let iâ— no wanâ— its due pâ—ofessors Fifâ—hly Say not Alas I know nâ—â— what to do far wiser than I the pâ—udâ—m the ancient are at great câ—ntâ—oversie aboâ—â— Religion who can tell where to pitch It is true it is too sadly true There are many pious men that may and doubtless have much sweet communion with the Lord who yet through the straightness and frowardness of their own hearts will have but little each with other Thus men wrangle themselves into a life too joyless to themselves too dishonourable to the Lord. Cadmus Teeth of strife seem every where sown and coming up very thick We might justly renew Erasmus his sad complaint of the former Age Contention lives while love and sweetness dies Tenets of faith are usually multiplied while sincerity goes as palpably down the wind Such is our wound oh that God would drop into it the balsom of love oh that he would bind it up and become our healer But because men can or rather will agree no better refer thy self and thy thoughtful heart to God and his Word Give credence in the strength of his grace to what he is there pleased to express or promise to thee Depend upon him according to all that he hath there allowed thee And compose thy self to be intirely at his command Aiming that whenever thou comest to die thou mayest resign thy self to God with these few words unfainedly breathed forth I have in my weak measure kept the word of thy patience on earth And now oh Lord be thou pleased to remember thy Servant according to this word of thine wherein thou hast caused me and I upon thy invitation have taken boldness for to hope Religion however pulled several waies is of it self a quiet and striseless thing Holy indeed but harmless Divine but still shining forth in much plainess and simplicity And be you as near as you can of that Religion which gives Glory to God on high on earth peace and good will toward men Oh! that the Lord would hasten such sweet times of refreshment from his own presence amongst us In the mean season if you see somewhat of inferiour diversity in gracious hearts a peculiar feature as it were upon several faces who have yet somewhat of true life and beauty shining in each be not too much amazed Remember Solymans great delight at the variety of flowers in his Garden professing himself highly pleased in this Though they were various they were still sweet and comely flowers Or rather call to remembrance the Fathers pious and ingenious Allusion Iosephs Coat may be of several colours so it be without a rent If you also see uncomely contentions even unto Paroxysm's and the utmost bitterness as once between the Apostles themselves it sadly was step in and tell them they are brethren desire them to be kinder to each other The Master is at hand If you shall lastly see and hear great controversies and little agreement yet know there is a true and plain way that leadeth unto life The way fating upon though a fool needs not erre therein Go 〈◊〉 to God and he will shew thee 〈◊〉 â—â—w and living way which conducteth unto himself There are many oh that they were not so many that quarrel themselves carnally to Hell be thou cordial with God laborious in the profession of his name so shall hearty Faith and unfained obedience become thy safe and honourable convoy unto Heaven Whoever quarrel in other things no man shall blame thee no man shall charge thee with folly for these Sixthly Say not lastly I have a greater discouragement yet behind then I almost dare make known some of my Friends are not so willing to have me mind such things or meddle much with Religion It is a sore temptation where the Complaint is true What shall that poor Child do whom God hath spoken to as once to the children of Israel in the Land of Egypt and his very heart even melts within him opening it self day and night as Daniels window toward Ierusalem and yet all the countenance he hath from the Family is like that churlish speech of Pharaoh He is idle he is idle encrease his burden and let him not go to â—erve the Lord This is indeed the â—rial of all trials wherever it falls A 〈◊〉 straight which needs tears rather â—han words Oh that none would lay this stone â—f stumbling before young people â—est it unhappily revives that undesired â—â—gh used by some in the Primitive 〈◊〉 Our Parents are become unto us 〈◊〉 the Ostrich in the wilderness and almost the murderers of our souls It 〈◊〉 hard for any to be an hindrance â—here they ought rather to be a furâ—erance To be found a real offence 〈◊〉 discouragement to the least of Christs little ones Here have we cause to renew the â—mentation in the Prophet and say â—he children are once more come to the â—â—rth and there wants strength to bring 〈◊〉 Here will be need of much wisâ—ome and choiceness of spirit more â—â—an such tender years commonly atâ—â—in unâ—o to cut the tread aright so 〈◊〉 obey the Lord as to shew the utâ—ost tenderness of disobeying or disâ—â—easing Friends and yet so to fulâ—â—ll our respect to them as not to forget we still owe as the Father well states it a far greater unto God The Lord himself put the everlasting arms underneath and bear up those discouraged children whose hard lot this is till he hath brought them with joy to his own bosome But this case blessed be God is rare the case of very few and I hope none of yours Be you modest I charge you Cast not the blame upon others to excuse your selves God easily sees through such pretences and understands right well where the fault still chiefly lies You know not the heart of a Parent It is natural to them though evil and too regardless of themselves to desire the welfare of their Children Your Parents have been often instilling good things have been previously laying in ponderous memorials upon your tender minds They have with much câ—re brought you up to reading They have procured you that treasure of all treasures the Bible they have recommended it to you as your Saviours Legacy where you may find the words of eternal life your safest guide your best Friend when they are gone So that you may justly confess as St. Austine concerning his Mother Monica with how great solicitousness of heart they have often admonished you in the Lord. Whose Counsels you ought to receive as Iunius the instructions of his Father Scarce ever without tears So greatly might the weight of the Argument so greatly might the authority of the Speaker affect and move you And must it now be objected or dare you now say your Friends are unwilling with your souls good It is likely they would not have you pretend Religion to be stubborn against them It is very likely they would not have
fiery party in either I confess I think there is no sober Christian but is ready in a mixture between joy and grief to say as that great man great for Piety great for Learning a little before his death to his bosome Friend I have known through the grace of God what it is to have the Word of God for the sure and trusty rule of Salvation unto me and what it is to follow the vâ—in dreams and pleasures of men The Concerns of Religion are exceeding great and ponderous God and Man will expect God and Man will allow that all be cordial and upright in them Only the pleasure of our Father still is that we graciously temper and carry Moses his meekness with Moses his zeal Deporting our selves in the profession of his name as the Sun in the Spring which so shines as not to scorch Retaining all due candor as men while we further profess to honour and serve holiness and peace in a higher capacity as Christians And oh that we might see those Magnalia Dei those great things of God and of Religion the very ornamenâ—s and beauties of holiness revived and espoused amongst us Repentance from dead works to serve the living God Faith unfained Faith without Complements thinking so well of God as to repose our selves and dearest Concerns chearfully upon him his power and faithfulness in Christ. An holy care to lead a right godly course of life placing Religion where of right it justly and only centers not in formal or contentious words but in a willing and faithful practice Putting off what none indeed can be very willing to keep on the old man with all the odious lusts thereof Walking as the ransomed of the Lord in newness of spirit newness of life Pressing heartily after the mark Rejoycing day by day in all the sweet hopes that are set before us till the seed time shall reach the harvest and the sheaf of glory be reapt and seen with joy in the Believers bosome This oh this was the Religion so many righteous men have wished so well unto and longed so much to see such Gospel such gracious daies of the Son of Man Thus might we also honourably answer as Nehemiah we are doing a great work the work of God and of our Souls and have neither desire nor leave to come down suffering that to cease while we wear out our precious time and gain no more than what may well be wept out again the distempering of our weak and tender minds into high Feavers and passions by the angry strife of Tongues God Almighty grant we may at length reach the Apostles great charge and follow the truth in love Tender of the truth that it be not changed into a lye Cordial toward love that it sustain no wrong while we seem in the pursuit of truth Remembring with our selves as the Father how unnatural and even Prodigious it would be to have the Wolfs savage heart found in the Lambs bosome Oh! thou the God of so great forbearance and tenderness towards us all give unto us also of that sweet spirit of thine bowels of mercies kindness and humbleness of mind each toward other Pity thy weak and froward Children Rowle away our reproach and let our eyes yet see that dear and sacred thing the Iewel of Nature the Honour of Religion the Promise of God the great Desire of all gracious hearts Peace thy Peace upon this thine Israel Reader I had purposed some further instructions here to the Elder To have intreated you respectfully as Fathers That you might as David walk with a perfect heart where indeed the integrity of the heart is most tried in the midst of your house And with Abraham bring up your children how mean soever outwardly yet each one as the Child of a Prince for God and the praise of his Name For your Country and the welfare thereof to minister before both in the lovely services of righteousness all their daies But a weighty providence from the Lord intervening takes off my hand for the present Let it be accepted oh Lord that it was in mine heart to have served thee therein This only shall I abruptly now say you have given in your Pledges to Posterity and are leaving your Children as Absaloms Pillar in the Valley to preserve your names when you are gone Oh! let your care be such concerning them your carriage so Exemplary before them that your selves may become true Benefactors and your Children a real Treasure to the next Age rendring your names thereby as sweet odours to all So might you welcome your death with pleasant smiles when ere it comes Assuring your dearest Friends as that pious Emperour upon his death-bed so chearfully said to his I am now willing indeed to die since I shall leave a living Monument a Child of mine to hold up the Lamp in my stead to serve unto Vertue when I am gone So might it be further acknowledged by others at your Funeral when your dust shall lye silent before them as was said of Theodosius to his just and deserved honour A great man a good man is this day taken from us He is gone but not wholly He hath left part of himself his hopeful Children here behind him In them may we see the fair Fruits of a pious Education in them we freely acknowledge much of the Fathers worth and goodness still surviving By them as Abel though dead he yet liveth and dayly renews a vertuous example before us The Lord thus blesse the arising Generation amongst us vouchsafing this sweet and pleasing mercy as his choice favour till it become the joy and beauty of our dear and native Land The Lord thus shine with his Lamp upon your Tabernacles and your Childrens Children unto many Generations after you In the affectionate desires whereof I rest Your Friend and Servant in the just obligements of Nature and Grace Samuel Crossman Errata Reader YOu are much desired candidly to excuse and with your Pen to correct the many Errata's which in the Authors absence have unawares slâ—pt through the Press Amongst divers others these at first sight appeared in a Cursory view of some few Pages Page 4. in the quot read Persius p. 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 55. line 5. r. astliction 9.80 l. 19. r. regret â— 142. quo â— ovis twice p. 147 quot r. humilitas p. 155. quo â— coâ—vexaque p. 184. quoâ— r. candidissim e. p. 193. l. 15. r. con â—â—s p. 219. l. 8. r. ingenious p. 221. l. 25. r. thread p. 17. l. 19. in the Poems for circl'st r ceil'st You will easily find several other mistakes of the like nature As also mispointings and mispellings Especially in the Marginal Notes Wherein the Hebrew initial Letters are often set for final and Accents some omitted others misplaced in the Greek But these Errata's are far the least and little danger in them if we carefully prevent
Conversation its just composure and all the blasts of adversity shall be no more able to do any prejudice than the clouds which are so far inferiour can do unto the Sun whose Orb and motion are both exceeding high above them First You will have great need of a rare Government over your selves a choice poize continually upon your own spirits keeping your affections as the Centurions Servants in all subjection meekly to go or come as the occasion and matter shall require This is that noble conquest which Solomon in the wisdom of God so highly commends Stronger is he that ruleth his own spirit than he that taketh a City This is that desirable Kingdom that the meanest Subject without the least disturbance of the Government under which he lives may happily attain Are you desirous saies the Philosopher of a Kingdom I can presently shew you one rule wisely over your own self A profuse and impotent letting out of the heart upon these inferiour things betraies us too surely to every emergent temptation and proves usually in a short time like Sampsons fond love our enthralment our shame and death A City broken down and without walls so sad a prospect the Holy Ghost tells us is that man that hath no rule over his own spirit Man is the noblest Creature in the whole World and his Government of highest moment To see him sit cloathed and in his right mind every thought every affection as so many wheels in their proper place at their true motion oh it is the honourablest sight amongst all the manifold works of God upon the face of the Earth Dear Children Beg and strive that this may be your happy lot Every one of you in your several times another Socrates that it may be said of you as of him whoever observes you That you are still walking in one and the same vertuous frame of mind one and the same cheerful complexion of countenance You will see some Heraclitus-like bitterly passionate almost to death for every light trivial cross Others again Democritus-like as wide on the other hand ever frothy ready to laugh at their own shaddow But you will still find it in the sequel of your life your honour as to men and your great comfort as to your selves to keep a juster reine over your affections We may say of our affections as we use to say of fire and water They are good Servants but bad Masters You may safely take it as your vade mecum along with you in reference to the things of this life Desire not any thing immoderately fear not any thing too anxiously Delight not in any thing too excessively Lament not any thing too â—itterly All these are but as so many several sorts of moral drunkenness We may be affectionate we must not be immoderate The enjoyment of our selves and the serenity of our minds is still more than all It is time it is high time for you to be previously considering with your selves it may be the Lord hath laid out for some of you a tempestuous voyage upon these Seas More indignities more repulses from the world More unkindnesses more revilings from men More chastenings under his own hand More sickness more poverty More of trials every way than you are yet aware of Are you strengthning your selves in your patience to possess your souls and in all sweet composure to bear them when they shall indeed come That you may say as Iob It is but the thing that I have prepared and looked for that is come upon me I will with patience accept it and will not charge God foolishly It may be on the other hand some of you the Lord may enlarge your border and bring you forth as Vessels unto some service and honour in your Generation Are you now timously instructing your selves in the vanity the dangers and continual restlesness of high enjoyments the manifold temptations that attend them the strict accounts that must be given of them that so you may pass as becomes the wise with a due modesty of spirit into them This Dear Children is that sobriety of mind that I have desired to set before you Oh that you may be able when it comes to your trial to consist with it and to know how to abound or want how to live in honour or obscurity entertaining with sweetness whatsoever condition the All-wise Disposer of all things shall order for you Secondly You will have as great need of the utmost Prudence for the dexterous disposal of all your affairs without doors that there be no Miscarriage in the practical part of your life abroad The natural Eye may direct the body but it is Prudence only that can inform and conduct the life The understanding of the Prudent we are told from the Lord himself it is that which directs his way This is that wise Pilot that best steers the Ship and preserves it from all the rocks of danger that lie in our way The Phisitian of life that preserves the Conversation in health and upon its feet Wisdome is the principal thing above all getting let us labour to get understanding Foolishness it is the Souls Apoplexy wherein all the noble faculties of the mind are cast into a dead sleep The Souls Dream wherein meephansies swim up and down but little true reason It is a Sampson whose eyes are out the scorn and derision of all It is the unskilful hand that mars that brings to dishonour every action every vessel that comes under the wheel It is the blind Traveller that continually stumbles wherever he goes and still knoweth not whereat It is the dead Fly that corrupts the whole boxe of Oyntment The least mixture of it immediately stains and overcasts many vertuous actions Take heed Dear Children that you become not such unsavory salt that such folly cause not you to go astray in the progress of your life Let Solomons Prayer in his Youth be your daily entreaty unto God Give thy Servant oh Lord an understanding heart that I may know how to go out and come in discerning between good and evil Life is a Theater full of action the Scenes thick and various a multitude of fresh occasions continually crowding in upon us our Time short the Opportunities of actions seldom seen till they be slipt by and gone These things will call for a world of wisdom to contrive and order all for the best Well in this great and difficult case let Prudence be the Sollicitour to attend and look after it As the handmaid of the mind that may go to the door when these occasions shall thus earnestly knock that may take their Errand distinctly give them their Answerfully treating every Occurrence of life fairly without precipitancy without delay It is the great honour of Prudence that it is as Ezechiels vision full of eyes able to look upon time past time present and time to come making all these
ye ambitious of his Honour but I must say Be ye imitatâ—rs of his Industry Accounting with yourselves as the Father piously of old that labour is the honourable Schoole of Vertue wherein your proficiency would soon appear to all Such an one Solomon at a great distance foresees what advancement he would soon come to Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean persons These things are and most justly may be the Young Mans Lecture they walk with him they talk with him Wherever he goes he is still pondering of them He considers his outward man and observes godly diligence inherits a blessing while negligence goes cloathed in rags He considers his inward man and fears if time be carelesly lost here Eternity of happiness will very hardly be found hereafter He that labours not painfully in hiâ— Calling both Spiritual and Civil here on Earth his heart is not right in the sight of God his own Conscience will tell him he hath no lot nor parâ— in that rest which remains for the people of God in Heâ—ven CHAP. VII Affirmative Characters what the vertuous Young Man is and ought to be YOu have now received some Negative Characters and description of the Young Person that is worthy of commendation and love indeed That we might plainly understand what he is not what he ought not to be And oh that you likewise may cordially hate the work of them that thus turn aside and for your parts unfainedly meditate a better course of life We will now look to the right hand Affirmatively and consider what the vertuous Young Person is and ought to be in whole heart are the waies of God We might almost make our boâ—st here and say in some measure as in the Psalms Grace is poured into his lips and he is much fairer than the common Race of the Children of men He is one whose mind is richly inlayed like the Kings Daughter all glorious within curiously wrought by the hand of the Spirit There may you find the Prophets Vision Ierusalem pourtraied upon a tyle Much of the very glory of Heaven it self drawn upon his tender soul His heart is as a living Temple for the Holy Ghost His thoughts and affections as perfumed Odours aspiring and ascending continually as pillars of Incense heaven-ward He cometh forth out of the purple morning of his youth as the Bridegroom out of his Chamber as the Sun out of the dawning East and rejoyceth to run the Godly Race More particularly 1. He is one that chooseth the fear of the Lord with his whole heart For he knoweth it is to God he stands or it is to God he falls Others are vain others are profane but so dares not he because of the fear of the Lord. He believes the Scripture and accounts it no burden no sadning but a Jewel well worth his carefullest preserving and laying up The fear of the Lord is his treasure Wherever this is wanting he reckons that place an habitation of Dragons undesirable unsafe for any man to live in And Abraham said Surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will stay me He hath heard all true wisdome wherever it is may be found out and known by this This is its first and great principle The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom This is to him as the due ballast to the Ship which makes the Vessel indeed loome somewhat deeper but keeps it from tossing too lightly upon the uncertain waters It composeth his whole Conversation to great sobriety and stedfastness There is a sleighty sort of profession too frequently up and down the world in these last daies without much mixture of this weighty grace in it But he easily concludes that mans Religion will soon prove as salt that hath lost its savour and quickly go out into some stinch Oh! what shipwrack of faith and all good conscience must needs follow there where the heart stands in no awe of God The Father long ago gave over that man as an hopeless Patient He will soon be out of his way in point of conversation that sets light by the true fear of God in point of affection It is a sad note but it is a true one That man that will not fear God willingly shall be made though little to his comfort to do it by force What most would seem to refuse none shall be able to exclude That dread of God which they flee from shall pursue them and overtake them between the straits God will be we never so loath be feared of all But woe be to that man who having refused filial feâ—re as a grace is constrained to lie under the scourgings of a judicial trembling as his torment for ever and ever The Lord preserve you from it But now it is still a note as comfortable on the other hand to every true Child of God that accepts his gracious fear chearfully the Lord will himself become their shelter and City of refuge that their hearts may quietly return to their rest and need no more be amazed at any terrour outwardly God would not have his dear people fear the fears of others Only let us sanctifie the Lord of Hosts iâ— our hearts and he shall be for a Sanctuary unto us The case is truly weighty on both sides The serious Young Person takes it up goes with it into the Sanctuary and there weighs it before the Lord and at length comes forth cordially contented that the just fear of God should be to him as to the Patriarks of old the great Badge and Cognizance of his Religion 2. He is one to whom the Lord Iesus Christ is exceeding precious He loves his Father he loves his Mother but still saies Jesus Christ alone he and none but he can be my Saviour He could herein even break forth into an holy triumph and begin with the Father to sing the Songs of the Lamb The Saviour is born oh glorifie the Lord. He hath appeared on Earth be ye henceforth lift up ye everlasting Gates The Bridegroom is shortly returning again oh light your Lamps and go out to meet him Sing to the Lord in the joy of this salvation Oh! let all the earth praise the Lord. The Iron though senseless willingly moves toward the Loadstone and is loth to part any more from it Christ is his Load-stone and his heart is even constrained and drawn out with great affection after him If the presence of the Sun be that which alone makes day to the dark world The enjoyment of Christ is more to him the light of life that makes a day of grace the chief of his comforts his heaven his all He could say wiâ—h pious Suenes in the midst of the greatest discouragements I will follow my Saviour in liberty and bondage in prosperity and adversity in life and death Whilest the smallest thread of life
your tender body the more necessity of Garments of salvation for your soul. Few Friends and no Inheritance that you are ever like to possess on Earth Oh! what cause have you to entreat the Lord to be your God and to give you an inheritance amongst his Saints in light Little or no Education here for accomplishing or polishing of nature How great an Enoblement would it now be unto you to be made partakers of that Spirit and Grace of God which makes the righteous more excellent than his Neighbour Such grace will be truly more to you than all riches It will preserve you from contempt for who dares despise him whose goings are with God It will make you welcome to all good men for the grace of your lips every man shall be a friend unto you It will procure you an â—rgh testimonial of honour from the Lord. I know thy poverty but thou art rich It will truly prefer you before those who upon all other accounts are far your Superiours The odds indeed is great but the decision and determination of the case God hath for your encouragement made it very clear Better is a poor and wise Child than an old and foolish King who will be no more admonished In a word it will cause your faces to shine it will fill your hearts with comfort it will be the forerunner of endless glory You may here modestly smile and tell any man as once Antisthenes answered Socrates when Socrates asked him What makes thee oh Antisthenes so chearful when it is known thou hast so little He candidly replies Because I plainly see true riches and poverty lodge not in our houses and coffers but in our souls and minds There he enjoyed inwardly what men had thought he wanted outwardly The destruction of the poor Solomon tells us is their poverty And so indeed too commonly it proves But it needs not be so with you See dear Children oh see what a sweet relief you might have to your mean Condition Accept it I pray you and seek it carefully that in the day of your accounts it may be said to your honour This is that poor child that in much poverty and affliction received the Gospel Let him now enter into the joy of his Lord. Secondly Hath the Lord by your Friends provided for you a larger measure in the good things of this life You had need now take all care that your mind for its part be as rich as your Estate You are like to inherit Israels blessing Houses that you buildeâ— not and Vineyards that you planted not You cannot now refuse Israels duty Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth You can do no less in thankfulness to him from whom you have received all You can do no less in the sense of your own accounts whose reckoning will be not like the poor mans for one Talent but for ten Where much is given it is but righteous and we must not take it ill if much be required Riches without Grace Estate without Wisdom alas what are theyâ— As the Indians Gold which they know not what use or improvement to make of it You might say as he Here is the â—re and here is the wood but where is â—he Sacrifice for the Lord An house â—ull of these as the Oratour wittily â—aid will never make a rich man It is the prefixing of the Figure â—hat makes the following Ciphers significant It is the stamp upon the Silver that makes it current Coin And we may more truly say It is the grace of God that is the figure of account it is the Image of God that is this â—oyal stamp whereby our enjoyments become so valuable and blessings unâ—o us Without this they will be but as â—ewel to our lusts and as the glass of seeming honey wherein the wasp dies To the ungracious his Estate is a curse his enjoyments a snare like Dives his barns where their Master â—he and his heart too lodge day and night A price is put into his hand and he hath no heart to make use thereof No understanding to dispose and order it to the praise of God It is Grace when all is done that is as salt and keeps these things from putrifying Oh! for your very estates sake be ye gracious And while the Lord in much goodness thus brings and leaves them with you Say you as Manoah once did Oh! let my Lord come again and shew me how I shal order them and make friends for my souâ— out of the Mammon of this world Thirdly Hath the Lord given you comeliness of person Should you now harbour a profane ungodly heart under that fair and amiable complexion it were as rotten bones under a fair Tomb or as the Apples of Sodom beautiful and fresh afar off but nothing save dust and smoâ—k nearer hand too like Apelles his rare Picture of Cherries so curiously drawn that Historians tell us the Birds came flying to it but returned empty they quickly found it was no Cherries but a sorry painted cloath And such will your beauty be if it be but an outward one whose verdure be we never so loath must soon decay All flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof be it never so lovely as the flower of the field which may blow pleasantly with the morning but must as certainly to its funeral and with the Evening hang down its head and die The Lord make you comely with a truer and more lasting comliness the beauties of holiness which abide for ever We read of one Alcibiades Socrates his Schollar that he was the beauty of all Athens another Absalom for comliness of person outwardly but the reproach of mankind another Nero for all viciousness and odiousness of nature inwardly Oh! take heed a second Alcibiades be found in none of you Play not the hypocrite if thy body which is but the Cabinet be so richly enamelled so curiously wrought by the hand of the Lord Oh! beg of God that thy soul the jewel within may be somewhat sutable adorned with the blessed graces of his spirit Fourthly Is thy body as course clay walls but plain and homely to look upon Yet be not discouraged It is no dishonour to be as the Tents of Kedar outwardly so thou beest as the Curtains of Solomon inwardly Caesars Garland of Laurel was enough to compensate the blemish of his baldness Crates his learning rendred him dear and honourable to all notwithstanding the crookedness oâ— his back And you may reckon beyond them both and say The ornaments of grace it is they that are â— greatest price in the sight of God And these may lodge as the Pearl in a for ry shell A withered arm a lame leg a pooâ— crooked body no form no comliness that thou shouldst be desired Whaâ— then Hath God given thee a wise and understanding mind to know him A faithful and willing heart to wal uprightly before
shâ—ke your selves frâ—m the dust and vanities of Youth Bring a blessing with you into your Generation the Woâ—ld in these lâ—st declining Times greatly needs it Carry a blessing hence with you when ere you die your selves shall reap the sweet and everlasting comfort of it Your work is great your day is shâ—â—t the Master imporâ—â—â—te and your promise is alreadie passed To recoile now were as the Father well said to keep back part of the price and even to lie to the Holy Ghost To make our selves guiltie of the greatest perjury before the Lord. Oh â— hasten and put on the garments of your Elder Brother Gird up the loyns of your mind and run your Race Hasten and linger not lest night overtake you and you sit for ever mourning under the region and shadow of death See that ye covet earnestlie the best things Set your hearts unmoveablie upon heaven and â—ll the glorie of it Say humblie to the Lord as Luther You neither can nor dare take these soâ—â—y earthly things for your portion Strive as Ionathan to climbe up the Rock Love and Fear the Lord. Honour and obey your Parents Be careful and redeem your own time Design as becomes youâ— an ingenuous â—ife on Earth Design above all a gloâ—ious life in heâ—ven and God your God shall be with you I might now leave your Parents â—nd neâ—râ—â—t Friends to pleâ—d this righteous câ—use of the Lord yet further with you You cannot be strangers to all their affectionate and dayly prayers on your behalf their ardent and even restless desires of your welfare You are to them their dear Ascanius's on whom their hearts so much are set in whom as Iacob in Benjamin their life is almost bound up and their Parental cares night and day longing and waiting scarce desirous of any greater joy than this To see their Children walking wisely in the truth as we have all received a Commandment from the Father Me thinks both I and you cannot but hear them speâ—king to you in the very language of their hearts as once Cicero so Father-like to his Son Know my Child thou art already exceeding dear unto me but shalt yet become far dearer if thou shalt hearken to wise Counsel and thine own welfare What words can I further use I charge you by all the sparks of filial good nature that are yet alive in any of your bosoms oh quench not these affections Oh! frustrate not these so righteous expectations of your indulgent Parents Let me oh let me perswade you and rely upon you that you will not be wanting to your selves whatever in you lieth to greaten their dearest love and affection toward you In which hopes I take my leave and part at present with you Oh! let me rejoyce in the day of Christ that this Letter hath not been in vain unto you Let no man â—â—spise your Youth though young in years be ye as the Iews were wont proverbially to say as the Aged in all gravity and wisdom of carriage Fare ye well The Lord himself make you branches of righteousness bringing forth every one of you fruits unto holiness that God the Lord may be glorified Amen Amen My Son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that râ—proacheâ—h me Pro. 27.11 FINIS THE Young Mans MEDITATION OR Some few Sacred POEMS UPON Select Subjects and Scriptures By Samuel Crossman B.D. Noâ— modo divina contemplantur sed Cantica Hymnos ad Deum Sacratioribus omnis generis melâ—orum carminum rhythmis gâ—aâ—iter conâ—â—runâ—t Philo de Religios in Aegypt apud Eusâ—b A Verse may find hâ—m whom a Sermon flâ—es And turn delâ—ght into a Sacrifice Mr. Herberts Temple Loâ—don Prâ—nted by I. H. and are to be sold by S. Tâ—ompson at the Bishops head in St. Pauls Church-yard and T. Parkhurst at the three Crowâ—s at the lower end of Cheapside near the Conduit 1664. The Gift If thou knowest the gift of God c. Joh. 4.10 1. THis is the Gift thy Gift oh Lord The token of thy dearest love The orient jewel of thy word Sent down my thankfulness to prove 2. Great is his gift in all mens eyes Who gives himself his Friend to save My Lord does more for Foes he dies This Gift no parallel may have 3. Great is the Gift the Giver great Both justly to a wonder rise Thou giv'st thy Lamb to thine for meat And for their Sins a Sacrifice 4. But Lord whil'st thou thus giv'st to thine Others arose to vie with thee The World and Satan did combine And they would needs a giving be 5. Satan sins pleasures offered And almost forc'd them upon me But while they bloom'd they withered And Lord thy Gift my choice shall be 6. Then did the World its gayes present And still alluring cri'd see see Here 's that may rather give content But Lord thy Gift my choice shall be 7. These cannot give they 'd sâ—eal away From me my Heâ—v'n my heart from thee What e'r they offer I 'll say nay Still Lord thy Gift my choice shall be All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field The grass withereth the flower sâ—deth but the Word of our God shall stand for ever Isa. 40.6 8. 1. VVElcom sweet words is 't is most meet We will you in our bosomes hide Sweet words for present but most sweet Because for ever you abide 2. All flesh is as the fading grass The voice from Heav'n to Earth thus cri'd The whole Worlds glory away doth pass But Lord thy words they still abide 3. Man speaks but all his words are wind They ebb and flow with time and tide Fit Emblems of his fickle mind But Lord thy words they still abide 4. Our selves sometimes stand promising Great things while we by thee are tri'd Our blossoms fall no fruit they bring But Lord thy words they still abide 5. Bless'd words Dear Lord no words like thine In darkness light through them is spi'd Till death and after death they shine Then Lord even then thy words abide 6. These words the Lamb's sweet writings be Of love and dowry to his Bride Here may his Saints their portions see Portions which ever shall abide 7. Welcome sweet words sweet words indeed Heaven's Agent here to Heav'n our Guide What e'r is needless these we need Lord let these words with us abide Upon the Fifth of November The Archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him But his Bow abode in strength Gen. 49.23 24. 1. THe day allows thy praises Lord Our grateful hearts to thee shall sing Our thankful lips they shall record Thine ancient loves Eternal King 2. Our Land shall boast the holy One My great preserver is become My Friend my Foes hath overthrown And made the pit they digg'd their â—oome 3. With Parthian bows the Archers came Romes poisonous oyl on the Arrows shone Thy Turtle was the Archers aime
casts so many sad shipwracks upon the shore Headiness rusheth on and is confident but never prospereth There are and will be those heart breaking grones in another world which may justly endear good Counsel to us while we have a day to live How have I will the poor damned one day say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof Dear Youths stop not your ear as the deaf Adder to the instructions of wisdom let them be unto you as the weights to the Clock that set it into an orderly motion of going As the welcome friendly gales of wind which carry the ship that might otherwaies have lain becalmed the fairer the faster and straiter toward its desired haven It is a spur to quicken our pace a guide to direct our way which the wise in heart will esteem as the Poet of old A sacred thing of great safety and usefulness to all The Counsels and requests I have now more particularly to lay before you for the guidance of your youth are of a twofold nature 1. The first relating more immediately to Religion between God and your own souls 2. The other to your relative condition and converse which you are entring into here with men Though therein also Religion is still greatly concerned In both I shall endeavour all plainess and practicalness and not to cast in matters of doubt and division Such things are at any time more ready to humour the wrath of man than to work the righteousness of God The Temple is then best built when there is the least noise of knocking oâ— hammers heard about it It will be your part and that which God himself will look for at your hands not barely to read or to rest your selves in the verbal commendation of pious truths which nature is very desirous to sit down upon as they on this side Iordan and go no farther toward the Holy Land you are to compose your selves forthwith to enter upon the real practice of the good will of God concerning you And oh that the Lord who alone teacheth to profit would please to give these sorry Lines any place of abode in your hearts to your souls just furtherance and edification in the Lord. In the great Concernments of Religion as Man is far the noblest Creature in the world So is Religion still the highest enoblement that he is possibly capable of A right understanding in it a wise and cordial consistency with it that we may not in effect dishonour what we seem to respect by an undue professing of it these are mercies of an high nature and come only from the Father of lights The heart that is thus upright with God carries alwaies a great presence and blessing with it The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth and he will shew himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are thus perfect toward him We may here safely sing with the Psalmist Blessed is every one be he never so mean otherwaies that feareth the Lord and thus walketh in his waies The Heathen though wandring in too much darkness have yet usually had so high a sense of this as ascribe all their welfare to their fidelity and care in their Religion Thus the great Orator even boasteth of his Romans that it was neither their Policy nor their Strength but their Piety which became the advancement of their Nation Lo here how they who had not the Law became yet a Law to themselves oh let us be provoked to a better emulation by them But I shall endeavour to be yet more particular with you that you may not on either hand as too many in these perillous daies are sadly sound to do miscarry in these tremendous matters of Religion First then Entertain from your youth up pious and reverent thoughts of God live in the constant acknowledgement of him in â—ll your waies let your hearts dwell in the religious sense of his Deity his Holiness and Omnisciency and they shall lay a divine weight upon both heart and life It is a fundamental principle which God himself stands much upon He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him In the Old Testament we read The fool and never any but the fool hath said in heart there is no God And in the New Testament the Apostle tels us of some that were without God in the world Not that God intends to let them so escape and pass away No no though they would have nothing â—o do with God God hath yet something to do with them but the Scripture thus records them for practical Atheists against God because they care not to know or interest themselves by true grace in him But as for you see that you set the Lord alwaies at your right hand lest at â—ny time you offend agâ—inst him Live continually as in his sight for the truth is you and all your waies are naked and open before him Harbour not that thought in your mind venture not upon that action though never so seemingly secret in your life which you would be ashamed to own or avouch as yours before the Lord. Still meditate the Omnisciency and greatness of the presence in which we alwaies all of us are and how all our present waies will we â—ill we must one â—ay abide the touchstone of â— publick â—id at the Bar of God Choose him in your Youth and he shall be a God â—ll-sufficient unto you through your wâ—oâ—e life Yet rest not your selves too much on this general reverence toward God but modestly press after the most particular and filial knowledge of him You may freely 〈◊〉 as Moses without offence I beseech thee shew me thy glory He is that God in whom you live and have your being the God of all your mercies and good things with whom if ever you become happy you are to live to all Eternity You cannot sure you cannot but holily desire the utmost acquaintance before hand with him How earnestly how affectionately was this pious study recommended in the Primitive times Their Language me thinks might even enflâ—me us I testifie saies Lactantius I proclaim it as far as ever I can make this voice of mine to be heard I declare to all the world that this is our great Maxime and Principle the true Knowledge and Worship of God it is the just sum of all Wisdom This this is that the Philosophers so anxiously sought afâ—er but poor men they groped in the dark and could never find it Dear Youths you are willing to learn and gain acquaintance with men Oh! be ye not strangers unto God I commend and leave it with you under this great assurance It would most certainly become life eternal to any of you thus to know the only true God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Secondly Let
God and the rare glory that is visible and transparent in them At other times of History and the pleasing Records so serviceable to the enlarging and setling of wisdom that are found therein But above all he delights to fix most upon his own duty and the Lords mercies in Christ that he may be a frequent remembrancer to himself in them He hath heard that his speech it is his peculiar Excellency above the beasts of the field and he dares not imbase it to things so unbecoming so far below him He is modestly silent while the Ancient are before him waiting for their words as for the dew And when at any time he hath just occasion to speak his Motto and Maxime is Not how much but how well His words are alwaies free from Assentation he flatters no man Free from Moroseness he causelesly offendeth no man Free from Affectation he brings them not forth for vain glory but for use The care that he bestows upon his speech is plainly this That it may be truly accented with Discretion uttered with Modesty seasoned with Grace continually shedding and sending forth a sweet odour wherever he becomes He easily perswades himself That Tongue would scarce be fit to praise God in heaven which hath been used to filthy and light words here on earth 5. Not one that is ever found in a lie Oh! no Truth is alwaies lovely falshood odious Where the tongue is false to the heart the heart is surely false to it selfe false to God The Lord accepts it as a letter in that sacred name whereby he is pleased to be known to the Sons of men That he is A God of Truth And a Lie whatever excuses and pretensions it may have as it is never wanting that way yet we know its kindred and whence it comes It is the base born of Satan He is a Lyar and the Father of it Oh! that we may all take heed how we nurse his brats in our bosomes The way of lying It is a short-lived cheat where the deceit when all is done will quickly put forth its blushing face and to our shame appear The Liar say the Learned among the Jews he may vapour a while but he hath no legs whereon to travel long It is a very low kind of policy when to save our selves we stab the truth When to gain á little repute which yet is never solidly got by lying we hazard our very souls When we are so desirous of some shelter for sin that rather than fail we make up an hedge for it as the Prophet saies of briars and thorns set up against the Lord. In this case the Lyar too truly fulfils the old Proverb And shews himself by his pleading not guilty fearful of men but by his inward falseness a wretched contemner of the all-seeing the heart-searching God In lower things the Clock is prized by its true going The Money is valued when it is no Counterfeit And that Young Man shall be accounted a branch of hope indeed whose tongue is as choice Silver and his words words of ingenuity and truth The fault that is yet but one he will not make it two by denial He may have many weaknesses but still takes care that he may be believed in what he speaketh and therefore resolves the whole world shall not justly charge him with a lye 6. Not one that takes the name of God in vain Oh! no he knows God over-hears and will not hold him guiltless that dares do it He is thankful that he may have leave to use it in Prayer he delights to meet with it in reading the Scriptures but he loves it too well to abuse it irreverently in his lips It was a good Counsel once well given by a Royal Parent to his Son Let the name of God be more sparingly in your mouth but more abundantly in your heart The Jews of old accounted the name Iehovah so sacred that they durst not utter it The High Priest alone and that in the Temple only but once in the year at their solemn Feast while he blessed the people might have leave to mention it For others it was death And I have read of a poor begging Jew in these later and modern times that had a great Alms offered him on these terms but to pronounce that Word who yet refused it They wound up the string too high and became superstitious The Christian abates that but continues truly reverent and willingly fears this glorious and fearful name The Lord his God Dear Children be you admonished in this weighty matter and I hope you will take great heed that you offend not with your tongue He that must needs at almost every word cry oh Lord doth not so much say oh Lord help but rather oh Lord come and punish my sin 7. Not one that profanes that sacred name of God by wretched swearing by horrid Oaths Oh! no an Oath was never allowed but in ponderous and weighty Cases And the holy Language still tells us by the Conjugation wherein the word is only used we should be rather passive than active No further acquainted with an Oath than when we are solemnly called upon by Authority not to be denied There is a curse from God a flying Rowl which how unwelcome soever shall yet enter into the house of the swearer and shall remain there though sore against his will till it hath recovered the glory of Gods name which he had wronged There is but little gained by sin men do but provoke the Lord to their own confusion The nations which knew not God were yet a Law to themselves and a great example to all Posterity in the condemning of this odious sin With the Scythians the Swearers punishment was loss of his Estate With the Persians servitude and bondage With the Grecians the cutting off their ears as those that had infected the ears of others With the Romans it was throwing down from a steep high Rock Thus have they born their testimony before us that we might receive instruction from a foolish people and learn in them our own duty Me thinks Dear Children you should be every one saying to your selves I see now indeed the Lord hath severely charged me as once the Emperour Augustus to the Praetors of Rome that his name should not be vilely trodden under foot or abused by wretched Oaths in my lips He that will not so much as forbear these for Gods sake bears but very little respect to God or his commands Other sins have their several excuses such as they are though but sorry ones This is that hath nothing to say for it self No cause for it no sweetness no pleasure no profit in it no credit no advantage by it neither believed nor trusted one grain the more for it Others are weary of it the Offender himself hath not the face to plead for it Of all men the Swearer sins upon
wretchedly departed from the Profession they had sometimes made in their former yeares and poor men never joyed good hour after I cannot but even beseech you in the Language of the Ancients Oh! spare for Gods sake spare your sweet Youth take some pity upon it and give not that lovely flesh of yours for food to everlasting burnings Gods Children should be as those Hebrew Servants staying with him for the love they bear unto him He hath the words of Eternal life and whether else can they find in their hearts to go If any man draw back this is the sad message must be sent after him the Lord shall have no pleasure in him Men shall also scorn him and say this is salt which hath lost its savour tread it henceforth under foot Ah poor man it had been better for him a sad Better God knows but it had been better for him saied the Apostle never to have know the way of righteousness than after he hath known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto him Be you then as Iosiah gracious in your Youth but be ye also even to Gray-hairs as aged Israel waiting for the salvation of God when you come to dye CHAP. X. The Objections that usually ensnare and detain young people answered I Have now counselled you but shall I say I have also perswaded you It is likely you have your discouragements I know you cannot be without some recoylings of nature Trifles and vanities will hang it may be about your mind as being loth to be now shaken off An holy man found it so which made him complain as we also too truly may My former customes though worse were plainly too strong and trod down things far better because they had been as yet but little used The most righteous waies of God they are indeed blessed they are safe they are honourable but still they are scarce pleasing to flesh and blood Our wretched hearts are too like distempered stomacks that are easily distasted and find no relish in the most wholsome food I am sensible also how busie Satan stands at your right hand ready to resist you continually incensing and prejudicing your thoughts all that ever he can against your own mercies He that makes it his wicked trade to pervert the right waies of God will be forward enough to tell you as once he did Eve You may eat of the forbidden fruit and yet not die You may forbear this serious care and yet speed well at last But oh believe him not his Crocodile flatteries have undone thousands at his feet He that was a liar and a murderer from the beginning will scarce be either true or kind to you He may seem now a smooth and pleasing Tempter but he will soon become as open and forward an Accuser Those very sins he now enticeth to when time shall serve in the presence of God of Angels and of Men will he be ready with all their aggravations to charge you with As you love your souls resist him and account it an essential Principle in true Religion to give a constant Nay to all his temptations Let Men and Devils say what they will sin is sin still An evil saies the very Heathen that must not be pleaded for that cannot be excused An unexcusable breach of a righteous Law the utmost endangering of a precious and immortal soul a wretched and ungrateful flying in the face of a most tender and loving Father This is that Rabshekah that blasphemes the God of Heaven that Achan that troubles the whole Creation this oh this is that Accursed thing that brings evil upon our selves that Needle that too surely draws a thread of divine vengeance after it Let Men and Devils say what they will there must be sowing to the Spirit here if we expect to reap a blessed harvest hereafter Nature tells us so Experience tells us so all the World knows it is so No running the Race now saies the Father and there can be no Crown in the end No fighting the good fight in the Valley and there can be no triumph of victory or honour upon the Everlasting Hills There must be striving to the utmost if we desire to enter in at the straight Gate The Kingdom of Heaven should even suffer violence and the violent are to take it by an holy force Up then in the name of God and be a doing let nothing hinder you Consider call your thoughts to a solemn and impartial debate lay your case in the ballances of the Sanctuary See oh see how Eternity lies at stake your Candle is shortly going out tomorrow it may be will not serve for that which may be done to day You have had your time of Childhood wherein according to the infant feebleness of your minds You spake as Children you understood as Children you thought as Children but now it is time it is high time to out-grow those daies of Vanity What the Lord in much mercy winckt at then would very ill become you now As you become men it will be expected and it will be your honour to put away Childish things These Years and this Age call upon you to converse with more serious things the things that belong to your souls everlasting peace First Say not any of you within your selves in way of objection I am too young for those things He that is old enough to sin cannot think himself too young to repent Doth God say To day while it is called to day and darest thou speak of to Morrow Thou wouldst not adventure to answer thy Natural Parents with such delaies how can God take them well at thine hands Let the pious expostulation of the Father with his soul be rather the language of thine heart also within thee How long oh my Soul how long must this be all thy note to Morrow to Morrow And why not now Why not this very hour a period to all thy former filthiness For how indeed canst thou content thy selfe to venture so much as a day longer in thy present condition without the pardon of sin without the favour of God without any solid provisions for another world The hazard is verily great that thou arâ— running Oh! consider seriously what thou dost If thy soul and the saving of it be unto thee as certainly it is more than all the world besides take thy best time for thy best work Arise as Abraham while it is yet early in the morning of thy life and go about it Fear not it shall be no injury to thy following life that thou hast acquainted thy self with God that thou hast imbraced his good waies while thou art young The Sun in the Spring when it ariseth soonest all men observe the daies are then far the sweetest far the chearliest Secondly Say not Such a strict religious care I see but few of my equalls that undertake it It hath been indeed the sad
complaint of all Ages that goodness is too rare and vertuous men exceeding few But it shall be the more lovely the more honourable that good things are found in you as in that Child of Ieroboam toward the Lord God of Israel The disobedience of others how evil soever in them may serve the more highly to commend your obedience in the sight of God and men It is praise-worthy indeed to shine as the Lilly among the Thornes to be sound as the Proverb of the Ancient adviseth like the fruitful Olive in the midst of Thistles Be you an example in Gods good waie unto all let none be snareâ— in evil unto you Corrupt examples ' may sway with weak minds but the wise in heart will rather regard and consider what is their duty If most shall vilely câ—st away their dear immortal souls as if no mercy no salvation were tendred unto them be you so much the more careful to â—ave yours Though you should travel somewhat solitary here on Earth yet comfort your selves you shall meet with good company in Heaven What Themistocles once wrote setting up a Bill upon an house he had to be lett adding for encouragement sake to them that should hire it this commendation There are good neighbours about it This oh this is indeed the happiness of heaven The Saints and Angels of God the Prophets the Apostles and blessed Martyrs with all your godly friends are all there There may you meet with Daniel who purposed while he was young that he would not defile himself There may you see the three Children whom the very slâ—mes could not affright from choosing to trust and serve the Lord in their tender years Be you also whatever others are like the vision of the Almond-tree holily ambitious to blossome with the first Thirdly Say not it is hard and truly though I dare not altogether deny it yet I scarce know how to like or love it Canst thou love sin and canst thou not love grace Is it an easie thing to serve Satan and hard to serve the Lord These are strange objections â—e never thus learned Christ. It hath been wont to be said by holy men that were before us Those are of all other to be reckoned the hard things which injure the precious soul and hazard Eternity But canst thou be indeed against the true feâ—r of God and the making of thine own Calling and Election sure Oh! tremble and know it is hard entring such unrighteous dissents and standing out with God we are not any of us stronger than he It wâ—s once indeed the Fathers case I was saies he both willing and unwilling my Conscience frâ—ely gave its Yea but my Affections were so shameless as to return their Nay But I arose and contended with my self till my backward heart became at length better perswaded Dear Youths you â—re it seems too far involved in the same conflict oh come forth as honourably in the like gracious resolution Our stubborn and humorous wills left câ—relesly to themselves Lord what utter woe and distress will they soon bring upon the whole man Thou that canlt not fare with thy duty how wilt thou ever be able to fare with thy misery and that for ever If duty may be disingenuously put off now yet will not that be so answered or sent away then And should there be any neglect or miscarrying in this great matter it is thy self thy dear self that is like to be the sufferer and bear the smart of it Come come be not unwilling with thine own duty be not averse toward that which would in conclusion prove thy greatest mercy The painful Countryman is never more in his Element never better pleased then when he is laboriously at work in his Calling And if we be indeed the Servants and Children of the Lord it must and well mâ—y be our meat and drink to do the will of our heavenly Father Fourthly Say not The pleasures of sin are sweet and I would fain have my time and share in them God grant you betâ—er Sweets than they will ever prove More lawful more real Of these we must all say with the Poet They have more of the Aloes than of the Honey in them Young Palates indeed are usually taken with any green raw fruits but their end is bitter Satan hath learnt how to bait the sharp hook how to guild the bitter pill artificially enough He easily over-reaches our credulous minds but his deceit and our disappointment will too soon appear What Nature is now so fond of Grace would even in an holy scorn trample under its feet saying as once St. Austine The pleasures I was sometimes afraid to part with it is now my greatest joy to be clearest from them Theâ—e are those at this day in Hell that are sick enough sick at heart of those very pleasures which they themselves when time was so violently lusted after and could now wish they had never known or called of them Oh! that you would tender your souls health and be perswaded to forbeâ—r them Pleâ—sures you may have only foâ—her sinful ones God would have none be duil though he bids all be innocent Heaven it self shall be 1 Paradise of divine delights for the People of God A vertuous heart me thinks should scorn Sin for its pastime and should not think so well of transgression as to dare to take it for its recreation but modestly chooses things harmeless and ingenuous and gracious and therein only takes delight There are more noble and peculiar entertainments for the mind as well as carnal surfettings for the body The soul hath also its delights more divine more enduring And oh how well would it become us to bethink our selves and choose as the Angels to feast on such heavenly food rather than with bruit beasts to immerse our selves in the fordid lusts of the slesh Oh! how did the Heathen both chide and grieve to see Nature abused under sensual pleasures Canst thou saies one of them after God hath given thee a mind then which there is nothing in the whole world more noble or divine Caust thou so prostitute and debase thy self that there shall scarce remain any longer difference between thee and the sorry beasts Let us take the words as spoken to our selves and life up your inclinations Dear Youths toward those cleaner pleasures which may best answer their own name which may best become you and your nature If others shall please themselves in wanton plaies the whole Creation may be your Theater where you may dayly see a lively Scene all variety upon the Stage every Creaâ—urâ— acting us part and the Glory of God to the just admiration of all Spectâ—tors â—isâ—lâ—ied in the whole If others delight themselves in idle book you may rejoyce in the Lâ—w of the Lorâ— and say wiâ—h David My meditatiâ—â— of him shall be sweet unto me Religion wants nor its true delights
you Factious they are it may be loâ—h you should be Superstitious but still they would have you Pious See then Sweet Youths I how little of real discouragement lies before you Your nearest Friends are ready to say unto you as once Cyrus to the trembling and willing Iews Go up and the Lord your God be with you Be ye then I pray you toward God Children of great willingness toward your Parents blameless and without rebuke drawing the love of all unto you in the Families wherin you dwell CHAP. XI The Conclusion of the whole by way of Exhortation ANd now what hinders but that all this might be willingly imbraced faithfully practised the life of grace cordially espoused and your Souls for ever saved Your Friends they desire it Your own everlasting welfare is bound up in it And God himself from Heaven calls unto you for it What answer can you now tender but as Christ in the Psalms Loe I come to do thy will oh God! Concluding with the Father He were justly worthy to be cut off by death that should refuse on such sweet terms to close with a gracious life Oh! require not the Lord and your own Souls so unkindly Give not your years to vanity nor your precious time to that which will not comfort in the end Sins in Youth will most certainly become sorrows in Age. It is usually said Youth laies in and Age lives upon it The one sows the other reaps Oh! sow that now which may be worth the reaping afterwards How loth would you be to have your own life now become your death hereafter To have the foolish sins of your Youth to stand between you and your everlasting real happiness Your present vain pleasures made your arraignment your condemnation your utter undoing in the day of Judgement This would prove like the Roman Souldiers Grapes short pleasures sorry pleasures joyless pleasures dearly bought and dearly paid for Thus might you feather the Arrow that wounds you from your own wing and in the end sit down with that sad number who all the year long sigh over this doleful note For a few short pleasures have we purchased to our selves innumerable and everlasting torments Well however I pray know you cannot be so slighty so careless now but you shall be as solemn and perplexed then Sin cannot please so much in the commission but it will torment far more when it comes to be suffered for and the Sinner to be brought forth to execution Go Christless before the Lord and there shall be no Parent there able or willing to countenance you no excuse there to be made for you no hope no comfort left in your own consciences to relieve you Oh! treasure not up to your selves wrath against that day that dreadful day of wrath How tremendous and heart-piercing are the Examples which God hath set as so many flaming swords before you that you might take timely warning and not rush upon your own destruction Ishmael scoffs at Religion and is cast out of his Fathers house and the house of God for ever Absalom proves rebellious against his Parents and shortens his own life untimely by it The Children mock the Prophet and die under the fierce anger of the Lord while they are doing of it I tell you Sirs God will be avenged of Children as well as Elder people of poor of rich of any if they shall dare to sin against him Let not the Devil deceive you oh slatter not your selves These things hath God written for the particular admonition of young people and will expect that you should bear them in mind Oh! lay such memorials upon your hearts and receive instruction from them But if after all any of you should be secretly unwilling and all this counsel from the Lord should be a burden and weariness unto you you must then once more go with me to the door of the Tabernacle that I may there reason further with you before the Lord. And truly I must now even heartily chide with you Oh Sirs do but consider what you do How unreareasonable how unrighteous it is How unanswerable how unsafe it is like to prove Will you have Bibles and will you not believe them Will you be called Christians and will you live like Heathens Have you immortal souls shining with such bright raies of the sacred Image of God upon them and will you needs wilfully damn them Hath God given you religious Parents tender of you as of the apple of their own eye and will you not be counselled by them Are you resolved to be a shame to your Friends in Life and a terrour to your selves in Death Can it possibly enter into your minds to think that ever any good will come of sinful courses Or that ever you should have cause to repent your selves of any thing heartily done in obedience to the Commands of God for the good of your Souls Hath God solemnly sworn The soul that sinneth be he who he will that soul shall die and can you suppose he will break his word for you Can you so much as imagine that the most holy God who is a God of pure eyes and hateth iniquity can you any way encourage your selves to hope that he will open Heaven Gates at the last day to the impenitent to the ungodly who scorn their duty who slight their mercy Do you expect a new day of Grace when this is gone that you make such waste of your present time Do you think everlasting burnings are so easily undergone that you make such slow haste to flee from the wrath that is to come Is it not enough that you were born in iniquity but you will stubbournly die in your sins also Nay then Ichabod Ichabod your glory and our hopes are both departed Sons of Belial against all the sweet counsels of God to the contrary will you needs wretchedly make your selves Children as the word too sadly imports that have broken the yoke becoming henceforth altogether unprofitable both to your selves and others never likely to emerge or rise more to any glory Then may Satan justly enough take up his taunt and triumph as the Father represents it He a Servant of thine No Lord It is my work that he all the day does it is my sinful motions he chiefly delights in There can be no plea made for him He is whatever he may vainly think of himself not thine but mine Yea then your Parents though loth such words should ever come from them will be enforced to cry out How have we brought forth to the grave and our breasts given suck to the Destroyer Then may Davids mourning be heard again in their Tents Oh Absalom my Son my Son how art thou fallen and dying as the sinful dieth in the crimson guilt the bloudy gore of all thy sins At these sad rates are the righteous counsels of the Lord rejected and set at nought But ere we thus part I
your evil waies for why why indeed will ye die oh house of Israel Such are the Fathers bowels toward us too too regardless of our selves What answer as the Father piously said can ever be solidly made if such bowels of love such dear such free salvation as this should be ungratefully slighted Oh let your hearts even melt and your very souls be dissolved within you If the Lord be willing be not you unwilling neither let these tender arms of mercy be spread forth all the day long in vain Behold the Lord Jesus Christ at the Fathers right hand making continual intercession and the poor of the flock are his care the weary and broken in spirit the Objects of his pity It is their names he bears on his breast-plate and commends with such endearing arguments unto the Father Suppose your selves hearing him calling to you and arguing with your trembling thoughtful hearts on this wise Wherefore thinkest thou poor soul was I numbred amongst the transgressors and made a man of sorrows Wherefore was my Side pierced with the Spear my Head with Thorns and my dearest Bloud poured forth What dost thou conceive should move me to take upon me Humane Nature and become so near akin unto thee if it had not been to perform the office of a Kinsman and take the right of thy Redemtion upon me What could have perswaded me to sustain the bitter the accursed death of the Cross if it had not been to save such as thou art from thy sins Hast thou no need of my Righteousness What shall I do for thee What dost thou want What is it thy thirsty affections most pant after for thy souls good Speak freely and forbear not I am now ascended to my Fathers right hand and able to relieve thee Where are thy Prayers and I my Self will present them to my Father as from me perfumed with the sweet incense of my righteousness and he will shew favour unto thee Oh blessed encouragement here is the Golden Scepter held sorth indeeâ— What answer wilt thou now return to all this such overflowing love of so dear a Saviour Sit down with thy self poor Heart Advise by meditation what to aske and then send forth Faith and Prayer as the trusty and successful Messengers to fetch in supply Go thy waies take thy life in thy hands as once Hester did present thy Petition and say as she still did If I have found favour in thine eyes oh Lord let my life the life of my soul be given me at my request Do thou cry and he will hear He will graciously wash thy leprous soul in his own bloud and send his blessed Spirit as the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel to prepare and bring thee safely to glory Behold also the holy Angels of God waiting ready to rejoyce in your even in your Conversion There is not the meanest the poorest of you but your Repentance might become an occasion of much joy in Heaven It is a fresh feast to those noble Creatures to see the least encrease of the Kingdom of God To see though but one single sheep added to the flock of Christ. So precious is Grace so dearly is the recovery of a lost soul esteemed on high I might further tell you the damned themselves even groan unto you saying as in the Parable Oh! take warning by us and come not into this place of torments There is not one no throughout the whole Creation there is not so much as one that can heartily say unto you Go on in evil waies and prosper I charge you before the elect Angels and as you tender their comfort I charge you by the flaming pâ—ins and cries of the damned and as you would be loath to share with them iâ— all their Mâ—series take heed take serious heed to the saving of your souls All the divine threatnings of God stand naked and open before you as the hand-writing upon the wall that stand not there for nought They sound as so many shrill Trumpets from Mount Ebal and they also charge you to break off your sins by repentance Or else as sure as God is in Heaven iniquity will one day become your ruine All the sweet Promises are lastly appointed to attend your encouragement and furtherance in your Salvation They are sent forth in Gods name to invite you to his blessed kingdom and to assure you from him whatever pains you faithfully take heavenward your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. These are the Christians choice Feast and Banquet the Promises that you so joyfully should study that speak so comfortablie and withall as truly to the wearie soul. God himself hath made them and he will fulfil them It is the Concern of his glorie to make good the word that is gone out of his lips his faithfulness lies at stake therein Whosoever cometh unto him thus filiallie quoting and relying upon hiâ— Fathers word he will in no wise cast him out Come you and welcome Your work is good your wages will be great your fellow Servants the Excellent of the Earth your Master you are to go unto the lovingest the â—blest the Faithfullest the justest the kâ—ndest that ever was served Whaâ— can you possibly scruple Or where can you mend your selves Speak your hearts and spare not What danger think you can come of being safely reconciled unto the Lord What hinderance shall this be to any to be made an Heir of the Crown of life What wrong to others to save our selves What discredit to become a Child of the most High What Embasement of spirit to be renewed in our minds to the blessed Image of God Or what sadness can this ever occasion to be intituled to everlasting joyes We must even blush and holily fall out with our selves in the language of the Father saying as he Whence oh my soul whence is this horrid this strange and unreasonable thing that thou wilt be under no Command accept of no mercy heavenward Men may revile and our own wretched hearts may suspect the holy Counsels of God but the waies of the Lord are right and happy is that man that chooseth to walk therein He shall be able to lift up his face with Comfort not ashamed of his God nor disappointed of his hope â—hen the greatest pâ—rt of the World â—n the very depths of all distress and horrour shall call but alas in vâ—in 〈◊〉 Rocks and Mountains to fall upon them Awake then I beseech you for the Lords sâ—ke while it is yet the morning of your life the flower of your yeâ—rs Let your life be what indeed â—ll our lives ought to be a living Epistle a fair exemplification of the Gospel thâ—t men may see in you what in Primitive times the very Heathen saw so legible in Christians then The true portraiture of your Saviours life the just account of his Doctrine in the answerableness of your deportment and conversation Awake and arise