his fore-past life whereas many of those who have lived better have died with little rest and no comfort Hence they stumble thicke and threefold and make no question to dy no worse than they though they doe as bad Thus they stumble and stumble and the cause or the signe of all is this in the Proverbe They know not at what they stumble As for sinne they do not know who they themselves are that sin They are the creatures of GOD who hath blessed them a thousand wayes and therefore they should live to the honour of him and not as if the Devill had made them They doe not know whom they sin against It is against an infinite GOD who is an infinite good and therefore the least guilt will not so easily bee taken off as they dreame Can much Niter and much Sope doe it Can thousands of Rammes and ten thousand Rivers of Oyle Sinne against a private man and it is a trespasse or battery sin against a King it is sedition or treason but sinne against God and no name can expresse it nothing can cleanse it but the bloud of the Lambe which brings to us the righteousnesse of GOD which is of infinite worth They doe not know what sin will worke It is the wilde Bore of the Wood that laies waste the Vine of our soules it woundeth the Conscience defaceth the Image of GOD and writes upon us Satans Image and superscription it brings feare pit and snare upon the inhabitants of the earth and at the last the vengeance of eternall fire All this and much more about sin these poore wretches doe not know and hence they stumble upon sinne and ruine As for Repentance they know neither the necessity worke or worth of it Doe they present this to their soules that except they repent they shall perish Yes that they doe and therefore they will repent hereafter Yea but are they not deceived in the worke of it Doe they not thinke it to bee the worke of an houre when the whole life of a man were but enough for us to walke in that way Doe they not thinke it to bee nothing but a conviction for sinne a sorrow for sinne and a crying God mercy Doe they know that it implyes sorrow for sinne seene purpose to forsake sin sorrowed for and to returne unto God Or know they that it is accompanied if it be saving with an holy course in godlinesse and righteousnesse No such matter It is so slenderly looked after and so poorely prized by them that they take it up as old shooes when they have none else to weare when they have not a day to live and an houre to spend in sinne then they will repent what ever come of it Thus these miserable wretches when they have built a Castle of their owne Repentance not Gods do stumble at they know not what Now for presumption woe is them whatsoever they dreame of Mountaines of mercy They know not the power of GODS wrath They thinke him to bee made up of nothing but mercy and that hee should doe them wrong if they should not have it They see the light of his countenance so long in their health and prosperity that they presume hee cannot bend his browes and turne his backe in after daies Doe they remember that after God had made the world his first act was an act of justice upon lapsed Angels who though they were in Heaven were cast downe into Hell and delivered into the chaines of darknesse to bee reserved unto judgement Have they forgotten that his next worke was a worke of justice upon Adam in Paradise and the third that wee reade of a worke of justice upon Cain for committing murther but once Have they not read that GOD drowned the first world first for imaginations Or that he burned with fire and brimstone Sodome and her wicked sisters for pride fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse which hatched plenty of lust Is the justice of GOD upon the world cleane gone out of minde when his Church was in a Corner and but a little flocke Or will they not see the justice of God upon Christ Our surety in the similitude of sinfull flesh that hee did not escape it being made sin for us that is by being a sacrifice for sin that wee might be the righteousnesse of GOD in him They have forgotten all prints of Iustice that they may put farre from them the evill day and sinne without feare But that God that is a God of mercy for the vessels of mercy is for those who by wilfull sins make themselves the vessels of wrath a consuming fire yea and when his hand takes hold of judgement hee will make his sword drunke with bloud Then shall they know what now they willingly know not that hee that blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not bee mercifull unto him Doe they stumble at despaire of their owne strength It is at they know not what still For doe they not shew great strength in sinne Why then will they not try what they can doe in vertue Hath not CHRIST promised his assistance in the Word of GOD and Sacraments Why will they neglect CHRISTS hand which is put under to helpe Why will they not be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that they may be able to doe all things through him that helpeth them Will they more impotently stumble at the despaire of Gods mercy Surely they stumble at they know not what For God is good unto wicked men much more to those that truely repent Doth not his Sun and raine blesse obdurate sinners much more hath hee the blessing of peace for those that tremble at his Word and are weary and heavie laden with their sinnes For will they forget how willingly GOD reasoneth with the rebellious Iewes and promiseth that upon Repentance he will make their twice dipt scarlet sinnes as white as wooll Or doe they not regard that GOD tels them that mercy pleaseth him If hee come in a work of justice hee shaves with a Raser that is hired as if hee had no instrument of his owne to execute wrath but if he comes in a worke of mercy it is his own work his proper worke But they forget this as if Christs bloud did not triumph over all the sins of penitents even to the bathing of them that turne to him who shed it by murther this they forget and so doe stumble at headlong despaire Doe they stumble at the world Alas they know not at what What is all the world if wee could graspe it into an handfull It flattereth while it smileth and the glory of it passeth away Have wee the confluence of all worlds goods They cannot keepe off
For in foure cases your least sins prove damnable in the issue If they be committed against your consciences Conscience is in Gods roome to guard you and if that be affronted it is given to God and so you build downeward to hell Then if they bee committed with pleasure and delight there is no sin so small which smels not unsavorily if it pleaseth It pleased the man to gather sticks and he died for it It pleased Lots Wife to look backe and she was turned into a pillar of Salt Next if small sins dispose you to greater For he that hath avoided the great Rockes may be swallow'd up in the sand and he that can keep out great Theeves may have his house opened by a little Boy who creeps in at the window Lastly if the smallest sinnes have a progresse and go on A little ball of snow rowled is increased and many drops make a floud Can you say that you sin not when conscience checks and saith Doe it not Or that you have not taken pleasure in what you have done Or that you have not bin disposed by your houres of error to scandalize others and neglect God and his worship Or that your little sins have not multiplyed so long as that they may for any thing you are sure to the contrary become an Ocean to drowne your soules in eternall horror What now is to bee done but that you see your wickednesse and amend all I am sure it would bring comfort to your friends to see you in the way to Heaven I am more sure it would bring glory to God and honour to the Gospell to have his creatures and the professors of it from your youth to live in the obedience of faith And I know assuredly too that it shall adde to my crowne of rejoycing to see all Christs Lambs Babes and Children to walke in that truth which is according to godlinesse Vp and be doing and the God of Heaven be with you There is no delay must have place now It is enough yea â—oo much that yee have spent the time past after the course of the wicked world God hath held his peace and not unsheathed his sword and you have lived as if God were a favourer of sinne But hath he not now begun to strik Hath hee not let you see that there is no peace to the wicked If ye yet goe on yee kicke against the pricks If ye come in with bleeding soules behold your blessed Saviour hanged on the crosse he bowed his head as if he meant to kisse you he stretched out his armes as if hee meant to imbrace you and his blessed side was broached as if he meant that even you should drinke his bloud to pacifie your souls against conscience of wrath and his water to purifie your bodies and soules from the dominion of all uncleannesse Will you yet neglect so great salvation My soule shall weepe for you in secret Yet that there may not be a cause I hope that you will reade this that I pâ—esent unto you and so make a stand I hope you will pray to God that the cause may have accesse unto your hearts and so make an entrance into the good way And I hope that being entred you will continue to the end and then as Saint Paul of his Thessalonians so I of you Now I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. Even I who have bin often grieved by you and have often prayed for you with groanes and sighs but now hope to be comforted in my bowels over you upon your amendment and ever after to continue Your Pastour rejoycing in the conversion of such sinners Robert Abbot THE YOVNG-MANS Warning-peece OR A SERMON Preached at the Buryall of William Rogers upon Pro. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble YE know my use As Laban said to Jacob in case of marriage Jt must not be so done in our place so say I It is not my custom on funerall occasions to weare out the time upon the dead Though I grudge not Davids mournfull Ditty at the death of Saul nor Ieremies Lamentations over Jerusalem for the untimely death of Josiah nor the shewing of Dorcas her Coates given to the poore Saints at her buryall for ordinarily those that deserve no praise themselves love to give none to others yet Saint Augustine hath said it that these solemnities are rather the comfort of the living than the helpe of the dead and I have beene willing to follow this rule in ordinary cases Yet now the case is altred I have something to say to the person before I speake to the Text. I am intreated earnestly intreated by the miserable young man who lies dead at our feet to Preach to all the Young men of the Parish especially to his wicked companions as hee called them something at his buryall to warne them by his example to take a better course that they bee not burned in hell with him for ever and ever This I cannot doe except I first tell you his example Heare therefore that first and GOD open your eyes to see the danger I call him a miserable Young man not in respect of the devouring judgement of GOD upon him for ever for we have nothing to say to that What are wee that we should sit in GOD's chaire He did rise and fall to his owne Master whose judgments are alwaies just often secret and to Him we leave him with feare and trembling though not without some hope For as hee was in his generall course a man of a sweet and pleasing temper it beginning to grow proverbiall That the Divell never abused a better nature And as he was observed so farre as I know or have heard never to sweare or curse in all his life till one curse dropped from him in a distempered fit the night before he died and alwayes to carry himselfe in words inoffensively to all except only once to my selfe and another who had strugled with him from time to time to pull him out of the snares of Satan for which yet he was wounded in soule in his sicknesse and asked forgivenesse So for his worst part how freely did hee confesse his sinnes how earnest were his desires that hee might live but a Yeare or a Moneth that he might manifest to the world the Truth of his heart in his promises to GOD for amendment of Life How carefull was he to warne his companions or at least to wish that they were by him that hee might warne them that they might not bee burned in the furnace of Hell whither he said he was going These things in him give advantage in us to some charitable hope that it may be better with him in the issue than God would let us see Though God would not let us see one drop of peace to fall downe upon him to his last gaspe was it not rather to bridle our
THE YOVNG-MANS Warning-peece OR A Sermon preached at the buriall of WILLIAM ROGERS Apothecary With an History of his sinfull Life and wofull Death Together with a Post-script of the use of Examples Dedicated to the Young-men of the Parish especially to his Companions By Robert Abbot Vicar of Cranebrooke in KENT Prov. 7.23 The young Foole as a Bird hasteneth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life LONDON Printed by R. B. for P. Stephens and C Meredith and are to be sold at their Shop at the signe of the Golden Lion in Pauls Church Yard 1639 To all the Young-men of my Parish especially to late Companions of William Rogers Apothecary Grace Mercy and Peace DEerely beloved Young-men that this Sermon in effect was preached by mee among you you know and the occasion you know too When I preachd it it cam to your eares it wrought something in some of your eyes but I little thought to have presented it to your eyes againe Importunities from abroad and at home have pressed mee to make this adventure And now it is come to whom should it come but unto you It is true my love to that dead Young-man made me willing to satisfie his desire and your desires to have it have not made mee willing thus to send it unto you Yet your courses being the occasion of it and your welfare being the end of it you may justly chalenge it and shall not by mee bee robbed of your right Who knowes whether God may leave a blessing behind I cannot bee assured that for the word of God handled in it or for me the poore instrument that is used in it ye will make much use of it for your good because I feare ye so often prefer an ale-house before the house of God It may be ye had rather be without it than have it because the sight of it to you will be a sting the sight of it to others will bee but a remembrancer to them to call upon you still to forsake those courses which ye love Yet herein have I hope that you will love to see the picture of him being dead whom yee loved and followed as your Doctor while he lived If it be not drawne to life my eyes eares and understanding much faile me besides many witnesses will not faile to say that all is true I am sure it is so for substance and if it be coloured otherwise even at the first it was rudely drawne it is for your sakes that you may still see him the more perfectly and know your owne estate You have had in your daies many examples teaching that there is no bargaine to be had in a wicked way it is folly to lay out your silver and not for bread But to have two in one yeere layes the axe to the root of the trees of the Wood and preacheth that except ye amend yee shall likewise perish Yee have seene two Apothecaries different in their course The one so many wayes looking home-ward that he died miserably rich the other so lashing outward that hee dyed miserably poore Both of sweet and mild natures and of different waies in life yet both of uncomfortable passages out of the world The one having first the devill presenting himselfe unto him to be his Physitian and next CHRIST sitting on the Throne condemning his unprofitable life and bidding him shift for himselfe for he would have nothing to do with him The other as if hee would prevent Christ condemning himselfe to hell for ever and ever The one being very rich and having no children was pressed by me while hee was in peace and before his last Will was settled of his thousands to give but one hundred pounds for the repairing of the Church or other pious workes But if hee were worth ten thousand as he said he would not give a penny beside what he had given by will that is twenty Marks to the poor ten pounds to me and some other petty Legacies If I were rich I should be loth to pay so deare for such a denyall as he did in the end full of horror to the last The other being very poore was pressed by me againe and againe but to beleeve in Christ for salvation But I could not for ought I saw prevaile neither The one had lived well except his misery the other had lived ill and so in misery worse I know you feare not the danger of â—he first example for you are out of the way of being too rich If you have enough to goe like gallant Blades it is all you desire yet if you have not your credite must bee good till the quarter day or the good market comes But may you not feare the danger of the second Him ye loved enough his courses yee love too well The Ale-house must bee your Chappell Kitchin Work-house the first draught is your prayer the next your breakfast and the last your worke Yet if ye had but a Priest that would prophecy of Wine and strong drinke and say Come let us fill our selves with Wine and strong drinke to morrow shall be as this dâ—y and much more aboundant hee were the only man and you the only people of the world I know you think yourselv's very familiar with Christ as if hee would passe by these slips of youth and imbrace you in the armes of his mercy upon the least call But you forget that Christ hath now taken state upon him He was an Infant crying in the Cratch and then he was circumcised by wicked Priests carried by an Asse into Ierusalem Hee was a Preacher in Israel and then he was pressed upon by all and sought to be intangled by his enemies Hee was a worker of miracles here and then sicke soules and bodies troubled him He was under arrests and executions and then Iudas did kisse Souldiers buffeted and spit upon him and Iewes and Gentiles killed him But now the case is altered his present state admits no such neere approach Will you say hee is my sweet Saviour still Go then and tell him so say Lord I am idle unprofitable and luxurioâ—s but thou art my sweet Saviour still Say yee to your fathers and mothers I am drunken idle warton rebellious but ye are my father and mother still and I expect your blessing and your pâ—rse Surely such proud and dissolute carriage shall a thousand times sooner please men on earth than it shall please Christ in heaven He hath redeemd you that ye might serve him in righteousnesse and holines all the daies of your life He hath bought you with a price that yee might glorifie God in body and soule and by the grace of God save your selves from the midst of this wicked generation wherein ye live Perhaps you may think your sinnes not to be so great but that you may keep your fellowship in the salvation of Christ too But they are not worthy of pitty who wilfully deceive their own soules
It is not bad enough to have these horrors and perplexities for sinnes and punishments He was no swearer no whoremonger no thiefe no scoffer at Religion no perjured wretch no wilfull lyar no proud and sâ—rley resister of good counsell and reproofe like too many other young-men now a dayes yet when conscience is awaked and sits as a Iudge on him Onely for drunkennesse neglect of mens bodyes and neglect of Prayer Word and Sacrament he passeth this heavie doome upon himselfe I must bee burned in the furnace of Hell millions of millions of ages and at the last in idlenesse of thoughts and talke he ends his miserable life This is your example which he intreated me to lay before you that ye may be warned by it to keepe you from Hell The living God present it as a powerfull example to your Consciences that it may work that good which this miserable young man wished And that it may the more prevaile ye shall have a rule now as well as an example shewing the misery and horrour of a wicked life from this proverbe The way of the wicked is as darkenesse they know not at what they stumble Salomon had pressed in many words because all words were not enough all Young-men in his sonne to avoide the needlesse and vaine society of wicked men Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not into the way of evill men Art thou allured Avoide it Is the way delightfull Passe not by it Doth thy way lye that way Turne from it Art thou call'd in whithersoever thou goest Passe away This exhortation being thus pressed with words is further urged by reasons First from the persons and states of wicked men They sleepe not except they have done mischiefe themselves or made others to doe it for how can they when they eate the iron bread of wickednesse and the Sodome Wine of violence This breeds no sweete flegme to binde up the senses Secondly hee urgeth it from the course of wicked men which he sets downe comparatively with the godly The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day The descent of grace is from heaven as the light shineth the degrees of grace are not all attained unto at the first but more and more but the prosperitie of grace where it is nourished by a godly life is not to goe out to the perfect day Therefore it is excellent to be in society with the godly But for the course of wicked men 1. It is as darkenesse there is the danger of it 2. They know not at what they stumble there is the signe of it In this course of wicked men there are two propositions which I shall labour to open and apply unto you First That the way of the wicked is darkenesse That ye may conceive this I shall open unto you thorow GODS helpe foure points 1. What is the way of the wicked 2. How is it darknesse 3. How it comes to be so and 4. Why it is darknesse 1. The way of the wicked is the whole course of a wicked man to death and Hell David saith The way of the wicked shall perish that is his thoughts words deeds wherin he pleaseth himselfe till at last he sees and feeles the empty vanity of them when the comfort of them leaves him and he fall into hell 2. This way of the wicked is darknesse by an absence of that first light which GOD gave to sinlesse and obedient man Before man had sinned hee had the light of knowledge the light of grace and the light of comfort He could fully and fairely see what was fit for a creature to keepe him in perpetuall communion and fellowship with GOD. He had the beames of GODS grace in him and about him keeping out the darkenesse of sin He had sweet comfort in the injoyment of GOD and himselfe and in the best possession and use of all the Creatures But when hee fell from the Principles of Life the Lord and his Law he quickly was overwhelmed with the darkenesse of ignorance the darkenesse of sin and the darknesse of misery Our blessed Saviour came to give light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of Peace the light of knowledge That they that see not might see the light of grace that they that follow him might not walke in darkenesse but have the light of life And the light of comfort that he might give beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse All wicked men that misse this that are in hunting with Esau while this blessing is given following the luxurious courses of the world in wickednesse while CHRIST brings life and immortality to light by the Gospell doe fall into darkenesse darknesse darknesse Because they loved darknesse rather than light therefore their cogitations are darkened through ignorance their foolish hearts are full of darknesse they looke to the earth and behold darkenesse and sorrow they fall to the darkenesse of horrour for there is no peace to the wicked saith my GOD they goe downe to the place of darkenesse and the horrible pit shuts her mouth upon them O woe unto them they have rewarded evill unto their soules 3. But how doth the wicked mans way become to bee darknesse As outward darknesse doth grow upon men three wayes so doth this First naturally by some defect in naturall generation So there being a naturall defect now in mans propagation through sin he brings forth blind Whelps Though more or lesse for naturall excellency man bee not borne blinde yet for morrall rectitude to improve his understanding to the best advantage for his happines in Gods way hee is darkenesse Secondly actually by too much gazing on the excelling sensibles of the world or by too much heate or cold which checke or chill the spirits So when wicked men doe too much gaze upon the deceitfull glories and pleasures of the World when they are cold in Religion or religious duties and doe hotly pursue the pleasing vanities of this life they become clouded in the thicke smoake of darkenesse This blinded that rich foole from securing his soule and Zaccheus before his conversion from going the right way to heaven For they that will bee rich fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction Thirdly penally when it is inflicted as a punishment as when Zedechias his eyes were pulled out as a just punishment upon his wicked life so when GOD sees the courses of men to be foule and detestable contrary to the light of the word and checke of Conscience which he hath given them then GOD justly shuts their eyes stoppes their eares and takes away the
key of knowledge and so they are in darknesse walke in darknesse and know not whither they goe because that darknesse hath blinded their eyes Now if you would know why the wayes of the wicked are thus said to be as darknesse The grounds of that speech may be such as these First their sights are hindred from seeing the right way to Heaven They grope at noon day running headlong in their owne courses all the life long day and at what time the night of death or the sun set of sicknesse comes and they begin to recollect them saying where am I now Is this the way to heaven Then they see what they did not see and the whirlewind and tempest takes them and they are carryed whither they would not Secondly their footsteps are troubled from going about the workes of GOD. As the Aegyptians choaked in their palpable darknesse saw not what they did or what to doe so when this darknesse is come upon the wicked man Hee that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whither hee goeth Here he goes and meetes with a blocke there he turnes and meets with a bush and after a thousand calls of GOD to doe this that and the other duty of Repentance faith and holinesse he is so inwrapped in darknesse that many things are gone about and few things are done those few that are done are not done as they ought 3. They are drawne on to many a fall even to the ruine of bodies and soules As men in darknesse if they will be doing stumble and fall so wicked men in this estate stumble into a thousand pitfals Here they fall into pride and niggardize there into pride and luxury on this hand into covetousnesse on that hand into prodigality here lyes the drunkard there the lyar here lyes the worldly old man there the regardlesse young man Lord how doe they fall in darknesse till they are turned backe into perpetuall rebellions till they fall and rise no more Fourthly they are smitten with feares terrours when they will give leisure to Conscience to worke They are taken with feare where no feare is As men in a darke night being a waked by fearefull melancholy sight of sin or lash of Conscience doe thinke every bush a Thiefe every gale of winde the moving of Satan or the wagging of every leafe a summons to the Devils approach so is it with wicked men in this darknesse Fifthly their shame is taken from them They are foole-hardy and confident in the darke because no eye sees them It is said of the Asse that being pursued by the Wolfe he puts his head into a bush that he may not see the Wolfe as if because he sees not the Wolfe the Wolfe therefore sees not him So is it with wicked men they put their heads into a darke corner of sin and ignorance and then as if he that pierced through the darke cloud could not see they goe on without feare wit or shame They lay their iniquities on their skirts and declare their sinnes as Sodome they hide them not as if they hurted not them nor would bring shame at the latter end Thus have I plained the way in opening this part of the Proverbe and now I write unto you young men that you may overcome that evill one Suffer therefore first a word of conviction and next a word of exhortation Ye may be convinced hence of two things 1. First concerning a wicked mans estate that he is in a miserable case whatsoever he thinkes of himselfe If thou wert shut up in a dark prison where thou couldst not have any fellowship with light wouldst thou not thinke thy selfe in a wofull plight Much more art thou thus if thou be in the darknesse of ignorance sin and misery You will say I see no such matter If I am in misery I see it not It may be so and yet your misery is not the lesse As Christ said because yee say yee see therefore your sinne remaineth so say I because you say you see not therefore your danger is the greater If in a desperate disease a man say he is well it s a certain signe death is comming on a pace so is it a signe that misery lies at the doore though you have shut it out a while because ye say ye see it not Put case it be so say you yet you feele no hurt by it for the present Ye goe on in sinne and thrive and are merry and what evill can come Take heed while a man is lusty and strong a man can endure hot and cold night and day and never shrinke but when hee is downe by age sicknesse surfeit or the like then every blast pierceth through so while you are in health and prosperity you are like a Church Wardens Bill which answereth all is well when too many things are amisse but when sicknesse and death comes downe you sink with shame and horrour like the fishes of Jordan which fall into the dead-Sea and are no more alive Yea but you are not in this darke state you heare the Word and understand it and have a power to understand more therefore certainly you shall not be darknesse for ever for a power doth dispose you to the act and exercise which shall follow Be not deceived For though it be true of a naturall power which comes into act by the power of some inward principle that if you have such a power it shall bee brought into act more or lesse according to the power as when Grapes have a power to drop Wine and Apples Cydar and so if as men you have a power to reason it is more or lesse shewed by discourse either by inward conceptions or outward expressions yet is it not true of an obedientiall power which is drawne out by a power from without as when the waters of Aegypt are turned into bloud and the water at the marriage of Cana was turned into wine and so though you have a naturall power to know according to your measure and so to be acquit of humane darknesse yet amidst your hearing and understanding you must be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that you may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in CHRIST If therefore you would be freed from this darknesse you must depend upon God whom you cannot command at pleasure to give the increase and to acquit you from this misery Secondly ye may be convinced hence not to thinke it strange to see poore sinners to doe that of which they are afterwards ashamed The adulterer watcheth for his twilight the drunkard seeketh his clâ—s scorners to couzen his soule and pursue in the lyar desireth his say-nothing and all luxuriants hunt out their coverts and thickets and when they are rowzed by the Iustice of GOD and man