longer upon this because it will be of use through all the rest which I hope I may dispatch with a quicker hand Means or Remedies against that Epidemical Sin of youthful delaying Repentance and Conversion c. YOung People are as you have heard exceedingly prone to put off God and their Souls with saying in themselves I aâ— young enough and have time enough to repent hereafter c. these are the usual pleas that young people make for delaying their Conversion and this is indeed the usual anâ— beaten Road to Hell and the commoâ— Snare in which Satan entangles multitudes of unwary Youth perswading theâ— that it 's too soon to repent that it 's too eaâ—ly to fully and sadden the briskness anâ— beauty of their Youth with the melancholy apprehensions of Religion but alaâ— while silly Youth listens to these charmâ— the fatal hour of death often steals on anâ— cuts them down e're they are aware oâ— awake Wherefore for the Cure and Remedy hereof I shall offer these following Coâ—siderations First Consider the danger of Delays Young People make little or nothing oâ— putting off the important matters of thâ—â— Souls a day a week a month a year not considering what an infinite prejudice it may be to their everlasting Happiness to neglect the looking after these matters though it were no more than for one hour or one day and that will appear 1. In regard of the utter uncertainty of their time and that both of their time of Life and time of Grace Alas you know not what a day an hour may bring forth the very next hour may find thee alive and leave thee dead This is that which Youth are not easily perswaded of they foolishly dream of years and then they entertain so good an opinion of the truth of their Dream that they grow as peremptory in it as if they had an Inheritance settled upon them for perpetuity But O vain Youth where ever dwelt the man whâ—t was his Name that could ever assure thee of another day nay that thou shalt see the end of this day Is not thy Flesh grass as well as others view the weekly Bills of Mortality and see there whether young ones are priviledg'd above others from Sickness and Death Let it therefore be seriously thought upon by young people that their time of Life is utterly uncertain that they are but one breaths distance from Death and Eternity and though it is possible that they may live till to morrow or next Year yet it 's equally possible that they may dye before others have been surprized who have had the same reason to hope for a longer time aâ— themselves and therefore they cannot delay and put off their Conversion and turning to God without notorious or manifest danger O be not deceived you whose consultations have wont to be with Flesh and Blood and whose conclusions use to be that you are young and healthy and have many Yearâ— to come and therefore it 's time enough hereafter to repent Piety is too grave for your green head the caput mortuum of your old Age will serve well enough to serve God with I say be not deceived a sudden death may snatch you hence and send youâ— guilty Soul to Hell before your Body be carried to the dust for the great God is the sole and soveraign Lord of your life and time and pray see how he rebukes the presumption of such Sparks who boast of their years to come 12. Luke 19 20. I will say tâ— my Soul Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years take thine ease eat drink and be merry This Prodigal was neither sick nor possessed with any fears of Sickneâ—â— and Death yet see what follows v. 20. But God said unto him Thou fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee then whose shall these things be So in the 28. Isa 18. you read of some Desperadoes that had made â— Covenant with Death and were at an agreement with Hell But what saith the Lord why he telleth them that the one should be disannulled the other should not stand nay he calleth them a refuge of Lyes and that the overflowing Scourge and Storm of his wrath should rend down all their lying refuges And in the 58. Psal 9. you read that such as are taken away living and in his wrath before the Pots can feel the Thorns i. e. suddenly and in so short a breath that elsewhere they are said to go down into the Pit in a moment and that these rebukes may particularly intend young ones you may see in the 36. of Job 14. They dye in Youth c. Hence the Holy Ghost often makes use of that Metaphor Grass in the 40. Isa 6. and 90. Psal 6. In the Morning it flourisheth and groweth up in the Evening it is cut down and withereth The grass is growing in the field and as our Saviour noteth to morrow cast into the Oven Matth. 6. 30. Such is the condition of Youth you may be in good health in a flourishing condition in mirth and jollity one day and be burning in Hell the next Therefore flee this Sin of delaying your Repentance c. it was the counsel of Solomon who was inspited 27. Prov. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth q. d. This day God in mercy affords thee to repent in c. but trust not upon a to morrow that is utterly uncertain whether it come or no or if it do whether thy Conversion or thy Condemnation in it shall be brought forth or no If it was thy own and thou couldst certainly knoâ— it would be in thy possession c. theâ— might be some little pretence for thy presenâ— delaying but when it is another's and â—â— is utterly hid and concealed from thee whether thou shalt live to it or no how can yoâ— without certain danger delay till anotheâ— day He that will adventure to build oâ— Ground that is none of his own must looâ— to have all undone or overturn'd at thâ— pleasure or displeasure of another Tâ—us you delay and profusely waste the preseâ— season and space of Repentance which merciful God indulgeth you with aâ— boldly entrench upon the future which Goâ— has reserv'd in his own power how hazaâ—dous an adventure do you run for it 's a ruâ—â— in the civil Law no Person can promiâ—â— that which is anothers Now the owne and proprietor of your time is God and â—â— hath concealed the day the hour the mâ—ment of Death's arrest from us that so yoâ— should never delay but work out your Salvation to day while it 's called to day thâ— command of God takes hold of you at thâ— present the counsel of God concerning thâ— future is kept hid from you alas for a tâ— morrow whose is it Seneca the Heatheâ— could see this and say solum tempus praeseâ— nostrum No time is ours but the present to count upon a to
c. The truth is your youthful Lusts in Prayer do render you most abominable and odious in the sight of God for they do as it were challenge and bid defiance to God whence else are those thunders of his provoked Majesty in 1. Mala. 14. 7. Jer. 9 15 16. 33. Ezek. 31 32 33. Chap. 14. from the 1 st verse to the 9. To go and Pray with the Idol of my Lust in my heart is a mocking God and God won't be mocked nay let me tell you God's anger is increased by such Prayers and then I appeal to you what Good can be looked for from such Prayers alas rather Confusion than Conversion O young People pray remember it your Lusts will not only blunt and take off the edge of Prayer that it shall never do any execution but they turn thy very Prayers into sin and how likely that is to turn thy heart God wards judge ye Thus I have shewed you how your youthful Lusts hinder Conversion as they oppose the means of it Were there a demand made why Consideration and Prayer and otheâ— Godly means should be so irksome and buâ— densom Is God so undelightful an objeâ—â— to approach unto that you cannot enduâ—â— his presence or are so soon weary in holâ— Exercises like a man under a heavy loaâ— Oh no to draw nigh to God in Prayer is thâ— joy of holy Souls but they are those Luâ—â— within that make it to our corrupt Nature so unpleasant and tedious And thus have shewed you how they oppose thâ— means of Conversion on our part and therâ—fore it is a duty of such special concern meâ— for young men to flee youthful Lusts becauâ—â— of the malignity of their influence expresse first in that they hinder Conversion Noâ— I come to the second Head to shew yoâ— the malignity of their influence as they huâ—ry Youth into grievous Temptations 2. A second particular of the maligniâ—â— of youthful Lusts inflence lieth in this viâ— In that they hurry Youth into grievoâ—â— Temptations There are two sorts of Temptations thâ—â— we read of in Scripture the Apostle Jamâ—â— treats of both in the 1. chap. ver 2. and â—â— 14. The former sort are no other than Afflâ—ctions which are for the probation anâ— tryal of the Christian's Faith and Patience and with respect to these the Apostle saith My Brethren count it all Joy when you fâ—â— into divers Temptations ver 2. And Mosâ—â— saith that God tempted Abraham 22. Gen. 1. That is God proved and tryed his Servant Abraham's Faith But now the other sort of Temptations are no other than solicitations and seducements to Sin and with respect to these the Apostle saith in the 13. and 14. verses Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death And hence our blessed Lord teacheth us to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation that is to sin for in this sense is the word used in Scripture as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to try is the proper word for the other temptation so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper word for temptation to sin And of this sort of temptation it is that youthful Lusts are both the Fons and Fomes the breeder and feeder the food and fuel the mother and nurse they do both by force and fraud violently hale and hurry and cunningly entice and draw young ones to sin The Devil may flatter you but he cannot force you it 's your Lust that opens the Door or temptation could never enter It hath been an old practice of Sinners when they fall into sin to accuse and lay all the blame either upon the Devil or the instrument that provoked them Oh saâ— they the Devil owed them a spight and noâ— he hath paid it not considering that thâ— true procreating cause of Sin is a mans owâ— Lust It must be own'd that this World full of Snares and Temptations to with draw Youth from God's house to the Alâ— houses and there provoke them to Intempâ—rance and to Gaming houses and theâ— provoke them to consume their Estates anâ— precious time and to filthy houses anâ— there provoke them to destroy themselvâ—â— for the sake of brutish pleasures In this senâ—â— it is true homo homini daemon One is a Devil to another i. e. tempters to Sin But a these are but external movers the principâ—â— Agent is thy own Lust within As one saith Temptation is a Siege Satan is the Enemâ— without the Walls labouring to force aâ— entrance our Lusts are the Traytors with in that hold correspondency with tâ—â— Enemy without and open the Gate of thâ— Soul to receive him They are our owâ— Lusts that go over to Satan in the day â—â— battel and fight against our Souls 1 Pet. 2. O young men your Lusts are like the meâ—â— of Keilah to David in the day of temptation 1 Sam. 23. 11. Poor David was hateâ— and hunted up and down by Saul who soughâ— his Life at length he cometh to Keilah presently it was told Saul that David wâ—â— come to Keilah David enquireth of the Lorâ— Whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up into the hands of his Enemy Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up Whereupon David presently fled and so escaped Thus if you follow not this counsel to flee your youthful lusts they will certainly deliver you up in the hour of temptation that you will not be able to deliver your own Soul they will betray you as Dalilah did Sampson and let in the uncircumcised Philistines upon you When Judas his heart was set upon the lust of Covetousness how miserably was he overcome with many desperate Temptations he will betray the precious Life and Blood of the Son of God for thirty pieces of Silver and afterward you know what became of him so true is that in the 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They that will be rich saith the Apostle whose Hearts run after their Covetousness fall into Temptation and a Snare into many foolish and hurtful Lusts So when Balaam's Heart was set upon this Lust he will rise early run and ride till he is weary that he might Curse Israel at length he becomes through his Lust more desperate and senseless of God's fury than the dumb Ass he dissembles his Conscience coins cunning Evasions O the malignity of lusts influence Suppose it be the Lust of Uncleanness what pernicious temptation doth this cast many young men upon frequenting Satan's Seminaries those Chappels of Hell Stews and Plays wherâ— oftentimes are Challenges Stabs Combaâ—â— Blood and Murder thus have many ventured as deep as Hell to gratifie their filthy Lusts Hence they are said to draw Iniquiâ—â— as with Cart-ropes Isa 5. 8. and that the wearied themselves
like the Man in the Gospel Mat. 12 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest but findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty sweâ—â— and garnished Then goeth he and taketh wâ—â— himself seven other spirits more wicked thâ—â— himself and they enter in and dwell there anâ— the last state of that man is worse than the fâ—â—mer So in Hebr. 6. 4. and 10. 26. aâ—â— 2 Pet. 2. 20. O then above all Youâ—â— Ones see to this that there be a sound Conversion as the ground-work of all for upon this the very hinges of your Souls salvâ—tion turn Hence our blessed Saviour iâ— John 3. 3. pronounceth Except a man be boâ—â— again he cannot see the kingdom of Goâ— Wherefore again and again I advise Young Ones to see to their Foundation it were â— conceive much better for a Man to be deceived in thinking himself unregenerate when he is regenerate than on the otheâ— hand to deem himself regenerate when hâ— is not The former mistake indeed is afflicting but the last is damning If a condemned Malefactor conceit he hath a Pardon anâ— has none he may go pleasantly to the Gallows but he won't be able to hold it wheâ— he comes there The Lord open your eyeâ— and hearts and cause you to see and feel the truth and power of this first general Rule oâ— Means in order to the fleeing your youthful Lusts Now I shall proceed to lay down thâ—se distinct Remedies suitable to each particular Lust that young People stand bent unto And here again I must entreat you as you have any regard to the glory of God and your own Salvation and would not be condemned with ungodly and impenitent Sinners at last that you do not refuse to put in practice what shall be taught you in the following Rules how to flee each particular Sin that you are so prone to and now I shall begin with that which so early appeareth even in your very Childhood and wofully groweth up with you to riper years Namely that airiness vain rashness and carelessness of spirit and conversation all which I at large and distinctly treated on under the first Enquiry viz. What were those Sins that might be more especially called youthful Sins Now forasmuch as these three border so near and close upon each other I shall for the Cure of these prescribe this Remedy Remedy or Means against youthful Vanity Rashness and Inconsiderateness The First Remedy ENdeavor to get and keep an awful impression upon thy heart all day long of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience that you cannot flie from him because he is every where and that you cannot hide or conceal any thing from him because all things are naked and open to his All-seeing Eye At what time thou art ready to pour out thy heart in Vanity and Froth catechize and chastise thy feathery and light spirit after this manner Dost thou now remember thy Creator Art thou aware of his holy Eye and Presence Canst thou blear and blinâ— the pure piercing flaming Eye of Heaven What wilt thou dare to pilfer steal be undutiful and lie while the jealous sin-revenging God stands by Thus would but Young Men presentiate the Majesty Prescience and Omniscience of God to themselves in the midst of their juvenile Extravagancies how would it a we and fill their Souls with trembling one Aspect of this Eye of God â—â— able to make the whole Earth tremble Psal 104. 32. He looketh on the Earth and it trembleth And Job speaketh of some Sinnerâ— the Murtherer the Thief the Adultereâ— that to be seen in their Sins is to them the greatest terror imaginable Job 24. 17. â—â— a man saith he see them they are in thâ— terrors of the Shadow of Death Now then young People I appeal to you what fear and holy seriousness would this work iâ— you did you always thus set the Lord before you as David speaketh in the 16. Psal 8. and at your right hand then would you could you durst you be so vain fickle unstable tossed up and down with every puff of windy pleasures Oh no and here let me add this viz. represent to thy Soul what an Eye it is that seeth thee It may be you may fancy that God sees as man sees Scripture speaks of Sinners thinking that God is such a one as themselves in 50. Psal 22. Alas man may see and not see as we say i. e. wink and connive at thy youthful Sins and not be at all displeased with thee But God's Eye is 1. an holy pure strict observing Eye there is nothing can escape his knowledge wheresoever you are whatsoever you are doing you are still under his observation Psal 11. 4. His Eyes behold his Eye-lids try the Children of men Hab. 1. 13. Thou art saith the Prophet of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look upon Iniquity That is canst not with the least approbation nay canst not without great indignation look upon evil O vain Youth remember that an angry holy Eye is upon thee in all thy irreligious and vitious Courses in all thy furious and precipitate Evil Ways And then 2. consider it is an infinite Eye comprehending all things past present and to come at once uno intuitu Many things confound us we can be intent upon nothing but in a successive way things done many years ago elapse and slip our remembrance but it 's not so with God with whom a thousand years are but as one day See that 139. Psal v. Thou compassest my Path saith David and oâ— lying down and art acquainted with my Way v. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit whither shall I flee from thy Presence If ascend up to Heaven thou art there If make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the Wings of the Morning and dweâ—â— in the uttermost parts of the Sea even thâ— shall thy Hand lead me c. Sure youâ— men this would call in your vain anâ— stragling thoughts and unite your careleâ—â— Spirits to the fear of God's holy name diâ— you believe and remember God's infiâ—â— Presence There is a Story of a pious man have met with who being desirous to reclaiâ— an unchaste Woman from her lewd aâ— vile Conversation took this course wiâ—â— her he came to her pretending to haâ— some wanton dalliances with her provide it might be done with all privacy she theâ— upon led him from Room to Room â—â— he still made many scruples lest at thâ— Window or that Key-hole this crevis â—â— that cranny some or other might chance â—â— peep in and espy them together at lengâ—â— she brought him to the inwardest Room â—â— the House where saith she I am confideâ—â— that none can possibly pry in to discoveâ— what we do Whereupon he told her wiâ—â— weeping Eyes No bolts not bars can keeâ— out God no walls
Fountain and sealing a new and everlasting Covenant of Grace in his Blood that whosoever believeth and repenteth shall not perish but have Ever lasting Life O astonishing Love was there any need for God to stoop to offer undone man a Covenant of Grace but his ways are not as ours c Now this youthful Sin of Delays spurneth at this Bowel and Bosom Mercy and Love of God the Father And can this be thought to be a little Sin O unparrallel'd Wickedness of what a Scarleâ— tincture and bloody nature is this Sin O young man consider it take heâ—â— of shuffling here thou wilt be apt â—â— think within thy self that sure this is not so What I guilty of trampling on the bowleâ— of Go'ds mercy which I venture to puâ— off turning to him a little longer far beâ— it from me to do so great wickedness I never intended any such thing O deludeâ— Youth come see thy guiltiness e're it â—â— too late to remedy thy self The Goâ— and Father of our Lord Jesus revealeth anâ— publisheth his eternal thoughts of love tâ— poor Sinners that had destroyed themselveâ— alloweth them a day of Salvation and acceptable time to come in and be saved without exception though he was the offendeâ— party yet he proclaims fury is not in me I have no pleasure in the death of Sinners I am willing to be reconciled lo I have found out a Ransome I have bruised my own Son and slain my own Lamb to be a sacrifice for Sin and a Saviour for Sinners him have I sealed and set forth to be the only propitiation for Sin through Faith iâ— his Blood sure they will reverence my Son and admire my Grace in offering him and strive who shall first receive him sure every Knee will bow to him and every Mouth confess to him what less could be expected Now then instead of this to crave with Solomon's sluggard a little longer and a little longer to embrace and enjoy our vile Lusts which according to the tenor of the Gospel cannot one moment be regarded and loved without a manifest rejection of Christ I appeal to you whether your present delays are not a notorious despising the Riches of God's Goodness which Sin is a most bitter provocation of Almighty God who could every moment confound such despisers of his Grace What think you will an earthly King bear it that his descending below himself to spare and shew mercy to obstinate Traytors should be despised It is also to be considered how wickedly these delays do vilifie the Grace of our dear Redeemer who though he was rich with the Riches of the Deity he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet such was his amazing Grace that for our sakes he became poor with the poverty of our humanity he took upon him the form of a Servant he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs and here in the days of his Flesh endured the contradiction of Sinners the temptations of Satan the curse of the Law the bitter wrath of God and the accursed death of the Cross and all this for Rebels Enemies O infinite condescension and after all this is done he comes a wooing to our Doors and follows us up and down with the sweet motions of his Spirit and with the strong motives of his Love in dying for us pleading O Sinners why will you dye I am Jesus who dyed for you turn unto me my Heart is towards you what could I have done more for you to win you to redeem you than I have done O remember how I was wounded for your Sins Behold my Hands and Feet reach hither thine Hand put it into the hole in my side look upon me in the Garden and on the Cross and trace me there when my Blood trickled down my weary Body and see how I loved you and whether ever love was like mine to you O that the Lord would please to make you sensible young people and cause you to apprehend the truth of this that Christ doth really thus plead with you to know the things of your Peace now in this your day and to flee your youthful Lusts without delay And here I pray give me leave without the least prevarication to represent to you the impious nature of this Sin of delaying as it is a despising and contemning all this rich Grace and Love of blessed Jesus O young man while thou delayest thou tramplest on Christ's precious Blood thou embracest and openest to thy vile Lusts and Christ is made to serve to stand without in the mean while is it not enough to provoke him in fury to be gone and never return more till he come to sentence thee to go accursed into everlasting Fire Young man has not Christ's Blood a cry does it not cry to Heaven for Mercy to poor Sinners and does it not cry on Earth to Sinners O cease your enmity throw down your weapons of hostility O repent repent and I will appease and quench the Flames of divine Wrath that your Sins have kindled c. Now delays so long as they last are a direct opposition hereunto it is equivalent with waging war against crucified Christ it is interpretatively a conspiracy with the Devil against Christ Young man were you aware of this O be assured the hand of Joab is in this there is a peculiar enmity in Satan against the Blood of Christ as it is a Sinner's ransom while himself is left bound with eternal Chains hence he subtilly endeavoureth to strengthen the confederacy with thy youthful Lusts by present delays which if he can effect he knoweth it to be a direct compliance with him to vilifie that healing Plaister of Christ's precious Blood and how doth he insult when he can prevail herein to keep out Christ notwithstanding all his wooings pleadings and to keep up the present leagâ—â— between thee and thy Lusts as he moâ—â— certainly does whilst thou delays O youâ—â— man never forget this argument againâ—â— this Sin of delaying it is a Sin directlâ— against the bleeding dying love of Chriâ—â— And then it is a sin against the blessed Spâ—rit the third Person of the sacred Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Sâ—â— and comes in the ministry of the Word inwardly to strive with you to convince yoâ— of Sin and Misery in order to a revealing â— Christ and his Righteousness to you for voâ—â— Salvation O admirable Grace that the Hâ—â— Ghost that heavenly Messenger should voucâ— safe to come under a Sinner's roof upon suâ—â— a design so advantagious to a self-destroyiâ—â— Creature O with what humble thankâ—â— Hearts should we receive such a messengâ—â— that leaves thee probably many ninety ninâ— better then thou art and comes to the secretly whispering and breathing O â—â— thy youthful Lusts to day while it is caâ—â—ed to day return return O prodigal youâ—â— there is Bread enough and to spare in thâ— Father's house if you stay here in this â—â— Country you perish if you