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
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
keeping us from sin for Sorrow follows sin as the shadow doth the body 3. It preserves from lying and continuing in sin he that observes this order if he falls in the day through infirmity he rises the same day by repentance and evens his recknings with God through the mediation of Jesus Christ 4. It will keep us from foul and heynous sins from conscience-wasting sins which a man falls not ordinarily into but by degrees lessening his care and remitting in his duty as we see in David and Solomon The observing this daily order stops the disease in the beginning quenches the fire in the spark kills the Serpent in the Egg. 5. It makes a mans life very comfortable and joyfull The more carefully and constantly a man walks with God the more peace and joy he will find and retain By this means we shall be more fit for holy duties and to perform them in a right manner hereby we shal the more easily prepare our selves for a holy Communion By this way also we shall with more success manage our spiritual Conflict even to triumph over Satan Hereby we shall realize the profession of Religion we have been so solemnly dedicated to in our baptism Lastly hereby we are fit to live in all times and thus living we shall be fit to dye What need he that hath thus orderly walked with God fear Death since he knows he goes to that God with whom he is at peace §. 12. A Direction to Christians how to carry themselves in Evil dayes especially in in times of fear and danger 1. It highly concerns every man to examine and prove himself whether he be in the Faith or no how the case stands between God and him Lam. 3.40 Hag. 1.5 If we will not try our selves we shall be tryed and wo unto us if we be found too light 2. We should be every day weaning our hearts from the world Things that hang on a pin easily fall off but things that are glued are hardly severed inordinate love to any worldly thing makes the cross ten times heavier and it is like a heavy burthen on a sore back Let not thy heart so cleave to these things that judgements should rend and tear them from thee but let thy affections be so mortified that they may fall off easily as Elijahs mantle when he went up to Heaven 3. Be twice as much exercised in Religious Duties as before When Judas was plotting Christ went to the Passover When Haman was revelling Esther with her Maids were praying It is good to be well employed when God is riding circuit in his judgements Blessed is that Servant who when his Lord comes is found so doing 4. Labour to keep a good Conscience that though thou hast trouble without thou mayest have peace within No comfort like a good conscience it is a continual feast it is like that good Woman Prov. 31.12 It will do thee good and not evil all thy dayes no torment like a bad one for it is like that evil Woman Prov. 19.13 that is a continual dropping but drops fastest in a rainy day 5. Inure thy self to some hardiness Delicate persons can hardly suffer Soft flesh if it be pinched soon swells They that know not how to lay aside their fashions how will they endure the want of the necessities of Nature We should therefore deny our selves somewhat in meat drink and apparel and pleasures and abase our selves least the Lord abase us 6. Make sure of the favour of God It will be very sad to have God and man against us both at once The wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lion But who knows the power of Gods anger 7. Make much of the Promises and get them in thy heart and labour to have them in a readiness upon all occasions Thy word saith David hath comforted me in my affliction God uses more words in promises then in any dispensation of his will when he threatens he speaks shortly when he promises he speaks largely 8. Get into thy heart the sound and experimental knowledge of the Truth and a fervent love to it It is the truth that thou art like to suffer for and a man can never suffer for that he doth not know much less for that he doth not love 9. Labour to better thy Knowledge in the Doctrine of Afflictions to know the nature usefulness end of them how to judge rightly of them how to bear them how to improve them fix in thy mind such things as these There is no Son of God without Chastisement That no Affliction comes but by the will of God That by Afflictions we are made both serviceable and conformable to Christ That all troubles losses strokes are proportioned to our strength that they all are for our profit and good the more we believe these things the more comfortable and couragious we shall be in evil dayes 10. Christians should by holy confeâ—â—nce edifie and comfort one another Mal. 3.16 They should improve the communion of Saints for instructing strengthning encouraging one another 11. Meditate often of the attributes of God the former experiences of Gods dealing with his people and the joyes of heaven and the reward is set before us as Christ did Heb. 12.1 as Moses did Heb. 11.27 and Paul Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 12. Spare no sin unmortified Entertain no Dalilah no Herodias for in an evil day it will work more woe and bitterness then we are aware of It will fill thee with tormenting fears and racking doubts One fire-ball will burn thy house one sin unrepented of will burn thy soul Do not hide iniquity in thy heart when God is making inquisition for it 13. In an evil time the prudent shoulâ— keep silence There is a time to speak and a time to be silent Many times ouâ— speaking dishonours God gratifies enemies discovers corruption discredits religion endangers our persons Wâ— should therefore pray to God to set watch before our lips especially in evâ—â— times and endeavour our words may be few true and spiritual 14. But we must not be silent as tâ— God in ceasing to pray unto him for iâ— is his Command Call upon me in the day of trouble and he expects wheâ— his chastning is upon us we should pouâ— out our prayer unto him and that iâ— affliction we should seek him early thaâ— we should pray oftner and better The nearer Christ came to his suffering the more earnestly he prayed Go then and enter into thy Chamber and shut thy door Get under the wings of the Almighty and say with David Thou art my hiding place Psal 32.7 I fly unto thee Lord to hide me Psal 143.9 15. With other exercises of piety joyn â—harity exercise mercy forgive thy â—nemies be reconciled to thy brethren â—isit the sick and imprisoned plead the â—ause of the widow give a portion to even and also to eight for thou knowâ—st not what evil shall be upon the earth â—ccles 11.2 Therefore saith the Coâ—â—tous heart
dishonour Love his Children for his sake Long to hear from him and let him hear often from us Rejoyce in his gifts but more in his â—resence Invite him to come unto us Do nothing to grieve him Be comforted in this our friend will â—ever be our enemy and our enemy â—hall never find us friendless §. 19. Of the Providence of God in two cases how it is abused and how it may be improved The Doctrine of Gods providence is â— most comfortable Doctrine to Gods Children and that which we should â—abour to have a distinct knowledge of Two things at present I shall briefly â—ouch upon 1. To shew how the providence of God is abused 2. How the providence of God may be improved for the comfort of the Godly in some common cases that may befall them 1. Quest How is the providence oâ— God is abused I answer the providence of God iâ— most sadly abused these four wayes 1. When the providence of God is noâ— observed and taken notice of hereupon God loses that Glory he might have from us and we lose that comfort we might have if we did observe how alâ— things come from God and are ordered by him It is true that there are mysterious workings in the providence of God which some think was set out by the hands under the wings of the living creatures Ezek. 1.8 But of those things that are seen and visible we take little notice of them of which God complains Isa 5.12 There are several things in the providence of God the not observing whereof speaks us guilty of abusing it 1. When we take no notice how the attributes of God his wisdom holiness power truth love justice shine forth in all his works 2. When we observe not the bush â—urning and not consuming the eminent â—reservation God gives to his Church â—ending them full and seasonable relief â—n all troubles and dangers the substence of the Church when the design â—ower and malice of the world is aâ—ainst it seems no less then a continued â—iracle to one that weighs all circumâ—â—ances 3. When we observe not how emiâ—ently God infatuates enemies disapâ—oints and frustrates their expectations â—â—d that when they have travelled and â—â—ought things to the birth that all â—â—ings are ready for execution the deâ—â—gn and counsels are ripe for action then God overthrows all these are things â—hat run into our senses daily and eveâ—y age gives proof of them yet who obâ—â—rves these things 4. Not observing Gods vindicative â—ustice in a way of retaliation when God doth as we may say cry quit with â—icked men punishing them in that very way and kind they have sinned against him as in Adonibezek Judges 〈◊〉 in the case of Sodom burning with lusâ— it is burnt with fire they were guilty of unnatural lust and fire hath an unnatural motion it comes downward Thuâ— God threatens drunkards Hab. 2.15 16. to give them cup for cup spewinâ— for spewing So Isa 33.1 a Text ofteâ— to be read to oppressours and perfidiouâ— men You shall have spoiling for spoiling and treachery for treachery Agaiâ— Joel 3.6 7 8. a good Text for cruâ— men God threatens to pay them in theiâ— own kind Therefore David ofteâ— magnifies the Lord for this work of hiâ— providence Psal 7.16 Psal 9.15 16 And at the destruction of Babylon thâ— Angel of the waters glorifies God foâ— this Rev. 16.5 because he had thâ— judged thus they sinned thus theâ— were punished 5. When we observe not how thâ— providence of God is a fulfilling thâ— Word of God The providence of Goâ— well understood and applyed is a most â—lear excellent comment upon Gods â—ord Thus we see Jehu a naughty â—an yet 2 Kings 9.26 37. in the case â—f Gods justice upon wicked Ahabs â—â—mily mark how he comments This is â—he word of the Lord this is the fulfilling â—uch a threatning The thing in it self â—as good to observe how God in his â—orks makes good his word but the â—ffection in Jehu was naught We have â— example of Christs Disciples when he â—is purging the Temple Joh. 2.17 â—is Disciples remembred it was writâ—n The zeal of thy house hath eaten me â—p Some say if two Lutes be equally â—â—ung and tuned though they be laid â— several places yet strike one the â—ther will sound so when God strikes â—pon the string of providence presentâ— the word answers it this is done â—â—at the Scripture might be fulfilled â—he bread I eat is a fulfilling the Scriâ—ture he is ever mindful of his Covenant he hath given meat to them thaâ— fear him Psal 111.5 The preservation I have are a fulfilling the word Psal 91. he shall keep thee in all thy wayes A seasonable calling to mind the word oâ— God when we see the works of God iâ— a sign of a gracious heart and a sanctified memory whereas the not regarding God the not seeing him in the things he doth and gives to us is a sign of a degenerate heart and the abuse oâ— Gods providence 2. Providence is abused when from thence men take occasion to sin from it and that among others is done thesâ— three wayes 1. When any conclude they may sin because God in his providence can turâ— it to good This is that presumptioâ— corrected by the Apostle Rom. 3.8 Leâ— us do evil that good may come of it which was a slander cast on the Apostles as if they had taught such Doctrine God is indeed the soveraigâ— cause of all events yet this excuses noâ— instruments for what God doth very justly men may do very wickedly 2. When we do not distinguish between tempting providences and the commands of God we must follow providence no further then we have the Word for our rule Because Achan followed providence he stole the Babylonish garment but because David followed the word of God he durst do no harm to Saul though providence had put him in his hand There are tempting and permitting as well as directing and commanding providences and it requires a great deal of wisdome to cut an even thread between Gods providence and mans improvidence between providences of wrath and providences of mercy We err most dangerously when we do engage in actions providence seems to favour when there is a plain express word against them when we mis-interpret Gods providences to think God in his works likes that and encourages to that he hath in his word forbidden is as sad a mistake as a poor creature can run into and it is a great sign of infatuation when a man sees and observes what may encourage him and thinks himself clearly and powerful called to it and is stark blind and can take no notice of the stops checks rebukes and discouragements God lays in his way To make providence a cloak for any unlawful action is to abuse the dealings of God Remember God is not mocked nor can any fig-leaves hide from him who hath a penetrating eye and whose judgement is according to truth 3. When the providences