of Belial a Rout of Rebels a Brood of Vipers Confederates with the Devil against God Psal 68. 21. 7. Consider Christ bore our Sins in his own Body on the Cross 2 Pet. 3. 24. And so he bore the Wrath of God and the Curse of the Law to deliver us from it O then How ready should we be to bear his easy Yoke 8. If you bear not his Yoke it is unreasonable you should bear his Name upon you 2 Tim. 2. 19. 9. Consider If you bear his Yoke in time of Youth he will bear you up in time of Death when Flesh faileth Psal 73. 25. 10. Consider If you refuse to bear his Yoke this Sermon will bear witness against you at the Day of Judgment Direction 1. Would you bear Christ's Yoke then bear with Hardships break through all Difficulties bear the Smitings of Faithful Friends without and Conscience within for Sin esteem it a Kindness bear with and be glad of Convictions of the Spirit and the Interdictions of Providence in sinful Paths When you find your vile Hearts opposing difficult Duties as secret Prayer Self-examination c. confess the Naughtiness of your Hearts say Lord here 's a Duty that my wicked Heart stands averse to O create in me a new Heart change my Nature and then oppose the necessity of it against the difficulty in it say I must take pains in coming under and bearing of the Yoke or I must suffer the pains of Hell for ever O my Soul which is hardest Repent or perish turn or burn coming to Christ and his Yoke or departing accursed into Everlasting Fire isn't Hell a more terrible Word than repent and believe Is not the stroke of Vengeance worse than the Yoke of Repentance Can the Devil name any thing in Christ's Yoke so hard as we can prove all things in Sin to be and all Places in Hell to be Sure Physick is better than Poyson letting Blood than a Mortal Stab through the Heart It 's better to be preserv'd in Brine than rot in Honey and whet this on your Heart that there is no Remedy Sin must have Sorrow here or for ever Wherefore be nor Slothful in Business but fervent in Spirit in secret Duties take heed of three things 1. Of being Slite and Formal 2. Sluggish and Slothful 3. Too short and hurrying The Lord bless this to you 2. Would you bear the Yoke in Youth be not fond of Heshly Youthful Pleasures if you belong to God he 'll make you rue it bitterly your sensual Pleasures are Satan's Traps whereby he takes and trapans Multitudes of young Ones to Hell If the love of Games Sports Plays Meats Drink take thy Heart thou wilt never endure to take Christ's Yoke 3. Labour to get and when got to keep and preserve a tender Conscience for want of this when I was young I suffer to this Day O never make light of any the least Sin but keep at the utmost distance from the appearance of Evil. 4. Accustom thy self to continual Reverent Thoughts of God's Omnisciency and Omniprescency 5. Keep out of Evil Company Wisdom it self hath told you a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. 6. Study the Duties of thy particular Calling art thou a Servant keep thy self free from Injustice and Defrauding it is a Sin will make a fearful Noise in Conscience when awaked But I may not enlarge Wherefore to close all O young People to day while it s called to day harden not your Hearts but hear his Voice c. Take my Yoke upon you c. I have spread it before the Lord in secret and now I declare it to you that I should esteem it a rich recompense before I go hence and be no more seen if through the Cooperation and Blessing of God I might Yoke in some of you yea all your Souls to Christ this day O how easy would it make my Pilgrimage my Passage through this Vale of Tears I would not go with the Guilt of the blood of any Soul of you upon me O that this may be the day of God's Power I know it is the Lord alone that can convert a Soul But let me tell you I would never despair of that Soul's Conversion that is brought on its Knees incessantly to cry with Ephraim Turn thou me and I shall be turned O it s a blessed sign when Sermons end in Groans and Tears Lord I must be converted or condemned I will not let thee go without thou bless me The Lord say Amen FINIS
us by his Word and Spirit the Will of God for our Salvation renouncing to lead to our own Understandings and set up our own Conceits as our Rule verily accounting all that Wisdom and carnal Reason to be but meer Foolishness which lifteth up it self against any Truth of Christ in the Gospel As for instance it is one of the great and most concerning Truths of Christ Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be able Now when the Mind gives a free and full assent to this Truth as it is in Jesus not listning to any that shall rise up in opposition to the Wisdom of this great Prophet and say what need so much ado about this striving The Gate and way that leads to Heaven is smooth and broad but on the contrary heeds it hides it in the Heart by Faith that it may thereby be excited quickned to Diligence in striving the more earnestly This is one main Ingredient in coming under and bearing the Yoke Hence you read Eph. 4. 21 22. and John 10. 27. Of learning the Truth as it is in Jesus and of Christ's Sheep hearing his Voice and following him not a Stranger And in 1 Cor. 2. 14. speaking of the natural Man i. e. a Man unsubdued to the Yoke of Christ That he receives not the things of the Spirit of God Young People naturally receive not the Truths that directly and more especially concern them such as Eccl. 12. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. To remember their Creator to know the Scriptures to flee Youthful Lusts to hearken to Instruction c. but foolishly imagine it is time enough to mind the Concernments of their Souls herein now consists Rebellion to Christ's Yoke when the Mind attends not but holds in Unrighteousness stifles resists these Truths On the other hand when the Mind becomes studious to know opens yields to the light quarrelleth not with it but welcomes reverenceth and receiveth it as becometh a meek tractable and humble Disciple pondering and revolving such Thoughts as these I may never have the like Advantage again savingly to know the things of my Peace it cannot be too soon to hearken to Instruction it may be too late if I now trifle my Danger is great I stand upon the brink of Eternity and hereupon as the new born Babe desires the sincere Milk of the Word that he may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. looks into the Scriptures and then looks up to Heaven and saith Lord What I know not teach thou me and wherein I have done Iniquity I 'le do so no more I confess my Blindness Darkness Dullness Foolishness I am a poor ignorant erring Creature none more apt go astray But there 's none can teach like thee thou hast the Key of David that openest and none can shut c. thou hast the Eye-Salve for the cure of blind Hearts O take away the Vail that is upon my Heart and write thy Law there anoint my Eyes with the heavenly Unction of thy Holy Spirit open my Understanding that I may see the wonderous things contained in thy Law give me to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Thus a sound and sincere Mind seeketh and savoureth the Truths of Christ and herein consisteth its Subjection to his Yoke the Understanding is subdued to the Wisdom of Christ in his Prophetical Office so as that when at any time he shall please by his Word and Spirit to let into the Mind the light of any Truth it yields quietly and readily to the Authority and Power of that Truth will not dare not invent Excuses to defeat its Erraud be it never so hard to cut off a right Hand Lust c. but saith Amen Lord be it so I am content thou should'st use the severest Methods for slaying my Corruptions O let it be done whatever it cost me any thing Blessed Jesus rather than Sin unsubdued O let thy Word King it over my Lusts and be enthron'd in my Heart accordingly when it falleth like a two edged Sword upon such a Sin the sound and submissive Mind willingly lies under the Blow and saith more of this good Lord strike again and again lay the Ax of this Truth to the Root of my Heart Lust and down with it Root and Branch What then shall become of those whose Minds are so far from a ready compliance with the Truths of Christ as a Prophet as that they rebelliously controul him in his Office It may be he hath come in such a Sermon and by his Spirit hath directed the Arrow of Conviction to such a Man's Conscience and thereby instructed him how ready he is to assist in getting off Sin 's Yoke and putting on Christ's Well! what has been the Carriage and Behaviour of this Wretch under this why instead of siding and taking part with the Light of the Spirit in this Truth of Christ he has sided with Satan and his own Corruption labouring to extinguish this Candle of the Lord and to blow out this Light of Conviction and set his Lust in battel array to fight against the Truth and will rather part with his Blood and Life than with his Sins O this is high and open Rebellion against Christ The Lord keep you young Ones from it This then is the first thing contained in bearing Christ's Yoke viz. Subjection of the Understanding and Mind to the Truths and teaching of Christ the great Prophet of his Church 2. It containeth in it a subjection of the Will to Christ both to obey him as King and fiducially to receive and trust in him as the Great High-Priest who alone was able to make Atonement and Reconciliation for Sin by his once offering up himself a Sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice Now herein chiefly consists our Subjection to Christ's Yoke when the Will is won over to a full consent to receive and obey him both as Jesus and Lord Col. 2. 6. This answereth both the great Design and Intendment of the Gospel of Christ and also the Exigency of our lost and undone State when the Will comes up to a true Closure to say as in Isa 26. 12 13. O Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou hast wrought all thy Works in us O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name Also in Acts 9. 6. And he trembling speaking of Paul at the time of his Conversion or coming under Christ's Yoke and astonished said Lord What wilt thou have me to do Hence Psal 110. 3. we read Christ's Subjects are said to be a willing People in the Day of his Power And Acts 11. 23. Barnabas exhorteth to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of Heart There is indeed an imperfect ineffectual Work often found in young People Agrippa-like Acts 26. 28. Then Aprippa said unto Paul almost thou perswadest me to be
a Christian The Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports within a very little thou perswadest me So there are such in our Times in whom there are hopeful Appearances of their being perswaded to come under the Yoke not only rouzed awakened in their Consciences but their Affections moved yea their Wills stirred up to Resolutions that they will never live as they have done under the cruel Yoke and Slavery of their Youthful Lusts but will repair to Christ and submit their Necks to his Yoke of Service And yet after all this return to their vomit with the Dog 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. are intangled with their Youthful Vanities again and through the Inchantments and Allurements of evil Companions and their own Hearts Lusts all their Convictions and Resolutions are choaked and perished like an imperfect Embryo and nothing comes to Perfection This is a common but woful Case But now in this Subjection of the Will to the Yoke of Christ there is an abiding stedfastness the Will saith when through Grace it is set right let Titles of Honour Treasures of Gold and Silver c. sink or swim go which way they will a Christ I must and will have he and he alone shall rule in me and raign over me his Interest shall prevail with me over all other Interests let the World come vailed over with the most glorious and glittering Allurements let Satan come with an All these will I give thee if thou wilt quit the Service of Christ let Sin present it self with its Decoys of Gain and Pleasure c. all these would be scorned as too mean and poor a Bribe to draw off the Will of one of Christ's Loyal Subjects from his gracious Yoke You have a lively Instance of this in Paul after his Conversion and coming under the Yoke Acts 20. 22. tho he knew that nothing but Bonds and Imprisonments waited for him in every City yet saith he None of these things move me And when the good People would have perswaded him not to venture himself among the Enemies of Christ at Jerusalem he bravely and boldly rejoins Why weep ye and break my Heart I am not only ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the Name of Christ No Disswasions Difficulties Dangers could either divert or stop his Loyalty and Obedience to Christ when called to suffer Hypocrites indeed call Christ Lord but it 's no more than an empty Title as is evident in an Hour of Temptation and Trial when Christ and the World come in Competition then it appeareth who is their Lord according to that known Scripture Rom. 6. 16. Know you not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or Obedience unto Righteousness Ah my Brethren it is a sure and certain Truth that no Man can serve two Masters Math. 6. 24. If thy Will be subdued to the Kingly Office of Christ thou wilt be glad to find every Thought and Imagination in thy Soul brought into Subjection to him and none of his Commands will be grievous but joyous and it will be grievous to thee to find any thing remaining in thee that savoureth of Rebellion against his Soveraignty So it is likewise with respect to his Priestly Office A Will Subject to him herein renounceth all its own Righteousness desireth to be found alone in Christ's Righteousness stands fully assured in this that no Prayers Tears Duties Services of our own could ever have availed any thing with an impartially jealous and righteous God unless Christ by his own Blood had made Atonement c. Hence its constant Language is In the Lord alone have I righteousness and strength And here it ventureth the eternal weight of the Soul alone upon the Merits and Mediation of Christ saying If I perish I perish 3. Coming under and bearing Christ's Yoke containeth in it A Subjection of our Lives to Christ in the Duties of Obedience or as the Apostle phraseth it 1 Tim. 4. 7. Exercising our selves unto Godliness and in Acts 24. 16. the same Apostle saith Herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God And towards Men Again Rom. 2. 7. it is called a patient continuance in well-doing seeking for Glory c. It standeth not only in Principles of Knowledg and Faith but also in Matters of Practice and keeping his Commandments 1 John 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him A Scripture which if duly considered is enough to discover many Professors to be Liars that have got so much Notional Knowledg as is sufficient to set their Tongues a moving but not to set their Hands a working or their Shoulders a bearing the Yoke of Christ And of these the Scripture speaketh in the last Times 2 Tim. 3. 5. that They have a Form of Godliness but deny the Power of it And in Titus 1. 16. they profess they know God but in Works deny him I could wish it were not the prevailing Plague and Distemper of our Times My Beloved bearing Christ's Yoke is not hugging of a Darling Opinion or spinning the Cobweb of a sine Profession but it consists in the living Spirit of Christ dwelling in us within as the Principle and in a Spiritual and Holy living to Christ extant without us as the Genuine Improvement thereof The Kingdom of God as the Apostle speaketh consisteth not in Word but in Life and Power Hence we have it in Titus 2. 11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath therefore appeared that it might teach us to deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and that we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World and in ver 14. Christ gave himself that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Pray how doth our Saviour describe his Sheep but by their following of him or that Fleece of Holiness which they wear So here by bearing his Yoke wherein I might shew you how it includes both the exercise of those several Graces of a Christian as Repentance Faith Love Thankfulness c. and also the performance of all those Duties of Christianity as Hearing Praying Receiving and Sanctifying the Sabbath doing justly and shewing Mercy c. But that it would exceed the Limits of a single Sermon Wherefore I shall pass on to the second general Head which according to my Method laid down is II. To clear it up to you that to come under and bear the Yoke of Christ in the time of Youth is the summary of all that is truly good Now for the clearing up of this I shall sum the proof of it up in these two things 1. That it is so if you consider it absolutely and in its own Nature 2. That it is so if you consider it relatively in respect to its Effects and Consequences 1.
For the former nothing can be more unquestionable and plain if you do but survey what hath been largely spoken of the Nature of Christ's Yoke and the bearing of it All which amounts to this viz. That on his part it is no other than a restoring Apostate Man to the Image and Favour of God again the bringing you under the Gospel and there by his Word and Spirit to open your Eyes to renew you in the Spirit of your Minds to slay the Enmity to circumcise your Hearts to love the Lord your God to alter and change that Hellish Bias that was on your Wills whereas otherwise you would run upon your own Ruine and soon be made the deplorable Spectacle of a Sin-revenging Justice So that the very Nature and Use of Christ's Yoke on his part is a main part of your Happiness and true Felicity for pray tell me what miserable Wretches were you continuing under the Power of a carnal Mind that is not cannot be while such subject to the Holy Law of God the most material Branch of which Law is to love and delight in the Blessed God wherein so much of Heaven it self lieth that without it Heaven would be a kind of Hell for their could be no Agreement and so no Enjoyment what Communion can Light have with Darkness Or Christ with Belial Can two walk together i. e. take delight in living together that are not agreed I have read of the Irish Earth that no Venemous Creature can endure to to live upon it But my Brethren the Irish Earth would better brook a Toad than Heaven a carnal Mind or a carnal Mind Heaven O young Man What wilt thou do with that carnal corrupt Heart of thine It is impossible while such to obey this Law of Love which if thou can'st not obey Woe to thee living Woe to the dying for enter Heaven and enjoy God thou never can'st if thy Heart before hand be not fram'd to love and take Complacency and Delight in him and this can never be till Christ's Yoke and Government take place in and over you the first and chief Branch whereof on his Part Is to circumcise your Hearts to love the Lord your God Deut. 30. 6. And therefore nothing can be more evident than this that to bear the Yoke of Christ is the summary of all that is truly good And it will be no less evident if you survey on our part the nature of coming under and bearing this Yoke which is no other than a yielding our whole selves to God Rom. 6. 13. Or a cordial unfeigned surrendring upon the Gospel-Proclamation which may be shadowed forth thus suppose in a well-govern'd State there should be a Conspiracy among the Subjects and instead of continuing in a Dutiful Subjection they hatch Rebellion and it breaks out openly Now in this Case the Law proclaims them Rebels and justly condemns them to a shameful Death but the Prince out of his Grace and Mercy puts forth a Proclamation of Pardon upon their throwing down their rebellious Arms and returning to their Obedience Now as in all Similitudes some difference is allowed so it must be here be sure for amongst Men it may so happen that the Rebelling Party may be the stronger or upon equal ground and so may stand upon their own Terms treat and capitulate with their Swords in their Hands having Strength to defend themselves and subsist without Peace with or a Pardon from their Prince But now here it is otherwise between the Great and Almighty God and poor sorry rebellious Man God is infinitely powerful justly provoked able to destroy wretched Rebels both Soul and Body in a Moment Now in this State of Things I demand of thee poor Sinner art thou able to contend with the Almighty Can'st thou subsist or live without Peace with him Should he come forth in a way of Wrath and Vengeance where would'st thou appear or shew thy Traitrous Head Surely in thy State of utter Impotency thou darest not say thou art in any capacity of meeting God in the Field well notwithstanding all this Disparity yet the High and Lofty One whose Name is Holy against whom you have sinned he who stands in no need of you nor your Subjection nor your Salvation it is he that sendeth forth a Proclamation of Pardon and Peace founded in the Blood of his own Son and that at a time when you lay in your own Blood and Filth of Sin and all was lost and when you were Enemies whom in Justice he might have sent to Hell in all you Gore and Guilt Rom. 5 6 7 8. And when there could have been no remission without the effusion of the Blood of Jesus then did he commend his Love to you and spared not his one and only Son but delivered him up to the Death for poor Sinners and entereth a new Covenant issueth out the Gospel-Proclamation viz. That notwithstanding all your Sin and Unworthiness and that dreadful Charge and Sentence of the Law that lieth against you yet hath the Great God made rich Provisions of Mercy upon your Return and Submission for your gracious Reception and Remission he hath found out a Ransom viz. the Price of his own dear Son's Blood and hath set him forth in the Gospel To be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 25. So that let the Wicked now forsake his evil ways and turn in unto this strong Hold and make Peace and he shall make Peace I will have Mercy I will abundantly pardon tho his Sins be as Scarlet I will make them as white as Snow I will not only forego all the Advantages my Justice had against him but will be pacified towards him and embrace and receive him to favour and reward him with an eternal weight of Glory as if he had never offended and rebelled against me O Infinite astonishing Condescention of the Blessed God! thus to beseech rebellious Sinners to be reconciled to him in his Son Certainly you will say if there be the least spark of Ingenuity towards God or drop of Tenderness and Care left in you towards your own Souls O wonderous O joyful News enough to melt down a Stone unspeakable are the sweet Bonds and dear Obligations lying on us to surrender our selves upon this Proclamation Why now be it known to you ye young Ones that your coming under and bearing this Yoke is no other thing in the nature of it on your part Thus an hearty yielding subjecting of your Minds to Christ as your Prophet saying Lord Jesus I yield here is my Mind bring into it what Light thou pleasest and so of your Wills and Life subjecting the same to him as Priest and King to be your Atonement and Peace to save you from your Sins and govern and rule you by the gracious Scepter and Yoke of his sacred and sweet Precepts I now refer it to your selves whether this be not the Summary of all that is truly good If any should object
talk in a customary manner of Conversion the Lord be merciful to us and it s much to be feared for the most part it is but Talk Had we Ministers a clearer realizing view of the Truth of Matters between a Holy God and Multitudes of the Professors of this Age it were enough to make us with Ezekiel stamp with the Foot lie on our Side and eat Dung and with weeping Jeremiah to cry out O that our Head were Waters c. and with Isaiah to cry aloud and lift up our Voice like a Trumpet to shew Professors their Sins mournfully complaining who hath believed our Report To whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed Ah I fear the Lord is angry his Spirit retired and withdraw'n from our Assemblies a Spirit of Carnality has broke out and brought forth a Spirit of Division in these Days of Liberty Church-Members many prove rotten and are become like Salt that hath lost its Savour we grow Bulky instead of Holy run out into Leaves and Stalk instead of Fruit hollow instead of hearty the honour of our Profession is laid in the Dust Ministers die away apace grey Hairs are on us but who lays it to Heart O that this were not our Case Verily unless the Lord of Hosts had left among us a Remnant we had been as Sodom and as Gomorrha Isa 1. 9. And a Remnant there must still be or the ruin of the Land is near My self with many others are upon the Brink of Eternity and will be removed from you by Death shortly wherefore you young People had need beware and tremble at any further delays of your Conversion and coming under Christ's Yoke in such Days as these wherein our Iniquities are increased over our Heads and reach up to the Heavens and there is so much of a dead Formality reigning among Professors and so little of the Power of Christianity It is sad to see how some young Men descended of Religious Parents are so yok'd to Evil Company c. That Parents Tears Sighs Groans melting Intreaties and Expostulations are weak as Water cast upon the Ground and their Childrens Lusts strong as Goliah or the Sons of Zerviah too hard for all so that one may almost as soon draw a Camel through a Needle-Eye or pull one Limb from another as draw or pull them from their Cups and Evil Companions Moreover it is lamentable to consider enough one would think to turn this Place into a Bochim how many Yokeless Christless young Men and Maidens and Children are here before the Lord this Day and that are like so to live and so to die after all our Endeavours to save them O do not think I am uncharitable the Searcher of Hearts knoweth what my Hearts Desire and Prayer hath been and is for you and how glad I would be in this Matter to be mistaken O young People Presumption is the reigning Sin among you in this secure Age both in City and Country Conversion is another manner of matter than many apprehend there is according to Scripture much required to make it sound and bespeak it saving The Lord keep you from Flatteries and Deceits in this thing so that it is upon this Consideration that we manage our present Intreaty to come under the Yoke and what can be more awful Wide is the Gate and broad is the way to Hell and many saith Christ go in there but strait is the Gate c. Ah how bitter is it to think how many are now yoked in Chains of Darkness with Devils for refusing Christ's Yoke the last Year How numerous is your last Year's Printed Bill of Mortality near one and twenty thousand that have died in and about this great City and it is computed by some that the one half according to the Term and Date of Man's Life set down in Psal 90. 10. had not lived out half their Days now as many of these as died unconverted whether Young or Old are now perished and are past all hope of recovery to all Eternity But now what if many of you that have escap'd the last Year and now are hearing me should be found going after them in the same Steps of Impenitency and Unbelief refusing the gracious Yoke of Christ and so before this New-Year is finished you should have finished and filled up the measure of your Sins and be turned among them into Hell too would not that be a Woful and Dreadful thing Verily Sirs it 's bitter as Death to see some of you just of the same stubborn Temper making light of all that God or Man say to you on you go still in your former Course of Undutifulness Pride c. Notwithstanding the warnings of Providence the threatnings of Vengeance the checks of Conscience the waitings of Patience and all the melting Methods of Divine Clemency and Indulgence yet mad upon your Youthful Lust trifling in the momentous concerns of your precious and immortal Souls and you seem as if you were resolved to continue so my earnest desire is that it may not be so with any of you here this Day But yet I am not without Jealousies and Fears least this Sermon should leave divers of you as very Belialites i. e. refusing the Yoke of Christ as it found you Well! the Lord be witness between you and I whether I have not set Life and Death Good and Evil before you and whether if any of you should perish you perish for want of warning or no 2. Consider how uncertain the youngest of you are of out-living the present New-Year Young Man what is thy Life Is it not as a Vapour Jam. 4. 14. It is wholly conceal'd from every Soul of you whether the present Day may not be your last and a Writ of Ejection be served upon you before another Day Luke 12. 20. It is but a slender weak Thread that ties thy Soul and Body together viz. The Breath that goeth out of thy Nostrils if that be once stopt which may soon be thou art gone hence and must return no more Ah how many now in the beginning of this New-Year are big with Projects and Purposes about the World that will be numbred with the Dead and be laid in the Dust before the half of its Month's be numbred and accomplished Certainly a serious Consideration hereof is enough to enforce and constrain you without one Moments delay to come under the Yoke of Christ It was Augustine's Speech that he would not for a Million of Worlds be an Atheist one half-hour because he knew not but God might take him away in that half-Hour of Atheism O young Man awake now out of this sinful Security and flie for Refuge to Christ and his Yoke since thou knowest not but thy next time of Sleep thy Soul may be required and thou may'st awake no more 3. Consider how many of God's own Children walk in the bitterness of their Souls to this very day in bearing the reproach of their Youth for not bearing the
Yoke of Christ earlier in their Youth Jer. 31. 18. 19. Ephraim bemoaned himself saying I have been as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Job 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth O young People did you but know what some have suffered and undergone crying out in the Day-time thy Hand O Lord lieth heavy on me and in the Night-time their Sore running grievously upon this account surely you would be awakened to other Apprehensions about the necessity of an Early Coming under the Yoke For my own part I have passed the Days of my Youth but the bitter remembrance of my Vanity Pride Self-conceit Idleness and foolish mispending of precious Time c. will stick by me and like a Goad stick in me so long as I live So that as is reported of the Jewish Rabbies that they use to say concerning the Great Sin of the Isrealites worshipping the Golden Calf that after it there never was any remarkable Judgments befel that People of the Jews but there was an Ounce of the Calf in it that is there was a Lash in it for that Sin such have been my Thoughts that to this day I never met with any bitter strokes in the Course of God's Holy Providence towards me but that place of Ephraim and Job runs in my mind which I mentioned but now Thou makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth It may be some of you may be apt to think and say he is a good Man would my Soul was in his Soul stead and condition Alas Alas you know not what you say the Heart knoweth its own Bitterness a Stander by a Stranger doth not It 's true I bless the Lord who gave me Councel at length and for what ever he hath done for me wrought in me O Eternity it self is little enough to praise him I am sure it 's his own and not of me Oh no let me be vile in my own Apprehensions as low as Hell whether I had certainly run had the Lord left me to my self But all I say is O that I had bore the Yoke earlier in my Youth I could repeat it from my very Soul a thousand times O that I had c. Those Words of Augustine have often affected me Sero â—e amavi Domine O Lord too late have I loved thee The Heart-searching God knoweth if my Heart deceives me not that I could wish I had born the most torturing racking Pains and Miseries of this Life rather than delayed so long to come under Christ's Blessed Yoke But why do I thus run out in publick on this Subject it may be some may think it were fitter for the Closet than the Pulpit Well! be it known to you my private Recesses have been no Strangers to these things But who can tell what good the Lord may do by it as since the Preaching of it I praise the Lord I have had an account of one that hereby was awaken'd Is there any Evil in declaring it for one that has heedlesly run upon a Rock and suffered Damage to call out to others that are failing the same Course to stop and tack about least they fall into the same Distress So for me that to the 19th Year of my Age was Foolish and Disobedient c. to call out to you that have not as yet fulfilled those Years or if you have exceeded them that you would proceed no further in your foolish and trfling Delaies I see there be many of you that are are just entring the Teens well hear it for your Good you are in the Posession of a Jewel which some here would give the whole World for if they had it supposing they had their Eyes opened to see the Cheats of Sin and Youthful Pleasures c. The Lord make you wise for Eternity 4. Consider what a World of Suitors you above all others have Jebovah Father Son and Holy Spirit Court and Councel you hence a great part of the Scriptures are penned for your Sake God hath a kindness for your Age and makes his first Applications to you he covets the beginning of your Strength and you may therefore be assured that what he seeks he will accept if you come in and yield to his Yoke But it 's probable some be ready to object if he so much desire us why don't he he conquer and convert us Answ O take heed of replying against God least your Bonds be made strong know it therefore the way wherein he will be found and let out of his powerful Spirit and Grace is the way of fervent frequent Prayers redeeming Time waiting diligently at Wisdom's Gates and watching against the Enticements of Sinners in all which there is Infinite Mercy and Grace and after all will you dare to Blaspheme his Wisdom in appointing and his Mercy in affording you these Means and then cast out your Foam against the God of Heaven and say why don't he convert me O if you understood all you would rather stand admiring and say why has he not damned me Is it fit a Holy God should be thus reproach'd by so mean a Worm as thou Or is it reasonable you should expect that he should force you against your Wills Moreover Satan the World and the Flesh are desirous of your Age the Devil knows your Weakness want of Experience proness to put off the thoughts of Death and Judgment what Folly is bound up in your Hearts c. Hence he is very busy with Youth as being very desirous of the Male in your Flock O then what need had Youth to bestir themselves least so subtile and malicious an Enemy blind them to their own Perdition 5. Consider what an Advantage you have above old Sinners First as you have more hope in your present Case you have not so often grieved the Spirit nor repulsed so many Checks of Conscience nor stifled so many Convictions nor is Sin grown so old and deeply rooted in you by a long Custom as it is in others Which Secondly is a mighty Advantage in your turning to God viz. preventing the Power and Plague of an evil Custom Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopean change his Skin c. It 's an amazing thing to consider how some that have accustomed themselves to that beastly Sin of Drunkenness have thereby been brought so under its Power as in despight of all Arguments the bitter Cries of a starving ragged Family the Danger of Arrests the Flashes of Hell in their Consciences that by times have met with Reproofs of Ministers c. yet have still continued in that Sin to their Destruction O young Man you have this Advantage above old Sinners you may avoid the Plague of an ill Custom a Plague I think a Man had better never been born than to be under 6. Consider what you are till you come under the Yoke you are Children