the Name of Christ might pass for true Christians the number would be great but if no more must be accounted true Christians than such as are born again and all old things are done away and all things become new being dead to sin who once were dead in sin c. O then the number is but small It 's amazing to me that strange blindness and heavy judgment that is fallen upon thousands of titular Christians at this day they will severely condemn a Man that he is no good Christian that doth not profess his Faith in Christ and come to Church and the like and yet will hug themselves with this that they are good Protestants and Christians althe ' they will make nothing of omission of Closet and Family-Prayer they will many of them swear and curse and live in Rioting and Drunkenness yet if they but come to Church c. all is well It were impossible to reckon up here the thousands of ways how Satan aâ—d Sin blind poor Sinners in the Christian World to their everlasting destruction Now â—en O young Man consult not with flesh â—â—d blood it may be there are many about â—ee carnal Friends and Neighbors that â—â—ve no fear of God and these are seeking to â—â—w you off O remember this advice â—â—t it 's infinitely better to be saved with a â—â— than be damn'd with a multitude 2. Consider ill Company whereunto â—â—uth is exceedingly prone is a Self-destroyâ—â—â— Evil nothing more emboldens Sinners â— wickedness A company of wanton loose â—â—ths met together is like a Pest-house for â—ection they do a world of mischief in â—milies Churches Kingdoms here it is â—t so many of England's London's Youth â—train'd up for Hell they soon ascend the â—â—t of the Scorner and so are quickly ripe â— a Descent down to Hell Here they sowe â—ows under one anothers Elbows and stuâ—usly argue one another to damnation â—â— they let flie against Religion deriding â— Godliness jeering at others saying What â— grow precise You turn Fool Thus as â—â—od sought the death of Christ and deâ—oyed the young Babes in Bethlehem so â—e seek the destruction of any hopeful â—â—nings and good motions that are at any â—â— found in persons of tender years And â—â— to be lamented exceedingly the sad Sucâ—â— this hath had in this City O the innumerable Tears and Groans of godly Parents that this hath cost And after all no recovery of their prodigal Children out of this Snare of the Devil 's ill Company The Lord be merciful to us and convince the Youth into whose hands this Book shall fall of this Nation of this City of the truth of this and cause them to keep at the utmost distance from this Pit of destruction It is upon this account that wise Solomon so frequently calls upon the young Man Noâ— to come near the borders of this temptation not to pass on that side of the way or near the threshold of the house where this bait is laid O young Man be watchful of your Company the greatest danger is when you are among vain and carnal Friends and Acquaintance these are the great Impedimentâ— in your way to Heaven In all probability many had been converted if they had associated with gracious persons The Man after God's own heart begins his first Psalm with Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the company of the ungodly O it 's an excellenâ— means to the saving of Souls to be there where there is continual helps to Conversion and Holiness as Prayers and heavenly Instructions and godly Examples whereas among the ungodly there are continual temptations to Sin wicked Society is the Devil's Boat wherein he ferrieth over multitudes to Hell O young Man as you would not be gathered with the ungodly at â—â—st take heed of joining with them now It â—as the Prayer of a godly Person under â—ouble on a dying Bed O Lord let me not â—â— to Hell where the wicked are for Lord â—â—ou knowest I never loved their Company here O it 's a Soul-destroying Evil to keep comâ—any with those whose nearness will set me â—â—ther off from God to be there where Worldliness Prophaneness and Wantonness â—nd Sensuality reign what is this but the â—ery Suburbs of Hell And then 3. Consider what an Honour and Commendation it is to resist Temptation while â—ou are Young and the sollicitations of vain â—ersons are strong O then to flee their enâ—â—cements how excellent and laudable is it â—â— was Lot's unhappiness to dwell in Sodom â—ut it was high honour to be righteous there â—â— shewed saith an ingenious Writer that â—â— holiness was of a strong complexion to retain â—â— healthfulness in so corrupt an Air. It 's a â—reat Sin to be bad among the good but it is â—â— high Honour to be good among the bad O remember Young Man how well God â—akes it when evil Company do strongly and â—iolently draw and entice thee to the service â—f the Devil the Flesh and the World then â—o break through all those hellish importuniâ—â—es as Joseph did and cleave to the Lord with â—o invincible and holy resolution See the honour of this in that sacred and sweet portion of Scripture 2 Cor. 6. 14. to the end I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father to you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty If therefore you flee and withdraw from evil Company you shall be honoured with God's Company and Acquaintance and what can you desire more See how David triumpheth in this Priviledge Psal 23. 4. Tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill why because thou art with me Hence Isa 43. 2. When thou passest through the water I will be with thee fear not drowning When flesh and heart faileth God will never 4. Consider That yielding to the enticements of the ungodly and joining with them is not only a foul Sin but a fearful sign of a graceless person for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Now this Argument should mightily move you to abhor and flee the company of the wicked as you would a house marked out for the Plague It was the saying of an Heathen That Company is of an assimulating naâ—ure Seest thou a Person choosing commuâ—ion with one that is carnal that liveth after the flesh c. You may be sure that that Man is so too for as Face answereth to Face so do Mens Hearts and Lives to one another after their kind They that are afâ—er the Spirit do all savour and chuse a spiâ—itual Conversation so they that are
be as Wool Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean â—â— when shall it once be Thus having cleared what lay in our way as matter of Objection and discouragement touching the means of Conversion on our part I shall proceed to consider more particularly those instituted means of Conversion and then shew you how your Lusts oppose those means and thereby hinder your Conversion For the Means I shall begin with that of Consideration and that because I find the Holy Ghost in Scripture beginning here with unconverted Sinners commanding and commending this as an excellent means of Conversion in the 1 Kings 8. 47. If they shall bethink themselves and repent then hear thou their Prayer c. where you see plainly that retiring into our own hearts by serious thoughtfulness and consideration is a singular means to Repentance and Conversion Again in Hag. 1. 5. Now therefore thus saith the Lord Consider your ways Psal 119. 59. I thought on my ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies He first considered and then he converted So the prodigal Son came first to himself by consideration and then he came home to his Father by sound Conversion Luke 15. 17. Here the Lord complains of that People's impenitence in Jer. 8. 6. No man repented him And in the next words relateth the Cause of it to be want of consideration No man said What have I done O would but young men retire from the Noise and foolish Vanities of this world and allow their Souls leisure for the serious exercise of this important Duty to consider their sinful and woful estate by Nature in what posture they stand God-wards with their apostate Natures and how the Wrath of God that is revealed from Heaven against all Unrighteousness this wrath abideth on them every moment during their unconverted state and how fearful a thing it is to carry ones doom in ones own bosom to go up and down the world in a state of enmity to the most high Jehovah under his Curâ—e and Wrath as they most certainly do iâ— their state of Nature and there to consider of their manifold Omissions and Commissions how many thousand ways they have offended God how many checks of Conscience they have stifled what Motions of the Spirit they have resisted what preciouâ— seasons of Grace they have neglected whaâ— Light Love Mercies Engagements Vowâ— they have sinned against what pains they have taken to satisfie their Lusts stopping their Ears at the holy Instructions Counsels Exhortations intreaties of Parents Ministers what estrangedness and separation theiâ— Sins have made between God and their Souls and then to consider how short their time oâ— Earth will be how sure it is that their youthful Sins will sooner or later find them out â— how certain that God will bring them â—â— Judgment for all thy Pleasures in the Flesh all thy Thoughts Words and Deeds Thuâ— I say would but young men take time â—â— commune with their own Souls about theâ—â— tremendous matters it would surely awakeâ— and call them to fear and enquire What mâ—â—â— I do to be saved And so prepare them foâ— that other Head of Consideration nameâ—â— the rich soveraign and free Grace of God in Christ laid open in the Gospel how God hath so loved the World as to give his only Son to dye for us when enemies that whosoever believeth and repenteth shall not perish but have everlasting Life how able and willing Christ is to save and receive all heavy laden weary Souls that see themselves lost and â—aste the bitterness and feel the burden of their Sin that come to him how lovingly he invites all such to come to him and assureth them of a gracious reception and a full remission of all their Sins and eternal Salvation c. and that it is not all the aggravations of their Sins however they have been multiplied and commited against the Light of Natural Conscience or the Light of Supernatural Grace revealed in the Scriptures that shall be an impediment or bar to their acceptance and pardon upon their return If the Wicked forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous man his Thoughts and turn unto the Lord he will have mercy and to our God and he will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. or multiply to pardon Again there is nothing but an unbelieving impenitent Heart resisting this Grace can or shall ever deprive you of so great Salvation as is offered to you in the Gospel and tho' you have refused in past seasons when he hath called yet for all that he won't refuse you If you flee from your lusts to him the only refuge for lost Souls the match shall not break on his part and if you perish and miss Salvation at last it shall not be long of him So that this is undeniable viz. that Consideration on our part is a most fit and apposite means of Conversion I have some time read of a Religious Father that had rebellious wicked Son that was a great grieâ— to him when the Father was on his deaâ—â— bed he called his Son to him and laid hiâ— under a solemn engagement and promise That he would every day retire alone aâ—â— spend one quarter of an Hour in seriouâ— thinking After the pious Father was deaâ— the wild Son began to consider of his promise to his Father and accordingly once day retires at first he began to think of thâ— Honours and Pleasures of this World buâ— after a while he began to consider what hâ—â— Father's design was in obliging him theâ— once a day to retiredness and thoughtfulness and then he began to call to mind his Sinâ— and wicked Life that he had lived and thâ— good Spirit of God concurring with thosâ— thoughts he became a new man So thaâ— Consideration is a means of Conversion Now I come in the next place to shew yoâ— how youthful lusts directly oppose this meaâ— of Conversion and that will appear it yoâ— consider the rage of these Lusts they wiâ—â— not give the judgment leave or leisure â—â— animadvert and consider they are impâ—ruous and tyrannical hurrying poor Siâ—ners Hell wards this is obvious to our oâ—servation every day how many young people do we see by one base pleasure or other always led captive from the time they awake in the Morning till they lie down at Night and never take time to consider or ask themselves What have I done What must I do to be saved Where must I abide for ever If a man rides through a Country full speed he can never draw a true Map of that Country If you â—oile and ruffle the Waters you can never see your face in them Thus if a Soul be hurried with its Lusts it can never retire and soberly debate matters in its own breast Consideration can find no place in such a Soul as Christ told the malicious Jews in the â— John 36 37. My words can find no place in â—ou because they were so enraged and blindâ—d with the
nor doors can bindeâ— his piercing Eye and what will it profit us to shun the Eye of man when the Eye of God is still upon us Methinks this consideration should change thy youthful froth and fury into a serious gravity and sobriety that God's Eye upon thee is never shut the most waking Eye among men is at times closed but the Lord never slumbereth nor sleepeth Psal 121. 4. It was excellent advice that a Rabbi gave to one of his young Pupils Three things saith he I would have thee remember all day long an Eye that sees thee an Ear that hears thee an Hand that regâ—sters all thy Actions So would I commend this to you young people to cure that natural Levity and Precipitancy that your age is so incident unto O remember and often repeat it to your self that God is in all places and not only without you but in your very Breasts and Bosom viewing all your vain Thoughts and Imaginations and all your vile Lusts and Inclinations So that if you have a mind to be merry and jolly for the space of an hour or two with that Mirth which the Wise Man calleth Madness I beseech you before you adventure upon it first try if you can find out such an hour wherein God's Eye is not on you and then you have my consent to take that hour for that mirth But sure I am no such hour can be found out And then 3. consider that this Eye of God that is thus holy pure observing and infinite is also an Eye of jealousie and justice If a Husband have a jealous Eye over a Wife or a Master over his Servant what a curb and bridle is it to restrain the one from filthiness and the other from falseness and if so how much more should the consideration of his Eye who hath stiled himself in the 20. Exod. 5. the Jealous God abate and tame the wild fierceness anâ— wantonness of Youth especially if yoâ— possess your Soul with the deep apprehensions that his Eye is an Eye of Justicâ— too that is to bring you to Judgment foâ— all your youthful Vanities and Follies Iâ— this sense the Prophet Jeremiah explainetâ— it Jer. 32. 19. Thine Eyes are upon all thâ— Ways of the Sons of men to give every oâ—â— according to his Ways and according to thâ— Fruit of his dâ—ings For God now observe you in order to bring forth all into the laâ— Judgment the serious thoughts of which made such deep impressions on the Heart â—â— Augustine that in his 8th Sermon concerning the coming of Christ to Judgment hâ— saith Ecce in quo periculo incessanter consideâ— c. Behold in what danger I stand continually though I do not continually thinâ— of it and the more wretched I that I caâ— forget it for God always seeth me and aâ—â— my Sins a strict sentence always awaiâ— me in this condition I am when I wake and when I sleep when I laugh and when I am sad when I am proud and passionate sic semper ubique thus I am always and every where O would but young people when they are in their brisk and careless moods with this holy man represent it to themselves that they are thus in the presence and under the Eye of God who hath appointed a day wherein he will judge both quâ—ck and dead surely it would create a trembling in them Wherefore in the close of this Rule let me present you with a collection of choice Scriptures that may be as a continual guide for youth to direct their Paths in the good Old way how they may be all the day long in the fear of the Lord and also that may be as an Angel with a drawn Sword in their evil ways to restrain their steps therein Job 13. 27. Thou lookest narrowly to all my Paths thou settest a print upon the Heels of my Feet Job 24. 21 22. For his Eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of Iniquity may hide themselves Job 31. 41. Doth he not see my Ways and count all my Steps Psal 11. 14. The Lord's Throne is in the Heavens his Eyes behold his Eye lids try the Children of men and the 139. Psalm throughout Prov. 5. 21. The ways of man are before the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the Eviâ— and the Good And in the 11. v. Hell anâ— Destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the Sons of men Jer. 23. 24. Can any man hide himself â—â— secret places that I shall not see him saiâ—â— the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Eartâ— saith the Lord Darkness hideth not froâ— him but the Night shineth as the Day And in the 27. vers I have seen thine Adulteries and thy Neighings wo unto thee wilt thou not â—â— made clean when shall it once be Heb. 4. â— But all things are naked and open unto â—â— Eyes of him with whom we have to do Thâ— you see what abundance of Scriptures theâ— are of this kind and there are multitude more tâ—nding to the same purpose sureâ—â— it intimates to us that we are not easiâ— perswaded of this truth that God is alwaâ— present with us and beholding of us suâ—â—ly the Lord would never urge this maâ—â— so often upon the Children of men â—â— that he knoweth how prone we are to quâ—stion it O there is a world of Arheism aâ— unbelief in our Heart about it Hence yâ—â—â—â—ad Psal 50. 22. Thou thoughtest I was such one as thy self Job 22. 13. How doth Gâ— know can he judge through the dark Cloâ—â— so Psal 64. 7. They say the Lord shall not sâ— And Ezek. 9. 9. The Lord hath for saken â—â— Earth he seeth not And they say to â—â— Almighty Depart from us c. O the hoâ—rible hellish Atheism that reigns in the hearts of thousands Else whence is it that a Servant shall be afraid of his Master's eye a Sinner of his Minister's a Child of his Father's and a man of his Child's eye and presence more than of the great Jehovah's O how many declare their Sin as Sodom neither are they ashamed I appeal to you can you believe that these consider that the most high God hath a piercing Eye to espy and a powerful Hand to punish the workers of Iniquity Would Achan have stole the Wedge of Gold or Gehazi took the Reward or Annanias and Saphira contrived and told the â—ye to the Apostle had they seen the Eye of God that saw them O young men durst you leave and neglect your sinful and miserable Souls to perish for ever at that rate you do did you but live always as in the presence of God and as under his all seeing jealous Eye Wherefore I beseech you practise this Rule if ever you would be delivered from a vain Spirit and Conversation I have been the
spake unto the Congregation of Israel in the case of Korah Dathan and Abaram saying Depart I pray you from the Tents of wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their Sins So I say to you young people flee your wicked lusts touch nothing of them lest you be consumed It was good counsel the Angel gave Lot Flee out of Sodom escape for thy Life look not behind thee lest thou be consumed in her Flames But it 's more merciful counsel to you to flee your youthful lusts inasmuch as it 's better the Body were swallowed up in the Earth or burnt to Ashes in Flames than that your Souls and Bodies should be swallowed up in Tophet and burnt in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone world without end as most certainly if you flee not your lusts they must be O young people if you stay with your lusts they will undo you Soul and Body for ever Who would not flee from Plague Fire Sword Famine c Alas your Lusts are worse than all these while you abide in them the Wrath of God abideth on you John 3. 36. its all being within the reach of the Wrath of God within the â—ail of his storm O what is it then to be just under it Amos 2. 14. How much more desireable were it to lie open to famine Pestilence Bloodsheds c. than to be exposed to the Storms and strokes of God's vengeance Oh what is there in your Lusts that should so bewitch you as to venture your eternal ruin and destruction for them and judge ye whether it be possible for any one of you to do any thing more directly to the ruin of himself tho' you should study for it seven years than to go on impenitently in the fulfilling thy Lusts That judgment that in it self is slow and your living in a course of Sin most certainly hasteneth its execution It 's true God may grant you further patience but you cannot promise your selves an hours patience you are not sure of being out of Hell one hour longer But if God should spare thee some years as is the Case proposed by Solomon in that of Eccles 8. 12. Tho' a Sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet what then shall it go well Oh no as it followeth surely it shall not go well with him The Iniquity of Ephraim saith the Lord is bound up Hos 13. 12. And in Psal 50. I held my peace saith God and thou thoughtest me such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sin in order before thee This is enough to make a Sinner's Loins to tremble to consider that in the day of God's patience while he continueth impenitent it is no other than a treasuring up wrath against the great and terrible day of wrath Oh! how many of our brisk and jovial Youngsters fancy they shall hear no more of their Vanities and Sensualities because God hath born with them iâ— their past Follies they conclude all 's over and done with But be it known to youâ— God hath as Job speaketh sealed up youâ— youthful Sins in a Bag against the day â—â— Judgment in which day God will reckoâ— with you for all even from the Sin thaâ— clave to you in your Mothers womb to the last Sin you commit in this World If yoâ— flie not your Lusts by Repentance there iâ— no flying Divine Vengeance If you adveâ—ture to cry Peace Peace behold swift aâ— sudden destruction is coming upon you according to the unalterable Law of the greaâ— God Psal 68. 21. But God shall wound thâ— head of his enemies and the hairy scalp â—â— every one that goeth on in his trespasses anâ— in Luke 19. 27. O the malign influence â—â— their Lusts there is no flying future wratâ— except you flie your present Lusts Future â—â— I say alas it 's in part come for God is as I to you angry every day and his wrath abâ—deth on you in the threathing every mâ—ment how soon execution may be who knoweth methinks it 's like a Maâ—â—factor's being upon the â—adder there waâ— nothing but turning off and he is goâ— Consider What a fearful thing it is to â— into the hands of a living God Hebr. 10. â— Then how glad would you be to flie out â— his hands if you could as you read â— Job 27. 22. yea how fain would such flee to the Rocks Mountains Hills and there be glad if they would but fall upon them to cover and hide them from the wrath of a Sin-revenging God Rev. 6. 15 16. Now God commands you to flee Sin and so make an escape from the fulness of wrath to come But if you be contentious and disobedient why then he himself will not let you escape Hebr. 2. 3. That 's a startling Question in Isa 10. 3. And what will you do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will you flee for help and where will you leave your glory methinks that other Scripture in Job 5. 1. might put you in fear Call now and see if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Alas the Wise Virgins could not help the Foolish to a drop of Oil no no Saints and Angels have but enough for themselves they be sure can't help you and be sure God won't he hath positively told you so in Prov. 1. 28. Then shall they call and cry and seek but I will not hear because I called and they refused From the 20th verse to the 24th of that Chapter you have the Riches of Grace displayed on God's part in calling prodigal Youth to Repentance And from the 24th to the 26th verses you have on the Sinners part the malignity and poyson of youthful Lusts expressed in their refusal And then from the 26th to the 33 d. you have the Epitomy of all Misery Then shall you call on me but I will not answer c. O that young Men did but see the Truth of this viz. the certain and sure destruction that they are pulling down upon their own heads while they embrace their Lusts When the Disciples saw themselves in danger of drowning they earnestly solicited their Lord and Master Christ to save them Matth. 8. 25. But do you hear young Men you are in greater danger than drowning you are in danger of damning When Joâ— was under some fearful apprehensions oâ— this see how pathetically he takes on in Job 10. 1 2. I am weary of my life I wilâ— speak in the bitterness of my soul I will say unto God Do not condemn me When Nimveh heard this Argument of destructioâ— hastening within 40 days O how were they concerned they proclaim a Fast and cloath themselves in Sackcloth confess and forsake their Sins c. O Young Men Are you tempted by the delights of Sense then place these Terrors of the Lord againsâ— those sensual Joys Let me
ask you Could you be content to be cast into scalding Lead for a Banquet of Wine Or for a drop â—â— Pleasure upon Earth to have an Ocean oâ— Torment in Hell See Luke 16. 25. Son remember thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things and Lazarus his evil things now he â—â— comforted and thou art tormented So that hence you see the Reasons why it is a Duty of such special Concernment for young People to flee their youthful Lusts because of the propriety of their inherence and the malignity of their influence and that particularly as they hinder their Conversion hurry them into grievous Temptations and hasten their destruction which brings me to the last Question Quest 4. and last How young People may best practise this their special Duty viz. To flee youthful Lusts Answ Before I proceed to the consideration of distinct Rules and Remedies suitable to each particular Sin that Youth stands inclined to I shall by way of Premise lay down one general Rule which will be of unanswerable advantage to you if it be duly attended unto And I do beseech you in the Bowels of Christ as you will answer the denial of so reasonable a Request at the Judgment Seat of Christ before the great God and Soveraign Judge both of quick and dead that you will make a Stand and deliberately bethink your selves about it allowing your poor Souls therein some due proportion of time as the weight and importance of this Rule requires which is as followeth viz. See that in the first place there be the ground work of Regeneration and sound Conversion of your Souls to God The success oâ— all other means will depend on this anâ— the fatal miscarriages of both young and oâ— in the matters of Religion principally aâ—â— from a Non-attendency to this For want â—â— this it is that there suddenly spring up â—â— many rotten Professors so many almost anâ— half-Christians such multitudes that after â—â— season fall from their Profession and groâ— loose and vain turning the grace of God iâ— wantonness and returning with the dog to â—â— vomit and with the swine to the wallowiâ—â— again in the mire twice dead plucked up â—â— the roots as Jude speaketh ver 12. To â—â— it hath been a most startling Spectacle in â—â— time I have seen some young ones awakeâ—ed and galled in their Consciences insâ—much that they have not been able to refraâ— crying out and under the efficacy anâ— strength of these Convictious they have â—â—gorously gone to work making Vows anâ— Promises O what they would be and do â—â— time to come c. That one would haâ—â— thought they would never have been Slavâ— and Drudges to their Lusts any more Aâ— I verily believe at that time if any shoulâ— have told them that within a few montâ— they would become such Apostates from as Enemies to the ways of God they woulâ— certainly have said with Hazael Are we Dâ—â— that we should ever do so Yet I have seen it all their early Goodness hath proved but as an early Dew and a morning Cloud Now whence is this Or to what can it be more reasonably and truly imputed than to this grand Error in the Foundation viz. Their Natures were never changed by converting Grace there never had been the implantation of a Principle of saving Faith in grafting them into Christ Can the rush grow without mire or the flag without water saith Bildad in Job 8. 11. So here Can it ever be expected that Convictions should be maintained and improved to a right regular and constant abandoning your Sins without a Principle of sound Conversion As soon may the Bird slie without Wings or a Man run without Legs or move up and down without Life as you can aright flee your Lusts without a Principle of Grace Fleeing I told you in the opening the words imported a spiritual motion from Sin to God now in all spiritual motion there must be a spiritual life Besides this is God's Order as you may see in Ezek. 36. 26 c. first it runs I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you there is the Principle of renewing Grace and then it followeth I will cause you to walk in my statutes there is the heavenly motion The truth is all other helps will in the issue prove helpless and all attempts to subdue their Lusts on less and lower Principles thaâ— those of Regeneration and Faith closinâ— with the person of Christ so as to unite thâ— Soul to him will all sooner or later bewray their Vanity like those that labour in thâ— very Fire and there is no profit in all theâ— labour or like those silly People that aâ— ever learning but never come to the knowledgâ— of the Truth remaining in the very gall â— bitterness and bond of iniquity Hence ouâ— Saviour first expostulates and asks the Question in Matth. 6. 16. Can Men gather Grape on Thorns And in Matth. 12. 33. and the he answers it and determines Make saiâ—â— he the Tree good and the Fruit will â—â— good I have often thought what pity it is thâ— so many Prayings Fastings Solemn Assemblings Tears c. should all be in vain anâ— fruitless and never reach the end viz. Eternal Life but end in the loss of the Soul anâ— of God for ever O young People if in anâ—thing you need a light to guide your Feet iâ— the way of Life it is here to see the utteâ— impossibility of ever being effectually divorced from Sin without Union to and witâ— Christ and the Inhabitation of the Spirit oâ— Grace transforming and renewing you iâ— your minds An imperfect work havinâ— some apprehension of Sin and Misery anâ— some fears and affections for a season anâ— then some apprehensions and hopes of Mercy and all these without being humbled throughly and to purpose so as that Sin be such an intolerable evil and insupportable burden as that the poor Soul cannot bear is not able to live without freedom and deliverance but is constrain'd to flie for Refuge to Christ that blessed Hope set forth for poor Sinners I say an imperfect work in these things is the baneful misery and ruine of Souls in our time Alas until there be a deep radication of Grace all your attainments in spiritual things will be but like Paint and Pageants Shells and Shadows and you know a painted Sword or Fire will never cut nor burn neither will all the circumstantials and semi persuasions in Soul-matters ever lay the Ax to the root of your Lusts to fetch out the core of Sin there and slay the Enmity that is ingrav'd in your carnal minds against God and Godliness there must be a deep inward powerful work such as may carry the Soul through the pangs and struglings of the New-birth out of it self both as to Sin and its own Righteousness quite over to Christ or else in a short time your Lusts will regain their strength and become more mischievous than ever