Lusts do exceedingly augment that estrangedness to and distance from God So here there is a natural rebellion in the Will against God but these youthful Lusts when fulfilled do much more add to that resistance and opposition and further that wretched and vile aversion in the Will to God And they will introduce such a vile setled habitual enmity in the Will to the blessed God as that you will wish there were no God with David's Fool in the 14. Psal 1. For you cannot but know that your Lusts are detestable to the holy and pure Nature of God who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity as the Prophet speaks in the 1. Hab. 13. You have Items of this in your own Breasts you cannot plead ignorance herein that when you obey your Lusts you do that abominable thing which his Soul hateth and abhorreth which being done most certainly influenceth the Will to a dislike of and regret at the holy Nature of God that you like not to retain him in your thoughts but will account thine own impure lusts more desirable and better than God and if so you may easily make an estimate how these youthful lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion it may as well stand with the life of a man to be cast into the depth of the Sea with a Milstone about his neck as it can stand with thy Conversion whilst thou yieldest obedience to thy youthful Lusts for these more and more alienate thy Will from God and Christ and swell thee with pride and enmity against the holy Will and Word of God that it will become a pleasing thing to thee to shove God out of thy thoughts 10. Psal 4. and to say to the Almighty Depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy ways And can this stand with Conversion O see the malignity of the influence that thy youthful Lusts have upon thy Will to hinder thy Conversion with what astonishment should you bethink your selves and say What a wretch am I to yield to my youthful lusts which set my Will against my bountiful and blessed Maker the Author of my Life and Being O the compleat and comprehensive Wickedness of this enough to make me tremble what to hate God and love my lusts that will damn me O horrid temper how canst thou hold up thy Head before him whose Eyes are as a Flame of Fire if there be found in thee an obstinate downright aversation in thy Will surely O my Soul if thou werâ— to live here a thousand years and hadst no other business than to bewail this it would not be sufficient O young ones think of this O that God would set it home upon your Hearts methinks it should cast yoâ— down with amazement and compel you tâ— say when tempted to yield to your youthful Lusts with that excellent young man in the 39. Gen. 1. How can I do so great Wickedness and sin against God 4thly These youthful lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion as they exceedingly harden the heart hence have you that admonition in the 3. Heb. 13. Take heed lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin There is a threefold hardness incident to the heart of man 1. Natural 2. Habitual or contracted 3. Judicial or penal 1. the Natural is found in all men as they come into the world in their several Ages and Generations it is derived to us from Adam and it's part of that wretched corrupt nature that we receive from him by our immediate Parents 2. the Contracted or acquired hardness is that which we bring upon our hearts by a course of Sin we read of it in Prov. 29. 1. Ezek. 3. 7. and Rom. 20. 5 6. 3. the Judicial hardness is a tradition or being given up to our own hearts lusts by a justly provoked God not that God infuseth any evil disposition into the heart but withdraweth his gracious Spirit Deut. 29. 9. and moreover he leaves the stubborn Sinner to his own natural and contracted hardness whereby he becometh more blind dead refractory and obstinate than ever of this we read in the 9 of Exodus and the 12. in the instance of the Lord 's hardening Pharaoh's Heart Isa 6. 9 10. Go and tell this People hear you indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not make the Heart of this People fat lest they be converted It is a tremendous Text and is quoted six times in the New Testament Math. 13. 14. Mark 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. John 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Now it is principally the second and third viz. Contracted and Judicial hardness that youthful lusts yielded to do miserably bring upon the Heart These make the Heart like the Leviathan's scales as Job speaks these do as it were bury their Heart in the Grave and roll a great Stone over it and so they indispose the Soul to Conversion for what fruit can ever be expected from a Rock oâ— a Stone let the Rain come down from Heaven upon it let the Sun shine with its Beamâ— upon it let the Seed's-man cast his Seeds on it yet the Rock is a Rock still So it is with a stony rocky Heart let there be line upon line and precept upon precept alas there is no impression made neither can there be until there be a removal of its hardness and that can never be till the cause of that hardness be removed which is a going on in the practice of these vile Lusts O the malignity of their influence they stop the Ears thaâ— the Heart becomes like the deaf Adder they shut the Eyes they fold up the Arms theâ— make the Heart like an Adamant regardleâ—â— under threatnings and all other administrations used by God to awaken convince and convert Sinners let one Minister come after another and cry aloud lift up their Voices like Trumpets in the shrillest manner as Boanerges yet as Zephaniah telleth us in 3. Chap. 5. They know no shame let God speak to them in their Prosperity they will not hearken 22. Jer. 21. let him multiply upon them the Fruits and Expressions of his Goodness in daily Preservations Deliverances c. yet they despise the Riches of his Goodness 2. Rom. 4. and 32. Deut. 15. But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God which made him O the malignity of Sin 's influence Solomon saith in 9. Eccles 3. It fills the Heart with madness while they live O young man thou art besides thy self bereaved of the right use of thy Reason by following of thy lusts hadst thou ever any fear or tenderness any sense of Sin any compunction of Heart O if thou yieldest to thy Lusts how quickly will all be extinguished and not only so but those Lusts will bring thee to such obduration as will lay thee naked and open to the unexpressible Misery of having that Scripture fulfilled upon thee 6. Isaiah and the 9. and 29 Chap. 10. The Lord hath poured upon you the Spirit of a
deep sleep We may stand amazed to see how Persons adorned with excellent Endowments of Nature that have great ability in natural things men of great Sense as we say when they hear how their unmortified Lusts war against their Souls and expose them to the Wrath of God and Everlasting Burning yet can go on in their lusts without remorse or any akings of Heart nay that which made the Son of God to bleed anâ— brought him to such bitter Agonies and strong Cries and Groans and for which Vengeance is now tearing and tormenting thousand in Hell Alas all is but as a Dream whilâ— sin prevaileth it hardeneth the Heart to â— degree of spiritual Phrensy Hosea 7. 9. 5. Jer. 3. 5. Isa 12. and 1. Chap. 5. likâ— Jonah fast asleep in the sides of the Ship tho' ready to perish Young men remember it yielding to your Lusts will so insensibly harden you that you will be like â— man that is seized with the dead Palsie whoâ— tho' you pinch and strike he feels nothing or like Solomon's besotted Wretch 7. Prâ—â— 14 15. They have stricken and beaten me bâ— I felt it not Or like the Prophet's Aetâ—opian 13. Jer. 23. Can the Aethiopian chanâ—â— his Skin and the Leopard his Spots theâ— may you change your accustomed Eviâ— Bernard describing the malignity of Sin 's iâ—fluence as to its encroaching Nature oâ—serves this Gradation At first saith he Sâ— is importable next time heavy then eaâ—â— then light then sweet at last necessaâ—â— Wherefore flee youthful Lusts as ever yâ—â— would escape these Soul-ruining Evils as blindness of Mind searedness of Conscience incurable hardness of Heart all which indispose the Soul to Conversion nay they expose it to Damnation 5thly These youthful Lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion as they miserably enslave and defile the Affections which are seated in the sensitive apperite of a man and they are such as these Anger Love Joy Fear Sorrow these are planted in us to be subservient to our Souls in glorifying God and working out our own Salvation But through these youthful Lusts they become subservient to Satan and predominant over the Soul bringing it into miserable bondage and vile slavery and so indispose it to Conversion In Prayer thy affections should be fixed on God in Christ as the sole object of thy Love Delight and filial Fear But are they so dost thou draw nigh to God as thy exceeding joy tell me young man where are thy Bethels thy Penuels I doubt upon a serious review it will be found quite otherwise that vain thoughts have lodged in thy mind and that swarms of noisome Lusts have been tumbling up and down the dead Sea of thy Soul in time of Prayer Ah how little of love to God hatred of Sin answerable to their nature have possessed your Souls in duty if any pious stirrings of Affections have been how short a stay have they made how many more ambitious wanton covetous or revengeful Thoughts have been jumbled together with them I appeal to you Is it not enough to change that Prayer into Sin wherein thy God hath been lodged with a crew of viperous Lusts or rather wherein thy Affections have been committing spiritual Fornication with their Idols or have been Dinah like gadding abroad with the Fools Eyes to and fro to the ends of the Earth Now upon enquiry whence this comes about if thou search impartially and cast the lot right it will appear that the Arch-Agent of and in all this is thy minion Lust that Youth is under the power of some complain of continual distractions in Prayer their Minds are like the unquiet Waves of the Sea up and down their Affections unstable rambling up and down Alas the main reason of this woful posture in Duty is their unmortified Lusts and it is very observable that the more provision you make for the Flesh to fulfil it in its lusts the more dominion and tyranny it will have over your Thoughts and Affections in holy Duties and is such a Prayer ever like to issue in thy Conversion wherein thy Affections have been under the vile umpire and influence of thy Lusts It may rather be called a Service done to thy Lusts than to God There was Jehu what ardent and zealous affection did he seem to have in the Service and Cause of God when he cryed out Come see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts But what was it that influenced and moved his affections it was not the Glory of God but the lust of Vain-glory and Self-advancement Experience confirms this that many in their youth have had shews of great affection in their Profession of Godliness who have after a while fell away and become at last as senseless and stupid about Heavenly things as any prophane one in the world O young People those Lusts you serve will have such an ill influence on your Affections as that they will become like wild Horses to tear your Souls in pieces O cursed Lusts how unspeakable is that thraldom they lay our affectionate part under that when thy Affections should be like Elijah's fiery Chariot to mount thy Soul up to Heaven they should through thy lust be like the Wheels of a Jehu's Chariot furiously to hurry thy Soul to Hell Our affections were planted in us for this end to facilitate and make our access to God to become easie pleasant and delightful to our Soul but O miserable change they now are quite contrary through thy unmortified Lusts they are like Clogs Chains and Fetters to hinder the Soul's approach to God When at any time the Ship of thy Soul should hoise fail for Heaven thy Affections being defiled and led captive by thy Lusts will like a Sheet-Anchor hold it back When thou shouldst be loving the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind which our Saviour telleth you is that first and great Commandment on which all depends for saith Christ on this hang all the Law and the Prophets O how deplorable a case is it that instead of this my depraved Affections should terminate upon and cleave to a Cup or a Whore or a dunghil world O monstrous wickedness O young men bethink your selves what a pernicious temper this is ought it noâ— to cut you to the very Heart to find your selves convicted of such enmity and aversion in your affections to the blessed God and whence is it but from your youthfuâ— Lusts O diseased Soul if thy lusts had noâ— corrupted and perverted thy Affections thou wouldst have thought God as suitabâ— an object for thy love as meat to the hungry and drink to the thirsty Is he not thâ— chiefest best most excellent comprehensive purest fullest and most immutable permanent Good Should not an object so admirably fit attract and allure thy superlatiâ—â— love Do you not know do n't your Coâ—sciences tell you that your affections ougâ—â— to be placed on God above all and ougâ—â— it not to fill your Souls
A Directory for Youth Through all the Difficulties attending that State of Life Or a Discourse of Youthful Lusts IN WHICH The Nature and Kinds of them are described and Remedies against them laid down First Preached to Young People and now Published at their Request By Samuel Pomfret Minister of the Gospel For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth Job 13. 26. His Bones are full of the Sins of his Youth which shall lie down with him in the Dust Job 20. 11. Remember not against me the Sins of my Youth Psal 25. 7. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my Youth Jer. 31. 19. Ad vos juvenes mihi Sermo flos aetatis periculum mentis Aug. de temp London Printed for John Dunton at the Black-Raven in the Poultry 1693. To the Young People that were Hearers of the following Sermons and since have been sollicitous for the Publishing of them Grace and Peace c. Beloved Friends THat sincere Affection and Compassion which God hath wrought in me to your precious Souls hath prevailed with me against my naâ—â—ral inclination to yield to your Request for the Printing those Sermons that I Preached from â—â— Tim. 2. 22. wherein is recommended to â—â— the weight and necessity of St. Paul's Adâ—â—â—ition to Timothy to Flee Youthful Lusts The Wise Man saith Prov. 25. 11. A â—ord spoken in season is like Apples of â—â—ld in Pictures of Silver And if so then must be allowed me that I have not miscarâ—â—d in my choice of such a Word spoken to you O that I might not miscarry in my wish for you namely that it may prove eventually a Word whereby you may be saved The Word damned is hard you would not have that to be your lot But pray permit me to tell you plainly and publickly without Lisping and Whispering that saved you cannot be and damned you must be except by a true and timous Repentance you flee your Lusts the infallible truth of which is originated in and built upon his Word who is Truth it self and cannot lye as you may see in the 6. Gal. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap 13. Luke 3. Except ye Repent ye shall perish 8. Rom. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye 20. Job 11. His Bones are full of the Sin of his Youth which shall lie down with him in the Dust 5. Prov. 11. And thou mourn at the last and say How have I hated Instruction c. 11. Eccles 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth but know thou that for these things God will bring thee to Judgment O Young People would you with due care apply these things to your own Souls it were enough to rent the very Caul of a secure Heart I know such is the Depravation of our Natures that if there were any possibility of escaping Hell and Damnation without fleeing our Lusts we should never voluntarily submit to this Godly Counsel given by St. Paul to young Timothy I have read of a Book that the Pope hath called Taxa Camerae Apostolicae wherein men may know the Rate of any Sin upon what terms men may keep a Whore be Drunk c. As to that it is a bundle of Lyes But the Inspired Scriptures may be truly call'd a Rate Book where any of you may know what a beloved Lust will cost without Repeneance viz. the Wrath of God in Hell and so everlastingly true is this that I beg you to despair of ever finding the least Jota of God's Word to fail or fall to the Ground unaccomplished I know you will be tempted to do as other Young People commonly do namely to forget these things and by the sloth and aversion of a wretched Heart in conjunction with Satan's temptations to be carried away to other trivial matters wherefore let me intreat you as ever you would avoid the Curse of Reuben Unstable as Waters to ballast your Hearts by laying in strong and powerful Convictions of the intollerable Evil of Sin the indispensible necessity of Christ and holiness the unconceiveable worth and the preciousness of your Souls and Time and the unavoidable approach of Death and Judgment Look ye you Young Folks the Breasts of whose Virginity hath not yet been press'd you are young and want that Experience that elder Christians have and therefore the greater allowance must be made you must allow your Souls more time to digest the great mysteries of Religion by Meditation and Prayer And you are more strongly bent to sensual Pleasures and Sports and to forget God and your Souls Death and Judgment And therefore you must so much the more chastise the pregnancy of that Vanity and Folly that is bound up in your Natures by a severer vigilance and abstinence When I was young it pleased God of his infinite Mercy to priviledge me above thousands with a Religious Education and by his restraining Grace to preserve me from open Prophaneness blessed be his holy Name But yet notwithstanding this to my own just shame I mention it in those early and wanton days of my Youth I was miserably vain foolish and disobedient serving divers Luâ—ts and Pleasures The bitter remembrance whereof hath for more than 20 Years past cost me Sighs and Groans unutterable Oh the time 's not to be numbred that I have wished I had been sick in Bed rather than sinning against so good a God the Remote parts of the World that I have been in the Roads I have journeyed in the Fields I have watched in the Nights I have watched on the Houses I have lived in and the Beds I have lain on can witness to my Tears and Sorrows while I have recogniz'd my Vanities and Folly And now forasmuch as it is utterly impossible for me to recall and recover those past and mispent days of my Youth I would on the bended Knee of Importunity for my own sake as well as your's beseech this one thing of you as I have of God for you viz. to take Warning and to be effectually perswaded by the Terrours of the Lord which I have felt to Flee that Youthful Lust and with that Godly young man Moses rather choose any Affliction than adventure to sin it 's a known Sentence felix quem faciunt c. It 's not unknown to many of you how unwilling I have been drawn to expose these my homely thoughts to publick view But an extream thirst after the present Conversion and Eternal Salvation of your Souls hath overswayed me herein I know God's Blessing upon it can make it effectual to reach this end which is all I aim at or am ambitious of and if it shall please Almighty God to make me a poor weak Instrument successful herein I shall go to my Grave with joy and esteem it so great a Recompence as if I were young again or had remembred my Creator in
Lot Haste escape for thy Life cito citius citissime Presently in some â—â—ch plausible manner as this they reply If I never do worse I hope I shall do well enough â—ave not others done the same or as bad I have the Examples of Thousands a multitude on my side both of Superiors Equals and Inferiours O the unspeakable deal of Poyson that is thus conveyed in the hearts of young Persons and the innumerable Souls that go to Hell by Pattern How many Children have learned to Lye Swear break the Sabbath and deride the Godly from their Graceless Fathers and Mothers who have herein been special Factors for the Devil and Hell 8. Hating Instruction and Admonition and Reproof This is another Sin that Youth are guilty of 5 Proverbs 11 12. There you have the Rebellious Youth brought in under strong Impressions of the Terrors of the Lord for this very Sin And thou Mourn at the last and say How have I hated Instruction and would not obey the Voice of my Teachers O how many sad Witnesses have we had of this at Tyburne Hence it is that we find Godly Parents oft times abounding in Tears wringing their Hands smiting their Breasts and crying out O nothing will work upon my Chilâ— Thousands of times have I prayed wept warned and after all as stubborn and disobedient a before Alas there is a secret loathing of gooâ— Councel in Youth Monitoribus Asper Younâ— Men love to consult with Flesh and Blood and to walk after the Imaginations of theiâ— own Hearts but they hate to comply witâ— the Sage and Serious Instructions of Religion 9. Intemperance in Meats and Drinks which stands in a voluntary eating and drinking to excess for the pleasing the Appetite this is not so much the Temptation of old and sickly People as of our youth to pamper and glut their vile Bodies as if God had made them a kind of upright Bruits that need not stoop down to a Trough or in resemblance of a Spring or a Hogshead that are of little use save to contain Liquor Alexandrinus calleth this Sin the Throat-Devil and the Belly-Devil And too true is it that the Devil destroyeth Multitudes of Youth by this Sin who for the pleasing of their Throats will sell him their Souls as Esau his Birth-right for his Belly O this Canine Eager and Insatiable Appetite where it Rules it Ruins all Physicians say That of those who out-live their Childhood scarce one of many that dye in their Prime but by Intemperance for generally in the younger sort â—eligion and Reason are weakest and but underlings to their unruly Appetites and â—hen once this outragious Lust has got the Ascendant and Regal Power a blazing Sâ—â—r burning in the Heavens is not so fatally â—â—â—inous of Ruine as this Seneca saith Eâ—â—lo est Parochianus Diabolo An Epicure is Parishioner to the Devil who then can â—â—â—ciently lament that Innundation of Epicuâ—â—m Gluttony and Drunkenness that hath â—â—er-run the Youth of this Nation Ah who can refrain Tears To see how many born of pious Progenitors and bred up in Religious Families again How many born of Gruth Blood descended from Honourable Ancestors and bred up at the Feet of Gamaliel at the Schools and of pregnant Capacities and who might have been peculiar Blessings to the Land I say to see these as well as others that are brought forth in a lower Station and brought up in a viler and a more irreligious way to Sacrifice their Youthful days to Bacchus the God of Wine and emasculate their Spirits in Taverns and Drunken Societies We read in 1 Pet. 4. 3. of those who walked in Lasciviousness Lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings wherein they think strange that you run noâ— with them to the same excess of Riot speakinâ— evil of you I need not search into the Riotous Practice of other Nations nor lay mâ— Scene abroad to make Application of thiâ— Text Alas it holds too true of us in thâ—â— Nation who reckon that they have noâ— made their Guests welcom if they have noâ— made them Drunk and deem it as a piece incivility and rudeness that deserves a statâ— if you will not go on to pledge them in theiâ— Hellish Health to their Wits end Gooâ— Lord that ever any that breaths within thâ— English Air and that names the name â—â— Christ should commence such Wickednesâ— Oh that our Head were Waters c. 10. Another Sin that youth is prone to is keeping ill Company that Soul ruining snare of Satan's which hath slain its thousands as being the foundation and inlet to all manner of wickedness O how many hopeful young ones have been spoiled in the very bud by the infectious influences of vile Company whence is that advice of the Wise-man's in the 1st of Prov. 10. 11 12 13 14 15 16. My Son if sinners entice thee consent thou not walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy feet from their Path. What Solomon saith elsewhere of the steps of the strange Woman we may say of the steps of wicked company they take hold of Hell it is a new link in the Chain that fasteneth damnation to you it is like tying a Milstone about your necks that will pull you both Soul and Body into the bottom of the Sea of Gods Wrath from whence there is no recovery O young ones you will find it one of the hardest things that is when once you are engag'd in evil Company to disenthral your selves again little do you know where it will lead you it will insensibly harden you and bring you to a reprobate mind it will vastare conscientiam lay wast your Consciences and so seat you in the Chair of the Scorners and then the next step is Hell Ah! how many young ones when first they have engaged in evil company and set out with them have been a little startled and affrighted at their interlocutory Oathes for nemo repente fit turpissimus as Juven speaks yet after a while frequenting such company they find themselves almost irrecoverably ingulfed into those prodigious sins that themselves could not have believed they should ever adventured on such an Emblem of Hell is ill company that without the breach of Charity one may say that none continue in the one while they live but inevitably fall into the other when they dye and so their steps take hold of Hell where the worm dyeth not and fire is not quenched where their fellowshp in sin will be turned into a miserable fellowship of flames where an holy and just God will do that viz. damn them which they in their merry meeting have so often called upon him to do and the Devil will take that viz. their Souls which they have so freely and frequently given him 11. Another sin whereunto youth are much addicted is Lying a sin that seemeth to be contemporary with speech in young Children that as soon as their earthly Parents teach them to speak their hellish father the Devil learns them
to lye that as soon as the one learns them to go on Earth the other learns them to go to Hell hence these two are joyn'd together in that 58. Psal 3. Speaking of young ones they go astray from the Womb telling lies This is a sin that all but especially young ones are exceedingly prone to whereby Satan leads them captive at his will to make them his Vassals Look there young people there are several sins that are as I may say the very off-spring and Progeny of Satan and in acting of them a sinner resembles the Devil as a Child the Father For instance Pride it 's called their condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. an angry passionate spirit it 's stiled giving place to the Devil 4. Eph. 26 27. the like one may say of this sin of Lying in the 8. John and the close of the 44. v. the Devil is called a lyer and the Father of Lies and in the 5. of the Acts 3. Satan is there said to fill Ananias his heart to lie against God which sheweth that where there is a lie in the Tongue there is the Devil filling of the Heart ruling in Children of disobedience hence James saith 4. chap. and the 6. v. that it sets all on fire of Hell O how great is the power that Satan acquireth in young people by this sin it gives him that which he so earnestly desires namely a spiritual possession of Souls as a man possesseth and dwells in his House and there it is he learneth young ones that master-piece in the Black Art to call Evil Good and Good Evil and to deny the fact when they have committed sin as 2 Kings 5. 25. thy Servant said lying Gehazi went no whether thus Jacobs Sons after they had wickedly sold their Brother come with a plausible Tale tho a palpable lye to their Father we found this bloody Garment in the Field but whose it is we know not 37. Gen. 32. 12. Another Sin young ones are given to is neglect of Relative duties as honouring and obeying their Parents and Masters c. this is a sin peculiar to young people and there are but few that escape the guilt of it Hence have Ministers Ecclesiastical Fathers almost every Lords-day Bills of complaint like Ezekiels Roll filled with lamentation put into our hands begging our earnest Prayers for rebellious and disobedient Children and Servants Though the justice of God is ordinarily manifest in the execution of his threatned Judgments upon Children of Belial even in this Life yet alas how seldom do young people take and improve such awful awakening warnings to hear and fear and do no more so wickedly How common is it for Children yea when grown up and their Parents grown old to set light by them and to speak Sawcily and Contemptuously of them and to them behaving themselves proudly and rudely before them as if they were their equals a practice most vile against the light of Nature and always according to the Scripture entaileth a Curse upon such unnatural Children 27. Deut. 16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother and all the people shall say Amen The punishment that the Heathens inflicted on such was to few them in a Sack with a Dog Cat Viper and Ape an Emblem of unnaturalness and so drown them together and the punishment that the Law of God in the time of Moses did assign to a rebellious Son was to be stoned to Death 21. Deut. 18. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice of his Mother then shall they lay hold on him and bring him out unto the Elders of the City and all the men of the City shall stone him with stones till he dye And it is observable now under the Gospel how the holy and wise Povidence of God ordinarily sets a mark upon disobedient Children either in imbittering their lives with a succession of miseries and vexations here or suffering them to fall by an untimely Death 13. Another Sin Youth is prone to is Sabbath breaking a day which usually young people meet together upon to walk abroad in the Fields and take their pleasure and run into all excess of Riot Chambering acting their filthy lusts drinking Healths playing at Cards Dancing Swearing and sometimes Quarrelling Fighting Thieving Robbing of Orchards and Gardens and thus inverting that Day which God hath sanctified and appropriated to his own Honour and Service and the saving of souls to the service of the Devil and damning their own souls sure I am the whole Christian world at this day groans under the tragical and bitter effects of this sin and he is nothing worthy of Eyes that weeps not to see whole droves running headlong to Hell through this breach viz. the Breach of the Sabbath Verily the Devil hath more service done on this day than on all the six besides and how deplorable is the serious consideration hereof that the day which should be Christ's is the Devil 's great harvest of Souls and that day which should make joy in Heaven by an addition to the Church of such as shall be saved should ever prove Satans triumph and Hells inlarging it self beyond Measure at the accession of so vast a multitude of Sabbath-breakers into it 14. Another sin that Youth is exceedingly prone to is nourishing of vain hope and flattering themselves with the thought of long life putting far away from them the memorial of the evil Day Young people account it a kind of death to think of Death the meditations or tydings of it are like those of the Judges coming to the Bench to Malefactors entertained with great reluctancy and when they cannot wholly banish the items of it out of their Consciences they will be sure to set it a great way off as those bold sinners did the Prophets Vision in the 12. of Ezek. 27. the Vision that he sees is for many days to come and hence as that evil Servant in the 24. Mat. 48. when he saith in his heart my Lord deâ—ayeth his coming he began to smite his fellow Servant and to eat and drink with the drunken so young people when they once drive off the thoughts of death as far as they can from day to day then they run a whoring from God lay aside Religious duties let loose the reins of their Lusts laugh at the tremendous threatnings of the Almighty It is one of the greatest strengthners of temptations to Luxury Pride and almost every sin in the World when sinners are bold to promise themselves many years to come as you may see in that 12. Luke 17 18 19. where our Saviour brings in that foolish rich man speaking to his soul after this manner Soul take thine ease eat drink be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years O young men as you would escape the rebukes an angry God and an exasperated guilty Conscience promise not your selves long
life it is the ready way to Atheisin and Apostacy whereas if you would always keep the eye of your mind open to behold the speedy approach of Death and Judgment as in rem presentem how admirably would it work how serious in casting up your souls accounts and imploring of pardon and eternal Life would you be 15. Another of these youthful sins is Pride and vain Glory which stands in an overvaluing of our selves with reference to the endowments of the Mind or Body such as Wit Parts Beauty Stature Strength Agility c. Young ones have much darkness and ignorance both of God and themselves and hence they set themselves as among the Stars in their own thoughts if they have Parts how prone are they to be proud of them conceiting themselves to have much more than indeed they have and then above measure admiring their own Wit and strength of parts and expecting every one else should admire them too not considering that these mental gifts without Grace makes them more like the Devil that abounds with endowments of this kind and to be more serviceable to him as malignant instrumentals in promoting the ruin of mens souls as Austin told a great but unsanctified Scholar ornari a te diabolus quaerit the Devil seeks to be honoured and served by thee And you read in 3. Gen. 1. Because the Serpent was more subtile than any other beast the Devil used that Creature to destroy mankind Now this Pride of Intellectuals is never more dangerous than when it terminates upon Religion and Souls affairs and there are none more obnoxious hereunto than young people a little knowledge maketh them think they are fit to be Preachers presently whereas the old and experienced Christian with trembling cryeth out Lord who is sufficient for these things Young ones for want of acquaintance with and experience of the wickedness and deceitfulness of their own hearts are apt to think that they have abundance of Grace Paul a young man was highly conceited of his good estate in Religion and spiritual matters till the commandment came in the power of it and revived in him a sight and sense of his cursed and sinful estate by nature 7. Rom. 9. And so the young man in the Gospel according to Matth. 19. chap. 20. All these have I done what lack I yet O young man remember this spiritual Pride is like the flye in the pot of Oyntment make all to stink if you over-value your selves in matters of Religion you may soon undo your selves and fall into the snare and condemnation of the Devil This was the reason why Paul forbids the choosing of a young beginner in Religion to the work of the Ministry Not a Novice lest he should be lifted up with Pride 1 Tim. 3. 6. Paul was a wise man he well knew the subtilties of Satan and the want of experience in young ones would soon insnare them and betray them into the hands of this sin And then with respect to Pride in bodily endowments as Beauty Strength Stature c. Alas how is the Youth of the present Age grown monstrous herein Never did Pride ride in such state when it went abroad in the Streets of Sodom as at this day it doth in this Nation wherein I was born and in this City wherein I now breathe Alas what wandering eyes wanton dresses foolish fashions apish imitations extravagant washings profane patching in a word a practical devotedness to the vile Body that is but a fine skin full of filth Flegm Choler and Corruption abounds in this City O the Arts Studies Pains among us all for the neatifying priding pampering this piece of earth that e're long will be meat for the Worms O young people what will a white skin or strength of Limbs or a rosie Complexion signifie when God rebuketh man for sin his beauty will consume as a Moth. 39. Psal 11. One fit of an Ague can alter thy beauty or a visitation with the Small Pox can change it into its contrary 16. Another sin Youth is ordinarily prone to is quenching and stifling the holy motions of Gods Spirit This more especially they are liable to that are the seed of the Righteous and that dwell among those whose chief scope and aim is to promote your Conversion by their daily Prayers Instructions and holy examples Such young ones as are thus educated in righteous Families and used to a constant attendance through the care of their godly Parents or Masters on the means of Grace both publick and private they do meet with innumerable inward motions of the spirit of God striving in and with them they lie more obvious to the Lords grace and I am perswaded that there is not one to be found among these that are come to years of understanding but what must own the truth of this But oh the woful opposition that is commonly made by young ones against these holy suggestions and illapses of the blessed spirit they are usually like the sparks falling into a Sea of water when they are at a Sermon how many knocks and secret jogs touches of Heart and Conscience do they meet with to consider soberly about their spiritual and everlasting state But what through the subtilty of Satan and the love of foolish mirth and pleasures and vain company c. presently as soon as they return they lose all quench those begun convictions and just were it if the abused spirit should depart for ever and strive no more Be assured young people you cannot sin at so cheap a rate as an old sinner that never had the heavenly gales breathings operations motions to conversion interruptions and checks in sinful courses as you have had O it is this that accents Gospel condemnation that light is come and men love darkness rather than light 3. John 19. When because light reproves gauls the sinner therefore it is hated this is dreadful indeed O ponder a while what an infinite mercy of God it is to your poor miserable souls to have the strivings and negotiatings of the holy spirit of God 147. Psal 19. he hath not dealt so with all of your ranks and standing How many thousands are let alone like young Dagons now to resist these and to sin against the light argueth such a love to sin and aversation to God as justly may place you in the forefront of desperate sinners 17. The next sin Youth are prone to is Atheism c. ridiculing serious Religion The holy Apostle distinctly foretold by a spirit of Prophesie this very sin in the 2 Peter 3. 3 4. knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming surely these are those last days wherein we live and never did this sin of Atheism and deriding at goodness obtain such a vogue till of late in this irreligious Age wherein the main Articles of the Christian Faith are shaken in the minds of
its particular proper Lusts this appropriation cuts off young ones from all vain Excuses that ordinarily are made when they sin O such a one provoked me or Satan tempted me Alas these Lusts are from thy self they are inherent in thee if it be enquired Whence are all these heaps of filthy Lusts in young ones the Answer is easie Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornication Theft false Witness Blasphemies 15. Matth. 19. This is that Dunghil in which the whole Serpentine blood of all actual Sins is conceived and brought forth here is that hoâ— Aetna which is within you young ones that never ceaseth from sending forth continual steams and fumes of vile Lusts It true the Devil and the World are greaâ— enticers to Sin but not like your inherenâ— Lusts 1 James 14. 15. But every man â— tempted when he is drawn away of his owâ— Lust and enticed That when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when iâ— is finished brings forth Death Satan and thâ— World can only tempt and entice you Objectively and Externally but your youthful Lust tempts internally and thereforâ— more dangerous Now see the strength â—â— this 1st Reason viz. that that gives me moâ—â— danger that must put me on more labouâ— and diligence to shun and escape Besides whatever any of our spiritual Enemies shoulâ— attempt to draw you to Sin it would be altogether ineffectual were it not for these Lusts within These most endanger the Soul and according to your mortifying and fleeing these you may estimate the true estate of your Soul to be a state of Grace 18. Psalm 23. I was also upright before him and have kept my self from mine Iniquity Alas young ones the propriety and inherence of your Lusts is such as necessitates your continual Watchings Strivings in Prayer at the Throne of Grace if a man had a Thief in his House a Fire in his Chamber he had need to bestir himself or he will be rob'd and burn'd Young man thou carriest Gunpowder about thy very Nature O had thou not need to flee them or that which carries Fire It 's dangerous yielding to thy youthful lust It 's like putting Fire to the Powder It was the saying of a German Divine when his Friends were commending him recounting his usefulness and serviceableness Auferte ignem adhuc enim paleas habeo Take away the Fire for there is yet Chaff in me O what Guards do you young ones need to keep you from being ruin'd by so near domestick an Enemy What sharp Winters of Frost and Snow i. e. Fasting Weeping or Suffering dost thou need to kill these rank Weeds i. e. thy youthful Lusts in the Garden of thy Soul the consideration of this Inherency of thy Lust young man calls for both inward and outward Exercises Assistance internal as Checks of Conscience solicitousness of Thoughts earnestness of Desires actings of Faith in Christ the strivings teachings strengthenings quicknings of the blessed Spirit External as denying your Senses that dangerous tho' extreamly delightful Flesh and Blood liberty of a guardless careless and needless converse with the world's Trinity Honours Pleasures Profits and allowing your sinful and needy Soul a due proportion of time in constant attendance upon God in all outward Ordinances both publick and private which he hath appointed and instituted for thy help and assistance to mortifie and abandon thy youthful lusts It 's upon this account and consideration namely that propriety of Sins inherence in thee that renders this duty of fleeing thy youthful Sins so very difficult hence it 's called 18. Matth. 9. a cutting off a righâ— Hand a plucking out a right Eye hence it is that the Gate of entrance into Life iâ— by our blessed Saviour called a strait Gate hence it is that if there were no Devil in the world to tempt you or wicked Instruments to entice you yet would you be carried out to commit all Evil with greediness iâ— you close not with the Counsel here given you Were it not for this propriety of your Lusts inherence you might no more feaâ— that roaring Lyon that goeth about seeking whom he may devour than the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah who said The Prince of this World cometh unto me and finds nothing in me 14. John 30. But alas your Lusts are within you as the Canaanite in the Land of Israel and they easily beset you there is a naturality of Sin now since the Fall as blackness to the Aethiopian and like a fretting Leprosie adheres to our Natures with so much pertinacy that even after conversion Sin remains while on this side the Grave which truth is verified by the sad experience of all believers in the world that so they may never put off their Christian Armour till they put off this earthly Tabernacle but be continually kept watching fighting runing wrestling praying c. after millions of Tears and Prayers still they are fain to send up their Cries and Groans to Heaven for the abating and destroying the remains of Pride Atheism Unbelief c. And what hope can be left O young ones that ever you will obtain a Victory when your Enemy is so near you nay dwells in you if you lie idle nay how sure is it that you will be carried a miserable Captive by your Lusts to Hell if you take not this Advice to flee your youthful Lusts especially if you consider how the Devil night and day is watching to set Fire to thy Lusts thou hast a combustible Nature and Constitution and he is cunning and filled with Malice and with all sorts of Wiles Depths Baits Snares for all tempers and above all he desires to have young ones so that to be secure and indifferent here is in a sense equivalent to yield your Souls to Sin and Satan which brings me to the second Reason of this Doctrine Second Reason That therefore it is a duty of special concernment to Youth to flee youthful Lusts because of the malignity of their influence this I shall evidence to you more generally and then more particularly 1. More generally Your youthful Lusts so far as they prevail they destroy your Souls 8. Rom. 13. If you live after the Flesh you shall dye Mark it I pray upon what unalterable terms it runs O the malignity of these Lusts 7. Rom. 21. and the 23. What Fruit had you then in those things whereof yoâ— are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death v. 23. The wages of Sin is Death But to be more particular there is a threefold evil influence these youthful Lusts if noâ— abandon'd will certainly have upon you 1. They will hinder your Conversion oâ— render it exceeding difficult 2. They will hurry you into most grievous Temptations and Perplexiâ—ies 3. They will hasten your utter Ruin anâ— Destruction 1. They will hinder your Conversion or render it exceeding difficult and this they will do these two ways 1. As they wofully indispose the Soul
of the Spirit in manifold Convictions I say what do you think will become of you who obey not the Gospel you may read in 2 Thess 1. 7 8. what your Portion will be without a speedy fleeing your youthful Lusts Did God give up the Heathens O be afraid young ones that have the Light of Scripture before your Eyes in this Text flee youthfuâ— lusts lest you by yielding to them provoke God to say as once to Ephraim He is joyneâ— to Idols let him alone q. d. Such a one knoweth better but he hateth the Light he must have his Lusts let him have them leâ— his Heart be made fat that he never convert and turn O fearful sign of Reprobation You will find your Soul like Bowle down hill rowling to Hell amain For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fieâ— Indignation which shall devour the Sinner 10. Heb. 26 27. My Spirit saith God shalâ— not always strive with man 6. Gen. 3. young People did you never find the Spiriâ— of God in this Text or others tending â—â— the same thing to abandon your Lusts striving with you Have you had no Motion excited have you had no Thoughts cast in that have had this aspect and tendency which you have represt and resisted through the indulgence of your youthful Lusts Know it young man that herein you havâ— provoked God to take away his holy Spiriâ— and it is a righteous thing that the Spirit of God should retire and desist as to further influences and operations which should make you with awful thoughts retire into your own Soul and smite upon the Thigh and say What have I done I have provoked the Most High God to withdraw his Spirit and can that Sin be small that hazards the favour of God and the life of my Soul for ever If once the abused Spirit of God depart and leave thee to thy youthful Lust thou wilt be like Sampson when his Locks wherein his strength lay were cut Judges 16. 20. It was told Sampson that the Philistines were upon him and he awoke out of sleep and said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him Or like Esau Heb. 12. 17. who afterward would have inherited the Blessing but was rejected for he found no place for Repentance tho' he sought it carefully with Tears Or like those Mountains of Gilboa upon which neither the Rain nor Dew falls They say that nastiness in a Dove-house will cause the Dove to leave that House Sure I am that your youthful unclean Lusts will in time drive away that mystical Dove the holy Ghost from thy Soul and then who shall quicken thy dead Soul Alas if that great Master of Assemblies leave thee never more to strive with thee what can poor Ministers do Suppose there were a vast Assembly oâ— Godly able Divines met to consult abouâ— thy Cure they must all return re infecta iâ— vain and say as the King of Israel did iâ— another case to the poor Woman that crieâ— to him in time of Famine Help my Lorâ— O King And he said If the Lord do â—â— help thee whence shall I help thee out of thâ— Barn-floor or out of the Wine-press 2 King â— 26 27. So here if the Lord have doâ—â— with thee and will not pity and help whence should we out of our barren Soâ—â— and earthen Vessels your case is dreadfuâ— and we can give you our Tears but we caâ— not give you any Oyl not a drop of savinâ— Grace If God have given you the Spirâ—â— of Slumber and a deep Sleep Isa 29. â— 11. Rom. 8. Can we open the Heart God shut it up Can we plow up the Grounâ— if God lay it Fallow here 's a judgment iâ— deed If a man sin against God saith Eli wâ— shall intreat for him So if God set himâ—eâ—â— against a Soul who can recover that Soâ—â— Thus you see the malignity of that inflâ—ence youthful Lusts have in hindring of Coversion as those lusts do oppose the meaâ— of it on God's part provoking him to tâ—â— judicial penal act of withdrawing his Gracâ— and delivering up to their own hearts lust And therefore it is a duty of special conceâ—â— to young ones to flee their youthful luâ—â— But then in the second place it will furth appear if you consider that these youthful lusts do oppose the means of Conversion on the Soul's part 2. Youthful Lusts oppose the means of Conversion on our own part such as Consideration Prayer and attendance upon God in his holy Word Resolution and Reformation But here perhaps you may object and say That Conversion is not in your power it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God who giveth Grace and sheweth Mercy to whom he pleaseth ex mero motu suo beneplacito and who can move him or command it from it A. This is a point which very many young ones through Satan's subtilty are greatly puzled about but the chief fault is themselves let us endeavour to set you to rights and all these matters in clear light that so much stumble you as to the use of means on your own part And first pray remember by way of Concession that there is no man without the mighty power of God and his effectual Grace can convert and change his own corrupt Nature this is granted But then I say moreover that where ever the Gospel cometh and is preached as it is now blessed be God among us there is none that I know of so much as question it but that all those who enjoy it and to whom it is preached have such a sufficiency of means and aids for Conversion and Salvation granted to them a is abundantly sufficient to convict condemn and leave wholly inexcusable all those that are disobedient to it and remain unconverted under it that it was not so much their cannot as their will not and obstinate refusal that is the proximate and immediate cause of their non-conversion and unbelief John 3. 19. This is the condemnation Light iâ— come into the World and men love Darknesâ— rather than Light because their Deeds are evil John 5. 4. And ye will not come untâ— me that you might have Life Jer. 8. 5. They refuse to return And it is upon this Hypothesis that all those melting moving Expostulations and pleadings with Sinners in the Word of God are raised and built as for instance Turn turn ye why will you dyeâ— as I live saith the Lord I desire not the Death of a Sinner Ezek. 33. 11. Chap. 18. 23. Cease to do evil learn to do well wash you make ye clean come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall
lusts of Malice and Envy against â—im that most pure peaceable meek and â—eavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which Christ had taught among them could have â—o entertainment in nor government over â—heir Hearts to win them to him because â—â—eir hearts were engaged to their Lusts So â—â— is here when God calls and Ministers â—ll and the dangers and miseries of thy neeâ—â—y Soul calls O young man consider thy â—ays remember thy Creator know that â— will bring thee to Judgment alas theâ—e â—usts deasen and drown all O wretched â—very tho' Life and Death be set before thee tho' thou art allured with all the glorious promises of pardon and Eternal Lifâ— on the one hand and tho' thou art constrained with all the Terrors of the Lord thâ— Curses of the Law and the everlasting Flame of Hell on the other hand yet these Lusâ— slight make nothing of all these amazinâ— and tremendous Truths as if they were nâ— worthy of one quarter of an hours serioâ—â— Consideration they do so haunt aâ— shackle poor Sinners as that they hold theâ— Prisoners arctâ custodiâ in close bondagâ— and will not allow them the liberty of coâ—sideration and bethinking themselvâ—â— Hence these Lusts are stiled Snares Neâ— Bonds Eccles 7. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 26. and this respect are Sinners compared to Caâ—tives and Prisoners kept up Isa 61. 1. aâ— Chap. 42. 7. Hence Simon Magus by reâ—son of his being under the dominion of thâ— lust of Covetousness tho' he was also undâ—â— a Christian profession and had been but jâ— before Baptized yet you read Acts 8. 23. see saith Peter that thou art in the Gallâ— Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity Aâ— so that young man of whom you read the 19. Matth. he seemed to be near to â—â— Kingdom of Heaven but he was chaiâ—â— fast by the Love of Riches and that set hiâ— quite back again O young men yoâ— Lusts if you give way to them will â—â— come so ravenous outragious and tyraâ—â— noâ— lusts malign Influences what cause have you to Flee these Lusts Another means on our part of Conversion is Prayer thus we read in Jer. 31. 18 19. of Ephraim when he was about turning he prayeth to the God of all Grace Turn thou me and I shall be turned In this respect Peter counsels Simon Magus Acts 822. Repent saith he of this thy Wickedness and Pray to God if perhaps the Thought of thine Heart may be forgiven thee Pray mind this Scripture q. d. though thou art in the very Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity yet supposing there remains only a possibility a perhaps of Pardon and Salvation yet thou art bound to Pray I know there are many deboist lewd Youngsters in this Age that imitate those prophane Wretches of whose hellish Language you read in the 21. Job 14 15. They say to the Almighty Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways And what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit is it if we Pray to him But there is little hopes of their Conversion However this is most certain that Prayer is an Institution of God's in order to Conversion as you may see in those two Scriptures Hosea 14. 1 2 3. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquities In that Verse you have God's Invitation to Conversion and then in the second Verse you have his Direction how to go about it Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive uâ— graciously And then if you read thaâ— 36. Ezek. 26 27. where you have God promising the Grace of Conversion in those words A new Heart will I give unto you and presently enjoyning Prayer as a means on our part ver 27. Thus saith the Lord I will yet for this be sought by the House oâ— Israel to do it for them If you ask What Prayer is I answer Prayer is the offering up of ouâ— Desires to God for things agreeable to hiâ— Will in the name of Christ These Desire must proceed from an Heart touched with the sense of our sin and misery and the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ anâ— they must be servent and constant like thâ— Publican God be merciful or propitious â—â— me a Sinner Luke 18. and Gen. 32. 25. I will not let thee go except thou bless me Luk. 18. 1. to this end our Saviour spake that Parable to instruct us that we ought to Pray and not faint like that important Woman of Canaan who would know no discouragements being once entred and engaged in this heavenly Exercise It is not meet saith our Lord to take Childrens Bread and give it to Dogs she owneth it Truth Lord saith she Matth. 15. 26. yet the Dogs may eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table O when a poor Sinner cometh to God by Christ and knocketh for converting Grace out of a sense of its damned undone condition if he prevail not and cryeth out O thou most patient tho' provoked God it 's matter of admiration that thou sufferest such a Viper as I am to live and breath in thy common Air O pity me a Hell-deserving Sinner for the sake of thy dear Son who made satisfaction by his bitter Death and Passion to thy Justice and grant me this favour in thy sight the forgiveness of my Sins and the Spirit of Grace to subdue the power of my lusts and to renew me in Soul and Body O Father of Mercies if thou do not shew me this favour and mercy I shall live thine enemy and shall I know not how soon dye miserably to mine own eternal undoing O draw me into Union with thy blessed Son unto whom none can come except thou draw O let me never rest till it be out of doubt that I am converted and that God in Christ is mine let my Tears be my Meat night and day while I have a being till I obtain Grace and Mercy to help my needy miserable Soul After this manner is this Exercise to be performed and it brings God's Institution it is under a promised Blessing and many can set to their seals that their labour herein hath not been in vain with reference to Repentance and Conversion Now giving way to youthful lust directly opposeth Conversion both as it withdraws you from it and withereth your Soul in the performance of it Alas when your Lusts grow clamorous and you obsequious to them they will breed in you an aversation opposition to Prayer you will not find a Heart inclined to but wretchedly dis-inclined from God which is a sad case indeed and to have a hard Heart that cannot Pray was the note of an Eminent Saint and Servant of God now ascended compleateth a Soul's misery it pulls down fury and destruction upon the Heads of such as you may see in the 10. Jer. 25. O what care should you take to preserve your comfortable access
c. The truth is your youthful Lusts in Prayer do render you most abominable and odious in the sight of God for they do as it were challenge and bid defiance to God whence else are those thunders of his provoked Majesty in 1. Mala. 14. 7. Jer. 9 15 16. 33. Ezek. 31 32 33. Chap. 14. from the 1 st verse to the 9. To go and Pray with the Idol of my Lust in my heart is a mocking God and God won't be mocked nay let me tell you God's anger is increased by such Prayers and then I appeal to you what Good can be looked for from such Prayers alas rather Confusion than Conversion O young People pray remember it your Lusts will not only blunt and take off the edge of Prayer that it shall never do any execution but they turn thy very Prayers into sin and how likely that is to turn thy heart God wards judge ye Thus I have shewed you how your youthful Lusts hinder Conversion as they oppose the means of it Were there a demand made why Consideration and Prayer and otheâ— Godly means should be so irksome and buâ— densom Is God so undelightful an objeâ—â— to approach unto that you cannot enduâ—â— his presence or are so soon weary in holâ— Exercises like a man under a heavy loaâ— Oh no to draw nigh to God in Prayer is thâ— joy of holy Souls but they are those Luâ—â— within that make it to our corrupt Nature so unpleasant and tedious And thus have shewed you how they oppose thâ— means of Conversion on our part and therâ—fore it is a duty of such special concern meâ— for young men to flee youthful Lusts becauâ—â— of the malignity of their influence expresse first in that they hinder Conversion Noâ— I come to the second Head to shew yoâ— the malignity of their influence as they huâ—ry Youth into grievous Temptations 2. A second particular of the maligniâ—â— of youthful Lusts inflence lieth in this viâ— In that they hurry Youth into grievoâ—â— Temptations There are two sorts of Temptations thâ—â— we read of in Scripture the Apostle Jamâ—â— treats of both in the 1. chap. ver 2. and â—â— 14. The former sort are no other than Afflâ—ctions which are for the probation anâ— tryal of the Christian's Faith and Patience and with respect to these the Apostle saith My Brethren count it all Joy when you fâ—â— into divers Temptations ver 2. And Mosâ—â— saith that God tempted Abraham 22. Gen. 1. That is God proved and tryed his Servant Abraham's Faith But now the other sort of Temptations are no other than solicitations and seducements to Sin and with respect to these the Apostle saith in the 13. and 14. verses Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death And hence our blessed Lord teacheth us to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation that is to sin for in this sense is the word used in Scripture as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to try is the proper word for the other temptation so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper word for temptation to sin And of this sort of temptation it is that youthful Lusts are both the Fons and Fomes the breeder and feeder the food and fuel the mother and nurse they do both by force and fraud violently hale and hurry and cunningly entice and draw young ones to sin The Devil may flatter you but he cannot force you it 's your Lust that opens the Door or temptation could never enter It hath been an old practice of Sinners when they fall into sin to accuse and lay all the blame either upon the Devil or the instrument that provoked them Oh saâ— they the Devil owed them a spight and noâ— he hath paid it not considering that thâ— true procreating cause of Sin is a mans owâ— Lust It must be own'd that this World full of Snares and Temptations to with draw Youth from God's house to the Alâ— houses and there provoke them to Intempâ—rance and to Gaming houses and theâ— provoke them to consume their Estates anâ— precious time and to filthy houses anâ— there provoke them to destroy themselvâ—â— for the sake of brutish pleasures In this senâ—â— it is true homo homini daemon One is a Devil to another i. e. tempters to Sin But a these are but external movers the principâ—â— Agent is thy own Lust within As one saith Temptation is a Siege Satan is the Enemâ— without the Walls labouring to force aâ— entrance our Lusts are the Traytors with in that hold correspondency with tâ—â— Enemy without and open the Gate of thâ— Soul to receive him They are our owâ— Lusts that go over to Satan in the day â—â— battel and fight against our Souls 1 Pet. 2. O young men your Lusts are like the meâ—â— of Keilah to David in the day of temptation 1 Sam. 23. 11. Poor David was hateâ— and hunted up and down by Saul who soughâ— his Life at length he cometh to Keilah presently it was told Saul that David wâ—â— come to Keilah David enquireth of the Lorâ— Whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up into the hands of his Enemy Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up Whereupon David presently fled and so escaped Thus if you follow not this counsel to flee your youthful lusts they will certainly deliver you up in the hour of temptation that you will not be able to deliver your own Soul they will betray you as Dalilah did Sampson and let in the uncircumcised Philistines upon you When Judas his heart was set upon the lust of Covetousness how miserably was he overcome with many desperate Temptations he will betray the precious Life and Blood of the Son of God for thirty pieces of Silver and afterward you know what became of him so true is that in the 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They that will be rich saith the Apostle whose Hearts run after their Covetousness fall into Temptation and a Snare into many foolish and hurtful Lusts So when Balaam's Heart was set upon this Lust he will rise early run and ride till he is weary that he might Curse Israel at length he becomes through his Lust more desperate and senseless of God's fury than the dumb Ass he dissembles his Conscience coins cunning Evasions O the malignity of lusts influence Suppose it be the Lust of Uncleanness what pernicious temptation doth this cast many young men upon frequenting Satan's Seminaries those Chappels of Hell Stews and Plays wherâ— oftentimes are Challenges Stabs Combaâ—â— Blood and Murder thus have many ventured as deep as Hell to gratifie their filthy Lusts Hence they are said to draw Iniquiâ—â— as with Cart-ropes Isa 5. 8. and that the wearied themselves
like the Man in the Gospel Mat. 12 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest but findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty sweâ—â— and garnished Then goeth he and taketh wâ—â— himself seven other spirits more wicked thâ—â— himself and they enter in and dwell there anâ— the last state of that man is worse than the fâ—â—mer So in Hebr. 6. 4. and 10. 26. aâ—â— 2 Pet. 2. 20. O then above all Youâ—â— Ones see to this that there be a sound Conversion as the ground-work of all for upon this the very hinges of your Souls salvâ—tion turn Hence our blessed Saviour iâ— John 3. 3. pronounceth Except a man be boâ—â— again he cannot see the kingdom of Goâ— Wherefore again and again I advise Young Ones to see to their Foundation it were â— conceive much better for a Man to be deceived in thinking himself unregenerate when he is regenerate than on the otheâ— hand to deem himself regenerate when hâ— is not The former mistake indeed is afflicting but the last is damning If a condemned Malefactor conceit he hath a Pardon anâ— has none he may go pleasantly to the Gallows but he won't be able to hold it wheâ— he comes there The Lord open your eyeâ— and hearts and cause you to see and feel the truth and power of this first general Rule oâ— Means in order to the fleeing your youthful Lusts Now I shall proceed to lay down thâ—se distinct Remedies suitable to each particular Lust that young People stand bent unto And here again I must entreat you as you have any regard to the glory of God and your own Salvation and would not be condemned with ungodly and impenitent Sinners at last that you do not refuse to put in practice what shall be taught you in the following Rules how to flee each particular Sin that you are so prone to and now I shall begin with that which so early appeareth even in your very Childhood and wofully groweth up with you to riper years Namely that airiness vain rashness and carelessness of spirit and conversation all which I at large and distinctly treated on under the first Enquiry viz. What were those Sins that might be more especially called youthful Sins Now forasmuch as these three border so near and close upon each other I shall for the Cure of these prescribe this Remedy Remedy or Means against youthful Vanity Rashness and Inconsiderateness The First Remedy ENdeavor to get and keep an awful impression upon thy heart all day long of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience that you cannot flie from him because he is every where and that you cannot hide or conceal any thing from him because all things are naked and open to his All-seeing Eye At what time thou art ready to pour out thy heart in Vanity and Froth catechize and chastise thy feathery and light spirit after this manner Dost thou now remember thy Creator Art thou aware of his holy Eye and Presence Canst thou blear and blinâ— the pure piercing flaming Eye of Heaven What wilt thou dare to pilfer steal be undutiful and lie while the jealous sin-revenging God stands by Thus would but Young Men presentiate the Majesty Prescience and Omniscience of God to themselves in the midst of their juvenile Extravagancies how would it a we and fill their Souls with trembling one Aspect of this Eye of God â—â— able to make the whole Earth tremble Psal 104. 32. He looketh on the Earth and it trembleth And Job speaketh of some Sinnerâ— the Murtherer the Thief the Adultereâ— that to be seen in their Sins is to them the greatest terror imaginable Job 24. 17. â—â— a man saith he see them they are in thâ— terrors of the Shadow of Death Now then young People I appeal to you what fear and holy seriousness would this work iâ— you did you always thus set the Lord before you as David speaketh in the 16. Psal 8. and at your right hand then would you could you durst you be so vain fickle unstable tossed up and down with every puff of windy pleasures Oh no and here let me add this viz. represent to thy Soul what an Eye it is that seeth thee It may be you may fancy that God sees as man sees Scripture speaks of Sinners thinking that God is such a one as themselves in 50. Psal 22. Alas man may see and not see as we say i. e. wink and connive at thy youthful Sins and not be at all displeased with thee But God's Eye is 1. an holy pure strict observing Eye there is nothing can escape his knowledge wheresoever you are whatsoever you are doing you are still under his observation Psal 11. 4. His Eyes behold his Eye-lids try the Children of men Hab. 1. 13. Thou art saith the Prophet of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look upon Iniquity That is canst not with the least approbation nay canst not without great indignation look upon evil O vain Youth remember that an angry holy Eye is upon thee in all thy irreligious and vitious Courses in all thy furious and precipitate Evil Ways And then 2. consider it is an infinite Eye comprehending all things past present and to come at once uno intuitu Many things confound us we can be intent upon nothing but in a successive way things done many years ago elapse and slip our remembrance but it 's not so with God with whom a thousand years are but as one day See that 139. Psal v. Thou compassest my Path saith David and oâ— lying down and art acquainted with my Way v. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit whither shall I flee from thy Presence If ascend up to Heaven thou art there If make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the Wings of the Morning and dweâ—â— in the uttermost parts of the Sea even thâ— shall thy Hand lead me c. Sure youâ— men this would call in your vain anâ— stragling thoughts and unite your careleâ—â— Spirits to the fear of God's holy name diâ— you believe and remember God's infiâ—â— Presence There is a Story of a pious man have met with who being desirous to reclaiâ— an unchaste Woman from her lewd aâ— vile Conversation took this course wiâ—â— her he came to her pretending to haâ— some wanton dalliances with her provide it might be done with all privacy she theâ— upon led him from Room to Room â—â— he still made many scruples lest at thâ— Window or that Key-hole this crevis â—â— that cranny some or other might chance â—â— peep in and espy them together at lengâ—â— she brought him to the inwardest Room â—â— the House where saith she I am confideâ—â— that none can possibly pry in to discoveâ— what we do Whereupon he told her wiâ—â— weeping Eyes No bolts not bars can keeâ— out God no walls
calling and you are not sure but the present Call may be his last And O how deplorable is a Sinner's case when the Lord shall say Because I have called and you have refused I will call no more for ever he that is unjust let him be unjust still aâ— he that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 2â— 21. Which brings me to speak of the second Branch wherein thy time of Graâ—â— consists and whereof it is constituted namely the inward strivings and motions of thâ— Spirit of God how uncertain these aâ— So that suppose thou hadst an assurance oâ— the continuance of the outward Calls of thâ— Word yet what assurance hast thou of thâ— inward strivings and operations of the Sprit without which all the outward meaâ— will be ineffectual Alas how long mâ— we poor Ministers stand at your Doors anâ— knock and call Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead er'e one Siâ—ner will stir until that omnipotent Ageâ— put forth his virtue and influence As thâ— Waters of Bethesda had no sanative healiâ—â— Vertue in them till the Angel at a certaiâ— time of the day moved and troubled thâ— Waters So let Minister's abilities anâ— gifts be what they will they do but plougâ— upon the Rocks as it were until the Spiâ— concur to take away the stony Heart anâ— open those Iron Gates of the Soul as hâ— did Lydia's Now this blessed Spirit doâ—â— ordinarily in time of hearing the Worâ— afford to men especially to young one many good Motions and Excitations to repentance in Enlightnings Awakenings setting their Sins before them in theiâ— bloody guilt and condemning nature bringing them into straits of Conscience stirring up affections and good purposes of leaving their Sins putting them upon Prayer and coming to Christ c. All which pretious Motions and workings of the Spirit with the Word in the Souls of young persons are choice Mercies and if they were wise without delay incontinently and presently to comply with the same it might be as much as their eternal Happiness is worth whereas on the contrary if they quench these blessed motions by delays and prorogations as Felix did it may amount to the damage of Damnation and who can tell what that amounts to God may be provoked to withdraw his Spirit and say My Spirit shall strive no more with them For there is nothing more uncertain than the strivings and motions of the Spirit of God it is compared to the Wind that bloweth where it listeth John 3. 8. It is not like our Tydes that come at certain and 〈◊〉 times so that if you miss the Morning Tyde you may â—ake the Evening no no but it 's like the Wind which sometimes rises as we say and then all of a sudden falls and lies still sometimes it â—loweth cut of one corner and then the quite contrary way so are the workings of the Spirit he may deal with thy Soul to day and afterwards withdraw from thee move in your Hearts now and for hereafter be for ever silent and therefore thou shouldst do as the Mariner who kâ—owing that he hath not the Wind at his own command and that he cannot make his Voyage without its gales what doth he do why he lieth by and watcheth for the season when the Wind maketh for him and when such a season cometh he is careful to lay hold of it and to hoise up Sail and be gone So shouldst thou do young man never imagine that thou hast the Spirit of God at thy command or that ever thou canst sail to Heaven without his gracious Gales but diligently lie by the Waters of the Sanctuary waiting and watching for his sacred Movings thereon and when thou hast them then immediately and obedientially open the surled Sails of thy Soul and say Adored be thy heavenly Majesty for this gracious Visitation of thine to me a wretched Sinner Welcome welcome to my blind and hard Heart are these Convictions and Pulsations of thine O let me not miscarry and perish between Convictions and Conversions but perfect thy work dear Lord now thou hast me on the Wheel O defist not thy operation till thou hast formed me a Vessel of Mercy and brought me out a new Creature in forming Christ in me Thus be thou kind to thy own Soul in being careful to close with the present advantages which are vouchsafed to thee in this thy time of Grace and encourage thy self in this the Spirit of God will be with you 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him if you seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will cast you off O consider the danger you run when you put off all with this hereafter hereafter you will obey his Motions and receive his Instructions This is the ready way to be for ever deserted and cast off by him It is reported of Hannibal that bewailing the loss of his opportunity that he once had to take Rome he should say When I could I had no mind to take Rome When I would I had no power There will be I fear innumerable and incurable instances in the other world that will confess to all Eternity that when the Spirit in their time of Grace wooed them to repent and be converted that their Sins might be blotted out they had no mind to it but when they would after their desertion and rejection upon a Bed of Death they had no power O young men who now put it off it is never enough considered by you what infinite hazards you run of perishing for ever a while longer and a while longer had almost ruined Augustine when he was young as himself owneth in his 8th Book of Conseience when he would not answer the Convictions of the necessity of Repentance he craved Forbearance not to do it yet I know not saith he what to answer Non erat quod responderem veritate convictus nisi tantum verba lenta somnolenta Modò ecce modò sine paululum sed modò modò non habet modum sine paululum in longum ibat Aug. in Confes being convinced oâ— the truth but onlâ— sluggish and sleep words anon beholâ— anon suffer me little but anon anâ— anon had no measure and bear with mâ— a little held long afterwards In chap. 1â— of that Book he finding the Devil flattering his Soul with perswasions to delaâ— his Repentance at last he violently breaâ— out usque quo Domine quamdiu quam â—â— cras cras quare non modò quare â—â— haec hora est finis turpitudinis meâ— O mâ— God saith he how long wilt thou suffeâ— me thus How long shall I say to morrow and to morrow Why should I not do now and this hour end that filthiness â— Life which otherwise will ruin me It is pleasing to Satan to steal away our pâ—â—cious seasons of Grace one after anotheâ— until we have not one more remainiâ—â— O young man who is it think
live after â—â— Flesh you must dye O young ones your Delays must neeâ— provoke and highly affront the blessed Spâ—rit they cast a Scorn upon him to see â—â— his melting Perswasions and Motions set â—â— naught and at the same time the charms and hissings of Satan that hellish Charmer and Serpent entertained O how cutting and bitterly provoking would it be to a compassionate Father to see a rebellious Son stopping his Ear to all his loving and good Advice and Counsel and opening it to the vile inticements and seducements of base fellows How was Jacob troubled when his Sons Simeon and Levi rebelled Gen. 34. 30. Ye have troubled me saith their Father and made me stink among the Inhabitants of the Land the Canaanites c. O young man when the two Spirits that of Heaven and that of Hell come to thy Soul and knock for entrance and thou openest to Satan and shuttest out the Spirit of God by delays this cannot be done without an high hand of rebellion there is abundance of impiety in it for herein thou castest a contempt on the Spirit if it be a deprecating thing to set one person lower and in a meaner place in my House than another of meaner quality how much more to shut the door against a person that is a Friend while an Enemy is let in surely comparisons are too short in the present case the good and gracious Spirit of God cometh wooing and arguing Be intreated O young man to open Christ's yoke is easie one day of a repenting Sinner's Spirit in strict watching and holy walking is better than a thousand days elsewhere c. And Sinners delay and neglect attendance hereunto making the urgings of Sin and Satan an excuse for their present put-offâ— these do not only rob the Spirit of thaâ— honour and glory due to him but highly expose him to contempt And it is very remarkable that ordinarily such persons are left of God to run into such heights oâ— wickedness that deservedly bringeth them to some shameful and despicable end â—â— must be confessed sometimes God hath overcome such by his Grace after much ado if I may so express it striving on his paâ—â— and rebelling on theirs but then it must be granted also that such have usually been exceedingly wounded and wofully distressed in their Souls for their so long standing and stouting it out but where it endâ— not in Conversion there not only thâ— blackness of darkness is reserved for them in the other world after that direful Sentence of Go ye Cursed but even in thâ—â— Life they become notorious to all for theiâ— Ungodliness and Impiety O let this consideration young ones prevail with youâ— no longer to delay your Repentance anâ— turning to God viz. the Impiety of iâ— which I might farther shew you from thâ— direct opposition that delays carry againsâ— your Baptismal Covenant and all those holy Institutions of Christ in the Gospel usually stiled the means of Grace whereby you are obliged everlastingly to the earliest Conversion and Repentance all which I might have easily formed up into Arguments to set forth the impiety of Delays but I shall not insist on these only shall sum up the strength of what hath been offered that Delays are impious and wicked as they trespass against the bowel-mercy of God the Father the bleeding wounds of God the Son the blessed Inspirations of God the holy Ghost which Sin is enough to break our Hearts and Eyes with grief and tears It is a Sin of such a Scarlet tincture as that it must needs make us ashamed if there be any shame in us for the mercies of God are all as so many messages of Love and Kindness and every drop of the Blood of Christ is as a Sermon of Love and Grace and every illapse of that sweet and heavenly Dove is as a sacred Band and Cord of Love and Mercy and all to win us to draw us to save us Rom. 12. 1. 2 Cor 7. 1. O wonderful love of God who ever heard of such kindness that the offended Majesty of Heaven and Earth who hath all Power and Might in himself and is infinitely removed from all possibility of want that he should condescend to us Rebels to send his own dear Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh deliver him up to the accursed Death of the Cross open an everlasting Fountain of Grace enter his Protestations yea his Oath that he has no pleasure in a Sinner's death and for as much as our Sin had procured a malediction and heavy wrath upon us and a woful seperation of our Souls from the blessed God That it should ever enter into the Heart of God to the end that such as we might go free and be delivered from that Curse and Wrath and be restored to the favour of God to bruise his own Son and put his Soul and Body to grief and make him an Offering for Sin and O how wonderful was the Love of Christ thaâ— he should be content and willing to come under the obligation to this Oblation to the bearing of this Curse and Wrath in ouâ— stead was there ever Love lâ—ke to this that when we were Enemies spitting oâ—â— our venom and enmity against God hâ— should dye for us pay our Debts have hiâ— Hands and Feet nailed for us c. And â— how wonderous is the Grace and Condescention of the third Glorious Person the blessed Spirit that ever he should strive with Sinners in order to their Conversion wheâ— he might have stood at an everlasting distance from them O the rare humility â—â— the whole Trinity expressed in these Mysteries of Love and Grâ—ce Now for any of Adam's undoue posterity condemned Creatures poor Worms Hell-deservinâ— Sinners to abuse all this Grace and rich Mercy how impious and monstrously vile a thing this is I have largely proved to you and shewed you in particular that this Sin of Delays is an high affront and indignity offer'd to all this Mercy and Grace the consideration whereof should make you lift up your Voice and weep bitterly A stubborn Saul wept upon the reflection of his abuse and ill requital of poor David's kindness in 1 Sam. 24. 16 17 18. The Lord open your Eyes and Hearts this day young ones that you may with grief and shame flee from this Sin that carrieth such transcendent wickedness in it It 's a known rule corruptio optimi est pessima The best things abused prove the worst of all O remember it young ones Delays under these Circumstances put very great aggravations upon all your Sins O think of it what melting Arguments these three Names have in them Creator Redeemer Sanctifier to a present Conversion and then think what a Soul confounding thing it is to contradict oppose the Power and Authority and to abuse and contemn the Grace and Mercy of each Person See that in Isa 1. 2. Hear O Heavens and give Far O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children but they
have rebelled c. O what Paleness would gather upon your Faces were you cited to appear before the Bar of God and your Consciences should give testimony against you herein The next Consideration I shall offer for your help against this youthful Sin of Delays shall be as followeth 3. Consider the egregious folly and madness of Delaying thy Repentance and return to God wherein as in the former Consideration thou abusest the Grace of God so here thou abusest the very Reason of a Man and most foolishly cheatest thy self as is evident in these following particulars Thou wilt turn to God hereafter whic◠is as hath been largely proved utterly uncertain and at present thou wilt embrace thy sinful Pleasures now is not this notorious folly to put all to the desperate adventure of an hereafter when thousand have perished and found no place for Repentance in all their after Times and Seasons Suppose at last you should come to g◠Christ and pardon and God would pleas◠to wait upon you though this is rare th◠is a miracle of Grace yet what a wounding will it be to you to remember how you have spent your youth and strength in Sin O the bitter Out-cries and Accusations o◠such Now how foolish a thing is it to Delay at present upon hopes of hereafter Repentance that is in plain English in hopes of hereafter-Grief next door to Despair in hopes of being wounded a thousand times deeper and being more confounded and ashamed and drinking larger draughts of the Wormwood and the Gall than early Converts do Is not this Folly Again how unreasonable and mad a thing is it to expect that God should presently open to me when I call for Mercy in my last extremity after I have most wickedly put him off and sacrificed the Male of my Flock my best Years to the Devil and my Lusts Can it seem reasonable that an holy and jealous God should regard such presumption Again what Folly is it to defer a work till hereafter that may be done now at present with ease since should I live a thousand years each day yea hour's delay would add something more to the hardness of my Heart and difficulty to my Conversion qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit All acts of Sin strengthen the habits within they engage the heart more to the love of sin and the more resistance always the more impenitence and hardness O foolish Youth hast thou not enough already to sink thee what folly is it to add more weight of guilt if a man had received one stab it were dangerous but suppose he had a hundred how hard would be his cure Oh young man wo to thee if thou makest thy Conversion thus hazardous by Delays As in bodily affairs in case of Sickness is it not folly to defer sending for the Physitian or in case of Poyson received into the Body is it not folly to defer the Remedy till to morrow or in case of a Wound received never to regard the means of healing till it fester and turn to a Gangreen pray what would you say or think of a man that when Sickness or Distempers come should say I am not at leasure to be sick go and come at a more convenient time would you not conclude that the Disease had already seiz'd the man's Intellectuals Alas the madness and folly in saying so to Repentance is much more and much greater unless a man could command the Grace of Repentance at his pleasure I remember the Advice one gave to young men in imitation of Solomon in the 11. Eccles 9. Rejoyce O young man c. q. d. Walk after the sight of your own Eyes now and look after the Duty of Repentance when you are blind and can't see Work not while it's Day but when the Night comes mind matters of less moment while you can do any thing and your main interest when you are fit for nothing Defer your Repentance till hereafter though you know not but you may dye to Night put it off to a sick Bed though you cannot tell but sudden Death may prevent your lying sick at all Run as far as you can out of the way to Life even till out of breath and then return First let your time be spent and then improve it Increase your Debts to purpose and be sure that you have a good long Score and then pay Provoke God as much as you can and then appease him Be sure you treasure up as much Wrath as you can and then confidently expect Heaven O the folly of delaying our Repentance Sin is so fortified and strengthned by delays that every hour drives the Nail in farther till it 's very difficult removing it Sin takes the deeper rooting by delays and requires much more strength and violence to pluck it up and the heart is in danger of growing to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you read of Rom. 2. 5. an irrepentable heart and altho' God is able to give Repentance yet there 's an infinite peradventure whether he will or no for as Augustine saith * Qui enim poenitenti promisit indulgentiam dilatori diem crastinum non promisit Aug. in Psal 145. 8. That God who promiseth Pardon to the Penitent hath not promised to morrow to the Sinner that puts off his Repentance O the folly of delays when every moment the Devil will be nearer and God farther off when the next closure with Lust may ensnare and enslave thee for ever O Young Man is this thy Prudence to promise to thy self a more convenient Season hereafter when thou wilt have less time less strength less aid and assistance less tenderness of Conscience less influence of the Spirit and when thou wilt have more love to thy Lust more blindness in thy Mind more hardness of Heart more aversness in thy Will to turn to God more unsensibleness and searedness in thy Conscience or else more in danger of downright and absolute despair O miserable folly of delays Besides if you consider the suspition of an hereafter-Repentance true Repentance is never too late but late Repentance is seldom true which might be abundantly argued from the usual experience of Sinners when they are sick O what Protestations do they then make of their Repentance and Amendment but commonly return to Sin as the Dog to the Vomit when restored to health again So that there is usually great unsoundness in Mens Sick-bed Repentances by no means is it to be depended on Surely it would be compar'd with this a pardonable folly for a Man to adventure upon Poyson because he hath heard there is a certain Antidote in the World to expel it tho' he cannot tell whether he can get that Remedy or no To what this is in the present Case It would be a piece of madness that would be deservedly unpardonable to run the risque and adventure of a death-bed Repentance when you are told of the multitudes that perish to a
very few that are saved pray examine carefully what such a Repentance is made up of usually it consists in the passionate awakenings of natural Conscience upon the Sinner's Alarm to appear before that God to whom he has been a long time estranged and against whom he has maintain'd a long and old Enmity hereupon there springs up in his Breast a servile fear and dread of this holy and just God hence the Sinner being stript of all Creature comforts and help flies and cryes to God for pardon of his Sins and deliverance from Hell in great affrightment of Spirit and O if God will spare what manner of person he will be and the like Now pray judge righteous Judgment and make a true estimate herein many ignorant Wretches call this true Repentance whereas all this is but nature in misery crying for ease which the veriest Reprobate in the World may do nay can't but do if Conscience be awakened here is no change of their hearts from darkness to light and the power and love of sin to God and holiness Alas let but these Men be put into their former state of health and temptation again and they would be the very same a Balaam may come thus far to cry out O that I might dye the death of the Righteous and my last end be like his There is the same love of Sin and hatred of strict Godliness within as ever which would soon appear if they might but still enjoy their former Vanities but alas all is under a force they are launching out into the eternal World and judgment seems to them just at hand now they cry aloud for mercy and desire pardon bewail their abuse of time make large offers of Reformation and yet all this is but as an Iron in the Fire or a Mariner in a Storm Well said * Quale bonum hoc â—st quod melius est poenâ c. Tertull. Tertullian What a mean sort of good is this that only excels punishment It is good to repent and be saved because who can dwell with everlasting burning All this is good just when a Man 's a dying O young man is this consistent with Reason to venture thy All to all Eternity upon so rotten a foundation thou wouldst not venture to put out to Sea in a leakâ— Vessel and wilt thou be so mad as to venture thy Soul upon such a bold Presumption as this What if O Youth after your mad and long Rambles in the ways of Sin after thou hast try'd these desperate Conclusions and thou at last begins to come to thy self and attempts to come to Christ what if he should remand thee and send thee back again to find Relief among the Husks and Swine thou so lately left if when you in your distress and calamity supplicate with the most mournful Note his mercy and compassion he shall return you back with this greeting and ungrateful answer It is now too late thou shouldst have remembred me in the days of thy youth depart my patience and compassions are at an end because you refused when I called I will now reject you O what if God should conclude his day of grace and mercy just as thy time of Religion commenceth If he end his Patience as thou beginnest thy Repentance If his Ear be stop'd just as thy cry for mercy is opening pray what then will you do what say you young ones will you enquire return and come now or no to allude to that of the Prophet Isa 21. 11 12. Watchman what of the night what of the night if you will enquire enquire return and come How many expressions are here to shew the vehemency of the Call What say you Youth wilt thou dare to run the venture of the loss of God's acceptance of Heaven and eternal glory for a year a month a week a day shall the blessed Trinity stay till your Lust will release you Why then be it known to you and remember hereafter that I this day give you notice of it that as you sowe so you shall reap If you sowe a deaf Ear to God's call to day while it 's called to day you shall reap a deaf Ear to your calls and cryes for mercy when your calamity and desolation cometh as a whirlwind upon you O young Men I beseech you and O that God would persuade you by his Spirit this day to practise this advice here exhibited to you Flee this youthful Sin of delaying The sooner you come in the more acceptable it will be to God the more comfortable to your own Souls and the more useful and beneficial to others I might enlarge upon all these but I have been long already in other Considerations against this Sin of delaying and therefore I shall only tell you That no Tongue can relate no Pen can describe all the advantages of an early Conversion One days sweet communion that you will have with a reconciled God in a state of grace will be more comfortable than a thousand years of impenitent Sinners who are or may be in continual fears of death and judgment But O the blessed state of an early Convert that is aâ— peace with God his Soul may dwell at ease let what will come that can in life or death Sin is pardoned the sting of all is removed Christ's yoke is easie there is no condemnation to such an one O the sweet peace and tranquility of such a Life what should trouble or disturb him that hath good grounds to believe That he shall be for ever with the Lord when he shall go bence and be seen no more Young People are apt to thâ—nk that there is no contentment in the ways of God but they must lead sad and uncomfortable Lives whereas it 's most manifest that there is nothing tends to free them from discontent and uncomfortableness like an early conversion to God The Kingdom of God consists in joy and peace and there is a day at hand when the proudest despiser of an holy life shall be convinc'd of it O therefore make a tryal of it and if you do not find it so take your own course I have no more to say but to pray that God would circumcise your hearts and give you wisdom to take the present opportunity and to admire his mercy that it is not too late The next Sin that I shall direct Young Ones to flee is An eager pursuit of sensual and sinful Pleasures their loving these more than God c. I Have shewed you already how strongly Youth is bent upon Pleasures Sports Games Feasts Pastimes O! Young Men love these as their Lives and some will as soon part with their Lives as with their youthful Pleasures they have had Threatnings Promises Commands Intreaties Mercies Afflictions yet nothing to this day could prevail with them What Solomon saith of the Fool Prov. 27. 22. Tho' thou bray a Fool in a Mortar yet will not his foolishness depart from him may be applied here to
that excess of affection that is found in young Folks to vain and sinful pleasures there is it's true a great unwillingness in others to forgo the pleasures of Sin but it strangely tyrannizes over Youth wherefore I shall lay down some Arguments to persuade you to be willing to flee this Youthful Lust First Consider the Lord Jesus Christ young People he was not a Man of Pleasures but a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs and how unsuitable are you to him while you pant after vain Pleasures I remember I have read of five Men met together that asked one another What means they used to abstain and flee from Sin The first answer'd That he continually thought upon the Certainty of Death and the Vncertainty of the Time of it and that made him live every day as his last The Second Meditated on the severe Account he was to give at the day of judgment and of the everlasting Torments of Hell and this kept him from Sin The Third Of the vileness and loathsomness of Sin and of the excellency and beauty of Grace and this made him abhor Sin The Fourth Of the everlasting Rewards and Pleasures provided for those that did abstain from Sin and this prevailed with him The Fifth and last Continually meditated on the Lord Jesus Christ and of his Love to poor ainners in dying an accursed death for them Snd this made him ashamed to sin And truly this last is the greatest of all O what an Argument is this to constrain you Young Ones to flee sinful Pleasures I beseech you for Christ's sake to flee them Methinks if Christ should come and demand your Life and Blood they should freely go and will you not part with your brutish Pleasures for him You are certainly Enemies to the Cross of Christ while you mind earthly Pleasures he lived a self denying life mortified to all the Vanities of this World to set you an Example he died also to redeem you from a vain Conversation O Young Man view thy Pattern and imitate your Self-denying Saviour or you are â—one of his If a Father or Mother come in competition with his Name and Interest you are bound to hate them Luke 14. 16. much more your youthful Lusts of vile Pleasure The Pleasure of our dear Lord was to do the Will of his heavenly Father Joh. 4. 34. Now saith the Apostle in Phil. 2. 5. Let the same mind be in you as was in Christ And in Luke 14. 27. Our Saviour saith Whosoever doth not come after me cannot be my Disciple You are not to come after us Ministers one step but as we conform to Christ O look unto Jesus Young Ones did he affect Sports and Games Did he use to spend hours at Cards or Dice c You read of whole Nights he redeem'd for and spent in Prayer and how he went up and down always doing good O what a blessed way would this be to recover the licentious Youth of this Age to the gravity and purity of Religion if they would write after and draw each line of their Lives according to this holy Pattern I have read of an Earl called Elzearus that was given much to immoderate anger and the means he used to cure this disordered affection was by studying Christ and his patience in suffering the Injuries and Affronts that were offered to him and he never suffered this Meditation to pass from him till he found his heart transformed into the similitude of Jesus Christ O Young Men you are all distemper'd with the immoderate love of vain pleasure O flee to Mount Calvary to a crucified Jesus and there represent to thy Soul his Sorrows and Agonies till thou find this Lust crucifi'd Argue thus with thy self what did so dear so great and glorious a Person as the Son of God deny himself those ineffable pleasures above that he had in his Father's bosom and come down here on earth and took to himself an house of Clay our Flesh which proved to him an house of mourning all the days of his flesh and then dyed an ignominious painful accursed death and all this for me to redeem me from the pleasures of Sin and destroy these works of the Devil And shall I think much of denying my self a few draughts of vain delight for him who drank of the bitter Cup of God's wrath and the gall and vinegar for me And then Secondly Consider that either you must forsake these sinful pleasures for a time here or your sweet Saviour for ever hereafter For â—n Man can serve two Masters he will either love and live to the one and hate and leave the other or else è contra Therefore what Christ said to the Jews concerning his Disciples John 18. 8. If ye seek me let these go their way That may I say to you Young Folk concerning your sinful pleasures if ye seek an interest in the blessed Jesus you must let these go it is made the Badge of a graceless christless Man in that of 2 Tim. 3. 4. A lover of pleasure more than of God And our Saviour in Luke 18. 14. tells you That pleasures choke the seed of God's Word they nourish the heart and fatten it into a sensless stupidity And 1 Tim. 5. 6. the Apostle describeth the unconverted Widow thus She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth And then Thirdly Consider Young Man Tbat God will bring thee to judgment for all thy sinful pleasures Is it not enough to embitter all thy pleasures in the flesh to read in Faith that one Scripture Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young Man c. but know that God will bring thee to judgment You are apt to think that you shall hear of them no more but be you assured all must come into the Judgment O Young Men how many are now under wrath that when on Earth were eager in their pursuit of Games and Sports c. O Youth consider the Feet of them that have carried multitudes of your Age to Perdition stand ready waiting for the word of Commission to carry you away also Hence it was that the primitive Christians used to pray Domine hic ure hic seca ut in aeternum parcas Lord burn here cut here that thou may'st spare hereafter O remember Abraham's words to him that lived in pleasure while on Earth and at last dying and lifting up his eyes in Hell and calling for a drop of water to cool his tormented tongue Remember saith Abraham thou hadst thy pleasures in thy life-tme and Lazarus his sorrows Luke 16. 25. O that this were more thought on by our jolly Youngsters Paul saw need of using this tremendous Argument in 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ c. And then it follows Knowing the terrors of the Lord we persuade Men To what why to Self-judging and Godly-sorrowing and mourning for Sin that so they may not be condemned of the Lord at that great
brutifie and vilifie thy Soul that resemble thee to a Beast and ripen theâ— for the Devil that cannot stand with the infinite Love but hatred of God O flee these And then Sixthly Consider youthful sensual pleasures are not only short of their time and vile in their nature but most bitter and pernicious in their end Stolen Waters are sweet and Bread eaten in secret saith Solomon Prov. 9 17. But in the end it bites like a Serpent Prov. 32. 27. and stâ—ngeth like aâ— Adder O Youth such are all Sin 's pleasure whether you believe it or no yâ—â— shall be sure to feel it after a season for your pleasures are all but for a season and theâ— followeth the Curse of the Law the wrath of God the terrours of Conscience thâ— guilt of Sin and these are enough to drowâ— thy pleasue and distract thy Spirits like to that kind of Honey that Historians teâ—â— us of in Affrica lusciously sweet but affect all that eat of it with a mortal Madness and Frenzâ— and the reason they assign is that the Bees gather it from poysonouâ— Weeds thus sensual sinful Pleasures aâ— Solomon saith Eccles 2. 2. affect with madness Hence in the 7 Eccles 2. he affirmeth that it is better to go to the House of Mourning than Feasting You have a Scripture very full and apposite to this purpose in that in 20. Job 16. where Zophar speaking of the wicked Pleasure-monger saith He shall suck the pâ—ison of Asps There is an old Interpreter * Xantus Pagninus I have met with that reads it He shall suck the Head of Asps The Hebrew word Rosh signifying both câ—put and veneum Head and Poyson Now what is it to suck the Head of Asps Pliny in his Natural History tells us that the Asp or she Viper engendring with the Male takes his Head in her mouth and being overcome with the pleasure of the act bites it off whereby he perisheth after which she conceiving the young within her become impatient of staying their full time and they eat out through her side whereby she perisheth And so it is with the Sensualist that is all for pleasure in Sin as if you loâ—k back to the 12. ver of this 20. of Job you shall find though wickedness be sweet in the mouth yet it is but as the sucking of the Head of Asps they shall perish by it In the close of the 12. ver it is said to be Gall of Asps by which is meant both the bitterness and destructiveness of sinful Pleasures His Wickedness saith Zophar though sweet and delicious in his Mouth that is the act of committing it yet when it s turned in his Bowels that is after the commission of it it is the Gall of Asps O its grievous to him he wisheth he had never done it So Prov. 5. 4. speaking of the end of Sin 's pleasure he tells you its bitter as Wormwood It is like a Pill wrapt up in Sugar which when the Sugar which was over it is melted then the bitterness of the Pill shews it self So when the pleasure of Sin is wasted then the sorrow appears I have read of a most pleasant and luscious sort of Fruit in the West-Indies but withal that these dainties are so sauced with the intollerable scorching heat of the Sun by day and a multitude of stinging Creatures by night that the People that dwell in those parts expose themselves to danger to gather them which made the Spaniards to call them the Comfits of Hell and truly what are the pleasures of Sin but such Comfits of Hell there is some carnal pleasure that delights a rank unhallowed Palate but here is the misery of it they are served in with the scorching fiery wrath of God and the stinging of a guilty restless Conscience so that the fears of the one and the anguish of the other are surely able to melt away that little pleasure they afford O that young ones would seriously consider how bitter Sin 's pleasures will be in the end brevis est voluptas peccati sed perpetua paena peccatoris And Bernard saith momentarium est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat O commune with thine own Heart enter the Closet within thy own Breast and say What shall I be taken with a little seeming sweetness and pleasure in Sin when within a moment or two this will be turned into the Gall yea Poyson of Asps O young men evermore keep your Eye on the ending of Sin how it goes off at last you may see in Cain and Spira with hideous groans and consuming griefs it comes on like an Harlot very Comically Come let us take our fill of Pleasure but it goes off like Rachel weeping and bitterly lamenting Solomon saith in Prov. 23. 17 18. My Son envy not Sinners for surely there is an end and a sad and woful end too envy them not they are rather objects of Compassion and Pity to see a Sinner merrily for a minute swallowing the bait of pleasure and then to consider his end is to be torn for ever with the hook of Vengeance and after a little gigling and foolish mirth to be cast into a Lake of â—ire and Brimstone for ever O sad end O happy is he that foreseeth the bitter end of Sin at last and shunneth it by forgoing and fleeing the bewitching pleasure of Sin at present and wise is he that takes up out of the Word of God the same thoughts of Sin now amidst all temptations and allurements to it as the worst at last will be forced to take up out of their own experience and feeling amidst all the torments of Hell Sure it is better to go to Heaven with labour than to Hell with pleasure and to be preserved in Brine than to rot in Honey as one saith to be fed upon salt Marshes and short Commons and to live than to be glutted in rank Pastures and so fatted up for destruction Wherefore O youth call not choose not that pleasure now that thousands are suffering the wrath of God for in Hell All you that have adventured and took the sweet Bait my advice to such is let them vomit up their Morsels again and smite on their Breast and lament with penitent remorse that ever they should be such fools as to delight in that which hath grieved God and wounded their own Souls and never any more return with the Dog to the Vomit And then Seventhly Consider youthful sensual Pleasures are deceitful they mock thee and make a Fool of thee and then thou makest a mock and sport of Sin Sin smâ—lâ— with enticing blandishments as Satan on our first Parents Gen 3 5. O Ye shall be as Gods So here Sin promiseth O ye shall be thus and thus advanc'd and advantag'd But were our first Parents as Gods by heaâ—kening to Satan and eating of the forbidden Fruit or were they not cheated and instead of being like God they became like Satan It is observed by the Mythohgists
after the Flesh do chuse a carnal Conversation Hence David who was a gracious Man proâ—eth it by this maâ—k Psal 16. 3. speaking of the Saints the excellent ones of the earth saith he in whom is all my delight And â—he heavenly Apostle John giveth you this very maâ—k of true godliness in 1 Joh. 3. 14. And on the other hand a keeping and loâ—ing the company of ungodly persons is made the badge of an unconverted person Hos 7. 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himself â—mong the People What People why the â—dolatrous Heathens And what 's this a sign of why that he was but an Hypocrite elegantly expressed in that Metaphor that followeth Ephraim is a Lake not turned O therefore as you would escape the mark of an Enemy to God and Godliness Flee this youthful Lust of ill Company have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Eph. 5. 11. Company â—â—t with him that is a Fornicator 1 Cor. 5. 9. Walk not in the way enter not into the path of evil Men Prov. 1. 1. and 4. 14. And this brings me to lay down Remedies against the next Sin that Youth are prone to viz. The Sin of Intemperance Remedies against the Youthful Lust of Intemperance THis is a Sin Youth is much given to as I have in the beginning shewed now in order to the fleeing of it First Labour after a distinct and clear knowledge what it is wherein it stands The Schoolmen say a person is guilty of this Sin these five ways when he eats and drinks 1. Praeproperè too hastily 2. Lautè too daintily 3. Nimis too much 4. Ardenter too vehemently 5. Studiosè too carefully 1. If he eat too soon or hastily before the proper Season Isa 5. 11. Wo to them that rise up early that they may follow strong drink And Eccl. 10. 17. Wo to the Land whose Princes eat in the morning A time wherein the Soul is to be feasted at the Throne of Grace and in the word of God's Grace Prayer and reading the Scripture according to that excellent Rule in Matth. 6. 33. First seek the kingdom of God And then a person may be said to eat too soon or hastily when he falls on without Prayer or craving of a Blessing it was the continual practice of our dear Saviour who is out Example to look up to his Father for a Blessing e're he would partake of the Creature 2. If a person eat and drink too daintily when there is an excess in point of Costliness and Curiosity Manna had been better for the Israelites than Quails Holy Jacob's sanctified desires extended no farther than if thou wilt give me Bread to eat mark it not sumptuous delicate Fare but Bread Gen. 28. 20. And Elijah was content with a Cruise of Water and a Cake on the Coals while Jezabeâ—'s 400 Prophets were pamper'd at her full Table Christ has taught us herein in that Petition how to regulate our desires Give us this day our daily Bread Pray observe it no more than plain Bread And the Apostle saith Having food and rayment let us therewith be content 1 Tim. 6. 8. Rayment not Ornament So that when we without cause crave delicate Fare and lash out beyond that proportion our Estates and Incomes will bear we are guilty of this Sin And then when we are too curious about the Sorts of Meat and Drink and their Dressing and Sawces we herein generally send in Ammunition to the sensual Appetite to rebel against Reason and Grace 3. We offend and are guilty of this Sin of Intemperance when we exceed as to the quantity eating and drinking more than what fits us for our general and particular calling as we must not neglect our Bodies so on the other hand we must not pamper them Take heed saith our Saviour lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting c. and so that Day come upon you at unawares This was the Sin of the Old World and Sodom and it is England's and London's Sin especially the younger sort at this day 4. We offend and are guilty of this Sin when we seed eagerly and greedily or as St. Jude speaketh in the 12. ver They feed without fear not regarding God's awful Dispensations in the world as you have it set forth in that 6. Amos Wo to them that are at ease in Zion ver 1. That lie upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall ver 4. That drink Wine in Bowls but are not grieved at the Afflictions of Joseph ver 6. When the Church of God is drinking Blood and Tears it is unseasonable to drink Wine in Bowls Daniel would eat no pleasant Bread nor drink Wine when it went ill with the poor People of God 5. We offend and are guilty of this Sin when we eat studiously when we study to pamper and make provision for the Flesh and to please our Appetite as if we were Debtors to the Flesh to live to it and caâ—er for it 6. We offend herein when we make the pleasing of our Appetite our main end in Eating and Drinking and not the glorifying of God and preparing us for his Service The All-wise God never gave us our Appetites to be our rule or our end in eating and drinking but to be governed by Grace and Reason to an higher end than pleasing the Flesh Now having shewn you wherein this Sin stands the next direction in order to â—lee it is as followeth Secondly Study how hateful this Sin is to God and how hurtful it is to your selves and others it is hateful to God as it takes the heart off from him and Idolatrously sets it upon the Throat and the Belly hence you have it described in that 3. Phil. 19. Whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly being enemies to the Cross of Christ Hence Gluttons are commonly called Belly-Gods And you may further see how odious it is to God in that thundring Scripture Isa 22. 14. In that day did the Lord call for Weeping and Mourning and behold eating of Flesh and drinking of Wine saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged away till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts Again it is hateful to God as it is a notorious Transgression of his holy Law Ephes 5. 18. Luke 21. 34. Prov. 23 20. It is a Sin so expresly againâ—t the command of God that Gluttons and Drunkards can't plead ignorance especially such as live under the Gospel So that it must needs be hateful to God seeing it is Rebellion against the Light Job 24. 13 hence David expostulates in Psal 10. 13. Wherefore doth the Wicked contemn God Again it must needs be hateful to God as it carrieth in it a hatred of God if the Friendship of this World is enmity with God as St. James affirmeth in
hath been the bane of multitudes it ruin'd Ananias and Sapphira in the 5. of the Acts. It is one of those seven things the Lord hates Prov. 6. 17. Moreover it is the ruin of all humane Society and Commerce for where there is no Truth there can be no Trust and where there is no Trust there can be no thriving Trade Truth being the Bond of all human Society In a word Lying is the very Image of the Devil 2. Arm your selves before hand with forcible Scripture Arguments and Antidotes against it that whensoever the Temptation returns it may not catch you unprovided As for instance if hopes of Profit tempt thee to Lye have it in readiness O Satan what is a man profited if he gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what can a man give in exchange for his Soul What tell ye me of a little Pelf and Profit that Thieves can steal suddenly and that Death will strip me of shortly is this worth the losing my Soul for and those unsearchable Riches of Christ and Heaven that Crown of Life If a little fear of mortal srowns and displeasure from thy Superiours prompts thee to Lve provide thy self and beat back the Tempter with an It is written Who art thou that art afraid of a man that is Grass Fear not them that can kill the Body and no more but fear him that can destroy both Body and Soul and cast both into Hell O Satan man cannot damn me but God can and will if I make a Lve O how much more tolerable is the wrath of a man that is but a breathing clod of Clay and is ready to dye and turn to Dust than the wrath of the living God that is every moment ready to seize the Lyar. Once more â—f the Temptation to lye receive force â—rom hopes of concealment or that it is not â—ikely ever to be discovered c. say O Devil can it be concealed from or lie unâ—iscovered to the Eye of Heaven While â—here is a God above and a Conscience within me can I and my Lye if I should â—enture lie hid long be sure it would find â—e out to gripe and torment me Whereâ—ore avoid avoid Satan Truth of Speech â—â—d Peace of Conscience cannot be too â—uch priz'd nor too carefully preserved â—ccording to that old Rule â—â—re to be true nothing can need a Lye â— Fault that needs it most grows two thereby 3. and Lastly Beg hard of God to purge â—y Heart for out of the evil treasure of â—y heart proceeds Lying and all Evil the â—incipal work must be about thy Heart â—sal 12. 2. They speak Lyes saith the Psalâ—ist with flattering Lips and with a double Heart do they speak Gen. 17. 9. The Heart â— deceitful above all things Now if ever â—ou would flee this Sin of Lying O get â—â— Heart-Cure or this Evil will break out â—â— the Lips again though you should for a time bridle your Tongues As a Spring will have its Course though you should dam up the Stream a while it will after a while break through all your Banks and run into the old Channel again So here it will be even so For out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh and the old Heart is a kin to the old Serpent for Lying it 's only the New Heart that is the true Heart and until the Heart be renewed the Tongue cannot be aright reformed How can ye that are evil saith out Saviour speak good things How can you match a double Heart and a single Tongue together a Lying Heart and a true Tongue Since there is such a near relation between the one and the other as between the Cause and its effect Now young man who can create a new and true Heart in thee but God Whither then shouldst thou go but to him this was David's practice how frequently do we find him on his Knees sometimes praying that God would make his Heart sound in his Statutes sometimes that God would create in him a clean Heart and renew a right Spirit within him again sometimes he prays Remove from me the way of Lying and was it in vain Oh no he was a man after God's own Heart he would not endure a Lyar in his sight in his House The next Sin I shall direct you to flee is neglect of Relative Duties as Obedience to Parents and Masters c. Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Disobedience to Parents and Masters THis is a Sin peculiar to that state of Life O Young Man if you would flee it 1. Study these Scriptures Ephes 5. 1. Col. â— 20. Children obey your Parents c. for this â—s the first Command with promise and it is well-pleasing to God here is a double Argument to enforce Obedience to Parents First â—â— hath a promise of long Life annexed That â—hy days may be long in the Land Is not this â—o be reckoned a singular Blessing especially â—s it comes in by the way of a precious Promise O flee Disobedience as you would flee immature Death or being cut off and â—ut down in the flower of your Age for there is nothing more directly tends to cut short your life than this Sin of Disobedience â—o Parentâ— as in the Instance of Absâ—lon And then the 2â— Argumâ—nt is That Obedience to Parents is well-pleasing to God O powerful Motive it wants nothing of strength to move you only a due Application and then 2. Consider how the Sin of Disobedience to Superiors entails God's Curse upon you see for this these Scriptures Prov. 30. 17. 1 Sam. 4. 11. Lev. 24. 14. Deut. 21. 18. Deut. 27. 16. 3. Consider how subject and obedient Christ was to his Parents Luke 2. 51. and should not you be subject to yours Christ hearkned to his and wont you to yours O write after this blessed Copy 4. Consider how unnatural a thing it is not to love honour and obey your Parents you have your being from them and come out of their loins you have cost them many thousand of Cares and Fears and Tears and will you rebel against them I have observed that there is in Youth when grown up usually such headiness and pride in their behaviour towards their Parents that when they should have most comfort in them they have most heart-breaking grief and sorrow O Youth thinks they are wise enough now to govern rule and to dispose of themselves without advising with their Parents But be it known to thee O foolish Youth God doth not think as thou dost and long experience hath instructed us of the Errours of unexperienced Youth herein in those many fatal and ruining miscarriages that have followed upon the evil choice they have made O young People pray consider how much you are the Goods and Possessions of your Parents That you cannot without a kind of Theft as one saith dispose of your selves without the consent of your Parents And I have also made this Observation That God doth
that Youthful Sin of Pride THat Youth is apt to admire themselves for their supposed Excellences as Beauty Parts Wit Strength c. I have shewed before Man is a proud piece of Dust and a little thing will puff him up a Râ—bbon a Feather a Wire a black spot a bag full of Dirt a Shop full of Goods or the Excrements of Beasts this is that old Leaven of Corruption that hath leavened the whole humane nature hence young Absalon swells O that I might be Judge of Israel Wherefore I shall lay down some directions in order to your fleeing this Sin 1. Represent to thy self how odious and abominable this Sin is to God as will evidently appear if thou study these Scriptures 1 Peter 5. God resisteth the Pruod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word signifieth Sets himself in battle array against such a person Proverbs 6. 16 17. it is there placed in the front of those six things the Lord hates A proud look c. Proverbs 16. 5. Every one that is Proud in Heart is abomination to the Lord and though Hand joyn in Hand yet shall he not go unpunished Isaiah 23. 8. Surely the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to stain the Pride of all Glory And in Isaiah 2. 11. The Day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is Proud whose Heart is lifted up O young People when ever you are affecting a Glory and a kind of Supremacy to your selves consider these Scriptures and remember what a God he is that hath thus expressed his hatred of this Sin he is a God of infinite Greatness and Majesty that might in his Soveraignty have left thee in the Womb of Nothing had he pleased or might have crush'd thee into nothing in the Cradle When he did but let out of his Glory a little to Job and Isaiah one crys ouâ— Wo is me I am an undone man I have seen the Lord Isaiah 6. The other breaks forth Behold I am vile I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes for mine Eyes have seen the Lord of Host And in Heaven where he fully shineth forth in his Glory the Elders fall down and cast down their Crowns before him that sitteth on the Throne O proud Dust one glimpse of the high and lofty One would make thee quake and tremble Secondly Get thy Heart well seasoned with deep Convictions of what a poor sinful mortal Creature thou art it is ignorance of your selvâ—s that makes you proud Hence you read Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Here you see the different judgment of God and man Whence is it but from man's ignorance of himself O proud Youth were you brought but once to understand what a leprous deformed diseased Soul lodgeth in thy dunghil Body let Conscience answer whether thou couldst be Proud or no a Soul so ignorant of and averse unto the blessed God so unbelieving unholy universally miserable and wretched so like to the Devil and yet be proud a Soul so unreconciled to God so unready for the coming of Christ in such danger of the damnation of Hell one would thiâ—k here should be no more room for Pride than there is reason for it and that 's none at all but the quite contrary namely lying in Tears and abasement before the Lord and begging of Mercy better becometh such a Soul And then for thy Body wherein this miserable Soul lodgeth for a few days one would think thou shouldst have little mind to be proud of that were it only for the sake of so wretched a Tenant that dwells within but as wisely consider it and see whether there be any thing in it or no to be proud of first then O young man dost thou not know it to be a poor vain frail perishing thing the Heathen can tell you this without the Book of Scripture hast thou now a juvenile verdure and freshness of Complexion or briskness of Spirits or quickness of Parts or strength of Body and art thou tempted to Pride by any or all of these Alas let but a Feaver or an Apoplexy seize you as they may within the space of an hour and then where are all these Indeed if thou couldst by thy youthful strength and ability hinder any of these and wert so considerable a Creature as to beat back Sickness and Death when they come thou mightest have some pretence for thy boasting but if thy young Flesh be but as Grass that can no ways defend it self from the Sythe then be ashamed and abased in the Dust Have you noâ— seen or at least have you not heard â—â—w suddenly many of your Age have dâ—â—p'd into the Pâ—â— go to the Church-yard â—nd look among the Graves and see it there be not shorter Graves than would fit you and learn humility Thirdly Sâ—udy an humbled Christ and abhor Pride for ever Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek anâ— lowly And will you be proud and haughty Psal 22. 6. I am a Worm and no Man it is spoken of Christ O when you are tempted to be high-minded and to over-valuing conceits of your selves to think I am some body and deserve respect and esteem then look an humbled Christ in the face and loath thy self and say O proud heart dost thou stand upon thy Pantofles and Terms and thy Saviour stoop and step down into the form of a Servant Dismount dismount proud Dust and come down and let the same mind be in you as was in Christ 2 Phil. 6. The next Sin Youth is prone unto is quenching the Spirit Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Quenching the Spirit I Have shewed you how prone Youth is to quench the Motions of the Spirit of God stifling those inward Convictions that are wrought in them of their lost and undone estate by Nature of the necessity of Conversion and the New Birth and of their indispensible Duty to use the means both publick and private that God hath appointed in order to their Conversion there are not a few of London's Youth that are guilty in a high degree of this Sin Wherefore to prevent it for time to come attend to these following directions First Understand wherein this Sin of Quenching the Spirit stands and that 's the first step to Reformation in this point Quenching is a metaphorical part of Speech it is borrowed from a Fire or Lamp that useth to give light and heat now this applied to the Spirit it must follow that the Spirit is a Fire heating and Light enlightning the Soul and therefore in reference hereunto the Apostle in the 1. Thes 5. 19. saith Quench not the Spirit how that is done may be gathered from the metaphor thus a Fire or Light is two manner of ways quenched 1. By withdrawing of Fuel from it 2. By casting of Water upon it So it is here with this heavenly Fire 1.
When we withdraw from the means as Prayer and the Word and Holy Watchfulness these are as materials to keep in the Fire and when we decline or restrain these we quench the Spirit in his Influences they decay and dye away within us Miscarriages of this kind Divines call Omissions 2. When though we do not decline Ordinances we adventure upon commissions of Sin this now extinguisheth and directly quencheth the Spirit 's light and heat this is as water cast on it presently puts out the Fire O that young ones would attend hereunto for want of regarding these things many perish and go to Hell If ever any thing was to be deplored in this world this is to be deplored that the Spirit of God when he comes with his Light and Heat to sanctifie and save us we grieve him resist him tempt him vex him quench him these are all Scripture expressions O Lord what account shall there be at that great and terrible Day for these things Learn hence young ones that when you have this blessed Spirit either in Sermon-time or other times like a Sun rising and shining into your dark Soul's shewing you as clear as Noon-day that your Courses have been naught that thus and thus hast thou done and that without the New Creature Faith Repentance c. thou art undone for ever and shewing thee farther that thou hast before thee a blessed offer of Christ and the great Salvation purchased with his Blood asuring thee if thou cast away thy Trangressions and come in and accept the Grace offered thou shalt not perish but have Everlasting Life and probably this blessed Spirit goes on further awakening thy Conscience stirring up thy Affections that thou goest from the Sermon smitten wounded as with an Arrow sticking within thee so that thou hast some Light and Heat too a mercy thou canst never enough value If now thou triflest and growest careless of means and through neglect of Prayer and omission of other Duties sufferest these Sparks to dye in the Embers then thou art verily guilty of this horrible Sin of quenching the Spirit much more if instead of calling for the Bellows and blowing while there is a Fire thou adventurest to cast on Water i. e. to run into Evil Company to yield to thy vile Corruptions to drink the poysoned Cup and eat of the forbidden murdering Morsels then be sute with an high hand with a witness you are guilty of quenching the Spirit O the unspeakable misery this brings O that ever you can hear these things without Trembling This is the first direction to get a true Knowledge what this Sin is 2. When you know it study the grievous and hainous nature of it that your wanton Hearts may be awed and affrighted from the lest approaches towards it for time to come O young people is it now a time of the Spirit 's striving in you stirring of you and striving with you O take heed for now is Satan most conversant and instant to pick out your Eyes to blow out the Light And this he can never do without thy own agency and compliance with him though he is a Creature full of Malice Subtilty and of great Power yet blessed be God he cannot force you oppose you he will you must expect it now more than ever for now he is afraid of losing you Luke 11. 42. therefore look for your share but though he hath an opposing Power yet he hath not an enforcing Power Hence in James 4. 7. Resist the Devil and he will flee But now if instead of resisting the evil Spirit you should resist the Good Spirit for both may be resisted O the grievous and hainous Nature of this Sin words can't express it without all question it 's greatly influential towards the filling up the Measure of Sin and the Vials of God's Wrath. And it may be said of such as the Apostle hath it in 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better they had never known the Way of Righteousness than having known it to turn away from the Holy Commandment given to them They are in danger of these threatned Judgments John 12. 40. and Prov. 1. 28. and Psal 81. 12. and Hos 4. 17. and Ezek. 24. 13. and Heb. 3. 11. and Heb. 6. 4 5 6. O that young ones would read and tremble at these Scriptures to deter them from quenching the Spirit as they would ever escape having their lot and portion in such dreadful and tremendous Judgments as are contained in those places O take warning Young Men lest you be hardned to destruction God hath removed many a one of your Equals already neglected Talents have been taken away from many Drones and Dallyers according to that 13. Matth. 12. Whosoever hath not i. e. improves not from him shall be taken away that which he seems to have There is no prevention of this Judgment but by improving your Talents and knowing the things of your Peace in your day 3. Never rest in Convictions till they bring you to rest in Christ Many when under some sense of Sin and Misery and some apprehensions of Mercy they will go and pray and may be weep too and upon this without real union to and application of Christ and his Blood they grow well again and think now all the danger is over I am a new man I was Prayerless now I Pray I was a careless wretch careless of God and my Soul but now I bless God things are quite otherwise with me and my House is swept and garnished and the unclean Spirit that is gone will return no more c. Here multitudes take up their Rest short of Christ patching up a Righteousness of their own hoping by their pedling Wares to maintain themselves and all this while ignorant of Christ and his Righteousness or at least see no such absolute necessity of him so that the Peace and Rest they get is not from Christ's Blood but their own Prayers and Tears not from his attonement but their own amendment c. And as multitdes take up their stand here so from hence may they date their fatal fall Wherefore I beseech you rest not in any thing of your own short of Christ and to the end you may not I add in the next place 4. Study that great Scripture in Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood and what followeth pray mark twice it 's expressed to declare his Righteousness in Remission of Sins and in the close of the 26. verse That God might be just in justifying the Sinner that believes in Christ For the opening of this a little I beseech you consider the case between God and man stood thus God made man upright man sins falls under the sanction of that Law he broke viz. In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Now such is the Holiness of God's Nature that he cannot but hate Sin and such is the Impartiality of his Justice and