the old the starveling the blind the lame c. That man could never obey the Commandment so when the Lord biddeth us to remember to give up our youth to him if we spend this and our strength in sin we can never obey this Commandment for that time and strength is gone and our importent time crazy drowsy old age is left 4. From this Word Creatour God made all things for his glory and the more excellent any Creature is either in regard of its specifical nature or kind or in regard of its particular qualities and excellencies the more is it tyed to glorify God that made it such So among all earthly Creatures Man being made of the most excellent nature is most straitly tyed to glorify God the Creatour And among Men such as are in their youth and strength being endowed with the most excellent abilities ought more especially to remember him 5. Consider these Words Thy Creatour God is the Creatour of young Men as young Men. He did nor only give thee the being of a Man but the years the life the health the strength the vigour of a young Man He is the Author of thy youth the Creatour of thy strength he is thy Creatour in special he hath now Created that strength and ability in thee which he hath not yet Created in Children that which he hath taken from old Men. Thou hast that work of his now wrought upon and sheâ—ing it self in thee which is not in others and therefore Remember thy Creatour that hath Created that hot Blood that warmeth thy heart that quickness of apprehension and those lively Spirits that are within thee 6. Consider these Words In the dayes of thy youth daies and not years daies and not nights Thy youth is but a few May-daies it will presently be gone and therefore in those few daies that short time thou shouldest give up thy self to thy Creatour Could not ye Watch with me one hour a just reproof of our Saviour to his sleepy Disciples Could ye not afford me a few daies a just reproof of all silly souls who are not wise unto Salvation and think their youth too good too much to be given up to God It is not three hundred years that the Lord asketh at thy hands as at Henoch's nor Nine hundred and upwards as he required of other Patriaches but a few daies of youth Daiâ—s and not Nights The times of youth consist of Daies then is the Sun-shine the Night follow dark times of old age aches weakness sickness sleepiness Now because these are Daies they must be given up to God who is Light and not to the Devil who is the Prince of Darkness not to sins which are works of Darkness This is gross folly to give the Days of youth to Satan and to leave the dimme evening of our old declining age to God to give the good the best daies to Satan and the evil daies as they are called afterwards yea the worst to God CHAP. III. Vse 1. THis sheweth the great folly of young Men who think of all others in a Congregation that they have least reason to give any special heed and yield obedience unto the Word Preached Old Men they think had need to look about them they smell of the Winding-sheet the Grave groaneth for them an earthy cold benumeth their Limbs the beginnings of death are already upon them and have taken deep possession of them but as for themselves they are full of Life and feel no messengers of Death Life aboundeth in their Blood in their Spirits it is strongly seated in their Bones it beateth in their pulses it looketh out at their eyes and shineth in their faces there is no sign no shew of Death Alass poor souls Death doth not alwayes give any long time of warning it maketh many sudden surprizals as well as tedious and lingring seiges It hangeth up young Absalom invironed with his Warlike troops it sheddeth young Amnon's blood in the midst of his Cups while Jobs Sons and his Daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest Brothers house there came a great wind from the Wilderness and smote the four corners of the house and fâ—ll upon the young Men and they dyed Job 1. 18 19. In one night Death slâ—yeth the Sons and Heirs of Pharaoh and of all the Egyptians so that there was scarce one house where there was not one young Man dead How often hath the supream Lord of Life and Death taught us by evident examples that no age is privâ—ledged no years are exempted that the youngest cannot promise himself another year another day or hour ye that sit here old and young who knoweth when or where the next blow will light Sin hath perverted the order of Nature and put it out of course and therefore ye must not look that the same order should be kept in passing out which was in coming into the World and that those who came first should alwaies leave those behind them which were born after them The Son dyeth before the Father the Nephew before the Grand-father the Young before the Old the Heir before him that is in possession Sin hath let in Death into the World and that cometh in as an Enemy not upon parly and conditions bâ—â— as a Conqueror by a forcible entry and 〈◊〉 sacketh this City of the World and maketh no difference of Sex or Age but killeâ— and striketh on the right hanâ— and on thâ— left It hearkneth to no such plea Theâ—â— is an elder man There is a Woman that 〈◊〉 old when I was a Child let me alone I am content to yield when mine Auntients aâ—â— gone before me No if I will that he 〈◊〉 what is that to thee follow thou mâ— Some daies in the year are not near so loâ—â— as some others Some mens lives will bâ— reach the middle of some others their 〈◊〉 setteth at noon and the night is come upoâ— them before they have begun their daâ—â—â— work Therefore let young men learn wiâ—dom from the wise man yea from the Spâ—rit speaking in this Text Remembering the Creatour in the daies of their Youth And 〈◊〉 thou O young Man whatsoever thou heaâ—â—est concerning the wayes of God thinâ— that whatsoever remembrances are deliveâ—ed from the Word to put thee in mind of 〈◊〉 Creatour that they concern thee in especial 〈◊〉 there were none but young Men in a Parist that place should have special need of thâ— Word of God If there were no gray-heâ—â— in a Congregation yet there is need of spâ—cial Exhortations from the Word to mind such of their Creatour If thou hearest of present Repentance conceive that it is spoken to thee If the danger of continuing in sin and delaying conversion be set forâ—h in the Ministry of the Word know that this belongeth to thee in special manner who art in the daies of thy youth If thou hearest the charge of our Saviour Watch therefore left at any time your hearts be overcome with Surfeiting
with an ill intention seeking to gain that by Imposture which they cannot gain by truth and not satisfying themselves by adulterating their Beauty spare not to discover in their Breasts and Faces the Impudence of their Fore-heads Oh! what will such with all their curiosity answer to this Paynim when her Blood and Scars her Beauty disfigured which served as a Sacrifice to her Chastity shall accuse them before the Tribunal of Christ Cassian commendeth a Christian young Man who having renounced worldly vanities and betaken himself to an austere kind of Life having received a packet of Letters from his Father and diverse of his dear Friends he durst not look upon them but threw them into the fire with these words Be gone ye thoughts of my Countrey and burn for company for fear lest ye tempt me to look again toward the things which I have forsaken He feared as the story saith that by the reading of their lines and the sight of their Names he should have been perswaded to warp towards their Company and the vanities of the world again Oh how ought all young men that have had good education to take heed how they abuse it and the many instrumental means which God hath granted them for the exercise of vertue otherwise they shall pay the loss thereof in the length of a corrupt and miserable Life and their bones in old age shall be filled with the follies of youth which shall rest with them even in their â—Tombs and drag their Souls into the bottomless Precipice from whence there is no recovery Many young people run on in much evil in the time of youth adding sin to sin but as one saith youthful sins may prove ages terrours Many prophane young men that drink and quaffe play and make sport and further one another in sin what do they therin but as Abner said to Joab 2 Sam. 14. Let the young men arise and play before us Observe what play this was Then there arose and went over Twelve Men of Benjamin which pertained to Ishbosheth the Son of Saul and Twelve of the Servants of David and they caught every one his fellow by the head and thrust his Sword into his fellows side so they fell down together This was their play So it is with young men many-times when they come into company by their licentiousness and drawing one another to sin what do they but take the Sword and thrust into one anothers bowels and Labour what in them lieth to destroy each other for ever Oh how careful should Parents be in the well nutring and educating of their Children who are not only the living goods but also pieces of their Parents In Athens it was a custom never to pole their Children till they were taught and then to burn their hair as a Sacrifice to Apollo How should Parents take heed of cockering their Children in sinful wayes Indulgence of Parents is the refuge of Vanity the bawd of Wickedness and the bane of Children Look well to it ye Parents saith St. Hierome That your Children carouse not in the cups of Babilon The Sin and evil examples of Parents is like rust which cleaveth close to their Children and the greater they are upon Earth so much the more malice and precipitation it hath such children will one day complain at the Tribunal of God of the persidiousness of their Parents saying our Fathers and Mothers have been our parricides saith Cyprian Ye fond Parents behold Eli the Priest from whose lips passed so many brave Oracles who shined in the Tabernacle of God and in the mean time for permitting youthful follies and â—nbridled liberty in his Children to become the Object of God's just displeasure behold him cast from the Priest-hood as a rotten Member and his House deprived of that honourable dignity and all his Posterity Condemned to die in the flower of their age His two Sons Hophn and Phinehas slayn in one day his Daughter in Law dead in Childâ—bed and the Ark of God taken by the Philistines and dishonoured by Infidels And lastly himself buried as it were under the ruines of his Countrey as the last Victim of Godâ—s Justice Eleazar is a fit pattern for all aged persons to follow of whom mention is made in the Book of Macchabees That being assaulted with all sorts of Batteries Banishments and Torments to make him counterfeit but one sole Sin against his own Law he said to himself â—ut alas The whiteness of that venerable Hair with which thy head is covered after 〈◊〉 hath grown hoary in the exercise of thy Religion hath it not yet taught thee where the poynt of honour lyeth It is not enough for Eleazar not to counterfeit impiety but to profess vertue even at the price of his Blood Now God grant I may not serve as a stumbling-block to the youth of this City since God will make this day a Theatre of my constancy I will not be-lye the Law of my Master nor dishonour the School in which I was bredâ—nd brought up Memorable is that story of Polycarp that constant Martyr of Christ and Disciple of John the Evangelist as he was brought to the fire to be burnt the Proconsul having most earnestly solicited him to recant and renounce his Faith with promise of liberty I have said he these Fourscore and six years served Jesus Christ and I ever found him a good Master therefore I will not now Blaspheme my King and Lord I will never do it Many other words of admirable constancy and fortitude were uttered then by this old Disciple and faithful Martyr of Jesus Christ which made him regardless of his Life and resolutely to suffer Death for his Name Let none of us then offer the blind and the lame in sacrifice to God nor offer that to him which we would not offer to our Prince Mal. 1. 7. 8. This were to make God's Service a Spittle-House or Hospital to maintain us in our age when we have spent our strength in the service of Sin and Satan This is not to leave sin till sin leve us What Noble Man would be willing to give entertainment to an old serving man that hath spent his strength in the service of his Enemy Why then should we think that having given the flower of our youth to the Devil that God will accept of the bran of our old age Therefore every one like young Timothies and Josia's should begin to serve God betimes and all parents should present their Children to God betimes even as Samuel whom his Mother offered to the Lord very young who ministred before the Lord in his side-coates Youth is not only more capable but more curable than old age If sin get hold of youth it is more easily cured in youth than in men that are old as a green wound is more easily healed than an old festered sore which hath dead flesh in it A man may almost aswel give Physick to a dead man as couâ—sel to many
and Drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34. Know that this is spoken unto thee and that thou in thy youth must not at any time give way to these things no not when friends meet nor when thou art urged and haled to it When Solomon saith My Son when sinners entice thee consent thou not Prov. 1. 10. Think that he speaketh to thee Whom doth the Compellation My Son better befit than the young Man when St. Paul saith God hath not called us unto uncle anness but unto holiness that every one of us should possess his vessel in sanctification and in honour not in the lust of Concupisence c. 1. These 4. 4 5. Believe 〈◊〉 that he speaketh unto thee who art in thy youth wherein he speaketh most plainly 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly also youthful Lusts. CHAP. IV. Use 2. THis also sheweth another not able Errour of young Men who think they may freely take that liberty which otherâ— may not and walk more at large than thosâ— of elder years Ye see the holy Ghost crosse this conceit and calleth upon young Meâ— more especially to Remember their Creatouâ— Know therefore That when our Saviour saith Enter in at the strait Gate He speakeâ— unto you that are young and requireth thâ— of you in your youth as well as any otheâ— He directeth both old and young to comâ— this way to Heaven for broad is the way anâ— wide is the Gate that leadeth to Destruction and many there be which go in thereat becauâ—â— strait is the Gate and narrow is the waâ— which leadeth unto Life and few there be thâ— find it Mat. 7. 13 Our Saviour chargeâ— all to leave the broad way that will not 〈◊〉 into Destruction and therefore for younâ— Men to think that they may walk at large anâ— follow their Lusts is to imagine that theâ— have liberty to run into Damnation Therâ— is but one way and that is a narrow one but one Gate and that is a strait one thaâ— leadeth unto Life and they that would livâ— for ever must enter into Life by this straiâ— Gate and narrow way whether young or old If ye would know what allowance ye have in this kind it is no more than that which Solomon giveth in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth Take thy pleasure but so that thou make sure account for all these vanities and sicentiousness of youth to give a most strict account at the day of Judgment If thou wiâ—t tipple if thou wilt swear if thou wâ—lt â—â—le away thy time c. know for a certain that God will bring thee to Judgment for all these things Was it not to a young Mâ—n that our Saviour spake when he said Go and sell all that thou hast give to the poor and follow me Mar. 19. 21 22. Here was a narrow way and yet this was required of a young Man if he would be saved And though hâ— were young yet could he get no release of our Saviour but he goeth away with a sad and sorrowful heart The like in effect saith our Saviour to every young Man sell all that thou hast do away thy Lusts put away thy Drunkenness cast off Lying Swearing Idleness Pride Vanities and follow me The way of Christ is the strictest 〈◊〉 the narrowest path that ever Man went Now Christ will have young Men follow him and keep their feet in the narrow way which he hath gone before and tread in his steps I hope none will be so Blasphemous as to say that Christ did take this licentious course which young Men think they may take Well then if thou wilt enter into life thou must follow him and go in that narrow path wherein he walked It is to be observed that Christ was young and dyed young therefore if ye that are young look for Salvation by him ye must follow him in those waies of his youth All those good works all that holâ—ness whereby he fulfilled all righteousness these were the practises of his youth if then ye will have him for your Saviour who walked thus in his youth ye must follow him in your youth Christ went about doing good and thinkest thou that thou maist go about doing evil that thou maist run about hunting after idle meetings and ill company because thou art young and in the flower of thy youth No Christ was young when he went about doing good Act. 10. 38. And therefore if thou takest liberty to go about doing evil because thou art young thou art no Disciple of Christ. CHAP. V. Use 3. LEt me exhort you that are young That ye would effectually lay to heart these words of the holy-Ghost Remember now thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth Oh that you would now enter into a Covenant with the Lord and bind your selves resolvedly to seek your Creatour To you that are young the Spirit of God here speaketh Oh take heed of despising him that speaketh from heaven because of your youth but hear him so much the rather because he speaks to young Men and for this end let me urge you with some Motives 1. Consider what wrong it is to God to give Satan the best of thy time Under the Law the first-Fruits were to be given to God Levit. 23. 10. 14. And they might eat no bread until the Lord had the First-Fruits offered unto him So that he who should presume to eat any of his Corn before the Lord had his portion even a sheaf of the first-fruits he was no better than a Sacrilegious intruder upon the Lord's Possession So the Lord requireth of thee O young Man the first-Fruits of thy Life even thy youth and strength and if thou dost not offer and consecrate thy young years to the Lord thou dealest Sacrilegiously thou dost â—lienate the Lord's Portion thou deliverest Possessiâ—n unto Satan of that which God hath committed to thy trust to reserve wholly for him sike some unfaithful Tennant yielding up the possession to him that hath but apâ—â—tended Tirle to the prejudiâ—â— of the right owner Oh do not give thâ— first-Fruits unto the Devâ—l and think that God will be pleased with the Gleanings the refuse and scattered ears the dreggs of old age Offer it now to thy Prince see if he will accepâ— thee Malac. 1. 8. As if he had said Serve thy Princes Enemy in thy youth and strength and then come to the Courtâ— in thine old age limping with thy stilts aâ—â— crutches and say Mine old Master hath cast me off and now I will serve thee see then if he will entertain thee So it is in this case 2. Consider that God loveth cheerfulness in his services so many places of Scripture shew Rejoyce in the Lord c. I will run the wayes of thy Commandments saith David Quicken me O Lord c. Now youth is the most cheerful part of a mans Life then
doth the Psalmist return an answer sutable to these mens conceits when the question is moved Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way but quite contrary By taking heed thereto according to thy word Where ye see both the Rule by which and the manner how they are to frame their Courses requireth a special strictness The very Word of God that pure and holy Rule of Righteousness and not the customs of the time nor the ordinary practice nor lusts of youth must guide them and this Rule they must heed with much attention and watchfulness having one eye upon their ways another upon the word taking heed thereto according to the word ever marking the steps they tread and observing how it suiteth with the precious truth of God This is the wisdom of the Antient of daies and whatsoever is contrary to it gray hairs cannot exempt from folly CHAP. IV. SECT I. II. THis should perswade the younger sort not to make those daies evil which God hath made good Oh do not abuse your choycest daies to the basest employments Think the spring of your age too good for Satan too pretious for Lust for Drunkenness for Vanity too good to be so spent that in old age ye shall not be able to remember it without shame without a sting Ye know what the Lord spake long since to Israel If ye walk contrary unto me I also will walk contrary unto you How can ye walk more contrary unto God than to make those the worst daies which he hath made the best To have abused any of God's good Creatures under the Law had been sin to have profaned the first fruits a double sin to give any of our time to the service of sin is unworthy of a Christian but to abase the prime of Youth and the crown of our years the choicest of our daies to this slavery what is it but to set our selves to cross the Lord in the wisdom of his wayes and to make these daies evil because he hath made them good Regard not those who scoff in their carnal folly at the uniting of these two together Youth and Holiness as at an unequal match as if a young man and an old woman were joyned together in marriage Assure thy self that nothng can so well become the best daies as the best affections and the best conversation that nothing is more seemly for a vessel of honour than to be seasoned with true grace and sanctification even while it is now in the daies of Youth 1 Joh. 2. 13 14. I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one Again I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Here is the excellency of young men not that they have so much strength oâ— body or daring Spirits to challenge or lay others on the ground as that they have strength of grace and power of the Spirit to wrestle with Satan in all his temptationâ— and tread them under their feet when theâ— have the word of God abiding in them anâ— powerfully enabling them to wrestle witâ— Principalities and Powers and so to wrestlâ— as to overcome These are young men to whom the beloved Apostle of Christ vouchsafeth to write in a peculiar manner aâ— indeed such are young men whose Youthâ— man ought to despise SECT II. TAke heed then of making these goâ—â— daies of Youth to be evil daies whiâ—â— God hath made good daies Quest. But some will say perhaps hoâ— are they made evil daies Sol. I. I answer in general The daies of Youth good in themselves are made evil when they are spent in unregeneration spent in a state of impenitency without sound conversion to God without holy communion with him Every young man who is not brought home to God by unfeigned repentance in his Youth maketh the daies of his Youth to be evil daies Rom. 6. 20 21. When ye were the servants of Sin ye were free from righteousness what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Whiles a man is an unregenerate person he is a servant of Sin and all that while he maketh his daies evil daies his life an evil life for he is not able to shew any fruit that he hath reaped of all his works and wayes no true benefit no sound comfort ariseth out of all his courses So it is with old men that live in the service of sin without true regeneration In like manner it is in young men that are unregenerate let them do what they will or can let them fill themselves with all manner of earthly pleasures let them please themselves every way and do what they can to enjoy these dayes of Youth walking in the wayes of their own Heart and in the sight of their Eyes please their Senses of all sorts c. Nay let them spend their daies of Youth better than so even in Wars in Study and Learning in getting some useful commendable Trade yet so long as they are unregenerate and do not seriously remember turn to their Creator now in these daies of their Youth they have no true fruit worth the having of all their endeavours of all their daies of Youth Now doth not a man make his daies evil daies when he spendeth them so that no true good cometh of them when they bring forth more evil than good so much evil as that the good that might come of them is not good unto them for the end of these things is death When a man is still hastening to his destruction running oâ— towards his death as every one unconverteâ— is what fruit can there come of any thing he goeth about All ye that are young who put off repentance and are not regenerate nor labour to be so ye make the daies of your Youth which ye so rejoyce in evil daies cursed daies ye walk under the wrath and curse of God and are not freed from the sentence of condemnation Whiles ye are merry and jocund whiles your Hearts cheer you ye do but sport your selves in the midst of your own misery and dangers Canst thou enjoy one good day whiles thou hast no assurance for an hour to be free from the fire that never goeth out whiles thou standest accursed and hast the sentence of condemnation written upon thy conscience and not washed off by the blood of Christ spinkled by faith oh these are evil bitter daies if thou couldest discern them rightly wherein Heaven frowneth upon thee God is angry with thee and all thy sins remain unpardoned Therefore repent and make thy peace with God that so the daies of thy Youth may be good daies daies wherein thou maist be assured that God is appeased with thee daies wherein thou maist walk in the bright Sun-shine and light of his countenance daies wherein thou maist have thy fruit in holiness for the present and be
life as thou art uncertain yet canst thou not possible be certain of the grace of Repentance which is a rare gift and I am perswaded seldome bestowed in decrepit years where it hath been rejected in the more able age especially by such as all their time have lived under a faithful and convincing Ministry Doth the Apostle say That the Gentiles were given up to a reprobate sence because they did with-hold the truth in unrighteousness going on in those unrighteous courses which the Light of Truth Manifested to them by the works of Creation did discover and Condemn How much more mayst â—hou tremble at this dreadful Judgment who continuest in the pride of thy youth to sin with greediness against that Light of the Word which shineth unto thee farr more brightly than that twilight of Nature The Lord make you wise unto Salvation and suffer you not with blind eyes and obstinate Spirits to run upon your own Destruction forgeting him that made you puting off the remembrance of your latter end passâ—â—◠〈◊〉 in a dead sleep of present impenâ—â—er 〈…〉 selfe dream of future 〈…〉 very flashes of Hell-fire 〈…〉 which the Lord preserve you 〈…〉 of your Consciences through 〈…〉 and Grace that ye may not sleep 〈…〉 of everlasting Death SERMON II. Eccles. 12. 1. Remember now thy Creatour c. CHAP. 1. HAving spoken of the former point I proceed unto the Second Observ. That young men ought especially to Remember their Creatour in the daies of their youth What it is to remember in the language of the holy Ghost you may gather by that which I spake of the contrary in opening the former point where I shewed you That this remembrance is not only of the brain but of the heart together with the head implying affections as well as memory and such as are powerful Manifesting themselves in answerable Practices So that as to forget God is a with-drawing declining and turning the heart aside from God so to remember God is a cleaving of the heart to him in love whereby all the Powers of the Soul are given up to him waiting upon his Will in an holy attendance upon the directions of his Word readily practising whatsoever he commandeth and carefully shuning whatsoever he forbideth We read Num. 15. 38 39 40. That the Lord would have the people of Israel to have fringes on their Garments that they might remember his Commandments but not barely to keep them in their memories but saith he That ye may remember and do all my Commandements and be holy unto your God An effectual remembrance that should work upon the affections and make them holy that should shape them out an holy course of Life and make them do all that the Lord had Commanded This doth the Scripture in special manner require of young men Psal. 119. 9. Where-withal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word CHAP. II. THis Point may be made more plain by Reasons Reason 1. The former Point shall be a Reason of this Young Men are especially apt to forget their Maker and therefore young Men ought to be especially careful to remember him The greater defect there is in any the greater care is required in supplying that defect The stronger inclination there is to any sin the greater watchfulness there ought to be in resisting and subduing that sin The more unapt and sluggish we are towards any duty the more careful should we be to quicken and encourage our selves to that duty The weakest parts of a City have special need of guarding Men that have but weak memories and have much dealings in the World are so much the more careful to use their Pens and commit such things to books and memorials with which if they should trust their memories they would deceive them So especially in heavenly things the more apt young Men are to forget their Creatour the more careful should they be to remember their Maker because their affections are violent because they are apt to be blinded with a fleshly confidence in youth and strength of body because they are apt to doate with a carnal complacency upon the natural vigour of their youthful temper because they are more capable of carnal pleasures than the elder sort because there are so many snares laid for them above others by all which means they are apt to lose the best and happiest use of their memories and to live in a sensual forgetfulness of and neglect of their God and Creatour therefore should they with a double care and watchfulness endeavour to stirr up their hearts to a conscionable and affectionate remembrance of their Maker 2. We may also gather a reason from the second word in my Text. Now Remember now c. which noreth a special excellency of this time above others As if he had said Now is the chief time wherein thou mayst do God best Service So then young men ought especially to remember their Creatour because Now in their young daies is the chiefest and choyceest time wherein they may glorifie their God and do him acceptable Service Remember now while sin is but budding whiles corruptions are but twiggs while lust is but conceiving while passion and anger is but a green wound not festered and turned into a setled and cankered malice and revengeful disposition Now whiles thy senses are quick thy spirits lively thy temper healthy thy body strong while thy blood is warm and every part is fit for that imployment for which it was ordained Now shew they self mindful of thy Creatour careful of his service respectful of his Glory Now thou canst do something for him Now is the time wherein thou art able and therefore Now especially thou must remember him 3. This word Now may seem to imply somewhat more viz. That this which is here required must be done now or never True it is some few may be converted in their elder years who in their youth were forgetful of their Maker but ye must observe that here the Lord requireth of every one that he should give up the strength the morning the freshest and principal part of his life unto him and his service Now this can never be done but in youth and he that spendeth his youth in sin and impenitency can never perform this work he can never give up his strength and the best of his time to God The Lord saith Remember ye keep holy the Sabbath day this should be presently done without delay but yet some who have been careless prophaners of the Lords day have afterwards been conscionable observers of it But when the Lord saith Remember your Creatour in youth this cannot be done but in youth He that spendeth his youth in impenitency and ungodliness can never afterwards give up his youth and the strength thereof unto God Under the Law the Lord required the best of the Flock for Sacrifice Now he that should sell or kill all the best and leave none but
the heart is in the liveliest temper then the spirits are freshest and quickest and natural cheerfulness being Sanctified is a furtherance of spiritual joy The quickness of the natural temper which is in youth most vigorous is a good servant to quickning grace Think not that God is best pleased with the lumpish old age which many times is little more than a dead piece of Earth with a little portion a small remainder of life abiding in it God is the living God and he requireth living Sacrifices Rom. 12. 1. Now thy youth hath more life in it than thine old age There is as it were a close union between the Soul and Body in youth The Soul imparteth a more plentiful â—nfluence of Life unto the Body in youâ—h than â—n old age by the quickness and plenty of the Spirits which in youth are more abundent than in age Give up therefore this most living part of thy life thy young daies unto God and not only that part of life which partaketh more of Death than of life thâ—ne old decrepit and disabled age The hoary head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in a way of Righteousness Prov. 16. 31. Found He doth not say if it enter into the way of Righteousness but if it be Found there If a Man hath turned to God in his youth and persevered in upright walking before him until gray haires come upon him that Man needeth no Crown of Gold to adorn his head his hoary head is a Crown of Glory to him If under the Law a Man did burn the prime of his Beast in Sacrifice it was accepted yea when it was almost consumed even the remainders that were half burnt did yield a sweet savour to the Lord because the best was burnt also upon the Altar of the Lord. So let a Man consecrate the prime of his daies his youth to the Lord offer up this as a living Sacrifice and then even his worn old age which is like a Sacrifice half burnt and spent shall be exceeding sweet and pleasing to the Lord because the best was given up unto him whereas on the other side should any of the Priests have burned a Sacrifice upon the Altar of Baal and then when it was half burnt should have brought the gleanings and laid them upon the Altar of the Lord this would have been a grievous abomination in the sight of the Lord. So in this case c. Oh then Remember thy Creatour in thy youth lest he forget or despise thee in thine age Remember him in thy youth that thy hoar head may be found in the way of Righteousness and so may be a Crown of Glory and not a Spectacle of Reproach and Contempt unto thee 3. Consider especially the unspeakable danger of Sin confirmed and rooted with time wrought and wreathed into the heart and clasped in the affections by long custom in sin Oh when sin hath been thirty or forty years in growing and taking root it cleaveth like the skin to the bones like the Leprosy that was rooted in a wall which could not be taken away untill the wall were pulled down That sin which is in growing the whole time of a Mans youth during the best of his strength it is even a Wonder if it doth not accompany that Man to his Death-bed yea to the Judgment-seat of God I know the mercy of God is infinite and he calleth at the Eleventh hour but I am perswaded those are very few which are so called and especially very few if any of those who have had the means of Grace in their youth and regarded them not Oh this willful hardning of the heart is dreadful This continuing in sin against knowledge this with-holding the truth in unrighteousness moveth the Lord to give men over to a Reprobate sence Rom. 1. 21 24 25 28. Into such a state that he becometh uncapable unteachable that neither blessings nor crosses neither the Rod nor the Word neither sickness nor health neither gray haris nor the approach of Death can work him to to sound Conversion Ah poor forsaken Soul such a one may come to say with Saul God hath forsaken me A speech that might rend a render heart to hear it I speak not this to bring you to despair but to stirr you up to speedy Repentance that ye may prevent this desperate and woful condition CHAP. I. IN the last place let me speak a few words to Parents and old People 1. To Parents Ye that are Parents labour ye to season the very Child-hood of your Sons and Daughters with the true knowledg and fear of God pray over them daily instruct exhort rebuke and use all good means that the prime of their daies may be given up to God Teach them to Remember their Creatour in their Childhood that they may neither forget him in their youth nor forsake him in their old age I fear that most Parents among us by neglecting their Duty herein are guilty of their Childrens Destruction 2. To the Aged Ye that are grown old and have not remembred your Creatour in your younger daies whose bones are full of the sins of your youth Oh know that your case is exceeding dangerous therefore bewaile your lives whereby ye have so much dishonoured your Maker humble and judge your selves in the bitterness of your Souls cry continually and importunately in the ears of the Lord that if it be possible the sins of your youth and the long continued wickedness of your Lives may be forgiven you that the often resistance which ye have made against the spirit of God may be pardoned if it be possible that the frequent casting of the Word of God behind thy back may be forgiven Oh how odious and contemptible is the hoary head found in the way of wickedness in a state of impenitency What is an old Drunkard or Adulterer a gray-headed Swearer an old Covetous Worldling an hoary headed impenitent person but even a monster among Men What dost thou not yet remember thy Creatour not in old age not at fifty at sixty or seventy years Oh wreched security Awake awake unto Righteousness unto Repentance ye old ones that sleep in sin lest ye sleep the sleep of everlasting Death and never behold the face of God in Righteousness SERMON III. Eccles. 12. 1. Remember now thy Creatour in the daies of thy Youth c. CHAP. I. BEsides what hath been already observed something yet may be further noted Viz. Observ. That Grace and Holiness are exceeding fit and no way unseemly for the younger sort Man's Life hath in some regards been compared to a Comedy or Enterlude Acted upon the Theatre or Sage of this World and the truth is many a Mans life is but a Play and many in their courses do but act other mens parts not in sincerity express their own inward dispositions And therefore that decorum which they suppose may grace them in the eyes of Men is the thing they most of all affect and aim
unseemly for those of the younger sort it layeth open the shame of their folly and when they think highly of their own witts and perhaps scorn the advice of their Auncients they make it known to the World that through the greatness of their folly they know not themselves nor their places aright nor what becometh them Idleness and Vanity are most unseemly for them the loss of these precious daies of youth to sleep away these best daies or to triffle them away whiles the Sun shineth upon them it is most unseemly Finally to live in impenitency and security not to seek the love and favour of God in Christ to put off Repentance till old Age is most unseemly and uncomely To sleep all the day and put off a man's main business until night is most foolish and uncomely Conversion to God it is thy main work and the beginning of all the work and service which thou doest for him that made thee and gave thee thy life and continueth it to thee every hour Thou dost never truly put thy self into his Service until thou art truly converted and turned unto him All that thou dost in the Worship of God before is no true Service no work of a faithful Servant acceptable unto God therefore to give him that gave thee all thy daies no part of these best daies of youth to give him that gave thee all thy strength no part of thy strength to give him that gave thee all thy witt and understanding nothing but the ruines and decays of witt memory and understanding in old age or sickness is most unseemly and such as cannot any way become any one that would be called a Christian especially if thou considerest that when thou deniest thy best time to God he may justly deny thee the rest of thy time which thou hopest to enjoy and cut thee off in thy sins CHAP. IV. Vse 2. THis should teach Parents and Masters that have any of the younger sort under their charge to be very careful and diligent to teach them what doth most of all become them even the fear of God and Faith unfeigned Instead of teaching them vain fashions which they are too apt to learn of them to teach them that it will best become them not to fashion themselves according to this evil world but to be transformed in the renewing of their mind to teach them that the words of heavenly wisdome the word of God laid up in the heart and shewed forth in the life will be their richest ornament Let them know how well Humility Modesty Temperance Chastity Sobriety Holiness and the knowledge of God will become them Let them not only be taught how good these things are but how seasonable how fit they are how seemly for them at those years how necessary Let them understand how ill it becometh them at this age to want these Jewels and what deformity the contrary sins do put upon them As it becometh them of younger years to be thus qualified so it becometh you that are elder by all means both in word and conversation to shew them what becometh them CHAP. IV. Use 3. IF Grace and Holiness are comely ornaments of Youth then how unseemly is it for those that have passed the daies of Youth to continue yet without it hast thou out-lived thy Youth and hast thou not yet done that which thou shouldest have done in thy Youth Not yet so remembred thy Creator as to turn unto him and to seek him with thy whole heart Oh blame thy self for this before the Lord and if thou hast lost the first season take heed thou doest not foreslow the latter Art thou now past the Spring of Youth It is more than time thou hadst sown in Tears The Harvest draweth on and then as a man hath sowen so shall he reap He that hath sowen to the Flesh following his lusts and his will shall of the flesh reap corruption but He that soweth to the Spirit being led by the Spirit in the wayes of holy obedience shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Think then with thy self if it be a shame for young men to be without Grace it is a double shame for me that am past the daies of Youth Iâ— God hath shewed thee patience in not cutting thee off in the sins of Youth oh take heeâ— of abusing that patience any longer Wilt thou sin because thou hast escaped hithertoâ— God forbid The longer thou hast sinned the more hast thou provoked the eyes of Gods glory the more dangerous is it to continue any longer in sin The longer the Fig-tree had cumbred the ground the neareâ—â— it was to the cutting down the more it was in danger of the Axe Therefore repent heartily and speedily of the sins of Youth and yet whiles thou maist do somewhat for the Lord hast some strength and abilities for his service let him have thy heart and hand thy body thy soul sacrifice thy self to him consecrate thy whole man to his worship and service even in thy middle-age CHAP. V. Use 4. IF Grace be the ornament of Youth then doubtless Sin must be the shame of Old Age. What an old man an old woman and yet a graceless sinner A gray-head found in the ways of unrighteousness the ways of folly What is this but to be a spectacle of reproach among men How many years hast thou lived an enemy to God Couldest thou find no time for reconciliation in thy Youth nor in thy middle age nor yet now thou art thus far gone in years What is an impenitent old man but a kind of monster among men What a shame is it to see a gray-head quaffing by the fire-side in an Ale-house a man of fifty or sixty years haunting the Ase-house and wanton dallyance A profane Oath in an old mans mouth how odious and shamefull is it Is it not a double shame for old men to be more and more covetous the elder they are to cleave more and more close to the world As one that is to be executed if he hath his hands at liberty when he is turned off the Ladder will catch hold again and cling fast unto it being loth to let go his hold so such a one being summoned by death to leave the world catcheth hold again fastening his very heart unto it and cleaving more strongly and more closely thereunto How much better were it to have loosened the heart from the world by unfeigned repentance that the world and it may part with ease For part ye must though thy heart should be pulled in pieces in parting How ill doth it become an old man that all this while he hath not learned to see into the vanity of the world which a wise man in a little time of experience may easily discern O thou old sinner learn greatly then to bewail the sins of thy Youth that length of time wherein thou hast gone on in sin wherein thou hast hardened thy heart and resisted the spirit of God
upon this improvidence when changes happen which are grievous in themselves they become more grievous to us for want of preparation That which in its own nature is a misery is made a double misery to us when we are not prepared for it What discomfort will sickness bring when it cometh unlook'd for and when we have not prepared for it by searching our hearts casting up our accounts getting assured pardon of our sins at the hands of God when a sick body and a guilty conscience meet together there is a woful condition when a man shall lie down in his death bed with the guilt of all his sins lying upon him and pressing upon his Soul there is a grievous burthen and especially when death cometh and findeth him not regenerate findeth in him no other life but that which floweth from the union between the Soul and Body no new spiritual life issuing from an inseparable communion between Christ and him Oh how wiâ—l death insult over such a one how will the name the thought the visage of death dismay him when it meeteth him alone not joyned to Christ and entreth into a single combat with him not strengthened by an happy union with the Lord of life will it not tear him in pieces as a Lion might do a little Dog It is a double misery not to be aforehand with death not to be provided for this change 4. on the other side much ease much good much comfort followeth upon a timely foresight and wise preparation for such changes When a sad and sudden change was brought upon Hezekiah a sharp fit of sickness supposed to have been the Plague and a peremptory message from the Lord by the Prophet Set thine House in order for thou shalt die and not live Did it not wonderfully ease his burthen that he was so well prepared for this change and able to say his conscience bearing him witness 2 Kings 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and havâ— done that which is good in thy sight What a comfort will it be when thy health is turned into sickness thy strength into weakness when thou art fastened to thy bed and hast received in thy self the sentence of death if then thou findest thy self provided for this change A sweet comfort it shall be in old age when the Grashopper is a burden even the lightest thing it shall then ease that burden of years that makes thee stoop if thou didst in time foresee and provide for it turning to the Lord aforehand that so thy gray hairs may be found in the way of righteousness CHAP. III. Use 1. 1. THis may serve to reprove the great sensuality and security that is naturally among us that we look at things present and do not seriously take to heart such changes as may befall us A Comment upon Psal. 49. would be a fit enlargement of this use where the Psalmist discourseth excellently of this point both shewing the folly of men trusting to outward things as to certainties and declaring his own spiritual wisdom which God had taught him in preparing for any changes that might befall him First he calleth for attention for all sorts of men throughout the world Hear this all ye people give ear all ye Inhabitants of the world both low and high rich and poor together It concerneth all sorts nearly and all sorts are faulty therein and need to be stirred up by way of remembrance Then he doth very effectually seek to win attention by the excellency of the things which he is about to deliver My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding such wisdom as many worldly wise men never learned yea he sheweth in the next verse that it is an hidden wisdom and as a parable to natural men for the most part Then he entreth upon his discourse and in the first place beginneth with himself ver 5. Wherefore should I fear in the daies of evil when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about as if he had said I do foresee changes and afflictions I look for assaults from Satan but I am armed against them through the mercy of God who hath pardoned my sins and therefore when such evils come and Satan shall seek to entangle my Conscience as in a snare as if these were sure arguments of God's hatred against me I will not fear I am prepared for these things Then on the other side in the next verse unto the fifteenth he goeth on at large declaring the folly and blindness of worldly-minded men c secure sinners in this case They that trust in their Wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their Riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him They trust in outward things as if they were enduring substance and their hearts are lifted up with thoughts of their Wealth and Riches they think not seriously of changes to come they trust in their strength and healthy tempers in their Youth they rest their hearts in their present carnal contentments sinful pleasures c. as if these things should alwayes continue whereas they can neither rescue or ransom themselves or dearest friends from the power of death that he should live for ever and not see corruption For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fâ—ol and the brutish person shall perish and leave their wealth to others This sheweth their great sensuality and sottishnes that though they have daily experience of divorces separations made by death between men and their wealth their honours their pleasures and that they are forced to leave all and go naked out of the world yet they do not apply this and make it their own case but they go on even like to the brute beasts which when they see one of their own herd led away to the slaughter-house regard it not but delight as much as before in their fat pastures sitting themselves daily more and more for the same end So these though they see those that were framed of the same clay with themselves drop away and return to their dust yet they mind it not unless it be for a short fit but set their hearts upon these things as much as if they had never heard of any that had been taken away by death For their inward thought is that their Houses shall continue for ever c. The Spirit of God here looketh into the inside and rippeth open the bosomes of these earthly-minded persons and sheweth what thoughts and hopes they have even of perpetuities here on earth and so they love and strive for these things as if there were eternity in them as if they were everlasting things Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish Let him enjoy never so much of these things yet he abideth not there shall come a change
people are called by the name of that Idol-god which they worshipped as the Moabites were called the people of Chemosh because they worshipped an Idol so called Jerem. 48. 46. So likewise the Ammonites are called the people of Milcom because they worshipped an Idol so called And Euripides calleth the Athenians the people of Minerva because they worshipped that Goddess by this you may gather that those whom God owns for his people are in Covenant for to be the people of God is a Covenant-stile and this the Children of all believing Parents are V. Godly Parents are a glory and honour to their Children in that for their sakes the blessing of the Lord falls upon their Children Prov. 20. 7. The just man walketh in his integrity his Children are blessed after him The Hebrew word denoteth one that walketh in all godliness constantly to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beat itudines blessings shall be upon his Children God hath graciously promised that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandements What a motive should this be to Parents to stir up Parents to labour after godliness Ye would have your Children to be rich and many men do adventure the loss of their immortal Souls to advance their posterity now the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow with it God doth sometimes divert his anger from the Children of Godly Parents and give them special mercies It is a frequent passage in Scripture nevertheless for my servant David's sake c. So God saith of Solomon I will make him Prince all the daies of my life for David my servant's sake whom I chose c. 1. Kings 10. 34. So in the daies of Abijam it is said Nevertheless for David 's sake did the Lord his God give him a Lamp in Jerusalem to set up his Son after him â—nd to establish Jerusalem 1 Kings 15. 4. God ten saith that he remembreth the Covenaâ—â—t that he made with their 〈…〉 shew how faithfull God is in his promiseâ— to his believing servants VI. It is a glory to a Child that his Father dies a servant of the Lord his death is precious in the sight of the Lord and in the sight of man It is the highest commendation that can be given of any one that he died the servant of the Lord Moses my servant is dead said God to Josua Jos. 1. 2â— Such a one is dead that was the servant of the Lord what greater commendation than this can be given to any Worldlings will say such a one died worth so many hundreds by the year worth so many thousands of pounds poor creatures did not the fool in the Gospel die rich Did not the glutton die rich What commendation is it to say of such a one he was rich but a glutton a fool an adulterer an oppressour a covetous unjust dealer What honour is this to the Children of such a man enjoying his wealth and riches And as his death is precious so the memorial of a good man after his death is precious The memory of the just shall endure but the name of the wicked shall rot CHAP. IV. IN the next place I shall also shew how Children are the glory of their Fathers I. Their filial obedience to their just and lawful commands is an honor to their Parents Therefore in the fifth Commandement it is said Honour thy Father and thy Mother that is out of reverential obedience to them St. Paul saith Eph. 6. 2. That it is the first Commandement with promise But it may be said Is not the second Commandement with promise The answer is two-fold There is a double Commandement affirmative and negative This is the first affirmative Commandement or rather it is the first Commandement in the second Table to shew that next after the care of Religion our duty to Parents must be regarded Aristotle could say God and Parents cannot be sufficiently required The Heathen punished injuries to God and Parents alike Valer. lib. 1. Qui dubitat utrum oporteat Deos revereri aut Parentes non indiget natione sed pari poenâ Arist. Topic. lib. 8. He that doubteth whether God or Parents be to be reverenced needs not to be confuted by reason but by the same punishment Now stubbornness in a Child is a reproach to his Father Who so keepeth the law is a wise Son but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his Father Prov. 28. 7. God ordained a Law that such Children should be stoned to death and the Parents should be the first that should throw a stone upon them to shew how hainous a sin stubbornness is in Children Deut. 21. 20 21. The sins of Riot and Drunkenness were not by Moses's Law punishable by death this punishment therefore was inflicted upon a riotous Son in respect of his disobedience to his Parents which greatly aggravated his sin and for which he was to die when other Drunkards escaped with lighter punishment The Rechabites were an honour to their Father in that they kept the Commandement of Jonadab the Son of Rechab their Father II. When they shall give pliable attention to the godly instructions and admonitions of their Fathers A wise Son heareth the instructions of his Father but a scorner heareth not rebuke Prov. 13. 1. It is an high point of folly and contempt when the Father is wisely charming and the Son stoppeth his ear against the voice of the charmer Hear ye Children the instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding Prov. 4. 1. Children are sluggish had need to be often called upon to hearken to pious instruction None can be more faithfull to give counsel to thee than he that loveth not thine but thee saith Gregory Such indeed are Parents therefore most worthy to be heard Godly Parents take care of their own Souls and therefore will not neglect the Souls of their Children Therefore saith Gregory Committe anâ—mam diligent bu suam commit thy Soul to them that love their own Let not Children slight the sharp rebukes of faithfull Parents seeing it is for the good of their Sâ—uls Quem enim seâ—ret patrem si nâ—n ferret suum Trent For whom should a Child bear withall if not with his own Father III. When Children walk in the holy steps of their godly Parents and are followers of them as they are of Christ. Such a one is an honour and no shame to his Father There cannot be a better resemblance between a Child and a Father than this spirâ—tual resemblance in that which is good This was ever the praise or ignominious brand of the Kings of Israel That those that were godly they did walk after the Lord as did David their Father or who walked in the way of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin So it is the high commendation of a Son when it shall be said he walketh in the same holy religious course as did as doth his Father It
and pass away What most affectionate dehortation is that of Solomon's Mother unto him Prov. 31. 2. Who my Son and what the Son of my womb 〈◊〉 what the Son of my vowes Give not 〈◊〉 strength unto women nor thy wayes to th◠which destroyeth Kings It is not for King O Lemuel to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink lest they drink and forget the Law and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted ver 3 4 5. Parents should often tell their Children that such and such ungodly courses will be their reproach bring down the gray hairs of their Parents with sorrow to the grave and their own Souls down into the pit of everlasting destruction III. Instruct them in the worship word and way of God and godliness ye Fathers bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6. 4 in the nurture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies it the Childhood Beza renders it in the doctrine of the Lord and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in admonition drawn from the word of God Henoch had his name as one taught from his Youth and consecrate unto God God commanded his people Deut. 6 7. Thou shalt rehearse these words continually unto thy Children The word is Thou shalt whet them continually upon thy Children as when an Arrow or other Instrument is sharpened that it may pierce the deeper It implyeth two duties 1. That the Parent make his Instructions delivered plain and piercing by perspicuity giving it an edge that it may the more easily enter into the dull heads and pierce the hard hearts of his Children 2. That he repeat it again and again going often over the same thing as the Knife goeth often over the whet-stone as the beast in chewing the Cud. Abraham is highly commended of God for instructing his Family I know Abraham will command his Sons and his houshold after him that they keep the way of the Lord Genes 18. 19. He taught them the substance of the Law in commanding them to do Righteousness and Judgement and the substance of the Gospel in declaring unto them the tenour of the Evangelical promises that in him or his seed that is in Christ the promised seed who was to come of his loins all the Nations of the earth should be blessed as also the meaning of Circumcision Genes 17. 23. Joshua professed that he and his house would serve the Lord Jes. 24. 15. Intimating that he would instruct his Family in the true knowledge and right manner of the worship of God without which they could not perform any acceptable service unto him David taught his Son Solomon and laid this Charge upon him And thou Solomon my Son know the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind 1 Chron. 28 9. So others Psal. 34. 11. Come ye Children hearken to me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Thus Solomon instructeth his Son Rehoboam in the beginning of the Book of the Proverbs Hezekiah professeth as much of himself The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day The Father to the Son shall declare thy truth Isai. 38. 19. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his Commandements and might not be as their Fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation c. IV. Have a watchful eye over the duties practices and conversations of your Children David would not suffer a worker of deceit to dwell in his house nor a teller of lies to carry in his sight Psal. 101. 7. Oh take heed of countenancing or allowing your Children in any sin Their sins and thy neglect of godly reproof will make thee stink in the Land as Simeon and Levi made Jacob their Father to stink his name to stink among the people of the Land Take heed of cockering and over-much indulging your Children It is observed that usually that Child which the Parent cockereth most regardeth the Parent least and many times proveth the heaviest cross unto it making him to speak in bitterness of Soul Why died it not from the womb Job 3. 11. One saith That the bloody knife of Parents unconscionable and cruel neglect in training up their Children religiously doth stick full deep in their Souls We have read and heard of some Children that have been loosely trained up who have pierced their Parents hearts with sorrow yea and their throats too who have stuck the knife in the bowels of their Parents A certain fond Mother must not have her Child corrected at School when he deserved correction Not long after the Child angred the Mother and the Mother struck the Child he runs to the fire and up with the fire-fork and at the Mother he makes threatning what he would do The Mother would not have her Child struck with a rod to let out his folly and the Child offers to strike the Mother with the fire-fork Then the Mother hastens to the School-master as much displeased with the Child as ever before she was pleased with it Another Parent so doted upon her Child that she could not endure it out of her sight but at last he proved so dissolute that she would have sent this Son to the remorest Islands any where so he were on ship-board that would keep him in compass which a Prison did not or out of her sight That Child which the Parent so cockereth that it must not be out of his sight is the Child that is most like to be an eye-sore and heart-grief to the Parent to whom the Parent is most like to say Stand out of my sight thou art a burden to me S. Augustine gives us a sad relation of one Cyrillus a man mighty both in word and work but a very fond and indulgent Father One Son he had and but one and because but one he must have his will he must not feel the rod he must not be crossed He might have what he would and do what he listed he might go forth and return when he pleased he gave no account either of his purse or time we read in the story that this Child brought his Mother to shame nay more than so This Child came home drunk and in the day time he violently and shamefully abused his Mother great with Child he killed his Father out-right and mortally wounded two Sisters Hereupon a great Assembly was called that all Parents hearing so sad and lamentable a Tragedy might for ever beware of this loose and sottish indulgence which brings woe to the Parent and ruine to the Child V. Pray for your Children that they may glorifie God and so be your glory and crown this was Job's practice Job 1. 5. Job sent and sanctified his Children and rose up early in the morning
Fathers They dealt proudly they hardened their necks c. Furthermore observe they did not insist upon the sins of their immediate Progeniâ—ors but upon the sins and rebellions of their Fathers that came out of the Land of Egypt and first inhabited Canaan They make mention of their Fathers sins as if all their mâ—sery came upon them chiefly for their Fathers Sins rather than for their own Sins What reason can there be assigned why the Holy Ghost makes such a record of their Confession of their Fathers Sins rather than of their own if it be not to convince and shew what we ought to do viz. Not only to lay our own sins to heart and to confess them before God but also the sins of our Fathers as also to shew us that the iniquities of our Fathers do bring the dreadful Judgements of God like a flood upon us as well as our own sins Jerem. 3. 25. We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God we and our Fathers from our Youth even to this day and have not obeyed the Voice of the Lord our God And Jerem. 16. 19. The Prophet cries out thus to God O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth and shall say surely our Fathers have inherited lies vanity and things wherein there is no profit Lam. 5. 7. The Church cries out Our Fathers have sinned and are not and we have born their iniquities SECT II. ONe reason why we should be humbled for the sins of our Fathers as well as for our own is because God hath threatned and accordingly hath visited the sins of the Fathers upon their Children Their Idolatries have brought destruction on their posterity the Fathers-adulteries have brought the Children to a morsel of bread That God hath threatned to visit the sins of the Fathers on the Children you find in the second Commandement visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation So Exod. 34. 7. That God hath visited Children with Plagues for the Iniquities of their Fathers there are manifold sad instances of it Numb 14. 32 33. Ye may see a double punishment threatened â— Against the Fathers who murmured But as for you your carkesses shall fall in this wilderness vers 32. 2. Against the Children who certainly did not partake in that Sin for many of them were Infants vers 33. And your Children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms untill your carkeisses be wasted in the wilderness 1. Sam. 15. 3. The Lord commandeth Saul to go and smite Amalek and utterly to destroy all that they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling oxe and sheep camel and ass Now see what reason the Lord renders why Saul should put all the Amalakites to the sword vers 2. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I remember what Amalek did to Israel how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt Now the Children must be destroyed for the sins of their Progenitors So the Infants and little Children of the Sodomites perished by fire and brimstone for the horrid abominations which their Fathers had committed What a dreadful Judgement did God inflict upon old Eli for his sin So the Lord told David that the Sword should never depart from his house because of his sin 2. Sam. 12. 9 10. How did God visit Saul's perfidiousness to the Gibeonites on his posterity 2. Sam. 21. 1. There is a double Judgement he visited the Kingdom with Famine for three years vers 1. and visited his Children with a cursed and shameful death vers 6. they were all hanged How did our Saviour threaten the Jewes with all the blood which their Fathers had shed causelesly Wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from City to City That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the Son of Barachias whom ye slew between the Temple and the Altar Matth. 23. 34 35. And is not the blood of Christ upon the Children of the Jewes unto this day I have brought the more Instances to shew the truth how God doth punish the Children for the sins of their Fathers to convince us of what concernment it is for us to confess their sins before the Lord as well as our own and to deterr Fathers from sinning against God Ye may see that Fathers in sinning do not only sin to their own destruction but to the destruction of the Children that are yet unborn ye lay up Estates and Portions for your Children and God layes up wrath and vengeance which shall consume both them and ther Estates CHAP. X. NOw because there are objections which perhaps may arise in your thoughts against this Doctrine and they seem to be grounded on Scripture I shall endeavour to remove them Object But it is said Ezek. 18. 4. The Soul that sinneth it shall die vers 18. as for his Father because he cruelly oppressed spoiled his brother by violence and did that which is not good among his people lo even he shall die in his iniquity So in Jerem. 31. 29 30. In those dayes they shall say no more the Fathers have eaten sour grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge but every one shall die for his own iniquity and every man that eateth the sour grapes his teeth shall be set on edge How can these Scriptures be reconciled with that in the second commandment where God is said to visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation c. how can it agree with these dispensations of Judgements Sol. There are divers answers given hereunto I. Origen and some others make an allegorical Interpretation and say that by the third and fourth generation is not meant Children but so many degrees of sins as if God would spare men for the first and second fault and punish the third and fourth But this is a false and foolish conceit because God sometimes punisheth men for the first sin God chastised David for one act of adultery II. Some answer it by distinction of civil and divine punishments The Civil Law which God made for the Common-wealth of Israel did forbid to put the Child to death for the sin of the Father as Deut. 24. 16. The Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children nor shall the Children be put to death for the Fathers Every man shall be put to death for his own sin But God who is the supreme Judge of the whole world and is not tied to humane Law punisheth Children for their Fathers sins