than the Sword and many reported by People to be slain over-night are found alive in the morning though perchance sorely wounded or taken Captives Sorely wounded but so as they may be cured Taken captives but so as they may be freed by Gods pardon on their repentance like S. Peter in my Text who went out c. 13. So much of the Text in reference to S. Peter Come we now to the application unto our selves The Pope pretendeth to be the onely Successor of S. Peter but in this respect we all are his Successors we all have followed him we all have sate in his Chair we all have denied our Master though not Formally totidem verbis yet Equivalently and it is to be feared some of us Transcendently There be divers degrees and different manners of denying of Christ some deny him Totally as Apostates some Partially as Prophane people some in his Essence as Atheists some in his Deity as Arians some in his Humanity as Nestorians some in his Merits as some Proud Papists some in his spirituall Dominion over them as all Licentious People If I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1. 6. so that they who call God Master with their mouths and do not honour him in their hearts by their lives doe in effect Deny him and Un-master him as much as lieth in their power 14. Saint Paul complaineth Titus 1. last ver of some who profess that they know God but in works they deny him And S. Peter comes closer second Epist Cap. 2. ver 1. even denying the Lord that bought them And the same reproof is ecchoed by S. Jude ver 4. turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ The best of us all in some measure have been guilty hereof and have abused our Christian Freedome the more freely to abuse Christ who gave it us Wherefore as we have been like S. Peter in Sinning let us be like S. Peter in Sorrowing let us go out not with outward Moving but inward Mending not shifting our Place but changing our Practise go out of our Sinnes goe out of our Selves go out to our Saviour go out and weep bitterly 15. Yea but may some man say I never could nor shall weep bitterly for my sins I am affected for outward afflictions like Rahel weeping for her children and would not be comforted If I have a Ship sunk in the Sea I can almost again drown it in my weeping But alas when I am to sorrow for my Sinnes no Teares as Voluntaries profer themselves to my service And I have much adoe to Press any to bewaile my Wickedness yea I have grieved more for one Temporall Cross than for all the Sinnes I ever Committed which makes me to feare that for want of bitter weeping here I shall go to the place of weeping and wailing hereafter 16. If any penitent Soule doth stagger with this Objection let him stay himselfe with these following Meditations First know that Sorrow for Sufferings must of necessity be more Violent and Passionate than our Sorrow for our Sins First because it is not only a Pure Virgin Delibated Sorrow but hath much of the mixture of Impatience Discontentment and Rebellion against Divine Providence And these make the Sorrow more Vocall Clamorous and Obstreperous Secondly because we Sorrow for our Sufferings with the whole man and for our Sins but with half the man onely our Regenerate Part our Sanctified Moity For our Flesh all the while laughs at Sin and delights in it Thirdly because Sorrow for our Sufferings makes an immediat impression upon our bodies whereas sorrow for our Sins works directly on the Soul and on the Body but by the by and at the second hand Now although all Sorrow doth flow from the Soul as the Fountain yet because it runneth through the Body as the Channel and from thence is furnished with outward Expressions as Teares Sighs Cries rending the Haire wringing the Hands and the like hence cometh it to passe that Sorrow for Sufferings is best stored with plenty and variety of outward lamentations 17. For a second Comfort take this Though Sorrow for Sufferings be more Passionate Sorrow for Sinnes is more Permanent David saith Psal 51. 3. And my sinne is ever before me As the Sin so the Sorrow of a Saint is ever before him morning evening early late day night he may go away with it but cannot run away without it Again Sorrow for Sin doth grieve more though it doth complain lesse which will appeare by comparing of Two sick Persons one having the Tooth-ach the other the Consumption He that hath the Tooth-ach cries out most even to the disturbing of the standers by and no wonder if where the mouth be Plantiff it complaineth aloud of its own grievances and yet all know the Tooth-ach not to be mortall it hath raised many from their Beds sent few to the Grave hindred the sleep of many hastned the death of few Whereas he who hath the Consumption doth not roare nor rage nor cry out and the little breath left in his bad lungs he layeth out rather than in living than in sighing And yet sure his grief is the greater as knowing that he carrieth though the easiest yet the surest death about him And such is a Saints Sorrow for his Sins low and silent the lesse grieving he keeps the more grieving he keepes the lesse he expresseth the more he retaineth It is a continuall dropping and you know it is the sober rain which maketh the earth drunk 18. Third and last Comfort Know that our Sorrow for our Sins though little in it selfe is great in Gods acceptance and Appreciation Well doth any wise earthly Prince know how to value the liberality of his loyall Subjects who shall assist him in his great want with a small summe of money especially if he knoweth that they are deeply impoverished struggle with their necessity which makes his gracious goodnesse to interpret a small gift a great one comming from a large Heart confined to a narrow Estate But farre better doth the King of Heaven know how barren we are in Grace how beggarly in Goodnesse so that sorrow for our Sinnes comes from us with great difficulty and disadvantage we are faine to strive and struggle against our corruptions before one teare be extracted Spigellius in his Booke of Anatomy telleth us That many English Mothers and Nurses have a foolish custome to swaddle the breasts of their new-borne Babes over-hard and so straiten their stomacks that their lungs cannot dilate themselves in breathing and this by the way doth he say is the cause why more die of the Consumption in England than in any other Country Sure I am that by the wilfull folly of our first Parents Adam and Eve before we had our Birth when first we had our Being we were so soule-bound with sin and hard tied with the bands of Originall
not keep that vice to themselves Though perchance they will call it by a more mannerly name of thriftinesse The result of all is this These five sinnes are the waiters in ordinary attending on youth So that all young Persons are guilty of them in some measure except God give them a better Proportion of restraining grace As for sinnes extraordinary waiters on youth they are innumerable being as many as any other age hath either inclination to desire or ability to commit 20. We come now to make a two-fold Application of what hath been said the one to young men the other to old men But you will say where shall middle age People be placed Shall they be wholly neglected in the dispensation of this dayes doctrine I answer middle age People shall have free leave and liberty to rank and reduce themselves either amongst the young or old persons according to their owne Christian discretions But I know where I shall find them all for naturally we all would be young and therefore to them amongst the young people I thus addresse my discourse 21. You young people ye have heard how youth is an age wherein men are prone to be exceedingly sinfull wherefore as you tender the Glory of God the health of your bodies the saving of your souls let me intreate you to be carefull to avoid the sins of youth It will be your own another day Remember what Iob saith though no doubt an excellent man Job 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth If you lead dissolute lives whilst you are young other possessions I cannot promise you for your Lands may be lost your goods gone but this possession ye shall be sure of a strange Possession often purchased by Prodigality you shall possesse the sinnes of your youth and if you live so long in your old age soundly smart for the luxury and intemperance of your youth Remember also what Solomon saith Ecclesiastes 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement Which words consist The first a Concession The second a Commination the first a Concession for it is no positive Command or rather it is but an interpretative Connivance not so much given as gotten and indulgent to the frailty of humane flesh Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. The second is a Commination contrary to good Musick it is harshest in the close I should like the Indentures well but for the condition But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement Will bring thee which words import two things First the unwillingnesse of youth to come to judgement Secondly the unavoidablenesse that youth must come to judgement And how soon you shall come to judgement is known to God alone Flatter not your selves with a fond conceit of immortality For though the Psalmist saith a horse is but a vain thing to save a man yet a very mote is no vaine thing to destroy a man And whosoever shall be pleased to count the number and mark the age of this Sacrifice in the old Testament shall find more Kids and Lambs offered then Goats and old Sheep 22. But young men will say preach you what you please we will doe what we list Your perswasions shall not befoole us out of the pleasures of youth Yea this is but an envious discourse Have ye not read of a Tyrant who having had one of his eyes accidentally put out cruelly caused an eye of every one of his subjects to be bored out that they might not mock at his deformity And so seeing youth is taken away from you you would put it out in others perswading them if you could prevaile to deprive themselves of those pleasures to which youth doth intitle them 23. If any such there be that heare me to day who fasten such envious Comments on my innocent doctrine I say if any such there be as I feare there be some and hope there be few and wish there were none to such I say in the holy Irony of the Prophet Michaiah to King Ahab Goe up and prosper Larde your soules with delight may your own mind be the onely Measure of your Pleasure carve what you please and eate what you carve and much good may that doe you which you eate if it be not bad in it selfe it shall never be made worse by my wishes But as God saith to Daniel Dan. 12. the last in respect of his Prophesie But thou O Daniel shut up the words and seale the book and goe thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand up in the lot at the end of dayes So say I to my Sermon this day though onely in relation to such as count it an envious discourse Sermon sleep for seven and seven yeeres yea let the doctrine delivered this day die for so long time and when that time is expired when it is probable enough that the Preacher shall be dead the Sermon shall new live and then have a resurrection in the beliefe of those young men who now lesse believe it The instructions now laught at will then be long'd for For indeed this doctrine will grow the best when it is sowen in those furrowes which age hath made in the face Till then my Sermon will be contented to bear the burden of Envy and then they that accuse it must beare the burden of Folly when they shall freely acquit it and flatly condemne themselves 24. I come now in the second place and I hope with better successe to you aged persons nor let it be interpreted any disloyalty against the crowne of your old age that I addresse my selfe to you in the last place for if I mistake not the last is the first the close and conclusion the highest place in the Sermon Let me in all humility advise you not to repine at Gods Providence because your Youth is past Coorse Complements were exchanged betwixt Pharaoh and Moses at their last meeting Exod. 10. 28. Pharaoh began Get thee gone look to thy selfe see my face no more Moses though meek not mopish returned as short an answer Thou hast well spoken I will see thy face no more The bargaine is easily driven where both parties desire it I Pharaoh cares not for Moses Moses cares as little for Pharaohs company In like manner labour to be as willing to lose youth as that hath been to leave you Never seek by unlawfull waies to wooe it to stay one minute longer Let the departing thereof cost thee not a sigh the more or a smile the fewer Is youth gone with the sweet thereof then it is gone with the sin thereof Is it gone with
the delight thereof then is it gone with the danger thereof As hereafter your carnall delight will be the lesse so your spirituall joy will be the more if the fault be not in your selves 25. Secondly desire not that as the Sun went back ten degrees on the diall of Ahaz so that thou mightest be ten dayes ten Weeks ten Moneths ten yeares younger then thou art Such wishes I am sure are vaine I suspect are wicked What Souldier having escaped a desperate fight desireth himselfe againe in the midst of it What sea-man having escaped the Sands and Shelves wisheth himself there again and seeing ye have passed salum juventutis as Tully termes it the troublesome Sea of youth why should you wish your selves in it again Neither thinke to say within your selves O if we were young againe the time which formerly we mispent in riot we would hereafter improve in piety The truth hereof will plainly be perceived by your well husbanding the life which is left you to Gods glory For he that will not be faithfull in a little will not be faithfull in much He will not be a good husband on the Remnant would be a bad one if he had the whole Cloath It is therefore to be suspected that in your desiring to be young againe you only make the pretence of Piety the Pander to your owne Profanenesse 26. Beware therefore that in your old age ye be not guilty of the sins of youth Gardiners can tell you that when Rose-trees are clipt in the moneth of May so that then they cannot bring Roses they doe commonly bring them in the Autumn spring in the month of September And it is possible if you have been restrained either by sicknesse of body or naturall modesty or want of opportunity or restraining grace from the excrescencies of youth when you are young I say it is possible that you may be visited with such guests in your old age and make them welcome at your own perill 27. And this let me commend unto you when you survey the sinnes of your youth take heed of mistaking your Oblivion for Innocence and thinking your selves free from committing those sinnes which ye cannot remember For were we at this instant arraigned for some sinnes we have done we would plead Not guilty Not that we would be so impudent as to deny them if we did remember them but we have as clearly forgot them as if we had never committed them Lord thou layest such a sinne to my charge there is some error some mistake some other may be guilty of it but it is not I. But O what is said Rev. 20. 12. in the description of the Generall judgement And the books were opened The bookes wherein every ones faults are registred and recorded the persons who and with whom the place where the time when and in this point midnight is as cleare a witnesse as noon day concurring with the Testimony of our guilty consciences 28. Another place of Scripture also deserves your observation Psal 50. 21. these things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes I will set them in order Alas when we sin we jumble and confound and heap and huddle all together without any order or method But God in his Book will reduce it into a method Imprimis such a sin when thou first didst awake Item such a one before thou didst rise Item such a one before thou wast ready Item such a one before thou eatedst thy breakfast Or else thus I le set them in order according to their several matter The first leaf in the Book is Originall sin and then Actuall sins against God actuall sins against our selves actuall sins against our neighbours then truly shall we be in the case of Judah Gen. 44. 16. when the cup was found in his brother Benjamin's sack and may say with him What shall we say unto my Lord what shall we speak or how shall we clear our selves God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants 29. One word more and I have done and I hope none will censure my Sermon to be too long for this passage that remains though our sinnes be set in order and though the books be opened be the books never so big be the volumes never so vast it matters not how big the books be of the debts we have owed if all be crost If therefore we have true interest in the mercies of God and merits of Christ we may confidently come and may comfortably pray and shall be certainly heard with David in my Text Remember not O Lord the sins of my youth Amen A Corolary THe Soule of Man as conjoyned with his Body is in Scripture compared to a Candle Non although omnes animae sunt aequales all souls are equall in essence yet both in operation wherein they must ask the body leave to exercise it self by its proper organs as also in duration whilst conjoyned here with the body there is great difference betwixt them And we may in humble prosecution of the Scriptures Metaphor observe seven Candles in relation to their continuance in this life 1. The first and least size is of those who have life in them but never see light without them 2. The second size is of such who are born into this world but die before the concurrence of their Will with their Judgment and therefore before their possibility of committing Actuall sinne with the Babes of Bethlehem murthered by Herod 3. The third is of those who arrive at an ability of Actuall sinne yet expire before they have attained unto the Perfection of Youth with the Children that mocked the Prophet Elisha 4. The fourth size succeeds of those who are in the height and heat of their Youth the proper subject of our foregoing Sermon 5. The fift is of those who cannot be so foolish and fond in flattering themselves but that they must confesse Youth is past with them though as yet they are not sensible of any decay in Nature These are my Pew-fellowes in age God grant we may beware the Atheisticall inference of those in the 2 Pet. 3. 4. denying the Day of Judgment because all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation We are subject to commit the same dangerous mistake in our Microcosme as they did in their great World and to conclude Death will never surprise because we finde not in our selves any evident and eminent diminution of our strength being as able and active as ever we have been in our remembrance 6. The sixt size is of those whose Almond-tree doth flourish though the budding thereof be no signe of Spring but Autumn in them God grant they may understand the summons of Death though at distance listen to and make good use of them 7. The seventh and last size is of such who cannot appear in this place nor