THE Young-man's Duty OR Good Council for Young-Men Shewing the Happiness of being good betimes â—ith an Alarm from the Eternal God to Drowsie Saints and secure Sinners 〈◊〉 also the Young-Mans Objections answered and the Old-mans doubts resolved By Roger Hough King 18.12 But I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth â—â—overbs 16.31 The Hoary Head is a crown of Glory if it be found in the way of righteousness LONDON â—â—â—nted by W. L. and T. J. for Phillip Brooksby next door to the Ball in West-smithfield near the Hos-pital-Gate 1677. THE Young Man's Duty Eccles 11 Chap. 9 Verse Rejoyce O Young-man in thy Youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgement SOlomon in the Conclusion of this Chapter is Exhorting the Sons of Men to true Religion and the better to and in order to the same he mindeth them of Death and Iudgement without which there cannot be planted in us a right Care and Fear of God From the Seventh Verse to the latter end he hath to do with Two Sorts of Men. First With those that were glued to this life and to the delights and pleasures thereof of And thus he brings them in speaking thus Truly the light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun verse 7. By light there we are to understand the light of the Sun shining on us while we enjoy this Mortal Life This many men suppose to be a very pleasant thing and they overmuch content themselves in the same These Solomon verse 8. refuteth by three Arguments The First is this that though a Man live many years yet let him remember the days of darkness That is That a time of death will come a time when our Sun will set and our light will turn to darkness though we live never so long never so sweetly never so pleasantly though we enjoy the light of the Sun yet we should carefully remember that darkness abideth in us Secondly saith Solomon These days are His Argument is thus much Let a man consider with himself though he live many years yet notwithstanding the days and years of his life cannot be compared with the days and years of his death Now in the Word we have read we have to deal with Young-men and he is altogether given to jollity and Merriment He forgeteth God and the days of darkness and his later end Rejoyce O Young man in thy Youth and let thy Heart cheer thee in the day of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know this there is a cooling Card that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement In the Word we will consider two parts First What Young-men do Secondly The Medicine of God to heal young-men of their default that young-men do is this They give themselves over to an inordinate Carnal joy This joy is set out from the time of it the days of thy youth from the cause of it their hearts cheer them from the kinds of it they walk in the ways of their hearts and in the sight of their eyes Thirdly The Medicine with which Solomon would heal young-men of this inordinate carnal joy is this Know saith he that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement that is It is a most Divine and infallible truth that every one should know and acknowledge that whatsoever sins they commit in their Youth without repentance they must undergo the dreadful judgement of God beeause of them Doct. That it is a Sin of Young-men to Rejoyce inordinately and carnally in the days of their youth to walk after their hearts and in the sight of their eys We Read concerning the Old World that were Eating and Drinking and Marrying and giving in Marriage altogether sottish and sensual till the Wrath of God came in the Flood and swept them away Isa 22.14 Let us eat and drink for too morrow we shall die It is thought this was not so much the Language of Age as of the Youth in Israel Hence Solomon giveth a Caveat to Young-men Eccles 12.1 To Bridle and restrain from this jollity and carnal Mirth Remember now the Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them And the Apostle St. Paul 1 Tim. 2.22 Instructeth Timothy to slye youthful lusts Tit. 2.6 Exhort young-men that they be sober minded Let us a little consider the reasons of the Doctrine whence it is that Young-men should be so much misguided in their youth The first cause is Natural Corruption that they have drawn by Propagation from their Parents a Spiritual Leprosie and Malady and a Disease which as it prevaileth for the most part upon age by covetousness so it geteth ground of youth by sensuallity and voluptuousness this dams up the ear against reproof this hardens the heart against instruction and makes many young men the Souldiers of Satan in sin Again in the second place Men in their youth forget the day of their Reckoning and Iudgement they are not mindful of their later end Deut. 32.22 Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end this precept is neglected both by youth and age but especially by those of younger years for they think it is time enough to repent and turn to God when they are old and so they put off God from time to time till at last justice cuts them down and throws them into everlasting burning where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Again in the third place Young-men are not broken down by afflictions the Fallow ground is not Plowed up by afflictions which through the grace of God are great means to fame Nature and to subdue Pride and to bring the Soul to a right frame and temper Before I was afflicted saith David I went astray And Ephraim saith Jâ—r 31. I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoâ—k houâ— chastised me and I was chastisedst I wâ—s ash medâ— because bore the reproach of my youth But young-men are free from aches and pains and sickness and sorrow much more then old age and this is the reason why they are more Licentious Lastly Young-men want true Ioy in God therefore they betake themselves to Carnal joy for sure it is a man cannot live without joy and contentment if he hath it not from the Wells of Salvation Now because men in their Youth cannot take in the Spiritual Ioy of that clear Fountain therefore they drink in the muddy waters of carnal joy The use of this point is in the first place an admonition to all Young-men to take notice of those Maladies and spiritual Diseases in themselves The first degree of our healing is to see
that we are sick and till then Christ Iesus the Physician of our soul hath no Commission to do us good Let Young-men observe in themselves First Their Carnal joy Solomon here sheweth that they rejoyce inordinately This may appear to themselves First Because they rejoyce not where they ought they solace not themselves in God in whom is the Fountain of all true joy nor in Christ Iesus in whom is the Spring of Ioy nor in the Word where there is the Cistern of Ioy even as a bone when it is out of joynt it must needs be a disordered bone So the Affeictions when they are misplaced are disordered and then our joy and any other affections are misplaced when they are not set upon God and Christ Now if Young-men would deal uprightly with themselves they should perceive that for the most part in their jollity and merriment they never think of God or dream of the World to come Nay the serious apprehension of God Almighty would quench their joy Secondly The Carnalness of the joy of young-men appeareth because they rejoyce where they ought not in Riot in Drunkenness in Whoreing in all manner of Voluptuousness many time in Obscenity of Word and Phraise in making jest of the Holy Word of God so we may say of this merriment it is a mad merriment he is a mad man that rejoyceth in that for which except â—e betake himself to serious and bitter mourning he cannot be saved Thirdly The Carnalness of the joy of Young-men may appear in this Because they terminate and conclude not their joy in God this followeth on the former for it is impossible that what beginneth not in God should end in God When joy begineth in sin it cannot end in God but in the Devil Secondly Let young-men take notice of themselves how they walk after their own hearts the heart that says come put away pensive thoughts trouble not your self about the day of reckoning and judgement Come let us enjoy the present time now let us sing and be merry for we have time enough to repent Thus they are resolved to take their sill of pleasure like the fool in the Gospel which saith Soul take thine ease for thou hast goods laid up for many years Thus they judge and thus they walk after their carnal hearts Again in the third place young-men walk after the sight of their eyes that is they stand gazing at things temporal and neglect things eâ—eâ—nal they see a beauty and lustre in those outward things and perceive no glory and brightness in Christ Iesus Beloved If we follow our own hearts and our own eyes it will be thus with us as you have heard but we should rather labour with Jâ—b to make a covenant with our â—yes Oh! how few Young-men are there that make a bargain and agreement with their eyes that they shall not be as an open Casement to let sin into the soul Oh! how â—ew young men are there that like Jeremiah have their eyes as fountains of water to weep day and night for the afflictions of the people of God Oh! how few young-men are there that like Moses have an eye to the recompence of reward that they may suffer afflictions with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Now I beseech you take a Survey of your selves in these things these are vices and sins and deformities of young-men to be seen and â—amented by all those that hope to dwell in Gods holy hill Use â— It is for exhortation to young-men They should labour to be reformed in their affections and hearts away with this carnal â—oy we ought to cast it out of us 1. Carnal joy would you know what the event of it will be it will end in carnal sorrow and without repentance in hell it self Woe unto you saith our Savour Christ that laugh now you shall weep and mourn the triumphing of the wicked saith Zophar in Job is short and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his Head reach unto the Clouds yet he shall perish as his own dung they that have seen him shall say where is he He shall fall away as a dream and shaâ—l not be found yea He shall be chased away as a vision of the night But not to give you this in precept but to shew you how to reform your selves in these Vices that Solomon specifieth to bear sway in Young-men let me lay you down these following Directions First You must betake your selves to mourning for your Sins as St. James saith Be afflicted and weep and mourn let your laughter be turned into heaviness If we be not reconciled to God if we have not assurance that we are interested in Christ there is no time for us to rejoyce we should rather betake our selves to bitter mourning for the wrath of God is due to us and we know not how soon it may fall upon us In the second place Consider how vain all things are in which Youthful Persons rejoyce If Young-men rejoyce in Humane Wisdom and Vnderstanding this is a vain thing it is gotten with a great deal of trouble and vexation of Spirit Eccles 1.13 gave my Heart to seek and search out by wisdom â—oncerning all things that are done under Heaven â—his sore travel hath God given to the Sons â—f Men to be exercised therewith And in â—er 18. In much wisdom is much grief and he â—hat increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow God doth so punish the pride and boldness of â—he Wit of Men even from the fall of our â—irst Parents In the second place If Young-Men rejoyce â—â—n Honour and Credit amongst Men this also â—s vain Solomon hath shewed it Eccles 2.6 â—here is saith he no remembrance of the Wise more than the Fool for ever for which now is â—hall in the days to come be forgotten Again 〈◊〉 a man rejoyce in Honour and Glory he â—annot Believe So saith Christ John 5.44 How can you believe since you seek Honour one â—f another and not the Honour that cometh of God onely Joh. 40.43 Nay farther the Apostle sheweth us that this is the cause of â—nvy Mal. 5.26 Be not desirous of vain â—lory envying one another Farther Young-men commonly delight in pleasures these also are vain things I said in my Heart saith Solomon Eccles 2.2 Go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleaâ—ures and behold this also is vanity All these pleasures of youth shall cease there will shortly be an end of your Wisdom Honour and Pleasures 1 Cor. 7.29 The time is short It remaineth that those that have Wives be as those that have none and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not they that buy as though thâ—y possessed not they that use the World as not abusing of iâ— for the fashion of this World passeth away Lastly Our Saviour Christ in Luke 8.14 sheweth that the pleasures of this life
to judgement Secondly What manner of judgement this will be For the First What is the reason that God will bring all these things to judgement The First reason is Decrée Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all men once to dye and after Death to Judgement Even as it must needs be that men must dye because God hath appointed it so it must needs be that men must come to iudgement in regard of the purpose and decree of God Secondly God will do this in regard of his righteousness He is a holy God a hater of iniquity But many times in this World it is well with the Wicked and ill with the Godly Lazarus he is in woful misery and Dives is in abundance of prosperity Now God will shew his love to the Righteous and his hatred to the Wicked in this judgement Lastly the consciences of men may prove that there shall be a judgement For let a Man commit secret sins that none knoweth of but God and he yet many times he feeleth hellish horror which is a manifest proof That Conscience seeth and apprehendeth God as the Supream judge That will call all men to account for their sins Thus you hear the reasons why there must be a judgement 1. It will be the last judgement which declareth the terribleness of it In this there is hope Let the wicked forsake his ways and turn to the Lord and he will be gracious to him Again It shall be a general judgement which is the second thing 2 Cor. 10. We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ 3. It shall be a Manifest Iudgement Sometimes the Lord judgeth men secretly by raising up in them fears and horrors in their hearts causing his Curse in them as Water in their Bowels and Oyl in their Bones but then God shall open his wrath against the Children of wrath before all the world of men and no eye shall pitty them 4. It shall be a sudden judgement even as the flood came upon the old world when they were sporting themselves and deriding Noah that preached to them of the flood this day shall come as a Snare upon all that dwell upon the earth it shall come as a thief in the night 5. It shall be a Righteous Iudgement Rom. 2. God will tender to every man according to his deeds Lastly It shall be an eternal judgement So saith the Apostle Heb. 6.2 It is not meant that God will fit for ever but it is so called from the effects for the conclusion shall be this the eternal weal and happyness of the Godly and the eternal woe and misery of the wicked that shall be plunged by the Iustice of God into the severest torments The Use of this Doctrine Will God bring both Old and Young great and small to judgement then let this be for instruction to all to haste to repentance Beloved this is one of the last things that God will do and this is the greatest thing that the Minister can say God will iudge you for your sins Acts 17 31. God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness Surely if this doth not awaken us nothing will nothing can Art thou able to stand before God when he is angry with us oh the hardness of Mans heart that will not be awakened though he hears that the Iudge is at the door but still goes on treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath In the third place this Doctrine that God will judge the world should make us Preserve in our selves a good conscience Act. 24.16 The Apostle had hope that there should be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust therefore he did exercise himself to have always a good conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Lastly This Doctrine should teach us to fear God and give Glory to him As St. John speaks in his Revelation The Day of his Judgement is a coming therefore fear him and give glory to him and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS