and Drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34. Know that this is spoken unto thee and that thou in thy youth must not at any time give way to these things no not when friends meet nor when thou art urged and haled to it When Solomon saith My Son when sinners entice thee consent thou not Prov. 1. 10. Think that he speaketh to thee Whom doth the Compellation My Son better befit than the young Man when St. Paul saith God hath not called us unto uncle anness but unto holiness that every one of us should possess his vessel in sanctification and in honour not in the lust of Concupisence c. 1. These 4. 4 5. Believe 〈◊〉 that he speaketh unto thee who art in thy youth wherein he speaketh most plainly 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly also youthful Lusts. CHAP. IV. Use 2. THis also sheweth another not able Errour of young Men who think they may freely take that liberty which otherâ— may not and walk more at large than thosâ— of elder years Ye see the holy Ghost crosse this conceit and calleth upon young Meâ— more especially to Remember their Creatouâ— Know therefore That when our Saviour saith Enter in at the strait Gate He speakeâ— unto you that are young and requireth thâ— of you in your youth as well as any otheâ— He directeth both old and young to comâ— this way to Heaven for broad is the way anâ— wide is the Gate that leadeth to Destruction and many there be which go in thereat becauâ—â— strait is the Gate and narrow is the waâ— which leadeth unto Life and few there be thâ— find it Mat. 7. 13 Our Saviour chargeâ— all to leave the broad way that will not 〈◊〉 into Destruction and therefore for younâ— Men to think that they may walk at large anâ— follow their Lusts is to imagine that theâ— have liberty to run into Damnation Therâ— is but one way and that is a narrow one but one Gate and that is a strait one thaâ— leadeth unto Life and they that would livâ— for ever must enter into Life by this straiâ— Gate and narrow way whether young or old If ye would know what allowance ye have in this kind it is no more than that which Solomon giveth in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth Take thy pleasure but so that thou make sure account for all these vanities and sicentiousness of youth to give a most strict account at the day of Judgment If thou wiâ—t tipple if thou wilt swear if thou wâ—lt â—â—le away thy time c. know for a certain that God will bring thee to Judgment for all these things Was it not to a young Mâ—n that our Saviour spake when he said Go and sell all that thou hast give to the poor and follow me Mar. 19. 21 22. Here was a narrow way and yet this was required of a young Man if he would be saved And though hâ— were young yet could he get no release of our Saviour but he goeth away with a sad and sorrowful heart The like in effect saith our Saviour to every young Man sell all that thou hast do away thy Lusts put away thy Drunkenness cast off Lying Swearing Idleness Pride Vanities and follow me The way of Christ is the strictest 〈◊〉 the narrowest path that ever Man went Now Christ will have young Men follow him and keep their feet in the narrow way which he hath gone before and tread in his steps I hope none will be so Blasphemous as to say that Christ did take this licentious course which young Men think they may take Well then if thou wilt enter into life thou must follow him and go in that narrow path wherein he walked It is to be observed that Christ was young and dyed young therefore if ye that are young look for Salvation by him ye must follow him in those waies of his youth All those good works all that holâ—ness whereby he fulfilled all righteousness these were the practises of his youth if then ye will have him for your Saviour who walked thus in his youth ye must follow him in your youth Christ went about doing good and thinkest thou that thou maist go about doing evil that thou maist run about hunting after idle meetings and ill company because thou art young and in the flower of thy youth No Christ was young when he went about doing good Act. 10. 38. And therefore if thou takest liberty to go about doing evil because thou art young thou art no Disciple of Christ. CHAP. V. Use 3. LEt me exhort you that are young That ye would effectually lay to heart these words of the holy-Ghost Remember now thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth Oh that you would now enter into a Covenant with the Lord and bind your selves resolvedly to seek your Creatour To you that are young the Spirit of God here speaketh Oh take heed of despising him that speaketh from heaven because of your youth but hear him so much the rather because he speaks to young Men and for this end let me urge you with some Motives 1. Consider what wrong it is to God to give Satan the best of thy time Under the Law the first-Fruits were to be given to God Levit. 23. 10. 14. And they might eat no bread until the Lord had the First-Fruits offered unto him So that he who should presume to eat any of his Corn before the Lord had his portion even a sheaf of the first-fruits he was no better than a Sacrilegious intruder upon the Lord's Possession So the Lord requireth of thee O young Man the first-Fruits of thy Life even thy youth and strength and if thou dost not offer and consecrate thy young years to the Lord thou dealest Sacrilegiously thou dost â—lienate the Lord's Portion thou deliverest Possessiâ—n unto Satan of that which God hath committed to thy trust to reserve wholly for him sike some unfaithful Tennant yielding up the possession to him that hath but apâ—â—tended Tirle to the prejudiâ—â— of the right owner Oh do not give thâ— first-Fruits unto the Devâ—l and think that God will be pleased with the Gleanings the refuse and scattered ears the dreggs of old age Offer it now to thy Prince see if he will accepâ— thee Malac. 1. 8. As if he had said Serve thy Princes Enemy in thy youth and strength and then come to the Courtâ— in thine old age limping with thy stilts aâ—â— crutches and say Mine old Master hath cast me off and now I will serve thee see then if he will entertain thee So it is in this case 2. Consider that God loveth cheerfulness in his services so many places of Scripture shew Rejoyce in the Lord c. I will run the wayes of thy Commandments saith David Quicken me O Lord c. Now youth is the most cheerful part of a mans Life then
A MEMENTO TO Young and Old OR The Young Man's REMEMBRANCER AND The Old Man's MONITOR By that Eminent and Judicious Divine Mr. John Maynard late of Mayfield in Sussex Published by William Gearing Minister of the Gospel Quis integram vocet aetatem cui multum deest quantulum sit quod restat incertum est Petrarc de remed utr fort dial 1. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst living at the Sign of the Bible upon London Bridg. 1669. Unto the Right Worshipful SIR Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey in the County of Chester Baronet and to the vertuous Ladies The Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham the Elder and the Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham the Younger To the Lady Meredith of Leeds in Kent ' and to Mrs. Elizabeth Baker of Mayfield in the County of Sussex William Gearing humbly Dedicateth these ensuing Treatises Entituled A Memento to Young and Old c. And Pious Fathers the Glory of Children c. To the Reader THE outward ornaments of Youth are Beauty Tallness and Strength of the Body but Grace and Wisdom are the ornaments of the Soul and Mind But Beauty without Grace is but like a fair sign that hangeth at the door of a foul house and Witt without Grace is but like meat that tasteth sweet in the mouth and breedeth ill blood in the Veins and bodily strength and comliness of Stature without Grace it is but like so much Moss upon the body of a Tree when there is no fruit upon the boughs Absalom had a fair body and a defiled Conscience St. Augustin receiving a witty Epistle from Licentius a young Noble Man and perceiving he had abused it too loosely returneth this answer to him If thou hadst found a Golden Cup wouldst thou not have given it to some Publick use God hath given thee a Golden Witt a Soul of Gold and yet thou usest it an Instrument of Sensuality take heed of making it a vessel of abomination and of presenting thy Soul as a Sacrifice to Satan Diabolus cupit a te ornari the Devil desireth to make thee an ornament to him and thy witt and parts the credit of his Court and Cause Young Men many times have sharp Witts but as the fire in green wood is smothered by the vapours that it cannot shine brightly so holy Wisdom in youth is often smothered by Temptations and Concupisences Naturalists say That the Butterfly spendeth the most part of her Life in painting of her Wings so do many young men in guilding of their Brains Youth is as the Hebrew word signifieth the choice age of a Mans Life and a young Man is called a choice or chosen one 1. Because a Young man was rather chosen than an Old chosen to most employments of action and Youth is the time which a man would chose to live in 2. Because youth is a time wherein a Man is to chuse what course to take and it is the choicest time for the service of God Remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth or of thy choice saith Solomon That is in such daies as either thou wouldest chuse or else such daies wherein thou art best able to make thy choice then are we called upon to remember God Take it in that double variation 1. In such daies as a man would chuse whilst things yet go well with him before the evil daies come c. Flourishing Youth and true Devotion are seldom companions Youth unless sanctified is full of vanity serious in trifles and trifling in serious things Or 2. In such dayes as we are yet able to make our choice Death bed Devotion proveth but little worth then do we rather dream of God than indeed do remember him Good reason it is that the Young Man should remember his Creatous 1. Because uncertain of the future of his own life uncertain whether he shall ever live to old age a Soul should not be hazarded upon such uncertainties 2. Because the young man commonly forgetteth God is most tempted by Satan most violently hurried away with Passions Youth is full of folly falsehood frowardness of high conceits of their own worth and sufficiency full of inordinate and excessive love of liberty full of wantonness it is carried with strong affections upon weak grounds it is stubborn impatient of counsels and just reproofs Jerem. 31. 18 19. It is given to Prodigallity Luke 15. 12 13. It is impudent and shameless addicted to sensuality It is the Emblem of a Young Man to have a wing on one Arm as if he had a desire to fly up to Heaven but a clog on the other arm to shew how the vanities and pleasures of the World do clog his desires of Heaven 3. Or it may be Young Menare called upon to remember God because riper age is furnished with most abilities a strong body a pliable mind a riper judgment affections free Religion is not of so easie a performance but it will ask a man his best Or 4. it may be what is gotten in Youth sticks fastest by us as a Vessel retaineth a long time that odour whereâ—with at first it was seasoned God's service should never be given over and therefore learned betimes Nebuchadnezzar would have young Men stand before him the King of Heaven much more Thy Creatour will not highly value thee unless thou hast been bred up in his presence even from thy youth It is a most commendable thing for Young Men to be couragious and resolute in resisting Sin Some Heathens and Infidels have been not able in this kind Sâ— Augustin bringeth in Polemon thus speaking concerning himself I was an Infidel a young Man deprived of the Knowledg of the True God resigned over to all sorts of Intemperance Wine Love Play Rashness were the Chariot which drew my Youth to downfal I was no sooner entred into the School of an Heathen Philosopher But behâ—ld I was wholly changed He upon the Words of a man layeth down his flowery Crowns which he bare on his head his Riots and Drunkenness How unseemly then is it for Young Men that are called Christians to go on in Riot and Wantonness after so many enlightnings so many forcible instructions and so many powerful convictions and inspirations St. Ambrose likewise brings in one Spurinâ— thus speaking I was a Gentile saith she bred in the corruption of an age where vertue was declining and vice on the top of the Wheel I was endowed with an excellent Beauty which by right of natural force gave me the key of Hearts and I seeing it was too much affected courted by wanton eyes and served for a stumbling-block to chastity I purposely made scars in my face extinguishing with my Blood the flames of those that sought me for I loved better to seal my innocence as with the seal of voluntary deformity than to possess a Beauty that served only as a bait for anothers Lust. How may this give a check to the vanity of those women among us who in their youth paint themselves
Are they full of courage and valiant as well as strong They can never with so much honour follow any other Captain as they may fight under the Banner of Jesus Christ the Prince and Captain of their Salvation No Victory so honourable for a young Man as to kill pride and lust in himself and to get the old red Dragon under his feet To shed an enemies blood is no way so honourable as to Triumph over Satans malice One Mastiff can tear out another's Throat one Bull can goar another's side one desperate person can shed another's Blood but where is that glorious valour in a young Man that like Josuah's followers setteth his feet on the necks of five Kings of Canaan at once that subdueth his five Senses and overcometh all Temptations that enter in at these He that can strongly guard these Cinque-ports and stands out against all approaches in his youth he is an honourable Souldier of Jesus Christ. And if he go on and overcome He shall sit down with him in his Throne as he overcame and sate down with his Father in his Throne Rev. 3. 21. They that fight this good Fight may assure themselves that 〈◊〉 Crown of Glory is laid up for them which they shall wear when many renowned Captains of the World who have been Triumphant over their Enemies Shall lye down in sorrow and confusion But as the Apostle saith concerning Marriage If any man thinketh that he behaveth himself uncomely towardâ— his Virgin if she passe the flower of her age and need so require let him do what he will he sinneth not let them Marry 1 Cor. 7. 36. So if any man thinketh that he behaveth himself unseemly toward the courage strength and valour of his Body and Mind if he wear out his youth in Peace and do not shew himself in the Field let him know that Religion doth not disarme him if the Cause be good and the Warr necessary otherwise to fight in Publick Warrs is no more honourable than it is to assault men on the high-wayes side And when a Christian hath a just Call to fight the Lords Battles Religion doth not daunt but double his courage True it is Religion takes from him the Sword of Revenge and commandeth him to put it up into its place it alloweth him not to answer every desperate Ruffians Challenge which is as uncomely for a wise young man as it is to fight with every Dog that barketh at him VII Is youth accompanied many times with health what is more seemly for him that is well than to do well and to serve him faithfully who giveth him every hour of health which he enjoyeth The sickness and craziness of old age is many times a great distraction and discouragement to the Service of God therefore they are much deceived who make Repentance the work of the Sick-bed and think that the fittest time for that work VIII Is youth enclined to love Christ commandeth nothing but love and that which love supposeth and inferreth only it requireth a more noble divine and excellent kind of love and turneth it upon a more excellent object upon which it is better bestowed than upon the common objects of natural love Viz. upon God the chiefest good and upon such things as are subordinate to him IX Is youth disposed to Mirth Grace is so farr from depriving it of this that he which never felt true Grace never came where sound joy was The heart is filled with peace and joy in Believing and the peace of God passeth understanding Yea the Word of God calleth for joy Rejoyce in the Lord again I say rejoyce It bettereth and encreaseth our mirth it doth not take it from us X. Consider the young man in Relation to others and you shall find nothing so seemly for him as grace and holiness and a conformity to the Word of God Nothing more comely for a young man than so to carry himself toward his Superiours as the word of God directeth him What more seemly for the younger sort than to give that honour reverence respect to Parents Masters Aged People which the word enjoyneth them A proud undutiful contemptuous carriage in the younger sort towards their betters doth worse become them than any deformity or blemish in the body A young man is never more out of fashion than when he is careless of his duty in this behalf and again never more comely than when he adorneth his life with that modesty and dutiful respect to which true grace directeth younger years It is a singular ornament to a young man to be one of those few which find out and constantly walk in the narrow way in their youthful daies CHAP. III. Vse 1. THis may shew that nothing doth worse become the younger sort than sin A licentious ungodly a loose unbridled conversation is a young man's greatest blemish weakness of natural parts shallowness of capacity blemishes of the body are not so unseemly in a young Man as prophaness and want of true holiness Nothing can worse become such an one than to forget or disobey him that made him No blemish in the face is so unseemly as an unruly tongue full of vain and idle oathes full of prophane swearing full of cursing and bitterness full of wanton rotten communication full of raiâ—ing of scoffs against godliness against old Age or as a loose lustful eye which is roveing and wandring after vanity or an ear listening after idle tales and greedily taking in false reports such as tend to the undeserved disgrace of others A violent hand a stragling foot they are the blemishes and reproaches of the younger sort And what is Drunkenness but the shame and stain of that green and flourishing age when the witt in its prime and best time shall be besotted and brought to a brutish dotage by the abuse of Gods good Creatures and excess of drink what is more unnatural and unseemly The stupifying of the senses the faultring of the feet are they not the symptoms of old age yes What then is more unseemly for youth than to over-burthen it self so with drink as to lose for the time its witts and leggs Oh do not count this a matter of credit thus to keep company this is your shame The sin of Whoredom which is the young Man's Zoar he counts it a little one and hither he would fly for contentment when the Word threatneth Fire and Brimstone against this sin from Heaven It is his Dalilah in the lap of which sinful pleasure he thinketh he may sleep securely by the priviledge of youth But the Scripture saith It is a deep ditch Prov. 23. 27. And therefore most dangerous And as it is dangerous so most shameful and unseemly It is the defilement the blasting of the flower of youth it is the very snare of the Devil whereby many young ones are held Captive by him at his will The sin of stubbornness and contemptuous carriage towards Superiours in years or otherwise it is most
to me CHAP. II. WHerefore that this may be made more clear unto us let us consider how and in what respects the daies of Youth are called good daies They are good daies 1. Because they are the first daies of a man's life Childhood is but as it were a preparative to the life of man Children while they are Children have but some imperfect beginnings of the life of reason which is the proper and peculiar life of man therefore we may reckon the daies of Youth as the first daies of man's life when he first beginneth to live as a man and to live the life of reason in some degree of perfection Now ye know that the first in every kind hath the preheminence the first-born of men the firstlings of beasts the first-fruits of the earth the morning of the day the first age of the world the spring of the year So there is a kind of preheminency in the first daies of man's life which are the daies of Youth they are a man's prime and his good daies 2. The daies of Youth are good daies because ordinarily they are the daies of best health and strength daies wherein we are of able bodies for any special service For although it be true that in the worship of God bodily exercise profiteth but little in comparison of the inward power of godliness yet strength and health when they are made serviceable to a sanctified upright heart are of special use both in the immediate worship of God and in the performance of many offices of love which we ought to do towards our Brethren in the Lord. Mens sana in corpore sano as they say a sound mind and an heavenly spirit furthered in the worship and service of God by a strong healthy well-tempered body hath a great advantage in it's work and in that case the daies of health and strength are good daies In Prayer although the strength and force of Prayer doth not lie in the strength of the sides or loudnes of the voice yet it is no smal advantage to the Spirit when in it's fervour and strength of affection it gathereth up and putteth forth all it's powers in earnest supplication before the throne of Grace if then it hath a sound healthy body able to bear the intention of a fervent spirit without fainting or distraction You know that if the arrow be long and drawn to the head it is needfull that the bow and the string should be of sufficient strength to hold drawing And a Christian that will not content himself to shoot those fools bolts mentioned Eccles. 5. 1. but desireth to send forth winged shafts of fervent Prayer that shall pierce the Clouds and enter the Heavens findeth it an help not to be despised when the strength and health of his body is suitable to the vigour of his spirit This holdeth as ye may easily conceive in those exercises of hearing reading meditation c. 3. Daies of Youth are times wherein the powers of the Soul are also quick lively and able by the communion with the body The Soul by reason of it's near conjunction of the body hath it's Childhood Youth and decaying time In younger years it hath those golden daies wherein the understanding is quick in apprehension teachable and apt to receive impression the Memory faithfull the Judgement good and sound the Affections strong and stirring Therefore these are the good daies wherein it is fit to be used in the work and service of God And as in the Spring all these concurring together the Trees in their fresh clothing the face of the Earth renued the beauty of Herbs and Flowers together with the Sun 's shining brightly in his strength and glory make up good daies whereas in the Winter the brightness of the Sun maketh but an imperfect good day whiles the Trees and Fields are stripped dead and withered the ground covered with mire and dirt so the meeting of these together the birth-right of Youth the strength and health of the Body the quickness of the Senses the activeness and abundance of the Spirits the perfections of the Soul c. make the daies of Youth good daies whereas although in the winter of Old Age the Sun may shine the principles of wisdome stored up in Youth may be preserved yet there are those defects naturally clogging that dying age which do ecclipse the brightness and lessen the goodness of those daies CHAP. III. Use â— THis may serve to reprove those who do allow some fleshly liberty to the daies of Youth Many who themselves are aged out of a kind of fatherly experienced gravity as they would have men think and out of a kind of moderation to which their years have brought them as they will have us believe do give liberty to a kind of latitude in the ways of Youth and young men must be born with Who doubteth but that there is a Christian moderation and compassion to be exercised towards such infirmities of the flesh which the Spirit wrestleth and laboureth against either in young or old when the heart being given up to Christ and brought under the soveraign command of his glorious Gospel and blessed Spirit cannot yet wholly free it self from the law of Rebellion nor utterly shake off the body of Death But out of a pretence of levity to flatter the enormities of Youth and to excuse those vitious unbridled courses which stain the glory of those best daies what is it but to say that hard Frosts deep Snows Inundations thick mire and dirt are not to be accounted strange in May nor to be wondered at in the prime and spring of the year Is it to be endured when the best daies of a man's life are wasted away in such courses as are contrary to the end for which a man liveth most contrary to the glory of that great God who hath given them these choice daies of Youth To speak plainly when are you more carefull to fence your Copses Pastures Meadows than in the Spring and will ye say the spring of our life which is the time of Youth may be laid open to the invasion of lusts to the assaults of Satan to the pleasures of Sin Let other men applaud their own gravity and condemn the rashness of others I cannot believe that Solomon wanted either years gravity wisdome or due moderation when he checked the folly of Youth in an holy Irony Eccles. 11. and setteth before all vain young men the Judgement of the great day shewing that for all these things even these excesses of Youth they shall be made to give account nor when he did put down this serious admonition in the words of this Text backed with so many pressing motives Remember now thy Creator in the daies of thy youth while the evil daies come not c. and had there been any defect in the pen-man yet I am sure the Holy Ghost which held his hand would not have suffered him to write one syllable amiss Neither
doth the Psalmist return an answer sutable to these mens conceits when the question is moved Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way but quite contrary By taking heed thereto according to thy word Where ye see both the Rule by which and the manner how they are to frame their Courses requireth a special strictness The very Word of God that pure and holy Rule of Righteousness and not the customs of the time nor the ordinary practice nor lusts of youth must guide them and this Rule they must heed with much attention and watchfulness having one eye upon their ways another upon the word taking heed thereto according to the word ever marking the steps they tread and observing how it suiteth with the precious truth of God This is the wisdom of the Antient of daies and whatsoever is contrary to it gray hairs cannot exempt from folly CHAP. IV. SECT I. II. THis should perswade the younger sort not to make those daies evil which God hath made good Oh do not abuse your choycest daies to the basest employments Think the spring of your age too good for Satan too pretious for Lust for Drunkenness for Vanity too good to be so spent that in old age ye shall not be able to remember it without shame without a sting Ye know what the Lord spake long since to Israel If ye walk contrary unto me I also will walk contrary unto you How can ye walk more contrary unto God than to make those the worst daies which he hath made the best To have abused any of God's good Creatures under the Law had been sin to have profaned the first fruits a double sin to give any of our time to the service of sin is unworthy of a Christian but to abase the prime of Youth and the crown of our years the choicest of our daies to this slavery what is it but to set our selves to cross the Lord in the wisdom of his wayes and to make these daies evil because he hath made them good Regard not those who scoff in their carnal folly at the uniting of these two together Youth and Holiness as at an unequal match as if a young man and an old woman were joyned together in marriage Assure thy self that nothng can so well become the best daies as the best affections and the best conversation that nothing is more seemly for a vessel of honour than to be seasoned with true grace and sanctification even while it is now in the daies of Youth 1 Joh. 2. 13 14. I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one Again I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Here is the excellency of young men not that they have so much strength oâ— body or daring Spirits to challenge or lay others on the ground as that they have strength of grace and power of the Spirit to wrestle with Satan in all his temptationâ— and tread them under their feet when theâ— have the word of God abiding in them anâ— powerfully enabling them to wrestle witâ— Principalities and Powers and so to wrestlâ— as to overcome These are young men to whom the beloved Apostle of Christ vouchsafeth to write in a peculiar manner aâ— indeed such are young men whose Youthâ— man ought to despise SECT II. TAke heed then of making these goâ—â— daies of Youth to be evil daies whiâ—â— God hath made good daies Quest. But some will say perhaps hoâ— are they made evil daies Sol. I. I answer in general The daies of Youth good in themselves are made evil when they are spent in unregeneration spent in a state of impenitency without sound conversion to God without holy communion with him Every young man who is not brought home to God by unfeigned repentance in his Youth maketh the daies of his Youth to be evil daies Rom. 6. 20 21. When ye were the servants of Sin ye were free from righteousness what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Whiles a man is an unregenerate person he is a servant of Sin and all that while he maketh his daies evil daies his life an evil life for he is not able to shew any fruit that he hath reaped of all his works and wayes no true benefit no sound comfort ariseth out of all his courses So it is with old men that live in the service of sin without true regeneration In like manner it is in young men that are unregenerate let them do what they will or can let them fill themselves with all manner of earthly pleasures let them please themselves every way and do what they can to enjoy these dayes of Youth walking in the wayes of their own Heart and in the sight of their Eyes please their Senses of all sorts c. Nay let them spend their daies of Youth better than so even in Wars in Study and Learning in getting some useful commendable Trade yet so long as they are unregenerate and do not seriously remember turn to their Creator now in these daies of their Youth they have no true fruit worth the having of all their endeavours of all their daies of Youth Now doth not a man make his daies evil daies when he spendeth them so that no true good cometh of them when they bring forth more evil than good so much evil as that the good that might come of them is not good unto them for the end of these things is death When a man is still hastening to his destruction running oâ— towards his death as every one unconverteâ— is what fruit can there come of any thing he goeth about All ye that are young who put off repentance and are not regenerate nor labour to be so ye make the daies of your Youth which ye so rejoyce in evil daies cursed daies ye walk under the wrath and curse of God and are not freed from the sentence of condemnation Whiles ye are merry and jocund whiles your Hearts cheer you ye do but sport your selves in the midst of your own misery and dangers Canst thou enjoy one good day whiles thou hast no assurance for an hour to be free from the fire that never goeth out whiles thou standest accursed and hast the sentence of condemnation written upon thy conscience and not washed off by the blood of Christ spinkled by faith oh these are evil bitter daies if thou couldest discern them rightly wherein Heaven frowneth upon thee God is angry with thee and all thy sins remain unpardoned Therefore repent and make thy peace with God that so the daies of thy Youth may be good daies daies wherein thou maist be assured that God is appeased with thee daies wherein thou maist walk in the bright Sun-shine and light of his countenance daies wherein thou maist have thy fruit in holiness for the present and be