Restraint But 't will not be amiss to endeavour to prevent so great an Evil by one Reflection more upon the Nature and Design of all Affliction which is intended by God as a Means to Cure the Diseases of the Soul and a Fatherly Correction for former Faults But now Excessive Trouble utterly hinders the Operation and good Effect and turns the Medicine into Poison and gentle Chastisement into Ruine and Destruction A strange Ill Disposition this and which we can't begin too soon to rectify When the Rod is in the Hand of Infinite Love and Kindness infinitely greater than we bear unto our selves proportions the Weight and Number of the Strokes in the Name of God what Cause is there for such great Degrees of Trouble I believe there are but very few so Intirely Heedless of the Methods of Divine Providence as not to have Observ'd and to Remember the Wondrous Mixture of God's Goodness with his Punishments what an Ascendant his Mercy hath had over his Justice and how Happily and sometimes Unexpectedly he hath put an End to his Publick and Private Corrections Which of our selves have not enjoy'd much more of Happiness than we have felt of Trouble and Affliction Psal 94.19 And even in the midst of Sorrows of our Hearts how have God's Divine Comforts in an unaccountable manner Refresh'd our Souls What unthought of Happy Events have prevented or put an â—nd to former Misfortunes that have Threatned or been upon us and many things brought about by a strange Series of good Providences which have Surpriz'd us into full Happiness before we were aware Let any Reasonable Man therefore say whether it is not the Wisest and most Christian Course after Humbly Acknowledging God's Hand in every Affliction and searching out Diligently for the Cause of it to endeavour by sincere Repentance and Amendment to Close with the Gracious Design of it and so either keep it off when it only Threatens or encline God to Remove it if Actually upon us and then Buoy up our Spirits in a full Perswasion that all will end in our Good That Blessed Being who formerly so Graciously and Surprizingly Diverted or put an End to my own or others Afflictions is as Good and Wise and Powerful as ever why then should I Despair of the like Mercy again tho' I can't foresee it may be how it should be from him who changeth not and can do what he pleaseth The Spirit of a Man Prov. 18.14 says Solomon will sustain his Infirmity and such Thoughts as these will sustain the Spirit of a Man and enable him with a Christian Steadiness of Mind to bear what God shall please to lay upon him But a wounded Spirit who can bear A mind pierc'd through with Impatience and Distrust of Providence is it self a Burthen more intollerable than any other Affliction in the World But after all that what has been already said may be throughly effectual let us not forget to take St. Jam. 5.13 James's Advice along with us and if any man be afflicted let him Pray Excellent Advice indeed it is and no greater Consolation can a wounded Spirit receive than in Calling upon God in the Time of Her Trouble For He is the Fountain of Comfort and the Great Disposer of all Things 't is His Grace and Holy Spirit that must teach us Resignation and Submission to His Will and if we make devout Addresses to Him and with a calm and even mind await His Leisure we may in his Good Time expect to see our Troubles have a Happy end For God will not always be Punishing neither keepeth He his Anger for ever Wherefore to close this Advice since there is no Man living that is secure against Affliction and Comfort in it is what every one Desires and very few when Trouble is actually upon 'em are either able to give it to themselves or capable of Receiving it from Others I could not but think it as I said of great Advantage to Young Persons to furnish 'em with such Considerations before-hand as may be of use to prevent excess of Melancholly and Dejection or any Desperate and unjustifiable Undertakings and Prepare 'em to Comâ—ort themselves under the severest Dispensations of Providence with that patience and evenness of Temper which becomes the Reason of a Man and the Faith of a Christian The Eleventh Advice HAving in the Foregoing Advices endeavour'd to Prevent such Errors and Mistakes in Young Gentlemens Faith and Practice as they are most Apt to fall into and which are of unspeakable ill Consequence give me leave now to suppose that things have not been manag'd by them as they should be and some of those many Temptations they are surrounded with have been too Successful and robb'd 'em of their Innocence and engag'd them in some Courses that cannot be justified So that to the former Preservatives 't will be needful to add some few Advices more in order to their Recovery And First let me earnestly Recommend to them a frequent serious self-Examination a Particular enquiry into their Thoughts Actions and Discourses what they are and have been and whether they are and have been as they should be and to what end and Conclusion they tend And this is not only a highly Beneficial Employment as we shall see by and by but 't is a very Easie one too for there is no Reasonable Man's Memory so extreamly treacherous but if duly Consulted will inform Him of matters of Fact which are His Dayly Practice that is in the Main for some Particulars no doubt may escape the nicest Examination And when the enquiry is made there is something within that will Accuse or Excuse Acquit or Condemn immediately and let us see the Tendency of our Good or Bad Actions respectively without any Tedious Process or long series of Argumentation For the plain Truth and which we all of us know very well is in short this If we Guide our steps to the best of our Power and Knowledge by the Rule of Reason and Religion and endeavour to follow where our Saviour has gone before and are willing to listen to and be Directed by the Guides that God has Provided us when we are at a Loss or have mistaken our Path then we need not Question but we 're in the way that Leads to Life and Glory And if we persist and go on in it let it be Broad or Narrow Rough or Smooth upon the Mountains or in the Valleys or the like and tho' we sometimes nay often make a false step yet thro' the Merits of our Saviour and the Guidance of his Blessed Spirit we shall at length arrive at a Happy Journey 's end But if on the contrary we find that our Dispositions are earthly sensual and devilish that we live without God in the World are Licentious and Unchristian directly opposite to Christ's Precept and Example in open Defiance to Religion or if more Fair in outward shew yet without Sincerity Such ways as these
Jesus come quickly Having thus Conducted Young Persons to the Holy Altar which unless they are extreamly wanting to themselves is next to Conducting them to Heaven I shall leave them there to the blessing of God and our Saviour who is ready to embrace them with the Arms of his Mercy and seal them with his life-giving Spirit to the Day of Eternal Redemption Only to their own Pious Meditations and Prayers they may if they please add the following Litany A LITANY FOR Young Gentlemen O God the Father of Heaven of Angels and of Men have Mercy upon us Miserable Sinners O God the Son who hast Redeem'd the World with thy most Precious Blood have Mercy upon us Miserable Sinners O God the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of Spiritual Heavenly Life have Mercy upon us Miserable Sinners O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity whose Wisdom and Power and Goodness is Infinite have Mercy upon us Miserable Sinners Remember not Lord the Sins and Offences of our Youth nor be extream to mark what we have done amiss Spare us good Lord spare us a little that we may recover our strength and according to thy Mercy think thou upon us for thy goodness Spare us good Lord. From forgetting our Creator in the Days of our Youth from wasting the flower of our age in vanity and folly and reserving our decrepid Years for the Service of God Good Lord deliver us From valuing the Blessings we enjoy more than the Giver of them from trusting in any thing more than in Providence and from loving Pleasure more than thee our God Good Lord deliver us From dishonouring our Bodies with Intemperance and Vncleanness from polluting our Souls with impure Imaginations from defiling our Mouths with prophane and impious or obscene Discourses Good Lord deliver us From abusing our Reason in opposing Religion from debasing our Wit to the service of our Lusts from living like Beasts when thou hast made us Men and Christians Good Lord deliver us From excesses of Passion and a turbulent Spirit from tormenting our selves because others misuse us from the guilt and the misery of Malice and Revenge Good Lord deliver us From Conceit and Pride Envy and Ambition from foolish Rashness and inconsiderate Heat from despising our Guides and following our own Counsel only Good Lord deliver us From stubborn Obstinacy and deafness to Advice from contempt of Reproof and anger at the Reprover from a blinded Mind and a seared Conscience Good Lord deliver us From deadness in thy Service and a formal Religion from obedience that is fanciful humoursome and uncertain from a superstitious use or neglect of the Ornaments of Worship Good Lord deliver us From forgetting Thee or our selves in raptures of Enthusiasm from pretending to Piety for the sake of the World and from all the Paths that lead to the Portion of Hypocrites Good Lord deliver us From conforming to the World in the Arts of Deceit from fawning and flattery Censure and Detraction from false Smiles and treacherous Friendship Good Lord deliver us From impatience in Trouble and excessive Dejections from distrust of thy Providence and Desperate Courses from fretting against God for what we bring upon our selves Good Lord deliver us In all time of Temptation by Prosperity or Adversity in all sudden Surprizes and imminent Dangers in the hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment O Blessed Jesus by all that thou hast done and suffered for us then succour and deliver us And tho' unworthy as we are and miserable Sinners yet encouraged by thy boundless Mercy and Goodness we beseech thee farther to hear us and as the Guardian and guide of our Youth shew us the way that we should walk in for we lift up our Souls unto thee Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us O that our ways might be directed by thy Commandments and our footsteps never wander from them that we might meditate upon thy Precepts and delight our selves in thy Service and never forget thy Word Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us Thy Hands have made us what we are from thee comes all we have or hope for O give us the Vnderstanding that we may entirely Praise and Love thee and not be stupid and insensible as the Beasts that perish Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us That it may please thee to inspire us with Affections becoming Christians that we may live worthy of that most Holy Profession as Disciples of Jesus and design'd for Glory We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That our Saviours life may be the rule of ours that we may tread in his steps and become like him in temper and spend our days as he did in advancing thy Glory and doing good in our Generation We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That we may employ our Youth and our Strength in the great work of our Salvation and run the way of thy Commandments with vigour and spirit and the warmth and fervour of a chearful Mind We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That Religion may be esteem'd by us as our chief good that all things else may be subservient to it as the delight and the joy of our hearts Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us That our Faith may be irreproveable steady and modest such as may work by Love and purifie our Hearts and bring down every thing that exalts it self against obedience to Christ Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us That with our whole Heart we may devote our selves to thy Service and be sincerely what we do Profess and value the Joys of a quiet Conscience above thousands of Gold and Silver We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That our Baptismal Vow may be kept Inviolate the Promises we have since made to thee faithfully perform'd and all our Pious Resolutions made good We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. O let us not go wrong thou guide of our steps O let us not fall thou that art our Support Discover to us the snares that are laid for our Souls and grant that we may ever escape them Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us And when we are down Lord do thou raise us up When we go astray like Sheep that are lost O seek thy Servants pity our sad state and bring us back unto thy fold again Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us We will think on our ways and turn our feet unto thy Testimonies we will make haste without delay to keep thy righteous Judgments with thy assistance which we humbly beg and Beseech thee to hear us good Lord. But who can tell how often he offendeth Cleanse thou us therefore from our secret faults and keep us from presumptuous Sins lest they get the Dominion over us Good Lord we beseech thee to hear us May we never despise the Riches of thy long-suffering and forbearance nor by our continu'd impenitence treasure up Wrath against the day of Wrath but be intirely softned
to morrow will be Theirs We can only be sure of the Present Moment ten thousand Accidents may deprive us of the Next Accidents as unforeseen and unprovided for as are the Miseries of humane Life to an unborn Infant Now what extream Madness is it for Creatures in such precarious Circumstances to slumber and drouse away their Opportunity and defer a Business of such infinite Consequence when none but God can tell what the next Hour may bring forth But Thirdly of all times the time of Sickness and approach of Death is the most Improper and Unseasonable for this great Work of Repentance For First 'T is then more Difficult than at any time before our evil Habits are then more deeply Rooted Sin more Predominant than ever by reason of long Possession and God more than ever displeas'd and his Spirit more than ever griev'd and nearer being quench'd by those often repeated Delays which the Sinner has then spun to their utmost length Now in other matters we think it a very odd Contrivance for a Man that has a great Work to do to neglect all Favourable Opportunities and pitch upon a time which of all others will lay the most and greatest Hardships in his way and why should it not be at least as unreasonable in this Case of Repentance No Work I 'm sure can be of greater Importance than this is nor are any Difficulties more Pressing than those a true Penitent must overcome and therefore to defer it till a time when 't will be more difficult than ever and our Ability to strive against that Difficulty less than ever as we shall see presently is certainly the greatest Madness in the World Secondly Besides the Devil is then more than ever busie to secure a Sinner to himself makes use of all his Wiles and Cunning either wholly to prevent his Repentance or make it ineffectual as knowing Men are then less than ever able to Discover and Resist ' em If the Sinner be of a chearful Temper apt to believe the best of his Condition which is the Case of the generality of Men he closes with him presently and endeavours to work him up to Carelesness and Presumption Represents to his mind a display of the great Goodness of God his Tenderness over Mankind that his Mercy is above all his Works and Triumphs over his Justice and is always ready to forget and to forgive but carefully diverts all Thoughts of what we are to perform first that we may be capable of this Mercy If the Man's Conscience should sometimes be awake and tell him the Truth in this Matter that Repentance must go before Pardon and that this is a very difficult Work especially upon a Bed of Languishing He presently lulls him asleep again by insinuating that were there not a Saviour things would be bad indeed but Christ has suffer'd for Sinners and wholly satisfy'd God's Wrath His Righteousness was Perfect and Redundant and shall be Imputed to 'em if they 'l intirely Roll themselves upon Him and being Cloathed with his Merits they need not fear acceptance Misapplying the Words of St. Paul that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3.28 and concealing those of St. James what doth it profit a Man to say he has faith if he have not works 2 Jam. 14.17 can faith save him For faith without works is dead being alone And those of our Saviour too Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luk. 6.46.13.3 And Vnless ye repent ye shall all perish And as for the Terrors of God's Vengeance 't is true He will indeed inflict them but 't is upon the Reprobate whom He has from all Eternity Predestin'd to Destruction but the Elect are not at all Concerned in them and that He is one of that Happy Number His groundless Confidence and the Numbness of his Conscience shall be made an Argument Thus will this wicked Spirit by cunningly blending things False and True together drill a sick Man on in this pleasant Slumber and lengthen out this unhappy Dream till his Opportunity is gone and his Oyl spent and in the midst of his Assurances He becomes a Prey to the Prince of Darkness who will carry him in Triumph to the place of his Miserable Abode And as to this sort of Men He thus appears like an Angel of Light all Smiles and Sweetness and Comfort so to those of a more Melancholly diffident Temper He shews himself as He is with all his Horrors and his Flames about him He continually fills their Minds with dreadful Ideas of the Inexorable Justice and Severity of God of the Impossibility of pleasing him of their being Reprobated by him and represents to them their Sins in their full numbers and worst aspect and heightned with all imaginable Aggravations And it may be terrifies them with Hellish Dreams fills their Fancy with strange Scenes of Horror and lets 'em know how ready he is to seize their guilty Souls as soon as ever parted from their Bodies till he finally makes 'em what he would have them be quite Desperate If by these means he finds that he can't wholly Prevent the Repentance of a sinner which yet a miserable Experience tells us he too often does yet it shall go hard but he will hinder its being throughly Effectual And to this end he one while distracts the Sick Man's Mind with endless Scruples and Difficulties concerning it not such as will at all Conduce to Promote and further it you may be sure but such as are fruitless and unnecessary and of endless Controversie such as will Amuse and Confound him and waste much Time and keep him wavering and in Suspense and negligent of what is indeed Repentance to Salvation Sometimes he interrupts his Serious Thoughts by thrusting in Affairs of the World unseasonably and impertinently and often so Troubles and Perplexes those things which 't is necessary for him to take some Thought about that they become greater hinderances to the one thing needful than one would imagine When the Sick Man Prays He will cool the fervour and break the Intenseness of his Devotion by throwing into his Mind trifling and it may be Prophane Fancies when he should Communicate he Tempts him to defer it under pretence of being unprepared and unworthy to partake of those Holy Mysteries Such Sins as he ought most of all to be afflicted for he will help him to Palliate and Excuse and if they cry too loud not to be heard he 'l endeavour to contract and lessen the Measures of Repentance And some Devilish Device or other he has ready upon all occasions to make a Dying Man's Penitence imperfect and unavailing Now tho' this great Deceiver is ready thro' the whole Course of our Lives thus to Circumvent and Cheat us of our Happiness yet is he more than ordinary Industrious to secure a Sinner when leaving the World and upon the Brink of Eternity for