Thy Parents if they be pious will reduce thy love to the same instances Thus thy Mother bespeaks thee What my Son and the Son of my Womb and what the Son of my vows Give not thy strength to Women Prov. 31 2 3. and so she v. 4 5. forbids Drunkenness Thy Father charges thee My Child hear the instruction of a Father Let thy heart retain my words keep my Commandments and live get wisdom c. Prov. 4. 1 4. They will both intreat thee Child if thou hast any love for us keep from sin save thy self from Hell we are most concerned to see thee a real Saint and eternally glorious we 'll bear any thing rather than sin we are afraid for nothing as much as thy Soul if thou destroy that thou shewest the greatest hatred and art as cruel as thou canst be unto us Canst thou think thou lovest them and be thus perverse Nay if thou think they love thee that must cause some relentings How can I run so cross to my God and to my Parents who so dearly love my Soul and are so solicitous for its weal my hardned Heart begins to yield and I cannot continue obstinate my Love to them and my sense of their Love to me doe overpower my stubborn spirit 3. Be perswaded of thy own ignorance and unfitness to direct thy self A proud conceit that you know better than any what is for your good or harm is included in an obstinate frame Dost not thou think that if thou wert convinced that God bids thee do nothing but what were for thy good nor forbids thee any thing but what is for thy harm thou would'st do what he commanded and cease from what he forbids and would it not be the same as to thy Parents and others Let me then reason with thee Young Man Dost thou think thy God would deceive thee or thy Parents and Ministers would lye to thee when they disswade thee from sin and perswade thee to serious Piety and are so earnest in it thou must conclude they think as they say If they be not mistaken they would encourage me to do as I do but if I be mistaken I ought and would do as they advise Then young People the Matter is brought to this thou art obstinate against Counsel because thou art in the right and they that give thee Counsel are in the wrong They as thou thinkest advise thee to thy loss and all things set together thou consultest thy own true Interest better than they do But is not this a very vain Conceit and capital Error Oh Child sure thou art not wiser than thy holy Parents they know more than thou they have experienced what thou hast not they and thy Masters are forced to teach thee the little things of this Life thou would'st soon spoil and kill thy self if they left thee to thy own management Oh young Men and Women are not you sordidly foolish can you imagine you know what God will do with you better than he knows it do you know what you must lose by sin and suffer for sin better than God knows you judge by a short moment but he sees what Eternity is You conclude from what your Body now feels but he knows what thy Soul is and what himself is to the Soul whether in Wrath or Love He knows what the Glory of Heaven and Terrors of Hell amount to Thou concludest by thy Fancy but he passeth a just Judgment which every one will soon submit to therefore I do begg thee to distrust thy self as ever thou wouldst save thy self Consider all the good Men in the World were Conceited as thou art now but they have repented and owned their Folly when they came to their right minds then they came to be of God's mind Yea all the Wicked will be convinced of their Mistake why else will they wail and mourn for ever if it be best to be in Hell why should they always Complain there The Prodigal thought he was wise when he rioted Luk. 15. 17 18. but Repentance assured him that he had been mad Young Folk have you never seen resolved Sinners even in Sickness and Poverty roar out and mourn at the last saying How have I hated Instruction Prov. 5. 12. Consider how unlikely is it that thy Opinion is truer than thy holy Master or Minister thy Lusts darken thy mind they have all the wise part of the World on their side Thou canst remember thou wert as confident of other things which now thou seest to be false as they told thee then Thou sometimes now condemnest thy self for thy course when thy sinful Inclinations are calmed When thou wert sick thou didst own that thy loose way thy irreligious way was thy Folly And after all these wilt thou bear it out must that be thy Character The Fool rageth and is confident whiles thou knowest not at what thou stumblest Prov. 14. 16. Must this be written on thy Grave-stone He shall dye without Instruction and in the greatness of his folly he went astray Prov. 5. 23. 4. Acknowledge thou art one under Dominion and not at thy own disposal People refuse to be subject from a Conceit that they have a right to govern themselves Is not this your Case Our lips are our own who is Lord over us Psal. 12. 4. therefore I will Lye Swear talk frothily let who will contradict But Child thou canst tell who made thee it was God and should not he that made thee govern thee ought not the Creature to observe the Laws which his Creator gives him Nothing thou hast is so much thine as thou art his Christ bought thee with his Blood and additionally founded his Dominion in his Purchase He therefore dyed that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. Thou art therefore the most unjust of Rebels if thou art an obstinate Sinner Thy Parents thy Masters thy Ministers have an Authority over thee and disobeying their just Commands and Calls is a renouncing an Authority thou shouldst own and usurping a power to which thou hast no claim A Masterless Child a masterless Youth is a Slave under pretence of Liberty and doubleth his yoak while he seeks to break it Therefore know young Folk you 'll find God a terrible Judge whom you rejected as a Law-giver Hee 'll vindicate his own Authority and the deputed Authority of your Parents by the sorest Vengeance Eternal Chains shall hold that Youth which would break God's easie bands If any of you say I do own God to be my Ruler and Master consider God's challenge If I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord God of Hosts Mal. 1. 8. To finish this how many sturdy resolute Young People are here will none of your knees tremble will love melt no Heart will a sence of Gods skill to direct and authority to Command bend no stubborn will this day Dare any Child or Young Person go hence and say I have been stiff-necked
the blessed God and is the gratifying thy lusts equal to these You are receptive of divine Joys and are thy carnal merriments answerable to these Oh young Body what use art thou fit for to others What benefit mayest thou yield to thy self how canst thou seem to answer these by a trifling diversion or a perishing advantage Sure thy Capacity is thy shame the very Beast that liveth to the utmost of his Powers will witness against thee who behavest thy self so much below thine It would have been thy Mercy whose Exercises have been so low that thy abilities had been less Hence 3. Wilt not thou shortly acknowledge with shame and grief that thou hast lived to unvaluable Purposes No Ministers rebukes will be so sharp as thy own when Grace renews thee or endless Torments overtake thee If the Spirit ever enlighten thy Mind and alter thy Will we may ask thee What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. With a grieving blush thou wilt answer Nothing I dare boast of nothing I can justifie I am ashamed of my Reward as well as my Labour What I reaped by Sin is my shame as well as sin it self it was a Fools Diversion wherewith I pleased my self it was my Blemish wherein I gloried it was my Loss whereby I valued my self What are they now to me they are Dogs meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what I now taste Phil. 3. 8. I am astonished that I could relish these unsavoury things or derive the least Contentment from them when my chief Good was unsecure Young Man if Grace do not awaken thee Hell will the never-dying Worm will be Convictions of the emptiness of what thou hast pursued and the base Purposes thou hast lived to How will they tear thy Soul with such Thoughts as these where 's the Pleasure now where 's the Satisfaction to which my Endeavours were confined oh that I had been but a Beast who have lived to designs so brutish Oh that I had had no intellectual Nature being I studied not to know my God and the way of Life Oh that I had been void of rational Powers since I did not govern my self accordingly Oh that ever I had natural Abilities to love and fear being I have not loved my God nor so revered him as to abstain from Vanity Wo is me that I had a Capacity for any Service seeing I have lived so uselesly to God to my Friends and to my self Alas where is the Fruit of my labonr what now do I enjoy that deserved one hour of my life or answers the least of my Abilities These these oh Child will be the Effects of thy present way 3. Children and young People are apt to live to destructive purposes which is the height of Vanity The last Head is convincing that it were as well thou hadst never lived but by this it were far better for thee thou hadst remained meer nothing to this day to live to hurtful Ends is worse than not living at all yet this is thy Condition you dishonour God you provoke the Eyes of his Glory you trample the blood of Christ under your Feet with Contempt How many young People serve the Devil with their strength are a Snare and Infection to all they can influence One young body spoils many others and leads them to that Villany they had never thought of You oft break your Parents Hearts and they by thy means feel that a foolish Son is the heaviness of his Mother Prov. 10. 1. You frequently destroy your Master's Estate To the serious you are a Grief to the City and Kingdom a Plague as helping on its Sin hastning its Punishment and obstructing its Good How many may complain of Harm on thy account But whatever Hurt you bring to others sure you avoid Mischief to your selves No no Young men live most to their own Hurt and seem to take great pains to make their Misery sure and great Oh vain Youth thou daily makest thy self more the Child of Wrath by thy sinful Practices thy wicked Habits grow more strong by idleness and frequent opposition hopeful Principles are more baffled and expelled Conscience by thy Affronts is less concerned and capable to admonish thee Thy ill treatment of Gods Spirit makes him withdraw and his Visits are more seldom so that he is ready to say of thee Let him alone Hos. 4. 17. Believe it careless Youth thy ways tend to more sin and less hopefulness of Grace and Glory Oh wretched Life to live only to be more guilty and to be exposed to greater Punishments thou runnest Hell-ward thy Thoughts tend there thy Words lead there thy vile Actions heap the greater store of eternal Flames Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish are the things thou workest for Rom. 2. 8 9. Thou labourest for these Wages thou livest thy self daily to a greater obnoxiousness to these Woes as if thou wert afraid thou shouldest not be miserable enough Oh Soul to be pitied not to be born had been thy mercy as well as Iudas unless thou change thy living is it not to thee those words are proper Behold you are worse than nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 4. 24. Hadst thou not lived at all thou hadst not done the mischief thou now art doing thou couldst not have felt the hurt thou must shortly endure How may most young Folk bemoan the day of their Birth their Life is a misery which might have capacitated them for the Bliss of Angels had they well employed it The Lord grant you be not found thus foolish and cruel to your selves yet to this you are more proner than to a more profitable Course The next Work is to shew you 1. How Childhood and Youth became thus vain 2. Why they continue so 3. How most young People grow still vainer 1. Quest. How comes it to pass that Childhood and Youth are vain Ans. Childhood and Youth became vain by Original Sin There 's the Spring of the Disease thou didst not come out of God's Hand thus prone to sin and thus averse to himself But a depraved Nature descends to thee from Adam by the Line of thy Ancestors Thou wert born under the Infection common to Mankind generated in the ordinary manner the very quickened Embrio in the Womb hath all the Seeds of those sins which time ripens and opportunity brings forth our Constitution is become sinful and all corrupt Effects are next to natural I shall not trouble you with Disputes but meerly inform you 1. How our Nature became corrupt 2. How it descends thus corrupted to thee 1. Our Nature became corrupt or vain by the entrance of Sin whereby the Divine Image was expelled as well as forfeited A Rational Soul cannot be void of moral Qualities and Dispositions as it is a Subject of God's moral Government there must be Wisdom or sinful Ignorance in the Mind there must be Love or Enmity to what is good and Aversion or Inclination
vain Answ. Childhood and Youth continue vain for want of a due use of means appointed for their healing O young People here are three things in this that are very fit to move you 1. First here 's Comfort that the Vanity of Youth is healable thy case is sad but 't is not desperate there 's hope in Israel concerning the Recovery of Sinners in their Youth The Devils became wicked and never can be recovered they may grow viler but they can never grow better but blessed be God this is not thy case the Wound though sad is yet curable There have been many young Folk made pious and serious Isaac was good betimes Timothy and Iohn were Old Disciples before they could call Man Iosiah's tender years were impress'd with Grace I have known undoubted Evidence of Grace before ten year old Oh then you need not resolve to be vile because 't is in vain to attempt to be good no no No young Persons in this Assembly need to say so or need think so God has not resolved against Young Persons that they shall never be recovered nay he has determined that out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings he will ordain praise Psal. 8. 2. Children Our Lord Jesus has never said he will have nothing to do with such as you I 'll neither wash you nor heal you nor teach you Nay he has said quite otherwise Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not c. Mat. 19. 14. The Spirit of God never resolv'd I will convince no wicked Children I will sanctifie no prophane Youth nay instead of that to you he speaks in Psal. 34. 11. Come ye Children hearken to me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. The Spirit has a Mind to be the Teacher of Children and the Instructer of Youth he has a mind to train up the Young Generation for Heaven as well as the Old ones So that Young ones may say to Day Why though I am wicked yet there 's hope and though I have a vile Nature yet there 's hope I may be recovered even though my whole frame seems thus set for Villany and appears thus desperately dispos'd There 's the first point and that 's a great matter and under the power of that I preach to Young Ones and under the hopes of that you Young Ones should regard what I say and urge for the case of Youth is healable 2. Secondly Here 's a loud Call to you that God uses means to heal Young Ones of their Vanity This confirms the former Is God at pains with Youth to make them better then there 's hope of Youth for God would not be at this labour if it were wholly useless O my Friends God has sent his Son to dye for young Children as well as old Men even Young ones receive forgiveness by his Blood My little Children to whom I write for your sins are forgiven 1 Ioh. 2. 12. The Spirit of God strives with many Young ones as soon as they can understand any thing he bids early for your compliance I do believe there 's not a Child of six years old under the Gospel Means but the Spirit of God has been striving with This holy One can truly say I have been dealing with this Child to make it happy Pray let 's a little consider Thou Child or Youth hast thou had no sence of Hells misery ever upon thy Heart hast thou never been convinc'd that 't was ill to Lye or Swear Hast thou never found pressing motions to be good and to resolve against evil have no good desires stirr'd in thy Soul Why all these were the workings of the Spirit of God on thy poor Soul God has been labouring with every young Body in this Congregation He has been labouring with thee by the advice of thy Parents when they taught thee to read or taught thee thy Catechism or instructed thee to pray it was God by them taking pains with thee We Preachers preach to you Young Ones as well as to the Old nay we preach to you with more hopes expecting that you are not hardned as old Persons are Young People have not the Mercies of God have not the preservations of God towards you been so many Teachers What has been the Language of every Mercy to thee Child to you young ones but this Oh Children don 't you provoke this God don't make me your Enemy for you see I would fain do you good I would fain be merciful and not a Destroyer of you Nay have not Afflictions been the pains of God with you Is there ever a Young one here that has not been sick at one time or other Why the Lord sent that Sickness to thee and spake in this manner thereby I will warn this Young one to be Religious lest he should dye before he be converted all the Corrections of thy Parents and Master for thy Sin they have all been the Calls of God and his Language in them all has been I would fain imbitter Sin to this poor Young one by something short of Hell I would gladly restrain the Wickedness of this Youth before I must damn him You see you had need look to it for God has used means towards your recovery think not God doth not mean me in his Word don't say God did not intend my cure in the helps I enjoy alas he intendeth thee as well as any other It 's thy enlightening Oh Young Man he intends by all his teachings 'T is thy Conversion O Young Woman that he designs by all his Calls all these have been directed upon this very design and least you should doubt it the Spirit of God does particularly name you O Young Men and Maids praise you the Lord Psal. 148. Young Men be sober Tit. 2. 6. Nay Christ himself tells us in Prov. 1. 4. that his great design there is to give discretion to the simple young ones Therefore I beg that not one young body in this place may forget what I say now that they frustrate God's hopes if they be not Good and disappoint him of all his labour if they be not gracious all the pains that have been taken with them are lost upon them and will God bear this will he always bear this what will become of you if you proceed this way 3. Thirdly Here 's an awful Charge That you young Men continue vain because you don 't rightly use the means for your healing Ah sad Charge the case of young ones is curable but why is it not altered before now Why O Conscience speak Children you have Consciences Young Ones you have Consciences Can you say 't is long of God I am vile still 't is long of the want of means that I am vile still Ah Friend Father Son and Spirit can all say 't is not my Fault that this Child is bad still 't is not my Fault this young Man and Woman is wicked so long 't is not long of me May not
made it easie the Current of sin running has made the Channel wider and the opposition less O therefore for the Lords sake begin this day to consider the Devil is grown more impetuous by thy Consent And I can tell thee to day and let the youngest of you observe it That if thou continuest wicked thou wilt be yet more and more so And thou wouldst now blush to think what Wickedness thou wilt hereafter come to As Hazael when it was foretold him by the Prophet what Cruelties he should commit cries out Is thy Servant a Dog 2 King 8. 13. c. Thus I have finished what I intended in the Explication I now come to the Use. First by way of Inference the Lord set it home Some own'd great good on this day twelve-month may more receive good to day The Inferences then are these Inf. 1. How dismal a sight doth this Truth afford us of this World Childhood and Youth is Vanity Ah Lord how true then is it that even the whole World lies in Wickedness 1 Joh. 5. 19. the greater part doth so for Young People are many more than old ones The chief part of Age is Vanity the best part of Time is Vanity Childhood is the time fittest to learn in Youth is the time fittest to act in and yet both these are Vanity Oh how little are heavenly Designs carried on by Young Ones Oh how little is God worshipp'd and serv'd by Young ones How few of them are engag'd in their own true Concerns Dreadful that in Youth we will do nothing and in Age we can do nothing Oh who loves God and is not grieved who loves Souls and is not melted All men come sick into the World and most men grow more diseased by their stay there All come miserable and most help on each others Ruine and encrease their own Oh how many go off the Stage and have reason to wish would to God I had perish'd before I saw the light So like Hell is this present State that i'ts a wonder we are able to take any Delight therein God is serious with pleople in their younger Years and they heed it not Ministers are earnest with young People and they regard it not Ah poor Wretches they think we have nothing to do with them Oh Young Ones help us to mourn to day for I am calling on Men to mourn for you who in your Youth yield your selves up to your Lusts and thereby are injurious to Christ and cruel to your own Souls and will you be unmoved Inf. 2. What Care is incumbent on Parents and Masters in the managing of Young Persons Youth is vain and that bespeaks a suitable carriage O Parents you don't beget Angels but sinful Children you breed up corrupt ones and not perfect ones Few are sanctified in the Womb and therefore you should deal with Children as with deprav'd and corrupt Persons as with them whose Childhood and Youth is Vanity The very Distemper directs Parents and Masters in their duty and carriage towards their Children I shall especially name Parents in my Directions 1. Children are Ignorant Oh therefore take you occasion to instruct them Alas canst thou let thy Children be unacquainted with God and insensible of their own Misery or the way of their escape What must thy Child be inspir'd or it must perish for want of knowledge If it must know pray who is fittest to teach it Upon whom does it lye in point of Duty as it does upon you And who has the Advantage of doing it as thou hast Who is so like to prevail with thy Child as thy self None faithfully dedicates his Child to God in Infancy that will not carefully instruct him when of age to learn 2. Youth have unruly Appetites and therefore don't indulge them Oh that every Parent here had but his Heart open to what I say and I speak it out of pity to the Souls of Young ones 'T is an ill practice in Parents to feed their Child by the cravings of i'ts Lust and not by their own Judgment I will tell you the Mischief of it besides the laying a foundation of distemper in Age it gives the Appetite an ungovernable force Children being alwayes indulg'd in what they crave they cannot deny themselves any thing they desire and by the same rule that they must now eat what and when and drink what and when they will while they are under thy care they will be drunk and Whore c. when they grow in years their Reason cannot bridle it then as thine which ought to guide them neglects to do it now Oh dreadful thing that any Childrens Appetites should come from under their Parents tuition unbridled I look on nothing a greater Reproach to Parents And what 's the ground of all Wickedness in the World more than an Inordinate Appetite yet how few Parents do help to cure it while cureable whereas an Appetite curbed in Childhood would endure a denial in Age. 3. Youth have violent Humours and Selfishness and therefore don 't foolishly gratifie them A Child left to himself brings his Mother to shame Pr. 29. 15. Oh what a Devilish Sight how pleasing to Satan to see Children cocquer'd and Youth indulg'd It 's peevish then all must be done to please it it 's obstinate and it must have it's will it 's revengeful and it must not be check'd this is the way of most Parents And 't is just with God that Child should break your Hearts whose Will you never broke How many poor Creatures will have cause in Hell to curse their Parents Dreadful that they prove the worst Enemies to their Children under a pretence of fondness 4. Youth have many Lusts and are prone to sin therefore be afraid for them and prevent all Occasions Iob knew this Iob 1. 5. He went and offer'd Sacrifice lest his Children should have sin'd and cursed God in their hearts Oh that Parents would consider what brittle Vessels Children be what dry'd tinder Youth is Occasions though small over-rule Young Persons What then Oh then be perswaded to choose the Company of your Children for them see that it be of their own Sex and Virtuous Put them to Trades and such Trades as have the least Snares set them in Families where most Good is to be got and least evil to be catch'd Find them business and fulness of Employ and cut out their time for them Parents learn this Wisdom that your Children have no time for Idleness Marry them as soon as convenient if so be you are not very certain of their Sobriety 5. The Vanity of Youth is deeply rooted therefore be importunate pleaders and sharp Correctors If advice prevail not 't is not an easie thing to cure a Child of it's Vanity or Youth of it's Folly Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a Child the Rod of Correction will drive it far from him Prov. 22. 15. And withhold not correction from thy Child and he shall not dye Prov. 23.
13. I look on 't as a sad sign of growing Villany in the next Age that correction is become unfashonable The Lord pity us Let me tell you once for all Sirs Youth is governed chiefly by fear and they that lose the benefit of that passion lose the greatest advantage which Youth have to be manag'd or improv'd by People may talk of love but God's injoining the Rod so oft discovers that it will prevail but with very few Wisdom must be exercised in this matter as the end may be best attained But be assured the Blood of that Child lyes at the Parents door who might have been reform'd by Corrections and was not Can Parents forget God's severe Judgment against Eli for his indulgence to his Sons or do you think that Children are now so harmless that they need not to be corrected I should have call'd you to give them good Examples as being powerful to encline them who strictly observe and are prone to imitate you they are apter to evil than good deny them no help to their holy improvements and create them no hinderances But time prevents me Inf. 3. How should Young Ones bear the Rebukes and Restraints of Superiours in sence of their own Vanity Here I call to Young Ones again Parents and Masters know what will harm you better than you do your selves they know how weak you are to resist Temptations they know what 's sinful and destructive better than you Oh therefore thank God and thank them that are over you who endeavour your healing and don 't suffer sin to lye upon you Lev. 19. 17. If you be good your selves you 'l do the same for your Children when you have them therefore don't take that ill which is your necessary cure but reckon Am I vain Oh then though I have not the Liberty I would and have not the Allowance I desire matters are better order'd for me for I can't bear those other things Inf. 4. How Attentive ought you to be to all Advices and Pleadings of your Relations being design'd to heal you O! for thy Souls sake Young One never let the Advice of thy Parents be lost never let thy Friends Counsel and Reproof be lost because 't is all design'd to remove this Disease Thou dost not see the Hell thou art just running into thou dost not see the Heaven thou art flying from thou dost not see the God thou hast provok't thou dost not know the Misery thou art under thou art ignorant what Grace what Wisdom thou wantest how much must thou learn and attain before thou art wise or good thou art ignorant of many snares and sins thy folly hides thy folly from thee O therefore be heartily intent to all their Advices and say to thy self Lord is this for my cure and shall I neglect it Is this Reproof for my good and shall I make light of it Is all this pains to heal my poor diseas'd Soul and shall I cast it behind my back God forbid Inf. 5. How great a Wonder of Grace is a young Convert and how thankfully should such acknowledge it O the power that makes the vain Prodigal come to himself Luk. 15. 17. How near does God come to the Soul to tame it when 't is like a wild Asses Colt How efficacious is Grace that overcomes Lust in it's greatest rage and that deadens Temptations when they strike on Youth so prone to relish the offer and yield to it O Blessed work that inclines us to fear that God whom in our Youth we are so apt to despise Having laid these things before you I offer two General Vses of Exhortation Exh. 1. Reflect on your selves whether you are under this Vanity or deliver'd from it Young Folks I speak mostly to you and therefore I intreat you for the Lords sake to lay to heart what I am saying Your case is dismal you are born vain and prone to be vain are you still so or not 'T is a great work that goes to the healing you is that work pass'd on thee 'T is a great deal of God goes to the making a Youth good and serious have I felt that Pray ask your selves Am I vain or am I not Is my Heart a Spring of Divine Motions or Beastly Inclinations Young People how is it with you Try your mayes are they under the Government of Grace or of Lust are they under the Conduct of Wisdom or Folly Ask your selves Do my wayes profit or hurt People Is it not time to ask What Sirs are the years you have spent unfit to be enquired after or is thy Sin not worth being concerned about Oh ask your selves often What am I doing whither am I going Does my walk please God or provoke him Do I walk with him or do I forsake him Try and judge impartially it 's thy greatest concern thou mayest deceive thy self thou canst not delude thy God who will judge as the matter truly stands with thee How is it with you O Young ones There 's none here but ought to be concern'd how 't is with them You will be concern'd nay within a while you must be concern'd therefore enquire this to day and never rest till it be determined Exh. 2. Receive Directions suitable to your case And here I must divide this whole Assembly into two parts First Such as are under the power of Vanity Secondly Such as are by Grace delivered from it One of these two is every one in this Assembly Young and Old you are still under the power of Vanity or you are delivered from it There is a great difference in your Case I 'll speak to each 1. Those of you that are yet under the power of this Vanity Poor Souls would you be delivered or have you a mind to continue what you are Come Children dare you be still blind and still obstinate shall thy Soul that was made for God be a Cage of unclean Birds Shall thy Tongue which is his Glory be employed to his Dshonour O Young body shall not Christ heal thee of that Nature which the Devil introduced Wilt thou live a Bruit and a Devil still shall Satan serve himself of thy parts and of thy strength and of thy opportunities shall the Devil say of thee Here 's a Child I hope will do me a great deal of Drudgery Here 's a young Person will do my Work while he lives and be damned with me when he dies Young Folks Satan stands by and seems to speak thus of you And must Christ all this while weep over thee and say Here 's a young thing that 's my Creature but he will rebell against me as long as I spare him here 's a Youth fit to serve me but he will bring on me all the Dishonour that he can and obstruct my Interests as far as he is able Here 's a Stripling that I bought with my Blood a young Girl or Boy but he serves Satan before me and will not be saved unless against his Will For
Soul would say Amen how would Satan be disappointed how would Heaven rejoyce it would be thy best day and the entrance of eternal Life Obj. But I believe some here are ready to say Sir must I now change must I now stop my Vanity surely 't is too soon Sure I might be vain a little longer there 's no danger in it I hope Answ. My Address to you is for this Instant even to day harden not your Hearts Heb. 4. 7. Oh Child just now cease to be vain 't is late enough with the youngest of you it 's not too soon to stop a wicked Course now now thou shouldst yield to Christ If you ask Why now I tell you 1. Because young Peoples Souls shall be saved or damned by the same Rules as the old ones if they be past Infancy Oh if you die to night God will judge you by the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. and that 's the lowest Rule God can judge you by Youth must be judged as well as Men Eccl. 11. 10. Young ones that obey not the Gospel shall not escape the Vengeance 2 Thess. 1. 8 9. 2. God is concerned at and provok'd by the Vanity of Children Pray consider you think it may be that God takes no more notice of what you say or do than you do your selves Alas you are deceived don't you think God was angry with the Children whom he slew by the Bears for deriding the Prophet 2 King 2. 24. God notes what you do Young Ones God doth not rule old Men and leave Children to their own Wills his Laws are prescribed to young Men under the same Threats as to the old and it 's not indifferent to him what you do God observes what you do as much as any other person for you are his Subjects you were made for his Glory you serve him or his Enemy the Devil and what you do is good or evil 3. The youngest of you are under Vows to God against Vanity I suppose you were entred into Gods Covenant by your Parents as Deut. 29. 11 12. Was not a holy Heart and a serious godly Life engaged in that Covenant in opposition to Sin and Satan You are dedicated to God in your Infancy you are his and not your own Young Children what will you lie to God now will you be perjur'd now O God forbid Dare any young Person here say I was given to God in my Infancy but I now retract it I was sworn to be the Lords but I will not keep to him Baptism will sink those Children of Believers who perform not their Vows and practically renounce their God 4. Let me tell you if you remain vile all your Youth a thousand to one but you will be ever so You may die before you are old and then you are undone but if you live and are not converted when young it 's improbable that ever you should O it 's ill dealing with old Sinners they are conceited full of Prejudices immersed in worldly Cares the Calls and Threatnings of God are grown familiar to them and their Souls stupid and void of Affections God makes now and then an Instance of Grace in them but 't is rare the last Hour Converts are next to Miracles most feel that he that hardens his heart being often reproved shall die without Remedy Prov. 29. 1. 5. Again Oh what service mayst thou do for God when thou ceasest to be vain betimes Come my Friends what a heap will every days little come to in time if Young persons would but now begin to be holy tho they act but a little for God every day it will at length amount to much As we say he that begins with the Sun will make a long days Journey Oh how much do Young People do for the Devil in a state of sin when they live long how large is the Roll of their Transgressions and how much might they do for God in a state of Grace how many may bless God for thee what a publick blessing mayst thou prove thou mayst well be an eminent Saint much improved for Heaven and abundant in the fruits of Righteousness 6. Our Youth will be the Plague or Hope of this Land in this great Crysis Great things are before us the rapid motion of Providence hints no common matters There have of late been many ways taken to debauch Young People in their Manners to prejudice them against Holiness and Sobriety Nevertheless the holy God has seasoned some Young Ones there are many looking Heaven-ward and God seems designed to reform the rest Well whether of these two prevail doth determine England's lot Oh if our Youth grow yet more profligate God's about to leave us if he recover our Youth we may hope he 'll yet continue amongst us Young Ones I would be earnest with you for God indicates his mind to England by you Oh be you all ready to say Can I help to save a Nation by the Grace of God I will be one of these that will do it let Satan and the World and the Flesh struggle with me as they can 7. This youthful Vanity continued in will be the grief and wounding of Age tho thou shouldst be converted then Little do you now know what youthful sins may cost you in old Age Thou makest me to possess the sins of my youth sayes Iob ch 13. 16. Oh how bitter will the remembrance of past Villanies be oh how wilt thou tremble to think thou hast help'd any one in the way to Hell when thou thy self art got out of that road How will it grieve thee to think thou hast been a means to damn any Soul can it be a little thing to thee the Joy of late Converts is abated by the thoughts of youthful Sins Paul carry'd it to the Grave with him that he was a Persecutor in his Youth Believe me Sirs the Evidence of our Conversion when late is more than made up by the Innocency of our Lives when converted young And they are to blame who seem to complain that gross Villanies have not made their Change more remarkable Thus I have done with the first Vse God grant it be to such purpose that none may go out of this place unwearied and unresolved unwearied with his Vanity and unresolved to put an end to it Exhort 2. To such as through Grace are delivered from this Vanity Before I enter on this I must declare you are our Joy and our Crown I would I could speak it of every one here to day Oh that every Young One in this place were of this Number You are our Comfort that God has some to propagate Religion when we are dead and gone How lovely is Gods Image in your tender Years Your Grace is less questionable now than it would be if you were aged I say your Conversion's more evident now for you are now in your Health and Heat you are now under the force of Temptation you are not decripid and aged and under the
government of Fear as old Folks be Oh my Friends what but Grace can win thy Consent to Christ now when the Devil and the World are strongly bidding for it You are like to reap the largest Harvest because you have the longest Seed-time You young ones that do fear the Lord betimes you are like to be the more remarkable in the Heavens All the Blessings that belong to the oldest Saint belong to you and Christ as truly loves you The youngest Believer in this place may rejoyce in all the fulness of Christ as his Store-house and Security he may read over all the greatest Promises of the Gospel with Comfort as his own We bless God for you bless God for your selves that hath adopted you for his so soon and thereby prevented much Sin and made you early Blessings for your sake we hope the Gospel will not be removed from England how happy are each of you your Parents can die comfortably now that you are in Christ Your Friends look with joy upon you as secure in your better part Oh the comfortable Aspect that every such Soul affords I will give you a few words of Advice Directions to such as are Converted in Youth 1. Be watchful over your selves because some Vanity remains in the best while here Satan would more gladly overcome you than others and he knows there 's matter for temptation to work on in thee Youthful years are subject to youthful Lusts Young Timothy himself was warned of them by wise Paul 2 Tim. 2. 22. Therefore don't venture on Occasions of Vanity don't venture into temptations to sin Nothing but perfect Grace perfectly heals the Sin of your Constitution Young ones you don't think you are perfect you are not thoroughly clean therefore walk carefully walk watchfully take care of Voluptuousness for there is some unruliness in thy Appetite still Take care of wanton Dalliance for there is some Disposition to Uncleanness 1 Tim. 5. 2. Still take care of evil Company Youth may be ensnared tho they are good Avoid all frothy Society for Youth is apt to be perswaded to loss of Time and Levity Therefore walk with watchfulness in whatever you are doing You are not in Heaven tho in a State of Grace you are not perfect tho upright therefore keep a jealous Eye while your green years continue 2. Keep humble and modest as to your Opinions for Truth admits the Disquisitions of Age and a long Study Young People think every Notion they have gotten is infallible and every plausible Reason is with them unanswerable But let me tell you you will change your judgments it may be before you dye And too much confidence in Youth leads a Man to Scepticism in Age Be not wise in your own conceits Prov. 3. 7. You are subject to error in deep things your knowledge can be but superficial if you live long you will blush at your present confidence And therefore don 't presently take up Notions determine not hastily difficult points make no noise about singular Opinions and do not rashly censure men that are wise and aged whose deep thoughts are preferrable to a voluble Tongue or luxuriant Fancy 3. Design and furnish your selves for great service for God in the World I would earnestly bespeak a mercy for the next Age resolve an eminency in Holiness I would have every young Convert here resolve to be one of the highest Saints Resolve to do much for God's Name and Gospel and if you have hopeful Abilities resolve to be great Blessings to your Countrey Side with the best Cause and best Men. You may live to have greater Opportunities to serve God than we have had you may do so and I hope you will do so The Lord furnish our Youth with Abilities transcendant to ours as their work is like to be above ours O my Friends I would have you therefore prepare your selves get your Heads well enlightened get your Hearts well enflam'd with Love to God and Men. Labour to be industrious in your Calling that you may have Estates to do good withal for Idleness and waste make Persons too poor to do great Service whence they live as Shrubs though planted young Study good Catechisms as a guard against Errors Lay up rules of Prudence for your Conversation but beware of crastiness and little base designs Observe your Constitution that sickliness may not prevent your Use. Get such an Elocution as may advantage what you speak c. 4. Admit the helps and put your selves under all the instituted Engagements of Christs Members Admit the helps Sirs we have good Books carefully peruse them Read the Scriptures Ay and labour to be well furnisht and skilld in them from your Youth 2 Tim. 3. 15. Set your selves to hear Sermons especially put your selves under the Labours and Conduct of the best Ministers Contrive every one of you to sit under that Ministry that truly understands and plainly and powerfully urges the great things of the Gospel viz. The Mysteries Promises and Laws of our Redeemer I tell you why I say this Young ones are apt to like the Preacher that has Fancy rather then Weight strong Affections rather than Judgment that has vain Gingles rather than solid Truth and that is earnest for small matters above essentials Oh take it from me to Day all Hearers savour of their Pastor Give me therefore a Pastor that 's likest to ripen for a Heavenly Life and not to amuse me with little fine-spun Notions where light carries not it's Evidence Preferr moderate Pastors above others Men who are more intent on the great things of the Gospel than lesser matters Men who allow for different Conceptions in others knowing themselves are imperfect Men who insist on no terms of or bars to Communion but what Christ hath made If God do not deliver the growing Age from a Contentious Dividing Uncharitable Temper I shall say the next fiery struggles will hazard the Life of Religion and sacrifice Love the very Heart of Religion to every trifle and disputable Notions which hath sorely wounded us Value Moderate Men wise Men are always such Your furious dividing Bigott is unacquainted with himself incapable of taking up the body of Divine Truths as they stand in their order and place Hence one thing fills his mind and that commonly the least and all his Zeal is laid out in that while he confounds Truth and Error Few Men have heads clear enough to distinguish Truth Truth and Error lye oft so near that the Man that has not the clearest judgment and the conduct of the Spirit will easily fail much more such whose parts are low and whose uncharitable Temper exclude the assistances of the Spirit Further I call you Young ones to attend to the Lords Supper You are dedicated to God by Baptism in the right of your Parents that was not thy act but theirs for thee that was not in thy own right but in thy Parents right The first solemnizing of thy own Profession is