seldom of all Acts of Disobedience â—uffer that of marrying against the consent of Parents go off the stage of this Life unpunished And then for Servants that are under the Yoke who are in great danger of miscarryâ—ng in that Relation let me prevail with â—hem to treasure up these following Scriâ—â—ures Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Col. 3. 22 23 24 â—5 1 Tim. 6. 1 2. And especially study that Titus 2. 9 10. and 1 Pet. 2. 18. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters â—nd to please them well in all things not answering again not purloining but shewing all â—ood fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine â—f God our Saviour in all things O remember that in serving your Masters after the flesh in singleness of Spirit you herein serve the Lord Christ Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Sabbath-breaking I Have shewed you how prone Youth is to this Sin and those that are afraid of pilfering from Man and robbing their Masters of their Goods yet make no Conscience of pilfering and robbing God of his time O what multitudes of Youth make this day to be the day of finding their carnal pleasures and recreating themselves wherefore to direct you how you may flee this Sin 1. Consider God hath sanctified and blessed this day not only as a day for his own Worship but for his own Workmanship in a new creating us in Christ Jesus it 's a special day for dispensing of Grace and Pardon to undone condemned Sinners and should we not then sanctify it and keep it holy On this day the golden Scepter of Grace and Mercy is held forth and Proclamation is made of an Act of Oblivion to all rebellious Sinners that shall throw down their Weapons of Enmity and come in and subject themselves to the Lord Jesus that their Sins and Iniquities however aggravated shall be pardoned and be remembred no more for ever and not only so but a Marriage Feast is on this day instituted to be celebrated a Feast of fat things wherein the returning Prodigal is crowned with all the expressions of joy and honour Bring forth the fatted Calf the best Robe the Ring let Heaven rejoyce and make merry c. O Youth what are thy Esau-like morsels abroad in the Field but as the husks that Swine do eat to the dainties of a Father's house O the time is at hand when the crumbs that fall from the Lord's Table will be more desirable than all the sweet meats of Sin and the Flesh that thou meetest with in thy rambles on God's Holy day Thou gainest a little fleshly content and merriment but losest the blessednesses promised in Isa 56. 2. Blessed Ashre there is the plural number is the man that doth this that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it The blessedness of gracious communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus c. And who can express the heavenly comfort of that O would you ever be drunk with Wine or bewitched with the sordid pleasures of the Flesh If you had once drank of this high Country Wine the Wine of Heaven's consolations Heark Young Man to those that have tryed it Psal 84. How amiable are thy Tabernacles c. And so the Psalm runs on One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste 2 Cant. 3. But I must not enlarge 2. Meditate upon this how woful a Sin-Sabbath-breaking is and how woful a condition Sabbath-breakers are in To profane the Sabbath is a Sin of an high nature it is a vile despising the Riches of God's goodness Alas You could not have a Sabbath but from his astonishing mercy Be sure then to profane a Sabbath is a surpassing Provocation beyond the Sin of the Devil who never had the mercy of one day of the Son of Man 's afforded him Moreover it indicates and sheweth that you have no delight in God in his Service who have no delight in his day and is thy want of Love to God a small Sin When it is as one saith the very heart of the old Man the badge of Devils and damned Spirits And then consider how woful the condition of Sabbath-breakers is they carry about them the mark of Death and Hell as 't were in their Foreheads wherever they go for it 's past all doubt that Sabbath-breakers are under the wrath of God and in a state of alienation to him and will certainly perish if they continue in that state O Young Man strongly impress this on thy heart and say Is this a tolerable condition Is it wisdom to continue it an hour longer O think with your selves what if I had dyed in this Case what had become of me how exceedingly thou art beholden to the patience of God that he hath not cast thee into Hell The Lord open your eyes and imprint this Meditation upon your hearts then you would admire the mercy of a Sabbath and the provisions of grace in the Ordinances and you would loath and detest the Tempter that would entice you to waste a Moment of so blessed a Day Wherefore to close this I shall recite the Testimony of a wise and learned Person * J. Hales of this Nation who was as is noted of him natus ad exemplar born to be an Example to others This Excellent Person writing to his Children of whom he travail'd in Birth that Christ might be formed in them he freely opens his mind in these following Words I now write something to you says he touching the Observation of the Lord's day because I find in the World much Looseness and Apostacy from this Duty People begin to be cold and careless in it allowing themselves Sports and Recreations and secular Imployments in it without any necessity which is an ill presage and a sad Spectacle He there makes this profession and declaration to them I have found says he by a strict diligent observation that a due observation of the Duties of this Day has ever had joyned to it a Blessing upon the â—est of my time and the Week that has been so begun has been blessed and prosperous to me And on the other side when I have been negligent in and of the Duties of this Day the rest of the Week has been unsuccesful and unhappy to my own secular Imployment and this I do not write lightly or inconsiderately but upon long and sound Experience Here I thought to have given you a quotation of many Instances very remarkable of God's punishing the breakers of this Holy Day but it would swell this Treatise too big for the Poor to purchase it and there are indeed few Months that pass but you have sad memorials hereof at â—yburn of Malefactors crying out of this Sin as introductory to all others and the source and spring of all their Miseries The next Sin that Youth is addicted to is Pride Remedies against
morrow is as the Proverb runs To count your Chickens before thâ— be hatched It is reported of Caesar that he would never let his Soldiers know when or where he meant to march next So here it is altogether uncertain at whose door God may knock next by a sudden Death he doth not always send out the Scouts and fore-runners of a lingring sickness as warnings of our approaching change But sometimes in a moment in the midst of youthful security and jolligy he lops down the strong and healthful while he spareth the more infirm and sickly There is no condition of Life but we have instances how it hath been imbitter'd by sudden deaths occasioned and sometimes by falls either of a House or Horse or else by falls off a House or Horse and sometimes by Fire kindling upon Persons when asleep and sometimes by Water persons falling into it when awake Again sometimes by preternatural Heats and Colds some burnt up with Feavers others drown'd with Humours some choaked with Quinsies others snatch'd away with Apoplexies in so short a breath that they have not time to cry out for help Innumerable are these Casualties that you young ones lie open to and how dangerous then is it to delay though you are now free from pain and in good health may not the same be said of many others who died suddenly and it may be delayed their Repentance on the like grounds as you do O foolish and unwise who hath bewitched you Moreover it is to be considered that your present delaying to flâ— your Lusts doth exceedingly provoke the Lord of your Life and Time to cut shoâ— your Life for how can you reasonably expect that the Almighty in whom ye live and move and have your being shoulâ— prolong the days of such Rebels who makâ— no other use of their time but to affront anâ— dishonour him O young people hoâ— righteous a thing would it be for God â— cut you off and deny you a longer conâ—â—nuance on Earth while you put him oâ— and delay your Repentance and Return â— him Surely if thou resolvest upon a prâ—sent league with thy Youthful Lusts refusing a divorce as yet between them and thâ— Soul it is most just with God to resolve up on a present divorce between thy Soul anâ— Body and to refuse thee an hours patienâ— more Wherefore O mortal Youth â— minute Dust and Ashes represent to thâ— self thy danger if thou delay the time â— thy delay is a time full of danger upon thâ— account viz. the uncertainty of thy time oâ— Life But then 2. It is dangerous in regard of the uncertainty of thy time of Grace So thâ— suppose thou hadst an assurance â—â— the continuance of thy time of Life sâ— many Years as Hezekiah had yet whâ— would that avail thee while thou art at utter uncertainty about thy time of Grace If you enquire what I mean by time of Grace I Answer it stands in the enjoyments of the usual means of Salvation which are two fold first the outward preaching of the Word secondly the inward strivings and motions of the Spirit these make up a time of Grace which is called an acceptable time a time wherein God may be found a day of Salvation in Psal 32. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now such a time much differeth from that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the time of our Life which lasteth as long as our Lives last Alas there is many a man out-lives his time of Grace hence Luke 19. O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes The time of Grace is tempus labile a transient thing delay but one quarter of an hour longer and thou mayst with Esau be rejected and find no more any place for an acceptable Repentance post est occasio calva Ah how did Esau weep and take on after he had lost his time of Grace he might once have had the time of Blessing without those bitter Agonies but he delayed and loiter'd away his season Great is the mercy of God to allow man a time of Grace on Earth but great is the misery of man as Solomon saith Eccles 8. 6. because he discerns not his time who can give a due estimate of enjoying the Gospel wherein so great Salvation iâ— offered to Sinners Behold I stand at the Door and knock c Rev. 3. 20. Though thou haâ— played the Herlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord. Jer. 3. 1. O Israel thou haâ—t destroyed thy self but in me â—â— thy help found As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner c. Ezek. 33. 11. As though God did be seech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead that you be reconciled â—â— God 2 Cor. 5. 19. In the Gospel we have the love of God commended to us in thâ— when we were Enemies Christ died for uâ— we have his admirable Condescension hiâ— manifold Invitations his precious Overtures his strange and wonderful Reasoningâ— Turn ye turn ye why will ye dye His reiâ—â— rated Calls Isa 55. 1. Come come come three times in one verse O the incomparable love and kindness that is displayed iâ— the Gospel to poor Sinners O that theâ— was in young People a Heart to understanâ— these things that concern their Peace in thiâ— their day before they are for ever hid from their Eyes Sure you would not shuffle anâ— shift off these blessed offers of Grace witâ— dilatory excuses did you but consider hoâ— soon the Market will be over and gone hoâ— soon your plenty may be turn'd into penuâ—y a Famine may arise of hearing the Worâ— of the Lord and thy Soul perish for want â—â— Vision thy Teachers may be removed by Death natural or civil or God may send the Gospel one way and thee another O young man now thou hast the Lord's Voice in the publick Ministry of his Servants crying to thee Flee flee thy youthful Lusts to day while called to day O hear his Voice this day this hour of the day without any longer delay for you are wholly uncertain whether if you should live till a to morrow ever you shall have another Call you are not the disposer of his Offers and Calls sometimes God hath been quick with Sinners he hath invited them to come in and they not regarding he hath immediately rejected them Luke 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of the men that were bidden shall taste of my Supper Therefore take heed it is dangerous deferring that which the Lord spake of Judgment and Affliction in the 1. of Nahum 9. I will make an utter end Affliction shall not rise up the second time may be fulfilled concerning his gracious offers and invitations in the Gospel possibly the Lord will make an utter end of speaking you may never hear more from him be sure he will at last come to an end of
that Pleasure went out at first on occasion to Bathe her self and having stript off her Cloaths laid them by the Water side but Sorrow having hid her self in the Covert as unseen steals the Cloaths away puts them on and so departs Hence multitudes are cheated they run and ride court and woo Pleasure which they have no sooner obtained but they perceive their Error alas it is nothing but Sorrow got in Pleasures Cloaths O young man that art so eager after Pleasures you know not what you so earnestly reach after do but enquire of those that have detected the Cheat and they will tell you there is nothing in all the world so deceitful as Sin it deceived Angels above and Man beneath it promiseth credit and pays with shame it promiseth ease and pays with pain it promiseth Bread and pays with Stones it promiseth a Paradise of pleasure and pays with a Wilderness of Sorrows it promiseth Liberty and pays with Bondage it promiseth Satisfaction and Content and pays with nothing but vexation and disappointment O young man enquire e're thou venturest enquire cui bonâ— to what purpose What shall I gain by Pleasures Shall I be more free for and cheerful in the Service of God will my Soul be more heavenly or my Body more healthy what will come of this pleasure will it forward me in the way to Heaven or Hell will it pay charges at last This hunting after Sensual Pleasures and neglecting God and my precious Soul what aspect will it have in its final review Alas young men if you would bring things to a close tryal and scrutiny the vail of Sins pretences is so thin that you might presently detect its falshood and in unmasking and discovering it Lyes you would rcceive much advantage in fortifying you against its Allurements I end this with St. Paul's Exhortation Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily lest you be hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin And then Eighthly and Lastly Consider in order to the fleeing of this youthful Sin of an eager pursuit of vain Pleasure that you shall not loose but gain true pleasure and by abandoning the spurious and pernicious Pleasures of Sin a sound Conversion of thy Heart and Life to God will but exchange thy Pleasures and exchange is no robbery Sure it would be a great favour and kindness to take from thee the filthy muddy ditch-waters of Sin and present thee with the pure and precious Waters of Life Were that man hurt that should have a glass of Poyson took out of his Hand and a Cup of Sack put in O youth I must not spare to tell thee that thou wilt never taste one drop of true Delight and Pleasure till thou art converted and become seriously Relious It is no part of God's meaning when we enter his sweet Service that we should be debarred of Pleasures for the Ways of Wisdom are Ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Paths of Peace Prov. 3. 17. But only that we should exchange the Onions and Garlick of Egypt for the Milk and Honey of Canaan Isaac must not be sacrificed but the Ram So here all ramish and rank Pleasures must but not the Soul-ravishing and refreshing pleasures at God's right hand Psal 16. 11. O that you would but make Experiment hereof you will find One Hour's praying better than a thousand of prophane fudling as Mr. An. Burg. saith thou wilt find one hours enjoyment of Christ as thy Husband by Faith better then all the wanton Dalliances and unchaste imbracements of unlawful objects So that young man thou fleest from true Pleasures when thou fleest not thy youthful sensual Pleasures the Lord bless these Considerations to thee Now this brings me to lay down some Rules to direct Youth how they may flee the next youthful Sins Remedies against those Youthful Sins of Flexibility in yielding to Temptations and readily going down the stream following a multitude to do evil and keeping ill Company c. THese Sins I have shewed you before are especially the Sins of Youth to be easily drawn and enticed to do as others do c. Now I shall very briefly offer you some Considerations for the fleeing of them 1. Consider Christ's Flock is but a little Flock and the Gate and Way to Life eternal is straight and narrow and they are but few that walk therein If you will not be content to go to Heaven with a few you are never like to come there The beaten Path is the common Road to Hell which hath used in all Ages to be thronged with Troops but Heaven's straight way from the time of the old World to this day hath at best had but a paucity of Walkers and sometimes a singularity as Noah in his day was singular and Elijah in his day left alone when there were 400 false Propheâ—s of Baal and Jeremiah was fain to weep in secret I confesâ— this is a shrewd temptation to â—oung People and of all Ages that age of Youth is most in danger of stumbling at it but O Youth is it not better to be â—aved alone or with a few than to perish with millions Had you lived in Noah's time when the Flood came would you not have rather chose to have been preserved with Noah's Family alone than drown'd with the rest tho' you had all the world to keep you company I remember the learned Breerwood divides the World into 30 parts and after a diligent pondering of it telleth us that 19 of the 30 are Paganish and of the 11 parts that remain he saith Mahumetism takes up six so that there remains but five for Christianism O that the Desire of all Nations might come and accomplish that Prophecy Isa 2. 1 2. When the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be exalted on the top of the mountains and all Nations shall flow into it So that you may see by this O Youth that thou must either renounce all hopes of Heaven and lay aside thy Christianity or else be willing to be singular to the World that lies in wickedness it 's the World's fashion to be prayerless and graceless but will you read Rom. 12. 1. with Jam. 1. 17. And then with these Scriptures see 1 John 2. 15 16. But it may be objected That you are câ—me out of the Pagan and Mahumetan World you go with the Christian World and therefore â—hat can be said against you but that you may do as other Christians do I answer with the Apostle that spake expresly of our times in that of 2 Tim. 1. and the five first Verses This know that in the last days perilous times shall come Men shall be so and so even in the Church of God having a form of godliness but denying the power Well what Advice doth he give as to these nominal Christians why in the very next words he saith From such turn away Alas in the Christian World the number of sound Believers is but small indeed if all that name
A Directory for Youth Through all the Difficulties attending that State of Life Or a Discourse of Youthful Lusts IN WHICH The Nature and Kinds of them are described and Remedies against them laid down First Preached to Young People and now Published at their Request By Samuel Pomfret Minister of the Gospel For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth Job 13. 26. His Bones are full of the Sins of his Youth which shall lie down with him in the Dust Job 20. 11. Remember not against me the Sins of my Youth Psal 25. 7. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my Youth Jer. 31. 19. Ad vos juvenes mihi Sermo flos aetatis periculum mentis Aug. de temp London Printed for John Dunton at the Black-Raven in the Poultry 1693. To the Young People that were Hearers of the following Sermons and since have been sollicitous for the Publishing of them Grace and Peace c. Beloved Friends THat sincere Affection and Compassion which God hath wrought in me to your precious Souls hath prevailed with me against my naâ—â—ral inclination to yield to your Request for the Printing those Sermons that I Preached from â—â— Tim. 2. 22. wherein is recommended to â—â— the weight and necessity of St. Paul's Adâ—â—â—ition to Timothy to Flee Youthful Lusts The Wise Man saith Prov. 25. 11. A â—ord spoken in season is like Apples of â—â—ld in Pictures of Silver And if so then must be allowed me that I have not miscarâ—â—d in my choice of such a Word spoken to you O that I might not miscarry in my wish for you namely that it may prove eventually a Word whereby you may be saved The Word damned is hard you would not have that to be your lot But pray permit me to tell you plainly and publickly without Lisping and Whispering that saved you cannot be and damned you must be except by a true and timous Repentance you flee your Lusts the infallible truth of which is originated in and built upon his Word who is Truth it self and cannot lye as you may see in the 6. Gal. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap 13. Luke 3. Except ye Repent ye shall perish 8. Rom. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye 20. Job 11. His Bones are full of the Sin of his Youth which shall lie down with him in the Dust 5. Prov. 11. And thou mourn at the last and say How have I hated Instruction c. 11. Eccles 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth but know thou that for these things God will bring thee to Judgment O Young People would you with due care apply these things to your own Souls it were enough to rent the very Caul of a secure Heart I know such is the Depravation of our Natures that if there were any possibility of escaping Hell and Damnation without fleeing our Lusts we should never voluntarily submit to this Godly Counsel given by St. Paul to young Timothy I have read of a Book that the Pope hath called Taxa Camerae Apostolicae wherein men may know the Rate of any Sin upon what terms men may keep a Whore be Drunk c. As to that it is a bundle of Lyes But the Inspired Scriptures may be truly call'd a Rate Book where any of you may know what a beloved Lust will cost without Repeneance viz. the Wrath of God in Hell and so everlastingly true is this that I beg you to despair of ever finding the least Jota of God's Word to fail or fall to the Ground unaccomplished I know you will be tempted to do as other Young People commonly do namely to forget these things and by the sloth and aversion of a wretched Heart in conjunction with Satan's temptations to be carried away to other trivial matters wherefore let me intreat you as ever you would avoid the Curse of Reuben Unstable as Waters to ballast your Hearts by laying in strong and powerful Convictions of the intollerable Evil of Sin the indispensible necessity of Christ and holiness the unconceiveable worth and the preciousness of your Souls and Time and the unavoidable approach of Death and Judgment Look ye you Young Folks the Breasts of whose Virginity hath not yet been press'd you are young and want that Experience that elder Christians have and therefore the greater allowance must be made you must allow your Souls more time to digest the great mysteries of Religion by Meditation and Prayer And you are more strongly bent to sensual Pleasures and Sports and to forget God and your Souls Death and Judgment And therefore you must so much the more chastise the pregnancy of that Vanity and Folly that is bound up in your Natures by a severer vigilance and abstinence When I was young it pleased God of his infinite Mercy to priviledge me above thousands with a Religious Education and by his restraining Grace to preserve me from open Prophaneness blessed be his holy Name But yet notwithstanding this to my own just shame I mention it in those early and wanton days of my Youth I was miserably vain foolish and disobedient serving divers Luâ—ts and Pleasures The bitter remembrance whereof hath for more than 20 Years past cost me Sighs and Groans unutterable Oh the time 's not to be numbred that I have wished I had been sick in Bed rather than sinning against so good a God the Remote parts of the World that I have been in the Roads I have journeyed in the Fields I have watched in the Nights I have watched on the Houses I have lived in and the Beds I have lain on can witness to my Tears and Sorrows while I have recogniz'd my Vanities and Folly And now forasmuch as it is utterly impossible for me to recall and recover those past and mispent days of my Youth I would on the bended Knee of Importunity for my own sake as well as your's beseech this one thing of you as I have of God for you viz. to take Warning and to be effectually perswaded by the Terrours of the Lord which I have felt to Flee that Youthful Lust and with that Godly young man Moses rather choose any Affliction than adventure to sin it 's a known Sentence felix quem faciunt c. It 's not unknown to many of you how unwilling I have been drawn to expose these my homely thoughts to publick view But an extream thirst after the present Conversion and Eternal Salvation of your Souls hath overswayed me herein I know God's Blessing upon it can make it effectual to reach this end which is all I aim at or am ambitious of and if it shall please Almighty God to make me a poor weak Instrument successful herein I shall go to my Grave with joy and esteem it so great a Recompence as if I were young again or had remembred my Creator in
the days of my Youth I am not ignorant of my own Infirmities but I write not to you Fathers and Mnasons old Disciples but to Children and Youth who need not strong Meat but Milk If any other should so far humble themselves as to cast an Eye upon so mean a Discourse with whom its business is not I would desire this of them that instead of loading this poor thing and its Author with harsh and hasty Censures they would lend it and him their help in their hearty Prayer to God for a Blessing upon the one and an increase of Gifts and Grace in the other I esteem my self oblig'd to acqudint you that two of these Sermons were Preached above a Year ago and those Young Men that were not my Auditors then may be apt to think that I have made great alterations in the transcribing of them for as much as here they will meet with a great deal more than what they heard in a single Sermon about six Weeks ago wherein through the streights of time I could do no more than just name many particulars which formerly I was large upon I shall detain you no longer only add this hearty desire for you That while many of your Age are hastening the Wrath of God upon this poor Nation by their Atheism Immoralities that you may be frequenting your Closets and on your Knees mourning for your own and the Nations Sins e're the Lord come upon us with his fierce Anger and there be no remedy which is the hearty desire of him who is a willing though weak and unworthy Servant of Christ Samuel Pomfret 2 Tim. II. xxii Flee also Youthful Lusts IN this Chapter Paul proceeds to direct Tim. in the right management of his great Work whereunto he was called in order to which he instructs him whence he should derive strength for it v. 1. then he exhorts him to propagate those truths to others which he had heard and received from him v. 2. then he encourageth him to endure hardness in his Work from a two fold Metaphor viz. that of a Souldier and an Husbandman who first strive and labour and afterwards receive the reward and reap the fruit of their pains from ver 3 d. to the 8th There he minds him of the Example of Christ who first suffered and died and afterwards was raised to life again and thence inferreth that all the faithful who suffer with him shall also live and reign with him for ever From v. 8. to the 14th and then he gives other instructions how he should behave himself as a workman that need not be ashamed dehorting him from all vain and prophane Bablings and Errors that began to infest the Church of God adding an argument that if a man purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel of Honour prepared for his Masters work from 14. to the 24th and so he cometh to the words in my Text Flee also youthful Lusts Which admonition to Tim. one would have thought might have been omitted and that upon a two fold account Tim. had an infirm weak Body and such sickly people usually incline more to minde a Winding-sheet than wanton Lusts Tim. was a holy young Man very temperate for the most part drinking only Water and such cold Liquor was more likely to quench than inflame the heat of Lusts and yet because Tim. was a young Man Paul saw need to give him this admonition Well then may you young people need it Besure it is written for your admonition in these last and leude days on whom the end of the World are come Wherefore attend thereunto as for your lives Flee youthful lusts In which words there is no need of any Logical division to detain you from this following Theological proposition which without the least violence done to the Text naturally floweth from it That it is a duty of special concernment to young people to flee youthful lusts In the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall endeavour the resolution of these following Questions Q. 1. What is the import of the word Flee Q. 2. What are those Youthful Lusts that you are so concerned to flee Q. 3. Why it as a duty of such special concernment for Youth to flee those lusts Q. 4. How young people may best Practice this their especial duty to flee youthful lusts Q. 1. What is the import of this word Flee Answ Now to Flee imports the swiftest motion as to run is more than to go so to flee is more then to run Wings are nimbler than Legs You know in all motion there is terminus a quo terminus ad quem the terms from which and the terms to which So it is here flee from sin to God Flee i. e. to the farthest distance from sin and to the nearest closure and union to God 11. Job 14 If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away How far so far as God puts it away when he pardons sin even as far as the East is from the West 103. Psal 12 So should you do in your Repentance for sin Object But we can as soon flee from our selves as from our Lusts in this sense the Law in our Members will abide Sol. Altho there cannot be in this life a perfect freedom from nor destruction of sins Being an existence this being only the priveledge of the glorified Souls above yet there may and must be a subversion of its Power and Dominion both in Heart and Life so that the meaning is flee from thy youthful lusts to the utmost distance even as far as the East is from the West in respect of thy love and affection to and practice of these lusts Tho sin is and will remain in thee yet maintain a continual alienation in thy heart and endeavours in thy life against it in a diligent use of all those sanctified means and spiritual remedies which God hath appointed for the abandoning thy youthful lusts Such as these following 1. Vehement desires and longings of soul after the mortification of them in their habits as well as external acts 7. Rom. 24. 2. Deep humblings of soul and loathings of self for former yieldings to thy Lusts 73. Psal 22. So foolish and ignorant was I even as a Beast before thee 31. Jer. 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoning himself thus I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Surely after I was instructed I smete upon my thigh I repented I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth 3. Earnest cries to Heaven for Preventing pardoning and purging Grace 19. Psal 13. Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion ever me 51. Psal 1. 2 7 10. verses Have mercy upon me O God according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin Purge me and I shall be clean create in me a clean heart O God 4. Fixed resolutions
Children Masters and Servants Officers and common Soldiers Rich and Poor and too frequently Ministers with the People the Buyer the Seller Verily if the Lord who threatneth to be a swift Witness against the Swearer should now come among us with his deserved as well as threatned Curse what scudding and crying to the Hills and Mountains to cover us would there be A Tree loaded with Boughs is fit for lopping a Sinner loaded with Oaths is fit to be hew'n down cast into Hell Fire A Chimney furr'd with Soot will take fire at last a Sinner's mouth furr'd with Oaths will at last without Repentance burn him with unquenchable Fire O how little is this considered by our common Swearers O young ones take heed of this Sin young Joseph when he was in a Swearing Court he learn'd to swear the Court-Oath viz. by the Life of Pharaoh that was his Sin But alas in our Age it 's become fashionable and a piece of Gentility to Swear by the Death Wounds Blood of Christ Petty Oaths of Mass Faith and Troth which in former times were most severely condemned by the good old Puritans Now wo to us we run to the highest form in the Devil's School and commence Masters of that Black Art of damme's and full-mouth'd Blasphemies Yea and the Lord be merciful to us our little Children have learn't it as soon as they can speak or waddle about Streets the sound whereof hath often pierced my Heart with my Ears the good Lord of Heaven and Earth banish it out of our Island or it will I fear sink us We are encompassed about with two Oceans saith one an Ocean of Waters and an Ocean of Mercies And let me add a third namely an Ocean of Oaths which if not reformed will bring a fourth viz. an Ocean of Miseries Some say Words are but Wind it 's true but it is such a Wind as will blow a Soul to Hell if Grace prevent it not 19. Another Sin that young people are notoriously given to and guilty of is Idle and Sinful squandring away their precious time young People think that they have such a profound and full stock of time to come that they have enough to spare and spend profusely and while away as the Countrey Phrase is at present and therefore they make little or nothing of lavishing out Hours and Days You know persons will spend prodigally out of a full Purse who would be very sparing if they knew they had but a little or were like to come to Poverty Thus Youth foolishly fancy that because some have lived to see and fulfil 70 or 80 Years therefore they must do so too and when they have been thus kind to themselves in making such a computation of many Years to come then they turn Prodigals of their time and cast it away as a thing of nought and with it cast away all care of their Souls and loiter out their Morning-Season at that profuse rate as if they were never to be called to account for that or that God only design'd and assign'd the Evening of their Life that last and worst part of time to be redeem'd and carefully improved for their better part their precious Souls But how miserably cheated are young People herein as appeareth by those many awakening instances of our Lord 's coming to young Ones in the Morning of their Life a time when they least of all looked for him and then how have they cried out O precious time more worth than a World when it cometh to the last Sand at the bottom of the Glass O then what a mercy would they esteem it if God would trust them once again with Time O young People think of this the next Temptation to Idleness or carnal Ease oâ— Pleasures that returneth and frown upon it give it the same entertainment as you would a Thief that comes to kill or rob you remember your Souls and Eternity are imbarqued in your youthful Seasons and surely the consideration of the worth of your Souls and the astonishing nature of Eternity carrieth force enough to make the extravagant lavishers of time to become the most thrifty Husbands of it as one of the most precious things in the World O young Man thou hast now a rich Price put into thy hands dost thou want a Heart to improve it Know thou that ere long thou mayest have a Heart but no price of precious Time in thine Hand We are fallen into a loose and licentious Age. 20. Uncleanness is another Sin that Youth is prone to this is the breach of the Seventh Commandment In which Commandment there is a two fold Uncleanness forbidden first mental or the uncleanness of the Mind secondly corporal or that of the Body Now Youth is commonly addicted to both these and to watch and wait for opportunities to fulfil their impure Lusts hence in the 7th of the Prov. 6 7 8 9. you read At the Window of my House I looked through the Casement and behold among the Simple Ones I discerned among the Youths a Young Man void of understanding passing by the way to her House and he went near her Corner in the twilight in the Evening and behold there met him a Woman with the attire of an Harlot his Eye waited for the twilight and in the twilight he was taken by her as you may see in the 23 verse Peter speaketh 2 Epist 2 chap 4. vers of Eyes that are full of Adultery It 's true indeed that this Sin hath the same common principle as other Sins viz. a corrupt Nature it is seated in the Heart there is the Fountain of it 15. Matth. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries c. But yet the Eye is the Heart 's chief agent to espy out objects and to find out and fetch in Fuel for this Sin And as the Heart sometimes sets the Eye on work to prole and range about for a beautiful Bait so the Eye sometimes meeting with Objects sets the Heart on work yea all a fire or in a flame of adulterouâ— Lustings Youth is a hot Age and exceedingly propense to be carried away with these lascivious and filthy Lustings as hot anâ— fat Grounds are most fertiâ—â—â—nd abounding with filthy Weeds hence we find upoâ— Record 15. Luke 13 14. the Younger Brother called the Prodigal Son who spent a upon Harlots his vicious and corrupt Afections were restless and raging till hâ— had yielded his Members as Instrument and Servants to this Sin of Uncleanness â— the Apostle phraseth it in the 6. Rom. 13. 1â— Not that I speak this as if other Ages weâ—â— free from such inordinate Lusts for Naturâ— Corruption is not idle in any Age but of a Ages Youth is most incessantly and viâ—lently bent hereunto So that it is to â—â— accounted a singular Mercy and Grace fâ—â— a young Person to pass that season of Life chastly as not to contract some such notabâ—â— blot to cleave to him like a
deep sleep We may stand amazed to see how Persons adorned with excellent Endowments of Nature that have great ability in natural things men of great Sense as we say when they hear how their unmortified Lusts war against their Souls and expose them to the Wrath of God and Everlasting Burning yet can go on in their lusts without remorse or any akings of Heart nay that which made the Son of God to bleed anâ— brought him to such bitter Agonies and strong Cries and Groans and for which Vengeance is now tearing and tormenting thousand in Hell Alas all is but as a Dream whilâ— sin prevaileth it hardeneth the Heart to â— degree of spiritual Phrensy Hosea 7. 9. 5. Jer. 3. 5. Isa 12. and 1. Chap. 5. likâ— Jonah fast asleep in the sides of the Ship tho' ready to perish Young men remember it yielding to your Lusts will so insensibly harden you that you will be like â— man that is seized with the dead Palsie whoâ— tho' you pinch and strike he feels nothing or like Solomon's besotted Wretch 7. Prâ—â— 14 15. They have stricken and beaten me bâ— I felt it not Or like the Prophet's Aetâ—opian 13. Jer. 23. Can the Aethiopian chanâ—â— his Skin and the Leopard his Spots theâ— may you change your accustomed Eviâ— Bernard describing the malignity of Sin 's iâ—fluence as to its encroaching Nature oâ—serves this Gradation At first saith he Sâ— is importable next time heavy then eaâ—â— then light then sweet at last necessaâ—â— Wherefore flee youthful Lusts as ever yâ—â— would escape these Soul-ruining Evils as blindness of Mind searedness of Conscience incurable hardness of Heart all which indispose the Soul to Conversion nay they expose it to Damnation 5thly These youthful Lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion as they miserably enslave and defile the Affections which are seated in the sensitive apperite of a man and they are such as these Anger Love Joy Fear Sorrow these are planted in us to be subservient to our Souls in glorifying God and working out our own Salvation But through these youthful Lusts they become subservient to Satan and predominant over the Soul bringing it into miserable bondage and vile slavery and so indispose it to Conversion In Prayer thy affections should be fixed on God in Christ as the sole object of thy Love Delight and filial Fear But are they so dost thou draw nigh to God as thy exceeding joy tell me young man where are thy Bethels thy Penuels I doubt upon a serious review it will be found quite otherwise that vain thoughts have lodged in thy mind and that swarms of noisome Lusts have been tumbling up and down the dead Sea of thy Soul in time of Prayer Ah how little of love to God hatred of Sin answerable to their nature have possessed your Souls in duty if any pious stirrings of Affections have been how short a stay have they made how many more ambitious wanton covetous or revengeful Thoughts have been jumbled together with them I appeal to you Is it not enough to change that Prayer into Sin wherein thy God hath been lodged with a crew of viperous Lusts or rather wherein thy Affections have been committing spiritual Fornication with their Idols or have been Dinah like gadding abroad with the Fools Eyes to and fro to the ends of the Earth Now upon enquiry whence this comes about if thou search impartially and cast the lot right it will appear that the Arch-Agent of and in all this is thy minion Lust that Youth is under the power of some complain of continual distractions in Prayer their Minds are like the unquiet Waves of the Sea up and down their Affections unstable rambling up and down Alas the main reason of this woful posture in Duty is their unmortified Lusts and it is very observable that the more provision you make for the Flesh to fulfil it in its lusts the more dominion and tyranny it will have over your Thoughts and Affections in holy Duties and is such a Prayer ever like to issue in thy Conversion wherein thy Affections have been under the vile umpire and influence of thy Lusts It may rather be called a Service done to thy Lusts than to God There was Jehu what ardent and zealous affection did he seem to have in the Service and Cause of God when he cryed out Come see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts But what was it that influenced and moved his affections it was not the Glory of God but the lust of Vain-glory and Self-advancement Experience confirms this that many in their youth have had shews of great affection in their Profession of Godliness who have after a while fell away and become at last as senseless and stupid about Heavenly things as any prophane one in the world O young People those Lusts you serve will have such an ill influence on your Affections as that they will become like wild Horses to tear your Souls in pieces O cursed Lusts how unspeakable is that thraldom they lay our affectionate part under that when thy Affections should be like Elijah's fiery Chariot to mount thy Soul up to Heaven they should through thy lust be like the Wheels of a Jehu's Chariot furiously to hurry thy Soul to Hell Our affections were planted in us for this end to facilitate and make our access to God to become easie pleasant and delightful to our Soul but O miserable change they now are quite contrary through thy unmortified Lusts they are like Clogs Chains and Fetters to hinder the Soul's approach to God When at any time the Ship of thy Soul should hoise fail for Heaven thy Affections being defiled and led captive by thy Lusts will like a Sheet-Anchor hold it back When thou shouldst be loving the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind which our Saviour telleth you is that first and great Commandment on which all depends for saith Christ on this hang all the Law and the Prophets O how deplorable a case is it that instead of this my depraved Affections should terminate upon and cleave to a Cup or a Whore or a dunghil world O monstrous wickedness O young men bethink your selves what a pernicious temper this is ought it noâ— to cut you to the very Heart to find your selves convicted of such enmity and aversion in your affections to the blessed God and whence is it but from your youthfuâ— Lusts O diseased Soul if thy lusts had noâ— corrupted and perverted thy Affections thou wouldst have thought God as suitabâ— an object for thy love as meat to the hungry and drink to the thirsty Is he not thâ— chiefest best most excellent comprehensive purest fullest and most immutable permanent Good Should not an object so admirably fit attract and allure thy superlatiâ—â— love Do you not know do n't your Coâ—sciences tell you that your affections ougâ—â— to be placed on God above all and ougâ—â— it not to fill your Souls
of the Spirit in manifold Convictions I say what do you think will become of you who obey not the Gospel you may read in 2 Thess 1. 7 8. what your Portion will be without a speedy fleeing your youthful Lusts Did God give up the Heathens O be afraid young ones that have the Light of Scripture before your Eyes in this Text flee youthfuâ— lusts lest you by yielding to them provoke God to say as once to Ephraim He is joyneâ— to Idols let him alone q. d. Such a one knoweth better but he hateth the Light he must have his Lusts let him have them leâ— his Heart be made fat that he never convert and turn O fearful sign of Reprobation You will find your Soul like Bowle down hill rowling to Hell amain For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fieâ— Indignation which shall devour the Sinner 10. Heb. 26 27. My Spirit saith God shalâ— not always strive with man 6. Gen. 3. young People did you never find the Spiriâ— of God in this Text or others tending â—â— the same thing to abandon your Lusts striving with you Have you had no Motion excited have you had no Thoughts cast in that have had this aspect and tendency which you have represt and resisted through the indulgence of your youthful Lusts Know it young man that herein you havâ— provoked God to take away his holy Spiriâ— and it is a righteous thing that the Spirit of God should retire and desist as to further influences and operations which should make you with awful thoughts retire into your own Soul and smite upon the Thigh and say What have I done I have provoked the Most High God to withdraw his Spirit and can that Sin be small that hazards the favour of God and the life of my Soul for ever If once the abused Spirit of God depart and leave thee to thy youthful Lust thou wilt be like Sampson when his Locks wherein his strength lay were cut Judges 16. 20. It was told Sampson that the Philistines were upon him and he awoke out of sleep and said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him Or like Esau Heb. 12. 17. who afterward would have inherited the Blessing but was rejected for he found no place for Repentance tho' he sought it carefully with Tears Or like those Mountains of Gilboa upon which neither the Rain nor Dew falls They say that nastiness in a Dove-house will cause the Dove to leave that House Sure I am that your youthful unclean Lusts will in time drive away that mystical Dove the holy Ghost from thy Soul and then who shall quicken thy dead Soul Alas if that great Master of Assemblies leave thee never more to strive with thee what can poor Ministers do Suppose there were a vast Assembly oâ— Godly able Divines met to consult abouâ— thy Cure they must all return re infecta iâ— vain and say as the King of Israel did iâ— another case to the poor Woman that crieâ— to him in time of Famine Help my Lorâ— O King And he said If the Lord do â—â— help thee whence shall I help thee out of thâ— Barn-floor or out of the Wine-press 2 King â— 26 27. So here if the Lord have doâ—â— with thee and will not pity and help whence should we out of our barren Soâ—â— and earthen Vessels your case is dreadfuâ— and we can give you our Tears but we caâ— not give you any Oyl not a drop of savinâ— Grace If God have given you the Spirâ—â— of Slumber and a deep Sleep Isa 29. â— 11. Rom. 8. Can we open the Heart God shut it up Can we plow up the Grounâ— if God lay it Fallow here 's a judgment iâ— deed If a man sin against God saith Eli wâ— shall intreat for him So if God set himâ—eâ—â— against a Soul who can recover that Soâ—â— Thus you see the malignity of that inflâ—ence youthful Lusts have in hindring of Coversion as those lusts do oppose the meaâ— of it on God's part provoking him to tâ—â— judicial penal act of withdrawing his Gracâ— and delivering up to their own hearts lust And therefore it is a duty of special conceâ—â— to young ones to flee their youthful luâ—â— But then in the second place it will furth appear if you consider that these youthful lusts do oppose the means of Conversion on the Soul's part 2. Youthful Lusts oppose the means of Conversion on our own part such as Consideration Prayer and attendance upon God in his holy Word Resolution and Reformation But here perhaps you may object and say That Conversion is not in your power it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God who giveth Grace and sheweth Mercy to whom he pleaseth ex mero motu suo beneplacito and who can move him or command it from it A. This is a point which very many young ones through Satan's subtilty are greatly puzled about but the chief fault is themselves let us endeavour to set you to rights and all these matters in clear light that so much stumble you as to the use of means on your own part And first pray remember by way of Concession that there is no man without the mighty power of God and his effectual Grace can convert and change his own corrupt Nature this is granted But then I say moreover that where ever the Gospel cometh and is preached as it is now blessed be God among us there is none that I know of so much as question it but that all those who enjoy it and to whom it is preached have such a sufficiency of means and aids for Conversion and Salvation granted to them a is abundantly sufficient to convict condemn and leave wholly inexcusable all those that are disobedient to it and remain unconverted under it that it was not so much their cannot as their will not and obstinate refusal that is the proximate and immediate cause of their non-conversion and unbelief John 3. 19. This is the condemnation Light iâ— come into the World and men love Darknesâ— rather than Light because their Deeds are evil John 5. 4. And ye will not come untâ— me that you might have Life Jer. 8. 5. They refuse to return And it is upon this Hypothesis that all those melting moving Expostulations and pleadings with Sinners in the Word of God are raised and built as for instance Turn turn ye why will you dyeâ— as I live saith the Lord I desire not the Death of a Sinner Ezek. 33. 11. Chap. 18. 23. Cease to do evil learn to do well wash you make ye clean come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall
to God by Christ every day our Life is a worthless thing without it hence in 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle doth so earnestly press Husbands and Wives to exemplary walking that your Prayers saith he be not hindred Now there is nothing so much hindereth Prayer as giving way to your Lusts for by these you provoke God to stop his Ear and withdraw and stand at a distance from you and by these you irritate the Rebellion of your own Hearts against God and cause it to stand at a greater distance from God as Adam when he yielded to eat of the forbidden Fruit he grew shy of God Woful experience evinceth this when Persons have given way to Pride or Passion or Lust or sinful Pleasures in the day they can't tell how to go and pray to God at night or look him in the Face with any comfort or confidence when Conscience upbraideth dost thou pray O vile Hypocrite hast thou been kindling the Fire of his Wrath all day and dost thou think to obtain his favour all of a sudden When thou hast been grieving his Spirit and tearing open the wounds of the blessed Jesus by thy wilful sinning against Light and Convictions how canst thou expect the Comforter should come to thee If a man were to plead for his Life at the Bar would he be so mad as to distemper himself with strong Drink before hand this were the ready way to lose him his Life and so it is the ready way to lose your Conversion wherein stands the Life of your Souls if you intoxicate them with the stupefying Vapours that arise from your fulfilled Lusts It was holy Mr. Dod's saying That either Praying would make us leave off Sinning or Sinning would make us leave off Praying And then pray observe your Lusts tend to the manifest withering cripling your Souls in the performance of this duty It cuts and clips the Soul's wings in Prayer and then down you fall and sink as a dead thing in Prayer O therefore flee youthful Lust or they will render Prayer no more than a dead empty Formality and how waste and desolate a thing is that it will be like some Disease in the Body that converts all the Food that should nourish Nature to the feeding themselves and so macerate and miserably consume the Body or like some Thief or Thieves in a House the Master's Goods and Stock continually waste and consume and no wonder the Viper is in their own Bosoms Thus young men your Lusts will bring leanness into your Souls in Prayer O young man dost thou find the Lord gone in Prayer no discoveries of himself but a great estrangedness wouldst thou know the cause read that in Ezek. 14. 5. They were estranged through their Lusts Be assured of this there is a Heart-league and some youthful Lust or other which lays an embargo upon the Soul and arrests the profit of all thy Prayers Suppose a man did know and see his own Wife loving and cleaving to some other man would not this spoil the comfort of their communion as we that are reasonable Creatures don't love to be among unreasonable Brutes in the Wilderness or the Living to be among the Tombs and the Dead So a holy God regards not the Prayers will not be enquired of nor spoke with by those who regard their Lusts in their Hearts Isa 58. 1 2 3 4. Why have we fasted and thou regardest not You took pleasure saith the Lord and brake not the Bonds of Wickedness So some complain Alas we have prayed for Pardon and Peace and the Manifestations of God's Love but have received no answer find no return now whence is this Oh young man sure there is some betwitching Lust or other sucks thee As if I saw a Plant or Tree that is daily watered and has no want of outward means of flourishing and bearing Fruit yet withereth and dyeth away be sure there is some Worm in the Root corroding it I have heard of late many young People pouring out their Complaints after this manner Alas I have been seeking and knocking at the door of Ordinances Prayer Word Sacrament c. but have not find not feel not supplies come in I am like those that had been toiling all Night and catch nothing Oh never was my Heart so dead in Duty saith one so straitned and shut up saith another And hence some cry out To what purpose should we wait any longer What profit is there in Praying to the Almighty What sweetness in Ordinances What is Christ more than another Now I pray whence is this What is Christ a barren Wilderness a Land of Darkness a broken Cistern a Field without a Treasure a Well without Water a Cloud without Rain What is the Lord unwilling to hear and pitty a poor distressed Sinner that comes and makes its moan to him And is it in vain to seek him Oh no! Christ is precious God is gracious the hearer of Prayers the rewarder of such as diligently seek him But here is the true cause of all a man comes to God with his Idol in his Heart and then God will not speak with him can you ever imagin that so pure Majesty should match with your Lusts no no for then should the Father of Light have communion with the darkest Darkness sooner will he leave thee while thoâ— livest to be a Shrub or Heath in the Deseâ—â— that sees not when Good cometh and to bâ— a magor Missabib when thou diest than eveâ— let thee in to acquaintance with himself tiâ—â— the league and power of thy youthful Lusâ— be broke Can two walk together that anâ— not agreed No man can serve two Masters but either he will love the one and hate thâ— other c. Matth. 6. 24. O be not deceiveâ— God is not mocked if you regard Iniquiâ—y in your hearts God won't hear youâ— Prayer Possibly thou art pinch'd througâ— the power of a natural Conscience flying thy face telling thee that such Lusts will sit thee at last and this sends thee to thâ— Knees and then thou criest Lord Lorâ— there be these and these youthful Lusts of minâ— that wring my Conscience that I can have â—â— quiet O ease me of them And thus thoâ— seekest out to pacifie and stop the Mouth â—â— Conscience and that 's all never comest up to practise this Rule to flee these Lusts but ever likest lovest and livest them never sell all part with all and so ruâ— divorced from them all to Christ taking his blessed Yoke upon thee saying He anâ— he alone shall rule and reign in them and over them Oh that such would ponder that Text James 1. 7 8. Let not a double-minded man think to receive any thing at the hands of the Lord and that other place in 1. Isaiah 10 to 14. I am weary saith the Lord there of your New-Moons and your very Assembling is provoking to me while your Hands and Hearts are unclean and full of sin wash ye make ye clean
c. The truth is your youthful Lusts in Prayer do render you most abominable and odious in the sight of God for they do as it were challenge and bid defiance to God whence else are those thunders of his provoked Majesty in 1. Mala. 14. 7. Jer. 9 15 16. 33. Ezek. 31 32 33. Chap. 14. from the 1 st verse to the 9. To go and Pray with the Idol of my Lust in my heart is a mocking God and God won't be mocked nay let me tell you God's anger is increased by such Prayers and then I appeal to you what Good can be looked for from such Prayers alas rather Confusion than Conversion O young People pray remember it your Lusts will not only blunt and take off the edge of Prayer that it shall never do any execution but they turn thy very Prayers into sin and how likely that is to turn thy heart God wards judge ye Thus I have shewed you how your youthful Lusts hinder Conversion as they oppose the means of it Were there a demand made why Consideration and Prayer and otheâ— Godly means should be so irksome and buâ— densom Is God so undelightful an objeâ—â— to approach unto that you cannot enduâ—â— his presence or are so soon weary in holâ— Exercises like a man under a heavy loaâ— Oh no to draw nigh to God in Prayer is thâ— joy of holy Souls but they are those Luâ—â— within that make it to our corrupt Nature so unpleasant and tedious And thus have shewed you how they oppose thâ— means of Conversion on our part and therâ—fore it is a duty of such special concern meâ— for young men to flee youthful Lusts becauâ—â— of the malignity of their influence expresse first in that they hinder Conversion Noâ— I come to the second Head to shew yoâ— the malignity of their influence as they huâ—ry Youth into grievous Temptations 2. A second particular of the maligniâ—â— of youthful Lusts inflence lieth in this viâ— In that they hurry Youth into grievoâ—â— Temptations There are two sorts of Temptations thâ—â— we read of in Scripture the Apostle Jamâ—â— treats of both in the 1. chap. ver 2. and â—â— 14. The former sort are no other than Afflâ—ctions which are for the probation anâ— tryal of the Christian's Faith and Patience and with respect to these the Apostle saith My Brethren count it all Joy when you fâ—â— into divers Temptations ver 2. And Mosâ—â— saith that God tempted Abraham 22. Gen. 1. That is God proved and tryed his Servant Abraham's Faith But now the other sort of Temptations are no other than solicitations and seducements to Sin and with respect to these the Apostle saith in the 13. and 14. verses Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death And hence our blessed Lord teacheth us to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation that is to sin for in this sense is the word used in Scripture as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to try is the proper word for the other temptation so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper word for temptation to sin And of this sort of temptation it is that youthful Lusts are both the Fons and Fomes the breeder and feeder the food and fuel the mother and nurse they do both by force and fraud violently hale and hurry and cunningly entice and draw young ones to sin The Devil may flatter you but he cannot force you it 's your Lust that opens the Door or temptation could never enter It hath been an old practice of Sinners when they fall into sin to accuse and lay all the blame either upon the Devil or the instrument that provoked them Oh saâ— they the Devil owed them a spight and noâ— he hath paid it not considering that thâ— true procreating cause of Sin is a mans owâ— Lust It must be own'd that this World full of Snares and Temptations to with draw Youth from God's house to the Alâ— houses and there provoke them to Intempâ—rance and to Gaming houses and theâ— provoke them to consume their Estates anâ— precious time and to filthy houses anâ— there provoke them to destroy themselvâ—â— for the sake of brutish pleasures In this senâ—â— it is true homo homini daemon One is a Devil to another i. e. tempters to Sin But a these are but external movers the principâ—â— Agent is thy own Lust within As one saith Temptation is a Siege Satan is the Enemâ— without the Walls labouring to force aâ— entrance our Lusts are the Traytors with in that hold correspondency with tâ—â— Enemy without and open the Gate of thâ— Soul to receive him They are our owâ— Lusts that go over to Satan in the day â—â— battel and fight against our Souls 1 Pet. 2. O young men your Lusts are like the meâ—â— of Keilah to David in the day of temptation 1 Sam. 23. 11. Poor David was hateâ— and hunted up and down by Saul who soughâ— his Life at length he cometh to Keilah presently it was told Saul that David wâ—â— come to Keilah David enquireth of the Lorâ— Whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up into the hands of his Enemy Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up Whereupon David presently fled and so escaped Thus if you follow not this counsel to flee your youthful lusts they will certainly deliver you up in the hour of temptation that you will not be able to deliver your own Soul they will betray you as Dalilah did Sampson and let in the uncircumcised Philistines upon you When Judas his heart was set upon the lust of Covetousness how miserably was he overcome with many desperate Temptations he will betray the precious Life and Blood of the Son of God for thirty pieces of Silver and afterward you know what became of him so true is that in the 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They that will be rich saith the Apostle whose Hearts run after their Covetousness fall into Temptation and a Snare into many foolish and hurtful Lusts So when Balaam's Heart was set upon this Lust he will rise early run and ride till he is weary that he might Curse Israel at length he becomes through his Lust more desperate and senseless of God's fury than the dumb Ass he dissembles his Conscience coins cunning Evasions O the malignity of lusts influence Suppose it be the Lust of Uncleanness what pernicious temptation doth this cast many young men upon frequenting Satan's Seminaries those Chappels of Hell Stews and Plays wherâ— oftentimes are Challenges Stabs Combaâ—â— Blood and Murder thus have many ventured as deep as Hell to gratifie their filthy Lusts Hence they are said to draw Iniquiâ—â— as with Cart-ropes Isa 5. 8. and that the wearied themselves
last place in that they hasten your destruction as you may read in these following Scriptures Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things for the enâ— of them is Death And in verse 23. The Wages of Sin is Death 1 Pet. 1. 11. Abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye Matth. 18. 8 9. If thy right Hand offend thee cut it off c. or no entring into Life eternal Isa 3. 10. Now in vain were all these Revelations of the determined and immutable Will of God in his Word if continuance in your Lusts could stand with impunity and escaping destruction I know that the vain hopes of escaping is a mighty encouragement to the voluptuous Youth whose Heart stands bent upon his Lusts but if once his Conscience comes to be throughly convinced that his lusts will most surely find him out that his Damnation lingreth not slumbreth not but is hastening a pace towards him so that he may as well hope not to dye as not to be thrown into Hell when he dyes oh then what trembling surpriseth the guilty Sinner Now in order to the awakening the Conscience of wild and wanton Youth to flee their youthful Lusts let them but weigh this Argument taken out of God's Word who hath peremptorily declared that he will by no means clear the Guilty but is angry with them every day and hath revealed his Wrath from Heaven against all that persist in their Lusts let them steep their thoughts in such terrible tremendous Scriptures as Deut. 29. 18 19 20. Lest there should be any among you whose Heart turneth away from the Lord and it cometh to pass that when he heareth or readeth the Words of this Curse that he bless himself in his Heart saying I shall have Peace though I walk in the imagination of mine Heart to add sin to sin What then O pray mind and lay to heart what followeth in the 20. vers The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him Also in Job 5. 3 4. Eliphaz saith I have seen the Foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his Habitation and in the 27. Chap. and 13. you read this is the Portion of a wicked man with God and in 17. Chap. 5. Their triumphing is but short and their joy but for a moment So that as soon should God cease to be God as the Sinner that goeth on in his Trespasses should go unpunished the certainty of whose destruction depends upon the irrevocable Will of God God hath said it the Lord hath spoken it and it shall come to pass Alas we that dwell at ease and enjoy our health are not able fully to conceive what the power of the Lord's anger and wrath is which he hath revealed against Sin and Sinners Some indeed as they have been drawing near and launching out into the Ocean of Eternity have had such sights and views of it as hath scar'd and affrighted them with such amazements that they have cryed out inducias usque ad mane truce but till the Morning Others O that I had never been born call time again Others O Lord let me live on Earth though it be but the life of a Toad I have also read of one who saw Hell but in a Dream or Vision and the terror was so great that he would have chosen ten times to dye rather than see and feel so great horror again But as to our Youth that look at a Death-Bed many years off they can scarce imagine what an aspect this will have at a dying hour Now at present it shews its fairest side but when all Masks are pulled off it will be quite another thing you may see its stinging efficacy in the 33. Isa and 14. Now in the days of your vanity and pleasure this Argument and Reason is wrapt up like a Flag about the Staff Hell and Damnation are but as it were in semine and your persisting in Siâ— is called a treasuring up of Wrath againsâ— that great and terrible Day of Wrath that is approaching and hence you are secure careless and all quiet But oh that young people would but think what a dreadfuâ— sight it will have when they come to lie down with their Bones full of the Sins oâ— their youth and their Souls brought dowâ— to the sides of the Pit as low as Hell by their youthful lusts O with what unexpressible rage and fury will their Consciences then reflect on their fore-past Sins You read in James that when Lust is consummate it bringeth forth Death and the sting of Death is Sin unmortified unpardoned this brings to a terrible Bar Judge and Sentence Depart ye cursed c. So that here in the final issue of your youthful lusts they will if you flee them not cast you into the Fire of Hell with an utter destructioâ— from the presence of the Lord. See here how God hath hedged up your sinâ—ul waâ— with thorns to stop you and restrain yoâ— from yielding to your filthy and forbiddeâ— Lusts and also to spur you on to bâ—eaâ— through all the difficulties and objectioâ— that lie in your way to Repenâ—ance and Conversion that so when the Devil oâ— the Lusts of the Flesh object against the Severities pains and labour oâ—â—bâ—ndoning and forsaking your Dalilah-corruptions 〈◊〉 might have it in readiness to answer Avoid Satan what tell you me of pains in parting with or departing from Sin do not you see here in the Scripture is it not written that Eternal Pains will be my Portion if I flee not my youthful lusts and what are the pains of parting with my lusts now compared with the pains of parting with God Christ and Heaven and the undergoing the pains of Hell's torments the Fire that is never quenched the Worm that never dyes O Devil that wouldst tempt me to sin O vile Lust that wouldst entice me and draw me to fulfil your unreasonable request is it easie to dwell with everlasting Burning If I dwell with you and hearken to you if I flee you not I must dwell and lodge for ever and ever in Tophet Is it not better to dwell with Lyons Bears Serpents Adders here in a Wilderness all my Life on Earth than abide with you an hour longer seeing that I run the hazard of an Eternity of Torments in that hour and the only way to provoke God to shorâ—en my Life on Earth is to yield to my lusts What if I should gain a little beastly pleasure or perishing earthly treasure by obeying my youthful lust what then when God takes away my Soul Job 27. 7 8. and in Matth. 16. 25 26. What is a man profited though he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul What can a man give in exchange for his Soul Wherefore as Moses
spake unto the Congregation of Israel in the case of Korah Dathan and Abaram saying Depart I pray you from the Tents of wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their Sins So I say to you young people flee your wicked lusts touch nothing of them lest you be consumed It was good counsel the Angel gave Lot Flee out of Sodom escape for thy Life look not behind thee lest thou be consumed in her Flames But it 's more merciful counsel to you to flee your youthful lusts inasmuch as it 's better the Body were swallowed up in the Earth or burnt to Ashes in Flames than that your Souls and Bodies should be swallowed up in Tophet and burnt in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone world without end as most certainly if you flee not your lusts they must be O young people if you stay with your lusts they will undo you Soul and Body for ever Who would not flee from Plague Fire Sword Famine c Alas your Lusts are worse than all these while you abide in them the Wrath of God abideth on you John 3. 36. its all being within the reach of the Wrath of God within the â—ail of his storm O what is it then to be just under it Amos 2. 14. How much more desireable were it to lie open to famine Pestilence Bloodsheds c. than to be exposed to the Storms and strokes of God's vengeance Oh what is there in your Lusts that should so bewitch you as to venture your eternal ruin and destruction for them and judge ye whether it be possible for any one of you to do any thing more directly to the ruin of himself tho' you should study for it seven years than to go on impenitently in the fulfilling thy Lusts That judgment that in it self is slow and your living in a course of Sin most certainly hasteneth its execution It 's true God may grant you further patience but you cannot promise your selves an hours patience you are not sure of being out of Hell one hour longer But if God should spare thee some years as is the Case proposed by Solomon in that of Eccles 8. 12. Tho' a Sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet what then shall it go well Oh no as it followeth surely it shall not go well with him The Iniquity of Ephraim saith the Lord is bound up Hos 13. 12. And in Psal 50. I held my peace saith God and thou thoughtest me such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sin in order before thee This is enough to make a Sinner's Loins to tremble to consider that in the day of God's patience while he continueth impenitent it is no other than a treasuring up wrath against the great and terrible day of wrath Oh! how many of our brisk and jovial Youngsters fancy they shall hear no more of their Vanities and Sensualities because God hath born with them iâ— their past Follies they conclude all 's over and done with But be it known to youâ— God hath as Job speaketh sealed up youâ— youthful Sins in a Bag against the day â—â— Judgment in which day God will reckoâ— with you for all even from the Sin thaâ— clave to you in your Mothers womb to the last Sin you commit in this World If yoâ— flie not your Lusts by Repentance there iâ— no flying Divine Vengeance If you adveâ—ture to cry Peace Peace behold swift aâ— sudden destruction is coming upon you according to the unalterable Law of the greaâ— God Psal 68. 21. But God shall wound thâ— head of his enemies and the hairy scalp â—â— every one that goeth on in his trespasses anâ— in Luke 19. 27. O the malign influence â—â— their Lusts there is no flying future wratâ— except you flie your present Lusts Future â—â— I say alas it 's in part come for God is as I to you angry every day and his wrath abâ—deth on you in the threathing every mâ—ment how soon execution may be who knoweth methinks it 's like a Maâ—â—factor's being upon the â—adder there waâ— nothing but turning off and he is goâ— Consider What a fearful thing it is to â— into the hands of a living God Hebr. 10. â— Then how glad would you be to flie out â— his hands if you could as you read â— Job 27. 22. yea how fain would such flee to the Rocks Mountains Hills and there be glad if they would but fall upon them to cover and hide them from the wrath of a Sin-revenging God Rev. 6. 15 16. Now God commands you to flee Sin and so make an escape from the fulness of wrath to come But if you be contentious and disobedient why then he himself will not let you escape Hebr. 2. 3. That 's a startling Question in Isa 10. 3. And what will you do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will you flee for help and where will you leave your glory methinks that other Scripture in Job 5. 1. might put you in fear Call now and see if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Alas the Wise Virgins could not help the Foolish to a drop of Oil no no Saints and Angels have but enough for themselves they be sure can't help you and be sure God won't he hath positively told you so in Prov. 1. 28. Then shall they call and cry and seek but I will not hear because I called and they refused From the 20th verse to the 24th of that Chapter you have the Riches of Grace displayed on God's part in calling prodigal Youth to Repentance And from the 24th to the 26th verses you have on the Sinners part the malignity and poyson of youthful Lusts expressed in their refusal And then from the 26th to the 33 d. you have the Epitomy of all Misery Then shall you call on me but I will not answer c. O that young Men did but see the Truth of this viz. the certain and sure destruction that they are pulling down upon their own heads while they embrace their Lusts When the Disciples saw themselves in danger of drowning they earnestly solicited their Lord and Master Christ to save them Matth. 8. 25. But do you hear young Men you are in greater danger than drowning you are in danger of damning When Joâ— was under some fearful apprehensions oâ— this see how pathetically he takes on in Job 10. 1 2. I am weary of my life I wilâ— speak in the bitterness of my soul I will say unto God Do not condemn me When Nimveh heard this Argument of destructioâ— hastening within 40 days O how were they concerned they proclaim a Fast and cloath themselves in Sackcloth confess and forsake their Sins c. O Young Men Are you tempted by the delights of Sense then place these Terrors of the Lord againsâ— those sensual Joys Let me
like the Man in the Gospel Mat. 12 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest but findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty sweâ—â— and garnished Then goeth he and taketh wâ—â— himself seven other spirits more wicked thâ—â— himself and they enter in and dwell there anâ— the last state of that man is worse than the fâ—â—mer So in Hebr. 6. 4. and 10. 26. aâ—â— 2 Pet. 2. 20. O then above all Youâ—â— Ones see to this that there be a sound Conversion as the ground-work of all for upon this the very hinges of your Souls salvâ—tion turn Hence our blessed Saviour iâ— John 3. 3. pronounceth Except a man be boâ—â— again he cannot see the kingdom of Goâ— Wherefore again and again I advise Young Ones to see to their Foundation it were â— conceive much better for a Man to be deceived in thinking himself unregenerate when he is regenerate than on the otheâ— hand to deem himself regenerate when hâ— is not The former mistake indeed is afflicting but the last is damning If a condemned Malefactor conceit he hath a Pardon anâ— has none he may go pleasantly to the Gallows but he won't be able to hold it wheâ— he comes there The Lord open your eyeâ— and hearts and cause you to see and feel the truth and power of this first general Rule oâ— Means in order to the fleeing your youthful Lusts Now I shall proceed to lay down thâ—se distinct Remedies suitable to each particular Lust that young People stand bent unto And here again I must entreat you as you have any regard to the glory of God and your own Salvation and would not be condemned with ungodly and impenitent Sinners at last that you do not refuse to put in practice what shall be taught you in the following Rules how to flee each particular Sin that you are so prone to and now I shall begin with that which so early appeareth even in your very Childhood and wofully groweth up with you to riper years Namely that airiness vain rashness and carelessness of spirit and conversation all which I at large and distinctly treated on under the first Enquiry viz. What were those Sins that might be more especially called youthful Sins Now forasmuch as these three border so near and close upon each other I shall for the Cure of these prescribe this Remedy Remedy or Means against youthful Vanity Rashness and Inconsiderateness The First Remedy ENdeavor to get and keep an awful impression upon thy heart all day long of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience that you cannot flie from him because he is every where and that you cannot hide or conceal any thing from him because all things are naked and open to his All-seeing Eye At what time thou art ready to pour out thy heart in Vanity and Froth catechize and chastise thy feathery and light spirit after this manner Dost thou now remember thy Creator Art thou aware of his holy Eye and Presence Canst thou blear and blinâ— the pure piercing flaming Eye of Heaven What wilt thou dare to pilfer steal be undutiful and lie while the jealous sin-revenging God stands by Thus would but Young Men presentiate the Majesty Prescience and Omniscience of God to themselves in the midst of their juvenile Extravagancies how would it a we and fill their Souls with trembling one Aspect of this Eye of God â—â— able to make the whole Earth tremble Psal 104. 32. He looketh on the Earth and it trembleth And Job speaketh of some Sinnerâ— the Murtherer the Thief the Adultereâ— that to be seen in their Sins is to them the greatest terror imaginable Job 24. 17. â—â— a man saith he see them they are in thâ— terrors of the Shadow of Death Now then young People I appeal to you what fear and holy seriousness would this work iâ— you did you always thus set the Lord before you as David speaketh in the 16. Psal 8. and at your right hand then would you could you durst you be so vain fickle unstable tossed up and down with every puff of windy pleasures Oh no and here let me add this viz. represent to thy Soul what an Eye it is that seeth thee It may be you may fancy that God sees as man sees Scripture speaks of Sinners thinking that God is such a one as themselves in 50. Psal 22. Alas man may see and not see as we say i. e. wink and connive at thy youthful Sins and not be at all displeased with thee But God's Eye is 1. an holy pure strict observing Eye there is nothing can escape his knowledge wheresoever you are whatsoever you are doing you are still under his observation Psal 11. 4. His Eyes behold his Eye-lids try the Children of men Hab. 1. 13. Thou art saith the Prophet of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look upon Iniquity That is canst not with the least approbation nay canst not without great indignation look upon evil O vain Youth remember that an angry holy Eye is upon thee in all thy irreligious and vitious Courses in all thy furious and precipitate Evil Ways And then 2. consider it is an infinite Eye comprehending all things past present and to come at once uno intuitu Many things confound us we can be intent upon nothing but in a successive way things done many years ago elapse and slip our remembrance but it 's not so with God with whom a thousand years are but as one day See that 139. Psal v. Thou compassest my Path saith David and oâ— lying down and art acquainted with my Way v. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit whither shall I flee from thy Presence If ascend up to Heaven thou art there If make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the Wings of the Morning and dweâ—â— in the uttermost parts of the Sea even thâ— shall thy Hand lead me c. Sure youâ— men this would call in your vain anâ— stragling thoughts and unite your careleâ—â— Spirits to the fear of God's holy name diâ— you believe and remember God's infiâ—â— Presence There is a Story of a pious man have met with who being desirous to reclaiâ— an unchaste Woman from her lewd aâ— vile Conversation took this course wiâ—â— her he came to her pretending to haâ— some wanton dalliances with her provide it might be done with all privacy she theâ— upon led him from Room to Room â—â— he still made many scruples lest at thâ— Window or that Key-hole this crevis â—â— that cranny some or other might chance â—â— peep in and espy them together at lengâ—â— she brought him to the inwardest Room â—â— the House where saith she I am confideâ—â— that none can possibly pry in to discoveâ— what we do Whereupon he told her wiâ—â— weeping Eyes No bolts not bars can keeâ— out God no walls
nor doors can bindeâ— his piercing Eye and what will it profit us to shun the Eye of man when the Eye of God is still upon us Methinks this consideration should change thy youthful froth and fury into a serious gravity and sobriety that God's Eye upon thee is never shut the most waking Eye among men is at times closed but the Lord never slumbereth nor sleepeth Psal 121. 4. It was excellent advice that a Rabbi gave to one of his young Pupils Three things saith he I would have thee remember all day long an Eye that sees thee an Ear that hears thee an Hand that regâ—sters all thy Actions So would I commend this to you young people to cure that natural Levity and Precipitancy that your age is so incident unto O remember and often repeat it to your self that God is in all places and not only without you but in your very Breasts and Bosom viewing all your vain Thoughts and Imaginations and all your vile Lusts and Inclinations So that if you have a mind to be merry and jolly for the space of an hour or two with that Mirth which the Wise Man calleth Madness I beseech you before you adventure upon it first try if you can find out such an hour wherein God's Eye is not on you and then you have my consent to take that hour for that mirth But sure I am no such hour can be found out And then 3. consider that this Eye of God that is thus holy pure observing and infinite is also an Eye of jealousie and justice If a Husband have a jealous Eye over a Wife or a Master over his Servant what a curb and bridle is it to restrain the one from filthiness and the other from falseness and if so how much more should the consideration of his Eye who hath stiled himself in the 20. Exod. 5. the Jealous God abate and tame the wild fierceness anâ— wantonness of Youth especially if yoâ— possess your Soul with the deep apprehensions that his Eye is an Eye of Justicâ— too that is to bring you to Judgment foâ— all your youthful Vanities and Follies Iâ— this sense the Prophet Jeremiah explainetâ— it Jer. 32. 19. Thine Eyes are upon all thâ— Ways of the Sons of men to give every oâ—â— according to his Ways and according to thâ— Fruit of his dâ—ings For God now observe you in order to bring forth all into the laâ— Judgment the serious thoughts of which made such deep impressions on the Heart â—â— Augustine that in his 8th Sermon concerning the coming of Christ to Judgment hâ— saith Ecce in quo periculo incessanter consideâ— c. Behold in what danger I stand continually though I do not continually thinâ— of it and the more wretched I that I caâ— forget it for God always seeth me and aâ—â— my Sins a strict sentence always awaiâ— me in this condition I am when I wake and when I sleep when I laugh and when I am sad when I am proud and passionate sic semper ubique thus I am always and every where O would but young people when they are in their brisk and careless moods with this holy man represent it to themselves that they are thus in the presence and under the Eye of God who hath appointed a day wherein he will judge both quâ—ck and dead surely it would create a trembling in them Wherefore in the close of this Rule let me present you with a collection of choice Scriptures that may be as a continual guide for youth to direct their Paths in the good Old way how they may be all the day long in the fear of the Lord and also that may be as an Angel with a drawn Sword in their evil ways to restrain their steps therein Job 13. 27. Thou lookest narrowly to all my Paths thou settest a print upon the Heels of my Feet Job 24. 21 22. For his Eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of Iniquity may hide themselves Job 31. 41. Doth he not see my Ways and count all my Steps Psal 11. 14. The Lord's Throne is in the Heavens his Eyes behold his Eye lids try the Children of men and the 139. Psalm throughout Prov. 5. 21. The ways of man are before the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the Eviâ— and the Good And in the 11. v. Hell anâ— Destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the Sons of men Jer. 23. 24. Can any man hide himself â—â— secret places that I shall not see him saiâ—â— the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Eartâ— saith the Lord Darkness hideth not froâ— him but the Night shineth as the Day And in the 27. vers I have seen thine Adulteries and thy Neighings wo unto thee wilt thou not â—â— made clean when shall it once be Heb. 4. â— But all things are naked and open unto â—â— Eyes of him with whom we have to do Thâ— you see what abundance of Scriptures theâ— are of this kind and there are multitude more tâ—nding to the same purpose sureâ—â— it intimates to us that we are not easiâ— perswaded of this truth that God is alwaâ— present with us and beholding of us suâ—â—ly the Lord would never urge this maâ—â— so often upon the Children of men â—â— that he knoweth how prone we are to quâ—stion it O there is a world of Arheism aâ— unbelief in our Heart about it Hence yâ—â—â—â—ad Psal 50. 22. Thou thoughtest I was such one as thy self Job 22. 13. How doth Gâ— know can he judge through the dark Cloâ—â— so Psal 64. 7. They say the Lord shall not sâ— And Ezek. 9. 9. The Lord hath for saken â—â— Earth he seeth not And they say to â—â— Almighty Depart from us c. O the hoâ—rible hellish Atheism that reigns in the hearts of thousands Else whence is it that a Servant shall be afraid of his Master's eye a Sinner of his Minister's a Child of his Father's and a man of his Child's eye and presence more than of the great Jehovah's O how many declare their Sin as Sodom neither are they ashamed I appeal to you can you believe that these consider that the most high God hath a piercing Eye to espy and a powerful Hand to punish the workers of Iniquity Would Achan have stole the Wedge of Gold or Gehazi took the Reward or Annanias and Saphira contrived and told the â—ye to the Apostle had they seen the Eye of God that saw them O young men durst you leave and neglect your sinful and miserable Souls to perish for ever at that rate you do did you but live always as in the presence of God and as under his all seeing jealous Eye Wherefore I beseech you practise this Rule if ever you would be delivered from a vain Spirit and Conversation I have been the
calling and you are not sure but the present Call may be his last And O how deplorable is a Sinner's case when the Lord shall say Because I have called and you have refused I will call no more for ever he that is unjust let him be unjust still aâ— he that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 2â— 21. Which brings me to speak of the second Branch wherein thy time of Graâ—â— consists and whereof it is constituted namely the inward strivings and motions of thâ— Spirit of God how uncertain these aâ— So that suppose thou hadst an assurance oâ— the continuance of the outward Calls of thâ— Word yet what assurance hast thou of thâ— inward strivings and operations of the Sprit without which all the outward meaâ— will be ineffectual Alas how long mâ— we poor Ministers stand at your Doors anâ— knock and call Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead er'e one Siâ—ner will stir until that omnipotent Ageâ— put forth his virtue and influence As thâ— Waters of Bethesda had no sanative healiâ—â— Vertue in them till the Angel at a certaiâ— time of the day moved and troubled thâ— Waters So let Minister's abilities anâ— gifts be what they will they do but plougâ— upon the Rocks as it were until the Spiâ— concur to take away the stony Heart anâ— open those Iron Gates of the Soul as hâ— did Lydia's Now this blessed Spirit doâ—â— ordinarily in time of hearing the Worâ— afford to men especially to young one many good Motions and Excitations to repentance in Enlightnings Awakenings setting their Sins before them in theiâ— bloody guilt and condemning nature bringing them into straits of Conscience stirring up affections and good purposes of leaving their Sins putting them upon Prayer and coming to Christ c. All which pretious Motions and workings of the Spirit with the Word in the Souls of young persons are choice Mercies and if they were wise without delay incontinently and presently to comply with the same it might be as much as their eternal Happiness is worth whereas on the contrary if they quench these blessed motions by delays and prorogations as Felix did it may amount to the damage of Damnation and who can tell what that amounts to God may be provoked to withdraw his Spirit and say My Spirit shall strive no more with them For there is nothing more uncertain than the strivings and motions of the Spirit of God it is compared to the Wind that bloweth where it listeth John 3. 8. It is not like our Tydes that come at certain and 〈◊〉 times so that if you miss the Morning Tyde you may â—ake the Evening no no but it 's like the Wind which sometimes rises as we say and then all of a sudden falls and lies still sometimes it â—loweth cut of one corner and then the quite contrary way so are the workings of the Spirit he may deal with thy Soul to day and afterwards withdraw from thee move in your Hearts now and for hereafter be for ever silent and therefore thou shouldst do as the Mariner who kâ—owing that he hath not the Wind at his own command and that he cannot make his Voyage without its gales what doth he do why he lieth by and watcheth for the season when the Wind maketh for him and when such a season cometh he is careful to lay hold of it and to hoise up Sail and be gone So shouldst thou do young man never imagine that thou hast the Spirit of God at thy command or that ever thou canst sail to Heaven without his gracious Gales but diligently lie by the Waters of the Sanctuary waiting and watching for his sacred Movings thereon and when thou hast them then immediately and obedientially open the surled Sails of thy Soul and say Adored be thy heavenly Majesty for this gracious Visitation of thine to me a wretched Sinner Welcome welcome to my blind and hard Heart are these Convictions and Pulsations of thine O let me not miscarry and perish between Convictions and Conversions but perfect thy work dear Lord now thou hast me on the Wheel O defist not thy operation till thou hast formed me a Vessel of Mercy and brought me out a new Creature in forming Christ in me Thus be thou kind to thy own Soul in being careful to close with the present advantages which are vouchsafed to thee in this thy time of Grace and encourage thy self in this the Spirit of God will be with you 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him if you seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will cast you off O consider the danger you run when you put off all with this hereafter hereafter you will obey his Motions and receive his Instructions This is the ready way to be for ever deserted and cast off by him It is reported of Hannibal that bewailing the loss of his opportunity that he once had to take Rome he should say When I could I had no mind to take Rome When I would I had no power There will be I fear innumerable and incurable instances in the other world that will confess to all Eternity that when the Spirit in their time of Grace wooed them to repent and be converted that their Sins might be blotted out they had no mind to it but when they would after their desertion and rejection upon a Bed of Death they had no power O young men who now put it off it is never enough considered by you what infinite hazards you run of perishing for ever a while longer and a while longer had almost ruined Augustine when he was young as himself owneth in his 8th Book of Conseience when he would not answer the Convictions of the necessity of Repentance he craved Forbearance not to do it yet I know not saith he what to answer Non erat quod responderem veritate convictus nisi tantum verba lenta somnolenta Modò ecce modò sine paululum sed modò modò non habet modum sine paululum in longum ibat Aug. in Confes being convinced oâ— the truth but onlâ— sluggish and sleep words anon beholâ— anon suffer me little but anon anâ— anon had no measure and bear with mâ— a little held long afterwards In chap. 1â— of that Book he finding the Devil flattering his Soul with perswasions to delaâ— his Repentance at last he violently breaâ— out usque quo Domine quamdiu quam â—â— cras cras quare non modò quare â—â— haec hora est finis turpitudinis meâ— O mâ— God saith he how long wilt thou suffeâ— me thus How long shall I say to morrow and to morrow Why should I not do now and this hour end that filthiness â— Life which otherwise will ruin me It is pleasing to Satan to steal away our pâ—â—cious seasons of Grace one after anotheâ— until we have not one more remainiâ—â— O young man who is it think
Fountain and sealing a new and everlasting Covenant of Grace in his Blood that whosoever believeth and repenteth shall not perish but have Ever lasting Life O astonishing Love was there any need for God to stoop to offer undone man a Covenant of Grace but his ways are not as ours c Now this youthful Sin of Delays spurneth at this Bowel and Bosom Mercy and Love of God the Father And can this be thought to be a little Sin O unparrallel'd Wickedness of what a Scarleâ— tincture and bloody nature is this Sin O young man consider it take heâ—â— of shuffling here thou wilt be apt â—â— think within thy self that sure this is not so What I guilty of trampling on the bowleâ— of Go'ds mercy which I venture to puâ— off turning to him a little longer far beâ— it from me to do so great wickedness I never intended any such thing O deludeâ— Youth come see thy guiltiness e're it â—â— too late to remedy thy self The Goâ— and Father of our Lord Jesus revealeth anâ— publisheth his eternal thoughts of love tâ— poor Sinners that had destroyed themselveâ— alloweth them a day of Salvation and acceptable time to come in and be saved without exception though he was the offendeâ— party yet he proclaims fury is not in me I have no pleasure in the death of Sinners I am willing to be reconciled lo I have found out a Ransome I have bruised my own Son and slain my own Lamb to be a sacrifice for Sin and a Saviour for Sinners him have I sealed and set forth to be the only propitiation for Sin through Faith iâ— his Blood sure they will reverence my Son and admire my Grace in offering him and strive who shall first receive him sure every Knee will bow to him and every Mouth confess to him what less could be expected Now then instead of this to crave with Solomon's sluggard a little longer and a little longer to embrace and enjoy our vile Lusts which according to the tenor of the Gospel cannot one moment be regarded and loved without a manifest rejection of Christ I appeal to you whether your present delays are not a notorious despising the Riches of God's Goodness which Sin is a most bitter provocation of Almighty God who could every moment confound such despisers of his Grace What think you will an earthly King bear it that his descending below himself to spare and shew mercy to obstinate Traytors should be despised It is also to be considered how wickedly these delays do vilifie the Grace of our dear Redeemer who though he was rich with the Riches of the Deity he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet such was his amazing Grace that for our sakes he became poor with the poverty of our humanity he took upon him the form of a Servant he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs and here in the days of his Flesh endured the contradiction of Sinners the temptations of Satan the curse of the Law the bitter wrath of God and the accursed death of the Cross and all this for Rebels Enemies O infinite condescension and after all this is done he comes a wooing to our Doors and follows us up and down with the sweet motions of his Spirit and with the strong motives of his Love in dying for us pleading O Sinners why will you dye I am Jesus who dyed for you turn unto me my Heart is towards you what could I have done more for you to win you to redeem you than I have done O remember how I was wounded for your Sins Behold my Hands and Feet reach hither thine Hand put it into the hole in my side look upon me in the Garden and on the Cross and trace me there when my Blood trickled down my weary Body and see how I loved you and whether ever love was like mine to you O that the Lord would please to make you sensible young people and cause you to apprehend the truth of this that Christ doth really thus plead with you to know the things of your Peace now in this your day and to flee your youthful Lusts without delay And here I pray give me leave without the least prevarication to represent to you the impious nature of this Sin of delaying as it is a despising and contemning all this rich Grace and Love of blessed Jesus O young man while thou delayest thou tramplest on Christ's precious Blood thou embracest and openest to thy vile Lusts and Christ is made to serve to stand without in the mean while is it not enough to provoke him in fury to be gone and never return more till he come to sentence thee to go accursed into everlasting Fire Young man has not Christ's Blood a cry does it not cry to Heaven for Mercy to poor Sinners and does it not cry on Earth to Sinners O cease your enmity throw down your weapons of hostility O repent repent and I will appease and quench the Flames of divine Wrath that your Sins have kindled c. Now delays so long as they last are a direct opposition hereunto it is equivalent with waging war against crucified Christ it is interpretatively a conspiracy with the Devil against Christ Young man were you aware of this O be assured the hand of Joab is in this there is a peculiar enmity in Satan against the Blood of Christ as it is a Sinner's ransom while himself is left bound with eternal Chains hence he subtilly endeavoureth to strengthen the confederacy with thy youthful Lusts by present delays which if he can effect he knoweth it to be a direct compliance with him to vilifie that healing Plaister of Christ's precious Blood and how doth he insult when he can prevail herein to keep out Christ notwithstanding all his wooings pleadings and to keep up the present leagâ—â— between thee and thy Lusts as he moâ—â— certainly does whilst thou delays O youâ—â— man never forget this argument againâ—â— this Sin of delaying it is a Sin directlâ— against the bleeding dying love of Chriâ—â— And then it is a sin against the blessed Spâ—rit the third Person of the sacred Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Sâ—â— and comes in the ministry of the Word inwardly to strive with you to convince yoâ— of Sin and Misery in order to a revealing â— Christ and his Righteousness to you for voâ—â— Salvation O admirable Grace that the Hâ—â— Ghost that heavenly Messenger should voucâ— safe to come under a Sinner's roof upon suâ—â— a design so advantagious to a self-destroyiâ—â— Creature O with what humble thankâ—â— Hearts should we receive such a messengâ—â— that leaves thee probably many ninety ninâ— better then thou art and comes to the secretly whispering and breathing O â—â— thy youthful Lusts to day while it is caâ—â—ed to day return return O prodigal youâ—â— there is Bread enough and to spare in thâ— Father's house if you stay here in this â—â— Country you perish if you
the 4. Jam. 4. What is then friendship with the Lusts of the Flesh O young men think of it seriously when you are tempted to Riot and Excess this is direct enmity to God and therefore most hateful to him and can your seeble Hands grasp and make your part good with Omnipotency Iâ—â— a terrible thing to renounce the Heaven of God's love and favour for the pleasing of my Throat but directly to run into the Hell of his hatred O what madness is this It were much better a thousand â—imes that thou shouldst never eat bit or â—rink drop more than do so And then â—â— it is thus hateful to God so it is hurtful â—o your selves and others 1. To your â—elves and that both as to your Bodies and â—ouls Intemperance is the bane of the Body as it fills it with Diseases and oppresseth Nature consuming its animal and â—ital Spirits and so is a degree of self murâ—er Who hath Wo who hath Sorrow but â—he Glutton and Drunkard Prov. 23. 29. Hence are those proverbial Sayings Meat â—â—lls as many as the Musquet and the Board as â—â—e Sword and much Meat much Malady Plures pereunt crapulâ quam capula c. It â—rings ruin to a man's Estate Prov. 23. 21. â—he Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to Poverty Many a man hath become by â—ntemperance worse than an Infidel in waâ—ing that Provision that he was bound to preserve for Wife and Children Thus Intemperance is hurtful to the Body And then it is hurtful to the Soul as it wages War against it 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly beloved â—l beseech you abstain from fleshly â—usts which â—ar against the Soul Fulness breeds forgetfulness of God Deut. 6. 11 12. When thou â—halt have eaten and art full then beware 〈◊〉 thou forget the Lord. So Prov. 30. 9. Feed me with Food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord It unfits the Soul for all holy Exercises a full Belly and a lean Soul usually go together When the great enquiry is What shall we eat what shall we drink There is a deep silence about the Soul no such voice heard as What shall I do to be saved A full Belly saith one neither studies well nor prays well and St. Paul saith in Rom. 16. 10. That they serve not the Lord Christ that serve their own Bellies In a word Intemperance is so hurtful to your selves as that without timely repentance and fleeing it it will most certainly exclude Soul and Body out of Heaven and plunge both into Hell for evermore 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not saith the Apostle that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither Drunkards c. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest Drunkenness Revellings and such like of which I have told you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And in the 12. of Luke 45. If that Servant shall begin to eat and drunk â—nd be druâ—kâ—n the Lord of that Servant will out him â—sunder and will appoint him his pâ—rt on with the Vnbeliever And that is Hell And then this Sin of Intemperance is hurtful to others its injurious to the Poor coathing and feeding them Many have â—ot Mony for such uses because they have â—ast it away and prodigally consumed it â—pon their Lusts of Gluttony and Drunkenâ—ess And it 's a Sin highly aggravated by â—he Miseries and Afflictions of the Church of God at this day wherein God calls for mourning Now at such a time to say with them in Isa 56. 12. We will fetch Wine and â—e will fill our selves with strong Drink and tomorrow shall be as this day and much more â—bundant O what an aggravation is this And would to God that I could not apply â—his Text to our present times the Lord be merciful to us What an incongruity is it â—o hear and see some Christians ready to â—tarve and cry out for a bit of Bread in one place and others Jesuran like waxing fat and kicking for Wantonness some rowling in Blood and others in Vomit some feeding on Ashes and drinking of Tears while others fare deliciously every day some like Dives other like Lazarus O young men study the hainous nature of this Sin of Intemperance as it is hateful to God and hurtful to your selves and others And then Thirdly Study thy self both the state of thy Soul and Body enquire and commune with your own Hearts about it whether thy Soul be in a state of Grace and Peace with God or of Sin and Enmity be sure one of them it is O labour after a true sight of it which it is if a state of Sin and Enmity then fasting and abstinence become one in thy condition much more than eating and drinking Alas a poor Sinner unreconciled to God ready to drop into Hell and hanker after dainties and delicacies of Meats and Drinks how absurd But if it be a state of Grace and Peace why then Grace will be content with less than Nature and Nature will be content with little It is Lust that is so outragious but they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts And then study the state of thy Body too is it not mortal must it not be e're long Worms meat and then do but soberly judge how far such a thing should be pampered and at what rates O methinks a sight of your state should make you abhor Gluttony and Epicurism O youth attend hereunto remember Esau was called prophane for parting with his Birth right for one Morsel of Meat and when ever you feel your Appetite eager and craving remember these three directions I have now given you to flee this Sin which brings me to lay down Rules and Remedies against the next youthful Lust Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Lying THis is a Sin I have shewed that Youth are especially prone to I shall very briefly lay down some Directions to flee it 1. Awaken thy Soul young man to consider the danger of this Sin of Lying and that in these two particulars 1. It s a Badge of a graceless Child And 2. it 's a Bar to endless glory It 's a badge of one that 's graceless pray ponder on these Scriptures Isa 63. 8. For he said Surely they â—re my People Children that will not lye And so he was their Saviour And John â— 44. when our Saviour told the wicked Jews they were of their Father the Devil who was a Lâ—ar and the Father of it And then 2. it is a Bar to Life eternal Rev. 21. 27. ver And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever maketh a Lye But in the 8. ver of that Chap. it is affirmed That all Lyars shall have their part in that Lake that burneth with Fire for evermore O this Sin
Righteousness that Heaven and Earth may sooner pass away than the least Jot or Tittle of his Law pass away unaccomplished though foolish Sinners make nothing of breaking it Well then the great case is How shall Sin be pardoned and the Sinner saved If Justice come upon the Sinner for satisfaction it will swallow him up in the Gulf of eternal misery Therefore had this question been put to the innumerable Host of Angels in Heaven what way sinful man could be saved and yet Justice satisfied and the Law fulfilled They would have been everlastingly puzled and pos'd no less then the infinite Wisdom of God could ever have found it out which is called Wisdom in a Mystery Now that Mystery is revealed in this glorious Text God the Father hath sent and set forth his own Son in our Natures to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness and Justice as well as his Grace and Mercy in pardoning and saving such and only such as believe in Jesus So that if you neglect Christ and Faith in his Blood do what you will you will be still under the Curse of the Law and the Wrath of God you can never escape Condemnation it 's impossible it should be otherwise without the shedding of Blood there can be no Remission Heb. 9. 22. It cannot be the Blood of a meer Creature that can take away Sin it must be the Blood of that Immaculate Lamb of God And when all this is understood there is another great Truth you must know and that is that there must be Faith in this Blood or there can be no actual Remission of your Sins and therefore in vain do Sinners support their hopes of pardon in Heaven with their own Righteousness saying We have sinned but God is merciful and we now repent and reform and turn to God c. Alas poor Soul can these make Satisfaction and make up a Ransom and Price for a Sinner's Redemption what need Christ have shed his Blood then It 's true these Duties are excellent in their due place and must be performed but will you put them in Christ's room and make Saviours of them then you put an undoing Cheat upon your poor Souls and will miscarry for ever under your Convictions and amidst all your Performances for he that believeth not the Wrath of God abideth on him and he shall not see Life And therefore if you would not quench the blessed Spirit and perish after all his strivings with you and shewing you your Sin and Misery I add in the next Direction 5. Prayer this is an excellent means to prevent miscarrying under the operations and workings of the Spirit of God O let nothing be able to keep God and your Souls asunder Are you under the Convictions of the Spirit and don 't know what course to take for Peace with God and freedom from Condemnation Away to the Throne of Grace and there pour out thy Complaints into the Bosom of God and say O Lord I am a sinful wretched vile miserable Creature I have destroyed my self time was I was ignorant and knew it not but now thy Spirit has awakened my Conscience and opened my blind Eyes to see my Sin and Misery so that I am now convinc'd that I must be damned without Faith in a crucified Christ but alas Lord I have such a cursed base deceitful hard and unbelieving Heart in me that I can't tell what in the world to do for an Interest in Christ Lord I am without strength I beseech thee to pity a poor undone Sinner that is now driven to thy Door by want and misery And here plead hard and make Supplication for an Heart to believe and that in spite of all Discouragements first tell him what thou hast heard of his Benignity and tender Compassion That the King of Israel is a merciful King and that thou hast heard of an Eternal Design of Grace to poor Sinners and how in the Fulness of Time he sent his Son to seek and to save what was lost and opened a Fountain of Grace and established an everlasting Covenant of Grace in the Blood of Christ and now has set forth in the Gospel his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood and has made proclamation to all rebellious Sinners to come in and accept of Mercy through Christ and commanded upon pain of Damnation to take Christ and with him all saving good Then plead thy compliance with the Gospel-Call and say O blessed Lord in obedience to thy Call lo I am come here a poor trembling starving Beggar that of all that ever came in and knocked at thy Door none more in need of a Saviour and Salvation than I. Now here suggest thy Wants and say Lord I want Faith I have through thy Mercy awakenings of Conscience but I want to be in Christ that my Nature may be renewed I see my undone state without him but I want union with him Lord while I am without Christ I am without strength O draw me O let it be the Day of thy Power hast thou not said no man can come except thou draw and dear Lord I find the impotency of my own cannot O let me find the Efficacy of thy own Power and feel the vertue of thy Almighty Arm drawing me to Christ Lord perswade me make my Heart to stoop subdue my strong Corruptions dispossess and disarm that malignant party in my Soul demolish those strong Holds of Sin and Hell there O Lord this is a sad condition to be unreconciled to thee and unespoused to Christ O pity and help one that seeth reason enough to believe but has not strength enough my Insufficiencies are equal with my Necessities though I can never get to Heaven without Faith and Holiness and though I know I want both yet Lord thou knowest I am no more able to change my sinful nature and be the Author of Faith to my self than I am to create a World or quicken and raise the Dead but if thou wilt make bare thy Arm it will soon be done my proud Heart shall soon be humble my hard Heart shall soon become soft my unbelieving Heart be made believing O speak but the Word and a poor Sinner that has fear'd burning in Hell hundreds of times shall sing thy Praise O thou that commandest me to turn Turn thou me and I shall be turned And here plead his Promise and Christ's Purchase after some such manner as this Blessed Lord hast thou not promised that thou wilt not cast out him that cometh to thee and that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to him that asks and that it shall be opened to him that knocks and that thou wilt take away the Heart of Stone and give a Heart of Flesh and give a New Heart and remember Sin no more Lord if these be not thine own Promises I 'll be content to go away empty And are not all thy Promises yea and Amen Is it not