EXHORTATION,

Recommending of RELIGION unto the Rising Generation. Religion, (if you derive it, a Re- [...]l [...]gendo) is but a Choosing over again. When it is said, in Eccl. 12.1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, in the Original there is that Emphasis, Do it in the Dayes of thy Choice. Truly Sirs, The Dayes of your Youth, are the Days of your Choice; and in these Days you make that Choice, whereon de­pends your Everlasting Blessedness or Misery. During all the doleful Days of your Unregene­racy hitherto, you had made a Bad Choice: You have not Chosen, like Young Moses, the Condition of the People of God: You have not Chosen, like Young Mary, the Good part that cannot be taken away: You have Chosen like them that have Loved Death, by your Choosing to Wrong your own Souls, in Sinning against the Lord Jesus Christ. But, Oh! that you would by Religion immediately mend your Choice; and make such a Choice, as you may Joyfully stand by, throughout Eternal Ages! Choose God for your Portion, Choose Christ for your Saviour, Chose Heaven for your Inhe­ritance; and therefore Choose Religion for the whole Conduct of your Li [...]es. There ate some have made, not Reason, but Religion ▪ the [Page 22] Essential Difference between a Man and Beast. This I am sure of, There is all the Reason in the world, that as soon as ever you are come to the use of Reason, you should Employ it in the Ex­ercises of Religion; and until you come to This, You are even, worse then the Beasts that Perish.

Now the Religion, to be recommended unto the choice of our young people, is, you see, under a Three-fold Notion to be set before them; a Good WAY, a Good WORD, and a Goo [...] HEED: wherefore, Come, ye Children, heark [...]n unto me, and I will teach you the Fear of the Lord.

I. A GOOD WAY, is the first thing, that our Young People, must have Recom­mended unto them. See to it, Young People, that your Way be Rectify'd, and by being Re­ctify'd, be Purify'd, according to the Orders of your God. Young men, you Stand, as the Poets report of young Hercules, after a sort, In Bivio, having the prospect of Two Wayes before you; there is a Vertuous VVay on the Right-Hand, and a Vicious VVay on the Left-Hand; whereto you are sollicited. O take the Better of these VVayes; whereof in­deed there is but One Good; and Know, that your Standing at the Right-Hand or the Left-Hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Dreadful Day of His Appearing depends on [Page 23] your taking of this VVay. But, VVhat VVay? O let it not be said of you, The Way of peace they have not known, and, They have Set themselves in a Way that is not good. But let your Way be, The Narrow Way, that Leadeth unto Life. Let not your way be that which is called in Eph. 2.2, 3. A Walk, according to the course of this World, [...]cording to the Prince of the Power of the Air, and in the Lusts of the Flesh. O may the good God keep you out of the way, to which the World, the Devil, and the Flesh invite you▪ Let not your way be, The way which wicked men have trodden: but, instead of that, let your way be that which is called in Prov. 2.20. The way of Good men. O that this might once be the way of Young men.

There is the Way of Repenting; let that be yours; and be you continually crying to GOD for power against your sins, as well as for the pardon of them all.

There is the Way of Believing; let that be yours; and be you continually Looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ, for the supply of your Souls with all Grace from his All-sufficient Fulness.

The way of the New-Covenant, and of Re­signing yourselves up unto the Most High, to be, for Him, and not for another, according unto that Covenant ▪ let this be your way: that so when you come to the End of your way, [Page 24] you may joyfuully hear the GOD of Heaven saying, as in, Ezek. 16.60. I will remember my Covenant with thee, in the days of thy youth. This is the Good old way to Everlasting Rest: Young man, take this old way; never balk any part or step of this way; take, and keep, and hold, and never be guil [...]y of such great folly, as to leave, this way of understanding. But then,

II. A GOOD WORD, is the ne [...]r thing that our Young People must have Recom­mended unto them. See to it, Young People, that you Study the Word of God; and, Search the Scriptures, like busy Miners, pursuing the inestimable Treasures in them. Let none of us despise or neglect our Larger Bible, when David that had but a little Moyety of the Bible, cry'd out, O 'tis more desirable than much fine Gold, and sweeter than the Honey comb. Give a due entertainment unto this invalua­ble Word of God. But how? I say, Entertain the Word of God Awfully. So did they in 1 Thess. 2.13. Ye received it, not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, Realize the voice of the Omnipotent God, in every line of this Word. Suppose that the Great God should with Rapid Peals of Thunder in the Sky over your Heads, articulately say, Young man, I have given thee thy Life, now give me thy Heart, and seek thou my face, that thy Soul may Live ▪ Would it nothing affect you? Why [Page 25] you may truly suppose, That the terrible Voice of God, as distinctly thus calls upon you in the Thunder Claps of his Word. Suppose it, and say, Lord, my heart stands in Aw of this Word! Again, Entertain the Word of God Frequently. This was enjoined, in Deut 6.7. Thou shalt talk thereof, when thou sittest in thine House, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. This Word falls like the Manna about you every day; and you should every day gather a Portion of this Manna. Ordinarily count the Day lost, or that you have had▪ but a Dark and a Black day of it, wherein you have not had something of this Word laid before you; let this Word be the Young mans, as 'tis the Good mans, assiduous Meditation! Once more, Enter [...]ain the Word of GOD Profitably. Let the Word be mixed with such things in you, as m [...]y conduce to your pro­fiting by this Word: and especially, let un­ceasing Prayer, accompany it. What said the Psalmist? in Psal. 27.8. When thou saidst, seek ye my Face, my heart answered, thy Face, Lord, I will seek. Even so, when God speaks to us, let us then seek to him. I have known a very Young person, who in hearing a Sermon sometimes, has not permitted one Text, or one Head, in all the Sermon pass him, without a pertinent Ejaculation thereupon. Thus, When [Page 26] we hear a Sin rebuked in the Word of God, follow it wi [...]h a Prayer, Lord, save me from that sin. When we hear a Grace proposed in the Word of God, follow it with a pray­er, Lord, fill me with that Grace. When any thing is Promised in that Word, Pray, and Wish, Lord, let this be my Heritage, and the rejoycing of my heart. And when any thing Threatned, then Wish, Lord, let not those Judg­ments come upon me. There was one of but Fight years old, that could say all the New-Testament by Heart: but it may be that thy Leaky Heart, like a Sieve, do's let slip the Word of God, which is poured thereinto; nevertheless, if the Word passing thro' thy Heart, excite such Prayers and Wishes, in it, a marvellous Purificati [...]n of S [...]ul, will be there­by Attained. And then,

III. A GOOD HEED is therefore, Last­ly, to be Urged upon the Young People before the Lord this Day. You are to Take Heed; and you shall be told, Of What?

First, Young People, TAKE HEED, Lest by Forgetting of your SOULS you Starve them, you Slay them, you Ruine them. The Youngest of you all, have a Precious, and an Immortal Soul within you; a Soul, by its Fall from God, plunged into such an Universal Wretchedness, as would amaze you, [Page 27] if one part of it, were not your being Star's Dead in it; a Soul, that cannot be Saved from that Wretchedness, by a Less Ransome than the Blood and Life of God Himself; a Soul, which is to Stand like a Rock in the Sea of an Eternity, either Comfortable, or Misera­ble, according to your Youthful Preparations for that Eternity. But, oh! what have you hitherto done, for the Welfare of this Ne­ver-Dying Soul? I say, Take Heed, Lest you fall into that most woful Disaster, in Math. 16.26. VVhat is a man profited, if he Gain the whole VVorld, and L [...]se [...] his own Soul? I hope, You Study to get into some honest Way of Living; You Labour to get Afore-hand in the World; You Desire to be Setled in a Family, with all the Conveniencies of a Credible Fami­ly about you; and you, Do well. But, O Take Heed, that all this while, you don't Neglect your Invaluable SOULS, and that Great Salva­tion, which is altogether necessary for your Souls. 'Tis reported, That when Herod Butch­ered a Son of his own, among the Children which he Murdered at Bethlehem, the Roman Emperour said upon it, It were better to be He­rods Swine, than Herods Son. Truly so, It may be said of many a Young Man, That Young man will do more for his Carcase, yea, he will do more for his Horse, or for his Dog, than he will do for his own Soul. But, [Page 28] in the Name of God; Is this to Act Reasona­bly? Take Heed, I say, Take Heed, Lest that SOUL of yours, have cause to complain, A Goodly Price am I Valued at of them! You set such a Price upon a Body, which the Worms are a few Dayes hence to Feed upon, that you have spent many a weary Year, for the Feed­ing, the Cloathing, the Pleasing of it. But in the mean time, will you Begrutch a Serious Hour, to be now and then Laid out in Work­ing out the Salvation of a SOUL, that shall En­dure, till the very Heavens be no more? A Goodly Price, Young People, A Goodly Price, for such a Soul! Oh! Methinks I over-hear that poor SOUL, making this Loud Cry, in its Owners Ears; Have Pitty on me, Wretch, Have pitty on me! Art thou careful of every thing else, but of MEE? O Do some­thing to Rescue me out of the Terrible Damnation whereinto thy Wickedness has H [...]l [...]d me; Do something that I mayn't be Left without God, without Christ, without Hope, as I have been hitherto I again say, Take Heed, Lest a Slight­ed SOUL, become an Eternal Cast-away!

Secondly, TAKE HEED, Lest your Com­pany prove your Confusion. [...]rigidus (O Juve­nes fugite hinc) Latet Anguis in Herba. Oh! That our Young People, who are generally by Nature Sociable, would be sensible of the Concernment that Lies upon them, to be [Page 29] wonderfully careful concerning their Society! I am to tell you, That your Society, will be perhaps the first Mark of your Conversion un­to God. You will no sooner begin to be in Earnest about your Everlasting Interests, but it will be seen, by your Abandoning that Wild, Mad, Frolicksome Company, which has it may be heretofore Enchanted you. But I am also to tell you, That your Society is like to be the worst [...]ane of your Conversion. What is it that [...]inders you from that Sober, Serious, Thinking Disposition of Spirit, which might probably bring matters to that pass with you, He Thinks and he Turns! It is the Entangle­ment of Evil Company, that keeps the most of you, in the Snares of Death. I say then, Take Heed, Young Man, Take Heed, Lest you go to Hell with and for your Company; such Company, as I assure you, will but Enflame that HELL, till it be Seventimes Hotter, than it Would have been without such woful Company! Hear, that Loud Call of Heaven De­part from the Tents of these wicked ones, Lest you perish in all their sins. How often have you been Warned, That your Society is for your Eternity! Say then; Would you be willing, throughout the Days of Eternity to be Lodg'd among these Lewd Youths, Who never had one Savoury Word in their mouths, Who Scoff at all that has any Savour of Devotion, Who do [Page 30] all they can to decoy one another into the Courses of Gaming, Drinking, and Abomi­nable Filthiness? Doubtless, 'Twill be your most Lively Cry to God in a Dying Hour; Lord, Gather not my Soul with such Sinners! And, I believe, if some of those wicked Companions, might come into your Cham­bers, when you are Lying on your Death-beds, the sight of them would smite your Souls with more Horror, than if all the Ugly Toads of Egypt were Crawling then about you. How often have I heard the Doleful Groans of Young People, when the Dimness of the Anguish of Death has been upon them, and when their quivering Souls have set upon the [...] Pale and Cold Lips, ready to be Gone for ever, alas, they knew not, Whither! then Crying out, O my vain Company, it has undone me! my Sitting with vain persons, has been the Damnation of my Soul! But, Young Man, Why do you not withdraw your self presently then from such Loathsome Sinners? VVe find, that when our Lord was going to be Crucify'd, in Mark 14. 51, 52. There followed Him a certain Young Man, and the Young Men Laid hold on him; and he Fled from them Naked. Young People, If you are Following the Lord Jesus Christ, in the practices of Christianity, there are other Young Ones, that will go to Lay hold on you, [Page 31] and oblige you to Accompany them in offer­ing all manner of Indignities unto the Lord Jesus Christ; Yea, those Impieties, wich do Crucify the Son of God afresh: But, Fly from them; Fly, whatever it cost you. Instead of Them, why should you not Associate your selves, with such Young People, as have their Pious meetings, every Week, to seek the Face, and Sing the Praise, and Repeat the word, of God, and [...] one another? Blessed be God, that we have so many such meetings among us! Tis an Ex­treme Sleepiness in our Churches abroad in the Country, that they no more Consult their own Hopeful Growth, by encouraging their Young People, to such Preparations for further Com­munion among the People of God. Such Pray­ing meetings of Young People, I am sure, will tu [...]n to better Account, than those Husking meetings, whereat so many of our young Peo­ple in the Country do debauch themselves; better I say, than those whereat the Young People, instead of answering the demands of God for Green Ears of Corn to be brought him in our Ear [...]y Piety, do make the pulling of Ripe Ears of Corn, an occasion of all the Lewdnesses in th [...] World. But oh! Let none of our Young Folks, ever disregard that Oracle of Wisdom, He that walketh with the Wise shall be wise, but a Companion of Fools shall be de­stroyed.

[Page 32]Thirdly, TAKE HEED, Lest your Delay­ing prove your Damnation. There is nothing more frequently or more dreadfully Threat­ens the Destruction of Young People, than their Delay of their Duty. They will not positively say, We will n [...]t hearken to the Word of God, but they say, We will hereafter Hear­ken: Like unhappy [...] in Act. 24.25. they [...] of, A more convenient Season. [...]ut VVhen? I beseech you, Vain Youths, when will that More Convenient Season, come? O do not say like them of old, in Hag. 1.2. The TIME is not yet Come. Take Heed, Lest by a by a Dre [...]m of, Hereafter, you utterly Lose the opportunity of making your Peace with God, and throw your selves beyond the reach of Mercy. Let This awaken you, That if you are not now in your Youth brought home unto God, it is probable that you never will be so at all: for the most of Them that are brought Home unto God, are so before their Youth is altogether out. But let me more particularly Admonish you, That you will Forfeit your Whole Opportunity, of Getting into the Lord Jesus Christ, if you Neglect the taking of your Present Opportunity after plain Warnings that have advised you to take it; if after you have been most fai [...]ly and fully Forewarned of the Danger in Delayes, you will still Delay to Turn unto God, upon a presumption of your having [Page 33] Time and Strength to Turn at your own Dis­pose, 'tis to be Look'd for, that the Righteous God will in His Wrath Swear against you, That you shall never Know the Things of your Peace; that you shall never be Purged from your Filthiness; that you shall never Enter into His Rest You have been told, Youth is Vanity; and its passing so soon, so fast away▪ is one thing that makes it Vanity. But, O Take Heed, Lest by Sweeling away your Youth in the Vanities of this World▪ you so offend the Spirit of Grace, that He Leave you in a Graceless Condition all your Dayes. If you Grieve that Spirit, you do but throw your selves into Interminable Griefs; If you Vex that Spirit, you do but procure▪ Everlasting Ve [...]at [...]ons for your selves; If you Quench that Spirit, you will but throw your selves into the Fire, that never shall be Quenched. All this you do, by▪ Delaying to do what is inc [...]mbent on you, in order to the Good Settlement of your Eternal Concerns. Wherefore, Take Heed of this Folly; and be able to say, Lord, I made Hast, and I did not Delay to keep thy Commandments!

THIS is that RELIGION, which we have Recommended unto the Rising Generation; and now we must bring this matter to some issue, before we part. Say, my Young People, will you now Comply, or will you still Delay?

If you would now COMPLY, and with Conquered Souls Reply, The Lord shall be my [Page 34] Father, and the Guide of my Youth; my Saviour, and the Love, the Hope, the Joy of my Soul! Then we would leave Preaching to you; we would fall to Praising of God for you. Yea, there is a very Charming thing that I am now to utter; I am now demanding the Consent of your Souls, unto the Blessed Proposals of RELIGION; and the Angels of God, with the God of Angels, are this Afternoon obser­ving whether you give an Hearty Consent un­to those Proposals. If you do it, the Glad Report of the Change now wrought upon you, will immediately be Spread through the Heavenly Regions, and the Caelestial CITY of GOD, will be All Joyfully Moved at the Report. All HEAVEN will quickly Ring with it, That such a Young Person is received into the Favo [...]r of the Eternal King, and into an Union with the Lord of Glory! And all the Three Persons of the Undivided and Ado­rable TRINITY, With the Myriads of Bright Spirits, that are about his Throne, will Re­joice over the Poor Youth, which was Lost, but is Found, which was Dead, but is Alive. Hard-Hearted Youth, how canst thou Resist a Charm so very powerful! Do not envy un­to Heaven, the Satisfaction of seeing the Youngest Creature here made an Happy Crea­ture! Do not hinder the Lord of Heaven from laying of thee, in that Bosome, where [Page 35] there once lay the Youngest of his Disciples! If when Jesus beheld a Civil, Moral, Well Dis­posed Young Man, He loved him, what will He do, think you, when he beholds, a Tru­ly Religious Young man? O be perswaded now to make Joy in Heaven this Afternooon, lest God Almighty Smite thee with Never-ending Sorrow in Hell another Day, for thy being such a Child of Unperswadeableness!

But it is to be feared, that there are Ob­stinate Souls, who will still DELAY, to Cleanse their ways, by taking heed, according to the Word of God: and as for these, there are some further pains to be taken for the Re­claiming of them.

As for You that are OLD PEOPLE, God forbid, that you should procastinate in Religion, whoever others do so procrastinate. You that are most unquestionably very near to your Everlasting Estate, had need get quickly be­yond Peradventures about that Estate; and make sure, that your Future [and yet so Nigh, that it is hardly to be called Future!] Estate, may be, That which remains for the Peo­ple of God. I say, Father, make hast; and tho' with One Foot in the Grave, yet Run, to and in, the Way of Gods Commandments. Art thou, A Sinner half an hundred Years Old! Oh, Tar­ry not One hour longer so much under the [Page 36] Formidable Curse of God, but give thy self up to God in Christ. This hour with hearty Lamentations over all the former Errors of thy Life. It has been sometim [...]s enquired, Quis Miserrimus! Or, who is the miserablest man in the World! And it has been Answered, Senex Egenus, or, A Needy Old Man. But I'l tel you who is a far more miserable man; A Godless Old man, a Christl [...]ss Old man, an Old man unacquainted with the comforts of true Religion. I [...] there be One such Old man within Hea [...]ing here, I would say This to him; Friend, It is not yet altogether Too Late for you to embrace the Tenders of the New Testament. Altho' that Old Age has Ploughed its Furrowes in your Faces, it is not yet al [...]ogether Too Late for you to be Ploughing up the Fallow ground of your Hearts, by true Repentance.

But yet I must say This also; That it will quickly be Too Late. Wherefore, make Hast, Old man, make Hast, in thy Cleansing of thy ways. We read, in Luc. 4.40. when the Sun was S [...]tting, all they that had any sick with diverse Diseases, brought them unto Jesus Christ; and He Laid His Hands on every one of them, and Healed them. Truly, Tho' thou a [...]t just come To thy Sun-Set, yet thou mayst be welcome unto the Lord Jesus Christ, with all thy Spiritual m [...]ladies; Repair to him, as the Prophet, the Priest, the King, of thy Soul; [Page 37] and that Sun of Righteousness will yet arise unto thee, with Healing in His wings. But if thou stay till it be Past thy Sun-set, there will then be no Remedy nor Escaping for thee; thou wilt then unavoidably Perish in Outer Darkness for evermore.

But with you, that are YOUNG PEOPLE, it is, that I am this Day concerned; I may not allow my Self to wear the Character of the Idol-shepherd, in zech. 1.11 16. He shall not seek the young one: but I pray, let a young man say as one of the Ancients, in many Sermons would, Ad vos mihi sermo O Juvenes! or, Tis to you, Young Foles, that my Sermon is now directed. As we read, Of a Young man, a Prophet, who in 2 King. 9.5. said, I have an Errand unto thee: And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, unto thee O Captain. So i [...] it be asked, unto whom I have an Errand from the Great God this Day, I must say, 'Tis to thee, O Young man! And my Business with you is, to Con­vince you, That you ought Immediately to set upon the practice of that Religion, wherein You shall Cleanse your VVayes, by Taking Heed ac­cording to the VVord of God. Wherefore, Come, [...]oung men, Let us Reason together; Hear my De­mands, in the Name of the God that made you.

Quest. I. Are not Gods COMMAND­MENTS, Gods Promises, Gods Threatnings, [Page 38] particularly directed unto YOU, Young People, to Engage YOU in Gods Religion? We read in 2 Joh. 4. of, Children walking in Truth, as we have Received a Commandment from the Father. God our Father has given a Commandment unto Us, Young Folks, to approve our selves [...]is Children, by Walk [...]ng in Truth, or, as His Truth directs. 'Tis the Commandment of God, Cast away from you all your Transgressions; but is it any where said, Let none but Old People Cease Transgressing? 'Tis the Commandment of God, Let the VVicked forsake his way, Returning to the Lord; but was it ever said, Let none but Old People Return from Wickedness? Never did you yet find any such Clause in all the Edicts of Heaven; but the Thing intended by the God of Heaven is, Let all people do so! So then, you Young People, are to do it. It is the Commandment of God, That All men should Re­pent; and it is His Commandment, That We should all Believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ. And what? Have you not so much Grammar in you, as to know, that the Imperative Mood has no Future Tense? It is not for the Time Future, but the Time Present, that you are thus Commanded.

Briefly, There is a Debt of Obedience, whic [...] You, Young Folks, Owe to the Almighty God. Well, suppose No Day had been Expressed in the Bill for this Debt. Why, Then Present [Page 39] Payment is to be Demanded. And now, as an Off [...]cer, of the Great God, this Day I make this Demand. Souls, You Owe to the Glorious God, all the Glory that by Loving Him, Seeking Him, Serving Him, and Giving your whole Selves unto Him, you can render Him. Don't put me to prove the Debt; You dare not but Own it all. I say then, Pay it out of hand, Pay it without any more ado; Let your God Now, presently have those Good Things which he Requires of you. But now I do again Think of it, There is a Day Ex­pressed, for your Obedience unto God; and I am to tell you, my Young Folks, that it is, THIS VERY DAY. As David said Long ago, To Day, O that you would hear the Voice of God! And Paul said again Long after him, To Day, O that you would hear the Voice of God! Thus, In Every Age, The same Thing still is to be said; and it is to be said also To every Age; What is to be done in Obe­dience unto the Voice of God, must be done, TO DAY. And therefore you have so many a, NOW, in the Commandments of God. His Voice is, in Jer. 25.23. Turn ye [...]OW every one from his Evil Way. Hs Voice is in Josh. 24.14. NOW Fear the Lord, and and Serve Him in Sincerity 'Tis His Voice, in 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold, NOW it the Accepted Time; Behold, NOW is the Day [Page 40] of Salvation. Agreeably whereunto, is the Speech of the Jewish Rabbins, Gnabar Zeman, Gnabar Corb [...]n; the offering is past, if the season be past, Well, But who is to Regard this NOW? Are they none but Old People, that should NOW be concerned about the Welfare of their Souls? Nay, Let Young People Hear; 'Tis Expressed, in Eccl. 12.1. Remember NOW thy Cre [...]t [...]r in the Dayes of thy Youth. And a­gree [...]ble hereunto, are those Calls in Psal. 148. 12, 13 Both Young men and Maidens, Old men and Children; Let them Praise the Name of the Lord. Plainly then, There is not so much as one Reasoning [...]abe among you to be Excu­sed from the Work of Praising the Lord; How? But by a Well-Ordered Conversation. Tho' our God Loves not that any should be Babes in Rel [...]gion, yet He Loves well to have Religion in Babes. In fine, The King of Hea­ven will have Young men, to stand before Him, and I am to do the part of a Press Master, for that Great King this Day. Young People, You are to List your selves under the Banners of the Lord Jesus Christ; and being so Listed, you are to Fight the Good Fight, by a perpetual Reli­gion, Opposing all the Enemies of His Kin [...] ­dom. THIS is the Service, whereto I do [...] Press you this Day in the Name of the Eternal MAJESTY. Shall I show you the Glorious Pay, that you are to Receive, if you Obey? [Page 41] 'Tis Contained in the Promises of God. Read that Promise, in Prov. 8.17. They that Seek Me Early sh [...]ll find Me; and say, what think you a­bout Finding the Lord Jesus Christ, That Pearl of Great Price. 'Tis here promised under the Hand and Seal of Heaven, That if Young peo­ple will come to Walk uprightly, they shall have Grace and Glory, and no Good Thing shall be Withheld from them. Young people, What are you for? Are you for Pl [...]asures? Become Ver­tuous, and you have a Promise of Pleasures at Gods Right-Hand for ever more. Are you for Profits? Become Ver [...]uous, and you have a Promise of Durable Riches with Righte [...]usness. Are you for Honours? Espouse vertue, and you have a Promise of a Crown, a Throne, an Eternal Kingdom. Well, but on the other side, I am also to set before you the Death, which is to be inflicted on you, if you Refuse. 'Tis Described in the Threatnings of God. Read that Threat­ning in Isa. 9.17. The Lord shall have no Joy in their Young men, for every one is an Evil Doer; and then Think, What will come upon you, if you continue in your Evil Doings. 'Tis Threatned, That if Young people, as well as others, [...] Sin against God, their Souls are to Dy for their Sins: Oh! but, The Death of a Soul, What a Formidable Thing is That! It is the Threatning of Heaven, That the Wicked shall be Turned into Hell, and all the Nations that Forget [Page 42] God. But what? Are there no Wicked Ones, but such as have Gray Hairs upon them, that fall within the reach of this Commination? Yea, There are Small Chips as well as Great Logs, Burning in the Fire of Hell. It is the Threatning of Heaven, That the Wrath of God shall be Revealed from Heaven, against all Ungod­liness, and Unrighteousness of men. But What? Shall only Aged men, if they be Ungodly and Unrighteous, fall under the Wrath of God? Nay, the Least of you all, do Ly open to, not the Least of that Wrath. Oh! Lay the Threat­ning of the Almighty, before your Eyes; and, I pray, Don't count the Darts of God, but Stubble, don't Laugh at the Shaking of His dreadful Spear. What shall I say more? David when there was a Great Work to be done for God, by his Young Son, thought it no Excuse for him to say, My Son is Young and Tender. Thus, Be any of you never so Young and Tender, yet I am to tell you, that you have a Great Work, for God, for Christ, for your own Souls, and for the Temple, incumbent on you; Oh! Be up, and be Doing, My Son, and the Lord be with thee. Don't slight the Commands of that God, at whose Voice, the Pillars of Heaven Tremble and who can with hot Thunder Bolts Reveng [...] thy Disobedience!

Quest. II. Can you not see that NECES­SITY in Religion, which may fully and [Page 43] fairly take off eve [...]y▪ Objection against it? There are I know not what, Objections, which Young People often have, against the Fear of God. But how easily answered! Sometimes 'tis objected, If we be Religious we shall be deri­ded. But, by whom, I pray? Derided by none but a Crue of silly Fool, whose Praise, I hope, do's not Co [...]ntervail with you, the Praise of God! By none but Wretches Act­ed so much by the Devil, that it is an Honour to be Reproached among them; I am sure, that the Apostles of Our Lo [...]d, once Reckoned so. As for all such as a [...]e not in Madness, gone to the farthest Elevation; they do all Esteem you the Better, for those things, for which these Bats de [...]i [...]e you. As the King of Israel upon the Atchivements of Young David, asked, Whose Son i [...] this Youth? So will every true Israelite, with great respect, be saying of you, What a Worthy Youth is this? And is it not better to have it said, There goes a Godly, Honest, Useful Young Man, than to have it said, There goes a Young Bully, as full of the Devil as ever he can hold? Ay, and I say this further; Let those People Scoff: but, Let him Laugh, that Wins. They Now [...]idicule you, for your Conscientiousness; they Mock at your Sabbaths, your Meetings, your Cautions. Well, Wretches, Mock on! But see you not, Their Day a Coming? I assure you, [Page 44] The Day is just at Hand, when these Mock­ers will be Trembling under the Last Arrest of Death upon them; and, Then! When they see GOD Frowning on them, Hell Gaping for them, and a Legion of Devils just going to Drag them away into their E­ternal Prison; How Then! Why, Then, will these Woful Creatures Gnash th [...]ir Dying Teeth, with Changing Wishes, Ō that I had Lived like those Young People, which I once Fl [...]uted at! Ō that I had been one among those Young People, which I spent my scoffs upon! Ō if I might now go back from the Pit, I would make those Young Men see that I Honour them, and that I Despise, all that are not like to those. This as to That.

Again, 'Tis Objected sometimes. 'Tis very Difficult for to be Religious— 'Tis True; But will not the Wages abundantly make amends for all the Difficulty? You Run, but it is for a Prize; You Fight, but it is for a Crown; You are to Work hard; yea, but it is your Salvation, which you are all this while working out. Besides, we say, To the w [...]lling all things are Easy. Make a Tryal! And Let Me Undergo all your Indignation, if upon the Trial, you don't find your Devotions more facil and more pleasant Things, than those Drudgeries of the Devil, whereby you are dai­ly Damning of your own Souls. Young People, [Page 45] 'Tis a most lamentable Paradox; That many of you are at more pains to procure for your Souls a Lodging among the Dragons, of the Pit below, than you are to make sure of your E­verlasting Weal; Yea, That half the pains which many of you take in the Debauching and the Destroying of your Souls, better placed, were enough to [...]ay Hold on Eternal Life. It is said of some, They Weary themselves to commit Ini­quity. Even so, Deal Honestly, Young Man, and say; Have you not been more VVeary in many of your VVandrings from God, than ever God required you to be in the severest Mortifi­cations of Holy Living? Let our Young people then say no more of That!

But in Fine; Let the Objection against Religion be what it will, there is This one thing to extinguish it; and that is, that this is▪ as Our Lord Speaks in Luc. 10 42. The One thing Needful. As Paul said about the Preaching of Religion, So let me say, about the practice of it, Necessity is laid upon you, and wo unto you, if you do it not. We say, De Necessaris non est deliber­andum; when a thing must be done, there is no room for Deliberation whether it shall be done. Come then, my Young people; I must allow you no Longer Time to Delibe­rate upon this Point, whether you shall en­tertain the Fear of God, or no; for you must, I again say, you must; and I am ashamed [Page 46] that you should put me upon using the least Argument about it. Hear the Dilemma; ' [...]is that, in, Ezek: 18.30.31. Turn, and so Iniquity shall not be your Ruine; make you a New Heart, and a New Spirit; for why will you Dy. Is this then, a matter of Disputation with you, whether you should Court your own Death and Ruin! Fearful Infatuation! Suppose a Law suit Commenced against thine Estate, wherein the Plantiff will certainly be too hard for thee; Wouldest thou not, Agree quickly with thine Adversary! Young man, Thy Title to Heaven Li [...]s obnoxious; there must be something done Quickly for the settling of it. Suppose a Dangerous Wound made upon thy thy Body, wouldest thou let it alone, till an Irretriveable Gangrene should overspread it! Why, thy Soul, That has bloody Wounds, and Brvises, and Ulcers upon it; it is Non-sence to Dispute, Shall I seek a Cure of these wounds? it must be done immediatly, suppose thy House were on Fire over thy Head, wouldest thou securely drowle and say, When I have taken t'other Nap, I'l see to the putting of it out! Why, thy Soul is in a plight, which has the Fires, of the Divine Displeasure Enkindled thereupon tis Phrenzy to Dispute whether they should be stopt or no; care must be taken immedi­ately to prevent the proceeding of those [...]i [...]e­ful [...]lames. Methinks, The very Instinct of [Page 47] Nature puts more sense into the very Brute Creatures, than there is in our Young People who dare continue in a state of Nature There are of them that will Shoot into their Burrows upon the First Sight of the Dog. Young man, the Bandogs of Hell are sensibly pu [...]suing of thee; and wilt thou not immediately then [...]ly into the Rock that is Higher than thee? There are of them, that will upon the first Approach, or even the Shadow of the Kite, get under the Wings of their Dam. Young man, the Har­pies of Hell are [...]luttering about thee; and wilt thou not Immediately now Fly to the Re­deemer that would fain gather thee, as an Hen does her Chickens under her Wings? Briefly, Whatever the Devil has to Object against Re­ligion, you may stop the Mouth of that Foul [...]iend, with telling what is Written. Say, 'Tis Written, in Heb. 12.14. Follow Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Say, 'Tis writ­ten, in Joh. 3.3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. And this is Written for Young People, as well as Old! In a word; A Young man once had betaken himself, to the Severities of a Christian Life; and Re­ceiving Letters from his Father, with some o­ther pretended Friends, which he understood, were to Disswade him from his Christian Course, he never broke the Seal [...], [...]ut he threw the Let­ters into the Fire, protesting, I will never so much [Page 48] as give the Hearing, unto any thing that can be said against the Christianity wherein I am En­gaged. I say, inasmuch as you must be Reli­gi [...]us, you should not so much as give the Hearing unto any Objection against your being so. If the Old Serpent go to Charm you, be you like the Deaf-Adder, to all his Charms.

Quest. III. You have put off Religion a LONG WHILE ALREADY; and, I pray, is not That Long Enough? Let me call upon our Young People, as the Angel did upon Young Austin; Take up and Read! Take up and Read! And now, Like Him, upon that Cal [...], Read what is in Rom. 13.11. Now it is High Time to Awake out of Sleep. You are fast Asleep, Young People, till you come to be Religious: But O Awake, and see how high the Sun is Risen. They are no Incon­siderable Things that you have to do; There are a vast multitude of Sins, whereof there is a Pardon to be obtained; You have migh­ty Corruptions to be Subdued; You have migh­ty Temptations to be Conquered; You have many Relations to be Fulfilled; and many Services to be Performed: and your Evidences for Heaven are all still to be Treasured up. And what? Asleep still! Begin to be Religious, when you will, you may say, Nimis sero Te A­mavi, O [...], Lord, I blush that I have made it so [Page 49] Late, before I begin to Love thee. I am sure, as to many of you, That if you should (And Oh! that you would!) this Afternoon Turn to God, yet you will have cause to Admi [...]e the Credit, and Comfort of some others, whereof you may Confess your selves with Paul, As Born out of Due Time. To Stand Barren among the People of God, for Three Years together, is by much too much; but it is Likely that some of you have stood so, for more than Three-times Three. Let me Enquire of you; I pray, How Old are you? It may be, Twelve, or Fifteen, or Twenty Years Old. And what? A Slave of the Devil all this while! Sure, 'Tis Time for you now to say, as in 1 Pet. 4.3. The Time past of our Life may Suffice us, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles; And much more, To have wrought the will of the Devils! All the World has Cry'd out upon the Insolence of that Pope, who made the Roman Emperour wait Three Dayes upon him Abroad, before he would give him any Audience. Young man, The Spirit of Almighty God has been waiting for an Admission into thy Heart for this many a Day; He has been Calling, Open to Me ▪ and this, till His Head has been wet with the [...]ew; but thou hast kept the Door of thy Sinful, Doleful Heart hitherto shut upon Him. And what? Is it not yet Long Enough? Young man [Page 50] Wilt thou not be made Clean? When shall it once be?

Quest. IV. There are OTHER SORRY TRIFLING THINGS; Do you while off Those Things, as you do Religion? What if your Betters, bid you be sure to meet them, at such a time and place? You do not make Them stay for you. But the Glorious Lord Jesus Christ has Ordered you to meet Him in His Ordinances; He has an Hundred Times in a Year, for this many a year, been here Looking for you; And still you make Him Stay! What if your Neighbours request a Courtesy from you? You then say not unto them, Go away, and come to morrow! But your own Souls are begging of you, that you would afford some Relief unto them; And yet you Regard them not! It has been said, The Kings Business requires Hast: But Religion, that is the Business of that, Blessed and only Potentate, who is the King of Kings; and Lord of Lords: And I pray, Why no more Hast about That Business? Nay, Young People, I have a worse Complaint still to make of you; You have not put so much Disrespect upon the Devil himself, as you have done upon the Eternal God! We read of the Tempted Young man, in Prov. 7.22. He goeth straightway. Truly, when the Devil has been Beckening un­to thee, Young man, to follow him in those [Page 51] Youthful Villanies, which were the undoing of thy Soul, Straightway thou hast followed this Devil, Straightway thou hast Thrown a­way thy own Soul. There, the Young People, Sponte sua properant; Labor est inhibere volantes. But the God of Glory has been urging of thee, unto that Religion, which would infallibly bring thee unto Eternal Glory; and He must after all say, I would have Purged thee, and thou woul­dest not be Purged. Mourn, O my Soul, mourn when thou seest what a Wonderful and an Horri­ble Thing is done by the Young People in our Land!

Quest. V. Suppose the God of Heaven, should Put YOU off, as you put off the Religi­on of that God; I beseech you, How would you like it? You are not only Impatient, if a Servant of your own stay long upon an Er­rand; With how much discontent say you up­on it, How Long this Lazy Creature Loiters! Whereas the Infi [...]i [...]e God sent you into this World, upon that Errand of, Bearing some Te­stimonies for His Truths and Wayes; and you have been Loite [...]ing, even for some whole Prentice ships of Years! Methinks, I Over-hear the Resentments of my God upon it; I [...] this Person upon an Errand for my Service, more than Ten Years ago; and the Vain Youth has never done yet so much as one stroke of that Errand! Say, Young man; Is this Conveni [...]nt? But [Page 52] we'll Turn our Discourse another way. I say then; What if the Great God Himself, should not presently Accommodate You, when you Cry unto Him for His Mercies? In what [...] Importunate Hast are you; Like that in Psal. 70.1. Make Hast, O God, to deliver me; Make Hast to help me, O Lord! Or, Like that in Dan. 9.19. O Lord, Hear, O Lord, Forgive, O Lord, Hearken and Do, and Defer not! Or, Like that in Psal. 143.7. Hear me speedily, O Lord, my Spirit faileth! Well, and what if the Blessed One should now give no Answer but this, Be Patient, Sinner; Be Patient; It may be Twenty or Thirty Years hence, I'le consider, whether any thing should be done for thee? How Discomposed would you be upon such a Denial? With what Raging Souls would you Expostulate, as in Psal. 13.1. How Long wilt thou forget me? O Lord, for ever? How Long wilt thou Hide thy Face from me? Yea, 'Tis well if you don't become so Froward, as to say with him, Why should I wait for the Lord any Longer? Unreaso­nable Youth; Why then must the Most High, be continually Calling in thine Ears, Make Hast, Young man, make Hast to S [...]rve me; Defer it not, but speedily do it; and your Answer be, that you will do it, you scarce know, When, your selves? What if you should hereby pro­voke Him to say, I will not wait for that Young Sinner any Longer? I cannot but own, Lord! [Page 53] Thou wouldest be Just in thy Speaking, and Clear in thy Judging so!

Question VI. You delay to set about Re­ligion; But HOW LONG do you design to Delay? I pray, What is it, that you stay for? Alas, my Young Folks will not present themselves unto the Lord, until they become as Blind and as Lame, as those Jebusite Idols, which were Hated by the Soul of the David. But Let me debate this Point a little with you. You will be Religious, when Old Age comes to tread Hard upon you. Will you so? That is, you will do no Good things till you come to your Evil Dayes! You will never Look unto the Lord Jesus Christ, until your Eyes cannot see without Glasses! You will never Hear the Voice of God, until your Ears be­come as Deaf as a Beetle! You will never Walk in the Path of Life, until your Feet can­not carry you without a Staff! And is this all the Offering that you'l have to bring un­to an Infinitely Glorious God? Let me Plead with you, as the Prophet with his Peo­ple did; Sacrilegious Youth, Offer such a thing now unto thy Governour; Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy Person? saith the Lord of Hosts. Well, But you will be Religious, when Sick­ness has laid you on a Bed, whence you may suspect that you may not come off Alive. And Why Then? That is, When Legions [Page 54] of Devils Commissioned by a Neglected and Offended God are about you, throwing the Chains of Eternal Darkness, over you, you'l then think of escaping from them▪ You will then first fall to Serving of God, which cannot be done without Fervour of Spirit, when all the Spirits you have left you will not be enough to Grapple with the pains of your Bo­dies! Then, when like Israel in Bondage, you will be able to hearken unto nothing for Anguish of Spirit, you will, it seems, never Hearken until Then! Yea, Art thou not fear­fully Distracted, Silly Y [...]uth, to do nothing for thy Soul, until, the Time, when, for ought thou now knowest, thou shalt be so Distract­ed, as that, not one Coherent Thought can come into thy mind! But I'l suppose, that God may Allow you such a long Space to Repent as you allot upon. I am nevertheless to tell you, That a Late Repentance, is very seldom a True Repentance. We have a Daily De­monstration of this, in those Multitudes of Wretches, who while they lye, as they think, a Dying, do bitterly bewail all their Divellism, and yet recovering, they play the Devil, as much as ever they did before! We have the Report of such a Repentance, in those Terms, Psal. 78.34.36. When He slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and Enqui­red Early after God. Nevertheless they did Flatter Him with their Mouth, and they Lyed unto him, [Page 55] with their Tongues; for their heart was not right with him! As I have known many Con­demned Malefactors, under the Expectation of their Execution, have such Marvellous ex­pressions of Repentance, that one could not have imagined meer Hyp [...]crisy in the bottom of all. And yet I must freely say it, Of those pretended Penitents, that have been Reprieved and Pardoned, I can't Remember Two, but what have afterwards Proved Prodi­gies of Wickedness. Thus Deceitful uses to be that Repentance, which counts it Early e­nough to be Seeking of God, when men find the Almighty God slaying of them! Yea, But I have another Check for your Young People's Dilatory Phrenzy; and that is this. How do you know, Young People, but that an Early and a Sudden Death, may overtake you! We Read of some, in Job 36.14. They dy in Youth. Pray, mind, the next time you step into the Burying- Place, whether you can see no Graves there, that are shorter than yourselves? We Read of some, in Job. 21.13. In a mom [...]t they go down to the Grave. Pray, How many go out of the World, not having Liberty to say, Lord, have Mercy on me! at their going?

I say then, Are you sure, that you shall e­ver see either Old Age, or Sickness! If not, Be not so Mad, as to Venture your Everlast­ing Interests, upon such desperate Peradven­tures. [Page 56] Young Man, What if thy Life should be out, before this Year be out? Why, as the Prophet of Old said unto One, thus 'tis probable, that there are some now in this Congregation, Whereof it may without an extraordinary Prophecy be said, This Year thou shalt dye. And What? will not the suspicion of such a Thing make thee this Year, Give All diligence to make thy Vocation and Election sure? Yea, 'twas a necessary Advice of a Rabbi to a Scholar, You must be sure to Repent, at Least one Day before you Dy. And I am to tell You, that your Death will be very lamen­tably Ci [...]cumstanced, if at It you cannot say, 'Tis at least a Day since I made my Peace with God. But I am to tell you one thing more; Namely; That you cannot Be sure of this most Necessary thing, except you do it this very Day. For, Boast not of to Morrow; thou knowest not what a Day may bring forth!

Besides all this; Peradventure you should come to a Pensive Old Age, or to a Ling [...]ing Sickness; Yet it is bur a Peradventure, that the Grace of Repentance may then be given You. The Apostle speaking of Sinners that Oppose the Calls of God, has this unhappy Discouragement upon his heart about them, in 2 Tim 2.25. If Peradventure, God will give them Repentance.

[Page 57]'Tis beyond Peradventure, that if you don't hear the Voice of God now to To Day, your Hearts will grow Harder and Harder every Day, [See Hebrews 3.7. & 8.]

'Tis beyond Peradventure, that the Longer you continue in your Sins, the deeper and the faster will those Weeds of Hell be Roo­ted in your Souls: The Longer the Devil has possession of your hearts, the Strong Ar­med One, will have so much the Stronger hold of you▪ The more Inveterate your Dis­tempers are, the more like to be Incurable: Every Day that you go on in your Infide­lity, you lay a New Stone, upon that Hide­ous Wall of Separation between God and You.

For this, there is no Peradventure; But it is a meer Peradventure, that after you have sleighted the Grace of God, which now pro­fers to bring you unto Repentance, you should at last have this Grace as it were, Forced upon you; Or, that the Soveraign God, who Works in us to will and to do, what­ever Good we either Will or Do, should saving­ly Work upon you, after you have been ma­ny years, presumptiously throwing off all Fear & Trembling, about your own Salvation! Con­sider, Young Men; and Play not the Mad-men any more.

[Page 58]Quest. VII. You Procrastinate in Religion; but what is the LANGUAGE of that Pro­crastination? Many of my Young People say, That they will not yet Cleanse their Wayes; But what is the English of this? For the Inter­pretation of Deeds is much easier and surer, than that of Words. The plain English of it then is; That you will still remain an Enemy of God, and a Child of the Devil! This, O Inconsiderate Youth! Even This, is the Foaming Language of thy Delayes to be Religious. You say, That you will still Go on, to Rob God of a Servant, Christ of a Subject, the Holy Spirit of a Temple, and all Mankind of an Honest Neighbour. For your Procrastinations in the Business of Religi­on, your Plea is, Non vacat, or, I have no Lei­sure for it; but the Truth is, Non placet, or, I take no Pleasure in it. It is noted, That the Building of the City of God, went on apace; because as in Neh. 4.6. The People had a Mind unto the work. But it is no Uncharitable Cen­sure upon You, Young People, who have never done any thing yet for the Growth or the Peace of that City, That you have no mind unto the Work. You say, To Morrow, You'l Consider your Wayes; but your meaning is, To Morrow come never; God Almighty takes it so. In­deed, you say, That God will never be Glorious, That Christ will never be Precious, That Sin [Page 59] will never be Dangerous, That Satan will never be Bloody, That Hell will never be a Place of Torment, and, That Heaven will never be the Pleasant Land. For Mark it; If these Objects are not so just Now, they will Never be so; They'l Never be any other than what they are Just Now. And you say, They are not thus J [...]st Now; for else, you would by Religion ac­knowledge their being Thus. Behold, Young man, Behold the Blasphemies, in the Bowels of thy prolonged Unbelief! Yea, Tho', I hope, thy very Soul within thee is moved with a Just Horror, at those Greater Devils Incarnate, who Dare the Almighty to Damn them, which is an Impudence beyond what the other Spiri­tual Devils have ever yet arrived unto; Yet I here Indict Thee, for using of that very Lan­guage, in thy Sinful Procrastinations to Leave off thy Sins. What says the Psalmist, in Psal. 68.21. God shall Wound the Head of his Enemies, and the Hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses? Wherefore, when Thou Goest on still in thy Trespasses, thou dost in Effect say, Let God Almighty Wound me if He please; I va­lue not His Wounds! But, Hold, Young man; Oh! Talk not so exceeding Lewdly, neither Let such Arrogancy come out of thy mouth.

Quest. VIII. What if you should unhappily DY before you are Acquainted with Religion; [Page 60] What will then become of you, throughout Eternal Ages? We read, That the Threat of a Fiery Furnace, once made all the Country, ex­cept three or four Young men, to Renounce the God of Heaven. But I do this Day require all of our Young Folks, to Adore, to Obey, to Glorify that Great GOD, by the Denunciation of a more Terrible Fiery Furnace unto the Dis­obedient. It was long ago said, in Mat. 3.7. Who hath Warned you to Flee from the VVrath to come? Let our Young People now take notice, That they have the fair VVarnings of such a VVrath, and VVho 'tis that has given them such VVarnings. Young People, you must Expect that the VVrath of God, will multiply Desolations upon you, in this World, if you Despise His Religion. It is from Him that I do this Day de­clare this Thing among you; if you Apostatize from the God of your Fathers, He that was your Fathers Friend, will become your Unap­peasable Enemy, and with Ireful, Direful, VVasting Plagues, He will take Vengeance on you, for your Apostasy. If you persist in putting slights upon Him that would be the Lord-Re­deemer of your Souls, the Angels of Death, will get leave to smite you with the Arrows of Death, till there be Left but a little Remnant of you. My Brethren, It astonishes me, that I see you no more astonished with the Fearful Judgments, wherewith a Righteous and an Angry God, is daily Consuming Our Generation; and, The [Page 61] Fury of the Lord is poured on the Assembly of our Young men together! But as the Prophet said once unto a Great man, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast not hearkened unto my Counsel; So, if you still give a Deaf Ear unto the Counsels of Religion, I know, that God has Determined still to Employ the Beesome of Destruction upon my woful Gene­ration; and, I know, that some of you, must Ly open to the Sweeping Strokes of that Fla­ming, Deadly Beesome. O my God, Thou know­est the Griefs, the Fears, the Tears, wherewith I Deliver this thy Message.

But this is not all the Message; I am to tell you, That if you thus Dye in your E­strangement from Religion, there is a more Dreadful Wrath still to come upon you in a­nother World; and such a Wrath to Come, that after 'tis already Come, there will be still more to Come, and more to Come, through­out Everlasting Ages. Your Tortures, by the Fire of Gods Displeasure, Flashing like Hot and Fierce Lightning into your Souls, and by the Worm of your own Conscience, like a Snake perpetually Stinging of you with Reflections upon your Old Miscarriages; These Tortures will not only be Intollerable, but Interminable. When you then feel yourselves passing into those Tortures, with what an Horrible Con­sternation, will you Roar out your Vain [Page 62] Shrieks for a Rescue, o [...] at Least, a Respite, from the Place of Torment! Oh! When you indeed find your selves Drawing Nigh to that Hideous Place, Then, as Job Speaks, [...] would Fain Flee out of the Hands of God! and, Then, with what inex­pressible Fevers in you Souls, will you beg, Like the Foolish Virgins, Lord, Lord! Open the Door of thy Kingdom unto me, and Let me not go down into the Horrible Pit! Or, Lord, Lord! spare me▪ that I may have a little more space to look after my soul, before I go hence, and be no more! But [as it has been truly said, Justum est ut a Deo Contemnatur Mo­r [...]en [...], qui Deum Omnipotentem Contempsit vivens:] the Blessed God will Then in the Day of His Vengeance, be as Regardless of your Cries, as you have been of His Calls Now, in this Day of His Patience. Young man, Read the Last Verses in the First Chapter of the Proverbs, and be Awakened! Know it, That your Per­dition will then be unavoidable; and God will Accomplish upon you, that VVord of His, i [...] Jer. 11.14. I will not Hear them in the Time that they Cry unto me. And what an Horrid Welcome, Young People, what a Wel­come do you think, you shall then have of those Cruel Devils, to gratify whom, you have scorned the Religion of God? We have late­ly Seen, befalling a great many Young People [Page 63] in this Land, one of the most Prodigious Things, that ever happened in the World! The Devils have actually Seized those Young People, and cruelly Scalded them, so that VVe, the Standers-by, could see Blisters, and Smell Brimstone, when yet our Eyes could not perceive the Instruments of those Cruelties. The De­vils have, with Ghastly Spectres appeared unto these Young People, and Wounded them with a Thousand Preternatural Vexations; but still so Captivated their Senses, that ordinarily they might not mind any thing that was Devout. These Devils have kept some of these poor Creatures in a Starving Fast, for Nine, yea, for Fifteen Dayes together. And the most Killing Mischiefs thus inflicted have been presently Cu­red, that so there might be a Daily Renovation and Repetition of those Mischiefs. This Live­ly Picture of Hell have we Young People, seen upon several of our own Generation; when 'twas perfectly Impossible, there should be any Humane Legerdemains in the Drawing of it. But as it was once urged, Surely if one went un­to them from the Dead, they will Repent; Even so, By the permission of God, the Devils co­ming from the Damned, have in the Possessions of many Young People, display'd an Image of HELL before our Eyes. And, I remember, One of the Possessed, Lying in such Anguishes as would have broke an Heart of Stone to [Page 64] have seen them, once got [...]o much Liberty from the Infernal Fetters that were upon her, as to Cry out, Oh! All you that Stand by, Be­hold, what an Hard Master the Devil is! One would think, that the Rest of our Young People, should now Repent of all their Misde­meanours! But, Wicked Youths; if you will not yet Leave your Hard Masters, you have a lit­tle seen after what a T [...]culent, and what a Tremendous Fashion, They will handle you, when you shall at last fall into the Hands of those Hellish Fiends; you have seen, a Little, How t'will be, when those Freckled Adders, are Crawling and Coyling about you for ever­more. O That by the Fear of this thing, I might Pull you out of that Fire, that never shall be Quenched! Finally,

Quest. IX. Do! Dy Strangers to Religion; and how will you hold up your Heads in the Day of GODS PLEADING with you? It was the Premonition once given to the Young man, in Eccl. 11.9. O Young man, Know thou, that God will bring thee into Judgment. Well but then, O Young man, Know thou, What Wit­nesses will appear against thee, in that Judg­ment, if thou dost not now by Religion prepare for [...] [...]dgment! Of two things, you may be certa [...]n: One is, That God has Appointed a Day, wherein He will Judge the World in Righteousness, [Page 65] by that Man [...] He hath Ordained: The o­ther is, That This Day of the Lord, it is Near, it is Near, and it hastens greatly. But now, Consider, O Young People, What Witnesses your Irreligion, will in that notable Day, be Condemned with. As Moses could say to the perishing Israelites, in Deut. 1.43. I spake unto you, and ye would not Hear, but Rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord: Even so, There will at Last be a Triumph of Justice over you, when there shall come in an Army of Witnes­ses against you; saying, We Spake to this Young man, but in spite of all our Speaking, he would Re­bel against the God, that Made him. Tis possible, Your Parents may then after this manner testi­fy against you: Lord, when this person, was un­der our Instruction, we often charged him to Serve thee with a perfect Heart, and a willing Mind; We told him, that if he Sought thee, thou wouldest be found of him, and if he forsook thee, thou woudest Cast him off for ever. We Dedicated him to thee, and would fain have Educated him for thee. We did in our poor measure set the Example of a Godly, Zealous, Watchful Walk before him; we Pray'd for him, we Wept over him, we were in A­gonies of Soul that we might see thy Image formed in him. He slighted all; and therefore we have nothing now to say, why thou shouldest not make him a Vessel of thy Wrath World without End. Young man, With how many Scorpions will this Lan­guage [Page 66] of thy Disappointed Parents Lash thee, in the Day of God! Add hereto; 'Tis pos­sible, Your Masters may then in like man­ner testifie. Lord, When this Person dwelt with us, we often set before him the Danger of all his Evil Courses; we fore-warned him of the Snares wherein Lay his Eternal Hazards; He had the Daily Devotions of our Families to For­ward him in thy Fear: We put Good Books in­to his hands; we Encouraged him to wait upon thee in the Meetings of thy People; and we al­low'd him Time every Day for his Communion with thy Majesty. Nothing would work upon him; and therefore we cannot but Leave him to the Proceedings of thy Everlasting Righteous­ness. Young man, Is this the Report which thou wouldest have thy Masters bring in, unto the Judge of the World▪ concerning thee?

But in Fine, Your PASTORS: They that now Long fo [...] your Salvation; They, that are continually Studying, Praying, Fasting, Wee­ping and Watching, for your Salvation; e­ven These too, must become Accusers, when they meet you e're long before the Tribunal of the Dreadful God. Syrs, we should not count even our Hearts-Blood, a thing too considerable, to be Spent, if the Spending of that would certainly obtain the Conversion, though but of any one Young Soul among [Page 67] you. And if [...] might see our Young Doves Flocking apace unto the Windows of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we should count ourselves Richly Recompenced, for all the Travels of our Weary Souls. We know what the Apos­tle saies about his Beloved Thessalonians, in 1 Thess. 2.19. What is our Hope, or Joy, or Crown of Rejoycing! Are not even ye, in the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ at his Co­ming? It seems, that in the other World, A Paul shall see and know those that have by His Ministry been brought Home unto God, and he shall Rejoice to behold them gathered like a Crown about him. Truly, I think, I cannot in any one thing Rejoice more, than I do in a Thought which now entertains me; There is a Vast Crowd of Young People Assembled here this Day; but there are many now in this Crowd, that shall be our Immarcescible Crown, in the Day of the General Assembly. Yea, We shall enjoy a Glad Eternity, with some of You, O our Young People; Whom we shall FIND, and SEE, and KNOW again, in the Kingdom of GOD, and hear saying, Blessed be GOD, That ever I saw the Face of such a Minister! Oh Sir, my God helped me to follow the Counsels that you gave me in His Name, and from His Word; and now, 'tis as you told me! You have brought me to this Glorious Heaven with you. Yea but [Page 68] if you remain Incorrigible in your Indispo­sitions to Cleanse your Ways, by taking Heed according to the Word of God, it is a sad Mee­ting which you are like to have with us in the Day of the Lord. We have had Our Death hastned, by the Afflicction which we have endured in Our own Souls, and by the Displeasure which the Jealous God has at Yours, for your Incorigibleness. But Methinks, what passed between Reuben and his Brethren, when they stood before Joseph, carries a little Resemblance, of the In­tercourse which You are to have with Us, before the Judgment-Seat of Jesus; in Gen. 42.21.22. They said one unto another, We are verily Guilty concerning our Brother; in that we saw the Anguish of his Soul, when he be­sought us, and we would not hear: therefore this Distress is come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, Saying, O do not Sin—and ye would not Hear. Even so, When the Anguish of the Sccond Death is taking hold on you, You will then say, We are verily Guilty concerning Our Minister; We saw the Anguish of Soul, the Sweats, the Tears, wherewith he besought us to be Reconciled unto God; but we Sleighted all; and therefore Our Souls are now thrown into an Eternal Anguish. But, are you willing that We should then declare before the Lord of the whole World, [Page 69] Lord, we spake unto these poor sinners; We told them of the sins that Ruined them; We told them of the Jesus that would save them from their sins; We told them, How and Why they should make their Peace with God; but no means would Prevail upon them! The Blood of Your Souls, will Then be Laid, where it Now truly Lies; As for us, We shall be Clear of that Blood!

But Oh! With what Resolution, shall your Tired Preacher, after this Long importunity, now Dismiss you?

When the Prophet spoke the Word of God, unto an Altar of Stones, it Rent be­fore that Word; O let not your Hearts now be so much Harder than Stones, that the Word of the Most High, shall find, or make no entrance thereinto. As the Roman Embassador, demanding an Answer to his Message from a Person that was willing to have consider­ed first a little further on the Message, made with the Point of his Sword a Circle about him, saying, Intra Hunc!— Sir, You sha'nt stir from hence, till I have your Answer; Tru­ly, I have by an Importunity now grown into the Third Hour, let you see, how Loth I am to let you Stir, till I have your An­swer to the Demands of Religion, which have [...] made you in the Name of God. [Page 70] But, O my Young People, what Answer will you give? Do not say, 'Tis too soon for you to Cleanse your Wayes: Except it were Too soon for you to be Saved from all the Horri­ble Plagues which your wandring from God have brought upon you; Except it were Too Soon for you to enjoy the Wisdom and Righ­teousness and Sanctification and Redemption, which the Lord Jesus Christ has to bestow upon you: Or, Except it were Too soon, for you to Dy, and it were never known that persons younger than you are, have Dy'd in their Sins: never say of Religion, 'Tis Too soon for That! He that now tells you, 'Tis Too soon, will shortly tell you, 'Tis Too Late. And if it should once come to be Really Too Late, what will you then say of your selves? The Wise man has call'd, The Sinner, by that Name of, A Fool, more than Fifty Times over. But thou wilt then keep Chiding and Branding thy self as, A Fool, for more than Fifty Millions of Ages. They that gathered Manna, were to do it in the Morning, or not at all. And why should it be Too soon, for you in the Morning of your Youth, to be Looking afte [...] an [...]nterest in the Lord Jesus Christ, The Bread of Heaven? In the Catalogue of those that came to make Da­vid a King, we read, There was one Zadok, a Young man; mighty of Valour. A [...]d why [...] it be, Too Soon, for you that are in [Page 71] your Flourishing Age, to appear in and for the Kingdom of our David? It is reported of Hezekiah, That in the First Year, and in the first month of his Reign, he opened the Doors of the House of the Lord. And why should it be Too Soon, for you in the First Year, and in the First Month, of your Reason, to open the Doors of your Hearts unto the Lord? When the Lord Jesus was but Eight Dayes old, He parted with some of His Blood for us. And can it then be, Too Soon, even for you that are Eight Years old, now to part with your Sin for Him? O say not so; but by the Circumcision of your own Hearts, Put off the Old man, while you your selves are yet far from Old. Like a Servant of Abraham, I am this Day Wooing of your Young Souls, That you would become United and Married, unto the Son of my Glorious Master, the Prince of Life, the Lord of Glory; and here I am sure, Blessed is that Wooing, that is not Long a Doing. Say, Can it be, Too Soon, for you to be Match'd unto the King of Hea­ven? If you will Go with me, I would carry you, as far as I can, into the New-Covenant of Grace; unto all the Proposals of which Cove­nant I once again ask the Consent of your Souls. Well, Will you Go? O 'Tis far from Too Soon, for you to say, I will Go. With Conquered Souls then say it; and so take the Blessings which we are to Leave upon you. It was said, in Psal. 119.147. I prevented the [Page 72] Dawning of the Morning, and I Cried: I hoped in thy Word. Why, If you will now in the Dawning of this your Morning, devote your selves unto God, by true Religion, you may then Hope for all those Blessings which the Word of God has Entail'd upon such Religion. May these Blessings in a singular manner and mea­sure now be Poured down, with the Spirit of my God, upon my Generation; and may there be many Young Ones among us, whereof the Lord may say, These are pleasant Children, I will surely have Mercy on them!