CHAP. III. Containeth a sharp reproof of those who devote their Flower and Prime to the service of Satan and their sinful lusts and reserve their decayed strength for God Use 1. IS it a duty incumbent upon all Young Men to consecrate themselves to the service of God then such are to be reproved who devote their Flower and Prime to the service of Satan and their sinful lusts and reserve their decayed strength for God and his service accounting the very dregs and refuse of all to be good enough for him for whom the best and principal is not worthy Under the Law they were forbidden to offer any thing unto the Lord that had a blemish or that were lame and blind Lev. 3. 1. 22. 18 19 20. and Deut. 15. 21. And for transgressing this Law the Lord reprehended his people by the Prophet Malachy 1. 8. If ye offer the blind for Sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Offer it now to thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts Was the Lord greatly offended when as men reserved the best of the Flocks to themselves and offered the old the blind and the lame unto him And will he be well pleased that thou shouldst dedicate thy best unto Satan and reserve for him only thy decrepit lame and withered age when as thy body is full of diseases and thy mind of infirmities Will God accept the Devils leavings Shall sin have thy blood and thy spirits and thy marrow and thy God be put off with skin and bones He that hath had the best may even take all God will laugh at thee in thy Evening who laugh'st at him in the Morning of thy days Is it not extream folly while the Ship is sound the Tackling good the Marriners hail and strong to lie playing and sporting at Road and when the Ship is crazy the Tackling weak and rotten the Marriners sick then to hoyse up sail for a Voyage into a far Country And how wise a man art thou who wilt delay the Voyage for Heaven till thy Vessel be broken and those Worms thy Lusts that have been bred in it have eaten it through and made it utterly useless We generally confess that our sins must be left and that God must be sought and served but we cannot accord of the time when to begin One saith he will begin when he hath served his Apprenticeship and is out of his time another when he is made Free and set up for himself another when he is Married another when he is Old Thus every one is apt to procrastinate The whole World almost are men for hereafter When must God be minded Hereafter When must these souls be looked to Hereafter When must these sins be sent packing Hereafter When we have served our selves of this World then we 'l be for the other World and when we have satisfied our Lusts then we will satisfie our Consciences and when we are unfit and unable for any thing else then we will follow God When we are scarce able to turn our wearied bones in our bed then will we think of turning to him Canst thou think God will accept thereof Believe it if thou canst Mark what the Prophet Malachy speaketh Chap. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and consecrateth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Who hath the Male of thy Flock whose is the First-born of thy strength Doth the Devil carry away that and must this corrupt thing this weak and weary and sickly time of thine age be the offering for God what thinkest thou will he say to thee but cursed be the deceiver that hath in his Flock a Male and consecrateth unto the Lord a corrupt thing CHAP. IV. Containeth an Use of Exhortation unto all young men to offer unto God the First-fruits of their lives Use 2. OF Exhortation unto all Young Men to offer unto God the First-fruits of their lives to give themselves to him betimes and forthwith to have done with the service of their sins and in earnest to betake themselves to holiness and righteousness of life Though the Devil the World and the Flesh have been aforehand with Christ and have gotten possession of thine heart yet now without further delay give a Bill of Divorce to them all cast out the Bond-woman and her Children and open unto Jesus Christ who stands knocking at the door of thine heart for entrance who by the admonitions of his Ministers the motions of his Spirit and checks of thine own Conscience doth call out unto thee Open to me I pray thee let me come in Oh let not thy love to thy Lust so far prevail with thee as to put off Christ to another time but this day open to him imbrace him for thy Prince and Saviour resign up thy self unto him to serve and obey him before thou art too far ingaged in the service of sin and Satan say with David That God shall be thy God and thou wilt seek him early Psal. 63. 1. Even now in the spring of thy life while the day of health and the day of Grace hath dawned upon thee Consider O Young Man how unfit old age is either to grapple with thy Lusts or thy duties to resist the tyranny of sin or to bear the difficulties of Religion We find by experience that the soul acting by and through the body acts according to the disposition thereof When the body is dull and heavy through age or infirmity the soul acts thereafter Is thy dulness and coldness all that thou wilt spare to the God of thy spirits How will he take it at thy hands when the Devil hath rode thee off thy legs and so lamed and cripled thee that now thou canst do no more then thou wilt be for God think how well this will please thy Maker Ye shall not see my face said Ioseph to his Brethren except you bring your younger Brother with you Gen. 43. 2. And how canst thou look to behold the face of the Lord Jesus with comfort if thou bring not unto him thy Youth and strength Now therefore O Young Man in the morning of thy life while the faculties of thy soul and parts of thy body are fresh and quick set thy face Heaven-ward especially considering how great thy work as a Christian is like to be even greater than thou canst dispatch in an Age. Those evil customs and habits which have been long growing cannot easily be cut off Those strong corruptions which have taken root in thine heart cannot readily be removed That knowledge grace peace comfort and assurance which thou needest cannot be attained without great labour and industry The work of Religion requires time it concerns thee to set upon it presently and not to be so very a Fool as to say It 's time enough yet Though thou hast foolishly mis-spent so much of thy Oyl already in
before old age seiseth on thee which will be full of pains and sorrows so that thou canst take no delight in any thing neither canst thou find any desire or strength for service Here the dayes of old age are called evil because men are then subject to manifold infirmities and afflictions as if he had said seeing the Elder dayes are like to be evil dayes full of pains and griefs be sure thou do not add thereunto the bitterness of thy youthful lusts and pleasures and the butthen of those duties which should have been the business of thy youth Shall the sins and the works of an whole age be laid upon thiâ—…e aged Shoulders what an intolerable burthen will that be to thee who wilt find it hard enough for thee to bear up under thy diseases and infirmities Be doing rather now in the dayes of thy youth lay up against the time to come be aforehand with thy necessary work get to be rich in greace abundant in good works serving the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of thy life which may comfort thine heart against the evils of thine old age that so it may not be unto thee an evil but as it was to Abraham a good old age Gen. 25. 8. The drift of the Wise man in these words is to stir up young men to consecrate their youth and younger years especially to the remembring and serving of God because old age being full of weaknesses and infirmities is very unfit then to begin to serve God or to mind the great work of Repentance and Reformation CHAP. II. Containeth the grand proposition with the Reasons thereof FRom the drift and scope of Solomon in these words may be raised this point of Doctrine Doct. It is a duty incumbent upon all young men to consecrate the prime and strength of their dayes to the service of God So to remember God as to devote themselvs to him This was Typified under the Law where the Lord required the first-fruits to be dedicated unto him the first-born to be sanctified unto him and the young Bullocks and Lambs to be offered in Sacrifice unto him Which was written for our learning to teach and instruct us to offer unto God the service of our youth as well as of our old age And is it not most equal that as the first-fruits of other things so the first-fruits of man of his ripened understanding and affections should be given unto God Was the Lord greatly offended when as men reserved the best of the flock to themselves and offered the old the blind and the lame unto him And will he be well-pleased that we devote our youth and younger years to the service of Satan and the satisfying our own lusts and reserve for him only our decrepit old age This is likewise commended to us in the example of divers young men recorded in Scripture We read of Isaac that while he was young he accustomed himself to prayer and meditation Gen. 24. 63. Of Iosiah that when he was eight years old he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord And in the eighth year of his reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father 2 Chron. 34. 1 3. Of Obadiah that he feared the Lord from his youth 1 King 18. 12. And of Timothy that from a Child he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3. 15. If any shall ask wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way Surely by following the example of such rare young men as these were The Reasons of the point Reas. 1. Youth is the fittest time that can he given unto God as being the Spring time and excellentest part of thy life In the grave there is no serving God in thine old age it is bad serving him by reason of the manifold weaknesses and infirmities which do accompany the same therefore thy Youth must needs be the fittest time for his service For 1. Youth is most active and vigorous quick and lively being not at all clogged with the infirmities of age Then is thy body strongest thy wit sharpest and thy memory most capable and retentive How unworthy then is it for thee to Sacrifice thy youth to Bacchus and Venus to ungodly sensuality and luxury and at last to lay thine old bones upon Gods Altar O what Pity is it that the Devil the world and the flesh should have thy cream and flour And how shameful that God to whom thy whole life is due should have only thy bran and dreggs 2. Youth is the time of strength and the service of God being no easie work calls for thine utmost strength the strength of thy body as well as the strength of thy mind Our Saviour requires strive to enter in at the strait gate The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a striving with our utmost skill strength and activity as wrestlers do for mastery And saith the Apostle work out your salvation where the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to work with the greatest industry Old men whose strength is wasted are like to make but poor wrestlers and as poor workers And therefore what fitter time can there be in earnest to set upon the difficulties of Religion and Godliness and the mighty and weighty works thereof than in the strength of our days Reas. 2. The service of thy Youth is the most acceptable service unto God When Abraham manifested his willingness to sacrifice his young Son Isaac upon the Command of God oh how kindly did the Lord take it and thereupon promised yea swore unto him saying Because thou hast done this thing that in blessing I will bless thee Gen. 22. 16. In like manner if thou shalt consecrate thy younger years unto God which is as it were to sacrifice thy Isaac he will take it kindly at thy hands and thou shalt be remembred with a blessing in thine age for with such sacrifices God is well pleased When our Saviour heard the rich man in the Gospel say All these Commandments have I kept from my Youth the Evangelist noâ—…eth that beholding him he loved him to shew possibly how he loveth the service of young men how pleasing and acceptable it is to him And it is questionable whether God who calls for the first fruits of thy life if thou deny him that will accept the gleanings of thine age Reas. 3. Another reason may be taken from the momentary shortness and muâ—…able uncertainty of thy life So short it is that the whole of it from first to last is little enough for thy necessary work To get an interest in Christ to mortifie thy Lusts to furnish thy self with Grace to fill up thy fruits of righteousness and thereby to make sure to thy self a bet-ter life believe it these are not the works of a few days or hours And so uncertain is thy life that thou hast no
and by tumbles down and the Wheel runs over him How often do rich men break and poor men get up in their rooms and then tumble down after them and give place to him that comes next To day thou hast an Estate but who can tell what thou mayst have to morrow Such an uncertain World this is and at such uncertainties are the things thereof and there 's no preventing it It 's good to be sure of something Since Earth can never be made sure thou art the more concerned to make sure of Heaven To have all at uncertainties both here and hereafter this is such a misery as every one that is wise will do what he can to prevent 2. If things Eternal be made sure it 's no great matter though things Temporal be at the greatest uncertainties This world is uncertain a world of changes of disappointments vexations and all kinds of troubles Why let it be so so Heaven be sure no matter for all these lower uncertainties Young Man thou art going forth into the world how thou mayst prosper in it notwithstanding all thy skill and care God only knows who can tell what crosses thou mayst meet with in thy very entrance that may dash all thy hopes And if thou hast never so fair and hopeful a beginning yet who knows what may be thy lot before the end of thy day Why now wouldst thou get above all casualties and crosses and at once be a Conquerour of all the World Wouldst thou have thy quiet and contentment out of the reach of Winds and Storms and be able to live chearfully in every condition make Heaven sure and 't is done Thou mayst then hoise up thy Sails commit thy self to the Wind and Seas make on thy Voyage and never be appall'd at the Storms on the way whilest thou hast this assurance thou shalt come safe to Harbour and not an hair of thy head perish Thus have you dear Youths the desires and breathings of my Soul after your happiness here and blessedness hereafter expressed in some useful directions suitable to your present state and condition shewing you how to deport and carry your selves both in your General and Particular Calling so that you may please God in all things here and live with him in everlasting blessedness Now my hearty request to you is that you will not content your selves with a bare reading of them but resolve with the assistance of Gods Grace to enter upon the real practice of them And oh that the Lord who alone teacheth to profit would please so to set them home upon your hearts that they may tend to your spiritual good here and eternal salvation hereafter O Young Men you are now Flowers in the Bloom you are those First-fruits which should be offered to the Lord Oh that now you would consecrate your selves unto God and his service Oh that while you are Young you would with Isaac give your selves to Prayer and Meditation and with Samuel serve the Lord from your Youths and with young Solomon study to know and serve the God of your Fathers and with Obadiah fear the Lord from your Youths and with young Iosiah do that which is right in the sight of the Lord And to these ends with Timothy from your Youth addict your selves to the reading of the Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto Salvation Oh that you would set these mens lives as Copies for your imitation giving up your selves intirely and unfeignedly to the Lord in a truly gracious life O Young Men you are now in your preparations for Eternity and therefore had need to be very watchful over your selves to see that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil Ephes. 5. 15. Little do you consider how much dependeth upon this moment of time which God for the present is pleased to vouchsafe unto you even no less than the whole weight of Eternity Upon your well or ill improving of your time and Talents here depends your everlasting condition that Estate which is to be for ever and ever Oh what folly and madness then must it needs be in you to suffer your Lusts or wicked Companions to steal away this Jewel your precious time which is more worth than all the world Oh that for the future you would so live every day as those that live for Eternity It is sadly evident that too too many losing their first and tender years in conclusion lose their Souls also O Dear Youths Behold the Arms of Free Grace are yet open to imbrace you if now you will abandon your Youthful Lusts and cordially turn unto God who is willing to forgive yea willing to forget all former misâ—…arriages upon the reforming your lives Turn ye turn ye therefore from your evil ways for why will ye die Ezek. 33. 11. In this small Treatise I have set before you Life and Death Heaven and Hell Happiness and Misery Know assuredly that as you chuse now so shall you speed hereafter Oh then for the Lord Christ's sake and for the sake of your poor Souls chuse that good part which shall never be taken from you walk in the path which leadeth to life and happiness that you may not perish and be tormented with the Devils in hell fire to all Eternity And now my Friend I bid thee farewel Take these words along with thee let them ever be before thine eyes and upon thine heart and then go on thy way Good Counsel be with thee that thou mayst guide thine affairs with discretion and good success be upon thee that thou mayst eat the fruit of thy good doings I wish first that thy Soul may prosper and then I also wish that thy Body may prosper and thy Family may prosper and thy Estate may prosper as thy Soul prospereth The Lord be with thee in all that thou settest thine hand unto The Almighty bless thee let his blessing be upon thy labours let his blessing be upon all thy substance let him help thee in thy work and increase thy store let his Sun shine upon thy Tabernacle and let the light of his Countenance make glad thine heart let him guide thee with his eye hold thee in his hands carry thee in his bosom till he hath lodged thee safe in the Everlasting Rest. Amen FINIS
is pleasing unto God 3. There is that delight in the ways of godliness as upholds the heart of a Christian under all the losses crosses and 〈◊〉 he meets withal in this world and which will yield him abundance of comfort upon his Death-bed What was that which comforted King Hezekiah when he lay under the apprehension of death but the testimony of his Conscience that he had walked with much sincerity in the ways of godliness Isa. 38. 3. By all which it appeareth that godliness doth not deprive men of all joy and delight but rather the more godly any are the more joyful at least the better right and title they have thereunto whereupon saith one Wouldst thou live chearfully then live godly The which should be an incouragement unto all Young Men who are yet unresolved speedily without any further delay to consecrate their Youth and younger years unto God and his service betimes to walk in the ways of godliness that so their lives may be the more comfortable and joyful If the Lord shall be pleased to incline any of your hearts thereunto you will have cause to bless God for it not only so long as you live here but even to all Eternity in the highest Heavens For by devoting your selves to God and his service betimes even from your Youth many sins will be prevented which otherwise will be committed by you much more good will be done by you and much greater will be your glory hereafter 5. Obj. I have time enough before me and therefore may for a while longer allow my self my liberty Hereafter may be time enough to turn from my sins unto God and to mind the eternal welfare of my Soul A. 1. Consider as the shortness so the uncertainty of thy life How many have we known in our own experience who when they have promised themselves life for many years have then been suddenly taken away Thou who sayest thou hast time enough before thee canst thou upon good ground assure thy self of another day If not what folly yea what madness must it needs be to live one day longer in such a condition in which if thou shouldst die thou art miserably undone to all Eternity True it is God hath promised pardon and forgiveness to such as in truth and sincerity turn from their sins unto him but he hath not promised the morrow to him that deferreth If thou sayest though I am not sure to live another day yet I am likely being in good health and strength I answer Peradventure thou mayest live another day But what man in his right senses would put his Everlasting Salvation upon a Peradventure Peradvenâ—… thou mayest die the next day even whilst thou art 〈◊〉 in sensual pleasures and delights and then 〈◊〉 sad is thy case like to be to all Eternity The possiâ—… of a sudden and unexpected death should meâ—… be an effectual argument to perswade every man speedily without farther delay to reform and amend his life The Merchant having a fair Wind will not defer to hoise up sail saying we have time enough because it is possible the Wind may turn and he lose his opportunity The Husbandman having a fair day will not defer the carrying home his Corn when it is fit to take it in because it is possible the next day may prove 〈◊〉 In all cases about our worldly affairs a possibility of danger hath the force of an argument for present care And why should it not as well awaken our Souls to a speedy amendment of our ways 2. Thou who still delayest to hearken unto the Call of God in the Ministery of the Word woing and beseeching thee speedily to abandon thy sins and to walk in the ways of holiness know assuredly that he will not always wait on thee his patience will not ever attend thee As there is a time of Grace in which the Gate of Mercy stands open so there is a time of Judgment in which this Gate will be shut and aâ—…l possibility of entry taken away Psal. 32. 6. David speaketh of a time in which God may be found which implieth that there is a time in which God will not be found Though thou cryest out against thy sins and cryest unto God for mercy yet will he not hear thee but turn a deaf ear to all thy prayers So the Lord threatneth Prov. 1. 24 25. Because I have called you to amendment and reformation and ye refused to hearken unto me But have set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproofs I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me but they shall not find me For the Lord usually punisheth the slighting of his Grace in our younger years with the denying of it in our elder Hence it is that the Apostle S. Paul so much presseth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very now Behold saith he NOW is the accepted time NOW is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. The time present is the only time the time to come is no time but a matter of meer uncertainty And therefore saith he Heb. 3. 7. To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to day signifieth the time present and implieth that the present opportunity of Gods offering Grace ought to be imbraced thou must hearken unto him now that he calleth upon thee in the Ministery of his Word and motions of his Spirit to give over thy sinning Trade and give up thy self unto him and his service Now that God hangs forth the White Flag of Mercy and is willing to be gracious to thee Now that Christ is woing and beseeching thee to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self upon him to own him for thy Lord and Saviour Now that the Spirit of God is striving with thee surely it will be thy wisdom speedily to turn from thy sins unto him If thou put him off till hereafter and thereby quench the motions of his Spirit how justly may he for ever reject thee 3. Thou who upon a pretence of having time enough before thee dost procrastinate and delay to look after God and Heaven consider as the weightiness so the multitude of works to be done by thee in order to thy Salvation Hast thou not a dead Soul to be quickned a dark understanding to be enlightned with the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ an hard heart to be softned a proud heart to be humbled an unclean heart to be purified and cleansed a multitude of head-strong lusts to be mortified and subdued manifold temptations to be resisted and conquered Hast thou all these and many more things to do in reference to thy future happiness and yet wilt thou trifle away thy precious time in vanity and pleasure yea in sin and wickedness saying thou hast time enough before thee Know that the forementioned
the unjust that he might bring us to God But God is angry with thee thou art a guilty Creature and by thy sins hast fallen under his wrath and displeasure how wilt thou do for that why I 'le trust Christ for that he shall be my Propitiation he shall make peace for me and he will do so 1 Iohn 2. 2. O but thou art an unclean and polluted Creature and there 's no unclean thing can enter into that holy Land How wilt thou do for that I 'le trust Christ for that also he shall be my Sanctification and he will be so 1 Cor. 1. 30. 3. Faith comprehends under it the resigning up our selves to the government and guidance of the truth of God our actual living under the power of truth not only our holding the truth but our suffering the truth to take hold of us to rule us and order us in our whole course 'T is the same state that both are in both those that believe not the truth and those that obey not the truth Faith is not only a resting on Christ as our Saviour but a resigning our selves to him as our Lord and King Thou sayst thou dost believe the Gospel but wilt thou obey the Gospel hath it gotten the command and government of thee Is thy life a life of obedience to the Faith If Sin and the Devil have still the Government of thee and thou livest under the power of thy flesh it will no way avail thee to say I believe in Christ. But of this more in the next particular 2. Conversion is our return from our enmity and rebellion against God into friendship and obedience to God our coming in and laying down Arms the ungodly world are all in Arms against God they are Rebels against the Almighty their word is the same with those Heathens words Psal. 2. 3. Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us The root of this rebellion is that enmity that is in their hearts against God Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God Sinners are enemies against the Being of God they would be glad if there were no God none above them to restrain or punish them The Fool that said in his heart there is no God Psal. 14. 1. how glad would that Fool be if he were sure his heart had said true if he were sure there were no God indeed They are enemies against the Soveraignty of God against his Rule and Government they all say in their hearts concerning the Father as those Iews said concerning the Son We will not have him to reign over us they are enemies to all the holy ways of God Col. 1. 21. Now in Conversion the enmity is slain and thereby the rebellion subdued You who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works hath he now reconciled Col. 1. 21. A sincere Convert is a Soul reconciled Reconciliation between God and Man is of both parties The reconciliation of Man to God stands in a cessation from enmity a subduing of his rebellion and his returning into friendship and allegiance Sinners love not God nor any thing that belongs to God their enmity is against him and all his against his Word Worship and all his ways they love neither his Laws nor his Promises neither his works nor his ways God promises and rewards with spiritual and eternal blessings but what is this to a carnal mind he must have money meat and drink and fine Cloaths and pleasures these Locusts he likes but loaths Gods Manna A Convert is so reconciled to God that he loves and likes all that is of God he likes his Crown and his Cross his comforts and his commands all that God gives and whatever he requires he loves to be and to do whatever God will have him a strict holy and obedient life a life of care and labour in all things to please the Lord that 's a life he loves not only the life he commends and praises in others but 't is the life he loves to live There are many that are no Converts that come thus far to be able to say for my part I have nothing to say against Godliness I think well of it 't is an honest way and the safest way I wish well to the power of Religion 't were well if there were more of it found in the world I but as much as thou speakest for it and as well as thou lovest it thou wilt have but little to do with it thy self thou lovest strictness but thou wilt not be strict thy self thou praisest the close and laborious Christian but canst not bear nor endure that labour and care thy self Is this thy reconciliation to God Mistake not thy self every sincere Convert is so reconciled to all the ways of God that these are the ways this is the life which he chuses for himself A life of obedience to the whole will of God this is the life he loves and lives By what hath been said thou mayst understand what Conversion is and so what it is I am now exhorting thee to II. I shall now press thee to be Converted and turn to the Lord. And shall I need to use Arguments to perswade thee I doubt there may be need enough How hardly are sinners perswaded in to God they will after the Devil easily enough but how few are they with whom all the Arguments imaginable will prevail to bring them to God CHAP. VII Containing two main Arguments to Conversion I Shall make use of two great Arguments in this matter 1. Thy Necessity 2. Thy Commodity 1. Thy necessity methinks should prevail with thee A necessity is laid upon thee to turn to the Lord and wo to thee if thou turn not thou must turn or die Matth. 18. 9 Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Necessity is a mighty Argument to perswade to any thing What is there but necessity will perswade men to Sinners will make use of this argument to perswade themselves to and to excuse and justifie themselves in any wickedness We shall hear them sometimes saying If I have stollen it was for my necessity If I have lyed or sworn falsly it was upon necessity I was forced upon it And when they have said this 't was my necessity that brought me to it they think they have said enough to justifie themselves This argument of Necessity hath great place in the present Case it is of necessity that thou be converted For 1. It 's necessary that thou live that thou secure thine own being and the blessedness thereof that thy soul be so looked to that it be not left to die and perish for ever This is of the highest necessity for every man to look to it that he go not down into the infernal pit It is not necessary to be rich in this world to have great houses and fine cloathes and costly fare and many Friends to be in health to live in
spare from thy particular Calling in renewing thy peace with God in clearing up thine Interest in Christ and making thy Calling and Election sure I deny not but Recreations are lawful and may be used provided 1. That they be such as are not forbidden either by the Law of God or Law of Man For the pleasing of our selves in any of those must needs be displeasing unto God 2. That they be used moderately not spending too much time in them nor taking too much pains about them for thereby you will rather be disabled for the discharge of the duties of your Calling than fitted thereunto which crosseth the main end of Recreations The Mowers whet is counted no let but rather a furtherance of his work But if he spend the whole day or half a day in whetting he spoils his Sythe and hinders his work Now our Recreations ought to be as whetting to the Mower wherein no more time must be spent than doth conduce to the better fitting us for the duties of our general and particular Calling But contrariwise how do the greater part of Young Men either accustom themselves to unlawful Recreations sporting themselves in sin and wickedness or else abuse their lawful Recreations by lavishing away much of their precious time therein making a Vocation of their Recreation as if their work were to play and their pastimes were the very Trade to which they had served an Apprenticeship and idleness were the business of their lives Ah Young Men is your peace yet to be made with God the pardon of your sins yet to be obtained your Salvation yet to be wrought out And is the time allotted for these things both short and uncertain and yet do ye squander it away in sports and pastimes Doth your everlasting happiness and misery depend upon your well or ill improving of your time here and can you so prodigally lavish it out in sensual pleasures and delights O that men indowed with reason should be so foolish and unwise as to hazard the eternal welfare of their precious Souls for a few pleasing vanities which last but for a moment It was the sad expression of Lysimachus who had lost his Kingdom for one draught of water For what a short pleasure have I made my self a Bondslave for ever Oh the folly and madness that possesseth the hearts of many Young Men to throw away their time upon their Lusts and pleasures as that which is nothing worth which hereafter if they had it they would give a whole world to redeem it but cannot obtain Do you lack Pass-time Sports to pass away the time company to pass away the time Why man is all thy work done that thy time now lies upon thy hands Look to it thou mayst hereafter beg for an hour one hour to pray in one hour to repent in which now thou meerly triflest and playest away O what a precious commodity would time be in Hell One day of Grace one day to repent in what a joy would it be to the damned Souls but then it will be too late it 's gone and will not be recall'd for ever The more to restrain you from all excesses in your sports and pastimes let me propound a few considerations 1. Consider the shortness and uncertainty of that time which is allotted to thee here for the doing of all that is to be done for Eternity Thy life here is but for a moment in comparison of that which follows after yet upon this moment depends thine Eternal state Thou art in this World but a Probationer for the other World Look as thou behavest thy self here either in well improving thy Time and Talent to the glory of God or in mis-spending it in fruitless sports and recreations and in satisfying thy carnal Lusts accordingly will be thy state and condition hereafter to all Eternity O Young man what a folly then must it needs be to deprive thy self of that fulness of joy which is at Gods right hand to all Eternity for the enjoyment of a few pleasures here which last but for a moment 2. Consider that the time here spent in vanity and pleasure will yield thee little comfort on thy death-bed What was it wherewith Hezekiah comforted himself on his supposed death-bed Not with calling to mind his former glory pleasures and delights but his serving God in integrity and uprightness of heart Isa. 38. 1. Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart and have done that which is good in thy sight This was that which then yielded hiâ—… much peace and comfort Go O Young man to the bed-side of a dying man and mind him both of his Worldly vanities with which in times past he was delighted as also of all those duties of piety and works of righteousness which he hath performed in the whole course of his life And then ask him in which he doth now take most comfort and delight and you shall find that he will be confounded with shame to think of the former and exceedingly rejoyce with the remembrance of the latter 3. Consider how thou must be called to an account at that last and dreadful day of Iudgement as for thy other sins so for thy mispent time for the many precious hours thou hast vainly spent in sports and pastimes Thou maist now make light of spending thy precious time in vanity and pleasure in satisfying thy carnal Lusts thinking never to hear of them again But assure thy self there is a day coming how near thou knowest not when thou must give account unto God of all thy merry meetings yea of every hour spent in worldly pleasures and delights Now O Young man think with thy self how sad the case will be when thou shalt recollect how many dayes thou hast spent in sports and Recreations and how few in fasting and humiliation How many hours thou hast spent in Carding and Diceing in Drinking and Tipling and how few in Reading Hearing Praying and the like CHAP. XXIV Of Moderation in seeking after Riches III. BE Moderate in the pursuit of worldly things in seeking after riches that thou maist not be drowned in the cares of them Joh 6. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life Where by Meat our Saviour meaneth all things which this world affordeth for the use of man one kind being by a Synecdoche put for all other kinds And by labouring he meaneth an inordinate and immoderate endeavour after the things of this World For the word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to endeavour after things with the greatest earnestness pain and diligence So that our Saviour doth not simply forbid the labouring for earthly things but 1. The inordinate intention of the mind of him that laboureth when it is filled with zeal for and with carking distrustful thoughts about these earthly things Oh the carnal distrust of many Worldlings who think they shall never have