the sins of their Youth 2. That seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God least who seek these things after a sort but it 〈◊〉 by the by they do not make it their business â—…hat seek but it is in a slothfull careless manner â—…hat seek but do not strive to enter in at the streight â—…ate that do not seek heartily diligently chiefly â—…hat seek the things of the world in the first place â—…nd the things of Gods Kingdom afterwards and as â—…ose things will suit with their secular interests â—…nd earthly concernments as if Mammon were to 〈◊〉 preferred before God and Earth were of more â—…orth than Heaven and the Body more excellent than the Soul I might here both speak of the siâ—… of those persons and shew how they dishonour God of the folly of those persons and shew how they arâ—… injurious to themselves But it is the next word 〈◊〉 chiefly intend SECT III. Use 2. OF Advice and that to Young Men to puâ—… in practice the duty of the Text Seeâ—… first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness The chief composition of this Auditory at thiâ—… time being young men and the occasion of this Sermon being the desire of young men I shall therefore address my self wholly unto you that arâ—… young It is a goodly sight to behold so many oâ—… you come together to hear something for your soulâ—… good I had several Texts propounded to my thoughts to speak unto this I thought might be a suitable and seasonable as any Your forwardness to hear maketh me hope you will be forward to obey O that my Doctrine might now drop like the dew and that my words of advice out of the Word oâ—… God might be like the rain falling upon the tendeâ—… grass which causeth it to spring Let it not be likâ—… water falling upon so many rocks which maketâ—… no impression or like rain upon barren ground which bringeth forth briars and thorns instead oâ—… hearbs meet for the Masters use you know thaâ—… such ground is nigh unto cursing and burning Heb. 6. 8. Receive then Dear Youths the word of Advicâ—… which I now give you in the name of my Lord anâ—… Master from whose mouth the Word did first proceed Seek first the Kingdom and righteousnesse of God There is a generation of old ones who are going off the stage of the world and you are comeing on in their room ere long they will lie down in the dust and you not long since did spring out of it they are almost come to their Journeys end and you are setting forth on the way they are even arrived at the Port and you are now putting forth to Sea It is of the greatest concernment in the world to take and follow good advice at the first before you are engaged too farr Here therefore I shall put you in minde that there are two wayes or passages in which all the children of men are travelling the one is the way of sin the other is the path of righteousness The way of sin is broad an open beaten road you may easily know it by the multitude of Travellers it is the course of the world Your Parents when they bring you into the world set you down in this way and many yea most of them go before you in it It appeareth to you the smoothest and fairest way it may seem a delightfull way to you at the first strewed with roses such company such enticements you may have in this way as may render it most desireable if you take Sense and Flesh for your guides and counsellers But let me warn you before-hand that you walk not in this way you will quickly finde the pleasurâ—…s in this way to drop and fade the flowers will wither the Sun will be clouded the delights of sin will vanish and heavy griefs and bitter sorrows and vexation of spirit will succeed and blot out all the sweet relish you have had of unlawfull enjoyments You will finde your selves bereaved and disappointed in that satisfaction and happiness you looked and hoped for it a sinfull course It is a dangerous way there arâ—… unseen snares in it and you will receive secret buâ—… deep and mortal wounds which are beyond the arâ—… of man to cure It is the way which leadeth to destruction Matth. 7. 14. It is the high road to Hell thither it will bring you And if there be some sensual sweetness in the beginning of the way think what bitterness there will be at the end thereof Think how terrible Death will be unto you after a life of sin but think how dreadfull the punishment of Hell will be when you are let thorow the gate of death into that place of extream and dreadfull torment There is another way namely the path of Righteousness the way of Holiness which is narrow and hath a strait gate which you must go thorow if you would get into it namely the gate of Regeneration It is a way that is difficult to finde tedious and irksome at first it is a weeping and sorrowfull way at the entrance few there be that finde it most are discouraged by the narrowness and difficulty of it from putting their feet into it But it is the way of Life it is the way to the Kingdom it is the way of Peace it is the way of God it is the way to Heaven The difficulty is chiefly at the first the sorrows are mostly in the pangs of the New Birth in conflicting for passage thorow the strait gate weepinâ—… may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Trouble may be your companion for a while but peace and sweetness succeed in its room If you walk steadily you will finde it to be a way of such pleasure and delight as you never did finde or can finde in the way of sin And if there should be clouds and rain and stormy windes of trouble and temptation in the Journey yet the latter end will be Peace be sure there will be rest and happiness in the Kingdom into which death will convey your Souls after they are seperated from your Bodies there you will finde fullness of joy and pleasure for evermore So that you have here Life and Death set before you Heaven and Hell eternal Happiness and eternal Misery the latter at the end of the way of sin and the former at the end of the way of Holiness And which will you choose if you will run with the wicked in the same excess of riot if you will follow the multitude to do evil if you will walk according to the course of the world fulfilling the desires of your flesh and make provision for the satisfaction of its lusts you will be found at last in the number of the children of wrath and the wrath of God will certainly come upon all such Children of disobedience If you will live after the flesh you shall die you shall not escape the stroke of eternal death you cannot avoid the
their posterity Dear young men labour to overcome this temptation of the wicked one by the delight and pleasure of sin by taking into your most serious thoughts these few Considerations 1. Consider that all the pleasures of sin are low mean empty thin unsatisfying pleasures they are sensual and brâ—…itish A beast can finde 〈◊〉 pleasure in the most of them than you can do who are capable of higher pleasures these delights may please your sensual appeâ—…te but they cannot satisfie your rational souls they may satiate and glut the senses but they cannot content the heart The Devil and lust may promise full satisfaction and contentment if you will commit such and such sins but they alwaies fall short in the performance I would ask these three questions of the most luxurious persons 1. Whether ever they found so much pleasure in any sin as they expected and desired 2. Whether the choicest of their pleasures have not in a short time brought a weariness and trouble upon their spirits 3. Whether this weariness and trouble hath not been more irksome and grievous to them than their sensual pleasures have been pleasing and delightful yea let me add a fourth If amongst the choicest and chiefest of their delights in which thev finde most sweetness they had but one delight without change and variety whether that delight would not quickly lose its nature and prove a torment to them If they were bound alwaies to eat or continually to drink or without intermission to be alwaies in the act of adultery would not this be more bitter than sweet These pleasures are unsatisfying the soul can be satisfied with nothing beneath the enjoyment of God by whom and for whom it was made 2. Consider the shortness of these pleasures The Apostle calleth them pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. 25. And as he saith of some meats that they perish in the using Col. 2. 22. so some pleasures they perish in the enjoying the enjoyment of them doth put a period unto them and those that are most durable they quickly flit away as a cloud or vapour which if not blown away by the wind they vanish of their own accord If the stormy wind of outward affliction do not puff out the candle of wicked mens joy yet the daies of old age are drawing on in which they shall say They have no pleasure in them Eccles. 12. 1. Death be sure will sweep them all away there will be no sinful pleasures in the other world 3. Consider the sting of the pleasures of sin which is not in the mouth but in the tail Grief and wounds and piercing sorrows will be the issue of sin Sin hath a far differing aspect in the temptation before it is committed and in the reflection after it is committed especially when they begin to be plagued for it In the temptation sin lookerh fair and beautiful and with a pleasant countenance but in the râ—…flection it is black grizly and terrible Hence it is that wicked men who can delight themselves so much in the fore-thoughts of sin when they are enticed unto it yet cannot endure to look back on sin with fore-thoughts of the account they must give unto God for it Sin though never so pleasant will in a short time produce more bitterness a thousand-fold than ever it did yield sweetness Besides the lashes and stings of conscience which sensualists sometimes have in their secret retirements how are they if any thing awakened at their latter end even utterly consumâ—…d with terrours But O the horrible anguish that will seize upon thâ—…ir spirits so soon as they are separated from their bodies O the tearings that they will feel of the never-dying Worm when they are clapt in the dark dungeon of Hell where they will be under the immediate impression of the wrath of the sin-revenging God! If sensualists did but believe and seriously consider the pains which they must endure in body and soul for ever for their sinful pleasures it would quench their desires after them If the Drunkard did see Dives instead of his bowls and goblets of rich wine begging for a drop of water to cool his tongue surely they would sooner drink poison than drink unto excess Iâ—… filthy fornâ—…cators did but know what dreadful horrour doth now possess and fill the parted souls of those which have lived in that sin surely they would rather take a Toad into their bosomes than embrace the bosome of an Harlot 2. The second Temptation whereby the wicked one draweth young men unto the commission of sin is by the glory and repute of it Not long after our Saviour was baptized he was led into the wilderness and tempted by the wicked one and amongst other temptations this was one the discovery and proffer which he made unto him of the glory of the world if he would fall down and worship him Luk. 4. 5 6 7. And with the proposals of glory and repute in a way of sin he doth perswade young men to the practice thereof in the management of which Temptation 1. He doth represent unto them the waies of God as reproachful the service of God as ridiculous the people of God as the most contemptible persons under the Sun as base ignoble and mean-spirited people hiding the high dignity and honour the Lord hath conferred upon them 2. He covereth the shame and disgrace of sin he doth what he can to hide from their consideration the filthiness and loathsome nature of it and what confusion of face will be the consequent of sin at the last 3. He putteth a glorious attire upon sin and painteth it over with such fair colours and representeth it unto them with such a varnish of brightness and beauty that it seemeth to them very desirable He useth many arts to bring sin into credit and employeth his cursed Agents to commend sin with the highest Elogiums as if it were a noble thing and worthy of great repute to encourage young men by acclamations of bravery of spirit when they aspire to be wicked in a high degree 4. And so fourthly joyning in with the lust of Pride and a desire of esteem he doth provoke them to do any thing which may make for their repute But dear young ones labour to overcome this temptation of the wicked one whereby he would draw you to sin by the glory and repute of it which that you may do consider 1. That sin hath no repute except it be amongst the vilest persons whose esteem thereof doth render it so much the more odious and abominable 2. That the Holiness of God is his most glorious Attribute and therefore sin which is directly opposite hereunto can have no real glory in it therefore sin is the only abominable thing which he hateth therefore he lightly esteemeth he looketh upon afar off he scorneth and despiseth he loatheth and abhorreth all the workers of iniquity 3. That the honour of sin is empty vain windy short transitory like the
that it is as hard to get a pardon for those sins which you call small ones as for the greatest God can as easily pardon the one as the other the smallest sins require the infinite mercy of God and the infinite merits of Christ for their pardon therefore no sin is in it self small 2. Consider is the thing but small which you are tempted unto this in some respect aggravateth the offence if you yield to the temptation A man that will forfeit the favour of his Prince or friend for a small thing it argueth a great slighting of their favour So the least wilful sin argueth a great slighting of the favour of God which hereby is forfeited Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not encrease thy wealth by their price saith the Psalmist when he apprehended that God took little regard to his people Psal. 44. 12. So may I say on the contrary when you will offend God for a small thing you do as it were sell your God for nought and what advantage will you get hereby It was the saying of our Saviour Mat. 24. 26. What shall it profit a man if be gain the whole world and lose his own soul And what can a man give in exchange for his soul Much more may I say What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his God and what can a man give in exchange for God who is the chief good and in whom doth consist our chiefest happiness But if you will lose or exchange your God for nought for a trifle by little sins this as it argueth great folly so it is a great aggravation of sin 3. Consider that the least sin which you allow your selves in the practice of is sufficient to damn your souls A small leak in a ship unstopped will quickly let in water enough to drown the ship though not so soon as the greatest breach A prick with a pin in the heart will as surely kill a man as a wound with a sword So the least sin unrepented of will as surely shipwrack and destroy the soul as the greatest and most heinous osfences The Law curseth and condemneth every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And such as lie under the curse cannot inherit the blessing Let not any think then to get to Heaven who allow themselves in the practice of the least sins who make no conscience of petty oaths officious lyes idling away their precious time and the like which are accounted small and trivial things by the men of the world 4. Consider though the wicked one seemeth modest and shamefac't in his first temptations in asking but little things yet he will not rest there but by degrees will proceed further and hereby bring you unto the commission of greater As the habits of grace so the habits of sin are strengthened by degrees though the beginning be but small yet within a little while sin will greatly encrease Rivers at first arise from small springs which in running gather waters and encrease into a great stream So actual sins I speak not of original sin which is a deep and unsearchable fountain from whence actual sin doth arise and by which it is fed I say actual sins in their first beginning are but small which if a man alloweth himself in the practice of they will swell and encrease and carry him with a strong stream towards the Ocean of Gods wrath if you make no conscience of small sins you will easily be tempted to those which are great and more notorious First Satan will propose sin to your thoughts it is no great thing to think and if you can dally with sin in your thoughts then he will by delightful pleasing thoughts of sin lay siege to your will it is no great matter to desire if you do not act then if the fort of the will be taken all the under-forts of the affections will quicâ—…y yield and when you have entertained sin in your hearts you will be tempted to proceed further to vent it at your lips it is no great thing to speak and then as you have opportunity he will tempt you to practice go a little further the sin is sweet try but once put but one step into this way and retire again as soon as you will and when once you have committed the act it may be with smitings and reluctance of conscience then he will entice again it cannot be much worse try once again and by degrees the reluctance wears off and though you commit sin at first with more regret yet afterwards you will do it with more ease and delight yea with greediness and resolution with hardness and obstinacy and one great sin will make way for the commission of more so that in time you will not forbear the greatest sins Nemo repentè fit turpissimus no man arriveth to the highest degree of wickedness upon a sudden but is step by step drilled on by the Devil and his own hearts lusts from little sins to the greatest By degrees Gods reverence is more lessened the will more enclined the conscience more seared the habits of sin more strengthened the Devil more encouraged and so way is made for any sin Lesser Commandments saith one are a hedge about the greatest if by small sins you break down this hedge you will quickly make breaches upon the greater too Smaller sins many times will engage you to commit greater to maintain and defend them the least link in a chain will draw the greatest after it If you would be kept from great sins you must take heed of the first beginnings obsta principiis c. A small wound in the body if it be not looked after may fester and gangrene and endanger the life So small sins if not stopt and healed will breed a gangrene in the spirit and bring certain death and destruction If you do not resist the beginnings of sin it will be hard to make head against it afterwards when it hath got more strength It will be as hard to leave off a custom of sin which will be a second nature as for the Aethiopian to change his skin or the Leopard his spots Non obtinebis ut desinant si inâ—…ipere permiseris Imbecillis est primò vires dum procedit par at Excluditur facilius quà m expellitur Facilius non recipiuntur quà m exeunt saith Seneca Vice is but weak at the first it gathereth strength as it proceedeth it is easier kept out than thrust out it is easier not to receive it than being received to leave it Dear Youths take heed then of small sins resist the first motions and temptations to sin crush sin in the first rising of it delight not in the thoughts of it Keep your hearts guard your senses if you would overcome this temptation of the wicked one 5. The fifth Temptation whereby the wicked one doth
But diligently and faithfully use all other means first if other considerations do not move you to that Relation This Treatise would swell into too great a bulk should I speak thus largely concerning every sin therefore I shall be more brief in the rest 2. Young men take heed of Drunkenness You are strong in body be not strong to drink unto excess This sin will distemper your body intoxicate your spirit and destroy your soul take heed of it it is one of the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5. 21. and such as commit it cannot have any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 10. think of the bitter cup of Gods wrath hereafter which you must drink of if you exceed the measure in your sweet cups here Take heed of frequenting those places I mean Taverns and Alehouses where the temptation doth chiefly lye neither go into those places often neither stay in those places longer than need doth require Take heed of the company of drunkards turn away from them if they tempt you shake them off if they hang upon you choose sober persons for your associates and familiars Take heed of the ungodly practice of drinking Healths a heathenish custom too much in use amongst some loose Christians I might say a hellish custom which the Devil doth put men upon that it might be a shooing-horn to drunkenness You are halt perswaded to be drunk when you are perswaded to drink a health forbear it it is an occasion of much sin 3. Young men take heed of Gluttony especially in these leasure dayes wherein so much time and cost is layed out in Feasts This Gluttony is called by our Saviour sursetting which he warneth his Disciples against Luk. 21. 34. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and that day overtake you at unawares Here Gluttony and Drunkenness are coupled together as being much of the same nature the one is drinking to excess the other is eating to excess then our Saviour biddeth take heed of overcharging their hearts when the body is overcharged with meat the heart is overcharged the Soul is overcharged as well as the Body and therefore unfit for the service either of God or Man Then he commandeth them to take heed lest at any time they overcharge themselves with such excesses it is not lawfull at any time neither on ordinary dayes neither on extraordinary dayes not on Feasting dayes God alloweth his people to feast but not to gluttonize they may eat for necessity and something for delight but they must never eat unto excess to distemper and discompose themselves for action And lastly he subjoyns an awakening Consideration lest that day overtake them at unawares lest the day of Judgement overtake them if not of the generall Judgement yet of their particular Judgement lest Death should surprize them and the wrath of God should surprize them at unawares and they should be taken away in the act of this sin as Psal. 78. 30 31. Whilest the meat was in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them 4. Young men take heed of Gaming Some sports are lawfull and innocent and needfull at some times for the health of the body but take heed your affections be not set upon any Sports and than you spend not more time in them than is needfull But there are other Games that are useless and hurtfull that are thieves of money and time and unlawfull such as Carding and Dicing which being pure Lottery and Lottery being a sacred thing should not be made use of in Games as I conceive no more than Oaths in common discourse Cards may well be termed the Devils Books and Dice the Devils Game look not into those books though they have no sense in them yet they will strangely bewitch you to spend hours and nights together in turning them over Throw not away your time with the Dye you can never recover what you lose I mean your precious time not to say any thing of the danger you will be in of spending all you have as some who have been worth many thousand pounds at night have not been worth a thousand pence by the morning There is no exercise of the body in thâ—…se Games and I am sure there is a corrupting of the Minde and a loss of the precious time and what plea can you have for such Games Have you no employment for your time Is it not pity that so many golden hours should run waste Be not enticed to this sin by Friends be not perswaded to it by custome if you will do as the most do you must go where the most goe and that is to Hell Think if you lay upon your death bed whether this sin of Gaming would not trouble you and whether those will not have more peace that our of Conscience have forborn to touch a Card or Dye all their life-time 5. Young men take heâ—…d of Quarrelling forbear gaming and you will be out of the occasion of many quarrels Take heed of a contentious spirit In your young blood and strength of body you are apt to have that which the world falsly terms a high spirit and may be ready to offer affronts and injuries to others and be able to bear none but let me tell you that such a spirit is a low base spirit a mean ignoble spirit The high spirit indeed is such a spirit as is most like the Spirit of Christ he who had the most noble soul that ever God created and his Spirit was humble and meek who did injury to none but bore all injuries patiently who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not when he was smitten he did not return blow for blow This was noble Young ones labour to be like unto Jesus Christ in meekness and patient bearing injuries and reproaches Strife and contention comes from beneath and is termed James 3. devilish but meekness and patience cometh down from above and will truly ennoble you a meek and quiet spirit not onâ—…y in women but also in young men is their ornament and before God of great price 1 Pâ—…t 3. 4. 6. Young men take heed of Swearing It is the express command of our Saviour Matth. 5. 34 37. I say unto you Swear not at all c. that is in your ordinary discourse but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatever is more than these cometh of evil If you will be Christs Disciples you must obey him What advantage can you get by this sin What honour is it to swear What pleasure can you finde in it be sure it will bring damage it provoketh God to punish he hath threatned to curse swearers We read Zach. 5. 2 3. of a flying Roll the length twenty cubits the breadth ten cubits which is interpreted to be the curse that goeth over the face of the Earth to cut off him that stealeth on
one side and him that sweareth on the other side God threatneth to condemn swearers Jam. 5. 12. Above all things swear not lest ye fall into condemnation Take heed of the horrid oaths of the roaring Blades in our times and take heed of more petty oaths of faith and troth take heed also of cursing and taking Gods Name in vain remembring that the Lord will not hold such guiltless 7. Young men take heed of Lying See Eph. 4. 25. Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth You would not speak lyes if the party you spoke them unto did know and could prove them to be lyes the intent of lyes being to cover God knoweth your lyes you cannot cover any thing from him and God being Truth loveth truth and hateth lyes and hath threatned lyars to give them their portion in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. Take heed of accustoming your selves to this sin of lying whilst you are young it will be hard ever leaving it Whatever advantage you may think to get by a lye I am sure your damage will be greater Whatever credit you may think to get by a lye your dishonour is greater Whatever fault you cover by a lye you do hereby the more aggravate it Whatever kindness you may think to do another by a lye you do your selves a thousand-fold more injury Though you may account lyes but words and words but wind yet for such words you will be condemned and such a wind as one saith is sufficient to blow your souls into Hell 8. Young men take heed of Unfaithfulness You that are Apprentices or Servants take heâ—…d of unfaithfulness to your Masters that you do not wrong and dâ—…fraud them in the least remembring that dreadful threatning that God will be avenged upon all defrauders 1 Thes. 4. 6. They may not know your fraud and deceit but God is privy to it and the vengeance will be fearful which one day he will recompence unto you for this sin Read the duty of servants in this regard Tit. 2. 10. where they are warned against purloining and exhorted to shew all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Be faithful to your Masters as to their estates their money and goods be careful as if they were your own do not wrong them or any else whilst young remembring that you must make restitution as ever you hope for salvation if you be able to do it and be faithful to them as to their counsels do not blaze abroad their secrets do not make known their infirmities serve them with all uprightness and fidelity as if you were to serve Christ himself for indeed he will count it so and hath promised a reward to faithful servants beyond what their Masters can give Eph. 6. 8. Col. 3. 24. 9. Young men take heed of Disobedience Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing to God Col. 3. 20. For this is the first Commandment with promise Ephes. 6. 2. Servants be obedient unto them which are Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart Ephes. 6. 5 6. Here is a copy of your duty take heed of the contrary sin which the wicked one will be busie to tempt you unto In disobeying Parents and Governours you are disobedient unto God and displease Christ your great Master if they be strangers to Christ you ought to obey them except in those things which are unlawful Young ones that are yet under Governmâ—…nt take heed of disobedience as obedience will be rewarded by Christ so disobedience will be punished by him at his second appearance Be not disobedient to Governours and behave not your selves irreverently towards the aged and gray-headed for you ought to honour the silver-hair 10. Young men take heed of Idleness Do not loiter away your time especially the time of your youth Time is very precious the time of your youth is most precious the choicest and chiesest it is your seed-time your gathering-time you are now more active and fit for employment you may happily spare a month better if you should live beyond fifty years than an hour now your whole time is short the time of your youth will be slipt away quickly manhood and old age will steal on you before you are aware but you â—…ie whilst young You can call no time yours 〈◊〉 the present O how precious is the present hour I think if the damned had but one hour given them how they would esteem and improve it I have heard of a Lady at her death who had mis-spent the â—…ime of her life groaned out in her air breath this sad speech with bitterness and earnestness 〈◊〉 thousand worlds for one quarter of an hour 〈◊〉 Take heed of lavishing away your time in sin and vaâ—…y let not an hour pass without doing something fill up your whole time with duty you may can and drink and sleep but let not the concernments of your body devour too much of your precious time let them not have more of your time than is necessary more than is duty Redeem your time double your diligence remember how much of your time is irrecoverably gone how much of your work is still to do remember how neer you are to eternity when time shall be no more therefore apply your hearts to wisdom and whatever your hands finde to do do it with all your might Take heed of idleness in your particular callings be diligent in your secular imployments the diligent hand maketh rich but the slothful person is brother to him that is a great waster Take heed of idleness of spiritual sloth in your general Callings Take heed of wholly neglecting the duties of Gods Worship either publick or family or closet of neglecting to hear or read or pray and take heed of negligence in these duties there is a curse denounced against such as do the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 48. 10. You must not be slothful if you would be followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the Promises Heb. 6. 12. 11. Young men take heed of Sabbath-breaking Do not idle away this day as too many young men do in the fields in visits in vain company much less in Taverns or Alehouses in drinking and greater wickedness than all the week besides Value the Sabbath day above all the daies of the week spend it in the duties of Gods immediate Worship you may get something in the shop en the week day you may get more in Gods House and Ordinances on the Lords day spiritual light and life and strength and peace and joy Gods favour Jewels of grace evidences for Heaven are worthy your seeking do not lose such benefits as these by profaning the Sabbath-day by suffering worldly business to entrench
draw young men to the commission of sin is by the hopes of future repentance You may allow your selves a little longer in the practice of sin you may rejoyce and take pleasure in the dayes of your youth it is time enough hereafter to think of growing serious and religious to think of repenting and turning and making your peace with God That you may overcome this temptation remember what hath been said already concerning the uncertainty of your Life the uncertainty of the Means of grace the uncertainty of Gods working by the Means Thus much for the first particular concerning the most ordinary and prevailing Temptations whereby the wicked one doth draw young men to sin SECT VII 2. THE Second thing is to caution you against some particular sins of Youth which the wicked one would draw you unto Now there are these 20 sins of Youth which I shall caution you against 1. Uncleanness 2. Drunkenness 3. Gluttony 4. Gaming 5. Quarrelling 6. Swearing 7. Lying 8. Unfaithfulness 9. Disobedience 10. Idleness 11. Sabbath-breaking 12. A Frothy spirit 13. Scoffing 14. Pride 15. Censoriousness 16. Procrastination of Repentance 17. Carnal Security 18. Carnal Confidence 19. Rashness 20. Unsteadfastness 1. Young men take heed of uncleanness The wicked one will be busie to tempt you and your hearts in these years will be most ready to encline you youthfull lusts are now apt to stir within you especially in such a City as this where there are so many objects to entice your eye and heart but for your Life take heed that you be not drawn to this sin Flee fornication and adultery other sins are without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body 1 Cor. 6. 18. Not to speak any thing of mens weakening and consuming their bodies by their frequency in this sin he that committeth fornication desâ—…leth his body it is a filthy nasty sinâ—… hereby the body is more defiled in the eyes of God than if the body were drenched in a Jakes it is just with God that such as venture upon this sin should as many do get the soul disease hereby and that their members should â—…ot and putrifie whilest they are alive He that committeth fornication or adultery sinneth against his own soul he defileth his soul he woundeth his soul and he destroyeth his soul his heart which should be God Temple is hereby defiled and he loaths such an habitation his Conscience which whilest whole is a continual Feast is hereby wounded his spirit which whilâ—…st chaste and clean is safe is hereby exposed unto inevitable ruine and destruction Therefore it is a foolish sottish thing to commit this sins see Prov. 6. 32 33. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul a wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Such as commit this sin blot their Name as well as defile their Spirit wound their Reputation as well as wound their Conscience but chiefly they lack understanding because hereby they dâ—…stroy their own Soul Young men look into two or three Scriptures which methinks should be sufficient to deterr you from this sin where you may perceive whatever sweetness and pleasure this sin may promise and yield that bitterness and destruction is at the end and in the conclusion See Prov. 5. 3 4 5. The lips of a strange woman drop as an hony-comb and her mouth is smoother than Oyl But her end is bitter as worntwood sharp as a two-edged sword her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell See also Prov. 7. from vers 6. to the end of the chapter where Solomon speaketh of the young man void of understanding whom he took notice of out of his window meeting with an Harlot who enticed him and perswaded him to accompany her to the bed of lust and he telleth you that he went after her as an Oxe to the slaughter and a sool to the correction of the stocks as a bird to the snare till an arrow struck thorow his liver not perceiving the danger he was in of his life Therefore he calleth upon young men to hearken and take warning and to turn away their feet from her paths and that because her house goeth down to Hell and chap. 2. 19. he telleth you that none that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of Life This sin doth so stupifie men that it is ten thousand to one but you go to Hell without ever thinking of returning if you commit it for he that commiteth-fornication or adultery sinneth against God and he severely threatneth all such Heb. 13. 4. Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge And it is a fearfull thing to fall into the bands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. Hereafter you will be repayed with ten thousand times more pain and hearts-grief in Hell than ever you found delight in this sin Young men take heed of Uncleanness as you ever hope for salvation and to escape future wrath refrain this sin take heed of actual adultery avoid occasions come not neer the places where Harlots live shun the company of such as are light and wanton entice not any by speech or look or behaviour neither be enticed your selves take heed of going to Stage-playes where a dart may strike your heart where you may have incentives to the sin by the immodest actions of actors or the immodest garb of spectators Comé not neer the flame lest a fire be enkindled in your bosomes before you are aware be not found in the Devils School lest he catch you in his snare and binde you and lead you captive If the wicked one assault you in your place and you be tempted by any that converse with you flee the place as Joseph when his Mistress enticed him say How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God And young Virgins yield not to this sin if you be inticed encourage not any by your carriage to make an attempt rush out of the hands of the temptation with speed and indignation proclaim the shame of any that shall twice move you keep your selves chaste and pure it is your ornament it is your glory Young men take heed of actual uncleanness with others and take heed of self-pollutions which are Murder and Adultery before God do not dishonour your own bodies by your selves Take heed of speculative uncleanness do not look upon a woman to lust after her Make a Covenant with your eyes that you may not think upon a Maid suppress the first rising of lust in your minde get this evil concupisâ—…ence mortified by vertue drawn from Christs death and the operation of the Spirit beat down your flesh with labour and abstinence if you finde your selves very prone to this sin and if no other course will do to quench the burning God hath appointed a remedy by Marrying