multitudes of young people Satan hath corrupted the minds of many and diffused his venemous influence not only through the Pagan and Papal but also through the Protestant and Reformed world too O! what a world of infidelity and Atheism is to be found in our Cities and Countries and would to God our Churches were free but if we compare the lives of abundance of Professors with their pretended Creed really their profession will scarce cover their Hypocrisie and Atheism though you should exercise the largest Charity God and Christ the immortality of the Soul Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell are in their Creed and they would condemn you for a rank Heretick if you should deny any of these Doctrines But a little observation of their sensual lives will soon acquaint you with their vile and odious Hypocrisie and Atheism while you behold in their lives the great God disobeyed Christ vilified Heaven condemned and the Worlds vanities preferred before it Hell ventured upon for the sake of a pleasing sin And among us there are a generation of young Wits sprang up that that albeit they have had baptismal Water on their face yet arrived to that highth of sin as to tell the world not only in their works but also in words that Religion is a meer fancy nothing but the melancholly imagination of some poor spirited men that foolishly and fondly conceit of such a thing as God lives and of a Heaven prepared for those that have it and Hell for those that want it and then they scare and affright themselves with those buggbears that their own fancies represent And thus as the judicious Gurnal sadly observes p. 298. Some among us have dared to make it their boast and glorying that they have at last got from under the burthen of that Tyrant Conscience they can Swear and Drink Whore and what not without any check or remorse Time was when they were under the wing of their Parents that they trembled at the hearing of such guilt But now entring into those Atheistical Clubs and imbibing their principles their Consciences are become silent after they have been duck't so often for scolding that they are Sermon poof and laugh at the Notion of Damnation and at Ministers who in the name of God threaten impenitent sinners with it and look upon them as the veriest fools and mad Men in the World but know that these will prove the worst fools at last yea worse by far than David's Fool Psal 14. 1. The food hath said in his heart there is no God That fool durst only whisper it but these speak it boldly and openly These declare their Sin as Sodom and hide it not To go about to confute these Sons of Belial would be a vain thing we have Moses and the Prophets every Leaf therein is sufficient But these Sinners deride the Scriptures and so tho' one should arise from the Dead and come from Hell with the Flames of that burning Lake about his Ears and tell them the Torments they endure neither would they believe Surely that such a Generation not only of practical but professed Atheists should be found in a Land that hath enjoyed so much Gospel-light is a lamentation and ought to be for a lamentation I may say as Jeremiah 2. chap. 12. v. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. Methinks it should make our very Hearts to tremble when we see such cursed Weeds spring up in such a Garden that God hath taken such pains withal he is more than blind that doth not see and so say Stultorum plena sunt omnia Master Greenham feared rather Atheism than Popery would be England's Ruin The Lord affect your Heart and mine with this Abomination of the Day we live in namely the ridiculing and deriding the power of Godliness stiling it nothing but Fancy or Faction Pride or Singularity 18. Another Sin the Youth of this Age are much given to is Swearing Cursing and taking the Holy and Reverend Name of God in vain A Sin for which the Land mourns There are two Kinds of it both which young people are prone to 1. Using the Name of God unreverently in common talk at every turn to say O Lord O God or God bless me or take me this is taking God's Name in vain and how many thousands of little Children as well as others are guilty in this kind almost at every word tossing that awful and holy Name about in their graceless mouths which a world of Glorious Angels and glorified Spirits are magnifying continually 2. Horrid prodigious Oaths not to be named without abhorrency Rom. 3. 13 14 you read there that their Throat is an open Sepulchre the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness And certainly if ever the Youth of a Kingdom were in danger of that dreadful Curse of the Almighty flaming out from the Mount Ebal of those Scriptures the Swearing Youth of this Kingdom is Zech. 5 2 3 4. And he said unto me What seest thou And I answered I see a flying Roll the lengâ— thereof is twenty Cubits and the breadth there of two Cubits Then said he unto me This iâ— the Curse that goeth forth over the whoâ—â— Earth for every one that sweareth shall bâ— cut off according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of Hosts and it shall enter into the House of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remain in the middle of his House and it shall consume it with the Timber and Stones thereof Whence you may note that so long as this Sin remains unrepented of this Curse remains and abideth on them till it bring utter ruin upon them and their whole Estate Mal. 3. chap. 5. And I will come near to you in Judgment and I will be a swift Witness against the Swearer saith the Lord of Hosts Exodus 20. 7. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Not guiltless there is a Meiosis in those words that is the Lord will be severely avenged on such O the fearful estate of not a few but multitudes and whole troops of Children and young ones in this Land in this City in our Armies in our Fleets by reason of this Sin who can number the Persons much less able are we to number the Oaths the horrid Imprecations they use that almost at every word call to God to Damn them their Souls their Blood Wo to us the moral Heathen would be ashamed of us Is it not time to lament to see a young Generation run with open Mouth upon Ruin with their Mouth set against Heaven in Blasphemies and such prodigious Vices as hasten their own Damnation and threaten England's Destruction may not we justly fear that the bloody Oaths of the Land of our Nativity may turn it into an Aceldama i. e. a Field of Blood In this Sin are wrapped both Parents and
the Name of Christ might pass for true Christians the number would be great but if no more must be accounted true Christians than such as are born again and all old things are done away and all things become new being dead to sin who once were dead in sin c. O then the number is but small It 's amazing to me that strange blindness and heavy judgment that is fallen upon thousands of titular Christians at this day they will severely condemn a Man that he is no good Christian that doth not profess his Faith in Christ and come to Church and the like and yet will hug themselves with this that they are good Protestants and Christians althe ' they will make nothing of omission of Closet and Family-Prayer they will many of them swear and curse and live in Rioting and Drunkenness yet if they but come to Church c. all is well It were impossible to reckon up here the thousands of ways how Satan aâ—d Sin blind poor Sinners in the Christian World to their everlasting destruction Now â—en O young Man consult not with flesh â—â—d blood it may be there are many about â—ee carnal Friends and Neighbors that â—â—ve no fear of God and these are seeking to â—â—w you off O remember this advice â—â—t it 's infinitely better to be saved with a â—â— than be damn'd with a multitude 2. Consider ill Company whereunto â—â—uth is exceedingly prone is a Self-destroyâ—â—â— Evil nothing more emboldens Sinners â— wickedness A company of wanton loose â—â—ths met together is like a Pest-house for â—ection they do a world of mischief in â—milies Churches Kingdoms here it is â—t so many of England's London's Youth â—train'd up for Hell they soon ascend the â—â—t of the Scorner and so are quickly ripe â— a Descent down to Hell Here they sowe â—ows under one anothers Elbows and stuâ—usly argue one another to damnation â—â— they let flie against Religion deriding â— Godliness jeering at others saying What â— grow precise You turn Fool Thus as â—â—od sought the death of Christ and deâ—oyed the young Babes in Bethlehem so â—e seek the destruction of any hopeful â—â—nings and good motions that are at any â—â— found in persons of tender years And â—â— to be lamented exceedingly the sad Sucâ—â— this hath had in this City O the innumerable Tears and Groans of godly Parents that this hath cost And after all no recovery of their prodigal Children out of this Snare of the Devil 's ill Company The Lord be merciful to us and convince the Youth into whose hands this Book shall fall of this Nation of this City of the truth of this and cause them to keep at the utmost distance from this Pit of destruction It is upon this account that wise Solomon so frequently calls upon the young Man Noâ— to come near the borders of this temptation not to pass on that side of the way or near the threshold of the house where this bait is laid O young Man be watchful of your Company the greatest danger is when you are among vain and carnal Friends and Acquaintance these are the great Impedimentâ— in your way to Heaven In all probability many had been converted if they had associated with gracious persons The Man after God's own heart begins his first Psalm with Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the company of the ungodly O it 's an excellenâ— means to the saving of Souls to be there where there is continual helps to Conversion and Holiness as Prayers and heavenly Instructions and godly Examples whereas among the ungodly there are continual temptations to Sin wicked Society is the Devil's Boat wherein he ferrieth over multitudes to Hell O young Man as you would not be gathered with the ungodly at â—â—st take heed of joining with them now It â—as the Prayer of a godly Person under â—ouble on a dying Bed O Lord let me not â—â— to Hell where the wicked are for Lord â—â—ou knowest I never loved their Company here O it 's a Soul-destroying Evil to keep comâ—any with those whose nearness will set me â—â—ther off from God to be there where Worldliness Prophaneness and Wantonness â—nd Sensuality reign what is this but the â—ery Suburbs of Hell And then 3. Consider what an Honour and Commendation it is to resist Temptation while â—ou are Young and the sollicitations of vain â—ersons are strong O then to flee their enâ—â—cements how excellent and laudable is it â—â— was Lot's unhappiness to dwell in Sodom â—ut it was high honour to be righteous there â—â— shewed saith an ingenious Writer that â—â— holiness was of a strong complexion to retain â—â— healthfulness in so corrupt an Air. It 's a â—reat Sin to be bad among the good but it is â—â— high Honour to be good among the bad O remember Young Man how well God â—akes it when evil Company do strongly and â—iolently draw and entice thee to the service â—f the Devil the Flesh and the World then â—o break through all those hellish importuniâ—â—es as Joseph did and cleave to the Lord with â—o invincible and holy resolution See the honour of this in that sacred and sweet portion of Scripture 2 Cor. 6. 14. to the end I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father to you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty If therefore you flee and withdraw from evil Company you shall be honoured with God's Company and Acquaintance and what can you desire more See how David triumpheth in this Priviledge Psal 23. 4. Tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill why because thou art with me Hence Isa 43. 2. When thou passest through the water I will be with thee fear not drowning When flesh and heart faileth God will never 4. Consider That yielding to the enticements of the ungodly and joining with them is not only a foul Sin but a fearful sign of a graceless person for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Now this Argument should mightily move you to abhor and flee the company of the wicked as you would a house marked out for the Plague It was the saying of an Heathen That Company is of an assimulating naâ—ure Seest thou a Person choosing commuâ—ion with one that is carnal that liveth after the flesh c. You may be sure that that Man is so too for as Face answereth to Face so do Mens Hearts and Lives to one another after their kind They that are afâ—er the Spirit do all savour and chuse a spiâ—itual Conversation so they that are
Leprosie as shall be matter of just shame and humiliation before the Lord so long as he liveth Sure I am the success Satan hath had in poysoning the Youth of this City with this sordid and beasily Sin deserves to be lamented were it possible with Tears of Blood O how desirable a Mercy would it be if the Lord would please to touch the Hearts of those who are fearfully guilty of this base Sin among us and bring them to cry out with the â—eper 13. Lev. 45. I am unclean I am unclean and to make that Confession as the Prophet doth in 1. Isaiah 6. From the Sole of the Foot to the Head nothing but putrifying Sores and then to put up that Petition of David's in 51. Psalm 10. Create in me a Clean Heart O God And that of Peter's in the 13. John 9. Wash me Lord not my Feet only but my Hands and Head yea my whole Body and my whole Soul also as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians 1 chap. 5. 23. That God would sanctifie them wholly in Body Soul and Spirit 21. The next and last Sin of Youth that I shall mention is A woful giddiness of Spirit to imbibe and receive any kind of loose and wild Errors that are spread abroad Indeed the Ringleaders and Broachers of Error oftentimes are persons who have passed the flower of their Age but usually they that run after them and are proselyted by them they are our raw and unexperienced Youth and more especially such of them as have not been catechised nor by the care and endeavours of Parents and Masters been well grounded in the Principles of Religion for want of which they have easily been seduced and led into Errours by such as lie in wait to deceive And wo to us are we not miserably over-run at this day with pernicious Errours contending most unchristianly for our own Devices and Parties crying out Lo here is Christ and there is Christ when more truly it may be said Lo here is Satan and there is Satan transforming himself into an Angel of Light and through his subtilty corrupting the minds of many among us from that simplicity which is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 3. Hence the Apostle was fill'd with a Godly jealousie and fear lest the Corinthians should be removed and carried away from Christ The good Lord humble us for our swervings from the end of the Commandment which is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and Faith unseigned and for our turning aside so much to vain Janglings Errour has got the Ascendant in the Cockloft of some mens Brains and there it so inebriates and infatuates them that like the Gnosticks of old who under the pretence of New Light and Revelation fansied themselves admirably Holier than others so these conceit themselves to be more Evangelical and refined because more airy and notional and then they are strongly inclined to spend all their Zeal in a violent obtruding their own starving and sleepy Opinions upon others which indeed serve for no other end but to devour all the Life and Substance of Religion as the lean Kine in Pharaoh's dream did eat up the Fat How audaciously have some by their loose and lewd Pens and Tongues argued against the merit and Deity of the Son of God derided the Spirit of Prayer advanc'd Morality and the works of the Law in the room of Christ boasting of the sufficiency of man's power to save himself and then on the other hand how industrious have some been to contrive a smooth and easie way for corrupt Nature to come to Heaven without the toilsome labour of subduing our Lusts and Sinful Affections as if now under the Gospel the holy Law of God was no Rule for us to walk by but laid flat like an old Hedge that Sinners may at their pleasure trample on it and walk over it and that to be solicitous about Sanctification and Inherent Holiness is but a legal business and not influential to a Christian's Peace nor Evidential of his Pardon but that now the main design of the Gospel at the first flight is to mount Sinners so high as to possess them with a gallant triumphant Confidence and strong gigantick Perswasion of the Everlasting Decrees of God that he hath Elected and loved them and that their Sins are pardoned so that they need not trouble themselves about Repentance and the Law of God written or copied out on the Table of their Hearts and the Inhabitation of the Spirit of Grace in their Souls as a Principle of Spiritual Life O how sad a sight is it to see the Field of the Church thus over-run with Tares and the House of God filled with Smoke it's enough to fill us with fear that the Fire of God's Judgment is beginning there Now this being the sad genius of our Times there are none more apt to take in the infection than Youth upon the account of that levity and curiosity that usually possesseth that Age. Young people have itching Ears and are very credulous being rather willing to take what they hear on trust than to trouble themselves and take pains to try what conformity such and such Notions have to the unerring Rule the Scriptures Unstable Youth is given to change and like a Reed is soon shaken or like young and fresh Meat in hot weather which is most in danger of being Fly-blown And Satan he is that old Serpent that is most busie to blast and poyson their hopeful Spring he is that mystical Fox that is evermore endeavouring to spoil our Vine oâ— its tender Grapes yea when they begin to bud Now when these two meet aâ— subtil Devil and a simple Youth what danger is there of an impure copulation between the young man's Mind and Errour especially when in the one there is a pleasing Vagrancy and Vanity like Dinah gadding abroad and in the other a poysoning Energy And alas how is this abundantly verified by woful experience at this day shoals have been perverted insomuch that our Land is like a Lazar-House or Hospital the Plague is begun among O that there were some Aaron among us to take a Censer and put on Incense and go in quickly and make an atonement to allude to that 16 Numb 46. And thus I have finished the second Query proposed viz. What those Sins are that Youth is here admonished to flee 3d. Qu. Why is it a Duty of such special concernment for Youth to flee these Sins A. In the resolution of this I shall give you these two Reasons 1. It is a duty of special concernment for Youth to flee these Sins 1st Because of the propriety of their Inherence And 2 d. Because of the malignity of their Influence 1. Because of the Propriety of their Inherence The roots of all these Youthful Lusts are deeply fixed in thy corrupt Nature Hence they are here stiled Youthful Lusts indeed Original Lust is one and the same specifically in all 〈◊〉 yet every Age hath