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
life it is the ready way to Atheisin and Apostacy whereas if you would always keep the eye of your mind open to behold the speedy approach of Death and Judgment as in rem presentem how admirably would it work how serious in casting up your souls accounts and imploring of pardon and eternal Life would you be 15. Another of these youthful sins is Pride and vain Glory which stands in an overvaluing of our selves with reference to the endowments of the Mind or Body such as Wit Parts Beauty Stature Strength Agility c. Young ones have much darkness and ignorance both of God and themselves and hence they set themselves as among the Stars in their own thoughts if they have Parts how prone are they to be proud of them conceiting themselves to have much more than indeed they have and then above measure admiring their own Wit and strength of parts and expecting every one else should admire them too not considering that these mental gifts without Grace makes them more like the Devil that abounds with endowments of this kind and to be more serviceable to him as malignant instrumentals in promoting the ruin of mens souls as Austin told a great but unsanctified Scholar ornari a te diabolus quaerit the Devil seeks to be honoured and served by thee And you read in 3. Gen. 1. Because the Serpent was more subtile than any other beast the Devil used that Creature to destroy mankind Now this Pride of Intellectuals is never more dangerous than when it terminates upon Religion and Souls affairs and there are none more obnoxious hereunto than young people a little knowledge maketh them think they are fit to be Preachers presently whereas the old and experienced Christian with trembling cryeth out Lord who is sufficient for these things Young ones for want of acquaintance with and experience of the wickedness and deceitfulness of their own hearts are apt to think that they have abundance of Grace Paul a young man was highly conceited of his good estate in Religion and spiritual matters till the commandment came in the power of it and revived in him a sight and sense of his cursed and sinful estate by nature 7. Rom. 9. And so the young man in the Gospel according to Matth. 19. chap. 20. All these have I done what lack I yet O young man remember this spiritual Pride is like the flye in the pot of Oyntment make all to stink if you over-value your selves in matters of Religion you may soon undo your selves and fall into the snare and condemnation of the Devil This was the reason why Paul forbids the choosing of a young beginner in Religion to the work of the Ministry Not a Novice lest he should be lifted up with Pride 1 Tim. 3. 6. Paul was a wise man he well knew the subtilties of Satan and the want of experience in young ones would soon insnare them and betray them into the hands of this sin And then with respect to Pride in bodily endowments as Beauty Strength Stature c. Alas how is the Youth of the present Age grown monstrous herein Never did Pride ride in such state when it went abroad in the Streets of Sodom as at this day it doth in this Nation wherein I was born and in this City wherein I now breathe Alas what wandering eyes wanton dresses foolish fashions apish imitations extravagant washings profane patching in a word a practical devotedness to the vile Body that is but a fine skin full of filth Flegm Choler and Corruption abounds in this City O the Arts Studies Pains among us all for the neatifying priding pampering this piece of earth that e're long will be meat for the Worms O young people what will a white skin or strength of Limbs or a rosie Complexion signifie when God rebuketh man for sin his beauty will consume as a Moth. 39. Psal 11. One fit of an Ague can alter thy beauty or a visitation with the Small Pox can change it into its contrary 16. Another sin Youth is ordinarily prone to is quenching and stifling the holy motions of Gods Spirit This more especially they are liable to that are the seed of the Righteous and that dwell among those whose chief scope and aim is to promote your Conversion by their daily Prayers Instructions and holy examples Such young ones as are thus educated in righteous Families and used to a constant attendance through the care of their godly Parents or Masters on the means of Grace both publick and private they do meet with innumerable inward motions of the spirit of God striving in and with them they lie more obvious to the Lords grace and I am perswaded that there is not one to be found among these that are come to years of understanding but what must own the truth of this But oh the woful opposition that is commonly made by young ones against these holy suggestions and illapses of the blessed spirit they are usually like the sparks falling into a Sea of water when they are at a Sermon how many knocks and secret jogs touches of Heart and Conscience do they meet with to consider soberly about their spiritual and everlasting state But what through the subtilty of Satan and the love of foolish mirth and pleasures and vain company c. presently as soon as they return they lose all quench those begun convictions and just were it if the abused spirit should depart for ever and strive no more Be assured young people you cannot sin at so cheap a rate as an old sinner that never had the heavenly gales breathings operations motions to conversion interruptions and checks in sinful courses as you have had O it is this that accents Gospel condemnation that light is come and men love darkness rather than light 3. John 19. When because light reproves gauls the sinner therefore it is hated this is dreadful indeed O ponder a while what an infinite mercy of God it is to your poor miserable souls to have the strivings and negotiatings of the holy spirit of God 147. Psal 19. he hath not dealt so with all of your ranks and standing How many thousands are let alone like young Dagons now to resist these and to sin against the light argueth such a love to sin and aversation to God as justly may place you in the forefront of desperate sinners 17. The next sin Youth are prone to is Atheism c. ridiculing serious Religion The holy Apostle distinctly foretold by a spirit of Prophesie this very sin in the 2 Peter 3. 3 4. knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming surely these are those last days wherein we live and never did this sin of Atheism and deriding at goodness obtain such a vogue till of late in this irreligious Age wherein the main Articles of the Christian Faith are shaken in the minds of
you thâ— suggests that Corvina Cras as Augustine caâ— it cras cras if you have been ignoraâ—â— hitherto know it from this day for a mâ— certain truth it is no other than that lyer â— Hell the Devil and sure I am he hath â— way so plausible and politick to circumvâ—â— thee as by hanging these weights of delaâ— upon thy Soul and thereby letting and bindering thy present flight from Sin to Christ with an hereafter is time enough so that thou mayst conclude upon this that more perish this way than any other for Satan can prevail upon few to say peremptorily they will not repent but this is the common snare and bait wherein and whereby he taketh multitudes I will turn to God hereafter for these delays provoke the God of Grace to take away his Spirit and then what can the miserable Sinner do It was the saying of an Eminent Person The Spirit of God is a tender thing grieve it once and you may drive it away for ever and then it is not your crying Lord Lord that will fetch him back again Thou mayst intreat to use the words of that blessed Soul-converting Preacher for Mr. Fenner's danger of deferring Repentance one dram of that Mercy that hath been offered but thou hast rejected but it shall never be granted to thee God may clap that fearful sentence upon thee Now henceforth never Fruit grow on thee more never Repentance come into thy Heart more If now thou wilt not repent and be converted the Lord may set it down in his decree that from this day forward thou mayst sumble about thy Sins but shall never get victory over them thou mayst blunder about Repentance but never do the work what is the reason why because I would have purged thee and thou wouldst not therefore thou shalâ— not be purged any more O young men there is a time wherein God will not be found he will not always wait your leisure your pleasure how long or how shoâ—â— your time of Grace will last is hid from you Repentance is God's gift and Giâ—â— are given according to the good pleasure of the giver It is a great mistake to think that it is at your pleasure to call it down from Heaven at your need to convey you to Heaven when you feel your selves falling into Earth bitter Experience hath taught multitudes of shuffling delaying Sinners the delusions of such conceits while it their immoderate pursuit of their Lusts they have endeavovred to stop the mouth oâ— Conscience with promises that e're long they would take time to consider and recollect themselves and return to God in the mean while stifling and slighting the merciful motions of the Spirit of Grace oâ— a sudden e're they are aware a silent and secret decree passes against them Let theâ— alone they are joyned to their Lusts which though it make no noise in their Heads yet it effectually sealeth up their Heart to an incurable obduration and hardness And now I appeal to you upon this consideration viz. the uncertainty of the time of Grace whether Delays are not unspeakably dangerous since no man knows whether the next day will afford him so much as a possibility of Repentance if he put off and defer it this day Wherefore O young man as ever thou wouldst not be forsaken of God and have the things of thy Peace for ever hid from thine Eyes and the dreadful guilt of innumerable Sins seal'd upon thy Soul O flee this youthful Sin of delaying Repentance a moment longer 2. Consider the Impiety and Wickedness of Delaying for it doth in effect speak thus to God The real love and delight of my Soul is in my Lusts I desire thee therefore to stay for my Repentance till hereafter and by no means to punish me while I shall be provoking and dishonouring thee in the tract of my youthful days give me leave to be a faithful Servant to divers Lusts and Pleasures while I have strength and spirits and then when I grow impotent and my Lusts turn me off I pray thee to accept me and grant me Heaven O what monstrous Blasphemy and Impiety is there in such a vile deportment towards the Blessed God and pray is there not something of this in every delay it sheweth evidently that thou preferrest thy Lusts before him yea the Devil's service before his O transcendent horrid Wickedness that ever a reasonable Creature should choose to be employed in the Devil's work and drudgery before that most gracious noble honourable service of God O young man let Conscience speak is the Devil so real a Friend so good a Master or is there so much pleasure in being a slave to thy Lusts as that the Loâ—â— of Heaven and Earth the Author of thy Life and Breath should stand by and stay till they are in the first place served and then when the Devil and thy Lusts will dismiss thee God shall have their leaving I beseech you let Conscience judge in thâ— case whether Hell it self can exceed sucâ— Ungodliness Suppose your dear Fatheâ— that begat you or your tender Mother thaâ— bare you should knock at your Door anâ— intreat an admission and you should say That at present they must excuse you theâ—â— are a company of Thieves Murderers anâ— Adulterers that you must first attend anâ— entertain c. Would not this be condemned as a piece of vile Inhumanity And can it be deemed in the present casâ— a less piece of Impiety to put such an higâ— affront and indignity upon the Great God as when he graciously invites you to breâ—â— off your Sins by Repentance that he mighâ— shew you Mercy to put him off as Feâ—â— did Paul Go thy way for this time herâ— after possibly I may attend but for â—â— present there is the Devil and a train â—â— youthful Lusts stay for me and I must give entertainment to them in the first place This without an Hyperbole may be stiled the Master-piece of Wickedness the Mother of Abominations it is a plain contradiction of and direct opposition to the soveraign command of our Maker who saith Eccles 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth before the Evil days come c. God saith To Day while it is called to Day repent And you say No to day while it is called to day I must rejoyce and follow my youthful pleasures and delights And so you put the lye upon God and credit the Devil who is the Father of Lyes O this Sin of Delays hath a world of rebellion in it and Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft Moreover the impiety of this Sin will further appear if you consider what a Scorn it casts upon the admirable Grace of all the three glorious Persons of the Trinity as if not worthy of acceptance the Father's Love and Wisdom to and for a lost World of Sinners in decreeing and revealing of Jesus Christ his blessed Son to seek and to save what was lost opening a
live after â—â— Flesh you must dye O young ones your Delays must neeâ— provoke and highly affront the blessed Spâ—rit they cast a Scorn upon him to see â—â— his melting Perswasions and Motions set â—â— naught and at the same time the charms and hissings of Satan that hellish Charmer and Serpent entertained O how cutting and bitterly provoking would it be to a compassionate Father to see a rebellious Son stopping his Ear to all his loving and good Advice and Counsel and opening it to the vile inticements and seducements of base fellows How was Jacob troubled when his Sons Simeon and Levi rebelled Gen. 34. 30. Ye have troubled me saith their Father and made me stink among the Inhabitants of the Land the Canaanites c. O young man when the two Spirits that of Heaven and that of Hell come to thy Soul and knock for entrance and thou openest to Satan and shuttest out the Spirit of God by delays this cannot be done without an high hand of rebellion there is abundance of impiety in it for herein thou castest a contempt on the Spirit if it be a deprecating thing to set one person lower and in a meaner place in my House than another of meaner quality how much more to shut the door against a person that is a Friend while an Enemy is let in surely comparisons are too short in the present case the good and gracious Spirit of God cometh wooing and arguing Be intreated O young man to open Christ's yoke is easie one day of a repenting Sinner's Spirit in strict watching and holy walking is better than a thousand days elsewhere c. And Sinners delay and neglect attendance hereunto making the urgings of Sin and Satan an excuse for their present put-offâ— these do not only rob the Spirit of thaâ— honour and glory due to him but highly expose him to contempt And it is very remarkable that ordinarily such persons are left of God to run into such heights oâ— wickedness that deservedly bringeth them to some shameful and despicable end â—â— must be confessed sometimes God hath overcome such by his Grace after much ado if I may so express it striving on his paâ—â— and rebelling on theirs but then it must be granted also that such have usually been exceedingly wounded and wofully distressed in their Souls for their so long standing and stouting it out but where it endâ— not in Conversion there not only thâ— blackness of darkness is reserved for them in the other world after that direful Sentence of Go ye Cursed but even in thâ—â— Life they become notorious to all for theiâ— Ungodliness and Impiety O let this consideration young ones prevail with youâ— no longer to delay your Repentance anâ— turning to God viz. the Impiety of iâ— which I might farther shew you from thâ— direct opposition that delays carry againsâ— your Baptismal Covenant and all those holy Institutions of Christ in the Gospel usually stiled the means of Grace whereby you are obliged everlastingly to the earliest Conversion and Repentance all which I might have easily formed up into Arguments to set forth the impiety of Delays but I shall not insist on these only shall sum up the strength of what hath been offered that Delays are impious and wicked as they trespass against the bowel-mercy of God the Father the bleeding wounds of God the Son the blessed Inspirations of God the holy Ghost which Sin is enough to break our Hearts and Eyes with grief and tears It is a Sin of such a Scarlet tincture as that it must needs make us ashamed if there be any shame in us for the mercies of God are all as so many messages of Love and Kindness and every drop of the Blood of Christ is as a Sermon of Love and Grace and every illapse of that sweet and heavenly Dove is as a sacred Band and Cord of Love and Mercy and all to win us to draw us to save us Rom. 12. 1. 2 Cor 7. 1. O wonderful love of God who ever heard of such kindness that the offended Majesty of Heaven and Earth who hath all Power and Might in himself and is infinitely removed from all possibility of want that he should condescend to us Rebels to send his own dear Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh deliver him up to the accursed Death of the Cross open an everlasting Fountain of Grace enter his Protestations yea his Oath that he has no pleasure in a Sinner's death and for as much as our Sin had procured a malediction and heavy wrath upon us and a woful seperation of our Souls from the blessed God That it should ever enter into the Heart of God to the end that such as we might go free and be delivered from that Curse and Wrath and be restored to the favour of God to bruise his own Son and put his Soul and Body to grief and make him an Offering for Sin and O how wonderful was the Love of Christ thaâ— he should be content and willing to come under the obligation to this Oblation to the bearing of this Curse and Wrath in ouâ— stead was there ever Love lâ—ke to this that when we were Enemies spitting oâ—â— our venom and enmity against God hâ— should dye for us pay our Debts have hiâ— Hands and Feet nailed for us c. And â— how wonderous is the Grace and Condescention of the third Glorious Person the blessed Spirit that ever he should strive with Sinners in order to their Conversion wheâ— he might have stood at an everlasting distance from them O the rare humility â—â— the whole Trinity expressed in these Mysteries of Love and Grâ—ce Now for any of Adam's undoue posterity condemned Creatures poor Worms Hell-deservinâ— Sinners to abuse all this Grace and rich Mercy how impious and monstrously vile a thing this is I have largely proved to you and shewed you in particular that this Sin of Delays is an high affront and indignity offer'd to all this Mercy and Grace the consideration whereof should make you lift up your Voice and weep bitterly A stubborn Saul wept upon the reflection of his abuse and ill requital of poor David's kindness in 1 Sam. 24. 16 17 18. The Lord open your Eyes and Hearts this day young ones that you may with grief and shame flee from this Sin that carrieth such transcendent wickedness in it It 's a known rule corruptio optimi est pessima The best things abused prove the worst of all O remember it young ones Delays under these Circumstances put very great aggravations upon all your Sins O think of it what melting Arguments these three Names have in them Creator Redeemer Sanctifier to a present Conversion and then think what a Soul confounding thing it is to contradict oppose the Power and Authority and to abuse and contemn the Grace and Mercy of each Person See that in Isa 1. 2. Hear O Heavens and give Far O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children but they
that Youthful Sin of Pride THat Youth is apt to admire themselves for their supposed Excellences as Beauty Parts Wit Strength c. I have shewed before Man is a proud piece of Dust and a little thing will puff him up a Râ—bbon a Feather a Wire a black spot a bag full of Dirt a Shop full of Goods or the Excrements of Beasts this is that old Leaven of Corruption that hath leavened the whole humane nature hence young Absalon swells O that I might be Judge of Israel Wherefore I shall lay down some directions in order to your fleeing this Sin 1. Represent to thy self how odious and abominable this Sin is to God as will evidently appear if thou study these Scriptures 1 Peter 5. God resisteth the Pruod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word signifieth Sets himself in battle array against such a person Proverbs 6. 16 17. it is there placed in the front of those six things the Lord hates A proud look c. Proverbs 16. 5. Every one that is Proud in Heart is abomination to the Lord and though Hand joyn in Hand yet shall he not go unpunished Isaiah 23. 8. Surely the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to stain the Pride of all Glory And in Isaiah 2. 11. The Day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is Proud whose Heart is lifted up O young People when ever you are affecting a Glory and a kind of Supremacy to your selves consider these Scriptures and remember what a God he is that hath thus expressed his hatred of this Sin he is a God of infinite Greatness and Majesty that might in his Soveraignty have left thee in the Womb of Nothing had he pleased or might have crush'd thee into nothing in the Cradle When he did but let out of his Glory a little to Job and Isaiah one crys ouâ— Wo is me I am an undone man I have seen the Lord Isaiah 6. The other breaks forth Behold I am vile I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes for mine Eyes have seen the Lord of Host And in Heaven where he fully shineth forth in his Glory the Elders fall down and cast down their Crowns before him that sitteth on the Throne O proud Dust one glimpse of the high and lofty One would make thee quake and tremble Secondly Get thy Heart well seasoned with deep Convictions of what a poor sinful mortal Creature thou art it is ignorance of your selvâ—s that makes you proud Hence you read Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Here you see the different judgment of God and man Whence is it but from man's ignorance of himself O proud Youth were you brought but once to understand what a leprous deformed diseased Soul lodgeth in thy dunghil Body let Conscience answer whether thou couldst be Proud or no a Soul so ignorant of and averse unto the blessed God so unbelieving unholy universally miserable and wretched so like to the Devil and yet be proud a Soul so unreconciled to God so unready for the coming of Christ in such danger of the damnation of Hell one would thiâ—k here should be no more room for Pride than there is reason for it and that 's none at all but the quite contrary namely lying in Tears and abasement before the Lord and begging of Mercy better becometh such a Soul And then for thy Body wherein this miserable Soul lodgeth for a few days one would think thou shouldst have little mind to be proud of that were it only for the sake of so wretched a Tenant that dwells within but as wisely consider it and see whether there be any thing in it or no to be proud of first then O young man dost thou not know it to be a poor vain frail perishing thing the Heathen can tell you this without the Book of Scripture hast thou now a juvenile verdure and freshness of Complexion or briskness of Spirits or quickness of Parts or strength of Body and art thou tempted to Pride by any or all of these Alas let but a Feaver or an Apoplexy seize you as they may within the space of an hour and then where are all these Indeed if thou couldst by thy youthful strength and ability hinder any of these and wert so considerable a Creature as to beat back Sickness and Death when they come thou mightest have some pretence for thy boasting but if thy young Flesh be but as Grass that can no ways defend it self from the Sythe then be ashamed and abased in the Dust Have you noâ— seen or at least have you not heard â—â—w suddenly many of your Age have dâ—â—p'd into the Pâ—â— go to the Church-yard â—nd look among the Graves and see it there be not shorter Graves than would fit you and learn humility Thirdly Sâ—udy an humbled Christ and abhor Pride for ever Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek anâ— lowly And will you be proud and haughty Psal 22. 6. I am a Worm and no Man it is spoken of Christ O when you are tempted to be high-minded and to over-valuing conceits of your selves to think I am some body and deserve respect and esteem then look an humbled Christ in the face and loath thy self and say O proud heart dost thou stand upon thy Pantofles and Terms and thy Saviour stoop and step down into the form of a Servant Dismount dismount proud Dust and come down and let the same mind be in you as was in Christ 2 Phil. 6. The next Sin Youth is prone unto is quenching the Spirit Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Quenching the Spirit I Have shewed you how prone Youth is to quench the Motions of the Spirit of God stifling those inward Convictions that are wrought in them of their lost and undone estate by Nature of the necessity of Conversion and the New Birth and of their indispensible Duty to use the means both publick and private that God hath appointed in order to their Conversion there are not a few of London's Youth that are guilty in a high degree of this Sin Wherefore to prevent it for time to come attend to these following directions First Understand wherein this Sin of Quenching the Spirit stands and that 's the first step to Reformation in this point Quenching is a metaphorical part of Speech it is borrowed from a Fire or Lamp that useth to give light and heat now this applied to the Spirit it must follow that the Spirit is a Fire heating and Light enlightning the Soul and therefore in reference hereunto the Apostle in the 1. Thes 5. 19. saith Quench not the Spirit how that is done may be gathered from the metaphor thus a Fire or Light is two manner of ways quenched 1. By withdrawing of Fuel from it 2. By casting of Water upon it So it is here with this heavenly Fire 1.