sins Let not pretence of being courteous draw thee aside to be vicious III. Carry thy self humbly towards all men thinking better of others than of thy self The truth is that man who well knoweth himself knoweth more of himself of his own weakness and vileness than he can know of most others and therefore he may well have a meaner esteem of himself than of others especially such as are of his Rank and betwixt whom there is not too too palpable a difference If he have apparently better gifts than others yet his humble mind will make him think that others may have more true inward grace and sincerity because he knows more of the deceit of his own heart than he can of others This Vertue of Humility though it be primarily seated in the heart yet from thence it extendeth it self to a mans outward conversation and proves a most lovely and adorning Grace which doth adorn our Christian Profession and obtaineth favour both with God and Man whereas a proud haughty spirit is hated both of God and Man Solomon ranketh haughty eyes in the first place among such things as the Lord hateth and his Soul abhorreth Prov. 6. 17. As for man he naturally hateth pride in another though he love and like it in himself which is a great condemnation of the sin of pride But as for the humble and lowly-minded man he doth exceedingly gain the hearts and affections of others unto him Humility is so comely and graceful a Grace that it makes him who is decked therewith amiable and gracious in every mans eye Whereas none are more disdained than the proud none are better respected both by God and Man than the humble for it is abundance of Grace that makes men humble as it is abundance of Fruit that maketh Trees most bow God highly prizeth them and accordingly bestoweth his choicest graces on them Men usually lay up their richest Wines in the lowest Cellars and God lays up his choicest mercies in the lowest hearts Yea God himself delights to dwell in the humble Soul Isa. 57. 15. God hath but two Thrones the highest Heavens and the lowest hearts He overlooks the frame of Heaven and Earth to look on a poor humble heart Isa. 66. 1 2. not with a bare look of intuition but with a look of favour complacency and delight Though the Lord be the most high yet hath he respect to the lowly Psal. 38. 6. They are Gods Iewels in high esteem with him yea they are Gods Glory Isa. 4. 5. They give all glory to God and therefore God loves to exalt them to honour So that Humility is the readiest way to Honour Many make it the chief design and the main business of their lives to contrive how they may be great and honourable in the World and often it is that Honour flies from them as the shadow from him that pursues it But if they would study to be humble and so carry themselves towards all they would find that the speediest way to exaltation For saith Christ himself Mat. 23. 12. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted even to honour here if God sees it good for him but howsoever to glory hereafter which is the highest and best preferment for Mat. 5. 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven True Humility stands in being low in our own eyes and being content to be low in the eyes of others Get this Heart humility and that will prevent those thoughts which would puff thee up in thy self and those lofty carriages which tend to set thee up in the World Let it be thy care to approve thy self in all good Conscience towards God and let him alone to take care of thy good name among men IV. Be as serviceable to others as thou canst As it was the meat and drink of our blessed Saviour to be doing good unto others So let it be thy meat and drink even thy chief delight to be doing all the good thou canst Let not any opportunity of doing good slip out of thy hands but as the Wise Man adviseth Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might that is whatsoever ability or opportunity of service God affordeth unto thee either in thy general or particular Calling improve it with all care and diligence endeavour with thy might to do all the good that possibly thou canst in thy Generation This we find was the mind of our Saviour for saith he Joh. 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day Now what was the work of Christ but to do all manner of good as any opportunity was offered whether by word or deed The phrase used by the Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to work the work is an Hebraism and implieth a thorow acting or doing of a thing a doing it heartily and that with all care and diligence Thus should we make it our chief care and endeavour yea the main and principal work of our lives to do all the good we can in the world accounting that the happiest time in which we can do the most good And surely it is the greatest honour we are capable of here to be any way serviceable to God and his people and that which will bring much peace and comfort to our Souls and Consciences Be not a man for thy self be a common good be willing to serve thy Generation Let it not be said of thee It had been as well for the World if this man had never been born CHAP. XXVIII Of Mercy towards such as are in misery which implieth both a compassionate heart and an helping hand V. BE merciful towards such as are in misery Luk. 6. 36. This mercifulness or mercy is such a compassion of the heart whereby a man is moved to help and succour others in their misery So
and by tumbles down and the Wheel runs over him How often do rich men break and poor men get up in their rooms and then tumble down after them and give place to him that comes next To day thou hast an Estate but who can tell what thou mayst have to morrow Such an uncertain World this is and at such uncertainties are the things thereof and there 's no preventing it It 's good to be sure of something Since Earth can never be made sure thou art the more concerned to make sure of Heaven To have all at uncertainties both here and hereafter this is such a misery as every one that is wise will do what he can to prevent 2. If things Eternal be made sure it 's no great matter though things Temporal be at the greatest uncertainties This world is uncertain a world of changes of disappointments vexations and all kinds of troubles Why let it be so so Heaven be sure no matter for all these lower uncertainties Young Man thou art going forth into the world how thou mayst prosper in it notwithstanding all thy skill and care God only knows who can tell what crosses thou mayst meet with in thy very entrance that may dash all thy hopes And if thou hast never so fair and hopeful a beginning yet who knows what may be thy lot before the end of thy day Why now wouldst thou get above all casualties and crosses and at once be a Conquerour of all the World Wouldst thou have thy quiet and contentment out of the reach of Winds and Storms and be able to live chearfully in every condition make Heaven sure and 't is done Thou mayst then hoise up thy Sails commit thy self to the Wind and Seas make on thy Voyage and never be appall'd at the Storms on the way whilest thou hast this assurance thou shalt come safe to Harbour and not an hair of thy head perish Thus have you dear Youths the desires and breathings of my Soul after your happiness here and blessedness hereafter expressed in some useful directions suitable to your present state and condition shewing you how to deport and carry your selves both in your General and Particular Calling so that you may please God in all things here and live with him in everlasting blessedness Now my hearty request to you is that you will not content your selves with a bare reading of them but resolve with the assistance of Gods Grace to enter upon the real practice of them And oh that the Lord who alone teacheth to profit would please so to set them home upon your hearts that they may tend to your spiritual good here and eternal salvation hereafter O Young Men you are now Flowers in the Bloom you are those First-fruits which should be offered to the Lord Oh that now you would consecrate your selves unto God and his service Oh that while you are Young you would with Isaac give your selves to Prayer and Meditation and with Samuel serve the Lord from your Youths and with young Solomon study to know and serve the God of your Fathers and with Obadiah fear the Lord from your Youths and with young Iosiah do that which is right in the sight of the Lord And to these ends with Timothy from your Youth addict your selves to the reading of the Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto Salvation Oh that you would set these mens lives as Copies for your imitation giving up your selves intirely and unfeignedly to the Lord in a truly gracious life O Young Men you are now in your preparations for Eternity and therefore had need to be very watchful over your selves to see that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil Ephes. 5. 15. Little do you consider how much dependeth upon this moment of time which God for the present is pleased to vouchsafe unto you even no less than the whole weight of Eternity Upon your well or ill improving of your time and Talents here depends your everlasting condition that Estate which is to be for ever and ever Oh what folly and madness then must it needs be in you to suffer your Lusts or wicked Companions to steal away this Jewel your precious time which is more worth than all the world Oh that for the future you would so live every day as those that live for Eternity It is sadly evident that too too many losing their first and tender years in conclusion lose their Souls also O Dear Youths Behold the Arms of Free Grace are yet open to imbrace you if now you will abandon your Youthful Lusts and cordially turn unto God who is willing to forgive yea willing to forget all former misâ—…arriages upon the reforming your lives Turn ye turn ye therefore from your evil ways for why will ye die Ezek. 33. 11. In this small Treatise I have set before you Life and Death Heaven and Hell Happiness and Misery Know assuredly that as you chuse now so shall you speed hereafter Oh then for the Lord Christ's sake and for the sake of your poor Souls chuse that good part which shall never be taken from you walk in the path which leadeth to life and happiness that you may not perish and be tormented with the Devils in hell fire to all Eternity And now my Friend I bid thee farewel Take these words along with thee let them ever be before thine eyes and upon thine heart and then go on thy way Good Counsel be with thee that thou mayst guide thine affairs with discretion and good success be upon thee that thou mayst eat the fruit of thy good doings I wish first that thy Soul may prosper and then I also wish that thy Body may prosper and thy Family may prosper and thy Estate may prosper as thy Soul prospereth The Lord be with thee in all that thou settest thine hand unto The Almighty bless thee let his blessing be upon thy labours let his blessing be upon all thy substance let him help thee in thy work and increase thy store let his Sun shine upon thy Tabernacle and let the light of his Countenance make glad thine heart let him guide thee with his eye hold thee in his hands carry thee in his bosom till he hath lodged thee safe in the Everlasting Rest. Amen FINIS