leave to be a suitor for your love let me beg your Love for God and his dear Son This is the first and great Commandement to love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your minde Matth. 22. 37 38. God commandeth you to love him it is your duty God alloweth you to love him it is your priviledge God doth chiefly require your love My Son give me thy heart If you give any thing every thing you have besides and keep back your heart it will not be accepted And God doth best deserve your love he is the most suitable object for your love other objects will debase your love God will ennoble and dignifie your love you cannot bestow your love better none so amiable as God especially as he represents himself in his Son If you look for greatness he is the most great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth If you look for power he is Omnipotent hath done and can do whatever he pleaseth If wisdom hath a beauty in it in your esteem his understanding and wisdom is infinite If truth faithfulness mercy goodness be amiable in your eyes he is truth it self and cannot lye he is full of mercy and kindness he hath most tender bowels he hath riches and treasures of grace and goodness If love be an attractive of love his love is beyond comparison beyond conception there is a heighth in his love which cannot be reached a depth in his love which cannot be fathomed a breadth and length in his love which cannot be comprehended his love is first without any beginning his love is free without our deserving his love is constant without any changing his love is eternal without any ending He is most lovely this should draw forth your love much he is most loving this should draw forth your love more he is love it self 1 Jâ—…h 4. 8. God is love not only hath love but is love he is all beauty and sweetness all goodness and kindness all bowels and love O what an incentive should this be to your love whither are your hearts wandring O gather in all your scattcred affections and fix them upon this most beautiful object place your love upon God now before it be too far engaged to something else from whence it may be very difficult to withdraw love him with all your heart love him truly and love him strongly love him sincerely and love him servently love him supreamly and love him constantly let the fire of your love ascend to him as to its sphere let the stream of your love run to him and lose it self in the Ocean of his goodness where alone it can finde suitableness and satisfaction here you may bathe your selves without fear of drowning here you may expatiate without fear of exceeding here you can never transgress the bounds of love love him strongly whom you can never love too strongly Be strong in love one to another you may love one another and you ought to love one another love is the summ of the Law the first Table is fulfilled in love to God the second Table is fulfilled in love to your neighbour See how the Apostle expresseth it Kom 13. 8 9 10. Owe na man any thing but to love one another for be that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness And if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law There is a common love which you should bear to all even to the wicked and your enemies which should not only with-hold you from offering any injury unto them or rendring evil for evil but also should put you upon doing good offices for them in reference to their reputation estate relations bodies as the Lord doth put opportunities into your hands and they stand in need of your help You should be pitiful towards the worst in their distress if your enemy hunger you should feed him if he thirst give him drink You should bless them that curse and revile you do good unto them that hate you pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you You should be loving and courteous in your converse and behaviour towards all men you should grieve at their afflictions rejoyce in their good and be glad of occasions wherein you may shâ—…w a real affection to them you have acquaintance with chiefly you should express your love to their souls in your prayers friendly admonitions hearty counsels you should endeavor to awaken them whom you see sleeping on the brink of the bottomless pit to reduce them that are hastening in the broad way of sin towards their own destruction you should use arguments with them to leave their sins and to close with Jesus Christ especially if any of your relations and â—…eer friends in whom you have interest be in a state of nature you should use all possible endeavours to perswade them to draw in the easie yoke of Christ with your selves Thus you must love all strongly â—…ut you must love them that bear the Image of God â—…pon them that love and fear the Lord most strongâ—…y Your love to the Brethren must be unfeigued â—…are and fervent as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 1. 22. This will be an evidence to you that you are Dâ—…sciples â—…f Christ Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know much â—…ore may yourselves know that ye are my Disciples â—…ye love one another This will be an evidence that ye are passed from death to life 1 John 3. 14. We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren This will be an evidence that ye are born of God and have a true knowledge of him 1 Joh. 4. 7 8. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love You should mingle your converse with Gods people with hearty and fervent love which will be pleasing to God sweet to your own spirit and advantagious to them you converse withall You should be made up of love and kindness pass by injuries bear reproaches cover infirmities sympathize with sorrows relieve necessities joy in the good of others as if your own and be ready to do good to all especially to them who are of the houshold of faith This is the second grace you should abound in namely the grace of Love 3. Young men labour for strong desires not after riches and honours and pleasures and friends though these things in their place and order and measure may be desired but if they be desired chiefly if they be desired too strongly the fruit will be not the looked for good and satisfaction but
upon this sacred time which God hath sanctified and you ought to keep holy 12. Young men take heed of a frothy spirit Some young ones are full of froth and vanity very toyish and foolish without any solidity or seriousness It is time for you now to put away childish things get the vanity of your minds emptied let the frothiness and levity of your spirits be curbed by the fear of God an awful apprehension of his omnipresence and all-seeing eye put your spirits under the Government of the Lord Jesus Christ. 13. Young men take heed of Scoffing If you have wit let it not vent it self in scurrility in jesting and jeering at others which the Apostle eauâ—…oneth against as inconvenient and unbecoming the Gospel Ephes. 5. 4. Do not mock at others infirmities but pity them let nothing be the object of your scorn except it be sin neither should you scoff at others for their sins but labour to reduce them by your friendly admonitions Above all take heed of fcoffing at any for their holiness and strict walking which is an undoubted character of a prophane and carnal heart and such persons as do so are scorned by God and most contemptible in his eyes 14. Young men take heed of Pride Do not over-value and esteem your selves do not conceit an excellency in your selves above others but with lowliness of mind esteem others above your selves If you have any gifts and attainments that may be useful glorifie God with them in your sphere be thankful for them and withall be so well acquainted with your imperfections and secret corruption of heart that you may be humble Be not proud of gifts of mind much less of strength and beauty of body and least of all of hair which is but an excrement or of clothes which are a badge of mans Apostacy Remember that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall That God looketh upon the proud afar off when he hath a respect to the lowly Psal. 138. 6. That God resisteth the proud when he giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 6. 15. Young men take heed of Gensoriousness of rash judging of others Take the caution of our Saviour against this sin Matth. 7. 1 2 3. Judge not that ye be not judged for with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you again And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye If you censure others you will be censured again be sure ye will be judged and condemned by God you are apt to spy little faults motes in others be acquainted with the beam in your own eye with your own greater faults and you will not then be so forward to judge Take one more Scripture which cautioneth you against this sin Jam. 4. 11 12. Speak not evil one of another he that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law He doth in effect say that the Law which condemneth this sin is not so fit a Law But if thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a Judge There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another 16. Young men take heed of Procrastinating your Repentance Do not put off this great work until to morrow remember what hazards you run how uncertain life is how unlikely that ever you should repent if you do not improve your youthful season for it Set about the work presently break off your sins by repentance presently and make your peace with God without further delay left you be cut off from the Land of the living before you are aware and hereafter there will be no room for repentance 17. Young men take heed of â—…nal security You have health and strength and peace and prosperity it may be 〈◊〉 and never tasted the bitter cup of Affliction and therefore may be apt to be secure and secretly hope that this state will last that your Mountain is so strong that you shall never be moved that you shall never come into Adversity Alas you are little acquainted with the World Man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upwards crosses and cares and losses and sickness and pain and many miseries are the attendants of this Life and you must look sooner or later in one measure or other to have your share be not secure but prepare lest being unprovided the miseries of this life be more irksome and unsupportable 18. Young men take heed of carnal Confidence You may be apt now to put your trust in Arms of flesh to repose much confidence in Friends or Means and some external props but you will finde them all like broken reeds or a foot out of joynt and where you have the greatest hope and trust you are like to meet with the greatest disappointment Cease then from Man whose breath is in his nostrils trust not in uncertain riches stay not upon any Creature but put your trust in the Lord who is omnipotent and faithfull in him you may be secure as to the greatest evil and you may have confidence of all needfull supplies 19. Young men take heed of Rashness Be not rash in your Promises lest you repent or be found unfaithfull Be not rash in your Undertakings in your engagement in any business especially take heed of rashness in changing your condition Remember that Proverb That Youth rideth post to be married and lodgeth in the Inne of Repentance In all the weighty affairs of your life Pray to God earnestly for his guidance consult with wise and faithfull friends and seriously deliberate things in your own mindes Observe the rule of the Word and let your design be the glory of God 20. And lastly young men take heed of Unsteadfastness Be not inconstant in your resolutions as to civil affairs and undertakings but especially take heed of inconstancy and unstedfastness in the wayes of God Take heed of a wavering unsettled minde of backslidings and revoltings from God let not your Zeal degenerate into Lukewarmness and your present Forwardness end in Apostacy But watch stand fast in the Faith quit your selves like men be strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. and with full purpose of heart stick close unto the Lord AuÌ„ 11. 23. Labour to keep your selves from these sins of Youth which the wicked one would draw you unto that so you may be victorious and if you overcome you shall eat of the tree of Life which is in the Paradise of God Rev. 2. 7. You shall not be hurt of the second death v. 11. You shall eat of the hidden Manna and have the white stone wherein the new Name is written which none-can read but they that receive it v. 17. You shall have the Morning Star v. 28. You shall be cloathed in White Raiment and Christ will confess your Name before his Father and before the Angels ohap 3. 5. You shall be Pillars in the Temple of God and go no more out and have the Name of God written upon you v. 12. You shall sit with Christ on his throne as he overcame and is set down with his Father on his throne v. 21. My most dearly beloved young men labour thus that you may be such young men as are commended in the Text to be strong that the Word of God may abide in you and to overcome the wicked one SECT VIII AND now I shall shut up my whole Discourse with a few words for encouragement of you in these Duties 1. This will be your Wisdome whoso is wise will observe these things Read one place concerning Davids wisdom upon this account Psal. 119. 98 99 100. Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom it is the chief part of Wisdom and they have the best understanding that keep his Commandements Psal. 111. 10. 2. This will be your Glory This will be an or-nament of Grace unto your head and like a Chain about your neck Prov. 1. 9. It will make you shine like Lights in a dark World and it will not only render you truly honourable but also tend exceed-ingly to your Masters glory 3. This will be your Advantage It will bring in the truest purest surest and most lasting gain 4. This will be your Safety This will shelter you under the wings of the Almighty secure you in times of great Judgements here and from storms of future wrath 5. This will be your Peace Great peace have they that love Gods Law and nothing shall disturb them This will yield peace and comfort to you in Life this will bear up your spirits in the hour of Death and at length procure for you a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away Be strong then O ye young Men because in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Let the Word of God abide in you because of the Treasure laid up for you And overcome the Wicked one because of the Crown of Glory which shall be set upon the head of the Conquerers Vincenti Corona dabitur FINIS
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
are strong Marvellous is the strength and power of grace in some young ones who have been sanctified betimes whereby they have been enabled to do him some notable service in the world In youth as the Body is most strong and active so the Soul is most vigorous and lively and therâ—…fore most fit to be employed by the Lord. Seâ—…k then Gods Kingdom and Righteousness in the time of Youth because this is the most acceptable time God is best pleased therewith 2. The time of youth is the most seasonable time There is a time for all things saith Solomon Eccl. 5. 1. The time of youth is the most sâ—…asonable time to seek the Kingdom of God There are four things requisite in seeking Gods Kingdom to all such as would obtain it 1. The Breaking of the heart for sin 2. The Breaking of the heart from sin 3. The Opening of the heart to Christ. 4. The Furnishing of the heart with Grace The time of Youth is most seasonable for all 1. You must get your heart broken for sin if ever you would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven you must mourn for sin here or weep for sin for ever you must sowe in tears if you would reap in joy The time of youth is most seasonable for this your sorrow is like to be loss heavy and more kindly The heart hath a natural hardness but if it hath got a contracted hardness it will with more difficulty be broken if ever it be broken Custom in sin will take away sense of sin and if you continue in the practice of sin you will feel a senselesness and stupidity grow upon your spirit and Conscience more tender and timorous at first by degrees will grow feared as with a hot Iron and be past feeling Bring your hearts therefore now under the hammer of the Word that they may be broken the longer you deferre the harder you will finde it to repent 2. You must get your hearts broken from sin you must turn from your evil wayes otherwise iniquity will be your ruine The longer you continue in sin the harder it will be to leave sin custom will be a second nature to you the changing whereof will be like changing the skin of the Aethiopian and taking away the spots of the Leopard When sin is rooted and riveted in you if so be you should turn from it it will be with unexpressible tearings and divulsions of spirit It is a hard thing to irradicate old habits which at first in the tender years may be done with more ease Therefore Dear young ones labour to get sin rooted out of your hearts betimes Get sin mortified before it hath got too much life and strength oppose sin before it hath got too much head and power which you may do with more facility and success 3. You must open your hearts and give entertainment unto Christ if you ever expect to have the gate of Heaven opened unto you and to be entertained by Christ in his Kingdom Such as shut the door of their hearts against Christ when they are young will finde if Christ doth not withdraw and leave knocking that the door will be faster bolted and barred within against him the longer you hold it out the more will Sathan strengthen the Fort against Christ and more easily beat off whatever assaults are made upon you by the Word and Spirit Christ will come in most willingly to them that open to him presently and the match will quickly be made up if in youth you hearken to the motion Let me beseech you therefore my dearly beloved young ones to open the door to Christ without any further delay by me he standeth now and knocketh for entertainment what answer shall I return that you have harboured lusts there where his lodging should be and would not part with them that you put me off till a further day untill you had a little longer tasted the sweets of sin O take heed of such carriage of heart towards Christ Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit if you be not willing to open to Christ now you will be more unwilling to morrow do it then presently may I be instrumental to joyn the Lord Jesus Christ and you together in marriage receive him into your hearts and accept of him to love honour and obey him and do it heartily and resolvedly and he is yours 4. You must get your hearts furnished with grace if ever you hope to share in the glory of Gods Kingdom Grace is glory in the seed and glory is grace in the flower grace is glory in the root glory is grace in the fruit grace is glory in the first-fruits glory is grace in the harvest You must get the seed sown the root planted or no flower no fruit no harvest is to be expected you must get the Kingdom of Gods grace within you Luk. 17. 21. if ever you would be admitted into the Kingdom of his glory And the time of youth is the most seasonable time for the getting of grace no time like the Spring for setting of this Plant of grace in the heart in the youth the heart is more plyable and like the yielding Wax more ready to receive the impressions of the Spirit 3. The time of youth is the most safe time If you make it your first care to seek the kingdom and righteousness of God you are most likely to finde and be successefull but if you make delayes you run your selves upon great uncertainties there is danger that you will never obtain if you do not seek whilest you are young The danger lyeth in three respects In respect of 1. The Uncertainty of Life 2. The Uncertainty of the Means 3. The Uncertainty of Gods working by the Means 1. In respect of the uncertainty of Life no Age â—…s secure and fenced against the arrowes of Death Some flowers are nipped in the bud some Springs run into the Sea so soon as they arise the thred of Life in some is quickly cut and the Candle blown â—…ut within a while after it is lighted You may dye whilest you are young and if you do not seek Gods kingdom and righteousness now you may not have â—…ime to seek these things at all 2. Your danger is in respect of the uncertainty of the Means of Grace you have now means and opportunities of seeking hereafter you may be deprived of the means if you be not deprived of your lives You have calls now hereafter you may be placed where you shall be out of call you now are planted in a fruitfull soil where the Sun shines and the Dews of the Word do fall if you remain fruitless God may remove you out of his Garden or he may withhold the dews and cause the Sun to retreat into a cloud He may either take away the Means of grace from you or take away you from the Means and if you do not seek and obtain whilest you enjoy the Means are you like to
Written Word of God the Scriptures abide in you The Book of the Holy Scriptures is the most excellent Book that ever was written It is the Book of God If an Angel should write a book I believe you would get and study such a book were you capable of understanding it much more should you study the Scripture which is of Divine Inspiration This is Gods Book and his only written Book there are not many Books of God to burden your memory you may read it over many times in your Life it is translated into your Mother-tongue that you may read it and it is written for the most part in a plain easie style that you may understand it and it is full of most excellent matter The Matter of the Word is 1. Doctrinal 2. Historical 3. Prophetical 4. Preceptive 5. Promissory In all the Word of God is most excellent 1. The Doctrine of the Word of God is most excellent In the Word you have the highest Doctrines concerning God his one Nature in thrâ—…e Persons concerning Christ his two Natures in one Person concerning the Church the mystical union of Christ the head and all Believers his members concerning mans Redemption by Christs death concerning the way of mans salvation by the Covenant of Grace and the like Look into all the writings of Philosophers and the wisest Heathâ—…ns that ever wrote who have had the greatest learning and largest understanding of things and you shall finde no Doctrine they have taught to be in the least comparable with the Doctrine of the Scriptures What are all the Arts and Sciences in the World what are the most subtle speculations the most accurate and rational discourses concerning the secrets and mysteries of Nature in which the most knowing have been puzzled and fallen short of a full understanding in comparison with the Doctrine of the Word and the mysteries of the Kingdom of God which are revealed in the Scriptures 2. The History of the Word is most excellent In the Word you have the History of the Creation the history of the Old World the history of the Flood the history of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrha with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven the history of Gods calling Abraham and the Patriarchs the history of Gods bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt with many signs and wonders through the Red Sea and Wilderness into the Land of Promise the history of the Jewish Paedagogy and Gods various dealings with his Church before Christ came but especially you have the history of Christ his birth his life his works his death his resurrection his ascension his session and intercession at the right hand of God the history of the first plantation of the Gentile Church by the Apostles their preaching and success and the like Look into all the Historians which have written and where shall you finde such an history as is in the Scriptures Surely there is no history like to the history of the Bible for antiquity for certainty no history in which you have such concernment as in this history you may read of the memorable acts of some great Princes and famous Captains which may yield some pleasure to your fancy but you are never the better or the worse for what hath been done by these men so many years ago but you are concerned in the history of the Church in the history of Christ the Saviour of the World your salvation and happiness doth depend upon his birth and death and resurrection and appearance in Heaven to intercede for you 3. The Prophesie of the Word is most excellent not to say any thing of Prophesies already fulfilled concerning the children of Israel in the Old Testament concerning the First appearance of Jesus Christ foretold long before In the Word you have Prophesie concerning the calling of the Jewes the destruction of Antichrist the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles which yet we are in expectation of Especially you have prophecy of the end of the World of the conclusion of Time and of what God will do with the children of men when Time and all the by-us-visible-place shall be no more You have prophecy of the second most glorious appearance of Jesus Christ to Judgement of the Punishment which shall be inflicted upon all the ungodly in Hell of the Reward which shall be given unto the righteous in Heaven This is a great and most sure and most excellent Prophecy Some men have taken upon them to foretell future things and have been foully mistaken and what they have foretold have been but of small moment in comparison This Prophecy of the Word is most sure because the Prophecy of God who knoweth all future things insomuch as he is omniscient and all things depend upon his decree And these things he hath foretold are of the greatest weight of any other things which he hath made known before-hand to us that we might prepare for that which is asar off 4. The Precepts of the Word are most excellent It would be too large to discourse of the Precepts in the Moral Law and the sweet commands of the Gospel where you have such admirable rules for the government of the thoughts heart affections speech behaviour and whole conversation as are not to be found in the Books of the most exact Moralist that ever wrote 5. The Promises of the Word are most excellent Promises of all temporal things needfull Promises of spiritual favours promises of eternal happiness promises suitable to all our wants promises precious of things of the greatest value Promises free without condition of merit Promises sure of a God who is most powerful and most faithful The matter then of this Word of God is most excellent therefore young ones be perswaded to study this Word let this Word of God abide in you 1. Labour to get this Word of God 2. Labour to keep this Word of God 1. Labour to get this Word of God 1. To get it into your minds 2. To get it into your hearts 1. Get the Word of God into your minds so as to understand it so as to believe it And that you may do so I would advise you to take a right method herein that you would begin with the Principles of Religion One that would have a good understanding in the Tongues must first learn the Grammar One that would attain knowledge in the Art and Sciences must begin first with the Principles the Rudiments and Elements of them And so one that would attain a good understanding in the Word of God must begin with the Principles of Religion which are collected together in the most easie way to understand in Catechisms where you have the great fundamental truths of Religion which are necessary to be known believed and practised in order unto salvation set down by way of question and answer And because some Catechisms are very deficient in giving clear light and some are very full I shall above all commend to you 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