strength is pulled this way or that way so is it with you who are ready to bee swayed with winde and tyde every way Secondly you will easily savour ever of that first liquor which is put into you Receive the distilled dewes of grace from the Spirit of God and what a sweet savour shall yee be in the nostrils of God and man Receive the bloudy showers of devillish and worldly temptations and how will ye stinke like Sodome and her Sisters If a man by his owne and others disorders have his body made crooked when young he will be crooked in bud blossome leafe fruit and age but if hee bee strait thâ— hee by the grace of GOD continues strait still So will it bee with you that which is crooked cannot be made straite and that which is wanting cannot bee numbred Thirdly ye are now subject to the horriblest sins That natural corruption which is rooted in all mankinde hath in your age more instruments to bring it to outward appearance as flourâ—shing wit to invent and dexterity in other members to put in execution As therefore they that are sick of burning feavers have need of cooling things and stomackefull Colts have need of stronger bits so the fury of your age must bee held in as with a bit and bridle lest it run upon you and lay your honour in the dust Fourthly your sinnes being committed will cry loudest These made David cry out remember not the sins of my youth when my service would have beene most acceptable These made Iob complaine Thou writest bitter things against mee and makest mee possesse the iniquities of my youth These made Paul ply Timothy to flee the lusts of youth And these will make you pittifully cry out too late We have wearied our selves in the wayes of wickednesse when our paths were spred with butter When we were strong lusty and able to doe God service wee served the Devill and now when God distributeth sorrowes in his anger our bones are full of the sinnes of our youth which shall lye downe with us in the dust 5. Lastly you think that you have a priviledge by your age youth must have its course they must sowe their wilde Oats But the counsell of the Spirit is otherwise In the morning sow thy seede and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper Therefore Salomon thinkes such more worthy to be laught at then to bee anred Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgement And David doth tie up your untamed age to the hornes of the Altar saying that even you must clense your wayes by taking heed thereto according to his word If therefore there bee any feare of GOD before your eyes if yee have any bowels of compassion to your poore soules walke not in the darke waies of the wicked Open your eyes to see all the stumbling blocks of wicked men and stumble not into their paths O thinke what may come hereafter how soone you may die goe hence and bee no more seene One dies in full strength being wholly at ease and quiet His brests are full of milke and his bones are full of marrow and another dies in the bitternesse of his soule and never eateth with pleasure and then without the grace of Repentance the mercy of pardon I must to Hell to millions of millions of torments Farewell companions farewell time farewell pleasure farewell friends farewell all your perswasions c. and shall I say welcome Hell O no I would give thousands of Rams and tenne thousand Rivers of Oyle yea the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule but the just Iudge will not accept it cut it downe why cumbreth it the ground depart from me I know thee not Thus you have had your example and your rule both shewing the misery of a wicked life you have had my charge and discharge Shall it fall like raine upon the barren Rockes and Mountaines without fruit Shall it not move one soule to goe from the dens of sinne to GOD If not as noble Terentius when hee had petitioned for the Christians and saw it torne in peeces before his face gathered up the peeces and said I have my reward I have not sued for gold silver honour or pleasure but a Church So say I in the middest of your neglect I have not sued for your gold or silver for your houses and lands for your drinkes dice or drabs but for your soules your precious soules If I cannot or shall not wooe them to come to Christ God raise up some child of the Bride-chamber which may doe it better If neither I nor others can prevaile feare that speech of Elies sons they hearkened not unto the voice of their father because the LORD would slay them In such a case Oh that my head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I may weep day and night for the miserable young men of my people But GOD grant I may have no such cause God grant you may not bee in such a state God grant you may bee now wise to salvation For it is your salvation God would have it is your salvation I would have and woe unto you if you bee enemies to desires so good and no lesse usefull than for your salvation your salvation for ever and ever GOD guide your hearts to the love of God and to the waiting for of Christ FINIS A POST-SCRIPT TO THE READER of this Warning-peece of the use of examples LONDON Printed by T. B. 1639. A Post-script to the Reader of this Warning peece of the use of Examples GOod Reader stay a while thou hast not yet done I have for thy good set before thee an old Rule and new examples and of the abuse of examples I am not ignorant Some looke upon them so as to imitate them be they never so bad As Augustus a learned Prince filled his Empire with Schollers so Tiberius a dissembling Prince with dissemblers Iulian an Apostate Prince with Apostates and Jeroboham a Calvish Prince with Idolaters Others looke upon them so as to hate the persons as well as the sins Every fearefull accident either in the life or death of men speakes to them the language of damnation Howsoever they be abused I am sure it is most fit yea excellent to have the white booke of Gods mercies and the blacke Booke of judgements alwayes before our eyes The abuse doth not take away the use no more than the Spartans shewed themselves wise in rooting out their Vines because their people abused their Wine to drunkennesse I am sure wee have the example of GOD Himselfe who would not silence the patternes
For in foure cases your least sins prove damnable in the issue If they be committed against your consciences Conscience is in Gods roome to guard you and if that be affronted it is given to God and so you build downeward to hell Then if they bee committed with pleasure and delight there is no sin so small which smels not unsavorily if it pleaseth It pleased the man to gather sticks and he died for it It pleased Lots Wife to look backe and she was turned into a pillar of Salt Next if small sins dispose you to greater For he that hath avoided the great Rockes may be swallow'd up in the sand and he that can keep out great Theeves may have his house opened by a little Boy who creeps in at the window Lastly if the smallest sinnes have a progresse and go on A little ball of snow rowled is increased and many drops make a floud Can you say that you sin not when conscience checks and saith Doe it not Or that you have not taken pleasure in what you have done Or that you have not bin disposed by your houres of error to scandalize others and neglect God and his worship Or that your little sins have not multiplyed so long as that they may for any thing you are sure to the contrary become an Ocean to drowne your soules in eternall horror What now is to bee done but that you see your wickednesse and amend all I am sure it would bring comfort to your friends to see you in the way to Heaven I am more sure it would bring glory to God and honour to the Gospell to have his creatures and the professors of it from your youth to live in the obedience of faith And I know assuredly too that it shall adde to my crowne of rejoycing to see all Christs Lambs Babes and Children to walke in that truth which is according to godlinesse Vp and be doing and the God of Heaven be with you There is no delay must have place now It is enough yea â—oo much that yee have spent the time past after the course of the wicked world God hath held his peace and not unsheathed his sword and you have lived as if God were a favourer of sinne But hath he not now begun to strik Hath hee not let you see that there is no peace to the wicked If ye yet goe on yee kicke against the pricks If ye come in with bleeding soules behold your blessed Saviour hanged on the crosse he bowed his head as if he meant to kisse you he stretched out his armes as if hee meant to imbrace you and his blessed side was broached as if he meant that even you should drinke his bloud to pacifie your souls against conscience of wrath and his water to purifie your bodies and soules from the dominion of all uncleannesse Will you yet neglect so great salvation My soule shall weepe for you in secret Yet that there may not be a cause I hope that you will reade this that I pâ—esent unto you and so make a stand I hope you will pray to God that the cause may have accesse unto your hearts and so make an entrance into the good way And I hope that being entred you will continue to the end and then as Saint Paul of his Thessalonians so I of you Now I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. Even I who have bin often grieved by you and have often prayed for you with groanes and sighs but now hope to be comforted in my bowels over you upon your amendment and ever after to continue Your Pastour rejoycing in the conversion of such sinners Robert Abbot THE YOVNG-MANS Warning-peece OR A SERMON Preached at the Buryall of William Rogers upon Pro. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble YE know my use As Laban said to Jacob in case of marriage Jt must not be so done in our place so say I It is not my custom on funerall occasions to weare out the time upon the dead Though I grudge not Davids mournfull Ditty at the death of Saul nor Ieremies Lamentations over Jerusalem for the untimely death of Josiah nor the shewing of Dorcas her Coates given to the poore Saints at her buryall for ordinarily those that deserve no praise themselves love to give none to others yet Saint Augustine hath said it that these solemnities are rather the comfort of the living than the helpe of the dead and I have beene willing to follow this rule in ordinary cases Yet now the case is altred I have something to say to the person before I speake to the Text. I am intreated earnestly intreated by the miserable young man who lies dead at our feet to Preach to all the Young men of the Parish especially to his wicked companions as hee called them something at his buryall to warne them by his example to take a better course that they bee not burned in hell with him for ever and ever This I cannot doe except I first tell you his example Heare therefore that first and GOD open your eyes to see the danger I call him a miserable Young man not in respect of the devouring judgement of GOD upon him for ever for we have nothing to say to that What are wee that we should sit in GOD's chaire He did rise and fall to his owne Master whose judgments are alwaies just often secret and to Him we leave him with feare and trembling though not without some hope For as hee was in his generall course a man of a sweet and pleasing temper it beginning to grow proverbiall That the Divell never abused a better nature And as he was observed so farre as I know or have heard never to sweare or curse in all his life till one curse dropped from him in a distempered fit the night before he died and alwayes to carry himselfe in words inoffensively to all except only once to my selfe and another who had strugled with him from time to time to pull him out of the snares of Satan for which yet he was wounded in soule in his sicknesse and asked forgivenesse So for his worst part how freely did hee confesse his sinnes how earnest were his desires that hee might live but a Yeare or a Moneth that he might manifest to the world the Truth of his heart in his promises to GOD for amendment of Life How carefull was he to warne his companions or at least to wish that they were by him that hee might warne them that they might not bee burned in the furnace of Hell whither he said he was going These things in him give advantage in us to some charitable hope that it may be better with him in the issue than God would let us see Though God would not let us see one drop of peace to fall downe upon him to his last gaspe was it not rather to bridle our
your excommunication and then you will bee cut off from the Church of GOD by Iustice which you have cut your selfe from by wantonnesse Hee answered hee had but a surfet of cold and if I would be pleased but to write to the Court to suspend the sending forth of his excommunication till the Court day following he would the next Lords-Day come to the Church and receive the Sacrament and then goe up with my Certificate and satisfie the Court I did it and prevailed but his sicknesse prevailed that Thursday Friday and Saturday upon him It had emptied him of hope of life and no hope of life had filled him with thoughts of this present guilt and future judgement before that great God who is a consuming fire Now therefore you having the ground of the apprehension of his owne miserie shall see how hee opened it and made it knowne both to me and others There was too great a fire within to bee smothered it burned in his owne soule and lightned from his heart and lippes into the eares and hearts of those friends that were about him One while he cries out of his sinnes I have beene a fearefull drunkard powring in one draught after another till one draught could not keepe downe another and now I would be glad if I could take the least of GODS Creatures which I have abused I have neglected my Patients who have put their lives into my hands and how many soules have I thus murthered I have wilfully neglected Gods House service and worship and now though I have purposed God strikes me thus before the day of my promise comes because I am unworthy to come among Gods people againe Another while hee falls to wishing O that I might burne along time in that fire pointing to the fire before him so I might not burne in Hell Oh that GOD would grant me to live but one yeare or but a moneth that the world might see with what an heart I have promised to GOD my amendment Oh that GOD would try me a little but I am unworthy Another while he plyes his companions praying that all may be warned by him to forsake their wicked wayes lest they goe to hell as he must do He forgat not his servant who was young He calls him to him tells him that he had bin a wicked master to him but be warned by me You have a friend that hath an Iron furnace which burnes hot a long time but if you give your selfe to my sinnes you shall be burned in the furnace of Hell an hotter furnace millions of millions of ages Therefore looke to your selfe and be warned by my your Masters example who must bee burned in hell for ever Lastly all his cryes against sinne to his seeâ—ing would not sufficiently set forth his estate nor all his wishes nor all his warning of others but he comes to a plaine judgment and condemnation and leaves nothing for after times but execution Hence againe and againe hee doubles it I have had a little pleasure and now I must goe to the torments of Hell for ever And having sometimes being pressed by others prayed to God that hee would forgive his sinnes and have mercy upon him hee would adde but I know GOD will not doe it I must goe to Hell for evermore Whatsoever came betweene whiles this was the close I must bee burned in Hell I must to the furnace of Hell millions of millions of ages Thus hee fearefully wearyed out the most part of Saturday both day and night Early on the Lords-day that day appointed I went to him againe I found him deepely mudded in horrour and perplexity I asked him then whether some great sinne not yet thought of did not lye behind to hinder the beames of Gods sweet grace from shining upon him And because he was suspected of whoredome and using cruell meanes for the covering of it I layed it befor him and asked him in the sight of GOD and his owne Conscience now whether he were not guilty He constantly denyed it both to mee and three godly friends before severally and therefore I heartily believe him to be not guilty especially hee constantly professing it when his Conscience was most active and nimble I then began againe to offer unto him the comforts of the Gospell I opened to him the promises of the largest size I shewed him that GOD was delighted to save soules and not to destroy them and that his sweet promises were without exception of time place person or sin except that against the Holy Ghost which I assured him was not committed by him All this could not fasten so farre as I saw I could heare nothing but that it is too late I must be burned in Hell Yet then was hee willing that I should pray for him and therfore hee was not without hope and I did In which hee was carefull to goe along with mee many times with sighs After this he was something quieter for a time and I went to my Office in the Church where I forgat not him that GOD would respit him the dayes of repentance that he might performe the dayes of promise When Evening Prayer was done I went to him againe and when I had secluded the company I pressed him with teares not to cast away that soule for which CHRIST dyed shewing him that CHRIST rejected none that did not reject him He answered Hee had cast off CHRIST and therefore he must go to hell But yet said I pray with me that Christ would come againe there is yet an houre in the day and if Christ God and Man comes he can an will assist you to do a great deale of worke on a sudden He would not heare of that he turned away and said hee was unfit to pray Hee often complained that former counsels and Prayers might have done him good but now it was too late as if that fearefull saying had stucke in his soule Because I have called and yee refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamiâ—y I will mocke when your feare commeth as desolation and destruction as a whirle winde By this time he began to discover some idle distemper in his braine for want of sleep for this was now the fourth day and night as I remember that hee had taken no rest And had not his reason beene so vigorous and his discourse so piercing I should have thought want of sleepe a great cause of the whole combate But when I consider his reason discourse and life contrary to knowledge and Conscience doubtlesse whatsoever GOD hath done with â—is soule and wee are bound to hope the best this example is a warning-piece shot out by the GOD of Heaven to warne all Young-men with us to signifie that it is high time for them to leave off their riotous courses lest a worse thing come unto them
they cannot indure the light having such evill deeds for they are ashamed and confounded Doe not wonder at all this and much more in this kinde because what they wrought was done in darknesse and now it is brought to light But why should I thinke darkenesse to bee the cause of their shame seeing many of them have a great deale of knowledge It is true in truth ungodly men may gaine a great measure of knowing knowledge Iudas preached for Christ and Julian writ for him yea unlearned men whose cure is to feel divinity beating in the pulse of their hearts and lives above the flowing of it in their braines may take Heaven by violence while the more learned carefull to know and carelesse to doe may bee thrust into Hell But let them gaine what knowledge they can the understanding singly taken is not that which God most delighteth in to keepe them from shame by it but hee dwels in a contrite and broken heart to keepe them from the power of sin horor of shame Secondly be now exhorted to avoyd the waies of wicked men which will bring you to such sinnes as darkenesse breeds and darkenesse feeds Ye shall one day find that this darknesse breeds carlesnesse sinful delight feare and doubting In darknesse men are carelesse of their goings and doings So while yee are in the wicked way ye are carelesse of your duties to GOD and man and yee regard not though ye walk naked without the garments of faith in Christ and the obedience of faith and your shame lyes open In darknesse sinfull delights are most welcome when drunkards were more modest and ashamed of the noon-day the Apostle saith they that are drunke are drunke in the night And Job saith that the Adulterer hunteth for the twilight and flattereth himselfe that GOD cannot pierce thorow the darke cloud So while yee are in this blacke way yee freely drinke of this Cup of the pleasures of sinne even to the dreggs In darknesse they especially that are apprehensive are full of feates whether they shall receive hurt full of doubting whether they are and doe right or wrong So while ye are in this pitchy way in the midst of laughter your heart is heavie yee some-times feare the hurt yee may suffer what if I bee sicke what if I die what if divine Iustice seaze upon mee what shall become of me then Ye sometimes doubt whether that bee the way to Heaven or Hell wherein yee walke If it bee the way to Heaven which of the Saints of GOD have gone before mee in it thither If the way to Hell why doe I walke in it still Besides yee shall one day finde that this darknesse feeds and nourisheth sin For as men in darknesse being set upon a course will be resolute to doe it still So while ye are in this way ye will be fatted in obstinacy against God and in resolution to doe what ye list This Christ lamented in Ierusalem Oh if thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes This also may you lament in your selves if you could with teares of bloud Perhaps you may think that all this will do you little hurt But GOD open your eyes in time that you may see to your amendment that it will bring you to the darkenesse of Hell where ye shall finde horror without the least comfort and torment without the least ease None of the plagues of Aegypt were so afflictive to Pharaoh as darkenesse was This extorted from him this speech which was not heard before Goe you and your children and serve the LORD How much more will ye be pressed with the darknesse of Hell which is the proper place of torment This makes these poore darke creatures before they come there to cry out I shall bee burned in Hell for ever and ever what shall I doe what shall I doe If therfore there be any feare of God before your eyes if any bowels of compassion to your miserable body and soules avoid these hellish wayes of wicked men while ye are yong Suppose that Iesus Christ and Satan stood before GOD to plead for you Christ could say Behold blessed Father I have taken their nature upon mee I have done and dyed for them I have presented thee with a full satisfaction and have offered to them this great grace to heare my Gospell and beleeve it yea I have beene assistant to the ministery of the Church to convince them of their wicked courses to move them to come to me to assure them that I and mine are all theirs if they repent and believe the Gospell yet have they not honored me by faith and love But Sathan pleadâ— Behold thou great God of Heaven and Earth I never tooke their nature upon mee yet they love me and my courses better than themselves I never did any thing for their good but for their snare and ruine yet they cleave to mee and my works of darknesse my pleasures deceitfull pleasures of sin for a season more than to thee and thy Word I never died for them yet they live and die in my cause and quarrell drinking dicing drabbing night and day revelling with thy good creatures reviling of thy vertuous servants and resolving still to doe as they have done I never offered them grace but sinne and they have resisted spurned at that and accepted this with greedinesse All this and more may truely bee said by that Lion of the Tribe of Iudah and that roaring Lion that seeketh whom hee may devoure Set your selves to present such a plea to your soules and thinke whether the devill hath not powerfull reasons to move that GOD who is a consuming fire to deliver you up to his hands so long as you are in darkenesse What an hell will this be to you before you come to hell if you repent not What an hell will it be to you to saile by before you come to hell if ye repent not and forsake not your sins Will yee not thinke of to day while it is called to day Will ye still goe on in the wayes of sinne though ye cannot prosper GOD forbid the safety of your soules forbids it your Covenant in Baptisme forbids it and all the mercies wherewith the Lord hath renewed you from your youth up hitherto Ye may thinke your selves safe enough and that all your darke and riotous courses shall end in a sun-shine of glory and happinesse but alas in your way there lye many things at which ye may stumble and so tumble into the pit of hell unawares which is the next considerable proportion in this Proverbe to wit That wicked men know not at what they stumble Do ye desire to gaine to your soules from this Then weigh with me these three particulars 1 What it is to stumble 2 Whereat they stumble and 3 That they stumble because they know not