[Page] [Page] THE BEST WAY To MEND the WORLD, AND TO Prevent the GROWTH of POPERY: BY Perswading the Rising Generation to an Early and Serious Practice of PIETY: With Answers to the principal Cavils of Satan and his Agents against it, &c.

By SAMƲEL PECK, Minister of the Word at Popler.

Eecles. XII. i. Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy Youth, while the evil dayes come not, and the years draw nigh, wherein thou shalt say, I find no pleasure.
Minimè bonus est, qui melior fieri non vult. Bern. Macte novâ virtute Puer, sic itur ad Astra. Virg.

London, Printed by I. A. for Thomas Parkhurst, at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside, near Mercers-Chappel, 1680.

[...]

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL THE Governour, Deputy and COMMITTEES Of the Honourable EAST-INDIA COMPANY: S. P. Wisheth Temporal and Eternal Felicity.

Right Honourable,

I Can call God and the Con­gregation over which God and you have set me, to wit­ness, that according to my Du­ty, [Page] I cease not to pray for an encrease of your Success and Pro­sperity, Righteousness and Mer­cy. That as by the former you may augment your Treasures on Earth, so by the latter you may secure your Treasure in Heaven. Or as the Apostle speaks, lay up to your selves a good foundation, that you may lay hold on Eternal Life, 1 Tim. 1. 6. 18, 19. And can say withall, as in the hearing of my great Lord and Judge, I have faithfully en­deavoured in my place the Pro­motion of true Religion and Vertue amongst all sorts; espe­cially the Younger; knowing what advantages attend on Ear­ly Piety; and how much the Hopes and Happiness of our [Page] Church and State depend upon a sober and Religious rising Ge­neration. Consequently, how much it concerns us all to look to the well seasoning of those Youth that are committed to our Charge, as we tender the future good of the Kingdom wherein we live. And when I consider how too sadly true those words of the Poet are (which agree well with those of our Saviour, Math. 7. 13.)

—Mundi pars maxima nigros
Tendit ad Inferni manes, ubi luctus & irae.

That the most goe the worst way. And the many Setters we have in this Age, whose design is to pervert Youth, and [Page] draw them on to Atheism, Po­pery and Prophaneness; I judg­ed it my duty to endeavour their Safety and preservation. To which end, I have in this small Essay (to avoid prolixity) summed up what Arguments I could to prevail with them to be Religious betimes; shew­ing them both the Necessity, Reasonableness and Advantage of an early Dedication of them­selves to God.

Multa ferunt anni venientes commoda secum,
Multa recidentes ademunt. Hor.

And that Youth affords them many Adjuments and Opportu­nities for Heaven, which old Age will deprive them of.

[Page] Now my Reasons (Right Honourable) of Craving your Patronage of so small a work, are these.

My great Obligations to you, which I am willing to take this Opportunity to acknowledge to the World: A great part of my Encouragement and Main­tenance in the place where I am, arising from your Boun­ty.

And because I know your countenance of this Undertaking will render it much more ac­ceptable to those for whom it is designed. The Hand oft-times commends the Gift. If there­fore you shall pardon my pre­sumption, and Recommend it to the Youth you have relation [Page] to, and influence upon, both at Home, and in Foraign parts, I hope God will send his Blessing with it, and make it successeful, that you may see an hopeful Progeny rising up to inherit your Vertues, as well as Riches. Which that you may, shall be the Prayer of

Your Honours Most humble Chaplain and Servant in the Work of Christ, Samuel Peck.

TO THE YOUTH OF THE PARISH of STEPNEY, especially those of the Hamblet of Popler and Blackwall, which are under my more particular Charge: S. P. wisheth Early Piety and Endless Glory.

Courteous Youths,

REligion is by some derived from Re­ligando, because it binds us to God; by others from re Elegendo, a choosing again. Mans first choyce is usually evil, and when he comes to see his Error and choose again, he mends his choice. That you may make the best choice at first, and so prevent much trouble to your selves, is my bearty desire. And therefore I have in this Essay recommended Religion and the [Page] timely and serious practice of it to you, in your youth. And however you may esteem of this Counsell now, in a little time more I am sure you will say it is good; and wish (if you neglect it) you had been wiser. For though Satan blinds the eyes of men in life, yet death will open them. I have ever observed dying persons to have the truest sen­timents and notions, the deepest impressions and strongest convictions of a God, an Heaven and Hell, the souls Immortality, and future Judgment, of any other. If the profoundest Hobbist, the rankest Atheist of our Age were present with a dying man, whose Reason is sound and Conscience not seared, he could 1 Tim. 4. 2. not by all his reasoning perswade him to be­lieve, that there is no God, no future state, no reward or recompense to be expected or feared, that his soul is like the Beasts that perisheth, and being once dead there is an end of him. No, the light of Reason and Conscience, and Principles of Religion, are not so easily baffled and extinguished when men are leaving the World. Nor can I believe he that hath most and longest endeavoured to eradicate all notions and sense of Religion and of a Deity out of his mind, can at all times quietly sit down, void of all trouble and hesitation, with this resolve, that he may live as he list, there is none above him to please or [Page] displease, to love or fear, or to call him to an account for what he hath done. Doubtless therefore, you have a God to serve, and souls to save, and a Rule to direct you how to do the former, so as you fail not of the latter, viz. The written Word of God: Which tells you, the World, Satan and your own hearts (if followed) will lead you to Vanity, fin and endless misery: That it is a timely and an hearty repentance, a lively faith in Christ, a superlative love to God, and an holy and constant obedience to his reasonable and di­vine commands, which alone can make you happy in this and the other World: That Heb. 12. 14. Phil. 3. 20 without holiness no man shall see the Lord; that your Conversation must be in Heaven here, as ever you hope Heaven shall be your habitation when you go hence. So that let the mad World say what it will, Religion is to be minded as your main business, and the practice of Piety as your greatest con­cern. And the sooner you make it so, the sooner shall you be in favour with God, and armed against the killing sting of the King of Terrors. Which whenever it comes, in Youth or Old age; will make you either as miserable as Devils, or as happy as Angels. I shall add no more, but desire you to make this little book your pocket-companion, which may sometimes be an assistant to you in grap­ling [Page] with a Lust, encountring a Temptation, or answering any objection or Cavil, which the Devil or his Agents may make against the early dedication of your selves to God, by an holy life. Nor shall I make any other apology for this publication in this Censorious age but this; He that winneth souls is wise. Pro. 11. 30. 'Tis my duty and desire by all wayes and means to promote the good of Souls. And if among the many thousand young ones in this Parish, I can gain but one from sin to righ­teousness, from Satan to God, I shall neckon it an abundant Recompence for all the Cen­sures I can suffer from evil men. If with holy David I may glorifie God, and serve my generation by doing good, in this or any other kind, I shall answer the end of my being, and of my being what I am. Which that I may, let him have the help of your prayers, who compassionately wishes the eternall health and happiness of your Souls,

Samuel Peck.

IN LAUDEM OPERIS.

IE to reform the Age, and stop the Sluce
Of flowing wickedness that's now let loose
Throughout the world, if to restore in one
The life and beauty of Religion
Unto their primitive perfection,
Or to revive languishing piety,
Any endeavour may conducive be,
It must be such as these preventatives,
The only means to save those pretious lives
That yet are free from the inveterate rage
Of Vicious habits, mortal made by age:
Obste principiis, Sin's incroachments be
Best Smothered by an Early piety;
The young men of the Princes must be they
That must the Enemies of Israel slay,
1 King. 20. 14.
And gain the conquest; young men, it must be
Your selves must gain the glorious Victorie
Over God's Enemies; such by St. John
Are said to Overcome the wicked one:
Now be Courageous, and to lead you on,
See here is come a Christian Champion,
The will Conduct you 'gainst the armed files
Of Hellish Powers, and betray their wiles
Unto your View; follow his conduct, let
Your Eyes be now upon his Counsels set
[Page] Hearken unto his Exhortations, bend
Your minds to the advice of such a friend
That sees your danger, and endeavours thus
To render you at last Victorious:
Youths, let your practice be his praise, as one
That seeks no more, the profit's still your own.
R. Tuke.

Books lately Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside.

ONe Hundred Select Sermons on several Texts: Preached by Tho. Horton, late of St. Hellens, London. Printed from his own Manuscripts left un­der his hand.

Sermons by the same Author on 4 th. Psalm: 42, 51, 63. Psalm.

Several Discourses concerning the actual Provi­dence of God, in 55. Sermons on several Texts: by John Collings, D. D.

Sermons of Grace and Temptation: by Tho. Froysel late Minister of Clunne in Shrop-shire.

Kingdom of God among Men, with a discourse of Unity and Schisme: by John Corbet, Author of In­terest of England.

Christ displayed as the choycest Gift, and Best Master; by Nath. Heywood.

Glimpse of Eternity; by Abraham Caley.

An Exposition on the Assemblies Chatechisme; by Tho. Vincent.

Divine Consolations against the fear of Death; by John Gerrard.

Mr. Edward West's Legacy.

Counsel and comfort for Troubled Souls: by Hen. Wilkinson, D. D.

A Warning to young men, in an Impartial Relati­on of the horrid murther acted by Robert Brinkhurst.

A practical Discourse of Prayer; wherein is hand­led the nature and duty of Prayer; by Tho. Cobbet.

[Page] Of quenching the Spirit; the evil of it, in respect both of its causes and effects, discovered; by Theophilus Polwhiele.

The re-building of London encouraged and im­proved in several meditations: by Samuel Rolls.

The sure way to Salvation; or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ; by Richard Stedman. M. A.

Sober Singularity, by the same Author.

The mischief of sin: by Tho. Watson.

The Childs Delight; together with an English Grammar.

Reading and Spelling made easie: both by Tho. Lye.

The Young-mans Instructor, and the Old-mans Remembrancer; being an Explanation of the As­semblies Catechism.

Captives bound in Chains, made free by Christ their Surety; both by Tho. Doolitle.

Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture, by William Whitaker.

The life and death of Edmund Stanton, D. D. To which is added, a Treatise of Christian-conference; and a Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger.

Sin the plague of Plagues, or sinful sin the worst of Evils; by Ralph Venning, M. A.

Cases of Conscience practically resolved; by I. Norman.

The Faithfulness of God considered and cleared in the great Events of his Word; or a Second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture.

A Cordial Endeavour TO Prevail with YOUTH to be Pious.

CHAP. I.

SInce the first quarrell in the Garden between Man and the Devil, where­in Satan proved so successeful, he hath never wanted Seconds to take up his Weapons and manage his warfare against the promised seed. God told the Woman then, I Will put enmity, and hath it not Gen. 2. 15. proved true? Hath it not been so all along from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abra­ham, and so to Christ? Mark the whole passages of our Saviours life, and tell me what day was not to him a persecution? how was he tossed from post to pillar, and from one danger to another? How many wiles and snares did the Enemies contrive [Page 2] and lay for him, that they might take him and Mark 14. 1. put him to death? which though he long a­voided, yet at length this their wicked purpose was effected. And now the Cap­tain is taken, the Soldier must look to suffer; v. 46. when the principal is slain, the followers must expect to bleed. The apprehension of Christ could not quench or satisfie the bloody thirst of these blinded Jews, but ha­ving laid hands on the leader, they eagerly seek after all the herd. Having rent the Lamb from the fold, they seek to worry the whole Flock, as appears by the Evan­gelists relation of the Soldiers dealing with a young man that followed Christ. And there followed him a certain young man v. 51, 52. having a linen cloth about his naked body, and the young men laid hold on him; and he left his linen Cloth and fled from them naked; Fled for his life, and glad he could escape with an whole skin. Some would have this tragedy foretold by the prophet Amos; And Amos 2. last. he that is Couragious among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. But I conceive otherwise: that the prophet here speaks of the flight of the Israelites before their enemyes, which the Lord himself had threatned of old by Mo­ses Deut. 28. 15. for their disobedience. This therefore of the Evangelist cannot be said to be any [Page 3] accomplishment or fulfilling of any par­ticular prediction of any of the Prophets. But an Historicall relation of what befell this young man, and consequently may befall any, who will be faithful followers of Christ in a day of trouble. Which History St. Mark records for two reasons: First, to shew the truth of Christs saying, That the servant is not greater than his John 15. 20. Lord, and if they persecute me they will per­secute you. Which saying he bids them re­member. Secondly, to discover the Ma­lice of Christs enemies, whose rage and malice against him was such, that a bare suspition to be of his party, to be one of his followers, was enough to bring a man in­to eminent danger of his life. So that it had been Impossible for the Apostles to have escaped their Violence, had not the Divine power of Christ preserved them for that great work to which He had assigned them. For seeing this young man following of Christ, they laid hands on him, and 'twas a narrow scape he made from them. I shall not enquire who this young man was, concerning whom there are different opini­ons. But onely note, his action bespake his affection to Christ, for he followed him, followed him in bonds, left all to fol­low him, and that when his own Disciples v. 49. 50. [Page 4] (the great Preachers and first professors of his Name) fled away and forsook him. All which circumstances duely weighed and put together, may make up a demonstrati­on of love and affection. And what this young man did, is the duty of all young ones to doe, viz. to follow Christ, that is, to be truely Religious, according to their Baptismal Vow, and the Gospel which they prosess and own. To govern themselves by the rule of righteousness, endeavouring to answer the hope they have through Christ of future glory, and the many and great obligations Christ hath laid upon them to duty and obedience. And to convince (you young men) that this is your duty, and to draw you to the speedy and sincere practice of the same, is the end of this small Essay and undertaking. Since I am equally concern­ed for the good of your souls, with those that are Elder. The soul of the Child is as pretious as the soul of the Servant: The soul of the Servant of as much value as the soul of the greatest Lord or Master. And when I consider the general Corruption and loosness of this age, and think how many lie in weight to seduce young ones, some to Popery; others to open profaneness and debauchery, the high way to direct Ir­religion [Page 5] and Atheism, I judged it greatly needful (in my place and capacity) to give warning, to discover, and shew you your danger, and to prevent it, by exciting you to your duty. If possibly, I may save some of your souls, or at least clear my own. Ezek. 3. 8, 19. For when I read and meditate on those words of the Lord by his Prophet; When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely dye, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wic­kedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall dye in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul; I tremble, as well to think what will become of those Watchmen, that warn not, as of those people, who are warned and regard it not. Now though this Essay speaks more directly to you that are younger, yet the matter of it may be suitable and profitable to all, both old and young. For when Elder persons hear how much it behoves young ones to be religious, they may rationally con­clude it highly concerns them to be so much more, who according to the Course of Nature have less time to spend, and [Page 6] are so many years nearer to Death, Judg­ment and Eternity, than the former. I shall therefore intreat your regard to what you read, in the Psalmists Compellation, Young Men and Maidens, Old Men and Children, mind the Word of the Lord, which like the rain falling upon the Earth, shall accomplish the end for which it is sent, either to soften or harden, to be either a savour of life unto life, or a sa­vour of death unto death, to every Soul that reads it. And that my words may make the better and deeper impression, I shall press your duty in this Method.

  • 1. Shew you that 'tis your duty to be Religious in your Youth.
  • 2. Urge the Utility and safety of it.
  • 3. Answer the many Cavils or discou­ragements, that Satan, wicked men, or your own corrupt hearts doe or can make against it.
  • 4. Shew the Reasonableness and excel­lency of it.

1. It is the Duty of young persons to follow Christ, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. To be religious, mindfull of God, and the well­being of their own souls, both in this and another world. Hence 'tis that the Wise [Page 7] man, so frequently calls upon young men to hear instruction, to learn wisdom and the Eccles. 12. fear of the Lord; and to Remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth; that is, know, love, fear, and serve him: for words of knowledge in Scripture imply Affection and Practice, Love and Obe­dience. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Commandments, Deut. 8. 11. and his Judgements, which I command thee this day; so that not to keep the Command­ments of God, is to forget him; and to do them, is rightly to remember him: thus Solomon requires thee to remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth; while thou art strong, vigorous, and best able in all the faculties of thy soul and parts of thy body to do good service. So that Question of David, Wherewith shall a young man Psal. 119. 9. cleanse his way, hath the force of a command to cleanse and free your wayes from all un­cleanness, unrighteousness, perversness and crookedness, and to make them direct, upright, straight and holy, according to the Word. And in the judgment of Jeremiah, this is the proper season for obedience and subjection. It is good for a man to bear the Lam. 3. 27. yoak in his youth. Whether you will under­stand it of Jugum crucis, the yoak of divine Chastisements, or Jugum precepti, the yoak [Page 8] of Divine Precepts, which is so heavy and irksom to the generallity of youth, who cannot bear restraint, or limitation, no not from God himself. Liberty, liberty, they are all for this, not considering that deteriores omnes sumus licentia, we are all the worse for taking more liberty than God allows. And men never meet a more certain and speedy ruine, than when they follow their own Wills. So true is that Proverb of ours, Wilful persons never want woe. Yet as heavy a yoak as this seems to be, young men, you must take it up sooner or later, if you will be saved; and the sooner, the better, the Prophet tells you so: 'tis good to bear the yoak in your youth. And St. Paul, who paid so dear for setting out after Christ no sooner, gives this advice to his young son Timothy, to flee all youthful lusts, and to follow after righteous­ness, 2 Tim. 2. 22. faith and charity. And you read under the Law it was Gods ordinance, that in the Lev. 2. 14. Meat offerings of their First fruits, they should offer green Ears of corn. The Go­spel of it is this, that God expects and re­quires a primary and early dedication of our selves to him. That so soon as we come to age and understanding to dispose of our hearts and affections, we should first offer them to him. For with such [Page 9] offerings, the first fruits, the green Ears, the youthfull age, God is well pleased; as you may gather by the favour of God to those persons, who very early devoted themselves to his service; as Samuel, who began to serve God in his minority; Josiah, who at eight years of age did that that was right in the sight of God; and Ty­mothy, who knew the Scriptures from a child; and the children of the elect Lady, whom St. John testifies walked in the truth. These precepts and presidents from Scrip­ture, 2 Epist. v. 3, 4. are sufficient to prove that it is the duty of young men to mind Religion, to walk in all the wayes of God, and to take up Christs yoak and burden, and to follow him, who in the dayes of his humi­liation encouraged such to come to him, by telling them, that of such was the King­dom Mark 10. 14. of God.

CHAP II. Containing some Arguments to prove the Equity, and Necessity, and Safety of this Duty, and to enforce the Practice of it.

§. 1. SIrs, though at first view this may seem an hard saying, and an harsh and unreasonable task; yet upon delibe­rate and serious thinking, you will find it is founded upon good, upon great, very great reason. It is highly reasonable and just, that God, who made you should have the best of you, the best of your age and time. Now our first dayes are our best. Op­tima quaeque dies miseris mortalibus aevi, prima fugit. The choycest part of mans life is that, which first passeth from him. Youth is the Golden age, wherein our souls are brisk and lively, and our bodies active and strong to labour. Now are you fittest and best able to watch and pray, and un­dergoe the severities of Religion. Old age is full of infirmities, dim eyes, shaking heads, trembling hands, and feeble legs: Old men are dull of apprehension, of bad Capacity and remembrance, and clogged [Page 11] with those cares and crosses, which youth is free from. And is there any reason God should be put off with the dregs of old age, when you have spent your spriteful youth in the service of sin? You read that the King of Babel would have young men, well favou­red, Dan. 1. 4. without blemish, and such as were of great ability to stand before him, and shall the King of Israel, the Lord of Glory have none to stand in his Courts, but the halt, the blind and the lame, such as David ha­ted? Old Barzillay rendred this as a reason why he was unfit to wait on the King at Jerusalem, his old age; and is old age, which is neither serviceable nor acceptable to men, good enough for God? When you have not a good leg to bring you to Gods House, nor good Ears to hear his Word, nor a good Eye to read the Scrip­tures, nor a good head to retain nor a good Intellect to apply or improve what you read or hear, shall God be served now and not before? Hath God given you those members, senses and faculties perfect and good, and will you not employ them in his service till they are spoiled and fit for nothing? Till the members of your bodyes are multiplied by Crutches and Glasses, and the powers of your souls quite debili­tated and decayed? is there any reason for [Page 12] this? Were you to present a gift to the King, would you not present the best you have? how much more ought you to do this to God? dare you think he deserves less than man, or will be put off with what man will not accept? If you do, you are vilely mistaken. If you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil, or the lame and the Mal. 1. 8. sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governour, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of hosts? Take heed therefore you do not reserve that for God, which you would be asha­med to offer to man : he will not accept it, nor is there any reason he should. 'Tis highly reasonable and just you give him the best of all, from whom you receive all you have and hope for.

§. 2. Youth is the most seasonable time for Religion and the service of God. Then are men most capable of instruction, advice and Counsel; then are they most flexible and most apt and easie to be wrought upon, to be brought to a good course of piety and Religion. Pueri ad omnem disciplinam sunt flexibiliores: ad omnem disciplinam tardior est senectus. There is a vast difference between Youth and old age, in respect of discipline and flexibility. The Wax when 'tis soft receives the best and fairest impres­sion; [Page 13] the Tree while young is most easily bowed. Young persons are most receptive of wholsome instruction, and most easily brought to any thing that is good. Re­member this, you that are young, if you shall neglect Religion, slight and shun the wayes and Commands of God now, and vanquish all thoughts of God and his service till you are old; you cannot imagin what an hard matter you will find it then, to dispose your minds to holiness, and frame your lives to godliness and Religion: as hard a matter, as for an aged person to learn to read well in a day that never knew a letter in all his life. We say of a man, who hath long addicted himself to sloth, he cannot work. Why what is the matter? hath he not his limbs, his health, his strength, and a Calling to imploy them in? yes, but he hath gotten such an habit of idle­ness that he cannot work, he had rather suf­fer than labour, want then work. Thus 'tis in respect of Religion, if you now addict your selves to impiety and sin, and are wholly unhinged as to Religion and the service of God, while you are young, in old age you will find a kind of impossibility to be otherwise, to change your course, seri­ously to mind Religion, to brook an holy and strict course of life, to imitate, obey [Page 14] and follow Christ whithersoever he calls you, though 'tis to save your immortal souls. There is very much in those words of Solomon to this purpose; Train up a child in the way he should goe, and when he is old Pro. 22. 6. he will not depart from it. If thou art trained up in sin, trained up in a loose, licentious course of living in thy youth, when thou art old thou wilt not depart from it. Men think when they are old, then they will mend, then they will forsake their evil wayes, leave their youthful vices, and be­come marvellous devout, holy, heavenly, and close followers of Christ. But very hard­ly, 'tis the way you have been trained up in, the course you have many years been ac­customed to, and you cannot now alter or depart from it. No less power than that which stops the Sun in its course, and turns the Rivers of the south, can stay thy carier, or turn thee out of the way wherein thou hast so long walked. St. Paul makes it a Peradventure, if such repent and recover 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. themselves out of the snare of the Devil. When men have deferred repentance so long, and been the willing captives of Satan so many years, 'tis an hazard if they repent, recover themselves, and return to God. When the Devil had gotten possession of that man in the Gospel, and it was so hard [Page 15] a matter to cast him out, that the disciples Mark 9. 20. 21. of Christ could not doe it, with all their power and prayers; when Christ had dis­possessed him, and observed with what extremity, foaming and renting, the Devil came forth, he asked the Father of the possessed, how long this had hapned to his son? Answer is made of a child. So if Satan get possession of you in your childhood and youth, and continue till you are old, he will plead right and title to you then, and if ever he be dispossessed it will be with great pain, great grief and sorrow, yea and with no small hazard of your life; I mean the life of your soul, for he will hold fast and rent you to purpose e're he part with you. As good old Polycarpus said concern­ing Christ, These eighty six years he hath been my Master, and I his Servant, shall I de­ny him now, or leave him now at last cast? No, I will dye first. So doth Satan say concerning men; This person hath served me from his youth, I have been his master these forty, fifty, sixty years, and shall I let him go now at last cast? no I will keep him mine to the end, if all the power of hell can doe it. Therefore now is the fittest and most seasonable time to make choice of the Master you intend to follow and serve, Christ or the Devil; one must be, and which [Page 16] you take to now, 'tis probable you will stick to and serve to your Dying Day. Moreover, if you consider the requisites to a Disciple of Christ, and sincere professor of Religion, you will find Youth the most proper Season to attain them in. If you will be Disciples of Christ, true Christians, and unfeignedly religious, you must be humble and broken in heart for sin. Soul-com­punction is necessary to Salvation. St. Peters Converts to Christ were humble and pricked in their hearts, and cried out, Men and Brethen what shall we doe? you must ei­ther Act. 3. 37. mourn for sin here, or burn for sin here­after; Sow in tears if you will reap in joy: And the time of youth is most sesonable for this. The sooner you begin to mourn for sin, your sorrow is like to be the less heavy, and the more kindly. Your hearts have upon them a natual hardness, and if by neglect of re­pentance they gather a Contracted hard­ness too, they will be broken with the more difficulty. Custom in sin takes away the sense of it; and the longer you con­tinue in it, the more will you find a sense­less stupidity growing upon your spirits. Your Consciences, that are now tender and timerous, and somwhat shie and fearfull of sin, will by degrees grow hard and seared, and past feeling. Doe you not know this [Page 17] by experience, that those sins which a few years since, were a great terror to you, you can now commit without the least trou­ble? if an Oath or a Curse had slipt from you, or if you had been overtaken with in­temperance, what stings and gripes have you felt after it? but now you are fre­quently guilty of these Crimes, yet with­out the least remorse or trouble for them. Therefore now is the time for this work, while your consciences and hearts are ten­der and free from contracted hardness; for the longer you delay, the more difficult will it be to bring your hearts to this duty. Again, you must forsake sin, your hearts must not only be broken for, but also bro­ken off from sin. You must repent and turn Ezek. 18. 30. Luk. 13. 3. from all your evil wayes, otherwise iniquity will be your ruine, and you will perish by it; and the longer you continue in sin, the harder will it be to forsake it. Custom will become a second nature to you, and the changing of your Course will be like the Jer. 13. 23. changing the Ethiopians skin and the Leo­pards spots. When once sin gets rooting in the heart, and enslaves and captivates the affections, it will be extream difficult to get it out and cast it off. While the Cocka­trice is in the egg 'tis easily crushed. Before sin gets too much life and strength, you may [Page 18] with the better success oppose it, and with the greater ease gain victory over it. Now is the time to open your hearts and give en­tertainment to Christ, who is said to knock Rev. 3. 20. at these doors by his Word and Spirit, which you must open to him, as ever you expect he should open heaven to you; and become subject to him in his Kingdom of Grace, if ever you will reign with him in his Kingdom of Glory. And doubtless the fittest season for it is now in youth, for if you shut these doors now, you will find them fast bolted and barred when you are old. Sin in the soul is like rust in Iron, it renders it unapt to move, though pulled with great strength. The Devil is a sub­til adversary, and the longer you permit him to hold possession of this Royal fort, the more will he fortifie it against Christ, and beat off with the more ease, whatever assaults are made upon you by the Word and Spirit of God. Christ will enter most willingly, if you will receive him, he de­sires it, he seeks it, behold I stand at the door and knock; but if you refuse, your affecti­ons will be more allenated, and hearts more hardened. Qui non est hodie cras mi­nus aptus erit. If you are not inclined or disposed to God, to Religion, and that that is good, to day, you will be more in­disposed [Page 19] to morrow: if you are not wil­ling Christ should take possession of your hearts this week, or month, or year, you will be less willing the next. The sooner the better. That proverb is true here, and cannot be crossed, Blessed is the Woo­ing that is not long a doing. O blessed and treble blessed is that Soul, that is early married to its Saviour, betimes espoused to Christ, as its Husband, Head and Lord. Now therefore is the time to gain and flourish in Grace, which is the Earnest of Glory: to set up the Kingdom of Christ Luk. 17. 21. within you, as ever you hope to be ad­mitted into his Kingdom above you.

§. 3. An early practice of Piety and Re­ligion will bring you the greatest comfort. A pious Youth makes a joyous old Age. Age is a time, wherein we are to solace our selves with the remembrance of our fore­past life, to feed upon the spiritual stores, upon the graces, comforts and Experiences which your former godly and Religious course of life hath gained you. For this reason 'tis that Solomon sends the young sluggard to the Ant or Pismire to learn pru­dence, which gathereth her food in the Sum­mer, Prov. 16. 6, 7, 8. and layeth up her store in the harvest. If you sleep in harvest, sloth, sin away the sum­mer season, what will you live upon in win­ter? [Page 20] will not spiritual want and poverty pinch you in old age? But if thou art Reli­gious in thy youth, diligently carefull to lay up a stock of grace and vertue, a store of prayers and good works, in thy youth, then thine old age cannot but be attended with joy and comfort, peace and plenty. You say usually, you must work when you are young to keep you when you are old. 'Tis true here, you must work the works of God and of Religion while you are young, to support you, comfort you, and keep you from despair when you are old. Do but think, what peace, what comfort an old man can have, who is about to leave the world, and hath all the sins of his youth fly­ing in his face, following at his heels, and waiting when death shall give them an op­portunity to accompany him to Judgment. When he shall remember that in his youth he forgat God, and spent the prime of his years in the Devils service, in ryoting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, in strife and envy: I say, what peace, what comfort can he now reap of those things where of he is ashamed, where with his con­science is terrified, and soul wounded? How loath is he to leave the world, how unwil­ling and afraid to die? How doth his aged heart ake, his shrinked flesh tremble, to [Page 21] think of Death and Judgment? Who can express the horror and disturbance of his mind, when his Reason tells him he is too weak to live, and his Conscience, that he is too wicked to dye? Whereas, when a man can truly say, and his conscience bears him witness when he is old, that he hath laid out his youth and strength for God, in the practice of piety and ser­vice of his Saviour, when he can now say, he hath made Religion his business; the glo­ry of God and his own salvation his main work and design in his youth; when in a word he can say with old Hezekiah, Lord Isa. 38. 3. remember that I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart; what an heart full of comfort, what a mind full of peace, what a soul full of joy shall that man have, in old age, even in death it self? How chearful may such an old Simeon sing his Nunc dimittis, Lord now let thy servant depart in peace, for I have sought, and the eye of my faith hath seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared for me? Therefore if you would be joyous when you are old, be Religious while you are young. Qualis vita, finis ita. As is your life, such shall your end be. To me to live is Christ, to dye is gain, saith the great Phil. 1. 21. Apostle: And 'tis the righteous hath hope [Page 22] in his death, saith Solomon. And you deceive your selves, if you think you may live viti­ously and yet dye happily. Holiness in youth is the Tree, upon which the choyce fruit of Comfort in old age alone grow­eth.

§. 4. As it will bring the most Comfort, so it deserves the greatest Honour. To see young persons following Christ by an holy and heavenly life, 'tis honourable and de­serves the gteatest commendation. It is written in the Gospel, that when Christ heard a young man say, he had kept the Commandements from his youth, he loved him; to shew how God loves the early obe­dience and devotion of young ones to him­self. To speak in the Scripture language, God honoureth such, for they greatly ho­nour God, and them that honour me, will I honour, saith the Lord. Yea and God makes 1 Sam. 2. 30. more account and takes more notice of a little goodness, a little holiness and obedi­ence in a young person, than of a greater measure in him that is elder. When Jerobo­ams child was sick, God sent him word by 1 King. 14. his Prophet, that his child should dye, and that he only should go to the grave in peace of all Jeroboams family, because in him was found some good thing towards the Lord. There could not be much good in him be­ing [Page 23] but a child, and bred up in Idolatry too; yet because some good was found in him being so young, God took a liking to him, and shewed his acceptation of him, by conferring that favour and honour upon him above all the Family, that he should goe to his grave in peace. And Solomon tells you, that Religion carrieth length of Pro. 3. 16. dayes in the one hand, and honour and dig­nity in the other; and she will conferre it Pro. 4. 8. upon thee, she will bring thee to honour: and the Lord honoureth them that fear him, saith David; where Fear is put for all Re­ligion Ps. 15. 4. and Worship towards God, and those that devote themselves to him by an holy fear, will God honour. And the sooner you doe this, the greater love and honour, the greater favour and esteem will God have for you. Yea, as it will procure you honour from God, so from all good men; Religion and piety is the Image of God in man, and wherever a good man sees this he cannot but honour it, and those that bear it. St. Paul writes to his Romans, to shew singular respect to Andronicus and Junia, as persons of Note, upon this Rom. 16. 7. consideration, because they had the hap­piness and honour to be in Christ before him. And surely 'tis the greatest honour and hap­piness in the world, to be early in Christ, [Page 24] early in the Covenant of grace. Is thy Servant in Christ? is he Religious and de­voted to God? he is more honourable than thee his Lord and Master, who art irreligious and out of Christ; and shall be preferred before thee in the favour and esteem of God, both in this world and that to come. Nay Religion will make you honourable even in the eyes of the wicked. Jehoram a wicked King honour­eth and waiteth upon a Religious Elisha; proud Herod reverenceth the holy Baptist. Piety is a silent but a powerfull Orator; to perswade all that see it, to love and ho­nour it. What Diogenes said of Learning; is truely applicable to Grace and Religion, it makes poor men Rich, old men Happy, and young men Honourable. It gives such lasting honour, as the rusty teeth of old Time can never eat out; the Name of the Ps. 112. 6. righteous shall be had in everlasting remem­brance. Would you be truely great, then be sincerely good. For true honour (of which all men are greatly ambitious, non parvas animo dat gloria vires: immen­sum gloria calcar habet: The itch of ho­nour, scratch till the blood come, still abides) is not attained by building of Ba­bels, nor by gathering wealth, or adorning your selves with the plumes of pride. Pha­raohs [Page 25] Horses may have costly Trappings, and the Midianites Camels chains of gold: Cant. 1. 9. Judg. 8. 26. nor yet by being Masters of mischief, or notable for some act of villany: as he who to get himself a name, burnt the famous Temple of Diana. Can any man think the dunghill of wickedness, a fit Mine to dig an honourable Name from? Or that the only way to make a man sweet, is to wal­low in Jakes's and Kennels? Certainly Grapes grow not on Throns, nor Figs on Thistles: Neither is the sweet Oyntment of an honourable estimation, or good Name (which Solomon saith is better than life) compounded of those stinking ingre­dients, pride, lasciviousness, prodigality, covetousness, intemperance and prophane­ness. No, the name of the wicked shall rot, in despite of all Offices, Preferments, Titles, Policies, or favours whatsoever. Their impious deeds, wherein they gloried while living, shall be raked up to their re­proach and dishonour, by after ages. Cains malice, and Pharoahs pride and rebellion a­gainst God, have hitherto kept pace in the world with Abels devotion and Moses his meekness. And as the names of the wick­ed are thus torn on earth, so their souls are committed to hell, covered with shame and delivered over to everlasting contempt. Im­piety Dan. 12. 2. [Page 26] therefore is not the mean to true glo­ry. But the way to true and lasting honour, is to seek it by a Religious conversation. A good name ariseth out of things true, just, honest, lovely, and of good report. Famam extendere factis, hoc virtutis opus. Who­ever would be truely famous must be really Vertuous. Be faithful, sober and just, ho­nour God and do good, and you shall be honoured of God and good men while you live; and when you leave the world, you shall leave your name a blessing to Posteri­ty. Your remembrance shall be sweet, your name a perfume, and your memorial pretious. In a word, do worthily in Ephra­ta, and so be famous in Bethlehem. Vertue Ruth 4. 11. and Religion shall emblazon thy name, when nothing else will, or can. A Field of sincerity charged with the deeds of pie­ty, cannot but be accomplished with the Crest of Glory.

§. 5 Now is the most Acceptable time. What the Apostle saith of the day of the Gospel, I may say of the day of Youth, Behold now is the accepted time. The 2 Cor. 6. 2. Noontide or Evening of thy life may be acceptable; some are received at the ele­venth hour. But the Morning is most ac­ceptable. God is pleased to see young sin­ners looking and inquiring after a Saviour, [Page 27] to see them setting out for Heaven be­times, and seeking the Kingdom of God in the first place, before Satan or the World hath revished their Virgin affections. The youngest disciple was the beloved disciple, and Christs first care and Command is for these, Feed my Lambs. O these are most Joh. 21. 15. acceptable and dear to him; because their Graces are most visible and conspicuous. Early goodness is like the morning blush, like the first opening of the Rose, like a Diamond set in a Ring of Gold. It hath a Delightfull fragrancy and a glorious lustre, every ones eye is upon it, and every one that is truly godly admires and loves it. As the witty speeches of a pratling Babe are many times more taken notice of, than the grave sayings of an old Cicero, so early grace in young converts is more observed than in those of gray heads. The beauty of their vertue doth then snine clearest, and the power of it doth then appear greatest. To see young ones delighted in reading and hearing Gods Word, much in Prayer, frequent at Sacraments and other holy Exercises; to see young per­sons deny themselves, taking up the cross and yoak of Christ, casting off the World, mortifying the flesh with the affections and lusts of it, deafning their ears to all [Page 28] inticements and allurements of pleasing sins, advising others so to do. To see there manfully opposing and conquering the Tempter in his wiles and policies, fol­lowing God fully, and with full purpose of heart cleaving to the Lord, none but must needs take notice of this. The grace of Christ in them is so powerfull, and the activity of that grace in them so lively, that it must needs be visible. And this tend­ing much to Gods glory, must needs ren­der them more acceptable. Adde to this, that your strength to serve God is greatest, 1 Joh. 2. 14. and your time longest; which gives you this double advantage: you may not only escape many pollutions in the world wherewith others are defiled, to the disho­nour of God, and wounding of their own souls; but you may bring much glory to God in your generations. God hath work enough for you to doe, all tending to his glory and your own salvation, throughout the whole day of you lives, though you begin in the Morning of your Youth, and continue very diligent till the weary Eve­ning of decrepit Old age overtake you. I might instance in some of the chief part of your work; you have a Pardon of sin to sue out, Evidences for Heaven to clear, corruptions to mortifie, lusts to subdue, [Page 29] a treasure or store to lay up, graces to gain and improve, temptations to resist, enemies to defeat, Relations to mind, and many duties towards God and men to dis­charge; work enough for the whole day; to do all this well, begin as soon as you will, as soon as you can. And as a Master, who hath many servants, and a multitude of business, is best pleased with that ser­vant that goes about his work betimes, and continues at it all day, because he doth his Master the most service, and brings him the greatest gain; so God, who hath variety of work for his people and ser­vants, is most delighted with those that set to it betimes, and continue diligent in his service to the end. I say of all others, these are most acceptable to God. Gods Firstlings are his Darlings, for these doe him the most service, and bring him the greatest glory.

§. 6. Now is the most safe time in re­spect to your selves, your own souls. At first if you be carefull, no doubt but you may prove successefull in this great and weighty concern, soul-work, God-work, eternity-work. But if you make delayes, you run your souls upon great hazards and uncertainties. There are many dangers and great peradventures in a little delay. Your [Page 30] lives are perfectly uncertain, since no age is fenced or secured against the killing Shaft of Death. Some Flowers are nipped in the bud, some springs fall into the sea, as soon as they rise out of the earth. The thred of life in some is soon cut off; and the candle blown out almost as soon as lighted. When you walk through a Church-yard, you may see little Graves and small skulls, as well as great ones. And you hear of many snatched away in the full strength and prime of their years. So that you may dye while you are young; and without piety and grace, be damned while you are young. Therefore 'tis most safe to become Religious, and secure your salvation in the first place, having no assu­rance of your life for a day, and being subject to Death every moment: Nor have you any security of the means of Grace; though with Hezekiah you had a Lease of your Life, and for as many years as the longest lived Antedeluvian arrived to, yet you have no assurance that God will hold the light of his Gospel to you, to the period of that long day. Now you have means and opportunities, lights and helps, Sabbath upon Sabbath, line upon line, one motion and call upon ano­ther, to remember your Creator, to make [Page 31] Religion your business, and to mind Hea­ven in good earnest; and if you will not do this now; if you will be idle and un­fruitfull, and run the hazard of what God can do, he can and may quickly take away his Gospel from you, and turn your light into darkness; that like the blinded Sodo­mites for Lots door, you shall grope for the strait gate to Heaven, and not find it. He that can sweep away thousands by a Plague, and by devouring burnings lay stately Towns and Cities in the dust, can find out a way to bring a famine, not of Amos 8. 11. bread, but of hearing the Word of the Lord, so that you shall run from one end of the Land to the other to seek the Word, and shall not find it. I know you cannot be igno­rant, that at this very day there are many in England that pull hard for it, to take away the Means of Grace and knowledge from you: To take away the written Word; and to give you a Legend to read instead of a Bible; The Gospel of the Virgin Mary, or of St. Francis, in lieu of the Gospel of Christ; and dumb Idols to worship instead of the living God. And I must tell you, if the youth of this Age, if the present rising Generation don't speedi­ly heighten and encrease their regard to Religion, and their esteem of Gods Word [Page 32] and Ordinances, Gods Ministers and the means of Grace, I fear lest God should suffer those things to come to pass. For why should God continue that you care not for, and will not improve; but account rather a burden then a benefit? But put case none of all this should be, but that the day of your life should belong, and the day of the Gospel as long as it; yet there is still a further hazard in delay, in regard of the uncertainty of Gods working with the Means: For the wind of the spirit bloweth when and where it listeth. You may now feel the fair gales and sweet breezes of the spirit moving upon your hearts, and blowing fair for Heaven, and if you do not now hoist the sails, the wind may slack, and duller, and you may be becalmed for ever: God may say, his spirit shall strive no more, or swear in his wrath you shall not enter into his rest. Now God calls, if you will not hear­ken, you may call and cry hereafter and he will not hear. Then shall they cry unto Pro. 1. 24. &c. the Lord, but he will not hear them. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away Mich. 3. 4. the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear, they made their hearts Zech. 7. 11, 12, 13. as an Adamant stone, lest they should hear the Law, and the words which the Lord [Page 33] of Hosts, hath sent in his Spirit, therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed (that is the Prophet) and they would not hear, so they cryed and I would not hear, saith the Lord of Hosts. This is sufficient to cau­tion you to take heed of stopping your ears when they should be most open and ready to hear. Do you not read of Esau's weeping for the blessing to no purpose; of the foolish Virgins going to buy Oyle too late; and of our Saviours telling Jeru­salem, that her day was spent, and those things belonging to her peace were hid from her eyes? And don't these sad ex­amples tell you, that there are many, who have the sun of mercy set to their souls, before the day of their lives may be half spent? that God ceaseth to call, Christ to invite, the Spirit to strive, and ob­stinate sinners are given over to hardness, judicial hardness, and to treasure up to Rom. 2. 5. themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judg­ment of God; which is the greatest judg­ment Act. 28. 26, 27. on this side Hell? And may not this heavy sentence pass against you when you are old, who wilfully neglect God and Religion while you are young; see­ing God is just and righteous in all this? Justum est ut à Deo contemnatur moriens, qui [Page 34] Deum Omnipotentem contempsit vivens. 'Tis just with God to contemn thee old and dying, who hast despised him young and living; not to know you then, who will not know him now; not to accept the blew Milk, when the Devil hath suck­ed all the Cream; just with God not to accept a Sacrifice from those hearts and hands of yours at death, which never knew how to offer but to Beelzebub all your life. Be wise therefore and consult your own safety, which lyes in being reli­gious betimes, in following Christ by an holy conversation while you are young; then come life, come death, if you have hold by faith but of the skirt of his gar­ment you are safe, and not before; and 'tis (you see) a threefold Peradventure, if you refuse this now, that you shall gain it hereafter. Peradventure you may dye young, peradventure you may be deprived of the means of Grace, or per­adventure God may not hereafter work with the means, but leave you to a judicial hardness.

§. 7. Last of all weigh this: You cannot begin so soon, but your time will be spent by that time your work is done. Young men, if once you become Christians indeed, disciples of Christ in truth, as you enter up­on [Page 35] a very profitable and honourable, so upon a very difficult calling. You have now a very great work lying upon your hands, and but a short time to dispatch it in, many Irons in the fire, which call for your conti­nual attendance. If you consider seriously, in how many Relations a Christian stands, and how many duties each of these Relati­ons require, you will acknowledge you have time little enough for the discharge of them. For how many duties are required of you, as you are creatures to God, how many more as Subjects to a Prince, how many more as Brethren, as Servants, as Masters, how many more as men, as Christians, in Relation to your selves, your own souls, in the whole con­verse of your lives? Take a review of these by serious reflection, as every one is multiplyed into many, and then tell me, Whether you can begin to be Holy and Religious too soon; whether when your time is gone, you will not wish you had begun sooner, or that you were to begin a­gain, that you might do your work better, doubling your diligence for God and your own souls; whether when your life is spent, you wil not give the same counsel to others that I give to you, and say, O remember your Creatour in the days of your youth, [Page 36] and make Religion and the serious practice of holiness and righteousness your study betimes? Let me be your Monitor, who know by experience, what a task you have in hand, which calls for all your strength, time and diligence, if you would approve your selves faithfull to God. My time is gone, I am dying, and going to give my account, I wish I had begun sooner, and wrought harder after I begun. Therefore mind the words of a dying man, (for such have the best and deepest Impressions of things to come, as well as of things past upon their minds) cast off the world and the vanities of it, seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof in the first place. This will bring you the soundest peace and greatest comfort in old age, and upon a dy­ing bed: This no doubt, will be your advice to others then; be perswaded to take and follow the same now. 'Twill be your ho­nour, your crown, your glory here, and it will bring you to a glorious crown and end­less hapiness hereafter.

CHAP. III. Shewing the many Prejudices Satan raiseth in the minds of men against the Way of Religion.

SAtan, who is the grand Enemy to Gods glory and mans salvation, useth his utmost Power and policy to raise a pre­judice in the minds of young men against the wayes of Christ, and the practice and pursuit of what is good. And this he doth by making false and unjust repre­sentations of the wayes of God and Re­ligion.

§. 1. And first he reproaches the way of Religion, wherein all the disciples of Christ walk towards heaven and happiness, as un­certain and doubtfull. Do you not see, saith the Accuser, how the professors of Religi­on and professed disciples of Christ are di­vided in their Judgments, how many diffe­rent perswasions they are of, and how one party decries the other? One cries this is the way, another that, a third differs from both the former: And every one applauds his own way as best and safest, and exclaims against all others as erroneous and dan­gerous: [Page 38] And how shall you, young No­vices, of immature parts, short experi­ences, little reading and weak judg­ments, know which is right, or which to choose? Alas! you are not able to de­termine; therefore you had as good stay where you are, till all parties are agreed, and all parties unite and joyn in one, and then you may venture. Thus he invei­gles you to stand off from God, upon pre­tence there is no certain way of serving of him agreed upon, and if you take the wrong, you no whit mend the matter, and had as good go on in the way you are in, though it be the way of sin, which is the infallible road to death and hell. And I would to God the Devil had not so much advantage here, as he hath; that he had not so just ground for this prejudice against Religion and the way of holiness, as he hath, by the many endless divisions, groundless facti­ons and different perswasions that are amongst professing Christians, and pro­fessed followers of Christ. For I am per­swaded nothing doth more startle young ones, and more stagger old ones, cause­ing the one to depart from, and the other to keep out of the way of Religion, and from following Christ in the way of his Commandments, than the shamefull and [Page 39] unchristian divisions that are amongst us. And if God do not (which for his Mercies, his Churches, his Gospel's sake I earnestly begg and hope he will do) unite us, our divisions in Religion will terminate in the destruction of our Reli­gion. For a Family, a Church, a King­dom divided cannot stand, saith he, whose word shall stand, when the Heavens and the Earth fail. And these Killing Maladies to Religion and sound practice of pie­ty, every follower of Christ, or sincere Christian ought to bewail, and in his place to endeavour the healing of. But yet this is a vincible prejudice, and to this stratagem and wile of the Devil, answer may be given.

1. That there is a necessity that there should be Heresies; the Apostle tells you so, and gives you the reason for it, viz. That they which are approved might be made manifest. There are two wayes, 1 Cor. 11. 19. whereby God tries his people, and makes manifest their sincerity. One is by Perse­cution; when Persecution ariseth many Hypocrites drop off, and Formalists flinch away from the Truth, and forsake their Religion and the bold profession of it, leaving the sincere to bear all the brunt and burden. The other is by Error and heresie: [Page 40] And here many that have held out some time, fall away, drinking in the poyson of damnable Errors, to the destruction of their souls: While the sincere hold fast the Truth, and stand to their profession, thereby discovering what they are; sound Christi­ans, whom no Persecutions can alter, or Errors corrupt. So that divisions are use­ful, not to beat you off from, but to try whether you are firm and well grounded in Religion. And if for these you desert Christ and the wayes of holiness, this is so far from vindicating or excusing you, that it declares and condemns you for dissem­blers and Hypocrites, that have in you no sincerity or stability at all. Beware there­fore you do not suffer the Devil thus to de­lude you, and mark you for his own.

2. Besides, if you resolve never to be Religious, till all professing Christians are of one mind in Religion, you must never be so; never set a step in the way to Hea­ven while you live, nor look to enter in­to the Kingdom of God when you dye; because this is never like to be in this world. If when there were but two bre­thren in the world, there was a difference, and that about Religion or Sacrificing to God; if in the first Christian Churches in the Apostles dayes there were Divisions, [Page 41] when the number of Professors was small; now there are many Millions, how can you expect a perfect Union? He that takes up a resolution neither to eat nor drink till all the Clocks in the Town strike toge­ther, or till all the Cocks in the Parish crow together, or till all his singers are of one length, and all the spires of Corn or Grass in the Earth are of an equal height, must also resolve to starve and dye. So if you resolve never to leave the wayes of sin, never to look after salvation by turning your feet into God's Testimonies, but to remain Scepticks in Religion, and per­fectly unhinged as to the principles of Re­ligion, and practice of piety and holiness, till there be a sweet harmony, a perfect Concord and agreement in all things amongst the professors and followers of Christ, you must also resolve to dye in your sins, and perish everlastingly. This trick and prejudice of the Devil against Religion is as old as Christ, as old as the 1 Cor. 3. 3, 4, 5, &c. Gospel, yet thousands have been true fol­lowers of Christ, and are gone to Heaven for all that; therefore let not Satan de­ceive and shut you out, or make you fall short of Heaven by this delusion.

3. 'Tis also to be considered, that though there be some difference and dissen­sion [Page 42] amongst the sincere, amongst the true professors of Religion and followers of Christ; yet 'tis chiefly (if not only) in the Modes and circumstantials of Religion, not the Fundamentals. They are all in the way to Heaven, they differ only about the nearness and cleanness of the way; some say this is the purest way and some that, but they all tend to the same place, to the same Port, Heaven. Now suppose two of you were to eat together, and you cannot agree about the sauce, will you therefore never eat; Or to be cloathed to­gether, and you differ about the trimming only, will you therefore resolve to wear no cloaths, but to go naked? Why, Cere­monies or circumstantials are but as the sauce or trimming to Religion; and shall disagreement about these fright you from the substance? God forbid. Let not Sa­tan thus blind and baffle you of your very reason. All true Christians agree in the main; their Journey is for Heaven, and at the end of it there shall be peace, con­cord and harmony never to be broken more. And to guide you in your Journey, you are to observe when differences arise about circumstantials and Ceremonies, which side the Lawful Magistrate is of, and what his Injunctions are in the case; [Page 43] which must bear a great sway with you. For if it appear not that what the Magi­strate injoyns, is as clearly sinfull by the Word of God, as it appears by the same Word, Obedience to Magistrates is a du­ty, then you are to obey and joyn with the Established Church; otherwise you neglect a certain Duty for an uncertain, and run upon a known sin to avoid what is only suspected or doubted to be so; which no considerate person will be guilty of. And certain it is, the Devil could never stave you off from being Religious by this wheadle, the Divisions that are amongst Christians, if you would but consult your own Reason. For if it be any reason to hold out because of differences, then to come in and to be Religious, so far as we all agree in Religion, is highly reasonable. Well, get but this start of the Devil, and you win the Goal. For all the professed followers of Christ agree thus far, that all known immoralities and vices are to be forsaken, as leading to Hell and to destructi­on, and that all the moral Duties are to be done and practised as the way to Hea­ven and happiness. Now be but perswa­ded to this, to flee all youthfull lusts, riot­ing and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, cursing and swearing, cheating [Page 44] and lying, pride and revenge, malice and envy, and oppression and covetousness, which all the sincere professors of Religion and followers of Christ agree to be sins, and ought to be avoided, repented of and forsaken: And on the other hand, perform all christian duties, which the Word of God plainly requires, consisting in devoti­on towards God, righteousness and chari­ty towards others, and sobriety towards your selves, which all true Christians agree ought to be performed and done, and the force of the Devils argument falls. But because Christians differ in some things, which are Niceties, therefore to do nothing in Religion, no not those things wherein they all agree; not to leave those vices which all agree ought to be abandoned, nor discharge those duties, which they all agree ought to be done, is highly unrea­sonable: This is to grant the Devil more than he asks, and to give him such an ad­vantage, as he could never expect from a rational Creature, much less from a pro­fessed Christian.

4. Add to all this, that this is a meer Calumny and unjust charge of Satan's upon the wayes of God. The way of God and Religion is certain, whatever Satan suggests to you; and the seeming uncer­tainty [Page 45] ariseth from our blindness, or difference of sight. Till we can all see with one eye, or all attain the same mea­sure of knowledge and understanding, we can never be of the same mind in all things, either civil or religious. How different are men in their opinion, in the same trade or calling: Yet the Devil cannot perswade them to lay aside their callings and imploys because of this. Wherefore let him not by this prejudice keep you any longer off from your Christian calling: But resolve for Heaven speedily and in good earnest; and take the plain way of faith, repen­tance, and an holy life, which Christ in his Gospel hath plainly prescribed you; and begg of him to direct and uphold you in it, and doubt not but you shall go safe to Glory. For as many as walk according to this Rule, Mercy and Peace shall be upon Gal. 6. 16. them. And to close this First particular, remember this [young men,] whose consciences tell you, your lives are yet irreligious and unholy; and treasure it up as a strong shield against this fiery dart of the Devil: That whatever uncertainties or differences Satan may suggest to be amongst Christians in the way to Heaven; there is no difference or dispute about this, that the way of sin is the way to Hell.

[Page 46] §. 2. Satan doth prejudice young men (and others) against Religion, and seri­ous practice of Christianity, by represent­ing it as a reproachfull undertaking, a scorned and derided calling; which none but a company of Milk-sops, timerous women and half-witted men will take upon them. Have the Pharisees or Rulers Joh. 7. 48. believed on him? what great or wise men, what men of repute in the World, what brave or noble spirits or minds are there that regard or trouble themselves with these things? and can you brook the loss of such mens countenance and favour, or endure to be slighted and frowned on by these? or can you bear the reproach of your old Cronies and associates, that they should digitis not are, point at you where­ever you go, saying, There goes your con­vert, how like a Phanatick, a fool, he walks, and looks as if he had neither life nor soul in him? This saith Satan you must expect and meet with, if you will be so precise and singular, and can you bear this?

1. Well, be it so; Yet to overcome this prejudice against Religion and the practice of it, think who they be, that are offended at your new course of life, and well-doing: They are the most vile, [Page 47] contemptible people in the world, that vilifie the wayes of God, and sincere fol­lowers of his Son; And it is most absurd and ridiculous in them to do it: 'tis as if a man should laugh at the shining of the Sun; as if a crooked and deformed person should deride one that is straight and beautifull; as if a company of Vassals should vilifie those that are at liberty: Yea, as if a com­pany of condemned Malefactors should laugh at all that are not in the same con­demnation. And therefore their derisi­ons and reproaches are not at all to be valu­ed or taken notice of.

2. Though you may be reproached for being good, religious and holy, by men, yet you are most highly esteemed of God, and most dearly beloved of Jesus Christ. He esteems you as the most ex­cellent persons here, and will own you, reward and crown you, in the face of the proudest scorners, at the last day. Those persons you read of in Heb. 11. who were vilified and reproached as the Rubbish and Off-scowring of the world, were the men (saith the Apostle) of whom the world was not worthy. The World, as highly as it thought of it self, and as meanly as it judged of them, was not wor­thy of their company; and for whom [Page 48] God had provided some better thing than the world is. Now having honour and Heb. 11. 38, 40. esteem with God, what need you value the reproach or scorn of men? This is but the common lot of the righteous, to be debased and vilified by the wicked: Jeremiah not worthy to live, David the song of the Drunkards, Job an Hypocrite, and St. Paul a pestilent fellow, and mover of Sedition; nay Christ himself, who had no sin in his Nature, and did nothing amiss in his Life, was vilified and re­proached, beyond what you ever were or can be: He was reputed an Impo­stor, a cheat, an enemy to Caesar, a Blas­phemer, a Friend to Publicans and sinners, a conjurer, who cast out Devils by Beelze­bub, the Prince of Devils. And were Christ now on Earth, the Hectoring Atheists, and hellish Ishmaels of our time would mock and scoff at him. For 'tis not you, but your godliness; not you, but Christ in you, that they deride and vilifie. Now what Christ said of perse­cution, is true of derision: If they perse­cute me, deride me, they will also perse­cute and deride you; and surely if you have your Masters fare, you have little reason to complain. Moreover, these men shall one day pay dear for their taunts [Page 49] and scoffs at the followers of Christ, when he shall come in the Glory of the Fa­ther, Matt. 18. 6. Jude v. 14, 15. with his holy Angels, to take ven­geance on them for all their hard speeches against the godly: When they shall wish their tongues had had as many blisters on them, as their Jawes had teeth: wish that their tongues had clea­ved to the roof of their mouth, yea that they had never been. For they shall be now convinced Christ was the Butt they shot at through your sides; who will now reward them for what they have done against you, or said a­gainst you, as said and done against him­self. And their bitter scoffings shall now be turned into hellish and eternal howlings. Now they would lye at the feet of the meanest of you who are found holy in that day, to share with you in your happiness, if it might be. Therefore when you have any thoughts or Motions of serving God and setting your faces Heaven-ward, be not disheartened by this, the reproach­es of wicked men. They are not to be regarded, they did the same to Christ himself, you are never the less, but the more Esteemed and Beloved of God, who will shortly convince the mad world, who are the most worthy, and render to [Page 50] them a full and just recompense of re­ward.

§. 3. The Devil endeavours to quash all thoughts and purposes in young persons, of being Religious, by representing Religi­on as too difficult and hard for them: Tells them, that the way which is called holy is marvellous uneasie, and paved throughout with difficulty. As the disciples once said to our Saviour, when they heard him de­clare Joh. 6. 60. himself to be the Bread of life; and that they which did not eat his flesh and drink his blood, had no part in him. O say they, this is an hard saying, who can hear it? So saith Satan to young men, when they hear of the necessity of following Christ, of the necessity of being Religious, holy, and walking circumspectly: O this is a rough way, who can walk in it? There are many harsh sayings in Religion, which you cannot hear, many heavy yoaks which you cannot bear, and many hard du­ties which you cannot do. Can you en­dure to hear of renouncing the world, mortifying the flesh, and denying your selves your youthfull sports and pastimes, and all innocent and necessary delights and Recreations? To be tyed up to a strict austere, precise life, living like Dioge­nes in his Tub, or an Hermit in his Cell, [Page 51] never giving your selves liberty to please your selves in one sinfull action, in one gracefull Oath, gainfull Lye, or wanton dalliance? can you go bound hand and foot, and tongue-tied all your days? can you hear these sayings, and truckle to these into­lerable restrictions? You can never bear it, never brook it, to continue con­stant in a way so difficult. Is not the way you are in, where you have all the liber­ty you can desire, much better? Are you not greatly imprudent to be bound, who may go free? Free from the severities of Religion, and niceties of holiness, which the way of wisdom is made up of, and which all the followers of Christ must daily and hourly observe, or else they can have no peace night or day? Thus doth this hellish adversary, by his wiles, wind himself into the hearts of young per­sons, that he may gain upon them, and win them to his will, to their eternall perdition, if they yeild to him. But to obviate so great an evil, be alwayes prepared with these, or the like Medita­tions.

1. That the most difficult things, are the most Excellent. Difficilia quae pul­chra; difficulty implies excellency; the way of Religion though difficult, is ex­cellent. [Page 52] 'Tis called a more excellent way. 'Tis 1 Cor. 12. ult. Rev. 15. 3. Prov. 3. 17. Prov. 8. 32. Psal. 110. 24, 25. the way of truth and righteousness, a way of peace and pleasantness, a way of pleasure and delightfulness, yea a way of glory and happiness. And what difficulty will not men go through to obtain things excellent? what hazards and hardships do men expose themselves to for Silver and Gold, for Pearls and Diamonds, and such things as are excellent in the worlds esteem. So grant there be some difficulty, in following Christ, yet oppose its excel­lency to its difficulty, that it will bring you to honour, peace, plenty, to a Kingdom, a Crown, to Rivers of pleasures, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and you will yet conclude it the best choyce you can make. 'Tis also absolutely necessary you must walk in this way, if ever you will be blessed or happy in this world or that to come, and this you are convinced of.

2. Adde to this, that the difficulty lyes not in Religion, but in your own lusts, that clog and hinder you in your Christian course, called by the Apostle that weight Heb. 12. 2. which so easily besets us. Let a man who hath fetters on his feet walk in never so smooth a path, yet he complains; whereas were he free from these, he could [Page 53] go chearfully on, making no complaint of the way at all. So though the way of Gods Commandments be never so de­lightfull and fair, yet while you are clog­ged with the weights of sin, and fetters of your lusts, no wonder you find some tediousness and difficulty in it. But as the Apostle exhorts, lay these aside, and you will find this way so pleasant, that you will walk in it with great delight, with much pleasure, and without much complaint. And the greater progress you make in it, the more easie and delight­full will it be to your souls; as it was to St. Paul, who met with as rough a path in Religion, and as great difficul­ties in following Christ, as you are like to meet with; yet he delighted in the Rom. 7. 22. Law of God, after the inward man, that is, the new man. This way was once as cross and difficult to St. Paul, as it can be to you; yet afterwards it was his delight. 'Tis true, as St. Paul, would not so; that slothfull, lazy part, thy old man, will never take pleasure in Gods ser­vice, but thy new man will. Wherefore let not Satan deceive you, by his false impositions on God and Religion. For what difficulty is, ariseth from himself and your own sins. Were you in some measure [Page 54] rid of these, and love to them, the practice of Religion would be more pleasant and easie than the Devil represents it to be. For the divine power and grace will assist and strengthen you in it; which is able to make this difficult way delightfull, this crooked, thorny way (as Satan and sin make it) smooth, strait and plain before you. Christ hath as much power now as ever, to make the blind to see and the lame to walk. God by the powerfull aid and influence of his holy Spirit and Grace, can make those feet that have been swift in the wayes of sin, nimble and strong in the way of holiness; those hearts of yours which have been ravished with the pleasures of sin, the delights and va­nities of the World, he can as strongly and powerfully incline to delight in his Commandments. He can give you new wills, affections, desires, new aims, pur­poses and ends; so that you shall tend Heaven-ward, mind religion, and fol­low the example of his Son Jesus Christ with great readiness. He can make the severest precepts pleasant, the hardest part and most difficult duties of Chri­stianity delightfull to your Souls; yea his whole service perfect freedom. Nor is God only able, but willing to this; [Page 55] Nay, he hath promised to help by the assist­ance of his Spirit; the Spirit of truth will Joh. 16. 13. Luk. 1. 79. guide you. Christ will be your leader; and God hath said he will write his Law in your hearts, take away your natural enmity and indisposition, and give you a sutable­ness of heart and spirit, to walk in his sta­tutes, and to keep his Judgments and do Jer. 31. 33. Ezek. 36. 26, 27. 2 Cor. 7. 1. them. Having therefore these precious promi­ses, cleanse your selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God; never doubting, but that your sincere endeavours shall prove successeful; and that there is no difficulty in the way to Heaven, but the divine as­sistance and your own diligence. will carry you through it.

3. And whereas the Devil would dis­courage you by suggesting great difficul­ty in the way of Religion, know 'tis far easier than the way of sin. 'Tis easier to follow Christ than the Devil. The yoak of Christs commands is easier and lighter than the yoak of Satans injunctions, whose servants and followers are all drudges, perfect slaves and Vassals; but Christs ser­vants are Freemen, set into a glorious li­berty, and are stiled Freemen, a servant and yet free, saith the Apostle. There is 1 Cor. 7. 22. not such an expression in all the Book of [Page 56] God concerning a servant of Satan or sin. And when you have a while accustomed your selves to the exercises of Religion, and wayes of Wisdom, you will be of So­lomons mind, that (compared with the bondage and drudgeries of sin) her wayes are wayes of pleasantness, and all her paths Prov. 3. 17. are peace.

§. 4. And lest this should prove too weak, and srail, he hath another, like it and not less powerfull, ready at hand; how Unpleasant the wayes of God are: Not only strawed with difficulty, but destitute of all delights. If once you em­brace Religion, you must shake hands with all earthly felicity; you must never look for a merry hour more. Will you believe a great Religionist, one, who had all the advantages a Kingdom could afford to make his way pleasant, yet complaines how he was plagued all the day long, and Psal. 73. 14. chastened every morning. That tears were his repast day and night, and he water'd his couch with his tears. Cries out of wounds and broken bones, and want of rest. He found this way so unpleasant, as to imbit­ter all the pleasures and delights that a Scepter and Crown could yield. And it is no where recorded, that the great Foun­der of Religion, Jesus Christ himself, ever [Page 57] laughed, but wept frequently: and the same may be said of all his followers. And can you dispense with this? That all your laughter should be turned into monrning, all your joy into heaviness, and all your Mirth into Lamentations. Continual ex­perience tells you what a company of Mel­lancholy persons Christs Disciples are, and how they censure and find fault with all that are not like themselves; and can you take any pleasure in their society, who must be your constant companions?

1. Here this wicked warrier makes his pass very home, yet with a little conside­ration you may easily put it by, without any dammage at all. Indeed you must repent of sin, if ever you will be saved, and your sorrow, in some measure must last as long as life lasts, because of the con­tinuance of sin: You must mourn for sin here, or burn for sin hereafter, where you shall mourn without measure, with­out profit and without end. So that here the Father of lyes speaks some truth. The Disciples of Christ must be mourners; Math. 5. 4. mourners for sin, though he conceals that such are pronounced blessed by Christ: But withall here is a great Lye couched un­der this little truth: viz. that in the ways of sin you shall meet with no sorrow, [Page 58] which I say is a huge lye: for in the way of sin, there is no avoiding sorrow. Your Pride crossed, expectations frustrated, the world failing, afflictions and crosses coming unexpectedly upon you, will cause great sorrow and anguish of mind. These things the Religious and holy man can bear with much patience and chearful­ness, but they are an heart-breaking to others. For if the world frown upon you, and friends forsake you, as they did Job, in affliction and trouble, who have you to smile upon you, or to comfort you? God will not; his wrath is revealed from Hea­ven against all the ungodliness and unrighte­ousness of men; and he is angry with the wicked every day: Satan cannot; this Master whom you serve, will torment you then, vex and grieve you then, by adding to and aggravating of your miseries; but (as you commonly speak) the Devil a bit of comfort must you expect, or shall you receive from him. No, young men, be not thus deluded: A sinfull course is and will be a sorrowfull course; it will bite like on Adder and sting like a Serpent in the end. The wages Satan gives for all the service you can do him, is shame, reproach and sorrow. And is not Godly sorrow for sin, which worketh salvati­on, [Page 59] better than sorrow by sin, which end­eth in damnation? Is not that sorrow or kind melting of the heart by a sweet sense of Gods love, which will yield more solid delight and pleasure to your inward man, than ever you found in the wayes of sin, much more Eligible than sorrow that worketh death? Then 'tis better to be Gods servant, then the Devils slave.

2. Besides, this is a real slander cast upon Religion, that there is no pleasure to them that pursue and practise it. The faithfull servants of God and disciples of Christ, are not required to throw away all comfort and pleasure in Creature-enjoyments. God doth no where command you to leave them but only injoynes the prudent and moderate use of them; the contrary to which breeds more bitterness in the disappointment, than ever it yielded sweetness to any in the enjoyment. Religion allows eating and drinking, though not to gluttony and drunkenness; affords you to take a subordi­nate comfort and delight in food, rayment, friends and possessions; and herein more true delight and comfort, by sweetning these enjoyments with the mercy, love and blessing of God, than ever you could find in them before: for before you enjoyed the [Page 60] Creature only, now God with the Crea­ture. Therefore Christ is not so severe a Master as Satan represents him. He is bountifull enough to his servants, allowing them not only for necessity, but delight; Gives them all things richly to enjoy, with Christian moderation. He doth not com­mand 1 Tim. 6. 17. David to throw away his Harp, nor Christians utterly to abandon all mirth and pleasure, but to take and use it in due measure and season. Eat thy bread with joy (saith God) and drink thy wine with a Eccles. 9. 7, 8. merry heart. What can you desire more? Religion gives you leave to be merry, though not to be mad. It allows you so much pleasure and delight as will do you good, and no more; and to desire more than this, is prodigious folly and mad­ness.

3. Grant that all sinfull delights must be denyed, yet God promiseth other and bet­ter delights in exchange, and I hope there is no wrong or injury in this. Are not those joyes which affect and refresh the Mind, preferable to them which only stir the Spleen? Those joyes, which arise from this sure hope of an enduring Substance, are they not better than those joyes which spring from the embraces, the feigned and fancied embraces of a shadow? what think [Page 61] you of spiritual, heavenly joyes and de­lights? If you will throughly forsake the wayes of sin, and works of Satan, and heartily embrace the practice of Religion, carefully endeavouring an imitation of Christ by an holy life, with constancy and resolution, you shall find such sweet peace and freshing joy flowing from the sense of Gods love, the light of his countenance, communion with him in his holy Ordinan­ces, and in the hope of the beatifical vision hereafter in heaven, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride of life could never afford, nor the greatest sensualist ever boast of, or pretend to. And what­ever sorrow you have for sin, whatever griefs, afflictions or losses you may be exposed to in this life, for the sake of Re­ligion, they shall last but a while, a little while, and in the end be turned into the fullest joy. Sorrow may continue for a Psal. 126. 5, 6. night, but joy cometh in the morning; you may sow in tears, but you shall reap in joy, you may go forth weeping, yet bearing precious seed, yet you shall certainly return again rejoycing, bringing your sheaves with you. This light affliction, for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17. weight of glory. Which text alone is suffi­cient to wipe off this prejudice of Satan [Page 62] against Religion, and to make you strictly Religious in good earnest.

§. 5. There is but this one objection or prejudice more (that I shall mention) which Satan hath to discourage you from following of Christ. He represents it as a thing exceeding perilous and dangerous. O saith he, you cannot follow Christ, but you must run your selves upon great ha­zards and dangers: you may lose all you have for your profession; if perilous times come, your Religion may cost you your Estates, Liberty, nay your very Lives; and is it not better sleeping in a whole skin, and to save all, then hazard and lose all for an humor and fancy, of which you may repent, when it is too late?

1. As fierce as this Lyon in the way ap­pears, yet you need not be frighted, if you will remember, that as great losses attend you in the ways of sin, as in the way of Re­ligion: In reference to your Estate, which you may lose for the sake of Christ, (which you ought not to reckon upon) yet you shall be no looser in the end. And what­ever your profession may cost you, Sin may cost you as much. Some mens lusts are more expensive to them, than other mens consciences are to them. And if you should lose your worldly comforts, [Page 63] yet you may have never the less comfort in the world. For if the stream fail, the fountain cannot. You may fetch comfort from above, if you have none below. And usually the less comfort the sinner hath from the creature, the more the Soul hath from God. The treasure of grace in your hearts, and your hope of glory in Heaven none can take from you; and therefore whatever you lose of worldly wealth for Religion, shall be abundantly recom­pensed in things of an higher nature; else that divine promise must fail; Jesus answe­red Mark 10. 29, 30. and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man hath left house, &c. for my sake and the Gospels, but he shall receive an hundred fold now, in this time, and in the world to come eternall life. Whence you may make this Orthodox Parodox; no man ever lost by Christ, who was a loser for Christ. Then for your Liberty, though men should cast your bodies into a Prison on Earth, yet they cannot cast your Souls into the prison of Hell. If they should throw you into a Dungeon, they cannot shut Christ out of that Dungeon, or hinder the light of his countenance from shining there. If they take away your Civil liberty, they cannot take away your spiri­tuall liberty. They may exclude you [Page 64] Gods House and publick Ordinances, but they cannot debar you the throne of Grace. Keep Friends from you they may, but can­not hinder God from visiting of you with the sense of his love, and pledges of his di­vine favour, which will make the closest pri­son a delightfull palace. And as to Life it self, know, that though men may kill the Bo­dy, Math. 10. 28. yet they cannot kill the Soul. The argu­ment our Saviour useth, to perswade you to fear God more than man. So that suppose the worst that can come, that men do go to the uttermost link of their power, which is to kill the body, why dye you must, and dye you may while you are young; and can you dye upon a better account, than for Christ, and for Religion? certainly, none in the world dye with more peace and comfort, with greater joy and tri­umph over death than they that dye Mar­tyrs for Christ, dye for the sake of Reli­gion and a good conscience. So that all the wrong the enemies of God and his truth can do you is, with John Baptist and St. Steven, to give you a quick passage to Glory, and send you with the more speed to Heaven, to Christ Jesus, which is far better. I be­seech you therefore resolve upon it, to fol­low Phil. 1. 23. Christ, and secure the salvation of your immortal souls, whatever it cost you. [Page 65] Hearken to none of these objections of Sa­tan against Religion. For if once he can pre­judice you against what is good, he will soon, by another assault, draw you to the practice of what is evil.

CHAP. IV. Several Temptations of Satan whereby he seeks to draw young persons to his own service, the service of sin.

§. 1. SAtan having bid fair to barr you off from what is good, his next attempt is to allure you to evil. Being prejudiced against Gods Service, he prompts you next to his own: In which method as he is very subtil, so oft-times very successefull. As he that would gain another mans servant to himself, de­cries the service he is in as laborious, slavish and unprofitable, and withall com­mends his own as full of, and attended with all good properties; so doth Satan to gain souls, not only reproach and dis­commend the Service of Christ, but cries up and applauds his own. Five objecti­ons he hath made against Religion and the [Page 66] practice of it, and he hath as many temp­tations drawing to the way and practice of sin, the first whereof is this.

§. 2. 1. The delight and pleasure of it; nothing so delightfull and pleasant as sin; none enjoy so much pleasure and content as his servants. Will you take it (saith Satan) upon the word of David, who was forced to acknowledge this, and to leave it upon record in Divine Writ, that my servants are prosperous, there are no bands in their Psal. 73. 1. to 7. death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish. Where do you find such a commendation of Religion or the service of God, as David here gives of my service, saith the Tempter? And huge cunning he is in the management of this temptation, that it may take effect. For he labours what he can to conceal from your eyes those more excellent, pure, spiritual delights and pleasure, which Religion procures to the Soul, both here and hereafter. And withall hides from you the sting and bitterness of sin; covers the hook, guilds the pill, that the sorrow, the vexation and torment which sin will procure to you in the conclu­sion, may not be descerned, nor so much as [Page 67] once seriously thought of. He would not for a world (could he prevent it) you should read and believe that of Job; Thou Job 13. 26. Eccl. 9, 11. writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth: Or that caveat of Solomon, Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, walk in the wayes of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment: Lest you should know and consider how dear you must pay at last for sin, and so be discouraged from his service. And still to give his temptation the greater force, he represents the delights of his ser­vice, the pleasures of sin, as present; that they may be had daily and without diffi­culty, and so secret too, as no mortal eye shall take notice of you. Such sins, and sinful delights may you enjoy, and indulge your selves in, and no body e're the wiser. You may be frequent and bold in them, none can know it, or call you to an account for it: All which is marvellous taking, huge­ly tempting. What, present pleasure and private too! sweet delights and secret too! who would refuse them? And that he may be sure not to fail of his end, he hath yet a farther stratagem; that is, to plough with your own Heifer, to joyn with the lusts of your own hearts (with which he [Page 68] holds a secret correspondence) to propose such objects, and wayes of sin, as are desi­rable and suitable to your natural temper and inclination. He knows 'tis the pleasure of sin you are betwitched with. As Eve of old was captivated with the pleasant­ness of the forbidden fruit; so her children Gen. 3. 6. and posterity are naturally taken with the same bait. This therefore is the first com­mendation of his service, and first tempta­tion to sin, the delight and pleasure of it.

2. Now to resist and overcome this temptation, be prevailed with, to take into your serious thoughts and remembrance what follows. That the pleasures of sin (how full and fair soever Satan represents them) are really low, mean, empty, thin and unsatisfying. Solomon gives you the summe and full of them in few words, and that upon experience; Childhood and Youth Eccles. 11. 10. are vanity; that is, the delights and plea­sures of that age are vanity, yea vanity of vanity. And can you be satisfied, with a bauble, with an ens fictum, with the meer notion of a thing? nay they are not only empty and unsatisfying, but sensual and brutish. And though these delights may a little gratifie your sensual appetite, yet they can never satisfie the rational part of [Page 69] man, his soul. The Devil and lust may promise fair, and pretend full satisfaction to the mind in the commission of such a sin, but ever fall short in the performance. I ask the greatest Epicure, the most volup­tuous person that is in the world (and if he will be true to his own experience) let him tell me,

1. Whether he ever found that plea­sure and satisfaction in any vice, that Satan promised and he expected? Let the sin or vice be what it will, yet did it ever yield that pleasure in commission, that it did in speculation?

2. Whether the choycest of his sinfull pleasures hath not in a little time brought trouble and weariness to his spirits?

3. Whether this trouble and weariness is not more grievous and irksom, than ever the sensual act was pleasant and de­lightfull?

4. If amongst the choycest and chiefest of his delights, in which (as he conceives) he finds most sweetness and pleasure, he should have but one delight without va­riety and change, whether that delight would not soon lose its nature, and be­come a very torment and burden to him? As suppose the Drunkard were alwayes bound night and day to his cups, the [Page 70] Glutton to his table, the Sluggard to his Bed, the Miser to his Bags, or the lasci­vious Wanton to his Minion, would not this be more irksom than delightful? and would not his former contentment be­come a continual torment? Therefore these pleasures are unsatisfying; the rea­sonable part of man, the soul, cannot sit down or rest contented with them; nor with any thing else beneath God, by whom and for whom it was created.

2. Though this temptation is of great force, yet before you strike the bargain and engage your selves to the Tempter, sit down again, and consider a while the shortness of these pleasures, and you will find them upon this account very inconsi­derable; They are but for a season. What Heb. 11. 25 the Apostle saith of some meats, is true of all the pleasures of sin, they perish in the Col. 2. 22. using. Some perish in the enjoying; and those that are most durable quickly flee away. Like a cloud or vapour, if not blown away by the wind of adver­sity, they quickly vanish of their own accord. If the stormy wind of outward affliction doth not suddenly puff out the fancied blaze of the young mans joy, yet the dayes of old age are drawing on, Eccles. 12. 1. in which he shall say he finds no pleasure. [Page 71] Or to be sure, so soon as the hand of death shall give the tree of life a shake, these fair blossoms fall all at once. And there will be none of these delights in another world.

3. Before you make too firm a con­tract with this boasting Master, 'tis good to know what Wages he gives. And that he may not decieve you, take it from a better hand than his. The wages Rom. 6. 21, 22. of sin is death; death that is opposite to eternal life. Death that compriseth all in it that is wofull and miserable; more sorrow than ever you had joy, greater pain and torment than ever you found pleasure or contentment in the wayes of sin. Believe it (young men) sin in the temptation hath a different as­pect to what it hath in the reflexion. In the former it looks pleasant and fair, in the latter horrid and foul. For besides the stings and lashes that sinners have in their secret retirements, when they are under affliction, or under any danger or appre­hension of death and judgement, there are many intolerable and remediless hor­rors to follow in another world, as the proper consequents and just wages of a sinfull life; which miseries, if they were but as obvious to the sense now, [Page 72] as the pleasures of sin are, they would be infinitely more powerfull, to take you off from sin, than all the temptations of the Devil are, or could be, to draw you to it. And methinks men who call and profess themselves Christians, should walk a little by Faith and not wholly by sense; and believe future things as certain (upon the Divine assertion and revelation) as if they really were, and and you already felt them. Which if you really did, the Devil could never perswade you to forsake God, who re­wards his servants with a far more ex­ceeding and eternal weight of glory, to serve 2 Cor. 4. 17. him whose wages are present shame and sorrow, and hereafter a far more exceed­ing and eternal weight of misery.

§. 2. Next to this, he thinks it not amiss to recommend his service to you for the Glory and Ʋtility of it.

1. As to the Glory of it; nothing (saith Satan) gains men such repute and honour in the world, as this. He hath his cursed An­gels and Agents to commend vice with the highest Elogiums; and those that are most bold and daring, and can arrive to the highest pitch and degree in sin, shall have the great­est accumulations of honour, and highest ac­clamations of bravery of spirit. Who bear [Page 73] greater sway, or obtain fairer plumes of honour in the world, than my followers? A suggestion mightily taking with Young men; unless they shall consider, That Sin hath no repute, except it be among the vi­lest persons, the Devils own servants and drudges; whose esteem of it renders it the more abominable and odious. You never heard any commend swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, covetousness, or any vice, but such as lived and allowed themselves in the practice of it; whose commendation makes them and their sins the more vile. And were there such real repute and credit in sin, what need is there to put it under the mask of vertue to render it acceptable? why is this, but because any vice appearing in its proper and native hue, and owning its right name, seems monstrous and shame­ful? The holiness of God is his most glo­rious perfection, and therefore sin (which is directly contrary thereto) can have no real glory in it. And that is the glory of a man, wherein he resembles God, and whereby he gains favour and esteem with God, and is this by sin? Doth not God behold sinners afar off, and hate all the workers of Iniquity? and doth not all the repute and glory men get by sin and impiety, end in the greatest shame and [Page 74] ignominy? can that deserve the name of cre­ditable and glorious, which dishonors God, abolisheth his Image in man, defiles the soul, besots the reason, enslaves the whole man to the prince of darkness, and inevi­tably brings upon all the practicers of it eternal contempt and reproach in the day of the Lord Jesus? Surely then Satan saith more of his service, than the sinner can ever expect to find.

2. Nor doth it yield that Utility or profit, that the tempter boasts. Though he sticks not to tell you, that such sins, as lying, cheating, defrauding, oppres­sing, griping and over-reaching, will afford you huge emolument and advantage. You will find them greatly profitable and enriching. Hereby you may in a short time command the world, live plentifully, and provide largely for your Family. Thus joyning with Covetousness and worldly-mindedness, and that desire men have to uphold and maintain their lusts, he prevails with them to become his ser­vants. Josh. 7. 21. Hereby it was that Achan was tempted to take the Silver and Gold and Babylonish Garment, which God had expresly forbidden; Gehazi to receive the talents and change of raiments of Naamans 2 King. 5. 20, 23. servant, which his Master had refused; Ahab [Page 75] to consent to the Killing of Naboth, for 1 King. 21. 4. 6. his Vineyard. Judas to betray his Master for the Thirty pieces of Silver; and De­mas Matth. 26. 15. to forsake the truth, and cleave to this present world. Auri sacra fames; such 2 Tim. 4. 10. is the sacred hunger of Gold, that men are drawn almost to any course of sin, to gain it. Nay Satan doth not urge only the conveniency of his service in this re­gard, but the necessity of it too. The necessity of such and such ways of sinning, without which you can never thrive or get any thing considerable in the world. And there is none of those, who profess them­selves the strictest followers of Christ (saith he) but know these things are some­times necessary, and if they can have an advantage this way, will take it, and they must do it, or they can never live in the world. So that I perswade you to nothing (saith Satan) but what is both conveni­ent and necessary, and what those very Religious men themselves will and must sometimes do for their gain and profit. And can any thing be said against this? Yes, the Apostle saith enough against it, to conquer any temptation to it. Covetous­ness is the root of all evil, it pierceth through 1 Tim. 6. 8, 9, 10. with many sorrows, it draws men into hurt­full [Page 76] lusts, yea, it drowns them in perdition and destuction. Weigh and consider these words of the Apostle, and then tell me,

1. Whether there can be such Utility and advantage in the Devils service, as he tells you there is? whether there be such conveniency in unlawful gains, or in any unlawful and indirect means and courses to get gain? Is it convenient to be en­tangled in snares, and drowned in perdi­tion and destruction? Is it convenient to make shipwrack of faith and a good con­science, to load your souls with guilt, and to pierce your hearts through with many sorrows? Are these things (which are the attendants on sin by this temptation) more gainfull or more hurtfull? Is it con­venient or profitable for a man to steal a Garment infected with the Plague, which will bring death almost as soon as warmth to him that wears it? Will it be advan­tageous to gain any thing with the wrath and curse of God? No; wherein then lies the gainfulness of the Devils service? Nay shall you not lose as well as get by it; or compared together, will not your losses be greater than your gains? you may perhaps by such and such sins gain a [Page 77] little earth, vanity, Gold that perisheth, and Riches that take to themselves wings and flee away; these are your utmost gains. But what are your losses by sin? what think you of the favour of God, which is better than life; of peace of conscience, which is a continual feast; of Heaven, which exceeds all the Kingdoms of the Earth; and of your own souls, which are of more worth than the world? what think you of grace here and glory hereafter, the choy­cest Math. 16. 26. treasures, the fullest pleasures, being durable, inexhaustible and eternal? These are the losses you are like to sustain. Now put them into the ballance together, and try whether your gains by sin will out­weigh your losses by it: if not, I hope you will not be tempted by Satan to your own loss. You will slight that Chapman that bids you to your loss for any worldly Com­modity; and why not Satan who is so de­sirous to be trading with you for your souls; but bids you to your loss, less than the com­modity, infinitely less than your souls cost? And though he proffers ready mony, present gain (as he saith, yet) what comfort will this afford you, or what good will this do you, when you come at the end of your lives, to cast up your Accounts, and find the Devil hath cheated you, you are in­finite [Page 78] losers, and eternally undone by the bargain? These things considered, you will find there is no such conveniency in the Devils service, no such utility or profit by it as he pretends.

2. Then as to his plea of Necessity, know, there can be no Necessity to sin, though thereby you may get gain, world­ly gain. Duty is necessary to all, but sin can never be necessary to any. There is one thing necessary, saith our Saviour, and what is that? to get the world over the Devils back? or to provide for the body by unjust and sinfull means? No, to provide for the soul, gain Heaven, to seek after those things that are not seen, which are Eternal, and to lay up such a foundation against the time to come, upon which you may build that sure hope of future happiness as will never make you ashamed. This is needful; but it can never be necessary or needfull to live in a course of known sin, thereby to make provision for the body. It were better to starve the body, than damn the soul; bet­ter to be poor on Earth, than to be shut out of Heaven; better to lose this life (if it were possible) a thousand times over, than fall short of eternal life, though we were sure to gain the world by it. Because this gain will in no wise countervail or re­compense [Page 79] that loss. Upon a mature delibe­ration therefore, and just judgment of things, you will find Satan as great a de­ceiver in this proposal, as in any of the former. There can be no necessity for sin, or the least utility or profit by his service.

§. 3. Another Wile which Satan finds exceeding successfull and winning with young persons is, to lessen sin, to suggest the smallness of it. As Lot said of Zoar, is it not a little one? so saith Satan of this or that sin, is it not a little one, a trick of youth, a small fault, next to none at all? If it were blasphemy or murder, adultery, robbery, incest or any such hainous crime, there might be just ground of scruple and fear; but an officious lye, a petty, grace­full oath, a light curse, or a little Levity now and then, this need not fright you. Small matters, and not many, nor often neither, what need you boggle at these? these can never hurt you, or injure you in the least. But young men, the welfare of whose immortal Souls and Eternal good I earnestly desire to promote and further in the Lord Jesus, beware of this assault and Wile of Satan, and

1. Consider that no sin is little or small in its own nature. Some sins are greater than others, but all are great, all are breaches [Page 80] of the just and holy law of the mighty God of heaven and Earth; and that which hath an infinite object cannot be small. Eadem est rotunditatis ratio in nummulo exiguo, quae est in magno: There is the same reason of roundness in a small piece of money as is in the greatest. The same reason of sin, in the smallest sins, as in the greatest; because committed against the same Law of the same God. St. James saith, Whosoever shall Jam. 2. 10, 11. keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all, for he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill, &c. If you do refrain from some sins, yet if you commit others; if you refrain swearing, but make no conscience of lying; refrain steal­ing, but art guilty of cheating; refrain open or actual murder, but yet art guilty of malice; you break and contemn the whole Law of the same God; and you are equally liable to the wrath of God and curse of the Law, with those that live in the pra­ctice of the most notorious crimes; and without infinite mercy and an hearty repen­tance, these sins will damn thy soul, and the greatest can do no more. Therefore there is no sin small in it self, and if the Devil tell you there is, he is a lyar. But suppose it true that the sin you are tempted to, in com­parison of some others, be small; yet this [Page 81] in some respects aggravates the offence, if you shall yield to the temptation. When a man will forfeit the favour of his Prince for a trifle, it argues a great slighting of his favour. So the less the sin, the greater your contempt of Gods love, which is thereby forfeited: Our Saviour saith, What shall it profit a man to gain the world, and lose his soul? What shall it profit you to lose Heaven and Happiness, to lose God, the chiefest good, for the greatest sinfull profit or pleasure? But when you shall lose and forfeit all this for nought, for a small sin, a very trifle, for that which (as you say) is not worth speaking of, this argues great folly, and is a marvellous aggravation of your sin.

2. Though Satan seems so modest and fair at first, asking but little things, yet he will not rest there; but if he finds you yielding, he will proceed further, and prompt you on to the commission of great­er. As the habits of grace so the habits of sin are strengthened by degrees. Though the beginnings are small, yet in a little time you will find a great encrease. Rivers at first arise from small springs, which by running increase to deep and irresistible streams. So actual sins, (for I speak not of Original corruption, the fountain whereby [Page 82] the former are fed) in their first beginning are but small, but by daily practice increase and swell, carrying the sinner with a strong stream towards the sea of divine wrath. If the Tempter finds you make no conscience of smaller sins, his game is fair before him, and he knows right well how to play it to his best advantage: For he will propose sin to your thoughts, and tell you 'tis no great matter to think, thoughts are free. And if he can make you dally with sin in your thoughts, then by delightfull thoughts of sin he lays siege to your wills, and tells you 'tis no great matter to desire, or wish, so long as you do not act: And the chief fort of the will being gained, the lesser forts of the affections quickly yield them­selves. And having entertained and lodg­ed sin in your hearts, he tempts you to proceed further, to vent it with your lips: Words are but wind, and your tongues are your own, you may and ought to speak. And then, as there is opportunity, he prompts you to practice: Go on a little further, the sin is sweet, try but once, put one step in the way, you may return at pleasure if you like it not. And having yielded so far, it may be with great re­luctancy and smitings of conscience, yet when these are off, he comes again, and [Page 83] tells you it cannot be worse, try once more, till at length you begin to commit sin with delight and ease, yea with greediness and resolution, nay with hardness and obstinacy; and now you are fit for any service Satan can require of you, or imploy you in. Thus,

3. The Devil draws men on to the greatest sins, by tempting them at first to smaller evils. Nemo repentè fit turpissimus. No man arriveth to the highest degrees of wickedness on a sudden; but is drilled on step by step, from one degree to another, by the Devil and his own lusts, till by de­grees the reverence of God is lessened, the justice of God slighted, the will more incli­ned, the heart more hardned, the consci­ence more seared, the habits of sin more strengthned, the Devil more encouraged, and the sinner at length wholly captivated.

4. And have we not daily too many sad instances of this proceeding and dealing of Satan with men? How have some men by yielding now and then to the use of a small Oath, so perfectly learned the Language of hell, that they can hardly speak without swearing; so wofull is the gradation of sin, and the sly method of Satan with the sinner, as St. James sets it forth, first tempted, Jam. 1. 14, 15. then enticed, then drawn aside, then lust brings forth sin, and so proceeds to finishing. [Page 84] How? Thus: Sin hath its conception, that's delight; its formation, that's design; its birth, that's action; its education, that's custom; its perfection, that's a repro­bate sense, and the next step is Hell. So you see whither smaller sins will bring you in the end: Therefore, Obsta principiis, &c. Excluditur facilius quam expellitur. Seneca. 'Tis easier to keep out vice, than to turn it out when once entred: Easier to refrain sin at first, than to reform it afterwards. Small breaches at first are easily stopped; but let alone till they become great, they often prove irrepairable. Weigh these things aright, and the force of this temp­tation falls.

§. 4. The last Temptation to sin, is the hopes of future Repentance. O, saith Satan, you are young, you may allow your selves some years of pleasure and delight; and when you are old, then repent and make your peace with God, and all is well. To resist and conquer this assault, I referr you to what went before, page 29, to page 35. where you may see the great hazards you run by continuing in sin upon this considera­tion: There being nothing more uncertain than Life; nor any thing more groundless than hopes of future repentance, where there are present purposes and resolves to sin.

CHAP. V. Wicked men joyn with Satan in this evil design to discourage young per­sons from being Religious.

THat so few young ones follow Christ or mind Religion seriously, is partly from wicked men, Satans instruments and Agents, who (like their grand imployer the Devil) vilifie and reproach the profes­sors and followers of Christ. Satans de­sign now on foot is, if possible, to deride and scoffe Religion out of the world, by re­presenting the professors and followers of it as a company of vile and inconsiderable men. This I say is his design; and cer­tainly, since the Gospel was preached, he never had more to help it forward. 'Tis a thing too common for any to be igno­rant of it, to hear wicked men

§. 1. Represent and decry the Religious party in the world, as illiterate, rude and unlearned, avouching that Religion is re­garded by none but such. When they see a young person following of Christ, seek­ing after Heaven, or but that way inclined, they presently cry out to him as the Scribes [Page 86] and Pharisees did to those Soldiers that were sent to take Jesus, Are you also deceived? which of the Rulers have believed on him? Do the wise and great men of the world walk in this way? Certainly if this Gospel way, this following Christ, and being so Religious and precise, were so needfull or delightfull, so desirable or profitable, as the preachers talk, the wise and Learned men of the Age (who are best able to judg of the true worth of things) would em­brace it and follow it. But alas they see no such excellency in it. And will you be deceived by a company of ignorant, illite­rate sots, that know not light from dark­ness, or good from evil? We hope you are wiser than to make these your guides, or to dance after their pipes. This is the language of Satans Ambassadours, and fac­tors for Hell: In answer to whom you may easily reply,

1. That this way, which they so much vilifie and decry, was first preached and recommended to the the world by Jesus Christ, the great counsellour (as Isaiah calls him) the Wisdom of the Father; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and know­ledg; who had more wisdom and under­stnding than all the learned Rabbies and profound Doctors in the world: He I say [Page 87] came down from Heaven to reveal this way to the sons of men; and was the greatest Prophet that ever was upon the face of the Earth: And his followers, the Apostles, though Fishermen at first, and illiterate as to humane learning, yet they received from Christ such extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost, as made them skil­full in all languages, and imparted to them such measures of true wisdom and under­standing, as all the writings of men could never teach them: And that Doctrine which both Christ and they preached to the world, was confirmed by many apparent and undeniable Miracles, whereby it was manifest that it came from God, who is Knowledg and Wisdom it self. Therefore Religion had not its rise and beginning from illiterature or ignorance, as these men suggest; For God was the founder and imposer of it, not man.

2. Then for the following Ages of the world, there have been as learned, as wise and knowing men Religious and Zealous followers of Christ, as any that were other­wise. The Antient Fathers that lived near to the Apostles time, and in the following centuries of the Church, they were the very Compendium and living Library of all true learning: And these by their wri­tings [Page 88] left behind them, do give evidence to the world, they were zealous Professors and defenders of the Christian Faith and Religion. Yea and at this day, there are persons as knowing and deeply skilled in all learning and knowledge, who are sin­cere followers of Christ, and hearty ap­provers of Religion, and the practice of Godliness, as any that serve Satan and tread the paths of sin and unrighteousness. And that there be any (as no doubt there are some) learned men in the world pro­phane, irreligious, atheistical, scoffers at Christ and Religion, it is from a just judg­ment of God upon them, giving them over to strong delusions to believe a lye, because they have imployed their gifts and parts not for, but against the Truth.

3. And for those sincere professors and followers of Christ, and practicers of Re­ligion, which are of an ordinary rank in the world, and so may want the advantage of humane Learning; yet they are endow­ed with spiritual knowledge and Divine understanding: Though they are not so well read in the writings of men as others, yet they are better read in the writings of God, the holy Scriptures; which are the well and fountain of all saving knowledg, and able to make a man wise unto salva­tion; [Page 89] Though they are not taught by men the Mysteries of Nature, yet they understand the Methods of Grace, and Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven; which is far better: Therefore it was the saying of a Father (who wanted not hu­mane St. Jerom. Learning) that he preferred one plain saying of St. Paul, before all the Eloquence and Rhetorick of the School­men. Besides I might add, that it makes for Gods Glory to choose such as are un­learned, and to work by these his great designs and ends amongst men, who will give God the sole praise of whatever they have, receive or do. Now can it be amiss to remember here, that in the Judg­ment of Wisdom it self, there are none (how rich soever they may be for hu­mane Learning) so void of Wisdom and understanding, as the irreligious and wic­ked man? Therefore are such so often styled Fools in Holy Writ. The religi­ous and the wise man; the wicked and the foolish man, are convertible terms in the Logick of the Holy Ghost. Solomon puts this infamous title of Fool upon the irre­ligious and ungodly above fifty times in his books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. And you know what David records him to be, that saith in heart, There is no God. And [Page 90] what that Sensualist was in the judgment of Christ, who took up his rest and felici­ty Luk. 12. 20 in his worldly enjoyments, with the neglect of Heaven and Religion, the way to it. On the contrary therefore, it must needs be an argument of the highest reason and deepest understanding, to own a God, to love him superlatively, and serve him faithfully, with a desire and design to en­joy him eternally; in the fruition of whom the rational soul is fully satisfied and com­pleatly happy. This may suffice in an­swer to this Cavil of ungodly men; That none regard Religion but the ignorant and unwise. For whether he that serves God, or he that serves him not; whether he that saves his own soul, or he that damns it for ever, be the wiser person, judge ye.

§. 2. The professors and Practicers of Religion are reproached and. cryed down, as proud, singular, self-conceited persons, who think themselves wiser than all the world besides, affecting a needless and sin­gular preciseness, making the way to Hea­ven much narrower than it is; as if there was no way to Heaven, but what they chalk out: And as if Religion consisted in demure looks, a set countenance, and fanci­full words and Phrases of their own coyn­ing; and in a specious shew of piety distinct from [Page 91] all their Neighbours: In a word, as if there could be no real mirth or musick to the soul, but by dancing after their Pipes. This is the language of Satans Emissaries, whereby they discourage and prejudice young ones against the ways of God and Religion. Though (take the whole, and) there never was any thing more truely a Cavil or slander than this: for,

1. The sincere professors of Religion and followers of Christ are Humble per­sons, and the more exact followers of him, the more humble still; who was humble even to a miracle, and commands his Dis­ciples to be like him, saying, Learn of me, Math. 11. 29. for I am meek and lowly in heart. Therefore his disciples must be humble; men that have the highest esteem of God, and mean­est of themselves: The least of Saints, the chief of sinners, saith the chosen Vessel. Indeed they have high, very high aims and designs, are greatly ambitious and as­piring persons: With Luther, they can­not be content with any portion God can give them in this world: but as St. Paul, count all loss and Dung. They can­not satisfie themselves with trash and va­nity, with earthly riches or honours, with sensual delight and pleasures, or such mean and inconsiderable nothings; but they must [Page 92] be all Kings and Princes; they are ambi­tious of being made the Sons of God, and so heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, and joynt heirs with the King of Glory. And Rom. 8. 17. if you call this pride and Ambition, 'tis such as is lawfull and commendable, yea necessary to every one that would be sa­ved. But withall, they retain the mean­est and lowest thoughts of themselves, think themselves less than the least of all that mercy and truth that God hath shewn them, unworthy of the smallest favour from God; and not only unworthy of Hea­ven, but most worthy of Hell, if they had the desert of their sin.

2. As to their singularity and precise­ness, we must yield it, that the sincere servants of God and Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, are the most precise or ex­act men in the world: And 'tis because they must be so; See then that ye walk [...] precisely, exactly. But they do not affect Eph. 2. 15. more than is necessary, more than God commands. The way to Heaven is not of their chalking out, but Gods; nor do they desire to make it narrower than God hath made it. Our Saviour tells you what the way is, 'tis strait and narrow, saith he; Math. 7. 14. and his followers dare not blot this out of their Bibles (as the loose world would [Page 93] have it) lest God should blot their Names out of the book of life. They dare not do as the most do, for fear of going to the same place of endless misery, whither the most are hasting apace. They know they must be singular, else they cannot be sin­cere; that they must be separated from the world, else they cannot be joyned to Christ; and that they must be circumspect, else they cannot be saved; that they must walk in the narrow way, and enter in at the strait gate, there being no other way to Heaven. Therefore their circumspection and singularity is absolutely necessary.

3. Adde to this, that these precise men, whom the wicked vilifie and reproach as singular and proud, are Gods peculiar people. For surely (young men) God hath a people somewhere in the world. The Devil hath not got all, Christ did not dye in vain. God hath a peculiar people, a chosen generation, who love, serve and honour him here, and shall live and reign with him hereafter: And where are these to be found, if not amongst these circumspect walkers? The servants of God, the heirs of Glory, are said in Scrip­ture to be a peculiar people, an holy Na­tion, an hearing, praying, watchful peo­ple; a people painfull, industrious, meek, [Page 94] mercifull, patient and fruitfull, and full of good works; and all this in sincerity. Now where shall we look to find out this people? Must we look into Stews and Brothels, rake the Kennels and Sinks of the Earth for them? shall we cull out the ryotous and drunken, the swearers and lyers, the covetous and oppressors, the professed Atheists, profane Hectors, and Debauchees of the world, and say, Here they be: Here be the men, that are no Hypocrites, no precisians, no proud sin­gularists or Phanaticks: These are that royall priesthood, that holy Nation, that peculiar people, that shew forth Gods praise, and promote his honour in the world: These are the meek of the Earth, the pure in heart, the Zealous followers of the Lamb, the sons of God and the heirs of glory? I am perswaded, both your rea­son and conscience tell you, these cannot be the men. Why then you must shew further who or where they are, or else ac­knowledg at the last, that if God hath a people in the world, they are amongst those whom Satans Instruments so much reproach and decry, and would have you shun as men infected. Wherefore let not their bawling prevail with you to of­fend against reason and conscience both: [Page 95] Since you are convinced, that the people whom they vilifie, are the persons whom God loves, and that sooner or later you must be of this number, or you can never be saved.

§. 3. But besides all this, wicked men stick not to endeavour to Lessen your esteem of and regard to Religion, by re­presenting the Religious part of men as factious, seditious, and disobedient to Magistrates, whom God hath com­manded them to obey. Who are they (say they) that foment all the broyls and Rebel­lions in States and Kingdoms, and make all the fatal rents and schisms in the Church, but those persons who profess themselves the followers of Christ and favourers of Religion, refusing subjection to Govenours, whom God hath set over them? Surely, as there never was any calumny or aspersi­on more foul, so never any more false than this. And I shall not stick to assert,

That none are, none can be more truly and conscientiously obedient to Civil Magi­strates, in all their lawfull Injunctions and commands, than the servants of Christ. The best Christian is the best Subject. None so treacherous and disloyal to their King, as those men who are disloyal and treacherous to God and their own Souls. [Page 96] 'Tis very hard for a wicked man to be a good Subject. I am of St. Peters opini­on, that a man must fear God, before he can 1 Pet. 2. 17. truly honour his King. You must learn the duties of the first Table, before you can make conscience of the duties of the second: Learn your duty towards God, before you can rightly perform your duty towards man; the former being the ground of the latter. Now all the true children of God, and sincere followers of Christ have learned thus much, to fear God and keep his com­mandments; and know, that if in things lawfull and honest they disobey man, they dishonour God and break his command­ments: Which are, That we obey every ordi­nance of man for the Lords sake: Obey the powers that be; for the powers that be are or­dained Rom. 13. 1, 2, &c. of God; whosoever therefore resisteth the powers, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation: Therefore they obey for consci­ence sake; whereas others may be subject for wrath or for interest sake, they are subject for conscience sake. So that he who is most faithfull to the King of Heaven, will be most faithfull and true to his Vicegerent on Earth. Therefore this is but a calumny rais­ed against the Religious and righteous, and made use of by Satans Instruments to bring [Page 97] Religion into contempt. And 'tis no more than what their Lord and Master met with, of whom it was said, that he forbad to pay Tribute to Caesar. And St Paul was accused as a person disloyal, a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition. 'Tis true, when men com­mand any thing directly sinfull or repugnant to the divine command, they are bound to obey God rather than man: Rather to displease man, than to dishonour God and wound their own consciences. Yet even then their Religion teacheth them (after the example of their blessed Lord) patiently to suffer what the Governours shall think meet to inflict upon them, for their sup­posed or imputed crimes; and whatever they suffer, not in any case to rebell; for that were to seek relief, by that which they know to be sin. And though some have been found great Rebels to Civil Ma­gistrates, who were also great professors; yet 'tis certain, they were no more than professors: For had they been sincere Christians, and made real conscience of obeying the Gospel, or following the ex­ample of Christ himself, they dare not have done it: Since both our Saviours ex­ample and the Gospel he hath left us, plainly tell us, we must obey them that have the rule over us, and that upon no [Page 98] less penalty than damnation. To close this reply therefore to his cavil, if you would be Religious, shun the society of wicked men, who make it their business to re­proach Religion. Say to these as David, Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the commandments of my God. Wherein the Ps. 119. 115. Psalmist plainly implies, and intimates, that evil doers discourage and impede us in our devotion, obedience and duty towards God, hinder men from keeping Gods commandments. And you must say to them, Depart, if you resolve to be Religious and keep the commands of God.

CHAP. VI. The general corruption of the Times, together with the natural corruption of our Hearts, are great Impediments to Religion in Youth.

§. 1. THe general corruption of the Age doth Satan make use of as an argument to vice, and discourage­ment to Vertue and Religion. The most go the worst way, and young men are apt to think, company is good, the more, [Page 99] the merrier; they shall fare as well, as others; and going with the most, they shall have fewest to blame and find fault with them. The force of which tempta­tion would abate, if you will but consider, that though the multitude, or generality of men (in the times we live in) be viti­ous, and such as would Hector God and Religion out of the world, and establish Atheism and prophaneness in their room, if possible; yet this is no argument for you to follow them, but the contrary ra­ther: For their multitude renders them suspitious. The Church of God and sin­cere followers of Christ are but a little, little flock: And the greater part run on in the broad way, that leadeth to de­struction. Your danger is never the less for your great company. He that sins with a multitude, shall suffer with a mul­titude. 1 Joh. 5. 19. Exo. 23. 2. Though hand joyn in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished. Multitude, power, or greatness of men, will be no sufficient apology to God. For then the sinners in the old world, Sodom and Go­morrah, had been excusable, for they were by far the greater number. But their ex­ample is no warrant for your imitation. For you and I and all Christians are to walk by the rule of Gods Word, and not [Page 100] by the example of men, any further, than it conforms to the divine precept. St. Paul, as good and holy a man as he was, durst not propound himself an Example for others to imitate any otherwise than thus; Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ. And therefore if they be not followers of Christ, whatever their number be, or greatness, or power be in the world, you are not to be followers of them. No, re­member what Solomon saith, a companion of fools shall be destroyed. You know who Pro. 13. 20 the wise-man means by Fools, and he doth not say, if they be not so many, or so great; but be they never so numerous or prosperous, a companion of them shall be destroyed. Therefore do not bless your selves, that you walk in the common road, in the broad way, wherein the most go, as if this were any commendation or safety to you; for praest at solus sapere, quam cum aliis insanire; It is better and safer to be good alone, than to be wicked with a mul­titude. Elijah was better alone, than if he had joyned with the Priests of Baal. Luther better alone (though 'tis said of him, Ʋnus homo solus totius Orbis impetum sustinuit; he was the man, that alone bore the vio­lence of the whole world) than if he had joyned affinity with the pompous and [Page 101] numerous train of Rome. And Athanasius was better alone, than if he had sided with the numerous and blasphemous Arians. So you are better alone (if you could be so in this way) following of Christ in the practice of Religion and holy obedience, than if you should herd with the genera­lity of men in the ways of sin and unrighte­ousness. Therefore, there is no weight at all in this argument, the Most do thus, there­fore do you so too; unless you can be per­swaded Jer. 17. 9. to imagin and believe, 'tis better to be eternally miserable with a multitude, than eternally happy with a smaller number.

§. 2. Your own Hearts, which the Pro­phet tells you, are naturally very bad, very corrupt and blind, not apt to see or be sen­sible of your need of Christ, and misery without him; or to discern the beauty of holiness, the joy, peace, comfort and sa­tisfaction that is to be found in the serious practice of Religion and service of God; nay, which are averse to, and have a natu­ral antipathy (enmity saith St. Paul) a­gainst God and his holy commands. These hearts, I say, are like so much tinder, ready to take every spark of prejudice which Sa­tan and wicked men strike against the ways of Christ: They cannot be more ready to suggest evil, than your corrupt hearts [Page 102] are to receive it: which made St. James Jam. 1. 13, 14. say, Then men, when they are tempted, are drawn aside by their own lusts. His meaning is, Satan may tempt, and wicked men may entice, but neither can compell or force men to sin; but as they are drawn away by their own hearts lusts, and volun­tarily yield to the temptation. And there­fore if you would conquer the last and greatest enemy to Religion and your own Salvation, hearken not to the exceptions and prejudices of your own evil and corrupt hearts, against an holy and Religious life. Sometimes your hearts will tell you, Reli­gion is only a fit of melancholy; some­times that the laws and commands of God are too strict, too hard and difficult; and that the pattern propounded in the Gospel for your imitation, the holy Jesus, 'tis im­possible for you to imitate or follow: And why should you ever think of impossi­bilities? Now if you suffer these or any other prejudices to prevail, you quash all purposes and endeavours to be holy at once. To prevent this therefore, search your hearts frequently, and watch them narrowly. Often look home to thy heart, and examine its sincerity or hypocrisie. Ask where its affections are, and if you find these attendants on the soul roving, re­call [Page 103] them; or that your heart harbours any evil guests, as sinfull thoughts, strange notions and apprehensions of God, Religi­on, or a future state; expell them, suffer them not to lodge there. And doing this daily, watch or keep your hearts with all Pro. 14. 23. diligence, for from them are the issues of life or death. These are they, that will make you friends or enemies to Religion; Therefore watch them carefully. And thus discharging your part, earnestly begg of God to do his, to change and renew your hearts: To take the stony heart out of your flesh, and to give you hearts of flesh, Ezek. 11. 19. Crave of him, humble, pure, understand­ing hearts, hearts inflamed with love to Christ, and established in this reso­lution, to follow him to the utmost of your power in an holy life, and so to conti­nue stedfast to the death, whatever the is­sue be. So shall you be religious in good earnest, account Gods service perfect free­dom, follow Christ with great delight, and finally enjoy him for ever in his hea­venly Kingdom.

CHAP. VII. Shewing that Religion is Rational; and the ways of Religion, take them at the worst, are better than the wayes of sin, take them at the best: that is, considered with their present Con­comitants and future Consequents; or present Delights and future Re­wards.

THat this Essay may not swell to too great a bulk, I shall offer but two things more to your thoughts, which may prove as strong shields against all the temp­tations of the World, the Flesh, and the De­vil; and as powerfull motives to an holy and Religious life, as any before menti­oned: Namely, the Reasonableness of Gods Service, or of Religion, and its ex­cellency above the ways of sin.

§. 1. That Religion is Rational, or the service God requires of us, is highly rea­sonable. This St. Paul affirms: I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, that ye Rom. 12. 1. present your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your [Page 105] reasonable service. Where he exhorts his Romans to a Religious life, becoming the Gospel, or to consecrate and devote themselves to Gods service, in translated and borrowed speeches or words from the offering of Sacrifice: And tells them, he would not have it seem to them an hard saying, or an unreasonable request, that he enjoyns them to be thus holy, and to serve God with all the powers of their souls and bodyes. For whatever they might think, or Satan might be ready to suggest to the contrary; yet be you assured, the offering up to God this willing, living, and holy Sacrifice, is but what is just and right, and what in reason you ought to do; [...], 'tis but your reasonable service. Now if you will shew your selves men, this argument must needs prevail with you: That Religion is Rational. Though some things in it be above reason; yet there is nothing required in it, but what is highly reasonable. Are not my wayes equal, Ezek. 18. 25. saith the Lord? Why what is just and equal, must needs be reasonable. If ever men do things rational and becoming them­selves, it is upon serious thought and due consideration; upon which David tells Psal. 119. 59. you, he betook himself to Gods service, [Page 106] and turned his feet unto Gods testimonies. And is it not said of the Prodigal, that when he came to himself, he returned to his Father? while he was hairbrain'd, mad and inconsi­derate, Luk. 15. 17 beside himself (as it were) he went on in his riotous course after his harlots; but when he came to reflect, to consult his reason, he quickly comes to this resolution, I will return to my Father. Hence Religion in Scripture is called Wis­dom, and the Religious man the wise, the knowing and the prudent man. And sin is styled Folly and Foolishness, and wicked men Fools and Ʋnreasonable. Now to make this more apparent, we shall consi­der 2 Thes. 3. 2. the several parts of Religion, as the Credenda, Agenda and Speranda: those things which Religion requires us to be­lieve, do and hope for; all which are highly rational, or agreeable to Reason.

§. 2. To begin with the Credenda, or Credenda. what Religion requires us to Believe.

1. As that there is a God; this is the first principle in Religion, the first thing Religion requires our belief of. He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, saith Heb. 11. 6. the Apostle. And is not this highly ratio­nal, to believe a God, a first Being, who gave being to all other things in Heaven and Earth? why did David style him a [Page 107] Fool who said in his heart, there is no God; if it were not agreeable to reason to believe there is one? If you consider the whole world and all the parts of it, can any man in reason think they came together by Chance? if you cast your eyes up towards the Heavens, and take a view of the com­pass of those vast Bodies, consider the glo­ry of the Sun, the light of the Moon and Stars, the beauty, order and exact moti­on of them all, continuing some thousands of years without error, diminution or in­terruption: Or if you look downward upon the Earth, and consider how it is founded and fastened without prop or pillar, and made to hang in the middle of the Air; how it is compassed with waters, which swell above it; is inter­veined with Rivers, covered with grass and herbs; inriched with sundry choyce and vertuous Minerals; beautified with flowers, and furnished with all manner of fruits, necessary for man and beast; is it ratonial to think, that all this is by chance? Is it by chance that things in their own na­ture most contrary, as hot and cold, moist and dry, fluid and firm, shall all conspire to the advantage of the Creature, as to their common ends? Is it by chance that the Springs do feed the Rivers, the [Page 108] Rivers the Sea, the Sea the Clouds, the Clouds the Earth, the Earth the Beasts, and the Beasts Men? Surely a man, when he sees a fair House or goodly Ship, which is made of many pieces of timber, iron, stone, &c. which grew in several parts of the Earth, may as reasonably conclude, that these several parts did of themselves meet together by chance and make up that Building or Vessel, as believe that the goodly frame of the Heavens and Earth, with all things that are therein, were made and put into that order with­out the wisdom of a great Creator. This first thing then to be believed, is highly ratio­nal, viz. That there is a God.

2. That this God, this first Being or Creator, is the chiefest good. And is it not reasonable also to believe this? There is in every man an innate desire of good. Who will shew us any good? is the har­monious Psal. 4. inquest of all mankind. And that there is a chief good, the light of Nature and Reason teacheth us. The Heathen be­lieved quod sit, though they could not agree quid sit summum bonum. And our experience will tell us, this chief good is not in any thing here below: 'Tis not in Riches, or Honours, or Pleasures, be­cause all these are both uncertain and un­satisfying: [Page 109] Therefore 'tis rational to con­clude, it can be nothing beneath or short of him who hath made all things both in Heaven and Earth; and hath breathed into man this spark of desire after good, which nothing can extinguish; nor any thing but himself fully satisfie. Thus far then Religion is reasonable in what it re­quires us to believe, that there is a God, and that this God is the chiefest good.

3. That this God hath made all things in this lower world for some End. Is it not rational to believe this? who is so ir­rational, as to think a wise man should spend many years in contriving some En­gine, or other excellent piece of art, and be at vast cost to accomplish it, but he hath some end in it? So certainly, the great and eternal Wisdom hath designed Man and all other Creatures which he hath made, to their particular Ends; as ap­pears by that propensity and appetite which he hath imprinted in their natures towards that end, as the main point and scope of their being. And what should this end be, but (as Solomon tells us) his Prov. 16. 3. own glory? This is also rational to be­lieve, that God made all things for him­self, and more especially Man for his ser­vice; and all other things to be usefull and [Page 110] serviceable to man; and man to admire and adore his Maker, to serve and wor­ship him in a peculiar manner. That of the Prophet looks this way; I have cre­ated him for my Glory. Here is both the Isa. 43. 1. 7. Author and end of mans Creation. The Author God, I have Created him; the End, for my Glory. And it is greatly rea­sonable to believe this. For how absurd is it to think, that God should set up this admirable house of the visible world, and put man in possession of all, and yet ex­pect no Rent from this Inhabitant, no fe­alty from this Tenant? To conceive that God should make a body so curiously wrought in the lower parts of the Earth; Embroyder it with Nerves, Veins, Arteries and variety of proportion and parts (mi­racles enough between head and foot to fill a volume) and enliven this body with a spark of his own fire, a ray of his own light, an Angelical, Heaven-born soul, endow­ed with all faculties of Will, Memory, Understanding and Reason, and such high perfections, besitting it for the service of its Creator, and send this Excellent Crea­ture into the world, making all things therein subject to him, meerly to eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, and pursue sinfull delights and pleasures? Certainly the wise [Page 111] God had an higher and nobler end and de­sign in framing and fashioning Man with so much cost and care: Namely, the serving and glorifying himself, who hath so fearfully and wonderfully made him; and so plentifully and richly provided for him. And therefore the Jewish Talmud pro­pounding the Question, Why God made man on the Sabbath-Eve? gives this answer, That he might presently enter upon sancti­fying the Sabbath; and so begin his life with the worship of God, which was the chief end and reason of his creation. Whereas if God had not intended man for an higher end than eating, drinking, sleep­ing or taking his pleasure, which is the life of a Beast, then brutish principles had been sufficient for such Brutish ends and practices. The soul of a Beast might have served his turn: But since God hath made man an intelligent Creature, and given him a reasonable soul, which no other creature in this world hath, 'tis reaso­nable to believe he hath made him for an higher end, than the other Creatures. And those who will help the weak eyes of nature by the glass of Scripture, cannot but see the Makers end in mans excellen­cy. It is written in such broad letters, that God made Man to serve him, and [Page 112] shew forth his praise, that he that runs may read it. Thus you see, that those things which Religion requires our belief of, as that God is, is the cheifest good, and hath made all things for some end, and man especially for his service, are all argeeable to reason.

§. 3. Then for the Agenda, the practick Agenda. part of Religion, or those things, which Religion requires you to do, it is all still but reasonable service. To convince you of this, consider it, as it is set down in sundry places of Scripture, which contain the whole of Religion, or whole duty of man in this particular. Begin with Solo­mon; Let us hear the conclusion of the Eccles. 12. 13. whole matter: Fear God and keep his com­mandments, for this is the whole duty of man. And is not all this your reasonable service or duty? that you should fear and reverence, and have an awful dread upon your spirits of that God, that hath made all things and governs all things, that pon­dereth the goings of man, and seeth all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart? That God at whose presence the mountains fall down, the Rocks rend, and the Earth trembles and quakes; that God who (as the wise man speaks in the following words) will bring every work into judgment, and [Page 113] bestow eternal rewards or inflict eternal pu­nishments upon men, according to their works done here in the flesh, is it not reaso­nable you should fear him, and keep his Com­mandments, whose Commandments are not grievous, but holy, just and good? Who hath an absolute soveraignty over you and all the world, to command what he pleaseth, and is pleased to command nothing, but what the discharge or doing of, shall make for your good, as well as his own glory? Who in his wisdom and mercy hath so interwo­ven his honour with our salvation, that we cannot seek the promotion of the one, but we necessarily promote the other; to ob­serve and do these commands to the ut­most of our power, is it any whit more than reasonable? Hear also what the Pro­phet Micah saith in this case: He hath Mich. 6. 8. shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Here again is the whole practice of piety; and surely no­thing but reason in it. That men should deal justly one with another, be kind, loving and mercifull. That they should walk humbly in the sight of God, be­tween whom and us there is an infinite dis­proportion: for God is in Heaven, we on [Page 114] Earth; God perfectly holy, and we both ori­ginally and actually impure and unclean: and is not humility in us towards this God a reasonable duty? Again; The grace of God that bringeth salvation (saith St. Paul) Tit. 2. 11. 12. teacheth us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righ­teously and godly. Here is the sum of all Religion; and is it not highly rational, that you should forsake those ways of un­righteousness, and deny those wordly lusts, which deprave your natures, darken your understandings, and besot your reason; as Whoredom, Drunkenness, Covetous­ness, Intemperance, and the like, which make men very beasts, or in some sence worse than beasts? Yea which destemper and disease the body, marre your health, shorten your lives, and ruin and destroy your immortal Souls? And on the contra­ry, that you should be sober, righteous and godly, which tends to the refining and heightning of your natures, the health and happiness of your bodies, and the eternal welfare of your souls in both worlds; can any thing be offered or pre­scribed to man, more reasonable than this? To sum up all in the words of our blessed Lord; Whatsoever you would that men Math. 7. 12. should do unto you, that do ye unto them; [Page 115] for this is the Law and the Prophets. Here our Saviour tells you is all (as to practice) that God and Religion requires of you; and is not this highly reasonable? Would you not that others should dishonour, dis­credit, wrong, defraud you, or covet any thing that is yours; is it not reason­able you do not these things to them? Or would you have others kind, merciful, just and charitable to you; is it not rea­sonable you should be so to them? One of the Heathen Emperors was so taken with this saying of our Saviour, that he caused it to be written in sundry places of his Palace, and severely punished him that did not observe it: And so admired Christ for it, that he would have built a Temple to him; but that he feared it would have proved the ruine of those Temples dedi­cated to their Gods. And certainly he must put off the use of reason, and disown the name of man, that will not acknowledg this is reasonable, to do in all things as he would be done unto. And this is the sum of all Religion. This (saith Christ) is the Law and the Prophets. Hitherto then all that God and Religion requires of you, is but reasonable service.

§. 4. As to the speranda or munera, the Speranda sive munera religionis. reward of Religion, or which Religion [Page 116] promiseth and procureth to her sincere fol­lowers, as a peaceable conscience, a quiet mind, communion with God, the sense of his favour and love, pardon of sin, and the a­doption of sons here, and eternal bliss hereafter: a Crown, a Kingdom, Coheir­ship with the Son of God, yea such rewards as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive. You must needs grant 'tis highly reasonable, a man should prefer these before fading plea­sures and sensual delights; and that he should seek the attainment and enjoyment of them by all means, seeing the present and future welfare of the whole man, soul and body, depends upon it. And seeing there is no way or means by which you can secure these to your selves, but by being truly holy and Religious, by following Christ in that pattern of obedience and holiness he hath set before us, the doing of this must needs be our most reasonable service.

§. 5. Henceforward then (whatever Sa­tan may suggest, young men!) conclude all Atheism and Irreligion to be irrational, which teacheth men to dream and fancy that there is no God, but that all things came by chance, and by chance continue; that there is no future state, no future reward to be expected or future punishment to be [Page 117] feared; that man lives only for himself, and when he dyes, is like the beasts that perish; that the thing called Religion is only an invention to keep the lower spirit of the world in awe and order. Certainly an Atheist is but a beast in the proportion and dress of a man; or a man bereft of that quality which distinguisheth him from a beast, Reason. For it is impossible for a man to manifest more want of reason, than in denying God and wandering from him, who is the fountain of his being, and Well­spring of all his blessedness. And nothing doth more evidence a mans reason, than to acknowledg a Supream Truth to be believ­ed, a chief good to be embraced, a great and eternal God to be adored and worshiped. And therefore though Philosophers differ­ence man from bruits by his cheif natural quality, viz. Reason; yet some Divines like rather to do it by his supernatural excel­lency viz. Religion. Partly because Reli­gion is the highest and truest reason, and therefore causeth the greatest essential di­stinction or difference: And partly because Religion is the end and excellency of the rational creature, of which Bruits are wholly incapable: Atheism therefore is most unreasonable. And how great will your condemnation be, who profess to be­lieve [Page 118] this, and yet refuse to serve God and to give him that Sacrifice that is due to him, and which you confess is but your reasonable service? what, will you act against your reason and conscience? will not the sense of the worth of your immor­tal souls, nor the serious consideration of the weight of an unchangeable estate in a­nother world, nor the convictions of Gods Spirit and your own consciences, that Religion is reasonable, prevail with you to be religious in good earnest, and to serve God with all the powers and faculties of your souls and bodies? Are you convin­ced that the true and living God hath made you for an higher end, than to gra­tifie your sensual appetite, follow your particular callings, and mind lying vanities? why then do you not mind things of an higher nature and import, the service of God and salvation of your own souls? why do you yet lay out your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which will never satisfie; against the di­ctates of Reason and Convictions of your own Consciences? Are you convinced, that God in all respects is the best Master, and that Religion will bring you the great­est profit and surest gain in the end; ha­ving the promise both of the life that now is, [Page 119] and of that which is to come? Why then will you not serve God and become Reli­gious? Do you not know that sins against conscience will bring upon you the greatest Vengeance? Are you not also convinced of this, that men when they come to dye wish they had minded Religion more, and served God better? And do you not think that when death seizeth you, you shall be of the same mind, and say, O that I had more regarded holiness and the practice of Religion, and dedicated and de­voted my self to God by an holy life, who made me, heaped many mercies up­on me, and promised infinite and eternal rewards to me? And will not the thoughts and remembrances of your neglect of Reli­gion and service of God now at death, be more bitter than the practice of it could have been burthensome in your life? Without doubt it will and must. Therefore if you would not be self-condemned at death and judgment, resolve to become speedily and seriously Religious; to re­deem your time, to serve the true and Living God with the deepest humility, the greatest fear, the hottest love, and highest faith; and the remainder of your days to have your fruits unto holiness, that the end may be everlasting life.

CHAP. VIII. Wherein is briefly set forth the excellen­cy of the wayes of Religion above the wayes of Sin.

§. 1. AS a farther perswasive to the practice of Religion and an holy life, consider that the way of holiness, the way to Heaven, take it at the very worst, with all the miseries and afflicti­ons that may attend it, is better than the way of sin, the way to Hell, take it at the very best, with all the sensual de­lights and pleasures that are to be found in it. The poorest, bitterest, most despised way to rest and felicity, is infinitely more choosable, than the richest, sweetest, fullest and fairest way to torment and misery. It is better to go to Christ through a Dun­geon in chains of iron, than to Satan through a Paradise in chains of Gold. Look upon these two with a proper, real, and sound estimation, and there is no com­parison between the worst of Piety and the best of Iniquity. One is called the way of darkness, the other the way of light, the one the way of truth, the other the [Page 121] way of error: the way of holiness is called the way of life; the way of sin, the way of death. The one ends in the highest com­munion with God, the other in the fullest separation from God. The former leads to the greatest supernatural blessedness, the other to the lowest and most inconceiv­able destruction. Now that I may fully convince your judgments of the truth of this point, I shall hint some scripture argu­ments to confirm it; and such as carry with them the greatest force of reason to perswade the minds of men to believe it. They are such as these,

§. 2. Though there be more miserable evils in the way of the Godly, yet there are more sinfull evils in the way of the wicked: Divines distinguish of evils. Sin­full and sorrowfull evills. Sorrowfull or penall evils, which are these, outward losses, abridgment, want, disquietness, pain, sickness, reproach, and such like. There are indeed many of these evils in the way of the righteous. And there are sinfull evils, as wickedness of heart, pro­faneness of life, in the way of the ungodly. Now consider all the sorrowful, miserable evils of this life, and they are but minima in genere malorum, the least kind of evils. As the good things of this life are the [Page 122] least kind of good things; therefore so often heaped upon the wicked. And (as I said) these outward evils, which are opposite to these outward good things, are but the least kind of evils. As Poverty is opposite to Riches, impri­sonment to liberty, sickness to health, and want to fulness: But what is a sinful evil opposite to? 'Tis opposite to the best, to the greatest good, that is God. Oppo­site to the Will of God, to the nature, glory, presence and fruition of God. Some good may come by sorrowfull evils: a man may climb to Heaven by the cross, as the good Thief did. But no good can come to a man by sinfull evils; for they are all killing and damning. Now what is a light affliction for a moment, to a destruction endless and intolerable?

§. 3. There be some crosses in the way of Holiness and Religion; but there be many curses in the way of sin. Our Savi­our hath said indeed, If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me. Such must expect trouble. But the advantage is, as the Christian is not ex­empted from the Cross, so neither is the Cross divided from the Comfort. But as their sufferings abound, so their consolation Cor. 2. 1. 5. abounds much more by Christ. And a sweet­ned [Page 123] Cross, is better than an imbittered Crown. 'Tis better that the meat lye in the preserving Brine, than rot in the sweet­est honey. But on the contrary, in the way of sin there are (it may be not so many Crosses, but) more Curses. As the way of the wicked is filled up with sins, so 'tis filled up all along with Curses. The Pro. 3. 33. Curse of the Lord is in the House of the wic­ked, but he blesseth the habitation of the just. And in the 28th of Deuteronomy, see how Deut. 28. ad finem cap. thick Curses are sown in the way of the wicked. Cursed shall he be in the Field; Cursed shall he be in the City; Cursed in his basket, in his store, &c. And is not this a miserable way, that a man cannot set a step in it, but a Curse attends him? Is not a Prison where the light of Gods counte­nance shines, better than a Palace where the cloud of Gods wrath sets? Is it not better to meet with unpleasant Physick, than to drink a delightfull Cup of Poyson? Is not a Cross in the way and happiness in the end, better than pleasure in the way and Cursedness in the end? Then the way of Religion is better than the way of sin.

§. 4. Though in the way of sin you may enjoy more of the Creature, yet in the ways of holiness you shall enjoy more of God. Wicked men in Scripture are cal­led [Page 124] children of the night, good men chil­dren of the day. Now though in the night there be more stars, yet in the day there is more Sun, and the Sunlight is better than starlight. The ungodly possess more of this world, therefore called the men of the world: whose bellies God is said to fill with this world, as he did Dives his; but he had better been without it. And David speaking of the wicked saith, they Psa. 73. Job. 21. have more than heart can wish. And Job sets forth the abundance that befals them: but all this is but the world, but the Creature. And as the Princes kiss was more valuable than his cup of Gold; so the good we enjoy from God is more than all we can enjoy from the Creature. In the way to destruction you may have more riches; but in the way to Heaven you shall have more graces, which are more pretious than Gold, yea than fine Gold that perisheth. In the way of sin you may have the acclamation of men; but in the way of holiness you shall be sure to have the approbation of God. A wicked man may say in his way, this house is mine, this estate, these possessions mine; but the godly man may say, this Heaven is mine, this Jesus is mine. All that the one can boast of, is, that these Creatures are mine [Page 125] and these sins are mine; but the other may say, God is mine, his love mine, his favour, his mercy, his promises, all mine for evermore. Judge now, is it not better to enjoy a spring than a drop, the Sun than a candle, the Substance than the shadow? Is not fulness better than emp­tiness, the chiefest good, which is God, than the least good, which is the Crea­ture? Is it not better to possess glorious certainties, than specious, seeming no­things and vanities? In a word is it not better to enjoy him, who alone is all hap­piness, than all other things, which with­out him are but a cypher? then the way of holiness is better than the way of sin.

§. 5. The way of Religion hath more liberty in it than the way of sin. I know you will think this a strange assertion. 'Tis for this reason that wicked men choose the way of sin, that they may have liberty. This is one main end of their walking in this way, and main cause of their being so hardly brought off from it, because 'tis wide and broad, and they may have room and liberty enough. But they are deceived in their end, for there is more liberty in the waies of God, than in the waies of sin. To make this good, know, there is a threefold liberty.

[Page 126] 1. An indifferent liberty, which is con­versant about the lawful use of the Crea­ture: The way of Religion barres not this liberty at all, nor diminisheth it, but adds to it rather; adds some drams of sweet­ness to relish the Creature. A Religious person may buy, sell, marry, eat and drink, and glad his heart in the lawful use of Creature-comforts; though not disho­nour God and defile his own soul by the abuse of them, as the wicked do; who by their sin poyson all their lawful things. Drunkenness and Excess turns his meat and drink into poyson, pride makes his garments infectious; all his blessings be­come a curse, and his very liberty in these things a perfect slavery, by his vile lusts. So that a godly man enjoyeth more liber­ty about the use of lawful things, than any wicked man upon Earth whatsoever.

2. There is a carnal liberty, which is nothing else but the licentiousness of a mans lusts, the liberty of a corrupt, a base heart; a liberty for men to do evil, to act as they list, and to live without all check or controll. Our tongues are our own, who shall be Lord over us? I confess Reli­gion allows no such liberty, which is falsly so called; and the way of Religion is not at all the worse for denying men this [Page 127] liberty; but the better. As it is no defect, but a perfection in God, that he cannot lye, or deny himself, so it is the excel­lency of Religion that it allows not of a licentious liberty; which in truth is a bondage, and wholly inconsistent with true liberty. The Holy Ghost calls the ser­vice 2 Pet. 2. 19. of sin, a bondage. And will you call this liberty, which God himself calls a bondage, and the worst of bondage, spi­ritual bondage, to corruption, sin and Sa­tan? who worketh in wicked men effect­tually, ruleth over their hearts, and car­ries them captive at his will? is this liber­ty, to be held with the chain of Hell? Is that man at liberty, who is at the command of every vile lust; if his lusts bid him swear, he swears, lye, steal, commit adultery, do this or that sinful action, and he doth it? Is that man at liberty, who is now captivated to one sin, then to another? One while a slave to prodigality, then to covetousness; now a slave to presump­tion, then to despair; now to excessive mirth and revelling, then to exceeding fears and horrors; while his lusts give his soul no rest night or day, but tire him out from time to time with importunity; and all he doth, he doth with a slavish spirit? Sometimes anxious and careful how to [Page 128] commit sin; and then fearing lest those sins should be discovered? First his evil heart sollicits him to sin, and he cannot withstand it; and afterwards his consci­ence (like Judas his) torments him for sin, that he cannot endure it. And look how many lusts you have unmortified, so many Lords, and worse than Egyptian taskmasters, you have over you. This is all the liberty you have in the way of sin, wherein there lies Serjeants, Jaylors, Fears, Attachments, and thy own Conscience both Witness, Judge, Prison and Hell. But in the way of Religion and holiness, there is a spiritual liberty, the highest attainable Joh. 8. 36. Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 8. 15. Rom. 8. 1. in this world; this is liberty from the do­minion of sin, from the curse of the Law, and from all condemnation. It is such a liberty as takes away the spirit of bondage, and puts in the spirit of adoption, the spi­rit of love, making us willing to serve God, whose service is perfect freedom. Here is a liberty to plead for mercy at the throne of grace, and doth never cease till it be consummated in glory. Therefore if you are for true liberty, choose the way of Reli­gion: for the contrary is so far from liber­ty, that it is the greatest slavery and bondage on this side Hell.

§. 6. In the way of Religion and holi­ness, [Page 129] as you shall have Liberty, so all things else that are needful to make the way easie and delightful to you: A sufficient Guide, God: Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psal. 73. 24. A better Guide you cannot desire, and better counsel you cannot have; 'tis suffi­cient to direct you in all dangers, fears, temptations and difficulties. To every one that walks in this way, God gives the same assurance, that he did to Jacob: I will be Gen. 28. 15. with thee, and keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and I will not leave thee. When thou art weary, I will give thee rest: when thou fallest, I will raise thee up: when thou wanderest, I will reduce thee: when thou art fainting, I will strengthen thee: when thou dyest, I will save thee; I will Heb. 13. 5. never leave thee nor forsake thee. And as the omnipotent and omniscient God will be your Guide in this way, so he will afford you all needful helps and assistances, to help you forward, both inward and out­ward: Inward, his Spirit and Grace, pre­venting, corroborating, renewing, pre­serving grace, which shall daily increase in your souls: All outward aids and as­sistances; as the Word, which is called a Staff to keep thee from falling, and a Light to keep thee from straying; the Sacraments, [Page 130] which are as dew upon thy graces to in­crease them, and seals to thy Faith to con­firm it to the end: The help of all Gods faithful servants, living and dead. The dead recorded in Scripture, help thee by their Examples; the living by their Pray­ers. And above all thou hast Christ in Hea­ven, making continual intercession for thee. This very consideration proclaims the way of Religion more excellent and more eli­gible, than the way of sin.

§. 7. Add to this, that the way of Religi­on though somewhat strict and difficult, is the only way to glorifie God and enrich your selves. The glory of God is the principal end of your Creation and Re­demption. All that you have and are, your lives, estates, souls, bodies, parts, are all from God, and given for God, and ought to be improved to his glory. You neither made your selves, nor were made for your selves; neither is any thing given to you to serve your lusts. Honours are not given to make men proud, nor Authority to make men insolent, nor Riches to make men idle, nor parts to make men subtil in evil; but all to make us good, and to render us more apt to glorifie our Maker. And as this way brings glory to God, so gain to your selves. As a man who walks [Page 131] on in a way of sin, though he could gain the world must be a loser in the end, be­cause he loseth his own soul: So if a Christian going on in the way of righteous­ness and true holiness, should lose all he hath in this world, if he should never see a quiet day upon Earth, never feel a drop of joy in his heart, never eat a morsel of bread but in a prison, nor ever do any service for God but at a Stake; yet in the end, continuing faithful, he is a great gainer for all this, because he saves his soul and gains Heaven: And because these light afflictions, for a moment, shall end in a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And our blessed Saviour saith, He that forsakes Father, or Mother, or houses or lands for my sake, shall receive an hun­dred fold in the life that now is, and in the world to come everlasting life. Therefore if you have any desire both to glorifie God here, and secure to your selves eternal gain hereafter, walk in the way of Holiness, Piety and Religion. And which is further and greatly considerable, let me last of all mind you of this; that neither the way of Religion, nor the strictness of it will last long: Your works, duties, sufferings, afflictions and crosses shall not be for ever. Perhaps you may be Religious, strict [Page 132] and holy in this Life a few years, or months, or days; and then all thy hard du­ties, all thy crosses and afflictions, all thy combates and conflicts with sin, Sathan and the world; and all thy doubts, fears, despondencies and griefs are at an end for ever, and thy felicity begins that shall ne­ver end.

The Conclusion.

§. 1. HAving offered some disswasives from Sin, and perswasives to Holiness; all that yet remains is, my ear­nest and hearty entreaty, that you would sit down and consider what you have read. For this little Essay (with the other greater helps which God affords you) shall assu­redly be a witness for or against you in the day of Judgment. Books are like Phy­sick, if they do n't do good, they do hurt. And if any thing make it work kindly, it must be Consideration: Pondering and weighing well in your minds, what you have read on both sides; for Piety, and against Iniquity. Soul matters, spiritual and Heavenly things are of eternal mo­ment; [Page 133] therefore call for the greatest deli­beration and seriousness. But most men are rash and inconsiderate in these mighty affairs; therefore so often in Scripture stiled Fools; and in truth there is none so foolish as the sinner. They consider not what they do. They are carried to their courses with vain, not with serious thoughts; upon the fury of rash resoluti­on, not upon the stableness of advice and counsel. Whereas would they but take counsel of themselves by a deliberate con­sideration, would they (as we say pro­verbially) but look before they leap, they might shun many impieties, which they run headlong into. For consideration takes an intimate view of matters, and rightly ponders of the nature and full shape of things: it turns things over and over, inside out; considers this and thinketh of that, it seeth the best and worst; it compareth na­ture with nature, kind with kind, cause with cause, occurrence with occurrence, issue with issue, reason with reason, and end with end: It asks where and how a thing begins, and when and how it ends. So that would you take more consideration, which is in your power to do, you would not be so foolish and mad in your choice for your selves, as the most are. Had the [Page 134] Prodigal son, but well considered before­hand what would have been the issue and end of leaving his Fathers house, for the company of Harlots, he would never have been so hasty to be gone. Had Gehazi thought with himself, how dear he must 2 King. 5. 27. pay for his two Talents and suits of apparel, he would never have run so fast to over­take Naaman, as he did. But generally men will not consider of the matters of sal­vation and damnation. Delight, pleasure or profit make the sinner quick and ven­turous, and will give no time willingly for consideration, which would be a great wound to sin, and often crush that Cocka­trice in the Egg, in the first motions of it. But men little consider, that for every sin­ful profit or pleasure the precious soul is laid to pawn, to answer for it. The Drunk­ard will not consider he pawns his soul for his inebriating cups, the Unclean person for his lascivious act, the miserable World­ling for his ill-gotten gain; yea and the com­mon Swearer for his rash Oaths: But feed greedily on the sweet morsels, and suck liberally of the present pleasures of sin, not considering what the Feast will cost, when the reckoning's paid. There­fore I say, let me prevail with you to sit down and consider a while: And if your [Page 135] conscience tells you, you are yet the ser­vants of Satan, walking in known wayes of sin, ask your selves whether you have sufficient reasons for this your choyce, such as will afford you comfort, when death comes? What if you should once a day commune (as David speaks) with your own hearts after this manner?

§. 2. Were I this day to dye, what would my choyce be then, would it be the same that now it is, or hitherto hath been? should I then choose the pleasures of sin for a season, for a few dayes, and re­fuse the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore? Suppose I were now tumbling and trembling upon my dying bed, under a cold sweat, my eyes set, my heart faint­ing, and my breath departing (as it must and will be with me a few days hence) should I then choose Hell before Heaven? should I say then, God damn me, Lord reject my soul for evermore; or this ra­ther, Lord Jesus receive my spirit, Lord take me to thy self in glory? would I then say, Lord never let me share in thy mercy, or Lord have mercy upon me; Lord let me be a companion for the Devil and his Angels, in regions of darkness and devouring burnings to all eternity; or, Lord let me enter into the new Jerusalem, the City of the liv­ing [Page 136] God, the Church of the first-born, to the communion of Saints, and the spirits of just men made perfect? Which of these states would you then choose?

§. 3. Why (sinner) the former of these is that which you choose now, who choose the ways of sin, and service of Sa­tan. You choose wrath and damnation, the company of Devils, exclusion from Heaven the place of bliss, and the fullest, the furthest separation and distance from God, the chief good, and center of all happiness. And is this the choyce you will make in the end, when you come to dye? No, God forbid: then reflect and consider a little, and be not rash but serious, I beseech you, in these great things. If Heaven be better than Hell, life sweeter than death, if glory be more desirable upon a dying bed than misery, and mercy than wrath; why should not the way to mercy and glory, be better than the way to destruction; the way to life more pleasant to you, than the way to death? Why should you not choose the way of Religion and holiness now, and en­ter upon it presently, this day before the next, since you are convinced you must come into this way before you dye, or you can never be saved? And since you pur­pose [Page 137] it hereafter, and talk of repentance and holiness hereafter, why have you any such thoughts or purposes at all, but that you are convinced 'tis the way to Heaven, and that you shall choose the end of this way, when death comes? And why should you not refuse, shun, hate and avoid the way of sin now, when you are convinced in your consciences, you shall be loath to receive the fruit and end of that way, when you come to leave the world? Certainly wicked men have no reason on their side. The Apostle saith, Great is the mystery of godliness; truly I may invert his words, and say, Great is the mystery of wickedness. For I can see no reason, nor do I think any man upon serious thoughts can render any good or solid reason, why he should choose the way of the wicked, rather than the way of the upright, to follow the Devil rather than Christ, and to walk in the paths of sin, rather than the way of Reli­gion. Only men will do it, so they are sinful and wicked, and will be for ever misera­ble and wretched, because they will, ful­filling that of the Prophet; their destru­ction is of themselves, 'tis wilfull destruction, 'tis chosen damnation.

§. 4. Therefore, young men (for whose [Page 138] sake principally I undertook this little work) take for a close that of the Prophet; Say unto the righteous it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings; Isa. 3. 10, 11 Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. And sit down and consider it, till you have brought your hearts to a firm belief of the truth of it. There are but two wayes wherein all the men in the world are tra­velling, the way of Sin and the way of Righteousness: But two Leaders whom they all follow, Christ or the Devil: But two places whither they all tend, Heaven or Hell. And know, this direction and ex­hortation is from the Lord, though hand­ed to you by his unworthy servant: and if you deny me, you therein deny him; and if so, the time is coming and will come, when he will deny you. And dare any of you deny the Lord? and say as those wicked ones to the Prophet Jere­miah, Jer. 44. 16, 17. As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken to it: We will not forsake our sins, we will not follow Christ, nor be tyed and bound to such circumspection and holiness, as his followers are, and as his Word re­quires: But we will do whatsoever pro­ceedeth Jer. 18. 12. [Page 139] ceedeth out of our own mouth, do our own devices, and walk every one after the ima­gination of his own evil heart? And are you content and willing God should take you at your words, and for ever give you over to your own hearts lusts, to walk in your own wayes and after your own counsels? Are you willing from henceforth to give up all your hopes in Christ, your hope of Heaven, your hope of Life, Salvation and eternal glory, and to be damned for ever in another world? why this is the choyce you are put to, either to live an holy life, or to be for ever miserable after death; either to submit to the Yoak of Christ, or never to receive benefit by the Cross of Christ; to kiss the Scepter of his Mercy, or fall by the sword of his Justice; either to follow him in his Kingdom of Grace, or to be eternally excluded his Kingdom of Glory. There is no other way, but these two: One of these you must choose. The summe of all is, you must repent or perish; and follow after Holiness, or never see the Lord. Religion is the only way God hath made to Heaven, and if you ne­ver walk in the way, you can never come thither. And assure your selves, I can have no other end or interest to aim at, in [Page 140] taking any pains to perswade you to be good, and to be sincere followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this, His glory and your salvation; which to aim at is doubtless your Interest, as much as mine; and if all that I have written cannot convince you 'tis so, 'tis but a few days more, and Death and Judgment shall.

Gloria Trinuni Deo sine Fine.

THE Young Man's Monitor: OR, A POETICAL PARAPHRASE Upon the XII th Chapter of ECCLESIASTES.

The PREFACE.

Eccles. XII. i. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, while the evil dayes come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.’
YOung man, remember in thy youthfull age
Thy Great Creator, and betimes ingage
Thy Soul and body both, with all thy might
To do him Service, e're the sable night
Of frightfull death approach; or evil day
Of old decrepid age, wherein you'l say,
[Page 142] There is no pleasure, nor a will to work:
Youth's sloth still in thy aged bones doth lurk.
Wherefore before thy halting age doth come,
Before thy Spirits suffer martyrdome,
Thy joynts are feeble, and thy heart is faint,
And killing evils do thy body taint;
Before thy wit, thy health and strength decayes,
Give God the prime and flower of thy dayes.

VERSE II.

While the Sun, or the Light, or the Moon, or the Stars be not darkned, or the clouds return after the rain.
BEfore the Sun and Moon withdraw their light,
And Stars be dark'ned by an aged night;
Thine eye-lids drop down brinish tears amain,
Like dripping Clouds returning after rain;

PARAPHRASE.

ER'e wrink'led age, and Paleness doth disgrace
The Serene lustre of thy youthfull face;
Thy comely cheeks do lose their Rosy hew,
And heat and vigour bid thy lips adieu;
Before thine eyes grow dark and dim, and doe
Like Stars by day, at last extinguish too.
Or understand it thus,—before the Sun
Quite through thy youthfull Zodiack hath run:
Or if not then, yet while the Light doth last,
While yet thy stronger Manhood is not past.
Or if not then, before the Moon is gone,
Thy Manhood and thine Elder years are done;
At least, at last while Midnight Stars do shine,
Before thy dotage miseries combine,
[Page 143] Like Clouds, and threaten sorrows in a show'r,
Even such as may dissolve thee every hour,

Remember thy Creatour.

VERSE III.

In the day when the Keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grind­ers cease because tbey are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.
BEfore the day approach, when those that keep
Thy clayie cottage tumble; those that peep
Forth of the windows, do in hast retreat:
Thy strong men bow, and grinders cease to eat.

PARAPHRSE.

THe wise-man means, before thy hands and arms
That kept thy body (
2 Cor. 5. 1.
call'd an house) from harms
Shall cease their work, and (through thine abuse)
Shall by an Aged palsy lose their use;
Those wary watchmen, that did always stand
And keep a Centinel at thy command,
Undaunted were, and ready to endure
The fiercest Onsets, thereby to secure
Their head and body; now alas they faint,
Base cowardise doth now their courage taint.
Those painfull Labourers, whose daily task
Was to administer what thou did'st ask,
Did first provide, and after feed thee too,
(As careful Nurses for their nurslings doe)
Now stand in need of others to dispence
Convenient diet, for their Sustinence:
[Page 144] Their former work they cannot now ingage,
But trembling stand through feebleness and age.
Thy Legs and Thighs, those men of strength to run,
Now bow themselves, and cry their Race is done.
Time was, they nimbly posted thee about,
That thou might'st find thine own inventions out;
When they did swiftly trace the ways of sin,
And would to th'house of God as swift have been,
If thou had'st put them to 't, but now, alas!
Weakness is where their Youthfull vigour was.
Their strength is gone, and they are tyred so
With running heretofore, they scarce can go.
Thy usefull Grinders that were once compleat,
Now fail and cannot masticate their meat.
Thine Eyes, those window-peepers, that did show
Like brighter Stars within their Orbs below,
Like wasted Tapers lose their light, and blink,
And back into their hollow Sockets sink.
The Wisemans counsell is therefore, that you
Before these evils come, Remember now
Thy Great Creator:

VERSE IV.

And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the Sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voyce of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low.
—Er'e the doors be shut,
And to the Grinding Sound an end be put;
Before the Bird shall raise thee by her voyce,
And all the Daughters cease their pleasant noise.

PARAPHRASE.

SOme lit'rally by Doors doe understand
Those of the house wherein he liveth, and
By which he ran (when young) into the street
His Friends and his Associates to meet:
And by which Doors, his Friends resorted thither
To laugh and quaffe, and pass the time together.
But now those doors are shut, and privacy
Old age likes better than their company.
Or by these Doors, we understand the Ear
Which now is shut, is deaf, and cannot. hear.
These are the Doors, by which you do receive
The sweet instructions that your Teachers give:
All counsel good and evil, is convey'd
By these unto the Soul, by which she's sway'd
To this or that—O open then the door
To Wisdom's saving counsel now, before
Old age hath clos'd it, and thou then begin
To call advice, when none can enter in.
Perhaps the Wiseman doth by Doors, intend
The Mouth and Nose, and whatsoe're doth send
Aid to the Intrails; and by Streets he may
The Pipes and Veins, and Arteries display,
Which in old age grow faint, and filthy too,
And cease their former Offices to doe.
The Valves are clos'd, the tyred blood now stops
Within it's veins, and circulates by drops:
The Doors are off the hinges, and 'tis hard
To open them, that rusting age hath barr'd.
Before this be thy case, stirr up thy strength
And set to work for Heav'n, that at length,
When from this house of Clay thy Soul must put,
Thou maist not find the Door of Heav'n shut.
[Page 130] Before thy mouth, which now doth grind and crump
It's food with noise, it's food doth softly mump.
Before such noise, as you ne're wont to hear,
At midnight wake and Startle you with fear:
The Birds sweet voyce, which you were wont to love
Is harsh, and now to passion doth you move.
Not only Thunder, or the noise of Drums,
Beating and ratling in your sleeping rooms,
Disturb your rest;—but at the smallest din
You are awak'ned and must rise agin.
A Cock may'nt crow, or little Chicken peep;
Alas, Old age must ask them leave to sleep;
Before the Daughters Musick shall be turn'd
To Low and harsher Notes; the bellowes burn'd
Jer. 6. 29.
That fed the Organs; or before thy Lungs,
Those bags of breath do fail thee, and thy tongue,
Time-keeper to the rest, shall falter quite;
Thy pipes are hoarse, and do so creak, 't would fright
Thy self to hear them now, which heretofore
Melodiously could sing, and chaunt and roar,
Keep time and tune too, and rise and fall,
Observe their stops, and quaver it withall:
Could play so sweetly, that they'd often move
And ravish such as do wind-musick love.
But now these Daughters bid their mirth good night,
Their Musick's such, as cannot now delight:
They now afford (although they strain for't too)
No better musick than Groat Fiddles do:
Or if you please (which yet is more forlorn)
No better sound than doth a Gelders horn:
Therefore before thy Pleasant dayes are gone,
Young man! thy Great Creator think upon.

Remember thy Creator, &c.

VERSE V.

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the Almond-tree shall flourish, and the Grashopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
BEfore thou be afraid of what is high,
And causeless fears now in thy way do lye;
Before the blooming of the Almond tree,
And the Grashopper shall a burden be,
Before desire fail; because man must
To his long home, that is, return to dust;
The Mourners fill the streets with hideous cryes,
And make them eccho their sad Elegyes.

PARAPHRASE.

BEfore thy Health and Strength are so far spent,
That thou shalt tremble at the least ascent.
Time was, you could have over mountains run,
Climb pyramids, as if you'ld fetch the Sun
From his Celestial Orb; or meant to trace
Some other Planet in his nimble race:
But now 'tis otherwise; you stoop and bow,
Creep on all four, looking down below;
And if but one of all the four do stumble,
You tot'ring stand, and in a moment tumble.
And when thy crasie body's down, it lyes
Looking for help, but hath not strength to rise.
[Page 148] Hence 'tis, the smallest stone, or straw, or Hill
That's in thy way, thy way with fears doth fill.
The Almond Tree doth flourish, gray hairs sit
Thick on thy head, as blossoms do on it.
Those Church-yard flowers make thy head as white,
As Mother Earth is in a snowy night.
The Grashopper, the lightest burthen tires
Thy old and crasie bones:—All thy Desires
Of pomp and pleasure fail; the Mourners meet
And pensive walk together in the Street.
Because thine age doth tell them, that the Grave
Hath got one foot already, and must have
The other shortly;—one step more and then
No tears or groans can call thee back ag'en.

Remember thy Creator, &c.

VERSE VI.

Or ever the Silver Cord be loosed; or the Golden bowl be broken, or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain, or the Wheel broken at the Cistern.
BEfore the Cord of Silver lose its strength,
The Bowl of Gold be broken, or at length
The Pitcher from the Fountain broken go,
Or Wheel be broken at the Cistern too.

PARAPHRASE.

BEfore the Pith or Marrow of thy back,
That heretofore could bend, and yet not crack,
Could burdens bear, and ne're complain or winch,
Be weak and loosed with an aged wrinch.
[Page 149] Before the Pericardium of thy brain,
Being broke and shatter'd thou turn child again,
While yet the Veins and Vessels do impart
The Spirits to the Fountain of thine Heart.

VERSE VII.

Then shall the dust return to the Earth, and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it.
FOr when these cease, thy Spirit takes it's flight
To God, and bids thy body now good night:
So thy day's ended; now thou must return
A lump of Ashes to thy lasting Urn.

The Conclusion.

VERSE VIII.

Vanity of vanities (saith the Preacher) all is vanity.
THus thou hast (Reader) in a rustick strain
The wisemans counsel. What doth yet remain,
Are strong and well fram'd Arguments to prove
His counsel seasonable, and to move
Thee to the practice of it.—One doth lye
In the eighth verse, that all is Vanity.
This was the Preachers text when he
Eccl. 1. 1.
began,
And now he hath quite through his subject ran,
He re-asserts and doth with vigour cry,
Sirs (I have prov'd it) All is Vanity.
Riches and Honours, and whate're the world
Ver. 8.
Affords, are quickly into nothing hurl'd.
Its pomps and pleasures, sensual delight,
Like Vanity do vanish, when the night
Of death approacheth; or the evil Time
Of aged darkness clouds thy youthful prime.
Nor doth the wiseman speak at random, hee
Had paid for counsel, e're he counsel'd thee.
He sought it out and after doth dispense
This spirit'al physick on experience.
Ver. 9.
By Physick rules his Physick is the best,
It hath affix'd a true probatum est;
And that's enough.—For though he could have writ
No doubt whole Volumes on this Subject, yet
He gives the reason why he doth forbear,
'Cause multitude of Books a burden are:
Ver. 12.
[Page 135] A burden unto him to write, to you
To read a burden;—Wherefore Young man, now.
Take all in brief; thy Maker, that's above,
Ver. 13, 14.
Fear, honour, his Commandments keep and love.
The Motive to inforc't, is this in Summe,
That thou must dye and unto Judgment come.
O aeterna Veritas,
& vera Charitas,
& chara Aeternitas,
tu es Deus meus▪
ad te suspiro die & nocte!
August.

Soli Deo Gloria Sine FINE.

[figure]

A Plain and profitable Dialogue between a Sinner and Time.

Sinner.
THough Time be bald, perhaps he is not dumb !
Would'st thou but stop, Old Time, I would have some
Discourse about thy Person, and thy Glass,
Thy Sythe and Foretop.—Pray before thou pass,
Give me but leave, in a few words, to try
Whether thy self know'st what they signifie.
Time.
Ask what thou wilt, I'le answer as I walk;
But I ne're did, nor now can stand to talk.
Sinner.
Why art thou bald Old Man? what hast thou wore
All off with age, except that lock before?
Time.
No, 'tis an Hierogliphick, that doth teach,
If time's once past, in vain it is to reach
An hand out after him; that you must meet
Him as he comes, if past you cannot greet.
Your Goods may be confiscate, Money lent
To Hucksters, Houses burnt, Estates quite spent;
You may imbrace a stinking Dunghil, then,
Job 2. 8. Job 42. 10.
As Job once did, recover all agen.
But men or Angels cannot once repay
To you the loss of one Month, Week or Day;
[Page 138] Nor can one minute past e're be recall'd;
And that's the meaning of my being bald.
Sinner.
But why do Eagles-wings adorn thy Glass?
To manifest how suddainly we pass
From birth to death? Or do they represent
Our Swifter flight from hence, the sand being spe [...]
Time.
Yes, 'tis a lively Emblem, that doth show
How swift mans few and sinful hours do go;
Not go, but run; run, that's too slow, they flye:
Well said the Wiseman then, a time to dye
Eccl. 3. 2.
And to be born there is, but mentions none
For life; e're he could write it, that was gone.
When Hezekiah's Sun, and Moon 'tis said,
(And as some think) his Stars were retrograde
Full ten degrees; and Joshua's Sun did stand
Still in the Heavens; still the nimble sand
Of flying Time continued running;—They
Who lived then, could not for that long day
Reckon themselves one day, or hour younger,
Nor did it make their lives one minute longer:
But as the Glass continues running 'till
The last sand drops; so passeth Time, and will
Not step one minute back for high or low;
The Glass once run, ready or not, you go,
Where Time shall be no more; but swallowed be
Up in the Ocean of Eternity.
Thus, miserable man, you understand,
Why I this Glass do carry in my hand;
And though no Looking-glass, yet maist thou see
By it, how short thy sinfull dayes may be.
Sinner.
[Page 139]

What means thy crooked sweeping Sythe? hast thou Taken the field of the whole world to mowe?

Time.
Yes that I have, and will not let a Spire
Of with'ring grass live, grow one Cubit higher
Than is appointed by the God of Heav'n,
At whose commanding word I lay all ev'n.
My Sythe is keen, and 'tis impartiall too,
For I ne're strike, untill my God saith, do.
Cedars and Shrubs, Rich, Poor, Good, Bad, do fall
When their Time's come,—'Tis I devour all.
More precious trees stand longer, 'till they're ripe;
But fruitless Cumber-grounds I often wipe
Sooner away, at his command, who say's
The wicked shall not live out half their dayes.
Psal. 55. 23.
And though a long time I have pickt and chose,
And still do so, yet all must in the close
Be hewed down.—Some shall transplanted be
Into the heav'nly Canaan, every tree
That here is fruitfull—Others that have bin
(Like the wild Olive) fruitfull only in
The works of darkness, shall be hewed down,
And into everlasting fire thrown.
Matth. 3. 10.
Sinner.

Once more, and I have done; fain would I know What is the reason Thou do'st Naked go?

Time.

In short, it is to put all men in mind, The Time is coming they must leave behind

[Page 156] All worldly pomp, and as they naked come
Job 1. 21.
Into the world, return as naked home.
Riches nor Honours, Robes nor ought they have
Shall descend after them into their grave.
But that's not all:—My naked body show's
The Time is coming, when God shall disclose
Mark 4. 22
All secrets, that lye hid, and naked lay
The hearts of all men at the Judgment day.
Rom. 2. 16.
Sinner.
And yet once more (old Time) wilt thou declare
To me my future daies, how short they are?
How many are to come; how many past,
That I may know how long my life shall last?
Psal. 39. 4.
Time.
No, I may not; God hath determin'd none
Shall know how long their lives are; nor how soon
Death may o'retake them, that they alwayes may
Be making of provision for that day.
And one would think Ʋncertainty should make
The Sinners flesh to tremble, heart to ake;
To fly mad mirth, all sin, and still be doing
Something for Heav'n, who ev'ry hour's going
To Death and Judgment, and for ought he know's
This day may end his joys, begin his woes.
Luk. 12. 20.
To wind up all, there is a Latin Verse
Or two, which now I only shall reherse
('Tis to the purpose, and a serious one)
I'le leav't with you to English, and have done.
Fleres si scires unum tua tempora mensem,
Rides, cum non sit forsitan una dies?
Englished.
[Page 157]
If thou did'st know thy life should last
One month and then expire,
Tho'uldst pass that month in Sorrow:
And dost thou laugh, when this day past
Perhaps thou maist retire
Into thy grave to morrow?
God grant I then may number So
My dayes, which yet remain,
That whensoe're Death calls to go,
I Glory may attain. Amen.
In illo die, O Jesu, esto mihi Jesus.
FINIS.

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An Exposition of Christ's Temptation on Matth. 4. and Peter's Sermon to Cornelius; and Circumspect Walking; by Dr. Tho. Taylor.

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God's holy Mind touching matters Moral, which [Page 143] he uttered in ten Commandments: Also an Expo­sition on the Lord's Prayer: by Edward Eston, B▪ D.

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Horologiographia optica; Dyalling, universal and particular, speculative and practical; together with a description of the Court of Arts, by a new Method; by Sylvanus Morgan.

The Practical Divinity of the Papists discovered to be destructive to true Religion, and mens Souls; by I. Clarkon.

The Creatures goodness as they came out of God's hand, and the good mans mercy to the brute creatures: in two Sermons; by Tho. Hodges. B. D.

Certain Considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity amongst Protestants.

Mediocria, or the most plain and natural appre­hensions which the Scripture offers concerning the great Doctrines of the Christian Religion; of Electi­on, Redemption, the Covenant, the Law and Gos­pel, and Perfection.

The Saints triumph over the last enemy, in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway; by Nath. Vincent.

The Vanity of Man in his best estate, in a discourse on Psal. 39. 5. at the Funeral of the Lady Susanna Keate; by Rich. Kidder, M. A.

Peaceable Disquisitions; by Jo. Humphreys.

56 Sermons of Providence; by Joh. Collings. D. D.

Sermons concerning Grace and Temptation; by Tho. Froysell.

The Morning Lecture against Popery, or the Principal Errours of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning Lecture; preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London.

[Page] Four usefull discourses: (1) The Art of im­proving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of God; being an Appendix to the Art of Contenment in three [...]ermons, on Phil. 4. 12. (2) Christian submision, on 1 Sam. 3. 18. (3) Christ a Christia [...] life and death is gain. on Phil. 1. 21. (4) The Gospel of Peace sent to the sons of Peace, in six Sermons, on Luke 10. 5, 6. by Jer. Burroughs.

Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems.

A new Copy-Book of all sorts of usefull hands.

The Saints priviledg by dying; by Mr. Scot.

The Vertuous Daughter, a Funerall Sermon; by Mr. Brian.

The Miracle of Miracles, or Christ in our Na­ture; by Dr. Rich. Sibs.

The unity and essence of the Catholick Church visible; by Mr. Hudson.

View of Antiquity; by Mr. Jo. Hanmer.

The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church; or the particular Believing soul; in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins, D. D.

Large Octavo.

Heart-Treasure; or a Treatise tending to fill and furnish the head and heart of every Christian with Soul-enriching treasure of truths, graces, experiences, and comforts.

The sure mercies of David; or a second part of Heart-Treasure.

Closet-prayer a Christians duty. All three by O. Heyword.

Heaven or Hell here in a good or bad Conscience; by Nath. Vincent.

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