Catechism of the Assembly of Divines where all the heads of Religion are proved out of the Scripture which is the fountain and foundation of all and I would have you first to learn the shorter Catechism exactly with the proofs then proceed to the larger Catechism and consession of faith and as you go along labour to understand the meaning of every thing you learn and not only to get a notional understanding but also a spiritual discerning and to mingle these great truths with faith to receive and believe what you finde proved by the Scripture to be the Word of God and therefore most firmly to assent to them For this end you must look up to the Lord and make your prayer to him that he would give you his Spirit to teach and lead you into all truth Besides learning Catechisms you must keep a constant course of reading some portion of Scripture every day and labour to carry about with you something of the Word in your minds which you may entertain your thoughts withall when you get them off from other business 2. Get the Word of God into your hearts endeavour that your hearts may be aâ—…ected with the Word let not only your minds receive light by it but also your hearts receive warmth by it Imitate David in his affections to the Word which you may read especially in the 119. Psalm in his prizing the Word v. 71. The Law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver In his love to the Word v. 97. O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day In his desires v. 82. My eyes fail for thy Word saying When wilt thou comfort me And v. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath to thy judgements at all times In his hope v. 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy Word In his delight v. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoil 2. Labour to keep the Word of God let the Word of God abide in you do as David Psal. 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee And take Solomons advice and encouragement Prov. 4. 20 21 22. My Son attend unto my words and encline thine ear unto my sayings Let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart for they are life to those that find them and health to all their flesh There are three things in the Word which you should especially keep 1. The Truths of the Word 2. The Commandments of the Word 3. The Promises of the Word 1. Keep the Truths of the Word buy the Truth whatever pains it cost you but never sell the Truth whatever you may get by it Seek for the Truth as for silver and dig for it as for hidden treasures And having found it keep it as a treasure do not part with it upon any terms If you make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience you will make shipwrack of your souls upon the rocks of perdition and destruction and be drowned in the Ocean of Gods wrath Therefore you must earnestly contend for the Faith that is the Doctrine of Faith the Truths of the Word once delivered unto the Saints Jude 4. You will have attempts made upon you by the Agents of Hell by the Instruments of the Devil to rob you of the Truth and to give you damnable errours instead of soul saving Truths But as you desire the salvation of your souls hold fast the Truths of the Word get on the girdle of Truth let the loyns of your mind be girt about with the Truth Ephes. 6. 14. Let not the Truth hang loose in your minds lest it be snatched away from you but get the Truth girt get it fastned and fixed get it rooted and riveted that you may not be wavering like a wave of the Sea tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine labour for a mind established in the Truths of the Word 2. Keep the Commandments of the Word labour that your hearts may be cast into the mould of this Word get the Law written upon the Tables of your heart as with a Pen of Iron and point of a Diamond and let your life be a fair Copy of the Law let the Precepts of the Word be exemplified in your conversations let all men know what God requireth by your obedience shine as lights in the places where you live that others seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 3. Keep the Promises of the Word look upon the Promises as your great Christian charter as your choice treasure as your store-house where are laid up the most rich provisions Acquaint your selves with the Promises of the Word and apply them lay up the Promises in your heart and make use of them daily plead them at the Throne of Grace fetch supplies from them feed upon them live upon them delight your selves in them go to them for strength when weak for recovery when sick for quickening when dull for softning when hard for enlargement when straitned for succour when tempted for cordials when fainting for comforts when troubled Thus for your second duty Young men labour that the Word of God may abide in you SECT V. 3. YOung men labour to overcome the wicked one By the wicked one we are to understand the Devil who is called the wicked one by way of eminency because the Devil was the first wicked one and is the most wicked one and is the cause of all or most of the wickedness in the world he drew our first Parents unto the first sin and he hath a hand in the greatest sins that are committed by their Posterity and therefore all the wicked are called the children of the Devil Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do Then this wicked one is overcome when his temptations to sin are resisted and repelled Young men labour to overcome the wicked one The Devil is very busie about young men 1. To prejudice them against Gospel obedience 2. To draw them into the commission of sin I shall give you advice how you may overcome the wicked one's prejudices and how you may overcome the wicked one's temptations 1. The wicked one would prejudice you and so keep you from the obedience of the Gospel and here his prejudices which he would raise in the minds of young men are 1. Against Professours 2. Against the Profession of the Gospel 1. The wicked one doth endeavour to raise prejudices against the Professours of the Gospel in young and tender minds to keep them from Gospel-obedience by representing Professours unto them 1. As rude and illiterate 2. As foolish and unwise 3. As proud and singular 4. As factious and rebellious 5. As hypocritical and wicked 1. The wicked one doth represent the Professours of the Gospel to young ones as rude
Children and unto Young Men. The Text may be termed Young Mens Epistle 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 Where the Apostle doth give three Elogiums or commendations of these young men 1. That they were strong 2. That the Word of God did abide in them 3. That they had overcome the wicked one To observe Doctrines and prosecute them might require too much time and room and not be altogether so profitable I shall choose rather to spend my whole discourse in a Use of Exhortation drawn from the Text unto you young men who have called me hither to preach unto you this day and what the Apostle doth write of these young men in the Text by way of Commendation I shall commend unto you by way of Exhortation There are three great duties which I from this place exhort all you young men unto 1. Labour to be strong 2. Labour that the Word of God may abide in you 3. Labour to overcome the wicked one 1. Young men labour to be strong And here I shall shew 1. In what ye should be strong 2. To what 3. In whom 1. In what ye should be strong In generall labour to be strong in Grace Read the Exhortation of the Apostle unto his Son Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 1. Thou therefore my Son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus Labour whilest you are young to get grace above all gettings to gain this riches which is of far more value than all earthly treasures some of you are of one trade and some of another and you endeavour to get an Estate hereby let me advise you all to trade for grace which will be an Estate it self during your abode here and will be the earnest to you of an Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter Labour to get grace in the truth of it take heed that you be not mistaken and deceive your selves with dross and brass in stead of true gold I mean with counterfeit instead of true grace And labour to get grace in the strength ofit Grace is strong in it self it can do more than all the wisdom and learning in the world let it be strong in you the Fountain is in Christ let the Stream be in you in him is the Ocean labour that as full and strong tides as may be may flow from him into your hearts Let the habits of Grace be deeply and strongly rooted in you and live in the powerfull exercise of those habits Particularly labour for strength 1. Of Faith 2. Of Love 3. Of Desire 4. Of Hope 5. Of Joy 1. Young men labour for strength of Faith some of you have strong bodies others have strong memories others have strong fancies labour all of you to get a strong faith Faith is an excellent grace it is more precious than gold 1 Pet. 1. 7. labour to get faith and a strong faith Abraham was strong in faith and hereby he brought glory to God Rom. 4. 20. shew your selves to be children of faithfull Abraham by getting such a faith as he had for kinde and such a faith as he had for measure this will be for Gods glory and for your honour Let your faith have a strong bottom a firm and sure footing build it not upon the sand or earth much less upon the waters but build it upon the Rock upon the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Rock of Ages build it upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone build it upon the Word of God in the Scriptures and build it upon Christ who is held forth in the Word Let your faith have a strong bottom and let your faith put forth it self in strong actings let your assent be strong unto divine Truths and let your recumbance be strong upon Christ and the Promises of the Gospel Get a strong eye of Faith to discern those spiritual objects which cannot be seen with the eye of sense to look upward to God and the glory which is about his Throne to look downward to Hell and the torments which the damned do there endure for sin to look forward to the coming of Christ and the general Judgement of the World at his appearance and get a strong hand of faith to lay fast hold on Christ to apply his righteousness for the remission of sin and to receive his Spirit for the cleansing you from filthiness and perfecting holiness which is begun in you Let your trust and confidence be strong in God through his Son Young men are apt to be too credulous too ready to believe and put confidence in men when the Scripture telleth us that all men are Lyars if not actually so yet they may be so and the most are so young ones before they have tryed the world are apt to trust in men old ones that are more experienced are more cautious but you cannot put too much confidence in God he cannot lye he never deceived any he never will fail them that put their trust in him Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but let your trust be in the Lord some trust in Princes and great persons others in Hosts and strong Forces most in arms of flesh which are weak and cannot give that help as is expected but let your confidence be in the Name of the Lord who is a shield and buckler and present help to his people in the time of trouble whose Name is a strong Tower into which the righteous may flye and be safe in times of the greatest danger Prov. 10. 18. Be strong in Faith according to the strength of this grace all your other graces will receive strength Faith being the Nurse of them all 2. Young men labour for strong Love In the time of youth affections do spring and they put forth themselves with more strength and vigour than in the cold winter of Old age Dear Youths endeavour that your affections may be directed to the right objects that you may not defile your affections with fin nor debase your affections with the world that you may not by misplacing your Love lose your Love and with the loss of your Love lose your Souls and your happiness You may love and that with the greatest strength you have a capacity for and it is your duty to be strong in Love but then let it be carryed forth in this order 1. To God 2. To one another 1. Be strong in love to God your hearts now will settle upon something they will work some way if they do not work upward they will work downward if they be not placed upon God they will be placed upon the Creature You have now many suitors for your love all the sensitive alluring objects which are about you would entice and ravish your hearts but these things if they seem fair will wither and prove deceitfull they are unworthy of your love Give me
leave to be a suitor for your love let me beg your Love for God and his dear Son This is the first and great Commandement to love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your minde Matth. 22. 37 38. God commandeth you to love him it is your duty God alloweth you to love him it is your priviledge God doth chiefly require your love My Son give me thy heart If you give any thing every thing you have besides and keep back your heart it will not be accepted And God doth best deserve your love he is the most suitable object for your love other objects will debase your love God will ennoble and dignifie your love you cannot bestow your love better none so amiable as God especially as he represents himself in his Son If you look for greatness he is the most great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth If you look for power he is Omnipotent hath done and can do whatever he pleaseth If wisdom hath a beauty in it in your esteem his understanding and wisdom is infinite If truth faithfulness mercy goodness be amiable in your eyes he is truth it self and cannot lye he is full of mercy and kindness he hath most tender bowels he hath riches and treasures of grace and goodness If love be an attractive of love his love is beyond comparison beyond conception there is a heighth in his love which cannot be reached a depth in his love which cannot be fathomed a breadth and length in his love which cannot be comprehended his love is first without any beginning his love is free without our deserving his love is constant without any changing his love is eternal without any ending He is most lovely this should draw forth your love much he is most loving this should draw forth your love more he is love it self 1 Jâ—…h 4. 8. God is love not only hath love but is love he is all beauty and sweetness all goodness and kindness all bowels and love O what an incentive should this be to your love whither are your hearts wandring O gather in all your scattcred affections and fix them upon this most beautiful object place your love upon God now before it be too far engaged to something else from whence it may be very difficult to withdraw love him with all your heart love him truly and love him strongly love him sincerely and love him servently love him supreamly and love him constantly let the fire of your love ascend to him as to its sphere let the stream of your love run to him and lose it self in the Ocean of his goodness where alone it can finde suitableness and satisfaction here you may bathe your selves without fear of drowning here you may expatiate without fear of exceeding here you can never transgress the bounds of love love him strongly whom you can never love too strongly Be strong in love one to another you may love one another and you ought to love one another love is the summ of the Law the first Table is fulfilled in love to God the second Table is fulfilled in love to your neighbour See how the Apostle expresseth it Kom 13. 8 9 10. Owe na man any thing but to love one another for be that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness And if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law There is a common love which you should bear to all even to the wicked and your enemies which should not only with-hold you from offering any injury unto them or rendring evil for evil but also should put you upon doing good offices for them in reference to their reputation estate relations bodies as the Lord doth put opportunities into your hands and they stand in need of your help You should be pitiful towards the worst in their distress if your enemy hunger you should feed him if he thirst give him drink You should bless them that curse and revile you do good unto them that hate you pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you You should be loving and courteous in your converse and behaviour towards all men you should grieve at their afflictions rejoyce in their good and be glad of occasions wherein you may shâ—…w a real affection to them you have acquaintance with chiefly you should express your love to their souls in your prayers friendly admonitions hearty counsels you should endeavor to awaken them whom you see sleeping on the brink of the bottomless pit to reduce them that are hastening in the broad way of sin towards their own destruction you should use arguments with them to leave their sins and to close with Jesus Christ especially if any of your relations and â—…eer friends in whom you have interest be in a state of nature you should use all possible endeavours to perswade them to draw in the easie yoke of Christ with your selves Thus you must love all strongly â—…ut you must love them that bear the Image of God â—…pon them that love and fear the Lord most strongâ—…y Your love to the Brethren must be unfeigued â—…are and fervent as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 1. 22. This will be an evidence to you that you are Dâ—…sciples â—…f Christ Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know much â—…ore may yourselves know that ye are my Disciples â—…ye love one another This will be an evidence that ye are passed from death to life 1 John 3. 14. We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren This will be an evidence that ye are born of God and have a true knowledge of him 1 Joh. 4. 7 8. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love You should mingle your converse with Gods people with hearty and fervent love which will be pleasing to God sweet to your own spirit and advantagious to them you converse withall You should be made up of love and kindness pass by injuries bear reproaches cover infirmities sympathize with sorrows relieve necessities joy in the good of others as if your own and be ready to do good to all especially to them who are of the houshold of faith This is the second grace you should abound in namely the grace of Love 3. Young men labour for strong desires not after riches and honours and pleasures and friends though these things in their place and order and measure may be desired but if they be desired chiefly if they be desired too strongly the fruit will be not the looked for good and satisfaction but
WORDS OF ADVICE TO Young Men. DELIVERED IN TWO SERMONS At Two Conventions of YOUNG MEN The one Decemb. 25. 1666. The other Decemb. 25. 1667. By THOMAS VINCENT sometime Minister of Maudlins Milk-street London Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall finde me Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a Young Man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy Word LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst 1668. TO THE Youth of the City of LONDON THE Lord having given me so great room in so many of your hearts I am the more encouraged to put these few words of Advice into your hands Upon your request they were preached in your Ears and it is for your benefit that they are now presented to your Eyes Vox audita perit litera scripta manet That which you only hear you may quickly forget and so the words with the sound perish in the Air when written especially printed words abide and may bring to your remembrance the things which you have heard long ago But if you would have these words in these sheets abide indeed with you better than if they were engraven upon a rock and written with a Pen of Iron and point of a Diamond you must get them transcribed and reprinted I mean upon your hearts Your hearts as yet in a great measure are a rasa tabula like a fair table or white sheet of Paper in which little is written Do not furrow the Table with Conscience-wounding sins do not blot and besmear the Paper with the defilements of Lust But get the Law of God engraven upon the Table of your hearts and the Counsels of the most High given you out of his Word written upon the white sheet within you It is true the youngest of you are defiled with Original sin and are grown more foul with Actual transgressions which none of you can in whole excuse your selves from however for the present you may be free from the more gross pollutions of the World and not arrived to that degree and height of wickedness which the audacious sinners of this vicious Age have attained unto But if you would get the Word written in your hearts it will both make you clean and keep you clean Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word And v. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my hearâ—… that I may not sin against thee Dear Youths my love is great unto your Souls and my desires are earnest after your salvation it rejoyceth my heart to see so many of your faces in my Auditory here it will more rejoyce me if I may see all those faces in Heaven at last and truly I hope that many of you will be my Crown and Glory in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ therefore it is that I preach therefore I have written these Words of Advice unto you the chief heads of which are 1. That you would seek First the Kingdom of God where alone your chief happiness doth lye as the End 2. That you would seek the Righteousness of God which is in his Son that it might be imputed unto you for your Justification and that it might be imparted unto you for your Renovation and Sanctification as the necessary Means to attain this End without which there is no possibility of admittance for you into the Kingdom of God 3. That having obtained Grace in the truth of it you would labour to grow in Grace and to be strong therein that you might be enabled both to do and suffer whatever God calleth you unto 4. That you would get acquainted with the Word of God and endeavour that it may abide and dwell in you richly as the choicest of all Treasures 5. That you would labour to overcome the Wicked one and all his temptations whereby he would draw you unto sin especially those sins which in Youth you are most inclinable unto Beloved young men you live in the dregs of times in a wicked and debauched generation take heed of following a multitude to do evil save your selves from their sins as you desire God should save you from their punishments Come out from amongst them if you cannot in regard of your place be sure to do it in regard of your course and practice refrain too familiar converse with the wicked and profane let your Companions be such as fear the Lord walk in the way of Good Men take that course as the most do that seem to be most serious and to have their faces towards Heaven I have endeavoured to answer and remove the chief prejudices which are raised to discourage and divert from this way You may safely and confidently venture into it and walk in it and you will finde whatever the oppositions and discouragements be therein the end of it to be peace and happiness The Lord grant that this Book may be a Means to keep you from sin and help you forward in the way to Heaven which is the desire and prayer of Your faithfull Monitor and dear Lover of your Souls T. Vincent WORDS of ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN. MATTH 6. 33. But seek ye First the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you THESE words are part of our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount in which he spake with so much authority that the people were astonished at his doctrine for never man spake as he spake The subject of this Sermon is many excellent Promises Precepts Directions Cautions Exhortations backed with Motives and Arguments very needfull for the promotion of Holiness in Heart and Life 1. Our Saviour gives several promises of blessedness both here and hereafter to quicken his Disciples in their endeavours after some choice Graces and qualifications of minde and to incourage them against the outward persecution which for his sake they might meet withall in the world chap. 5. from vers 2. to 15. 2. He directs them how they should behave themselves as Ministers and his Disciples by the similitudes of Salt Light a City set upon a hill unto which they had or should have a conformity from vers 15. to v. 17. 3. He declares the immutability and purity of the Moral Law vindicating it from the corrupt and false glosses of the Pharisees and explaining it in its spiritual reach and meaning 4. He warns them against Hypocrisie in their Religious Services pressing them in their Alms Prayers Fasts to approve the â—…r hearts to God who seeth in secret that they might receive an open reward chap. 6. from v. 1. to v. 19. 5. He exhorts them to lay up for themselves Treasures in Heaven and not to be solicitous about the Provisions of this Life which Exhortation he backeth with six Arguments The first is drawn from the safety of Heavenly Treasures being removed beyond the reach of rust and moth and thies The second from the uncertainty of earthly Treasures which are in