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A40495 A Friendly letter to all young men shewing the benefit of a religious and friendly reproof, conversation and admonition, and not only to live good lives themselves but to incourage others to do the same : with a letter to masters of families : to which is added a specimen of the rules and orders of the religious societies, as now practiced in the cities of London and Westminster. 1699 (1699) Wing F2223A; ESTC R26731 24,637 62

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A Friendly Letter TO ALL YOUNG MEN Shewing the Benefit of a Religious and Friendly Reproof Conversation Admonition And not only to live good Lives themselves but to incourage others to do the same With a Letter to Masters of Families To which is added A Specimen of the Rules and Orders of the Religious Societies as now Practised in the Cities of London and Westminster The Fifth Edition Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth Eccles 12. 1. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by W. Downing in Bartholomew-Close near West-Smithfield 1699. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THE Bookseller being upon Printing another Edition of the Friendly Letter to all Young Men I thought it might not be amiss in order to the Increasing these Religious Societies to prin● those Excellent Gospel Rules and Orders the First Edition speaks of being such as have been approved of by many Eminent Divines of the Church of England and which are agreeable to the Practice of the best Christians in the first and purest Ages of the Church and such as I hope will induce the Reader to set up such a Religious Society amongst his Neighbours where much good may be done as there hath already been by them in the Cities of London and Westminster and several other Places in this Kingdom as well as in Ireland by which means great Numbers of poor House-keepers have been Relieved poor Children kept to School and after put Apprentices The Bishop of Sarum in his Essay on the Memory of our late Gracious QVEEN page 118. gives this Account of her Opinion and Satisfaction of these Societies in these Words She did hearken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some hope that the next Generation should be better than the present with a particular Attention She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading it self among the Youth of this great City with a true Satisfaction She enquired often and much about it and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed Some of these Societies have by their pious Examples influenced Dissenters to come to Church and several Anabaptists and Quakers to Baptism and have been a means of preserving from Popery several Vnsteady and Wavering people in the late times And being not unsensible of their own and others Infirmities they keep up these Societies in meeting together once a Week that they may re-inforce on each others Minds the great Principles of Christianity in order to the carrying on those good Works they are already ingaged in and which I hope will induce the Reader to an Imitation My Design in this little Treatise is only to assist the Ignorant and those who are willing to form themselves into Societies they being so very beneficial to Youth as well as to those of Riper Years For as there is nothing in its self more Excellent than Religion so you cannot imagine the unspeakable Advantages a Pious Youth gains by the Practice of it in these Societies Do but consider how welcome a Young Convert is to God It was to young Samuel that God revealed himself to shew how much He honoured a young Propher 1 Sam. 3. 1. And you know that St. John the Youngest of all the Disciples is the only Person of all the Twelve who was permitted to lean on our Saviour's Bosom at the last Supper as dearest in Affection to Him and who is called the Disciple whom Jesus loved John 13. 23. And this is suitable to that Gracious Promise which God hath made to incourage all Young Persons to serve Him I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me Prov. 18. 7. O Young Man whosoever thou art that readest this Promise let it excite in thee a great Zeal to seek God and to seek Him early for if thou dost seek thou art sure to find Him thou art sure when thou hast found Him he will love thee and thou shalt reap all the happy effects of God's Infinite Love and of an early Piety and the Pleasure of well-doing that thou wilt at present feel Think if you can how unconceivable a Joy it will be to you when in your Elder years you can reflect on your well-spent time and the Innocence of your Youth how great a Consolation it will be to you when you come to your Death-bed how easie it will render your Accounts at the great Day of Judgment and how much a whole Life spent in God's Service will increase your Glory in the other World Therefore consider the vast Necessity and the Advantage there is of beginning to be good betimes for we know not but that the next moment may determine our Everlasting Fate and the hopes of Heaven which we have now in our Hands may slip from us before to Morrow Morning and so leave us desperate for Ever Therefore consider what a dreadful venture you run if you delay your Time of Salvation or put it off from Day to Day and the longer you delay the more averse you will be to it for your Lusts will every Day grow dearer and dearer unto you and you will find your selves more and more unwilling to part with them Therefore make no delay but take the Wise Man's Advice and make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put it not off from Day to Day And let this Consideration ingage you further to think what Engagements you ly under to an Holy Life by your own Profession Promises and Vows for you profess and call your selves Christians Followers of Christ ought you not then to follow his Example and obey his Commands if you will make good that Name You will think it a great Disgrace not to be taken for Christians but for a Turk or Jew Beware then lest you bring this Disgrace upon your self by an unchristian Temper of Mind and ill course of Life for if you are False or Cruel Covetous or Lustful Proud or Revengeful like a Turk or Heathen it matters little what you call your self For he is not a Christian that is one outwardly but he that hath the same Mind and Spirit that was in Christ Jesus For God will not at the Last Day Judge Men by their Names and Titles but by their Hearts and Lives only it will go much worse with a Man that calls himself a Christian and lives like a Turk or Infidel Therefore make no Delay about a Holy Life but strive and use your utmost endeavour to make your self what you will wish to be when you come to die And one great means to effect this will be to keep such Company as are already ingaged in a Holy Life for to hear the Discourse of Religious Men delights us and their Company is the most Beneficial and it is That which I recommend in the following Letter and that I would desire you to read seriously over and over again not as School-Boys do their Lessons but apply it to your self as you read and consider whether you