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
most difficult things are the most excellent things Pulchra quae difficilia though it bâ—… a difficult way it is the way of God not the way 〈◊〉 the Devil it is a clean way not the way of wickedness it is the way to the Crown to the Kingdom not the Road that leadeth to Hell and therefore 2. That it is a necessary way it is necessary thaâ—… you come into this way if you would be happy you would escape eternal misery 3. That the difficulty is not from the way bâ—… from your selves from your own lusts which aâ—… the weights that hang about you and maketh the way to seem difficult and tedious to you lay aside those weights and the sin that doth easily beset you and you may not only walk but run with easiness in this race Heb. 12. 12. 4. That though it be a difficult way to flesh and blood yet it is easie with God to help you and he hath promised to help you to write his Law in your hearts to remove your natural enmity and indisposition and to give you suitableness of spirit to his Law and to cause you to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgements and do them Jer. 31. 34. Ezek. 36. 27. 5. That the greatest difficulty is at the first when you have accustomed your necks to his yoak and your backs to his burden you will acknowledge that his yoak is easie and his burden is light 3. The wickâ—…d one doth represent the way that Professors walk in as an unpleasant way he would perswade young onâ—…s that they must never look for a pleasant hour any more if they will be religious that thâ—…ir laughter must be turned into weeping and their joy into heaviness that there is required so much repenting and mourning that they will never endure it To overcome this prejudice of the wicked one know 1. That indeed you must repent of sin if you would be saved and your sorrow in some measure must last so long as your lives last because of the lasting of sin 2. That you must mourn for sin here or else you must burn for sin in Hell where you will mourn without measure without end and to no purpose 3. That you cannot avoid sorrow if you should continue in the way of sin pride crossed the world failing afflictions unexpected coming upon you which are born with chearfulness by the children of God may be heart-breaking to you one time or other you will have sorrows in a sinfull course and is it not better to have godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation than the sorrow of the world and lust which worketh death and destruction 4. That if you can obtain a kindly sorrow for sin which is a sweet melting of the heart with the sense of Gods love you will find more pleasure to your inward man than ever you did in all the delights of sin 5. That you are not required in this way to throw away all your comforts in your creature-enjoyments but only to deny your selves the excess and inordinacy which where it is taken breeds more bitterness in the disappointment than ever it yielded sweetness unto any You may take a subordinate comfort in friends and habitation and food and the like and herein more reall comfort through the sweetning of these things with Gods blessing and love than ever you could finde in these things before 6. That though your sinfull delights must be denyed yet God hath promised other delights in exchange he will give you spiritual delights If you walk closely and strictly and do not wound your selves by your sins you may have such sweet peace and refreshing joyes in the light of Gods countenance and sense of Gods love in communion with God here in his Ordinances and in hopes of the beatifical vision and full fruition of him in glory hereafter in heaven as have never entered into the heart of natural men to conceive 7. Whatever sorrow you have for sin now and whatever griefs for afflictions which in this life you are exposed unto yet consider that it is but for a little while Yet a little while and these sorrowes will be turned into joyes weeping may endure for ae night but joy cometh in the morning Psal. 30. 5. and if you sow in tears you shall reap in joy if you go forth weeping bearing precious seed you shall doubtless return again rejoycing bringing your sheaves with you Psal. 126. 5 6. at least when you come to heaven you shall have rest in the New Jerusalem all tears shall be wiped away from your eyes when you enter into your Masters joy then all sorrow shall come forth and depart sorrow and sighing shall flee away and never return more your joy in Heaven will be full and eternall and should the unpleasantness of the way discourage you from coming into it 4. The wicked one doth represent the way of the Gospel which Professors walk in as a reproachfull way he would discourage young ones from this way by the scorns and divisions they are like to meet with that they shall be scoffed at and reproached by their companions To overcome this prejudice of the wicked one know 1. That they are the most vile and contemptible persons in the World that reproach and deride Gods people and it is as ridiculous a thing for them to do it as to laugh at the shining of the Sun It is as if black deformed crooked persons should laugh and deride at those who are most fair and beautifull and therefore their reproaches and derisions are not in the least to be valued 2. That such as are reproached for Religion by men are most highly honoured by God and Christ he esteems them as the most excellent persons here and he will own and crown them in the face of the world at the last day 5. And lastly the wicked one doth represent the way that Professors walk in as a dangerous way he would perswade young ones if they come into this way they will run themselves upon great hazards and dangers they may lose their Estate they may lose their Liberty they may lose their Life To overcome this prejudice of the wicked one know 1. In reference to Estate which you may lose if you should lose Estate which you ought to reckon upon in the way of God 1. Possibly you may not keep your Estate in a way of sin some lusts may be as expensive to you as others Consciences are unto them and if 2. You have less of the world you may not have the less comfort if the stream fail you may fetch comfort from the Fountain 3. None can take away the treasure of grace in your heart nor deprive you of the treasure of gloâ—…y in heaven and whatever you lose of wealth for Christs sake will have an abundant recompence in that which is of an higher nature 2. In reference to Liberty 1. That though men may cast your Bodies into a Prison on Earth yet
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
disappoint and vexation to your selves besides the displeasing of God hereby But let your desires follow your love let them be carried forth chiefly and most strongly towards God and the things which concern his Kingdom and Glory your own peace and salvation Because you lie under the guilt and power of sin without a Christ labour in the first place afâ—…er strong earnâ—…st thirsting desires after Jesus Christ and his Righteousness that you may have your sins pardoned and hearts renewed Cry out None but Christ none but Christ give us a Saviour or else we are lost give us Christ or else we die and perish eternally Let your strong wishes be O that we had an interest in Christ O that our hearts were united and joyned to Christ O for a drop of his blood to sprinkle our consciences O that he would undertake for us that he would be our Advocate to plead for us and reconcile us unto the Father Let your prayers be Lord thou hast given thy Son for us give thy Son to us thou holdest forth thy Son help us to lay hold on him thou callest us to thy Son by thy Word draw us to thy Son by thy Spirit thou hast put thy Son to death for sin and accepted of the sacrifice which he hath offered O that our sins might be forgiven upon his account Let your desires go forth strongly after the favour of God there are many that say Who will shew us any good Lord shew us thy face Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Desire earnestly with David the presence and communion with God in his Ordinances as Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord c. And Psal. 42. 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the Living God when shall I come and appear before God! Many young men have earnest desires after the company of their friends that are of pleasant conversation let your desires be carried forth most earnestly after the company and communion with God in his Ordinances wherein the chiefest pleasure is to be found Therefore prize and desire Ordinances for the sake of God because they are the means of bringing you and God together of joyning your hearts unto the chief good and if you desire the company of men let it be the company of Gods Children who are the excellent of the Earth Labour for strong desires after the Image of God that you may be holy as he is holy after conformity to Christ in his death by dying to sin and readiness to suffer for his sake in his Resurrection by your newness of life Let your dâ—…sires be strong after the Spirit that he might be given to you and abide in you desire every grace of the Spirit in the highest measure and content not your selves with any degree desire the comforts of the Spirit the joyes of the Holy Ghost desire strength for every duty that you might be made use of to glorifie God in your generation that you might be kept from sin rather than from any evil that you might be made victorious over all your spiritual enemies especially let your desires be carried forth with the greatest strength after the Crown of glory the undefiled and never-fading inheritance in Heavâ—…n after the beatifical Vision and full fruition of God in the New Jerusalem the perfection of holiness and happiness which is reserved for hereafter the fulness and eternity of joy in Gods glorious presence and desire the hastening of Christs second appearance that he would come quickly and put you into the possession of that Inheritance which he hath purchased and prepared for you 4. Young men labour for strong Hope Young men usually are big with hope and expectation of some great things in the world they hope for such an â—…state and then that they shall be content such deâ—…ights and sensual enjoyments and then they shall be â—…appy and satisfied but they that are elder and have â—…ad greatest experience finde the world and all â—…hings in it to be empty and vain and their hopes â—…ave been frustrated however being unacquainted â—…ith higher things their hearts are still most irraâ—…ionally set upon the world but I would exhort â—…ou young men to have higher hopes than worldâ—…ings and let your hopes be strong Do not hope for â—…ch in the creature it hath not what you hope for â—…ut let your hope be in God let your expectation be â—…rom him only Do not hope for much here below â—…his is not the place of your rest and happiness but â—…et your great hopes be of things above as your â—…esires should be strong after them so your hopes â—…hould be strong of them Hypocrites have some â—…ind of hopes but they are thin weak hopes like â—…he Spiders web Job 8. 14. which is easily torn in â—…ieces by the wind the wind of affliction doth rend â—…he hopes of Hypocrites from them they have hopes â—…ut such as quickly perish and are cut off Job 13. 14. They are like the giving up the Ghost Job 11. 20. When they give up the Ghost their hopes give up â—…he Ghost they and their hopes perish together beâ—…ause they are groundless and presumptuous Labour â—…herefore for a strong hope such a hope as is well grounded which will end in fruition and never in disappointment and make ashamed Let the object of your hopes be God and the things which are above and let the bottom the foundation of your â—…opes be those two immutable things the Apostle â—…peaketh of Heb. 8. 17 18 19 20. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oatb that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred The two immutable things which are the foundation of our hope are Gods Promise and Gods Oath his Promise This is the Promise which he hath promised even eternal life Job 2. 25. His Oath which he sware by himself to Abraham and in him to all his children Surely blessing I will bless thee Heb. 6. 13 14. which doth include eternal blessedness God who cannot lye giveth his Promise and his Oath God who can do whatever he will and will do whatever he hath promised here is a good ground for your hope to build upon let your hope be strong let it be a strong anchor to your soul sure and stedfast and that it may be so it must not be cast downwards like those of ships which
Young men labour for Strength to fight not with men not with one another you must take heed of a quarrelsome and contentious spirit but get strength to fight with your spiritual enemies which of all enemies are the strongest and most dangerous Young ones you are called to be Souldiers in your most tender years when you engage your selves to be Christs disciples you list your selves under his Banner you wear his Livery and carry his Colours you have need then of strength that you get Victory over your enemies the Devil the Flesh and the World which warr against Christ and warr against your own souls Those that warr with men have need be strong in body and you that are to warr with sin and Sathan and the allurements of this present evil world had need be strong in Spirit You have need of strength to resist strong temptations to subdue strong corruptions and to get the victory over such strong enemies 4. Young men labour for Strength to Dye It is a great thing to dye and hard thing to dye as a Christian it requireth strength to resign up the Soul when sickness and death come which none can escape but you may be called to lay down your Lives for the restimony of Jesus Christ you may be deprived not only of Liberty and Estate and all the comforts of this life but also of Life it self too if you will cleave to Christ and hold fast his Truths this you must prepare for and resolve upon otherwise you do not reckon what it may cost you to be a Christian and you do not accept of Christ upon the terms of the Gospel you have need of great strength to be enabled to dye for the sake of Christ. Thâ—…nk that you may be called to dye for Christ and if you should that this would be the most honourable death that you cannot keep your life long and cannot lose it upon a better account that if at such a time you should seek to save it you would within a while lose not only your natural life some oâ—…her way but lose eternal life and be eternally miserable Thus To what you should be strong SECT III. 3. THe Third thing is to shew In whom you should be strong Negatively you must not be strong in your selves either to do or suffer or fight or die for in your sâ—…lves you are utterly insufficient for any of these things of your selves you can do nothing if you undertake any duty in your own strength you will fail either in the thing or in the manner of performance if you fight in your own strength with your spiritual enemies they will be too hard for you you will be wounded and beaten to the ground If you think to suffer or die for Christ in your own strength you will start aside when you are put upon the tryall You have read of the self-confidence of Peter Deny thee I will dye first and yet he denyed his Master when he was tryed you know not what spirits you are of you are not yet it may be acquainted with the deceitfulness of your own hearts be not self-confident be not strong in your selves But Affirmatively Be strong in the Lord as the Apostle doth exhort Eph. 6. 10. Finally Brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of his might Our Saviour telleth his Disciples Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing and they found it to be so therefore the Apostle doth disclaim all self-sufficiency 2 Cor. 3. 3. Yet however weak and nothing as he acknowledgeth himself to be he telleth us Philip. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ strengthening me Let me then direct you to the right fountain of strength apply your selves to the Lord I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me saith David and strengthened me with strength in my soul Psal. 138. 3. Beg of the Lord that he would strengthen you with might by his Spirit in the inner man as Eph. 3. 16. When you feel your strength to fail or decay apply the Promise which God hath made of renewing the spiritual strength Isa. 40. 31. Thus much for the First Duty Young men labour to be strong SECT IV. 2. YOung men labour that the Word of God may abide in you There is a two-fold Word of God 1. The Essential Word which is Christ the Son of God Joh. 1. 1. 1 Joh. 5. 7. 2. The Written Word which is the Scripture 1 Thess. 2. 13. I shall speak concerning the Word of God in both acceptations 1. Let the essential Word of God let Christ abide in you Let Christ abide in your hearts And here are two things I would exhort you unto 1. To get Christ into your hearts 2. To keep Christ in your hearts 1. Labour to get Christ into your hearts young men be perswaded now to receive Jâ—…sus Christ into your hearts The time of your youth is the best time to receive Jesus Christ if you do not receive Christ now it is a great question whether you will ever receive him very few that refuse Christ when they are young ever are perswaded to accept of him afterwards Christ stands now at the door and knocks if any will open to him he will come in Rev. 3. 20. Christ knocks by Judgements by Mercies by Word by Ministers by his Spirit when you feel some secret movings and stirrings upon your spirit to thrust out sin and let in Christ when you have inclinations and perswasions to receive Jesus Christ then Christ is knocking by his Spirit open then the door comply with those motions and give Christ entertainment he is the best inhabitant that ever you received untill Christ be received some base lusts will inhabit your hearts and which is the best Inhabitant judge ye Christ where he inhabiteth doth ennoble Lust doth debase Christ doth beautifie Lust doth deform Christ doth enrich Lust doth impoverish Christ doth purifie Lust doth desile Christ doth cure Lust doth distemper Christ giveth peace and comfort Lust doth bring trouble and is the parent of eternal sorrow and woe O then give entertainment forthwith unto Jesus Christ now you may have him and all in him all with him if you refuse him now you may never have another proffer of him made unto you so long as you live And if you would receive Christ you must part with sin if you would receive him you must lay hold on him by Faith Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name 2. Labour to keep Christ in your hearts Seek him seek him diligently till you finde him and having found him hold him keep him carefully when he knocks let him in when he is in keep him there embrace him close in the arms of your Faith and Love bring not in any Inhabitants which may justle him out of his Lodging let Christ abide in you without disturbance 2. Let the
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