the last Verse of that Chapter the latter in the fiâ—st Verse of this in the words of the Text Both which he is backing wiâ—h the former Argument the breviâ—y of Life and the certainty of approaching Death The first Inference or Duty exhorted to in the last Verse of the former Chapter is Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil from thy flâ—sh so I do may the young man think while I rejoyce in my youth and my heart chears me while I walk in the wayes of my heaâ—t and in the sight of mine eyes if this be not to remove sorrow from my hâ—art and put away evil from my flesh what is Such indeed is the opinion of the flesh touching sensual pleasures but sure the judgement of the Spirit of God is quite contrary hereunto and it is quite another thing that is here intended viz. the putting away sorrow by the putting away sin the removing of the Effect the evil of afflictâ—on and suffering by removing the Cause the evil of concupiscence and inordinate affâ—ctâ—â—n according to the truth of that which he is elswhere speaking Prov 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness A holy heart and a merry heart go together and a sinful heart and a sorrowful heart cannot will not be long asunder be that puts not away the evil of sin from his flesh cannot long put away the evil of smart and suffering whatever vain sensual men may imagine the winding up will prove that of the Wise-man true Prov. 11.29 As righteousness tendeth to life so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death and the Reason backing it is bottomed upon the same main Argument the flittingness brevity and uncertainty of Life even in the young and lusty for Childhood and Youth is vanity i.e. are fading passing uncertain soon spent Young men may bear and behave themselves as if imagining their hot blood lusty bodies activity beauty would last alwayes and their youthful pleasures never be at an end but Childhood and Youth are vanity Death may not wait till they be gray-headed or however the earliest Morning hastens apace to Noon and then to Night The second Inference or Duty exhorted to you have in the words of the Text Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth As in the former he was calling off from sin vanity the empty pursuance of the Creature so in this he is calling to and putting upon the remembrance of the Creator q.d. relinquish your vanities and your sensual pleasures and contentments which will be bitterness in the latter end and set your hearts seriously God-ward turn your thoughts toward the minding him And this Exhortation of young men to the now remembring of their Creator is urged upon them by the same main Argument still The flittingness and vanity of Life and the approaching certainty and the evil and dark dayes of old Age and Death While the evil dayes come not c. as in this and the following Verses q.d. old Age and Death are hastening upon you and will certainly and soon overtake you It is the former part of the Verse Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth that I shall insist upon taking no further notice of the latter but as it may be an Argument to enforce this And here because I study expedition and the Explication will necessarily take up some room and time as also that the Reason of the duty here required of us is couched in the expressions wherein it is commended to us We shall first lay down the Conclusion or Point of Doctrine from the words and then open it to you and fetch the Reasons out of its own bowels The Observation then according to the terms of the Text which we shall after more fully unfold is this Doct. That it is every mans Duty every young mans Duty now in the dayes of his youth to Remember his Creator Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth It is every mans duty to remember God it is every young mans duty to do it now in the dayes of his youth For the clearing up of the Doctrine and making way for the Application and Improvement of it we have three things to handle and unfold 1. What this Remembring our Creator he duty which the Text and Doctrine calls for is importing 2. The Reasons of our so doing which the term of Creator is implying 3. Why the Younger may not put it off but it must be now done now in the dayes of their youth I. What this remembring God remembring our Creator is importing Remembring commonly in Scripture acceptation is not strictly taken for the simple act of memory the meer retaining a thing in our heads nor is so here to be taken for any one simple act of the Soul nor yet divers and continued acts of one and the same Faculty but it is taken for the compleat entire motion of the whole Soul the whole man towards God It is the common saying of Divines That words of knowledge of sense in Scripture imply affection and action cogitation and practice take in both the head and heart include the whole Soul by one word of knowing remembring and the like is included the compleat entire motion of the whole Soul the whole man towards God Such is the combination and concatenation of all the Faculties of the Soul as of Links in a Chain that draw one and draw all break one and break all upon this account any one act or the act of any one single Faculty as knowing remembring c. is usually in Scripture put for the compleat entire motion of the whole Soul The term of our remembring God so of his remembring us is used ordinarily not strictly but in such a latitude as we have been speaking if you consult Neh. 4.14 Judg. 8.34 Lev. 26.42 Luke 23.42 and a number of Texts more that might be named and recited but I fear to be tedious you will finde the sense of the phrase to run according to the breadth which we have been saying In a word we then remember God not when we barely think of him but when as such we affectionately and practically acknowledge him when we really own and bear our selves toward him as our Creator in sum when the whole entirâ— motion of the whole Soul is Godward Thus briefly and in general But because the burthen of the Duty of the Text hangs upon this word Remember we shall yet a little further unfold it and shew you yet somewhat more fully distinctly and particularly what the remembring God is implying and inferring briefly 1. Remembring God is implying and inferring converting turning unto God Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord All men naturally are forgetting God and turning from him and men then remember God when they convert and turn unto him men naturally too earnestly remember the Creature and
Venice-glasses not those that are first made are first broke but those that are first knockt Death is often sudden and unexpected in its approaches the evil day is very nigh sometimes when men are putting it furthest off The fool in the Gospel-Parable lessons us how prone we are to cast up our Accounts for many years when it may be we have not one night to live The notion of Death is too apt to look to all men especially to young men like Ezekiel's Vision Chap. 42.27 The Vision that he seeth it for many dayes and he prophecieth of times that are afar off Young men look it may be on the gray-headed as well on their way to the Grave and haply think it is time for old men to think of dying but from themselves they put it at a great distance but most true it is that Senibus Mors in januis adolescentibus in insidiis Death is oftentimes as near the young mans back as it is the old mans face even while he saith of Death as the unfaithful Servant in the Gospel of his Lord He delayeth his coming it cometh in a day when he looketh not for it and in an hour when he is not aware of and calleth him off and sendeth him unprepared as he is to the Land of Darkness whence there is no redemption O think man hath not death surprized many a poor unprovided sinner that put the evil day far off as confidently and upon as good grounds as thy self Hath nor Death prevented many a careless inconsiderate Loyterer who looked as little for his coming as thou doest and whose purposes for the future were as hopeful as thine now are Hast thou not followed maâ—y a one to the Grave that had as probable Arguments for a longer â—â—â—e as any thou canst have Continual experience tells thee it is not thy Youth or Health and Strength that can save thee or so much as a little while Reprieve the Arrest of Death how dost thou dare then to put off one day when thou knowest not but it may be thy putting by for ever Do but suppose a dreadful yet probable supposition while thou art putting off and delaying a little and yet a little longer Death should step in and prevent thee O me-thinks this Argument if nothing else will should effectually deterre thee from loytering and throughly awaken thee to a now remembring thy Creator I have said what I shall say upon this Text beseeching you that it may be thought upon and beseeching God to give his blessing But I have another Subject that I must crave a few minutes time and a grain or two of patience more to say something of and that is the Young man lately deceased at whose Request and as whose Bequest you have had this Sermon and it is not the Commendation of the dead that is the thing intended he needs it not but the Instruction of the living As his Death in the time and manner of it was a real Sermon upon the Text of which we have been speaking so in other respect was his Life also in some good degree and I have two sayings to young men especially upon this Subject 1. In some things observable in him as to his Life he was a Patern for your Imitation 2. In some things observable about him as to his Death he was an Example for your Admonition First In some things observable in him as to his Life he was a Patern for your Imitation but to intimate some few things of special remark 1. He was a young man of an innocent Conversation of a civil sober Behaviour he was not of a debauched dissolute life nor did he run with others to that excess of riot which with sad hearts we see many young men do his Conversation was not spotted with such marks of deboistness as are too visible upon too many of his Age. Now though Civility Sobriety Morality are not Grace yet they are Jewels of price that have an amiableness and loveliness both in the eyes of God and good men it is said of the young man in the Gospel-story in Mark 10.21 that when Christ had heard from him what he had done how he had lived that he was a civil sober moral man though evident it is by the story that he was a stranger to the power of godliness that Jesus beholding him loved him Not but that I am perswaded better things of the young mâ—â— of whom we are speaking and things that have accompanied salvation though I thus speak but to shew you that a meer Civil Sober Moral man is otherwise by God looked upon then others are that are Scandalous and Profane Christ hath a common love even to the better sort of ungodly men moâ—e then to the worst a civil sober outwardly conformâ—ble life hath its account with God not that I would have you rest here I hope his Example led you hâ—gher 2. He was a young man of a serious Spirit he had som◠〈◊〉 weight with him and worth in him It is said of him by thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—he Family where he formerly sojourned amongst us for some time 〈◊〉 now lately died and took his leave of this world That they never hâ—â—â—d a vain misbecoming word come out of his mouth and his Conversation was according he was not vainly given nor spent his time in Drinking Gaming Company-keeping as many do but was much in Reading and took delight when his other business afforded him any leisure to be amongst his Books and Papers and very ready he was upon occasion for the help of others upon such accounts Alas a young man of a serious Spirit that is of some weight and worth that is something besides meer froth and vanity that mindes something worthy a man is too rare a sight amongst us Oh the exceeding vanity of the younger sort and too many of the elder too Alas what a meer Bubble of Vanity wrapped up in a bundle of fine Clothes is many a young Man many a Maid their clothing may be costly but their hearts their mindes as the Wise-man speaks Prov. 10.20 are little worth O how empty are they of all that is of worth that good is but running over with meer vanity and superfluity of naughtiness as the Apostle speaks Jam. 1.21 Mens mindes and mouthes run over with very froth and vanity scarce a serious thought in the one or a sober savoury word in the other not a Bible or a good Book in hand the week long it may be you had a better Example in him then this comes to 3. This young man as is credibly testified of him was a dutifull Childe to his Parents he was inured to bear the yoke from his youth He could almost say as the Son in the Parable to his Father Luke 15.29 Neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment Never but once as himself was saying to an intimate Friend of his not long before his death was he unseasonably absent from his Fathers
A YOUNG MAN'S LEGACY TO The Rising Generation Being a SERMON Preached upon the Death and at the Desire of John Tappin of Boston Who deceased at Fairfield the 10th of October 1672. being in the Nineteenth year of his Age. By SAMUEL WAKEMAN Pastor of the Church of Christ there Eccles 7.2 It is better to go to the house of mourning then to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all thâ—se things God will bring thee into judgement CAMBRIDGE Printed by Marmaduke Jâ—â—â—sâ—n 1673. A YOUNG MAN'S LEGACY TO The Rising Generation Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them BE pleased to understand That the Text that I have now read unto you is not of mine own choosing but was chosen by him a little before he left us who is now in another World It was his earnest desire about two or three dayes before his death being apprehensive that his change was at hand that I would Preach a Sermon for him upon this Text His surviving Friend and Companion who held him very dear and with whom he left it to prosecute this his desire hath been unsatisfiedly urgent with me in this behalf That the earnest desire of the dying and the will of the dead as to this matter might be fulfilled which seconded by others hath drawn me to this which iâ— may be I have been too loth to attend I would not reluct or deny when mans will and desire carrieth with it any signification or intimation of the will of God or shun any occasion or opportunity of doing any the least good which his Providence is commending to me and such I dare not say but this is You may look upon this Sermon then as the Request of the Deceased as The Legacy which this Young man hath left by his last Wâ—â—â— to the Rising Generation Me-thinks it seems to me that our business with this Text at this time mine and yours is from the becknings of Divine Providence thereunto directing for not onely the desire of the deceased calling us as it were with his last breath to the consideration of this Subject but his Death nor his alone but that of others lately taken away both among our selves and in Neighbour-Plantations whose gray hairs and wrinkles of Age Death hath prevented and the solemn and awakening Providence of God in these Dispeâ—sations are loudly calling me and you and all of us ye Younger sort especially who are apt to put it off to an early timely remembring God according to the Counsel given in our Text Remember now thy Creator in the dâ—yes of thy youth c. THis whole Book is in the substance of it a serious calling men back unto God a recalling men that are forgetâ— ng God forsaking their own mercies and following after lying vanities from those vain emp y fruâ—tless pursuances to the remembrance of him The sum of this whole Discourse wherein Gâ—eat and Wise and Experienced Solomon is giving us in his own account that we may know what to trust to stand upon these two Points 1. That the Chief Good of the sons of men is not to be found in all Creatures under the Sun nor in mens labours and travails about them all the good that by the greatest industry can be gotten out of them being but vanity and vexation of spirit as he after a thorow tedious search had found â—y woful experience 2. That mans Happiness is to be found onely in God and in the being unto Him This is that great Conclusion that he is laying down as the sum and issue of all in the 13th Verse of this 12th Chapter Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole of man Upon these grounds we have him throughout this Discourse as cautioning men against Creature pursuaâ—ces and seekiâ—â— happiness where it is not to be had and nothing can be extracted by the most skilful Chymistry but vanity and vexation of spirit so calling them to the Creator and the remembrance of him in whom and wherein their Happiness doth indeed consist Amongst many other Arguments Motiv s and Perswasions which we have used all along in this Book to disswade men from an over-mindfulness of thoughtfulness about and eager seeking happiness in the Creature the Wise-man drawing towards a conclusion is urging home this great Argument taken from the brevity of life the certainty of approaching death and the solemn and momentous Consequences attending and following upon it We have him sometimes touching upon it before but more fully falling in with it at the 7th Verse of the 11th Chapter and prosecuting it to the 8th Verse of this 12th Chapter Of alâ— the Argumentâ— which to untye and take us off from the Creature as vain and provoke and necessitate us to the remembrance of God there is none more plain sensible palpâ—ble prâ—ssi g cogâ—nt and that may go further to convince flâ—sh and bâ—ood a Se◠〈◊〉 â—t himself thâ—n the considâ—â—◠〈…〉 the brevity 〈◊〉 Life a d the l ng Eternity â—fter the certainty of Dâ—â—â—â— a d the strict Aâ—count that follows i◠〈◊〉 Aâ—gument 〈◊〉 the most fo cibâ—e tak ng p eâ—â—ent the W se-man is reseâ—ving to and improvi g in the last pâ—ce taking in with iâ— â—s we were sâ—yiâ—g at ver 7. of t e foâ—â—going and urging 〈◊〉 home in the sâ—â—â—â—l of that and in the b g nâ—ing of this Chap 〈◊〉 especially upâ—n Yoâ—â—g m n that are most apt t pâ—â—â—sâ—â—nd pamper themselves 〈…〉 flâ—urish â—g Age putting the evil any fâ—r off Bâ—â—n a few words to come to our â—ext I 〈◊〉 in in Argument tak n from the brevity of Lifâ— the certainty of Death and the momentous C â—sequences attending it which we have the P â—a her propoâ—â—ng in v r. 7. 8. of the foregoing Chap er Truly â— ght is â—weet anâ—â—â—pâ—â—â—â—nt th ng it is for the eyes to behold the Sun but if a man â—ive many years and rejâ—yce in them all yet let him remember the dayes of darâ—ness for they shall be many all that cometh is vanity and closely â—nd cuttingly applying to young men that are most apt to put it off in vâ—r 9. R joyâ—â— O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dâ—yes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in thy sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement We have â—im making two Inferences or exhorting to a twofold duty the forme we have in
clothed with such Considerations presented under such Notions and Titles as may carry with them the ground and reason of and motive to the duty called for as in Isa 8.13 14. Jer. 5.22 and elswhere So here there is Reason Ground Motive enough in the Notion and Title of our Creator that God is set forth by to put us upon the duty required the remembring of him O come say they Psal 95 6. let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker And this is their Motive Psal 100.1 2 3. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with singing Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture At that day saith the Prophet Isa 17.7 a man shall look to his Maker and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel To whom should the Creature have a respectful eye whiche should he look but to his Maker whom should man remember but his Creator But that we may more fully see this we must know that the term of Creator here used sets forth God as the Author of our Being out of nothing so of all our Being and well bring our bringing into Being our continuance in Being our preservation our well-being all the administrations of God about us as to this are wrapped up in his being set forth as our Creator nor onely so but consequently the Right that he hath in us the Regiment and Dominion that he hath over us and the Disposure that he hath of us are here included These things considered Why we should Remember our Creator is most evident and the Reason runneth very strong But to touch some things 1. Because God being our Creator the Author and Fountain of our Being is the End of our Being the first Cause must needs be the last End he that made all of himself made all for himself Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things Of whom and through whom are all things to him are all things he that primarily made all things of himself made all things ultimately for himself 2. Because God is not onely bringing us into but continuing us in Being preserving and administring to our well-being we must all of us bespeak God in Job's language Job 10.12 Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit i.e. Being and well-being and continuation of both He is styled The preserver of men Job 7.20 He holdeth our soul in life Psal 66.9 In him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.18 He maintaineth and bloweth up the spark of his own kindling He giveth to us life and breath and all things ver 25. of the same Chapter It is from his careful Providence that is continually exercised about us that such frail needy creatures are supported and supplied having a subsistence and a comfortable one God is not like the Carpenter or Mason that buildeth the House and then leaveth it to it self or the care of others but he keepeth up what he setteth up we should quickly lose all and sink into our nothing again did not the same hand that brought us out of nothing keep us where we are And to whom then do we owe our service whose are we whom should we remember to whom should we be but his to him from whom we have our maintenance and preservation who is not our Maker onely but our continual Upholder and most bountiful Benefactor 3. Because God being our Creator is our Proprietor Possessor Owner Lord Governour As the Lord builds the house and keepeth it in repair so he holdeth it himself as he built it for himself so he continueth to be the Proprietor Owner Lord Governour Possessor of it as he putteth not man out of his own hands in respect of preservation so neither in respect of possession and dominion Isa 43.1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and that formed thee O Israel thou art mine To whom God saith I have created I have formed thee he saith also Thou art mine It is most probable indeed that the Prophet here speaks rather of spiritual then natural formation of Gods making them in Grace then in Nature but the reason holdeth the same and alike good in both God is said to possess us upon a Creating account his forming is phrased his possessing of us Psal 139.13 Thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my Mothers womb so he possesseth us upon a Creation account as he possesseth us in making so he possesseth us having made us God then challengeth us and layeth claim to us in the most Absolute Right for it is beyond us to imagine nor indeed can there be a more full and undoubted Right and Title then Creation giveth he being our Creator then is in the most unquestionable Right our Possessor Proprietor Lord Owner Disposer and we are his possession for his use at his dispose bound thereunto in the highest and most unquestionable Right More might be added from the knowledge God hath of us as being our Maker and intimately acquainted with us He that made man knoweth what is in man he that formed the heart soundeth it John 2.25 Psal 33.15 Heb. 4.13 Acts 15.18 Psal 139.1 and the following Verses and from the power that he hath over us being easily able to reach us and punish us at pleasure for all our forgetfulness of him and neglects of duty towards himself the same hand that made can break us he that built can easily pull us down 2 Kings 5 7. Jâ—b 10 8. Psal 104.29 30. but I may not further amplifie these things Let what hath been said suffice as to the Grounds and Reasons of the Duty which the term of Creator is implying III. The third and last thing to be spoken to for the clearing up of the Doctrine is Why the youngest may not put it off but they are now to remember their Creator now in the dayes of their youth We shall fetch the Reasons of this also out of the Text it self and they are but to name them as it were 1. Because young men now in the dayes of their youth owe thâ—iâ— Creator this present debt of remembrance this debt of duty and acknowledgement is due from man to his Maker as and as soon as years of discretion render him capable of it This debt doth not come to be due in Sickness at Death or in old Age but it groweth upon us with our capacity from our very Cradles it is from first to last Gods due and our duty according to our capability it is as well our duty that we remember him in our youth as in our age it is as well his due that we remember him now as hereafter every man is deeply
thine eyes may weep over this when lost but will they ever see such another season as these dayes of youth are now affording thee will thy capacity ability be greater or better then now it is or will thy worke be easier then now it is or will thy hindrances be fewer thy helpes and advantages more then now they are if not why shouldst thou put it off why shouldest thou not make use of this present time Sure thou judgest it requisite indispensibly requisite to remember turn to God seek him serve him and that in good earnest thou canst not but know it is what must be done or thou art for ever undone And why may not what must be done be as well done yea better done now then put off longer O think seriously of it if thou ever meanest to remember God now is the time now in the dayes of thy youth is the fittest fairest opportunity And because this is an argument of weight and such as may breake off all delayes were it but well thought of let me request thee a little more particularly to consider 1. This is the best the fittest time because now the work will be most seizable and facile the sooner thou settest upon the work to remember and turn unto God the easier it will be and the longer thou art putting off the more difficulties and disadvantages will attend thee in it and if this be so in a work of that necessity and importance as this is certainly it concerns thee to look about thee presently But this is so for 1. Thy delaying deferring putting off doth dispose thee more and more still to delay defer put off the longer thou art putting off the stronger will thy disposition be to be putting off still the old Saying is full true here Qui non vult hodie cras minus aptus erit He that will not to day shall be less fit to morrow he that puts off now will be more prone to put off hereafter he that defers for the present will do it much more for the future Let me ask thee and I beseech thee seriously consider of it Dost thou finde thy self more disposed to take the present time that now is by all thy past puttings off nay dost thou not finde that the more thou delayest and puttest off the more thou mayest and that thou art so much the readier to do it still by how much the longer thou hast done it already and if this be the effect of former put offs as to the present thou mayest easily gather what will be the fruit of present put offs as to the future O believe it every dayes procrastinating every weeks and moneths and years proroguing and putting off sets thee further off upon this account Alas man thou goest on from day to day from one time to another feeding thy self with future hopes promises purposes and intendments while every day a greater indisposition dilatory dangerous death threatning temper is growing upon thee And 2. Consider as thy indisposition disaffection is strengthned by thy delaying so every day the letts and hindrances and blocks and difficulties in thy way are heightned Dost thou not think thou wouldest finde enough to do of it now to turn over a new leaf forget thy vanities forsake thy sins shake off thy loose Companions and set thy self to a serious remembring converting and turning to the Lord and will not custome in sin the longer thou goest on in it render thy return sâ—â—ll the more difficult Jer. 13.23 Heb. 3.7 8 13. Alas the work is difficult the hindrances many thy heart so averse and indisposed that thou knowest not how to perswade and overcome thy self to set upon it presently and yet art thou bold to delay it presumptuously promising thy self the doing of it when thy indisposition will be more and the difficulties greater then now they are Thou mayest flatter thy self while thou art putting off now and putting off then with the hopes of a future repentance and conversion but certainly Satan who is labouring thy ruine upon a more probable ground promiseth himself his prey while putting off to deliver thy self thou art every day more entangled in his snares and the way of thy repentance blocked up and rendred more difficult and unlikely every day then other Do but seriously think of this and sure thou wilt see little reason to be delaying and putting off any longer thou wilt see great reason to set thy self to a present remembring thy Creator to a now converting and turning unto God Did thy delay advantage thee it were somewhat did it facilitate thy work did it wear out the hindrances it were somewhat nay did it not disadvantage thee it were more tolerable but when such is the evident and apparent disadvantage of delay O that ever thou shouldst be guilty of this manifest folly yea madness as to put it off still And 3 Consider that is by delaying and putting off to remember thy Creator thou art increasing thy own indisposition and the letts and difficulties in thy way are daily heightned so also which is as considerable as any thing thou art set further and further off the efficacy of helps and means hereunto conducing thy continuing to refuse resist put off hath a probable and woful tendency to take off the edge of any Convictions Admonitions Perswasions and make them of no force with thee What is the reason of which we see in sad experience to be so the little efficacy the Ministry of the Word hath upon the hearts of men that have lien long under it nay the less efficacy then formerly Time was it may be that an awakening Sermon would have more moved them then now it will is it not hence that they have so long put off the Calls of God that they are now become powerless I have read of a Roman Senator with whom poison had lost its force having by degrees long habituated himself to it when he would have poisoned himself for the shunning of a more shameful death he could not do it it would not work with him the Word of God is said to be quick â—nd powerful and mighty in operation but many a man delayes and dallies with it so long till it become to him dead powerless and inoperative Oh! were this thought of how rarely are such wrought upon to remember God in their Age who have been called upon as thou now art to Remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth it is rarely very rarely found but men born and brought up under Means are savingly wrought upon converted and turned to God if ever before they pass the flower of their Age and men brought under Means not long after they first enjoy them The Word of God is wont early if at all to take indeed hold upon the Spirits of such as are born and brought up under it and it is ordinarily made quickly if ever an indeed convincing converting saving Word to them that are brought under it
Family in all his life Young men I am afraid it is not once nor twice nor thrice nor ten times that will excuse some of you 'T is the complaint of Parents of Masters and a sad complaint it is that they cannot keep their Children their Servants in but that they will be out at all hours and if you observâ—â—t the bottom-Argument is Others do so and they must and will O that you would be perswaded to follow his better Example 4. To adde no more He was a young man that seemed to savour of and affect the best things What is said of young Abijah 1 King 14.13 appeared very hopeful concerning him that in him there was found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel I do not doubt but that it may be truly said of him That he had more Sermons by him of his own hand-writing not onely then the most of the young men in Fair-field but then most of his Age have His writing Sermons at Meeting was commendable and imitable as also the after-improvement that he made of them his Notes were not laid by as useless or served to put under Pies but they were overlook'd and repeated by himself and to others as occasion offered The Sermons that he took here the last Winter as I am informed have been since called over in his Fathers Family That he was ready and forward upon such accounts is the account that such give of him that best knew him and as to this there is one thing more that would not be omitted That when he came now lately out of the Bay a little before his last Sickness that being at Sea upon the Sabbath and seeing the Morning well spent and nothing going forward of a Sabbath dayes work he began to minde them though the youngest of the Company of the Day and Duty thereunto belonging desiring they might go to Prayer and he would repeat a Sermon to them which accordingly he did both Forenoon and Afternoon Young men let I beseech you his Example upon these accounts Provoke your Imitation Secondly As in these things observable in him as to his Life he was a Patern for your Imitation so in some things observable about him as to his Death he was an Example for your Admonition Very briefly but to touch upon two or three things lest I utterly tire you 1. The Time of his Death being in the flower of his Age little more then Eighteen is for your Admonition to Remember now your Creator in the dayes of your youth who are now in your bloss me he was not arrived at the strength of his Age he was but newly come as it were to years of discretion Art thou past a Childe dost thou begin to understand thy self it is dangerous for thee to put off God the remembring thy Creator not for a longer but for any time Art thou Fifteen Sixt en Eighteen years old it is too great an adventure to put it off till thou art Twenty or One and twenty Thou art young and strong and lusty and thinkest thou mayest more boldly adventure measuring thy Life by thy Age and Constitution but are these certain Evidences as to adventure thy Soul upon are these such infallible Probabilities as to run the hazard of thy hopes for Heaven upon The Example that is before thee in this young man whom Death scarce suffered to be called a man may convince thee of the contrary O who would not be alwayes ready when his Summons are so exceeding uncertain 2. The Manner of his Sickness is Admonitory also and may lesson you this That it is good doing your great Work before the evil dayes of Sickness come Alas there is little time room opportunity or ability then A pained Body a distempered Brain a disturbed Spirit disability of Speech necessary Rest and these and those Attendances incapacitate divert take up the time and leave men commonly but a sorry opportunity of doing any thing to purpose for their Souls I was with him divers times in his Sickness yet had opportunity but once to say any thing to purpose to him one while flumbeâ—ing another while distempered in his Head or busily taken up by his bodily necessities and attendances O man Death may snatch thee away suddenly it doth not give every one a weeâ— or ten dayes warning but if not a leisurely Sickness may afford thee little leisure for thy Soul 3. How it was with him in his Sickness too how his Spirit wrought may admonish you to make thorow work of your great Work It was difficult to him to speak from an obstruction in his Throat and somewhat difficult to understand him when he did speak and so the less can be said but so much in substance might be gathered from him That he looked upon himself an undone man without an interest in Jesus Christ yet he was not without some hope that he was at peace with God in him yet not without fears bemoaning himself in respect of his hardness of heart and blindness of minde and that he had been no more throughly wrought upon by the Means that he had formerly enjoyed O Sirs Dying times are Trying times to die causlesly confidently I am afraid is too common but to die groundedly comfortably is a great work O do do throughly what thou hast to do man when Death comes thou wilt not finde it is too well done FINIS