may not be expected to cleanse a Young Mans way nor any others Get a Promise from him to lend you his best Direction to thorough Conversion A Youth without a Pastor is a Child without a Nurse Direct 2. Vse him whom you chuse your Guide for your Soul and follow him as far as he follows Jesus Christ Hear him ordinarily a Child 's own Parents Milk is commonly best for it Write after him the Heads of his Sermon I mean and his Chief Notes Incomparable King Edward the Sixth used to write Sermon Notes Go often to his House and always to ask things worth his time and your own Little rest give him till Grace has blest his labors to fit you for the Lords Table Plainly tell him you shall count small good gotten by the Word till you are qualified for the Sacrament And that it is to you a dolorous thing to have but a Place in Gods House and no Room at his Table It looks as if you were but a Dog and not a Child Direct 3. Look alway and adhere closely unto God's Son and Spirit Without these the Holy Bible can no more make you wise unto Salvation than the Fables of Aesop that Papists dare compare it to The Word of Life is a Word of Death to you without these to make it beneficial These without whom you can expect no more Edification from the best Minister than from a blind Harper In all things ye want Jesus Christ for Acceptance in all you want the Holy Ghost for Assistance in all things and at all times Without right use of them no Soul can fetch a Breath of Divine Life or take a Step of Holy Walk Nature indeed shews you an Heavenly Father and ties all of you unto him But 't is only special Revelation Jupiter q. Juvani Pater reveals a Redeeming Son of God and an Holy Sanctifying Spirit of God And 't is much Grace and that much used too that can keep you close unto these VVithout which you may be great Socinians but no Christians Direct 4. Beware of setting against each other Gods Mercy Christs Merits Holy Faith and Good Works VVe cannot say to either of them we have no need of thee All are truly necessary and unspeakably But in the Countrey I saw it and in this City I see it most people do fix on some one of them and cry it up to the Exclusion of the rest To the virtual Exclusion Of so Epidemical and fatal a hindrance of Conversion beware you The Mercy of God! All the Rhetorick of Heaven cannot praise enough but wo be to you if you expect the Pardon of the least Sin by it otherwise than through Christs Merits The Merits of Christ These without question are infinite But you are undone if you dream you shall have the saving benefit of them Living and Dying without Marriage unto him by Faith Holy Faith Is a Grace most Precious by God most highly honoured and of all most honouring God Honouring him in some respects more than Adam's personal Obedience did before the Fall But mortally you erre if you look to put off God with it without Obedience And slight good VVorks as Supererogations Good Works Are the blessed Fruit of God's indwelling Spirit and the very end of our Election Redemption and Conversion But what then they be neither acceptable to God nor profitable to us but through the Gift of the Mercy the Purchase of the Merits and the Means of the Faith aforesaid If you rest on VVorks and imagine them otherwise good your Eternal Lodging will be among Evil-workers Young people make your Pastor set you well at rights about these things And let the Excellency Connexion Order and Necessity of them be judged worthy of your frequent and serious thoughts Direct 5. Be very Critical in the Choice of your Company Be sowre and unkind unto none Affable to all but pleased with Few to wit the Best Which are those that will either best teach you or best learn from you Companions of Fools are doomed to destruction But where ere you are walking with wise Men you are on your way to Heaven Prov. 13.20 Souls the most thoughtful of Eternity are still the most careful of their Company And it is certain the Company of your Choice in this World is both that which you would have and shall have in the next Direct 6. Besides the Holy Scriptures read ye such good Books as shall be commended to you by your Pastors 'T is not every good Book that is for you good Nor every one that will hereafter be good for you that is good Now. Your Pastors can judge best which are most sutable I think it Soul-Felony for you to be without the Westminster Assemblies Catechisms And I should think it as little needful to commend Mr. Baxter's Call or Mr. Alleyn's or Mr. How 's very Jewel of Yielding unto God or Mr. F. Fuller's Words to give Wisdom with his piece of Repentance and Faith or Mr. Lawson's Magna Charta England is blest with the best in this World and I do not light upon any that excel or equal them in England You must search farther than I have done young people if you find things better worth your most careful reading Books be dead things but God makes them oftentimes Lively Preachers These several last years many have acknowledged to me that they have been blessed Stars to lead them unto Christ Yet do not for your Lives ever neglect reading the Scriptures Take some portion of God's Word as daily as you eat of his Bread 'T is very honourably that I do remember a poor Soul who sometimes burned the Thatch of her House to read her Bible by the Light of it And no less a Saint than Mr. Richard Fairclough told me she died a glorious one It was Luther's saying The reading of the Scriptures is the terror of Devils Direct 7. Examine often the state of your Souls Scrupulousness it self is as much more safe as 't is less sweet than Audaciousness But humble and careful Inquisitiveness is sine naevo Venus as unspotted a Virtue as the state of Grace is adorned with Humility one calls the Violet of Graces of sweetest scent though lowest place And Care is the commanded Fear of falling short of Gods rest Heb. 4.1 The Exertion of humble Care in heart-searches doth answer many Gospel-precepts And when it is much and often it is not the least Evidence of truest grace For Bankrupts can no more endure much looking into their count-Count-books than sore Eyes can bear long beholding of Sun-shine And as impatient be Hypocrites of very much conning the Scriptures and their Hearts But I conclude Young people Mahomet gat the Turkish Empire by making extraordinary hast And Alexander Conquered the World by the same Policy Never Delaying Go you and out-do them Conquer VVorld Flesh and Devil And take by violence the Kingdom of Heaven by your hasting to Remember and Convert just now VVith great
save many Lives So many Christians have been preserved from Turkish Fury many Protestants from Popish Rage both in days past and of late So Jeremiah's case was weigh'd by the Chief Captain of the Assyrian Army Fifthly Merchants who travel into far remote parts for their Trade and Gentlemen who travel for their pleasure and to satisfie themselves by an occular survey of Countreys and Cities of which they often heard Reports scarce to be believed on hear-say These have some greater advantages to see and hear the low and sinking State or the rising and flourishing Condition of those Churches which are planted in such Countreys and as Christians they are bound to observe inform themselves and tell others how 't is with the Churches that Prayers and Praises may be offer'd unto God for them But this is very little minded by Merchants when abroad and less minded by them when return'd home with Wealth greater than ever they hoped Though Religion decay and Churches lessen in Number Knowledge Faith and Holiness yet who of them out of their abundance settle a tribute of Thankfulness to God making Provision for the sending and maintaining Preachers and School-masters among them Wo'd the enriched Merchants remember their Duty to God and what Thanks they owe to the People who were kind to them in Travels and Trading there would be some settlements made to encourage such as are fit and willing to employ themselves in promoting the Welfare of the Churches but Poverty and Low Condition in the World forbids them to do it on their own Estate and no due provision is made by others to support them in such a work Some few of this travelling disposition though poor do go abroad Tutors to some young raw Gentlemen who being so unexperienced and imprudent among Strangers and ever endangering themselves if the Tutor be absent he can do little but attend them in every place and spend his time in viewing things that please young fancies and profit none but those that are Door-keepers or Officers about the places One short Tour of a Learned Man now a great Prelate among us gives us assurance that Travels might give us good Intelligence of the State of the Church were there due care taken in this Dr. Burnet Bishop of Sarem by Persons who could bear the Expences of Prudent Experienced and Diligent Persons Lovers of the Truth and Church as well as Lovers of Knowledge we might in a short time have a good account of the true state of all or most of the Churches of Christ and our Praises would be more seasonable and suitable Sixthly There are the whole Tribe of Levi Ecclesiastical Persons who live upon the Emoluments of the Church These above others should concern themselves for the Church These are to manage Publick Prayers and Praises for the Church these are to be Examples to others to kindle the Affections of their people to pray and praise as occasions require They are or should be able to take account of the Church-Affairs written and publisht to the World in several Languages They should be diligent Readers of such Books They more than others should understand the Times and Seasons of the Prophecies and how the Wilderness State ends or the State of Return out of the Wilderness begins especially under such Revolutions as we now are as whither the Witnesses are rising or whether any Vials or how many are poured forth whether we are to encourage the People of God to hope for a speedy Deliverance or to advise them to expect and prepare for sorer and longer Troubles These and such like Enquiries the Learned Clergy are much more fit to make then the Layety and I think they are bound to it more than others But in a more particular manner those of the Clergy who have preferments which will bear the Charges of 1. All sorts of Books that concern this 2. All sorts of Ammanuenses and Helps to read and give account to them 3. All sorts of Intelligencies and Correspondencies with Bishops and Pastors of the Churches abroad 4. Entertaining and Conversing with all Exiles Refugees and Travellers that come from Forreign Churches 5. Sending if need be particular Messengers to know the Truth or falshood of what is reported to them Rich Archbishops Bishops and Deans might and ought to do thus or more for the Church of Christ I do not know how much of this Work is set on foot or whether none I can hardly think among so many and Learned Men as have Great and Rich Preferments in the Church of England 't is wholly omitted They do I believe receive Intelligences from abroad and if these be as true as those that some of them have sent abroad concerning the State of God's Church here in England no wonder they all grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived as the Apostle said of some other Men 2 Tim. 3.13 In giving all Intelligences to others let us keep and in receiving all from them let us desire them to keep to the Apostles Direction Inform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking the Truth in Love It is an inexcusable Crime to be malicious Slanderers one of another And since the Doctrine of the Church of England in points of Faith and good Manners the Renunciation of Popery as fully as is required are both subscribed and Allegiance to the Government assured by Oath or Subscription let none such be any more misrepresented as of no Principles in Religion Friends to Popery and Enemies to Monarchy and Government Ingenuity and Truth is much wanting both in Words and Writings of Men that should describe their Brethren to Foreigners instead of which they decipher a Monster of their own making and set it up to be abhorred by all that see or hear it A Famous Professor of Divinity in a University and City with which the whole Dissenting Party are often upbraided knew not our State or Cause for many years who when he was informed aright wondred extreamly at our ill usage at home and worse representation abroad I am I confess tempted to suspect very great partiality and falshood in Ecclesiastical Historians both Antient and Modern who have wrote with the Prejudice Enmity and Partiality of sworn Vassals to a Party Were there a Colledge of judicious impartial diligent and able Historians imploy'd and encouraged to search out the truth of all mis-reported parties and tell the world their best as well as their worst hath been told by others it would I think be an Ecclesiastical History far more desireable than any I yet have seen Quis dabit Thuanum Ecclesiasticum After so long a Discourse on the first Direction Enquire as fully as your capacity and opportunity can enable you II. If you would Enquire as Christians ought to affect your hearts in order to pray or praise God for the Church Let your Thoughts be much upon the Importance of what is reported to you Weigh well what influence the New things are likely to have
or less angry with Men holds up Satan in a longer or shorter Chain Being less Angry with you Young People he suffers him not to fall upon you with such strength of Fraud or Force as upon Old Transgressors So much reach at you God doth allow him as maketh needful your Watching and Prayer and Wariness of his Devices But God allows him so very much less at you than at others that he may be repelled more easily by you than others And you have less reason to doubt of Victory when you fight against him than others have And may be certain that if you abide Unconvert in your sins and go on to incense God more against you you shall then have a much more powerful Enemy of him than now you have Now Would any General of an Army delay to Fight with his Enemy till he himself were Weaker and his Enemies stronger O do not any of you say practically I will not yet fight for my Translation out of the Kingdom of Darkness I will have the Prince of Darkness get an Hundred times more forces against me and more advantagious ground before I will encounter him How kind to Satan are Delaying Children C. 3. Your Hearts which are your Rulers under God be not yet so bad within you as Old Peoples be and as they will themselves be sure to be if you now Convert not Your Hearts the Lord shew it you are they that do most under God for your Conquering or your being Conquered by Sin Death and Hell These Hearts of yours be blind and foolish proud and perverse enough they be sufficiently Unteachable Untractable Unfaithful The Lord humble you deeply in the deepest sense of it But still they be not near so bad as Old Sinners Hearts be Believe it there is a sense in which Nicodemus his words be smart How can a Man be born when he is Old God has in his Offence departed farther from Old Men than you Satan in his long stay in them has hammered them into a greater hardness than he has yet brought you into Actual Sins have put more strength into their Habitual than into Yours And they have more Milstones about the neck of their Souls than yet are about yours Insomuch that you have as much the better of them as those who have in War a less unqualified Commanded have of them whose Leader is most blind most Lame and most Lunatick it self Your Work is more easie and your Encouragement to expect Victory is more ample than Old Sinners And both such as they will not continue unto you unless you now Convert unto God Which if you do not you do like Soldiers that should say We will have no Battel with our Enemy as yet The Leader whose Conduct and Action are our Life or Death will shortly be Stone-blind and under the Dead Palsie And we will stay till he be so before we employ him O plotted Self-Destruction O Chosen Ruine If this Consideration go for nothing with you ye are Blind against Sun-shine and Deaf unto Thunder C. 4. Your Bodies the Instruments of your Souls Action be not yet so sorry as Old Peoples be and as yours will be most certainly if you Convert not presently Sirs An Unsanctified Body is a Souls Unknown Enemy A Trojan Horse a Pandora's Box a Forge of Mischiefs Your Young ones are such that almost proverbially the Blood of Youth is Satan's Tinder and Match 'T is seen you have warm Bosom for all Snakes Legions of Devils are a less formidable Army than your own five Senses unhallowed Beware of the Flesh But withal know ye an Unruly Horse is more desirable than a Dead one He may be Bridled and made serviceable 'T is better with you than Old Folk if you will but well use that whereof they want the use Health and Strength in general reading Eyes and hearing Ears and walking Feet in particular Old Age is it self say some a Disease a very Hospital of all Many are deprived of the means of Grace by Blindness and Deafness Most do use them with much pain and great disadvantage None have so few Clogs about them as you So that great is your advantage for working out your Salvation Your Labour is less to read or hear an Hundred Sermons than theirs to hear or read one And to go Twenty Miles for Advice than theirs to go Twenty Steps Being that Sin and so Death came in at the Eye and Ear and it is God's Will to drive them out at the same and to transmit the Wisdom that saves our Souls through those Bodily Senses these are not inconsiderable things O that you had heard but what I have done of poor Old Creatures Outcryes Cursing the Courses and Companies that devoured their strength Wailing with sighs and tears their disability to Read difficulty of hearing and utterly lost faculty of Remembring The Memory ought to cut my Heart may the Notice sway yours If you will yet put off your Conversion this is the Language which that Delay utters I have a work given me to do that is for my Life Eternal I have yet Eyes and Ears and Hands and Feet I have Ease and Strength But these all have Wings and will shortly fly and be gone as others be When gone I cannot work or if I do it must be in the Fire as it were Nevertheless I will not set to my Work till my Sun and Moon and Stars be darkned I will not stir one Foot for Heaven till my other Foot is in the Grave If my Peace be ever made with God it shall be even at the Graves brink When I am just come to the Mouth of Hell and can scarce open my own Mouth to deprecate it I will bestow a wish for Heaven if that may possess me of it Sensless Creature that wantest nothing of a Bruit but Hair and two Feet more C. 5. The World another back friend of yours hath not yet lain so many Loads on your backs as upon Old Peoples and as it will lay on yours if you live longer and live under its Power and Vnsubjected and Vnconvert unto God This I speak to you especially of the Younger sort Children and next to Children I hope you have heard what an Enemy the World and the things of it do make to Conversion and Sanctification Read the Texts in the Margent Read Ecclesiastes 1 Jo. 2.15 16. Jam. 4.4 Matth. 6.24 a whole Book of Sacred Scripture took up in warning us against this said Enemy More or less Woe is to every Dweller in it because of the Avocations the Distractions and Interruptions of this Old Adam's World But here also you have the better ordinarily of Old People For themselves or their more Beloved Selfs their Children they are swallowed up of Designs Bargains c. Gains and Losses make their Souls a Sea of tempestuous Cares knowing little calm or quietness You are yet free comparatively and Unladen You may Contemplate and Act for next World without the