disappoint and vexation to your selves besides the displeasing of God hereby But let your desires follow your love let them be carried forth chiefly and most strongly towards God and the things which concern his Kingdom and Glory your own peace and salvation Because you lie under the guilt and power of sin without a Christ labour in the first place afâ—…er strong earnâ—…st thirsting desires after Jesus Christ and his Righteousness that you may have your sins pardoned and hearts renewed Cry out None but Christ none but Christ give us a Saviour or else we are lost give us Christ or else we die and perish eternally Let your strong wishes be O that we had an interest in Christ O that our hearts were united and joyned to Christ O for a drop of his blood to sprinkle our consciences O that he would undertake for us that he would be our Advocate to plead for us and reconcile us unto the Father Let your prayers be Lord thou hast given thy Son for us give thy Son to us thou holdest forth thy Son help us to lay hold on him thou callest us to thy Son by thy Word draw us to thy Son by thy Spirit thou hast put thy Son to death for sin and accepted of the sacrifice which he hath offered O that our sins might be forgiven upon his account Let your desires go forth strongly after the favour of God there are many that say Who will shew us any good Lord shew us thy face Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Desire earnestly with David the presence and communion with God in his Ordinances as Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord c. And Psal. 42. 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the Living God when shall I come and appear before God! Many young men have earnest desires after the company of their friends that are of pleasant conversation let your desires be carried forth most earnestly after the company and communion with God in his Ordinances wherein the chiefest pleasure is to be found Therefore prize and desire Ordinances for the sake of God because they are the means of bringing you and God together of joyning your hearts unto the chief good and if you desire the company of men let it be the company of Gods Children who are the excellent of the Earth Labour for strong desires after the Image of God that you may be holy as he is holy after conformity to Christ in his death by dying to sin and readiness to suffer for his sake in his Resurrection by your newness of life Let your dâ—…sires be strong after the Spirit that he might be given to you and abide in you desire every grace of the Spirit in the highest measure and content not your selves with any degree desire the comforts of the Spirit the joyes of the Holy Ghost desire strength for every duty that you might be made use of to glorifie God in your generation that you might be kept from sin rather than from any evil that you might be made victorious over all your spiritual enemies especially let your desires be carried forth with the greatest strength after the Crown of glory the undefiled and never-fading inheritance in Heavâ—…n after the beatifical Vision and full fruition of God in the New Jerusalem the perfection of holiness and happiness which is reserved for hereafter the fulness and eternity of joy in Gods glorious presence and desire the hastening of Christs second appearance that he would come quickly and put you into the possession of that Inheritance which he hath purchased and prepared for you 4. Young men labour for strong Hope Young men usually are big with hope and expectation of some great things in the world they hope for such an â—…state and then that they shall be content such deâ—…ights and sensual enjoyments and then they shall be â—…appy and satisfied but they that are elder and have â—…ad greatest experience finde the world and all â—…hings in it to be empty and vain and their hopes â—…ave been frustrated however being unacquainted â—…ith higher things their hearts are still most irraâ—…ionally set upon the world but I would exhort â—…ou young men to have higher hopes than worldâ—…ings and let your hopes be strong Do not hope for â—…ch in the creature it hath not what you hope for â—…ut let your hope be in God let your expectation be â—…rom him only Do not hope for much here below â—…his is not the place of your rest and happiness but â—…et your great hopes be of things above as your â—…esires should be strong after them so your hopes â—…hould be strong of them Hypocrites have some â—…ind of hopes but they are thin weak hopes like â—…he Spiders web Job 8. 14. which is easily torn in â—…ieces by the wind the wind of affliction doth rend â—…he hopes of Hypocrites from them they have hopes â—…ut such as quickly perish and are cut off Job 13. 14. They are like the giving up the Ghost Job 11. 20. When they give up the Ghost their hopes give up â—…he Ghost they and their hopes perish together beâ—…ause they are groundless and presumptuous Labour â—…herefore for a strong hope such a hope as is well grounded which will end in fruition and never in disappointment and make ashamed Let the object of your hopes be God and the things which are above and let the bottom the foundation of your â—…opes be those two immutable things the Apostle â—…peaketh of Heb. 8. 17 18 19 20. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oatb that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred The two immutable things which are the foundation of our hope are Gods Promise and Gods Oath his Promise This is the Promise which he hath promised even eternal life Job 2. 25. His Oath which he sware by himself to Abraham and in him to all his children Surely blessing I will bless thee Heb. 6. 13 14. which doth include eternal blessedness God who cannot lye giveth his Promise and his Oath God who can do whatever he will and will do whatever he hath promised here is a good ground for your hope to build upon let your hope be strong let it be a strong anchor to your soul sure and stedfast and that it may be so it must not be cast downwards like those of ships which
are strong Marvellous is the strength and power of grace in some young ones who have been sanctified betimes whereby they have been enabled to do him some notable service in the world In youth as the Body is most strong and active so the Soul is most vigorous and lively and therâ—…fore most fit to be employed by the Lord. Seâ—…k then Gods Kingdom and Righteousness in the time of Youth because this is the most acceptable time God is best pleased therewith 2. The time of youth is the most seasonable time There is a time for all things saith Solomon Eccl. 5. 1. The time of youth is the most sâ—…asonable time to seek the Kingdom of God There are four things requisite in seeking Gods Kingdom to all such as would obtain it 1. The Breaking of the heart for sin 2. The Breaking of the heart from sin 3. The Opening of the heart to Christ. 4. The Furnishing of the heart with Grace The time of Youth is most seasonable for all 1. You must get your heart broken for sin if ever you would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven you must mourn for sin here or weep for sin for ever you must sowe in tears if you would reap in joy The time of youth is most seasonable for this your sorrow is like to be loss heavy and more kindly The heart hath a natural hardness but if it hath got a contracted hardness it will with more difficulty be broken if ever it be broken Custom in sin will take away sense of sin and if you continue in the practice of sin you will feel a senselesness and stupidity grow upon your spirit and Conscience more tender and timorous at first by degrees will grow feared as with a hot Iron and be past feeling Bring your hearts therefore now under the hammer of the Word that they may be broken the longer you deferre the harder you will finde it to repent 2. You must get your hearts broken from sin you must turn from your evil wayes otherwise iniquity will be your ruine The longer you continue in sin the harder it will be to leave sin custom will be a second nature to you the changing whereof will be like changing the skin of the Aethiopian and taking away the spots of the Leopard When sin is rooted and riveted in you if so be you should turn from it it will be with unexpressible tearings and divulsions of spirit It is a hard thing to irradicate old habits which at first in the tender years may be done with more ease Therefore Dear young ones labour to get sin rooted out of your hearts betimes Get sin mortified before it hath got too much life and strength oppose sin before it hath got too much head and power which you may do with more facility and success 3. You must open your hearts and give entertainment unto Christ if you ever expect to have the gate of Heaven opened unto you and to be entertained by Christ in his Kingdom Such as shut the door of their hearts against Christ when they are young will finde if Christ doth not withdraw and leave knocking that the door will be faster bolted and barred within against him the longer you hold it out the more will Sathan strengthen the Fort against Christ and more easily beat off whatever assaults are made upon you by the Word and Spirit Christ will come in most willingly to them that open to him presently and the match will quickly be made up if in youth you hearken to the motion Let me beseech you therefore my dearly beloved young ones to open the door to Christ without any further delay by me he standeth now and knocketh for entertainment what answer shall I return that you have harboured lusts there where his lodging should be and would not part with them that you put me off till a further day untill you had a little longer tasted the sweets of sin O take heed of such carriage of heart towards Christ Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit if you be not willing to open to Christ now you will be more unwilling to morrow do it then presently may I be instrumental to joyn the Lord Jesus Christ and you together in marriage receive him into your hearts and accept of him to love honour and obey him and do it heartily and resolvedly and he is yours 4. You must get your hearts furnished with grace if ever you hope to share in the glory of Gods Kingdom Grace is glory in the seed and glory is grace in the flower grace is glory in the root glory is grace in the fruit grace is glory in the first-fruits glory is grace in the harvest You must get the seed sown the root planted or no flower no fruit no harvest is to be expected you must get the Kingdom of Gods grace within you Luk. 17. 21. if ever you would be admitted into the Kingdom of his glory And the time of youth is the most seasonable time for the getting of grace no time like the Spring for setting of this Plant of grace in the heart in the youth the heart is more plyable and like the yielding Wax more ready to receive the impressions of the Spirit 3. The time of youth is the most safe time If you make it your first care to seek the kingdom and righteousness of God you are most likely to finde and be successefull but if you make delayes you run your selves upon great uncertainties there is danger that you will never obtain if you do not seek whilest you are young The danger lyeth in three respects In respect of 1. The Uncertainty of Life 2. The Uncertainty of the Means 3. The Uncertainty of Gods working by the Means 1. In respect of the uncertainty of Life no Age â—…s secure and fenced against the arrowes of Death Some flowers are nipped in the bud some Springs run into the Sea so soon as they arise the thred of Life in some is quickly cut and the Candle blown â—…ut within a while after it is lighted You may dye whilest you are young and if you do not seek Gods kingdom and righteousness now you may not have â—…ime to seek these things at all 2. Your danger is in respect of the uncertainty of the Means of Grace you have now means and opportunities of seeking hereafter you may be deprived of the means if you be not deprived of your lives You have calls now hereafter you may be placed where you shall be out of call you now are planted in a fruitfull soil where the Sun shines and the Dews of the Word do fall if you remain fruitless God may remove you out of his Garden or he may withhold the dews and cause the Sun to retreat into a cloud He may either take away the Means of grace from you or take away you from the Means and if you do not seek and obtain whilest you enjoy the Means are you like to
do it when you are deprived 3. Your danger is in respect of the uncertainty of Gods working by the Means though he should continue them unto you the winde blowes where and when it listeth In youth you may feel the sweet breath of the Spirit moving upon your hearts if you do not hoist up sail when you have a fair wind possibly you may never have such a winde again as long as you live God may swear in his wrath that his Spirit shall no longer strive with you God calleth upon you when you are young if you refuse you may hereafter call and cry and seek and knock and not be heard or answered and the door be shut up against you for ever See Prov. 1. 24. to the 31. Mic. 3. 4. Zacb. 7. 11 12 13. We read of Esau's weeping for the blessing to no purpose and the foolish Virgins going to buy Oyl when it was too late and our Saviour telling Jerusalem that their day was spent and the things which belonged to their peace were hid from their eyes There are many that neglect the things of Gods Kingdom when they are young that have their day of grace set upon them before their lives be half spent God doth leave off calling and the Spirit doth leave off working and they are given up to a judiciall hardness as Act. 28. 26 27. The time of youth then is the most safe time Hearken then O ye young men and be perswaded in this your day to minde the things which belong unto your peace and to seek Gods kingdom and righteousness Seek this first that is timely before other things and that you may seek so as to obtain SECT VI. 2. You must seek Gods Kingdom and Righteousness First that is Chiefly and above other things These things must have the chief of your study and care and labour you must make it your business and look upon it as your chief business if business about the world have more of your time because of your engagements in your particular callings yet this should have more of your care and heart Better miscarry in any business than in this business better miss of an Estate than miss of Gods Kingdom better be a poor begger than remain a guilty sinner better the body be cloathed with rags than the soul be without the white robes of Christs Righteousness better the body were starved than to have the soul damned the greatest poverty and misery in this life which can befall you is not to be compared with the eternal misery of Hell which in the neglect of the duty of the Text you cannot escape And suppose you should gain the whole world what is that in comparison with the gain of the Crown of Glory what is earthly riches compared with heavenly treasures 1. The worth then of Gods Kingdom which is an Inheritance beyond any purchase except that of the blood of Christ and the excellency of this Righteousness which when it is imputed doth bring with it pardon of sin the favour of God the peace of Conscience and sometimes the unspeakable joyes of the Holy Ghost which the whole World were you possessed with it could not procure Where this Righteousness is imparted it doth include all the graces of the Spirit which are the choicest Jewels the chiefest Ornaments the best Riches the least measure of which is of more worth than ten thousand worlds and will stand you in more stead in a dying hour and be of only signification and advantage when you come forth of the body and appear naked stripped quite naked and bereaved of all earthly enjoyments before the Judgement-seat of God I say the worth and excellency of Gods Kingdom and righteousness should move you to seek after it above all other things 2. The necessity of this Kingdom and Righteousness should further stirr you up to employ herein your chief care It is the Unum Necessarium the One thing necessary other things you may have and you may be without but you must have a title to Gods Kingdom or else you cannot be happy you must have Gods Righteousness imputed and imparted or else the guilt of sin will remain and you will continue servants and slaves to sin and cannot escape the punishment of sin the dreadfull and eternal punishment of sin in Hell There is a necessity of the thing and there is a necessity of seeking it chiefly or else you are not like to obtain especially if you consider 3. The difficulty of obtaining it is no easie thing to get to Heaven you must labour if you would enter into this Rest Heb. 4. 11. you must strive if you would enter in at the strait gate because many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. You must take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence if you would take it at all Matb 11. 12. not as if there were opposition from within for God is willing to entertain you the Lord Jesus is ready to set open the door before you the Spirit is ready to help you but there is opposition about the walls as it were of the place Sathan he buildeth Forts and strong Holds and casteth forth his fiery darts to drive you off when you make any attempt this way You will meet with opposition from the Devil and the World and chiefly from within your selves when you do in good earnest set your faces towards Heaven therefore you had need labour and strive and make it your chief care and business to get into this Kingdom You are in a Sea as it were where there are waves of trouble beating upon you a tide of inward corruptions working against you and a boisterous winde of temptation to carry you back you had need to row hard if you will get to the Haven You are travelling in the narrow path where there are many by-paths and many enemies to oppose you you had need look well to your way to get on the spiritual Armour and fight the good fight of Faith if you would obtain the Crown at the end of your way and at last lay hold on Eternal Life To conclude let me exhort you so to seek that you may finde so to run that you may obtain so to fight that you may overcome that after all your travail and pains you may sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God 1 JOH 2. part of the 14 Verse I have written unto you Young Men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wickea one THE Author or Penman which was employed in writing this Epistle was John the Beloved Disciple The chief subject of this Epistle or duty which herein he exhorteth unto is Love Love to God and Love one to another The Persons to whom he writes this Epistle are all Believers in the general and particularly according to the three Ages of Men he dedicateth his Epistle unto Fathers unto Little
upon this sacred time which God hath sanctified and you ought to keep holy 12. Young men take heed of a frothy spirit Some young ones are full of froth and vanity very toyish and foolish without any solidity or seriousness It is time for you now to put away childish things get the vanity of your minds emptied let the frothiness and levity of your spirits be curbed by the fear of God an awful apprehension of his omnipresence and all-seeing eye put your spirits under the Government of the Lord Jesus Christ. 13. Young men take heed of Scoffing If you have wit let it not vent it self in scurrility in jesting and jeering at others which the Apostle eauâ—…oneth against as inconvenient and unbecoming the Gospel Ephes. 5. 4. Do not mock at others infirmities but pity them let nothing be the object of your scorn except it be sin neither should you scoff at others for their sins but labour to reduce them by your friendly admonitions Above all take heed of fcoffing at any for their holiness and strict walking which is an undoubted character of a prophane and carnal heart and such persons as do so are scorned by God and most contemptible in his eyes 14. Young men take heed of Pride Do not over-value and esteem your selves do not conceit an excellency in your selves above others but with lowliness of mind esteem others above your selves If you have any gifts and attainments that may be useful glorifie God with them in your sphere be thankful for them and withall be so well acquainted with your imperfections and secret corruption of heart that you may be humble Be not proud of gifts of mind much less of strength and beauty of body and least of all of hair which is but an excrement or of clothes which are a badge of mans Apostacy Remember that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall That God looketh upon the proud afar off when he hath a respect to the lowly Psal. 138. 6. That God resisteth the proud when he giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 6. 15. Young men take heed of Gensoriousness of rash judging of others Take the caution of our Saviour against this sin Matth. 7. 1 2 3. Judge not that ye be not judged for with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you again And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye If you censure others you will be censured again be sure ye will be judged and condemned by God you are apt to spy little faults motes in others be acquainted with the beam in your own eye with your own greater faults and you will not then be so forward to judge Take one more Scripture which cautioneth you against this sin Jam. 4. 11 12. Speak not evil one of another he that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law He doth in effect say that the Law which condemneth this sin is not so fit a Law But if thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a Judge There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another 16. Young men take heed of Procrastinating your Repentance Do not put off this great work until to morrow remember what hazards you run how uncertain life is how unlikely that ever you should repent if you do not improve your youthful season for it Set about the work presently break off your sins by repentance presently and make your peace with God without further delay left you be cut off from the Land of the living before you are aware and hereafter there will be no room for repentance 17. Young men take heed of â—…nal security You have health and strength and peace and prosperity it may be 〈◊〉 and never tasted the bitter cup of Affliction and therefore may be apt to be secure and secretly hope that this state will last that your Mountain is so strong that you shall never be moved that you shall never come into Adversity Alas you are little acquainted with the World Man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upwards crosses and cares and losses and sickness and pain and many miseries are the attendants of this Life and you must look sooner or later in one measure or other to have your share be not secure but prepare lest being unprovided the miseries of this life be more irksome and unsupportable 18. Young men take heed of carnal Confidence You may be apt now to put your trust in Arms of flesh to repose much confidence in Friends or Means and some external props but you will finde them all like broken reeds or a foot out of joynt and where you have the greatest hope and trust you are like to meet with the greatest disappointment Cease then from Man whose breath is in his nostrils trust not in uncertain riches stay not upon any Creature but put your trust in the Lord who is omnipotent and faithfull in him you may be secure as to the greatest evil and you may have confidence of all needfull supplies 19. Young men take heed of Rashness Be not rash in your Promises lest you repent or be found unfaithfull Be not rash in your Undertakings in your engagement in any business especially take heed of rashness in changing your condition Remember that Proverb That Youth rideth post to be married and lodgeth in the Inne of Repentance In all the weighty affairs of your life Pray to God earnestly for his guidance consult with wise and faithfull friends and seriously deliberate things in your own mindes Observe the rule of the Word and let your design be the glory of God 20. And lastly young men take heed of Unsteadfastness Be not inconstant in your resolutions as to civil affairs and undertakings but especially take heed of inconstancy and unstedfastness in the wayes of God Take heed of a wavering unsettled minde of backslidings and revoltings from God let not your Zeal degenerate into Lukewarmness and your present Forwardness end in Apostacy But watch stand fast in the Faith quit your selves like men be strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. and with full purpose of heart stick close unto the Lord AuÌ„ 11. 23. Labour to keep your selves from these sins of Youth which the wicked one would draw you unto that so you may be victorious and if you overcome you shall eat of the tree of Life which is in the Paradise of God Rev. 2. 7. You shall not be hurt of the second death v. 11. You shall eat of the hidden Manna and have the white stone wherein the new Name is written which none-can read but they that receive it v. 17. You shall have the Morning Star v. 28. You shall be cloathed in White Raiment and Christ will confess your Name before his Father and before the Angels ohap 3. 5. You shall be Pillars in the Temple of God and go no more out and have the Name of God written upon you v. 12. You shall sit with Christ on his throne as he overcame and is set down with his Father on his throne v. 21. My most dearly beloved young men labour thus that you may be such young men as are commended in the Text to be strong that the Word of God may abide in you and to overcome the wicked one SECT VIII AND now I shall shut up my whole Discourse with a few words for encouragement of you in these Duties 1. This will be your Wisdome whoso is wise will observe these things Read one place concerning Davids wisdom upon this account Psal. 119. 98 99 100. Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom it is the chief part of Wisdom and they have the best understanding that keep his Commandements Psal. 111. 10. 2. This will be your Glory This will be an or-nament of Grace unto your head and like a Chain about your neck Prov. 1. 9. It will make you shine like Lights in a dark World and it will not only render you truly honourable but also tend exceed-ingly to your Masters glory 3. This will be your Advantage It will bring in the truest purest surest and most lasting gain 4. This will be your Safety This will shelter you under the wings of the Almighty secure you in times of great Judgements here and from storms of future wrath 5. This will be your Peace Great peace have they that love Gods Law and nothing shall disturb them This will yield peace and comfort to you in Life this will bear up your spirits in the hour of Death and at length procure for you a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away Be strong then O ye young Men because in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Let the Word of God abide in you because of the Treasure laid up for you And overcome the Wicked one because of the Crown of Glory which shall be set upon the head of the Conquerers Vincenti Corona dabitur FINIS