wiser than God who hath appointed such helps as these and so by taking a preposterous course do bring mischief upon their own Souls God blasts and curses those single performances which take from his more publick Ordinances This is like the Manna which the Israelits gathered unseasonably it putrified and stank and worms bred in it so are those duties which are performed singly and solitarily and unseasonably when the Meetings and Assemblies of Gods people are neglected There are others who are soon wearied and cloyed with Ordinances they have soon enough of such things as these instead of saying here with David When shall we come and appear before God they say When shall we be gone and depart from him like those in Mal. 1.13 Ye have said what a weariness is it and Amos 8.5 When will the new moon and the sabbath be gone There are some who are never more uneasie than when they are at Ordinances Oh how many carnal persons and formalists are there who have only an outside of Religion and scarce so much who look upon the Worship of God as a matter of course and fashion and so accordingly come to it Vse 2. Let it be a word of Exhortation long after delight in and bless God for Ordinances It is the greatest happiness that we are capable of here in this life that whiles we cannot see God face to face as we shall one day in Heaven yet we may now see him in the glass of his Ordinances in his Word in his Sacraments and by prayer converse with him That which carnal men and worldly spirits count a burden and tediousness to them let us look upon as a very high priviledg and reckon it as our greatest advantage and rejoyce in it and to quicken and inlarge our desires Muse upon the excellency of Ordinances for excellency apprehended is that which will move desires discern that these things are good and good and necessary for us by partaking of these we shall get our corruptions mortified our graces strengthned our spiritual decays supplied more ability gained to serve God in our whole conversation and more evidence and assurance of Gods love in Jesus Christ obtained And remember when you come to Ordinances resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on resolve with the Father Nunquam a te absque recidam When I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why there is no more good got by ordinances is because we do not meet God in them and the reason why we do not meet God is because we do not so earnestly desire and look for him whenever therefore you appear before God in ordinances make it your business to see God to taste of Gods to get down something of God upon your hearts some impressions of God upon your spirits 2 Secondly Gods people do long and pant after the immediate fruition and presence of God in Heaven Here they enjoy God by faith not by sight here in a mediate dark and imperfect manner through providences and ordinances as through a glass darkly but there face to face we shall know as we are known as the Apost 1 Cor. 13.12 Now Gods people long after God in this way The spirit and the bride saith come Rev. 22.17 They daily pray that Gods Kingdom may come that the number of the Elect may be accomplished and Christ may come to judgment They wait for the adoption the redemption of the body Rom. 8.23 They love the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 9.28 They look for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 The Reason why Gods people do long after the immediate fruition and presence of God in heaven is because they believe they shall be perfectly delivered from all those evils that they are liable to while they are here in this world and that they shall be made perfectly blessed 1. They count upon this they shall be freed from all evils they are subject to in this life As 1. From the evil of sin Oh this is the great evil that Gods people complain of with so much sadness here the flesh turneth against the spirit there shall be no such thing hereafter there shall be no blindness in the mind nor perverseness in the will nor disorder in the affections no pride nor slothfulness no carnal-mindedness no fleshliness no coldness and deadness of heart and affection no uneven walking no grieving the spirit of God or the spirits of their Brethren no unholy thought word or action 2. They shall be freed from the evil of temptation this world is a place of snares and valley of temptations what abundance of temptations are we assaulted with here continually from the Devil the world and our corrupt natures but there shall be none of these in heaven In paradise there was a tempter but none in heaven Satans walk and rendezvous is on the earth Job 1.7 but he never came into Heaven since he was cast out 3. From the injuries and molestation of evil men no place on earth is exempted from molestation by the Devil and his instruments but heaven is a place where such shall never enter there the children of wickedness and sons of violence shall not afflict any more there is no Mesech nor tents of Kedar to be complained of nor false brethren unfaithful unsound hypocritical persons that are secret enemies to truth and piety now discouraging no destroying company in heaven 4. They shall be freed from all divisions The divisions and differences and dissentions even among the godly which this state of imperfection on earth is liable to and lamentably cumbred with do create much trouble and many disquietments are multiplied thereby but in heaven there is but one mind one mouth as there is but one truth not so much as a different apprehension among all the thousands and millions of Saints there 5. They shall be freed from all bodily ailes pains weakness infirmities all afflictions whatsoever no sin therefore no sorrow in heaven all tears shall be wiped away no more of these tears that arise from the various Tryals of this weary life such as are Wants Straits Losses Crosses in Name or Estates Relations Injoyments nothing but Love in Heaven God will never knit his Brow nor chide nor strike never hide his face there but they shall live under the smiles of his Face and light of his Countenance without interruption 2. The people of God do believe and hope for a perfect injoyment of all good It is not a meer negative happiness that the Saints in Heaven partake of a not being miserable an absence from evil but also the positive presence and injoyment of all good according to that of the Psal 16.11 In the presence of God is fulness of joy and at his
right hand there are pleasures for evermore Under this are comprehended those great and glorious things that make up and compleat the positive happiness of the Saints 1. As to their Souls 2. As to their Bodies 3. As to their Company 1. As to their Souls Their understanding being inlarged and widened shall have a right knowledg of all things a clear sight and vision of God Now we know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.12 but then shall we know even as also we are known The will shall be perfected with an absolute indefective holiness with an exact conformity to the Will of God and perfect Freedom from all servitude of Sin The affections shall be set right by an unalterable regularity there shall be a constant cleaving to God a constant loving him without satiety or weariness The Soul shall enjoy a full imediate uninterrupted Communion with God and fruition of him While we are here we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Here our comforts are in and through Ordinances but there God will be all in all immediately 2 Cor. 15.28 2. As to their Bodies There shall be glory upon them they shall be made like the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3.21 What that is was in some glimpse of it seen in Christs transfiguration Matt. 17.2 His face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light that was a little glimpse and specimen of the future visible glory of Christ and the Saints shall be like him they shall shine forth as the Sun Matt. 13.43 Their Bodies shall be indued with new and glorious qualities as incorruption immortality strength and power activity nimbleness Their Bodies shall be spiritual not that the Body shall be turned into a Spirit but the Body shall then live as Spirits and Angels do without Meat Drink Sleep and such like bodily Supports and shall be perfectly conformable and obedient and subservient to the Operations of the Spirit the ready Instrument of the Soul 3. As to their Company They shall be blessed oh the blessed Company that is in the new Jerusalem God Christ Angels Saints And that which Crowns all the Saints shall have the perpetual injoyment of all this blessedness secured to them without any fear of losing it or being deprived of it The Saints shall never put of their glorious Robes after they have once put them on their State is a sure eternal State of actual delights Upon these accounts the people of God do long and pant after the immediate fruition and presence of God in Heaven Vse Let us consider our selves by this property Have we desires after God thus Truly it is to be feared that abundance that do live under the preaching of the Word from whence are held forth such glorious things to be conveyed by God in the immediate fruition of him do not believe or at least do not desire the same but they are well contented with their Portion here on Earth like that Cardinal of Burbon who professed that he would not give his part in Paris for his part in paradise There are they that are of this mind they would think themselves well a paid if there were no other Heaven nor no change of their estates that they have here in this world But I beseech you see to it that you be of another temper and disposition that ye are panting after God in Heaven To this purpose practice these counsels 1. Endeavour after a settled and well-grounded assurance that you have an interest in Gods special love and favour and that you are of the number of those that shall one day be admitted into the immediate presence of God that you may be able to say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Labour after this pray much for this It is our Saviours own direction Joh. 16.24 Ask that your joy may be full O sweet consideration that it is the Mind and Will of Christ that we should seek for full joy and peace in believing And take this for an evidence that you shall be admitted to the immediate presence of God if you seek and and enjoy Communion with God in his Ordinances if you do behold him in the beauties of holiness through these glasses I say this is a pledg a beginning and so an evidence of that full Communion you shall have with him in Heaven and of your seeing him there face to face Are your Sabbath-days days of Communion with God that is a sweet evidence that you shall keep an everlasting Sabbath with him in glory but if strangers to God and profane-hearted on Sabbaths you cannot be for Heaven 2. Be in an actual preparation of your selves for it Spouses and Brides that wish and look for their beloved prepare for their coming to them and prepare for their going to them so do you prepare your selves for the enjoyment of God in Heaven To this purpose observe these Rules 1. Labour after the mortifying and subduing of sin especially your most beloved sin Your own iniquity as David calls it Psal 18.23 While that prevails that darkens the sincerity and efficacy of grace in the Soul breaks the peace thereof grieves the holy Spirit therefore remember what the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 3.3 He that hath this hope of seeing God purifieth himself as he is pure Hence when the Apostle would raise up people to an heavenly frame he calls on them to mortifie their special corruption Col. 3.1 5. We find these joyned together denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 14. 2. Be loosned from the World for while staked down and fixed here you are unfit and unready to remove to Heaven It is he that is a stranger and pilgrim on the Earth and that dwells in Tents here ready on a short warning to pluck up stakes and be gone that is a faithful seeker of that better country and a traveller toward it Heb. 11.9 10 13 14. You cannot have two homes nor two rests nor two portions if you take up your home and rest in the World you are not prepared nor principled for Heaven nor fit to go thither Be loosning and drawing off your hearts every day from the World expect not either a perpetual nor yet a long abode here Be sensible of the vanity and emptiness of things here be often thinking of and expecting and waiting for your removal from hence into another World 3. Be finishing of your work and to that end continually doing your present work with all your might do what God hath appointed and called you to is there any work that lies upon your hand that conscience tells you should be done without delay as to get your selves setled in the assurance of Gods love
A Present for YOVTH AND Example for the AGED OR THE REMAINS OF DAMARIS PEARSE Containing her Speech after she kept her bed And a Copy of a Written Paper of her own Composing which she left as her last Lagacy to her Brothers and Sisters and was the last thing that ever she wrote And also several pious Expressions occasionally uttered in her last Sickness worth minding Together with her Funeral-Sermon preached by a Reverend Minister of the Gospel Howbeit certain men believed and a Woman named Damaris Acts 17.34 And by it being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 lat London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel 1683. To the Book GO little Book abroad and tell mankind What graces lodged in a Virgins mind Declare the glorious wisdom power and love Which did her infant-years to Vertue move And fit for Heaven when her childish days Rather invited her to harmless plays Urge youth to make her their Exemplar till By Graces steps they mount to Glories hill Shame lazy Christians who are grown in years Yet not like-working in their hearts appears Heaven's bless thy errand and make sharp thy Words To pierce the Sinners heart like Spears or Swords If they reject thee in a scornful heat Tell them thou 'lt meet them at Gods Judgment-Seat D. C. To the Reader IT is said in Holy Writ That of making many Books there is no end which was never more verified than in this our scribling age This following Collection which is now exposed to publick view was not at first so intended but collected and composed for private use which after a while coming to the view and passing thorow so many private hands not only of Relations and Acquaintance but also of some that were strangers who all of them as if by one consent earnestly desired it might be Printed and some were restless therein and one threatned that if I to whom it did most properly pertain to set it forth did refuse and would not do it it should be done without me by a strange hand which indeed was the great prevailing argument that did extort it forth for tho it discover weakness enough as now it is yet if it had been done by a stranger in likelihood it might have contained somewhat that is worse than weakness Now you may be assured you have the very truth and by what is herein contained you have a tast of the frame and temper of Spirit and likewise of the endowments and qualifications of * A young woman of so plain education of whom the following Collection gives you her Character but only in a tast This considered it was the soonet yeilded unto to set it forth for had it been of some learned Minister or yet of some aged and experienced Christian man it had never seen the light tho the like Piety Grace and Zeal for God and to do good to others is not always manifested in such a young Woman who was several years very much afflicted with great distempers in her body and lay in a torturing pain several weeks before she departed some very grievous spiritual conflicts she had and in great Agonies yet after a while a comfortable deliverance and a most eminent conquest and tho she had but little cessation of her bodily pain yet she had most sweet inward refreshings in her Soul and Spirit and at last went triumphantly to Heaven and by strength and the stedfastness of her faith did as it were trample upon the very neck of Satan himself I am sensible what is here written will not suit the palates of this Ages learned Rabbies it being not calculated to please the humours of worldly wise men Neither will it find esteem among the vulgar sort of loose Christians But however some have seriously professed they have received great benefit by it already and who can tell but it may benefit others The Scripture saith that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings the Lord hath ordained strength and God it is said hath chosen foolish and weak things to confound the wise and things that are mighty and hath chosen things that are base and despised to bring to nought things that are highly esteemed Tho the person that gave the occasion hereof was one of the weaker Sex and but young and of very plain and ordinary education only taught fine needle-work wherein she was ingenious and little experienced in the World and the affairs thereof yet she was so very a Christian so earnest in taking hold of time and opportunity helps and means and made so great proficiency in knowledg and grace after she devoted her self to God and was so careful to prepare for Death and Eternity and so restlestly longing to have others do the like that in fine she became so much experienced in the things of God whereof you have so ample testimony hereafter given that I question not but her works will praise her in the gates and may administer occasion unto others to bless and praise God for her and these her Remains She is gone beyond the reach of envy and beyond our praises She hath left a sweet savour behind her and the Scripture saith The memory of the just is blessed That the Lord would bless this unto all those into whose hands it shall come and make it succesful in doing some spiritual good to others is and shall be the prayer of him who greatly rejoyceth to be serviceable to Souls On Mrs. Damaris Pearse An Anagram Passe Rare Maid PAsse on Rare Maid unto thine home above The World is no meet object for thy love Vntoucht pass through its crowd of Tempters be Deaf to their charming importunity Thine Husband 's Christ Espouse besides him none Lose not thy Nuptials nor thy glorious Crown When thou hast won the point and got secure Let 's know what thou enjoy'st and didst endure That with those comforts wherewith thou wert fed Surviving friends may here be comforted D. C. A Present for Youth and Example for the Aged NOT to detain the Reader with a tedious Preamble in brief thus The Whole of what follows was occasioned by the Piety and Zeal of a young Woman who may therein be an encouragement for imitation to others of her Sex and indeed besides the extolling of Gods Free Grace and Goodness towards her that is the only design here aimed at Her Name was Damaris Pearse she was born at Dunsford in the County of Devon the 8th of October in the year 1659. She lived the most of her time in Ermington and there departed this life the 6th of December in the year 1679. So that the whole of her temporal life was but twenty years and a few weeks she was sick near 4 years and so weak for more than twenty weeks before she kept her bed that she was not able to walk about the Chamber alone without the help of another and after all this she kept her bed being in torturing
delights therein but I am not yet ripe but I desire I may be fitted for his great store-house When I look upon my self I find my self filthy and altogether polluted then I left my self but not hopeless but gave my self to God and he took me but I should have said that God made me pure and I polluted my self then I gave my self to God and he cleanfed me and he will take me to himself and I shall never be filthy more Here we are like little children just like so many little children when they are out in the dirt to play their Mother calls them to come in to be drest made handsome and fine for their Fathers and Friends to look upon them and they out of their childishness run away the further into the dirt and will not come when called So it is with us our heavenly Father calls us and we out of childishness run away from him in the Wilderness to sin and follow vanity rather than be drest for Eternity by our Heavenly Father It is with us here as if a Noble Person should make a feast and invite many guests and he invites them into his inner Room his best Parlour but they run away or stay in some outer Room in some filthy nasty Place So it is with God the Father He makes a great Feast and invites the Children of men to come some come in the inner Room into the best Parlour but the most stay in the worst Room without O this is sad and will be so for ever I have heard my Saviour say That wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat and strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it My dear Brothers and Sisters If you live after my departure have a care to enter in at the strait gate do not spend time vainly and make fair promises and afterward be idle and vain be careful to please God and his Spirit and do not please the flesh that hath been too much therefore do not please your selves and mispend time as in looking in glasses and the like but look more into the Glass of the Word of God This night hath been a comfortable night to me Here one asked if much speaking would not do her hurt She replied The Lord gives in more Strength and proceeded thus Improve all friends and interests for your souls good whatsoever you do for God it shall not lose its reward my desires were for spiritual things and so I desire you my Parents Brothers and Sisters that your aims and ends may be for spiritual things I have had much affliction but the greatest were those that troubled my spirit This night hath been quick and it made me mind mortality the more time runs away quick we know not our own time I believe it will be a considerable time before the day of general Judgment but we know not how near the day of our partlcnlar Judgment is therefore strive to prepare for that day Have our Saviour rooted fast in you Those thar are in Christ shall be received into Abrahams Isaacs and Jacobs Bosoms and be with the Twelve Apostles and with all other gracious persons that are departed as †She knew and had heard Mr. Vincent preach and had desired him to recommend her case to God Mr. Tho. Vincent and Mr. Whiddon and others The hearing some and reading the books of others hath made me very joyful As Mr. Joseph Alleins and others And you have joyed me heretofore O that I might be an Instrument to give in a little comfort to you Our Saviour saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of God and he shall go no more out and I will give him a new name Rev. 3. Again my Saviour saith Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice that your names are written in Heaven I have cause to rejoice all that I can which is but little that my name is writren in Heaven for who so is not shall be cast out into outer darkness let that be stampt upon your consciences but for me I desire to praise him that made me Again my Saviour faith My Sheep hear my voice and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and none shall pluck them out of mine hand I have exceedingly grieved to think how many shall go into the lake of eternal fire but mostly fearing lest any of these present should over and over and over have I grieved for them O now think upon it while time lasts this is a precious day this is a good day a day of salvation It is said To him that overcometh I will give a white stone and in the stone a new name which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it Here she hreathed a little afterward thus There was never a covetous person more desired riches or a drunkard his cups or a gluttonous person to fill his appetite or an unclean person to satisfie his lust or an ambitious man honour or a sick person a physician or a hungry man meat or a thirsty person drink never any that is naked or cold more desired clothes or heat or a sorrowful person ever more desired to be comforted or an indebted person more desired a surety never a weak person more desired to be strengthned never any of those persons hath more desired any of those things than I have desired the grace of the eternal spirit None of them hath been more desirous of any thing than I have been even with longing for Christ and the Graces of the Spirit The Graces of the Spirit are love of God faith in Jesus Christ hatred of sin hungring after righteousness long-ruffering c. all these and many more I have exceedingly longed for And now my Parents tho I cannot cast your natural bread yer I trust I am full of the bread of life and shall be so for evermore There is a fulness of fat things in the house not made with hands in Heaven There God and Christ sit on the Throne and the Saints shall 〈◊〉 where too for they shall judg the world O that we would judg our selves now I gave my self to God and when I have been weak and sick he hath strengthed me through Grace The Lord will not be limited If here be any that have done me any wrong or offence I 〈◊〉 not I do heartily forgive you and all the World I bear no enmity to any person or thing in the world but against sin Whether you forgive me or not for the wrongs I have done you I know not but if the eternal God forgive me it will be well with me and then if any should kill me I reckon no more of it than of a flea on my hand The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope and trust in him
Kingdom of God John 3.3 and Mat. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And become as little children that is we must be kind and loving one to another and tender hearted and we should be humble and lowly in heart have mean and low thoughts of our selves and forget injuries and pass by wrong done to us by others we should forgive our enemies as we hope for forgiveness from God Now we should examine our own hearts Psal 4.4 Commune with your own heart upon your bed 1 Cor. 11.28 Whether ever there hath been a real change wrought upon your souls or no If the bent of your souls be after sin and the pleasing of your flesh more than for the pleasing of God If your hearts be set upon carnal things to gratifie self and to fulfil the lust of your flesh and to love this world more than to love God then your case is very sad but if your great care be to please God and to eschew evil to avoid sin and to save your souls then you are the people of God Do you study so to walk as to approve your hearts to God is your great comfort in God is he your portion and treasure and if your greatest comfort be in the enjoyment of God then you are his peculiar people It is not the forsaking of some sins that doth make the change in the heart There are many that do forsake some sins such as may disgrace them before men but they love all sin in their hearts why they are as wicked as any neither is the forsaking of sin in time of affliction onely the changing of the heart but the hating of all sin the least sin the most secret sin the striving against it and the forsaking of it is a sign that there is a change wrought in the Soul We should consider the great love of the Great Almighty God towards us poor miserable sinners that when we were in a lost condition and could no way help our selves then he sent his beloved Son into the world to deliver us from our sins and to give unto us eternal life John 3.16 and we should consider the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ towards us He came down from Heaven from the Glory of his Father and took upon him the nature of man he satisfied Gods Justice in his suffering for our sins he suffered a most shameful painful and cursed death even the death of the cross for sinners all that should believe in his name O now that people would but lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ for life and for salvation He is the onely way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 They that have an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ shall have eternal life And then as for all such if they are sure of nothing here in this world yet they are richer than if they had all this world to their command without him What shall it profit any man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Mat. 16.26 O it is the great desire of my Soul that people would but turn from their sins and give up themselves unto the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him by faith into their Souls there was never one Soul that came unto him and stedfastly believed on him that ever he cast away but they have all eternal life it doth grieve his heart when sinners will not come unto him that they may have life John 5.40 We may see how he was greived because of the people of Jerusalem that they had out-lived the day of their visitation Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes We should take care that our hearts be not hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin Heb. 3.13 We should pray to God that he would keep us from a seared conscience and from a hardened heart and that he would make us truly sensible of our sins that we may be humbled and that our hearts may be broken for sin that we may have a godly sorrow upon our hearts such as worketh repentance unto salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 It doth greatly concern us to know whether we are of the number of those that shall be saved We know not how soon we shall dye and depart out of this world and if we dye without an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ it will be miserable with us to all eternity we have all of us precious and immortal souls within our bodies which must be either saved or damned must go either to Heaven and be glorified with God to all eternity or go to Hell and be tormented with Devils to all eternity There is none can express the delight and comfort that the Saints in Heaven do enjoy they shall have everlasting rest and peace Isa 57.2 and continual joy in the Lord Mat. 25.21 They shall have a kingdom Luk. 12.32 and a Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Jam. 1.12 None here can tell their blessed state as it is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neitherr have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 They shall be glorified with God and Christ to all eternity And then on the other way there is none of us that doth know nor can conceive what it is to be damned O what a dreadful thing damnation is it is to be banished for ever from the presence of the glorious God and to be tormented with Devils to all eternity 2 Thes 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power It is eternal banishment and separation from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven This is the punishment of loss and the worst of Hell Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O terrible terrible to be doom'd and sentenc'd to lie under the wrath and hatred of the insinitely great and dreadful God for ever and ever so long as God shall live whose being is to eternity so long as there is a Devil to torment or to be tormented shall their plagues last O that people would consider now while they are here in this world and prepare for death To one of these two places their souls must for ever be O that the thoughts of Heaven and the Torments of Hell would cause people to consider and prepare that they might come safe to this Heaven and escape this Hell Oh it doth greatly grieve me when I do seriously think of it of the great number of those which shall be damned and
must stay eight years longer O Sir says the youth I have gone thorow the burying-place and have seen little graves as well as long and I may be dead before I am so old therefore pray teach me the Law of God O Young People think of it begin now to be religious because your youthful time may be all your time Let me hint a few things more by way of argument 1. Consider your youthful time is Gods time the first fruits of your time is the Lords he required the first fruits as his due you rob God if you do not give up your selves to him betimes 2. Consider your youthful time is the best time now you are most active vigorous quick as you are now more capable to understand any trade of life so to take in the principles of Religion if you would give your minds to it Religion will be more facile and easy to you you are not possest with such evil notions and corrupt principles as you may be if you come to age you will then be more indisposed you will be habituated in sin and the devil will have a stronger claim and interest in you who will not be so easily put off O then mind Religion while you are young it will be a great deal more delightful and easy and comfortable if you begin betimes 3. Consider this timely beginning will prevent a great deal of guilt and trouble in your souls when a man in a journey sets forth early he goes on with comfort but if he neglects the morning and sets out late he must run and ride and that in the dark O they that set forth for Religion in the morning of their time prevent a great deal of trouble and sin 4. Consider by this means you will be very desirable grateful delightful acceptable to God and good men O! to see an holy humble gracious spirit in young people to hear them speak of the things of Christ and find them pliable to the ways of God O what a pleasant sight is this What delight do such to the Lord Such have a principal share of Christs love who seek him betimes Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me 'T is spoken by way of Emphasis and addition those that seek me early shall be sure to find me the Lord takes special notice of the love of his people in their youthful time Jer. 2.2 I remember the kindness of thy youth O what a lovely fight it delights God and Saints to see young souls humble holy serious savoury heavenly full of knowledg full of zeal O what a beauty is a young Samuel a young Abijah a young Jeremiah a young Timothy What honourable mention is made of these in Scripture And it was the honour of Andronicus and Junia that they were in Christ betimes Rom. 16.7 Oh if you give up your selves to Religion betimes you will be exceeding acceptable to God and good men 5. Begin betimes to be religious for hereby you will attain to a greater growth in Christianity and settlement in the truth and wayes of Godliness you shall bring more glory to God be more serviceable to your generation and lay up a greater and more sure foundation for glory yea the more eminent and abundant you have been in grace the greater Crown of Glory will be set on your head in Heaven O now you young people bestir your selves labour after knowledg set apart time to read the Scripture and other good books and be earnest with God to give you an heart to know and an eye to see the excellency of Jesus Christ fly the lusts of youth endeavour what you can to be under a faithful Ministry and get into acquaintance and communion with good people and cast off all vain company O there is a great deal of advantage by being in good company they will instruct counsel comfort and encourage you in your course of godliness Consider what I have said and the Lord bless these good counsels unto you FINIS