the particulars against persecution and slanders hear our Saviour comforting us Matth. 5.10 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven ver 11. Blessed are yee when men shall revile and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my Names sake ver 12. Rejoice and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the Prophets which were before you Against the loss of all for the testimonie of a good Conscience Matth. 19.29 hear what hee saie's by waie of comfort Every one that shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receiv an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Against imprisonment hear that Rev. 2.10 Fear none of the things which yee shall suffer for the divel shall cast som of you into prison that yee may bee tried and yee shall have tribulation ten daies Bee thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crown of life Against the frowns and threatnings of men hear that comfort Matth. 10.28 Fear not them that kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soul are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ver 29. and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your father ver 30. But the very hairs of your head are numbered ver 31. fear not therefore yee are of more value then many sparrows Against the thanklesness of the world for the service which yee do 1 Cor. 15.58 hear the Apostle Knowing that your labor shall not bee in vain in the Lord. In a word against all afflictions to the suffering of which ye may bee exposed hear that ground of comfort 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment Rom. 8.17 shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glorie ver 18. and that If so bee that wee suffer with him that is with Christ wee shall bee also glorified together for I reckon that all the afflictions of this present life are not worthie to bee compared with the glories that shall bee revealed in us Thus is the Word of God able to animate us against all those things that may dishearten us from the cleansing of our waie yea thus is it every waie usefull to help us in this business Vse 1. Let us bee thankful to God for that hee hath given us his Word so singularly useful in all kinds for the dispatch of so great a business and so necessarie as is the reforming of our waies A jewel it is of special price David in respect of that part of it which was then written which was the Pentateuch the five books of Moses could yet rais up himself and others to the praising of God Hee hath saie's hee shewed his Word unto Jacob Psal 147.19.20 his statutes and his judgments unto Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not known them and thence hee infer's Hallelu-jah Praise yee the Lord how much more have wee caus to bless the Name of our God who hath given us the sacred Canon perfect not onely the books of Moses as the Text but the writings of the Prophets as a Comment thereon nor onely the books of the Old Testament which were the New Testament veiled but also the books of the New Testament which are the Old Testament reveiled wee may much more saie Non taliter fecit Deus omni populo God hath not dealt so with other people how many great nations are there in the world to whom the Word of God hath not com they for want of it sit in darkness and in the region of the shadow of death but the light hath shined on us they are as Egypt under that plague of darkness Exod. 10.22.23 that might bee felt wee as the Israëlites in Goshen having light in their dwellings St Paul moving the question Rom. 3.1 What is the preferment of the Jews what is the benefit of circumcision presently return's answer Verily great every waie specially becaus the Oracles of God were committed unto them v. 2. how great then is our preferment What caus have wee then to bee thankful unto God 2. Let us all and do yee young men make use of the Word of God for this blessed purpose for the cleansing of your waies To this purpose wee see it 's profitable and for this end God hath afforded it to us to this purpose then let us make use of it that wee frustrate not God's exspectation and therefore 1. That wee may see what hath been amiss in our lives let us frequently compare our selvs with the Word of God and look our selvs in this Glass bring wee our words actions and thoughts to a privie search hereby It 's the counsel of the Prophet Lam. 3.40 Let us search and trie our waies and turn again to the Lord Repentance is necessarie as that without which it's impossible to bee saved Luke 13.3 for so our Saviour saie's Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish would yee not perish repent but the searching of our waies is enjoined as subservient to the turning to the Lord implying that as Salvation is not atteinable without repentance so repentance is impossible without search of our waies Psal 119.59 and the same is implied in that speech of the Psalmist I considered my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Oh then neglect not this business of the search of your waies Call to minde the thoughts of your heart the words of your mouth the works of your hands consider them whether they bee good or bad and to this end trie them by the touch-stone of the Word weigh them in this ballance of the Sanctuarie if yee finde them agreeable with this Word or not contrarie to it yee may conclude them to bee lawful and good but if they bee contrarie to it they are sinful and damnable this Word of God is a true and sure Glass that will represent things to us as indeed they are and will not deceiv us If wee stand to the verdict of our own imagination wee may bee deceived There is a waie saie's Solomon that is right in a man's eies Prov. 14.12 but the end thereof are the waies of death If wee stand to the verdict of men wee may bee deceived there are in the world flattering sycophants that for a meals meat having mens persons in admiration will call evil good darkness light bitter sweet praising those things which will prove bitter in the end and there are rigid censurers who will call good evil and light darkness and sweet bitter But if wee stand to the judgment of the Word of God wee cannot bee deceived by the consonancie of our words thoughts and actions with this Word
saying Consuetudo est altera natura Custom is another nature and of nature it 's no less true that the Poët saies Naturam expellas furcâ licèt usque recurret Drive awaie nature with a pitch-fork yet it will return It must then bee necessarily granted that it 's an hard thing for young men to reform their waies 3. Remember the four provocations to sin which S t Ambrose observ's in the Prodigal which are oft in other young men 1. His portion which enable's him to the committing of sin which if hee hath in his possession now hee is enabled to lewd living if hee hath it but in hope even this doth embolden him to wicked courses 2. His fathers indulgence by means whereof that is withheld from him by which hee should bee curbed and kept in aw namely severitie of discipline 3. His companie lewd young men like himself from whom hee shall not hear anie thing but evil counsel and encouragement to and in evil and disheartnings from the waie of obedience nor see anie thing but evil example which hath a strong power to corrupt 4. His youth in which there is heedlesness and inexperience In all which respects it cannot but bee a difficult matter for young men to reform their waies 4. If wee compare child-hood and youth together wee shall finde that childe-hood is far more easily kept in order and restrained from sin for 1. The age it self is weak and less acquainted with vice 2. It is fearful and stand's in aw 3. Commonly it is spent under som Aristarchus som severe and rigid School-master But now when young men have the reines cast upon their own necks wee are far more prone to grow wors then better And therefore David considering the difficultie of the business cast's about which waie it may bee effected Vse The thought of this is profitable both for them that have young ones committed to their care and for young ones themselvs 1. For them that have the care of youth committed to them Parents Masters School-masters Guardians Let the thought of this move them in pitie and compassion towards the young persons with whom they are put in trust to bee so much the more helpful to them Consider I beseech you 1. How necessarie it is for young ones to reform their waie Death is an impartiall officer not sparing any for their youth How many young men see wee daily taken out of this world and it 's woful to them and of sad consequence if death shall make a divorce between soul and bodie before a divorce bee made between them and their sins Rom. 6.21 Jam. 1.15 The issue of sin repentance not coming between is death And sin beeing perfected bring 's forth death not onely the first death the perfection of which is the separation of the soul from the bodie but also the second death the perfection of which is the casting of the sinner both in soul and bodie from God the fountain of happiness and his exclusion from everlasting happiness then which there is no greater loss nay none equal to it and the casting of him into hell and the torments of it which are endless easless and remediless Mar. 9. Matth. 25. where the worm never die's and the fire never goe's out even utter darkness where is weeping and wailing gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands and all for ever 2. How difficult a task this Reformation of waies is for young men how many hinderances there are in the wale of it and how many allurements they have to go on in their sinful courses And in both these respects bee yee readie to give them an helping hand do what lie's in you to reclaim them from their sins and so to prevent their everlasting undoing yee would readily think it your dutie to prevent any temporarie mischief towards them in their bodies or estates Know that the soul is far more excellent then either estate or bodie and therefore as yee would shew any love unto them bee specially careful to prevent the ruine of their souls by helping them in this great and difficult business the cleansing of their waies 2. For young men themselvs let not this difficultie of cleansing your waies dis-hearten you from attempting this business let it rather caus you more diligently to set about it It 's a true saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things are commonly more excellent in which there is greater difficultie the difficultie therefore of this work and the opposition that Satan make's against it argue's the excellencie and usefulness of it I remember a passage of our learned Whitaker that it was an evident argument of speciall worth and goodness in Luther that the Jesuits were such bitter enemies to him as it 's an argument of good fruit on the tree when yee see boies throwing sticks at it so doth it argue the Reformation of young mens waies to bee specially excellent and useful that Satan doth so much oppose it and cast so many rubs in the waie By how much therefore Satan seek's more to hinder you in the cleansing of your waies by so much more beeing young applie yee your selvs to the doing of it To do easie things is no great matter of prais but to effect things in which wee finde difficultie and meet with opposition this is prais-worthie yea hoc aliquid est voluisse it 's somthing that wee would do it Yee therefore that are young men bee yee persuaded the more difficultie there is in it so much the more sedulously to endeavour the cleansing of your waies Labor to see what is amiss in them and use your best endeavours for the amendment of them And for your encouragement in this kinde consider what follow 's Though it bee difficult yet Propos 6. It 's possible for young men to reform and amend their waies It 's plain in the text It 's possible I saie but not by your own abilities nor by the strength of your own free-will for it 's a business above us it 's true that the Apostle saie's 2 Cor. 3.5 Wee have no sufficiencie as of our selvs so much as to think a good thought all our sufficiencie is of God And for this particular business in hand wee hear what repenting Ephraim said Turn mee and I shall bee turned Jer. 31. Cant. 1.4 and the Church Draw us and wee will run after thee But yet it is possible by the help of God's grace which use's not to bee wanting to them that set themselvs conscionably to the businesses which God hath enjoined unto them And the feasibleness of it appear's in this that it hath been effected in others as David Timothie c. what others have don wee may do by the help of the same grace of God by which they have effected it Vse 1. Let us not presume of our own strength in a business of this nature nor set up the Reformation of our waies as if of our selvs wee were
of many that this age is the happiest and these the best daies that ever they shall see but upon all the foregoing grounds it is evident that wee may well judg it the most miserable Eccles 12.1 becaus more sinful It 's true that Solomon call's old age evil daies but that is onely in regard of those bodilie inconveniences which attend old age but the danger of youth is far greater in regard of it's proneness to sin which is of far more dangerous consequence 2. It should make young men the more circumspect and watchful over their waies It 's the wisdom of a citie besieged to double their guards and make stronger defenses where on their own parts they finde greatest weakness and greatest opposition from the besiegers Take knowledg of it dear young men and believ it there is no age more strongly assailed by Satan and corruption no age more weak to make resistance then is youth Bee persuaded therefore to look to your selvs and to stand upon your watch-tower See and observ by what means others have been baned and sens your selvs against the same Jer. 5.23 1. Consider what the Prophet saie's Death is com up into our windows and hath entered into our palaces the bodilie eies are the windows of the soul sin enter's thereby and take 's possession of the soul how many have been ruined by the eie 2 Sam. 11. yea how have wee all been undon by it David looked and lusted and committed adulterie which was attended with murder and that of a faithful Vriah whence followed a world of mischief Josh 7.21 Hear Achan's confession When I saw among the spoils a goodlie Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedg of gold of fiftie shekels weight I coveted and took them ver 24.25 and as hee by this had troubled Israël so for it God troubled him it was the ruine of himself and his familie Eve saw and liked and persuaded her husband Gen. 3.6 Rom. 5.12 and they did eat and hence followed ruine to all mankinde Oh therefore bee advised to watch over your eies suffer them not to bee roving about undue objects or not unduly gaze not upon the beautie of women if yee desire to bee fensed against uncleanness in this case imitate holie Job who made a Covenant with his eies and thereupon inferred Job 31.1 why should I look upon a maid if yee would bee fensed against drunkenness follow Solomon's advice Look not upon the wine Prov. 23.31 when it is red when it give 's his color in the cup c. yea in all kindes let it bee your care to praie with David Psal 119.37 Turn away my eies from beholding vanitie 2. Many have been ruined by the ear while they have listened to destructive counsels of wicked counsellors to flattering words of lewd women Gen. 3. so was Eve ruined by hearkening to the divel in the serpent Prov. 7. So was that fore-mentioned young man undon by giving ear to the wanton allurements of that strange woman Bee persuaded therefore I beseech you to watch over your ears to keep them shut against such wicked solicitations It 's Solomon's advice My son Prov. 1.10 if sinners entice thee consent thou not Let not the fair speeches of any seduce you nor their pretenses of friendship were they never so neer or seemed they never so friendlie reject them rather reject their friendship then accept of their counsel When our Saviour having foretold his passion Peter said to him Bee it far from thee Lord Matth. 16.21.22.23 what hear's hee from his Master Get thee behinde mee Satan hee own 's him not now as his disciple but take's knowledg of Satan making use of his tongue to dishearten him from that great work which hee was to perform tending so much to the glorie of his Father and the Salvation of the world So let it bee your care Look from evil counsellers as bearing the semblance of friends and consider them as instruments employed by Satan to draw you from the waie of obedience to the waie of sin and hearken not to them becaus they seem friends but stop your ears against their wicked counsels becaus herein Satan by them seek's the ruine of your pretious souls 3. Many have been undon by evil companie and how can it well bee otherwise One scabbed sheep marre's an whole flock 1 Cor. 5.6 Prov. 7. A little leaven sowre's the whole lump Who can touch pitch and not bee defiled here yee shall hear provocations to evil encouragements in evil discouragements from good reviling of goodness and who know's not what power such speeches have to corrupt here yee shall see examples of evil and yee know how powerful examples are to draw us away oh then bee choice of your companie bee warie to what companions yee join your selvs saie Psal 119.115 as David Away from mee yee wicked I will keep the commandements of my God It 's Solomon's advice as a fens against drunkenness and riot Prov. 23.20 Bee not among wine-bibbers and riotous eaters of flesh would yee not prove profane swearers shun the companie of such and so in all other kindes And if yee would fear God and walk on in the waie of God's fear imitate David Psal 119.63 whose profession it was I am a companion of all them that fear Thee and keep Thy testimonies In the companie of such thou shalt hear exhortations to good and encouragements in good and examples of good and these yee shall finde singularly usefull 3. By how much more corrupt youth is by so much more bee incessant in prayer and earnest with God to watch over thee Psal 127.1 and to fens thee against the corruptions of youth It 's true that the Psalmist saie's Except the Lord watch the citie the watchman waketh but in vain It hold's true in the business in hand That it is your dutie to watch over your selvs yee have alreadie heard but know that all your care will bee wholly frustrate and to no purpose except the watchman of Israël doth watch for you and with you Oh then ceas not to follow God with your praiers for the obteining of this grace whether the Masters of the families wherein yee live bee careful to praie to God with you and for you or no do not yee forget morning and evening to commend your selvs to God by praier that by the watchful eie of his gratious providence yee may bee preserved from those miscarriages to which yee are prone of your selvs or may bee solicited by Satan and his instruments 2. The consideration of this corruption of youth is singularly profitable to them that have out-lived that age and that also three waies 1. To teach them to look back to their youth and to take knowledg of the sins of it and the vices with which their youth hath been tainted not to bee tickled with