Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A79559
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The Christians daily monitor to the performance of personal and relative duties With a resolution of some cases of conscience. Published for the benefit of young persons; By Joseph Church. Together with so much of Mr. Samuel Hierons catechisme, as concerns second table duties.
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Church, Josiah.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing C3986B; ESTC R230947
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48,548
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166
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Chron. 34.3 It waâ— the commendation of Timothy thaâ— from a child he had known the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 God takes iâ— very kindly when you begin betimes to serve him Cant. 7.12 Christ loves the buds the blossomings of Grace as well as the ripe fruit and the Devil is a great enemy to this age he opposes the bringing young persons to Christ to be dedicated and to be instructed and catechised There are four reasons among others why the Devil labours to corrupt youth 1. Because he knows a vicious youth layes the foundation of a vicious life Reason teaches that if we would alter the disposition of any thing we must do it while it is young Now the Devil acts according to this principle and because youth is an age of fancy and apt to receive impressions therefore he labours to stain and pollute it no colour holds so well as that which is dyed in the wool 2. Because their age being least able to discern between good and evil will soonest bite at his baits and yield to his temptations Young persons are soonest catched in his snare 3. He doth not know how short a time they have to live and therefore he would get them into his clutches as soon as he can 4. Because God loves this age therefore he loves to be cropping early buds indeed God highly values aâ— a Religious Child-hood and youth he hath given us all testimonies how much he accepts it Under the Law the acceptable services were young things young lambs young bullocks young pigeons the first ripe fruits the first born God challenged to be his O how doth God delight in young Samuels young Davids young Daniels young Johns the one was a young Prophet the other a young Apostle Saith God When Israel was a Child then I loved him And can there be a greater honour to you then to say I loved God from my Child-hood I knew Christ from my Child-hood to say as David Psal 71.5 O Lord I have trusted in thee from my youth 4. The word of God doth concern you and Religion is as proper and fit for you as for any persons whatsoever The Scriptures are written for young persons that they may know how to cleanse their wayes Psal 119.9 The word is the best staff for old men to lean on and the best sword for young men to fight withall The Heathens indeed thought that youth might be indulged in sin Cicero in his defence of â—aelius saith something is to be allowed to youth till the heat of that age be abated but I could appeal from him as a Mercenary Oratour pleading for his Fee the Cause of a debauched young man to himself in another place in his sober mind telling us That this age is in a speciall manner to be kept from lust and that they are much mistaken that think way should be given to the licentiousness of young men But it is no great matter what they thought since we know God hath so framd the Scriptures that Religion belongs not only to thosâ— of riper years but to Children also Deut. 29.29 Those words as the learned observe have extraordinary pointâ— in the Hebrew and three times there are mention made of Children in thâ— Decalogue The Scripture teaches therâ— is a duty you owe to God Eccl. 12.1 There is a duty you owe to men Eph. 6.1 and both these are clear because God hath appointed correction as aâ— means to keep them in the way of theiâ— duty Prov. 22.15 and God promises a blessing to it Pr. 23.13 now God promiseâ— not a blessing but as a means appointeâ— by him to an end Nor is there any agâ— more proper for Religion then this is This the learning age now you havâ— leasure now your minds are not so preingaged and prejudiced as they will bâ— hereafter Religion is like water fit to be poured upon tender plants You will never have a fitter time in your lives The time of youth is the fairesâ— flower that grows upon the stalk of Time Now your understandings are quick your memories tenacious your affections soft and pliable If you redeem not this time for God and your souls I dare be bold to say you will repent of it sometime before you dye 5. Conversion after youth proves very difficult and rare I would not be thought so arrogant as to set any bounds to Gods Grace or limit it to any time Possibly some unwary expressions that way have done much harm But this I say sins of youth are hardly left and seldom forsaken as those bones that grow crooked in Childhood are hardly rectified when we become men It is said Mark 11.13 the time of figs was not yet the time of gathering figs was not yet as some expound that place it was a time of bearing figs for that kind of fig tree saith a learned man uses to have fruit on it of the first second and third years growth Now Christ being hungry came to see if he could find any thing upon it Old age iâ— the time of gathering fruit Youth iâ— the time of bearing fruit If you do noâ— bear fruit while you are young how shall Christ gather fruit when you are old and what then can you look foâ— but a curse 6. Good education makes the sins of youth more heynous You therefore that have sprang from Godly Parents that have been the Children of many prayers and tears you that have been brought up in Godly Families that have had many Fathers many Instructors know you cannot sin at so easie a rate as others And here I cannot but take up a sad lamentation over the degenerate children of Godly parents and ancestours Then which there is not a worse symptome among us of Gods utter leaving and forsaking us Many Sons and Daughters are so given over to looseness prodigality scurrility pride uncleanness contempt both of the form and power of Religion that if their Parents and Ancestours were now upon â—arth would they know them to be â—â—eir Posterity Surely it may be said â—f them as in the Prophet Abraham is â—gnorant of them and Israel knows them â—ot Sarah and those Holy Women of â—ld would not know their Daughters Those Squirril-brain'd creatures that â—isk from one fashion to another those â—potted and painted faces of yours do â—ore resemble Jezebel then the Saints of old And know you not that their Children you are whose works you do â—any young men their fathers were â—overs of God and Worshippers of him â—ept the Sabboth prayed in their Families were chast in their minds and body â—ust in their dealings careful of giving offence meek humble lovers of them that were good But look upon their Children do these things live and survive in them are they the inheritours of their Fathers vertues do they walk in the steps of their Godly Ancestours O no it may be said of them as in Judges 2.17 You have turned quickly out oâ— the way wherein your fathers walked obeying the
part with nothing hoard â—p against a rainy day therefore saith God give freely for the merciful shall â—nd mercy Lastly let the present fears alarum â—ee to prepare for sad events go not without thy armour be not secure say â—ot the over-flowing scourge shall not â—ome nigh me But think with thy self â—hough I have been in the rear of â—ther judgements I may be in the â—ront of this Labour to be fitted to enâ—ertain terrible things When thou â—earest the Minister sound the Trumpet and say judgement is at hand the Lord is risen out of his holy place to â—udge the inhabitants of the earth When thou hearest what is done to others when wickedness is advanced and Godliness slighted and opposed then get those Graces that will fit theâ— for an evil day such as 1. Resignation of thy self and all thoâ— hast unto God be content that hâ— should dispose of thee as he pleaseth 2 Sam. 15.26 2. Faith which is a Grace will live iâ— hard times for Faith lays claim to thâ— fulness of Christ as its own Faitâ— hath two hands a working hand anâ— a receiving hand the receiving hanâ— relieves the working hand 3. Apply the promises of perseverance 4. Patience in both its Acts the bearing act and the waiting act and sâ— doing thou mayest be able to stanâ— in the evil day Which none of thesâ— five sorts of men will be able to do 1. They that slight God and Religioâ— in peace and prosperity will neveâ— suffer for God and Religion in adversity â— Those that will not witness for truth with their mouths will never for the truths sake lay down their lives 3. Those that serve God onely for the praise of men will leave the service of God when men disgrace them 4. Those that will not endure the smaller tryals will much less stand in the greater 5. They that will not suffer the power of Gods word to part them and their lusts and vain conversation will not seal the truth of Gods word with their blood §. 13. A few Motives to young persons to be Religious â—here was never more need for Ministers Parents Tutors Masters to season youth with piety and to improve their interest wisdom authority in this Work then in these days wherein there is such a general decay of Godliness that if God do not stir up the hearts of Governours and if they will not stir up themselves and those under their charge the next Generation are like to prove Banquerupts in Religion and to prove either Papists or Atheists To encourage young persons to look to themselves and to call them out of the tentâ— of wickedness I would earnestly intreat them to let these few considerations rest upon their minds 1. O young man or young woman consider the end of thy being Why God made thee and gave thee a reasonablâ— soul capable of eternal happiness why did God bestow upon thee many endowments of mind and body why he hath vouchsafed the cultivation and improvement of thy natural abilities by education and instruction Waâ—â—â— all this that thou mightest glorifie him and be serviceable in thy Generation to the great end of being and living Cansâ— thou imagine that so bright a lamp as aâ— â—mmortal soul was ever put into the â—arthen candlestick of thy body for â—ase and sensual ends meerly to serve â—y fleshly appetite the most deformed â—nd unsatiable monster that is in the â—orld Canst thou upon serious â—oughts conceive thy being is for â—ch poor low ends No remember â—od and men expect better things from â—ee You that are young the good â—d welfare of Church and State deâ—ends on you you are the Seed-plots â—â—d Nurseries of all Religion and Vertue 〈◊〉 Liberty Honour Trade either you â—ust transmit and hand these down to â—osterity or all these must dye and be â—xtinguished in your hands and are â—ou willing to be recorded in future â—istories for prodigals and betrayers of â—hem all Such a man by Religion and â—ertue raised his Family and such an â—eir such a Grand-child ruined it by â—is debauchery Stobeus relates that â—he Ephebi among the Athenians took â—n Oath not to leave their Country in a worse condition then they found iâ— but in a better Oh that it might be â— said of this Generation 2. Consider It is a monstrous thiâ— for young persons to be old sinners Tâ—â— Age in which sin is committed is so fâ— from excusing it that it aggravates it â— is a sad character of a man he was so aâ— so wicked of a Child he was a sweareâ— a lyar a scoffer an enemy to Godlineâ— from his long Coates God himself whâ— he would aggravate mans sin saith tâ— imaginations of mans heart hath beâ— evil from his youth Gen. 8.21 Aâ—gustine in his Confessions bewails hâ— boyish tricks Lord when I was a littâ— Boy I was a great sinner And Daviâ— begs pardon for the sins of his youth Psal 25.7 and mark how God brand the disobedience of Israel Jer. 22 2â— I spake unto thee in thy prosperity bâ— thou saidest I will not hear this has been thy manner from thy youth thaâ— thou obeydst not my voice And in Jerâ— 32.30 God aggravates the sin of Israel and Judah that they had done evil before him from their youth Take heed of calling sin tricks of youth and and thinking your age gives you a dispensation If ever you return to God those sins must be repented of and they will cost you dear as you may see in those Converts Jer. 3.25 We lye down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord we and our fathers from our Youth even to this day Consider therefore how dear you must pay for your youthful lusts they will prove dear bought pleasures they are but honey licked off from thorns Like that fruit in the West Indies the Spaniards call the Devils sweet meat a fruit very delicious but the place where it grows is so hot in the day and so infested with venemous insects in the night that none care for dwelling near them Your youthful pleasures expose you to the scorchings of Gods wrath to the bitings and stingings of your own conscience Your youthful lusts must be repented of either here or in hell where repentancâ— will do you no good Consider whaâ— these courses are none can prevail witâ— you now to leave and whither they tend they provoke God to hate youâ— good men are grieved for you and ashamed of you nay even wicked meâ— themselves in their cool thoughts would not have their children as bad aâ— themselves But O how few personâ— consider that by youthful lusts theâ— lay a foundation for old age miseries 3. Consider it is the greatest honouâ— to be good betimes It was the praise oâ— that good Courtier Obadiah he feareâ— the Lord from his youth It was the Glory of Josiah that while he was yeâ— young he began to seek after the God oâ— David his father 2