his service as the Ox and Ass â—or ours when he pleased without making any question or dispute concerning it yet he leaves us to our Liberty But how doth he resent it when freely offered and given up unto him Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindâ—ess of thy Youth Jer. 2. 2. see Hos 11. 1. 2. Chron. 34. 3. Mark 10. 21. These are written for the Exhortation and Encouragement of all to come betimes for God hath a pecâ—liar Favour and doth take notice of them â—or only doing that which is the duty of all to do To follow after him that is the guidâ— of our youth Jer. 3. 4. The nature of the Christian warfare and state of its Enemies require the chief time of Life to encounter with them When he is Listed at Baptism he takes an Oath to fight manfully against the World the Fle 〈…〉 the Devil The latter is most maliciously set against us Rev. 12. 12. 1 Pet. 5. 8. whom we must Resist stedfast in the Faith by this Shield we shall be able to quenâ—â—h all the siery Darts of the Wicked Eph. 6. 16. The Angel of the bottomless Pit is often transformed into an Angel of Light yet if we are so happy As from Childhood to have known the Scriptures which are able to make wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 14 15. We shall not be ignorant of his devices noâ— be beguiled through his subtilty Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Jam. 4. 7. This subdued the next is our own dear sâ—lf for though none ever hated his own Flesh but loves and cherishes it yet that when too much cockered and luxuriant turns our Enemy When Blood runs warm in the veins the Sences quick and brisk that is rampant and would get Dominion over us The Commands are directed accordingly Flee youthful Lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live Rom. 8. 13. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust thereof Rom. 13. 14. When overmuch fuel is taken away the fire will do no hurt but serve only for its necessary use Another Enemy is the World which with its pomp and glittering is apt to deceive new and tender minds but if they be seasoned with the Love of God and Knowledge of his Word particularly what is written Jam. 4. 4. 1 John 2. 14 15 16 17. 1 John 5. 4. this will cast out the love of the World Faith overcomes it clearly for what this assures of doth so infinitely exceed Wordly Greatness and Glory that they cannot hold due competition with the heavenly manifest Sence sheweth that we are but Sojourners here and have no continuing City Faith â—eeks one to come so we will hold no correspondence with what we are now in then as furnishing conveniencies for not to hinder ouâ— Journey All these Foes are more dangerous because they assault in the disguise of Friends making a shew of Happiness but deceive into Misery and do most strongly tempt in our inconstant Age. They act subtilly taking advantage of want of a through and perfect Understanding But fore warned and fore-armed Wherewithall shall a young Man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Ps 119. 9. Which discovers the snare laid for him and he may avoid it in the mid'st of his career if he can duly stop or turn aside I have more understanding then my Teachers because I have learnt thy Word Every thing done in the World is with intention and desire after good and that lays down certain directions for Happiness and avoiding Misery so this kind is most profitable If God did no more regard the Iniquities of Youth then Childhood its Vanities were more allowable as the effect of Mirth and Lightness but there is not the same reason for both Children have no Knowledge between good and evil Deut. 1. 39. but Youth hath or may have which is the same thing God expects when we know his Will we should do it otherwise we Sin and are liable to his Indignation It would be impertinent for the Psalmist to cry out O Lord remember not the Sins of my Youth Ps 25. 7. If God would never have imputed them And Righteous Job would have falsly expostulated Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth Job 13. 26. so Jer. 31. 19. The just Judge of all the earth calls to account for those Transgressions as of succeeding years Good Men have been guilty of some Extravagancies at that time of Life which are not written for presumption and licence to Sin but for the Hope and Comfort of those who Repent as they did and for those who are not yet defiled with Wickedness to keep their innocency By their Examples it appears that however sweet in commission yet they are exceeding bitter in remembrance Many secret heavy doubtful and disturbed Thoughts did arise as often as they did look back upon them the pleasure whereof was vanished as if it had never been All things considered he consults most for Gods Glory and is wisest for his own Peace who remembers his Creator in the days of his Youth It is said A young Saint an old Devil Which pestilent Proverb sprange frome him the Father of Lies who will suffer himself to be abused for the advancement of his own Kingdom There can be no suspition or danger in the word of Truth which requires To bring up Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord Ep. 6 4. The wise Man renders a Reason for it Prov. 22. 6. This Age will gadly receive the imprâ—ssions of good which are as acceptable as those of Sin and Evil. If they grow up and consent with them they become more customary natural and delightful then unlawful Pleasures are to others The sincerity of Youth tasts of the good Word of God and powers of the World to come which have their due influence on such a mind The simplicity thereof doth highly approve the works of Righteousness which cannot be otherwise thought of except by Corruption and Wrong Would God these youthful qualifications might be still retained which in these and other instances are very advantageous for the things pertaining to him This the Enemy of mankind knows though he doth cunningly whisper to the contrary for he uses endeavour to get the first Possession into our Hearts He will try to hinder our Sons from being As Plants growing up in their Youth And as far as the divine permission extends will graft into tender Stocks the wild Olive-Tree that it may become fruitless hewn down and cast into the fire He shews forth many alluring baits and fair promises to beguil foolish nature to himself If he gets young Souls he hath half done his work When he hath them in invincible clutches he instils a dislike of
the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to another They that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 16 17 24. To be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8. 6 13. And then can be no greedy desires after sensual Delights An affection or hankering after them is the principal thing forbidden for there is large Commission given Gen. 1. 29. 9. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 4. A sweetness is put into the Creatures and sence given us to perceive it but they are to be used according to the bounds God hath set in his Word and our Nature To be temperate in all things and not the least sensual minded is what doth become Men and also Christians Neither let Vngodly Men walking after their own lusts think them less happy because these have not an unlimited enjoyment as they wrongfully usurp to themselves for the great God who gives us all things richly to enjoy may well prescribe after what manner they shall be received especially seeing it is for our further good Sobriety gives a better relish to every lawful delight then all the studied Sauce and Contrivances to those who are full and Surfeitted But then we do err not knowing our selves for Nature doth not so much require Pleasure as now and then a little Divertisement but is for a middle and even State between Pleasure and Pain There may be observed a weariness of the former if too long dwelt on and the desire of intermission Take Reason into Advice with Enjoyments and then they will not be troublesome or occasision of inconvenience but this is banished because it is thought to lessen only for that it conceives of them according to truth Indeed the Act is little and mean common to us with Beasts unsatisfying mixt and vain When sought after they are full of trouble and impatiency and afterwards is Disappointment and Vexation All which perish in the using and are determined in this Life which signifie no more taken all together then the single interrupted Acts all which go of as a Dream when one awaketh So it is not possible for the true and real Happiness to consist in them all this may Learnt as a Man. But then the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ teacheth more That there is a real good set before the Sons of Men that we are to press forward to it and take heed least these things hinder There is great Talk in the World about following Pleasure and too much Practising of it not minding how consistent it is with Christianity and the Attainment of true Happiness Abstain always from unlawful things and sometimes from lawful may seem a rigid and severe Rule but yet is necessary for the Boundaries between good and evil are so small and indiscernable that he which will venture to go to the utmost of one will before he is aware transgress and pass into the other To prevent all Danger of this Nature it is commanded Abstain from all appearance of Evil 1 Thes 5. 22. All Excess is Evil even what are esteemed the more innocent Divertisements if followed too much do turn aside the Heart from God and good things The Apostle Prophecies of these last Days That Men shall be lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. But it is strange that any should be so who really believe in him for can they imagine he hath Communicated more Goodness to things then is in himself That there is more Satisfaction in earthly Vanities then the things above May they not more certainly conclude that he purposely made things here so small and empty least they should take off our esteem from him that fulness of Joy and the Pleasures for evermore at his right hand By these sweet things he gives an earnest if we seek after it and shall be found worthy Luke 16. 11 12. That He will commit unto us the true Happiness And therefore let the Christian be put in mind not to be Liquorish nor Desirous after present things but turn the whole Stream of his affection to God and the things of his Kingdom Look diligently to himself that he forsake all to come unto them Let him who hath this hope purifie himself from all dregs and defilements of Sensuality And let those follow after it who are strangers to Godliness without Hope and who have nothing eâ—â—e to trust unto Who if they are bereaved of this they are bereaved of all these are Sensual and earthly the other man is spiritual and Divine He hath the Body subdued to the Spirit Whereas some willingly suffer their noble and free born Souls to be inslaved unto a lump of Flesh And become the worst of Gods Creatures for they are not Vassals to themselves nor Act contrary to their own Nature All the Excellency of a meer Sensualist lieth in his outside A gallant Horse exceeds him in Beauty and Strength the Lyon in Courage a Fox in craft and subtilty but indeed he hath the Pre-eminence in that which should be his Shame for all things unseemly and abominable meet in him together which are single and not to be found but in the worst of Bruits Man would be a contemptible Being if it were not for that Divine thing within which preserves his Soveraignty over the lower Ps 8. 5 6. Creation but when this is defiled by the filthiness of sin he sinks below himsâ—lf He forfeits his Honour by disobedience unto his God and his Soul creeps and cleaves unto the ground which was given to raise him up unto Heaven As to the Body none hath much reason to Glory for the Beasts excel us in every Sense and are equal in every Member Wherefore the Almighty sent us into such Flesh we are not to enquire but rest satisfied with the good Pleasure of his Will. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Rom. 9. 20. God made us immortal but we made our selves vile and corruptible Foâ— he did not suffer his holy one in whom was no Sin to see corrâ—uption Psal 16. 10. Whatever our Condition is now in this Tabernaâ—le it was not grievous before the fall and we deserve worse then what is laid on us The Children of God contentedly fear with all the Weakness and Pain belonging to the Flesh having for support 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4. Happiness rises unto them out of what by Nature is miserable All things work together for good But it is time to enter within this vail of flesh The Soul is the Of the Soul. Man himself Compare Mat. 16. 26. with Luâ—e 9. 25. The Body is enlivened and
accept of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1. 4. if you perform the conditions required As for that you have already must fade away for if you think the Lands are yours for ever yet your selves are not so they may remain somewhat longer but you shall be taken away before Their inward thought is that their Houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all Generations they call their lands after their own Names this their way is their folly yet their posterity approveth their sayings Psal 49. 11 13. When many times they do not long enjoy their lands for these change owners and seldom continue in the same Family for two or three hundred years much less for ever Nay if they were secured from Folly Prodigality Forfeiture Injustice as that is in defeating the 1 Kings 21. 3. next Heir of the Blood of the inheritance of his Fathers and of firm Title and furthest from Inundation of the Sea yet this would not endure for ever for the time draweth near when the Earth shall be burnt up and all the Works thereof so the goodliest Estate now seen is but temporal which fades away He that hath the best tenure and most indefeasible right yet hath no perpetuity but himself is tenant at will to the great Landlord of Heaven and Earth now t is the wisest way of such an one to feather his nest to provide well against the time he shall be turned out Agreeable hereunto is the Counsel of the Lord Jesus And I say unto you make to your selves Friends of the mammon of Vnrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. It is strange that those who have such an advantage of Worldly outward prosperity of which they must be one day eternally deprived should not take care against that fails to be provided of an Happiness in the highest Heavens for evermore especially if they miss thereof they must fall down into opposite Misery One of these two must be your condition there is no avoiding of it if you should be miserable it will be in a worse degree then the common sort of mankind because of your manifold transgressions and mighty sins Amos 5. 12. They are against great Love and Mercy and when those which should have been Examples unto others of obedience and righteous living have most of all sinned and contemned the Almighty Vengeance may be taken upon them seven-fold and when the day of their calamity is come that pride and pleasure in which now they so much trust shall be all vanished and gone and serve to torment them yet more by sad reflections of what they have been For as the benefit is great if they use Riches and Honour as instruments to set forth the Glory of God and maintain good Works so likewise is the danger great if thence they be proud and rebellious turning them into an occasion to fulfill the lusts of the â—â—esh it would have been better not to have had then thus to have abused them It is not only because such an one is in a higher Seat in the World therefore he shall be so in that to come for there will be changes and those that are exalted shall be abased Yet to him that rightly managed the ten Talents authority was given over ten Cities and he that did five had proportionably So Luke 19. 17 18. contrariwise he that is unfaithful in most shall receive the greater condemnation and if he that received but one Talent went and digged in the Earth and hid his Lords Money was cast into outer Darkness as an unprofitable Servant What will become of him who received ten or five and used them to rebel against his Lord Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy Now things are so set that extremity and eternity of joy or sorrow must be the final condition of every one it may seem impertinent to bid him choose whether he will have as if ten thousand Talents were laid on an heap and the other side a single farthing to make long perswasion that he would be sure to make choice of the first Or if there was offered unto him a glass of the most pleasant Wine and a cup of deadly Poyson and he knew before which was so Neither of these come up to the present Case for the good of the one is more beyond the evil of the other then in any two things that can be compared Although there is such a vast difference yet commonly the evil part is chosen and those who call themselves Men yea Men of Honour and Renown are worse then Children in understanding They greedily catch at toyes and trifles they are careful to learn all the punctilios of Honour niceties of Pride modes of Breeding and things which belong to their Quality but in the mean while are negligent of the things that belong to their peace They run after every imaginary pleasure are for every thing which hath the name of it yet they will not seek after true and real Happiness they run on still in their course not considering for what end they came into the World or what will become of them when gone out This is not a Gentlemans business he is to go in the Fashion carry himself obligingly in Company understand his Estate this is sufficient for him What should he mind any thing else for Let him do what his inclinations lead him unto such is the language of Pride and Modishness But what saith the Holy Spirit thereto Do ye thus requiâ—e the Lord O foolish People and unwise is not he thy Father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten God that formed thee Deut. 32. 6. 18. Wilt thou obliterate the notions of him who hath spread thy Table and made thy Cup to overflow Is this the return he is to make to his Almighty Benefactor He may turn Mercies into Disobedience yet he shall not go unpunished forsooth it is not his business to work the work God hath sent him to do he is too good for it in his own conceit The Lord saith them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30. Some may not care if they are so for as yet they find no harm come by it but what will become of the most scornful and exalted Sinner when God shall pluck thee out of the land of the living and there shall be none to deliver thee Even here though thine house of defence be very high he can bring thee down make thee a mock and by-word as he hath done by some but he doth generally suffeâ— Mens evil Deeds in this World letting them go on as they will as he did the manners of the Israelites fourty years in the Wilderness Acts
13. 18 Yet they shall be sure to receive the just recompence of them in that which is to come There is no holding the Spirit in it will fly out there do what thou canst and least it should be then nothing but shivering and horrour Repent therefore of thy Wickedness if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8. 22. Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God. When this is done thou 2 Cor. 10. 5. wilt think it as much thy duty and business to obey God as it is of the poorest Man. To the Poor the Gospel is Preached Luke 7. 22. Those who are rich and high in their own conceits will not receive it so far as to obtain the benefits thereof Christ is a Prince and a Saviour they are both joyned together and his government reaches to the inward Man to allay those swelling thoughts and order them aright Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 3. They are meet partakers thereof for 't is not riches but trusting in them that hinder from thence Neither need they fear from Luke 16. 19. For poor Lazarus was in rich Abrahams Bosome so there are of both sorts If they that buy be as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it although they have never so much thereof yet through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved as well as others They may still conceive themselves to be so as who have not such abundance and with what remains over deducting for the necessity and conveniency of their Families out of which also a portion is to be laid aside for the Poor give Alms and maintain gook Works This seems to be the design of the Gospel as appears by the several precepts and the practise of primitive Christians not only of those Acts 2. 45. for that community was not then of necessary obligation Acts 5. 4. but those further on for some centuries who if they were rich did mightily abound in Liberality and Alms giving for relief of Christs poor Brethren I am moved with indignation as often as I think of that Emperor who in a pious disposition resigned the Throne or hear of any other who by a single and imprudent refusal at once deprives himself of Ability for exercising a thousand Acts of Charity and opportunity of well doing and consequently of a greater reward Whereas the higher station Men are in they may do God more service and their goodness be exemplary If we search to the bottom this mistaken way doth rather proceed from pride then self-denial for the reason thereof seems to be that they could not so well come down to those base things of the World and the things which are despised 1 Cor. 1. 28. Which they rightly think themselves in Conscience bound to do but they can better do it once for all then several repeated times whereas Humility is more acceptable the more often it is used and from those of more exalted condition That thing of Gentility if strictly examined is but a vain Word according to the judgment of reason and therefore people need not be so offended because the Christian Profession requires not to have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons Jam. 2. 1. The Apostle doth not design to confound all the order that is in the World but chiefly intends those rich Men who were Heathens and without the Church as appears vers 6. 7. For such a Character could not belong to Christians at that time But still it is so far obligatory that we are not to give reverence as the World gives only upon the account of their fine clothes or wealth Nor are they hence to take liberty to wax proud and despise their poor Brethren whom God hath chosen rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him and therefore others should not keep them of Nor are they to imagine the distance between God and themselves is not quite so great as between him and the Poor for what now makes the difference Will â—e esteem thy Riches no not Gold nor all the forces of strength Job 36. 19. That accepteth not the person of Princes nor regardeth the Rich more then the Poor for they are all the work of his hands Job 34. 19. so Psal 62. 9. He seeth not as Man seeth for Man looketh on the outward appearance and if there be gayety without hath a wonderful conceit of him as some goodly one but the Lord looketh on the Heart and if that be evil notwithstanding the fine out-side Amos. 6. 8. such an one is as odious in his sight as the most abject contemptible person is in ours Let none say in his heart My obedience is so much the more acceptable and I deserve better of Gods hands because I am Noble or Rich in the World and I come to serve him when I could serve divers lusts and pleasures What then It is thy bounden duty so to do as well as it is of the meanest What thanks doth he deserve who doth only what is Luke 17. his duty to do As our Lord hath told us in a familiar instance but thou sayest thou canst do otherwise as others of like Condition do So likewise can your Servants do contrary to what you Command them but what must they expect then To incur thy Displeasure and be turned out of thy Service and it may be thou mayest Command him to be beaten and kicked off this is all thou canst do And if thy self dost not obey our Master which is in Heaven but do thine own Will his Indignation and Punishment will be worse then all this Thou mayest enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a Season if thou wilt but in so doing thou shalt not only lose the recompence of Reward but procure to thy self never ending Pains and then what wilt thou get by the Bargain Some will surmize this to be strange Doctrine to Gentlemen especially whose peculiar priviledge it is to be devoted unto Pleasure if it were not for this they would not differ from others But are not all under the same God and equally obliged to do according as he requires And surely also it is their principal design to be Happy both now and hereafter all one as they desire to live pleasantly next Year as well as this They are whether they think of it or not Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth as their Fathers were So the present Condition is not to be accounted of for it is nothing in Comparison of what shall succeed and therefore it should be ones whole business to neglect this and do all things to secure a future Happiness for this in a short time will be done away and seem all one as if it had never been Even at this instant it may be observed