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<DATE>2012-02-22</DATE>
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<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>THE Young-man's Duty: OR Good Council for Young-Men.</P>
<P>Shewing the Happine&s;s of being good betimes.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ith an Alarm from the Eternal God, to Drow&s;ie Saints and &s;ecure Sinners.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> al&s;o the Young-Mans Objections an|&s;wered, and the Old-mans doubts re&s;ol|ved.</P>
<P>By <HI>Roger Hough.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>King 18.12.</HI></BIBL>
<P>But I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">overbs 16.31.</HI></BIBL>
<P>The Hoary Head is a crown of Glory, if it be found in the way of righte|ou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">nted by <HI>W. L.</HI> and <HI>T. J.</HI> for <HI>Phillip Brooksby,</HI> next door to the Ball, in <HI>We&s;t-&s;mith|field,</HI> near the <HI>Ho&s;-pital-Gate,</HI> 1677.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>THE</HI> Young Man's Duty.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 11 <HI>Chap.</HI> 9 <HI>Ver&s;e.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Rejoyce, O Young-man in thy Youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the &s;ight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all the&s;e things God will bring thee to Judgement.</P></Q>
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<P><HI>SOlomon</HI> in the Conclu&s;ion of this Chapter is Exhorting the Sons of Men to true Religion; and the better to, and in order to the &s;ame, he mindeth them of Death and Iudgement, without which there cannot be planted in us a right Care and Fear of God. From the Seventh Ver&s;e to the latter end, he hath to do with Two Sorts of Men.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> With tho&s;e that were glued to this life, and to the delights and plea&s;ures there|of;
<PB N="2" REF="3">of: And thus he brings them in, &s;peaking thus, <HI>Truly the light is &s;weet, and it is a plea&s;ant thing to behold the Sun, ver&s;e 7.</HI> By light there we are to under&s;tand the light of the Sun, &s;hining on us, while we enjoy this Mortal Life: This many men &s;uppo&s;e to be a very plea&s;ant thing; and they over|much content them&s;elves in the &s;ame. The&s;e <HI>Solomon ver&s;e 8.</HI> refuteth by three Ar|guments.</P>
<P>The Fir&s;t is this, that though a Man live many years, yet let him remember the days of darkne&s;s. That is, That a time of death will come; a time when our Sun will &s;et and our light will turn to darkne&s;s, though we live never &s;o long, never &s;o &s;weetly, never &s;o plea&s;antly, though we enjoy the light of the Sun, yet we &s;hould carefully remember that darkne&s;s abideth in us,</P>
<P>Secondly, &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> The&s;e days are.</P>
<P>His Argument is thus much, Let a man con&s;ider with him&s;elf, though he live many years, yet notwith&s;tanding the days and years of his life, cannot be compared with the days and years of his death.</P>
<P>Now in the Word we have read, we have to deal with Young-men; and he is altoge|ther given to jollity, and Merriment: He
<PB N="3" REF="3">forgeteth God, and the days of darkne&s;s, and his later end. <HI>Rejoyce, O Young man in thy Youth, and let thy Heart cheer thee in the day of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the &s;ight of thine eyes: but know this (there is a cooling Card) that for all the&s;e things God will bring thee to judgement.</HI></P>
<P>In the Word we will con&s;ider two parts.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t.</HI> What Young-men do.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The Medicine of God, to heal young-men of their default: that young-men do, is this, They give them&s;elves over to an inordinate Carnal joy: This joy is &s;et out from the time of it; the days of thy youth: from the cau&s;e of it, their hearts cheer them; from the kinds of it, they walk in the ways of their hearts, and in the &s;ight of their eyes.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The Medicine with which <HI>So|lomon</HI> would heal young-men of this inordi|nate carnal joy, is this: <HI>Know</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that for all the&s;e things God will bring thee to judgement:</HI> that is, It is a mo&s;t Divine and infallible truth, that every one &s;hould know and acknowledge, that what&s;oever &s;ins they commit in their Youth, without repentance they mu&s;t undergo the dreadful judgement of God, beeau&s;e of them.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="doctrine">
<PB N="4" REF="4">
<HEAD><HI>Doct.</HI> That it is a Sin of Young-men, to Re|joyce inordinately, and carnally, in the days of their youth, to walk after their hearts, and in the &s;ight of their eys.</HEAD>
<P>We Read concerning the Old World, that were Eating and Drinking and Marry|ing and giving in Marriage altogether &s;otti&s;h and &s;en&s;ual, till the Wrath of God came in the Flood, and &s;wept them away, <HI>I&s;a. 22.14. Let us eat and drink for too mor|row we &s;hall die.</HI> It is thought, this was not &s;o much the Language of Age, as of the Youth in <HI>I&s;rael</HI> Hence <HI>Solomon</HI> giveth a Caveat to Young-men, <HI>Eccle&s;. 12.1.</HI> To Bridle, and re&s;train from this jollity, and carnal Mirth: <HI>Remember now the Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou &s;halt &s;ay, I have no plea&s;ure in them.</HI> And the Apo&s;tle St. <HI>Paul, 1 Tim. 2.22.</HI> In&s;tructeth <HI>Timothy</HI> to &s;lye youthful lu&s;ts, <HI>Tit. 2.6. Exhort young-men that they be &s;o|ber minded.</HI> Let us a little con&s;ider the rea|&s;ons of the Doctrine, whence it is that Young-men &s;hould be &s;o much mi&s;guided in their youth.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t cau&s;e is, Natural Corruption that they have drawn by Propagation from
<PB N="5" REF="4">their Parents; a Spiritual Lepro&s;ie, and Malady; and a Di&s;ea&s;e, which as it prevail|eth for the mo&s;t part upon age by covetou&s;|ne&s;s, &s;o it geteth ground of youth, by &s;en&s;u|allity and voluptuou&s;ne&s;s: this dams up the ear again&s;t reproof; this hardens the heart again&s;t in&s;truction, and makes many young men the Souldiers of Satan in &s;in.</P>
<P>Again, in the &s;econd place, Men in their youth forget the day of their Reckoning and Iudgement, they are not mindful of their later end, <HI>Deut. 32.22. Oh that they were wi&s;e, that they under&s;tood this, that they would con&s;ider their latter end:</HI> this precept is neglected both by youth and age, but e&s;pecially by tho&s;e of younger years, for they think it is time enough to repent, and turn to God, when they are old; and &s;o they put off God from time to time, till at la&s;t ju&s;tice cuts them down, and throws them into everla&s;ting burning, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gna&s;hing of teeth.</P>
<P>Again, in the third place, Young-men are not broken down by afflictions, the Fallow ground is not Plowed up by afflictions; which through the grace of God, are great means to fame Nature, and to &s;ubdue Pride, and to bring the Soul to a right frame and
<PB N="6" REF="5">temper. <HI>Before I was afflicted</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David</HI>) <HI>I went a&s;tray.</HI> And <HI>Ephraim,</HI> &s;aith. <HI>J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r 31. I was as a Bullock unaccu&s;tomed to the yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">k. hou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> cha&s;ti&s;ed me and I was cha&s;ti&s;ed&s;t, I w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s a&s;h med<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> becau&s;e bore the reproach of my youth.</HI> But young-men are free from aches, and pains and &s;ickne&s;s, and &s;orrow, much more then old age, and this is the rea&s;on why they are more Licentious.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, Young-men want true Ioy in God, therefore they betake them&s;elves to Carnal joy, for &s;ure it is, a man cannot live without joy and contentment, if he hath it not from the Wells of Salvation. Now becau&s;e men in their Youth cannot take in the Spiritual Ioy of that clear Fountain, therefore they drink in the muddy waters of carnal joy.</P>
<P>The u&s;e of this point, is&punc; in the fir&s;t place an admonition to all Young-men to take no|tice of tho&s;e Maladies, and &s;piritual Di&s;ea&s;es in them&s;elves.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t degree of our healing is, to &s;ee that we are &s;ick: and till then Chri&s;t Ie&s;us the Phy&s;ician of our &s;oul, hath no Com|mi&s;&s;ion to do us good. Let Young-men ob|&s;erve in them&s;elves, Fir&s;t, Their Carnal joy. <HI>Solomon</HI> here &s;heweth that they rejoyce inordinately. This may appear to them|&s;elves.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="5">
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e they rejoyce not where they ought; they &s;olace not them&s;elves in God, in whom is the Fountain of all true joy, nor in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, in whom is the Spring of Ioy, nor in the Word, where there is the Ci&s;tern of Ioy; even as a bone when it is out of joynt, it mu&s;t needs be a di&s;|ordered bone. So the Affeictions when they are mi&s;placed, are di&s;ordered and then our joy and any other affections are mi&s;placed, when they are not &s;et upon God and Chri&s;t. Now if Young-men would deal uprightly with them&s;elves, they &s;hould perceive that for the mo&s;t part, in their jollity and merri|ment they never think of God, or dream of the World to come. Nay the &s;erious ap|prehen&s;ion of God Almighty, would quench their joy.</P>
<P>Secondly, The Carnalne&s;s of the joy of young-men, appeareth becau&s;e they rejoyce where they ought not, in Riot, in Drunken|ne&s;s, in Whoreing in all manner of Volup|tuou&s;ne&s;s, many time in Ob&s;cenity of Word and Phrai&s;e, in making je&s;t of the Holy Word of God: &s;o we may &s;ay of this merri|ment, it is a mad merriment; he is a mad man that rejoyceth in that, for which, except <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e betake him&s;elf to &s;erious and bitter mourning he cannot be &s;aved.</P>
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<PB N="9" REF="6">
<PB N="6" REF="7">
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<PB N="9" REF="7">
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<PB N="8" REF="8">
<P>Thirdly, The Carnalne&s;s of the joy of Young-men may appear in this: Becau&s;e they terminate and conclude not their joy in God: this followeth on the former: for it is impo&s;&s;ible that what beginneth not in God, &s;hould end in God: When joy be|gineth in &s;in, it cannot end in God, but in the Devil.</P>
<P>Secondly, Let young-men take notice of them&s;elves, how they walk after their own hearts: the heart that &s;ays, come, put away pen&s;ive thoughts, trouble not your &s;elf about the day of reckoning and judge|ment: Come let us enjoy the pre&s;ent time, now let us &s;ing and be merry, for we have time enough to repent. Thus they are re|&s;olved to take their &s;ill of plea&s;ure, like the fool in the Go&s;pel, which &s;aith, <HI>Soul, take thine ea&s;e, for thou ha&s;t goods laid up for many years.</HI> Thus they judge: and thus they walk after their carnal hearts.</P>
<P>Again in the third place, young-men walk after the &s;ight of their eyes: that is, they &s;tand gazing at things temporal, and neglect things e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nal, they &s;ee a beauty and lu&s;tre in tho&s;e outward things, and perceive no glory and brightne&s;s in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us.</P>
<P>Beloved, If we follow our own hearts, and our own eyes, it will be thus with us
<PB N="9" REF="8">as you have heard: but we &s;hould rather la|bour with <HI>J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">b,</HI> to make a covenant with our <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yes. Oh! how few Young-men are there that make a bargain and agreement with their eyes that they &s;hall not be as an open Ca&s;ement to let &s;in into the &s;oul? Oh! how <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ew young men are there, that like <HI>Jeremiah,</HI> have their eyes as fountains of water, to weep day and night for the afflictions of the people of God? Oh! how few young-men are there, that like <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> have an eye to the re|compence of reward, that they may &s;uffer af|flictions with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the plea&s;ures of &s;in for a &s;ea&s;on. Now I be&s;eech you take a Survey of your &s;elves in the&s;e things: the&s;e are vices and &s;ins, and deformities of young-men, to be &s;een, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">amented by all tho&s;e that hope to dwell in Gods holy hill.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> It is for exhortation to young-men. They &s;hould labour to be reformed in their af|fections, and hearts, away with this carnal <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oy we ought to ca&s;t it out of us.</P>
<P N="1"><HI>1.</HI> Carnal joy: would you know what the event of it will be; it will end in carnal &s;or|row, and without repentance in hell it &s;elf. <HI>Woe unto you</HI> (&s;aith our Savour Chri&s;t) <HI>that laugh now, you &s;hall weep and mourn: the triumphing of the wicked</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Zophar</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="9">in <HI>Job) is &s;hort, and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment; though his excellency mount up to the Heavens, and his Head reach unto the Clouds, yet he &s;hall peri&s;h, as his own dung; they that have &s;een him, &s;hall &s;ay, where is he? He &s;hall fall away as a dream, and &s;ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">l not be found: yea, He &s;hall be cha&s;ed away as a vi&s;ion of the night.</HI> But not to give you this in precept, but to &s;hew you how to reform your &s;elves in the&s;e Vices, that <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;pecifieth to bear &s;way in Young-men, let me lay you down the&s;e following Directi|ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, You mu&s;t betake your &s;elves to mourning for your Sins, as St. <HI>James</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Be afflicted, and weep and mourn, let your laugh|ter be turned into heavine&s;s.</HI> If we be not reconciled to God, if we have not a&s;&s;urance that we are intere&s;ted in Chri&s;t, there is no time for us to rejoyce, we &s;hould rather be|take our &s;elves to bitter mourning, for the wrath of God is due to us, and we know not how &s;oon it may fall upon us.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd place, Con&s;ider how vain all things are, in which Youthful Per&s;ons rejoyce. If Young-men rejoyce in Humane Wi&s;dom and Vnder&s;tanding, this is a vain thing, it is gotten with a great deal of trouble, and vexation of Spirit, <HI>Eccle&s;, 1.13.
<PB N="11" REF="9">gave my Heart to &s;eek and &s;earch out by wi&s;dom <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oncerning all things that are done under Heaven.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">his &s;ore travel hath God given to the Sons <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f Men, to be exerci&s;ed therewith. And in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">er. <HI>18. In much wi&s;dom is much grief, and he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat increa&s;eth knowledge, increa&s;eth &s;orrow.</HI> God doth &s;o puni&s;h the pride and boldne&s;s of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he Wit of Men, even from the fall of our <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ir&s;t Parents,</P>
<P>In the &s;econd place, If Young-Men rejoyce <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">n Honour and Credit among&s;t Men, this al&s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s vain, <HI>Solomon</HI> hath &s;hewed it, <HI>Eccle&s;. 2.6. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">here is</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>no remembrance of the Wi&s;e, more than the Fool, for ever, for which now is, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hall in the days to come, be forgotten.</HI> Again, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> a man rejoyce in Honour and Glory, he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">annot Believe. So &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>John 5.44. How can you believe &s;ince you &s;eek Honour one <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">f another, and not the Honour that cometh of God onely? Joh. 40.43.</HI> Nay, farther the Apo&s;tle &s;heweth us that this is the cau&s;e of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nvy, <HI>Mal. 5.26. Be not de&s;irous of vain <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lory, envying one another.</HI> Farther, Young-men commonly delight in plea&s;ures; the&s;e al&s;o are vain things. <HI>I &s;aid in my Heart,</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon, Eccle&s;. 2.2.) Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy plea|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ures: and behold this al&s;o is vanity.</HI> All
<PB N="12" REF="10">the&s;e plea&s;ures of youth &s;hall cea&s;e: there will &s;hortly be an end of your Wi&s;dom, Honour and Plea&s;ures, <HI>1 Cor. 7.29. The time is &s;hort; It remaineth that tho&s;e that have Wives, be as tho&s;e that have none, and they that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not; they that buy, as though th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed not; they that u&s;e the World, as not abu&s;ing of i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">; for the fa&s;hion of this World pa&s;&s;eth away.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, Our Saviour Chri&s;t, in <HI>Luke 8.14.</HI> &s;heweth that the plea&s;ures of this life choak the Word of God, that it cannot bring forth grateful fruit to God.</P>
<P>Fourthly, If Young-men delight in Riches, and rejoyce in the E&s;tates that God hath given them: this lightne&s;s is a vain thing.</P>
<P>For, Fir&s;t, Many times wealth is gotten by deceit, and then God bloweth on it, <HI>Jer. 5.27. As a Cage full of Birds&punc; &s;o are their Hou&s;es full of deceit, therefore they are become great and waxen rich; &s;hall not I vi&s;it for the&s;e things</HI> (&s;aith the Lord) <HI>and &s;hall not my &s;oul be revenged on &s;uch a People as this?</HI> &s;aith the Lord. Again, Wealth is kept with &s;orrow and vexation, <HI>Eccel. 5.12. The &s;leep of the labouring man is &s;weet, whether he eat li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">tle or much,</HI> but
<PB N="13" REF="10">the abundance of the Rich, will not &s;uffer them to &s;leep.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Wealth is left with a great deal of &s;orrow and vexation, <HI>Rev. 18.18. When <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he &s;moak of <HI>Babylon</HI> a&s;cended up to Heaven, Oh, what Lamentation there was! they cryed out What City is like this great City? and they ca&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he du&s;t on their heads, and cryed, weeping and wailing, &s;aying, Alas, alas, that great City, wherein were made rich all that had &s;hips on the Sea, by rea&s;on of her con&s;tline&s;s: for in one hour <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;he made de&s;olate.</HI> But &s;uppo&s;e farther, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat a man &s;hould get and keep his wealth in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he fear of God, yet the&s;e the&s;e things are mo&s;t un|certain riches.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, the&s;e riches cannot pre&s;erve your life, &s;o &s;aith Chri&s;t him&s;elf, <HI>Luke. 12.25. P&s;al. 62.9. and 49.78.</HI></P>
<P>Thus I have &s;hewed the &s;everal things that Young-men rejoyce in, and &s;hewed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ou like|wi&s;e, that their joy is founded upon vanity, and this is the &s;econd means to heal young-men of their inordinatene&s;s of their joy, to meditate with them&s;elves how vain and frivo|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ous all things are, they delight in.</P>
<P>The third means, is to betake them&s;elves to &s;eek &s;piritual joy: the well-head of this joy is in God: the grounds of this joy are <HI>2</HI> fold.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="11">
<P>Fir&s;t, The good things Exhibited.</P>
<P>Secondly. The good things Promi&s;ed.</P>
<P>The good things Exhibited, That God hath written our names in the Book of Life. Here is a Fountain of Spiritual I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n to a true Chri&s;tian. <HI>To rejoyce</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>not that the Devils are fallen before you, but that your names are written in the Book of Life.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The other ground of Spiritu|al joy, is, The good things promi&s;ed us; and tho&s;e may be reduced to two Heads.</P>
<P>God hath promi&s;ed: <HI>1.</HI> That our afflicti|ons &s;hall be for our Edification.</P>
<P>And, God hath promi&s;ed deliverance from affliction, all in the be&s;t &s;ea&s;on.</P>
<P>Again, For the defects of Grace in us, (which indeed is a thing grievous to a true Chri&s;tian;) here we may rejoyce.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, In the promi&s;e of pre&s;erving of Grace.</P>
<P>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">condly, In the promi&s;e of augmentation an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> growth in Grace.</P>
<P>Thirdly, In the promi&s;e of bringing the weake&s;t grace to perfection.</P>
<P>Here you haue the Well-head of joy, O<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> that young men would know God, and Ie&s;us Chri&s;t and the Word of God, and the Promi&s;es, that they may leave this &s;inful
<PB N="15" REF="11">&s;otti&s;h joy, whereunto they are &s;olicited, this is the means to be rid of it by getting into their Souls the &s;en&s;e and feeling of the true joy of the Children of God.</P>
<P>Again, In the &s;econd place; Young men &s;hould be exhorted, not to walk after their own hearts: which is the next thing that <HI>Solomon</HI> noteth as a fault in them. <HI>The heart</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Jeremiah</HI>) <HI>is deceitful, above mea&s;ure, and de&s;perately wicked, who would follow a fal&s;e guide? and a de&s;perate Wicked guide:</HI> &s;o is the heart of man.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, They &s;hould not walk after the fight of their Eyes. <HI>David</HI> Prayed, <HI>Turn away mine eyes that I regard not vanity, and quicken me in thy Law.</HI> And again, <HI>Open mine eyes, that I may &s;ee the Wondrous things of thy Law.</HI> There is much danger in following our eyes. <HI>Eve</HI> was mi&s;-led by her eye; She looked upon the forbidden-fruit and &s;aw it beautiful, and lu&s;ted after it. <HI>And when I &s;aw</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Achan</HI>) <HI>among the &s;poils, a goodly Babiloni&s;h Garment, and a wedge of gold, then I coveted them, and took them, Jo&s;h. 7.21. David</HI> was defiled with the glance of his eye: he &s;aw <HI>Bath&s;heba</HI> from the roof of his hou&s;e wa&s;hing her &s;elf, and then he lu&s;ted, <HI>2 Samuel. 11.1.</HI> Holy Men have prayed to God, that he would k&eacute;ep their eyes in a
<PB N="16" REF="12">right frame and temper. The&s;e are the par|ticulars that <HI>Solomon</HI> giveth to young men in direction, to take heed of Carnal joy: to take heed of walking after their Hearts: the&s;e things (Brethren) I have committed in direction to you.</P>
<P>The la&s;t part of this Doctrine I have re|&s;erved for Old-men: for if young-men may not rejoyce carnally, much le&s;s may Old-men: youth may plead for it &s;elf, in want of Wi&s;dome and Gravity, and Experience, better then tho&s;e of Age. If young-men may not have evil hearts and eyes, much le&s;s old men. Look to it, you that hear me this day, that are &s;tricken in age, (as the Scriptures &s;aith) that are &s;mitten in your limbs with age, that you cannot walk with activity, and nimblene&s;s, and are &s;mitten in your &s;en&s;es with age, that you cannot well &s;ee, and hear, and fa&s;te: Oh that your hearts would &s;mite you for your &s;ins: Oh, would to God you did bethink your &s;elves before it be too late: May not young men rejoyce in Plea&s;ures, in Friends, in Honour, in Wealth? much le&s;s may old age: mu&s;t young men be care|ful to cha&s;e away all Carnal joy, and get Spiritual joy, that beginneth in godly Sor|row? much more mu&s;t old men: It is no time
<PB N="17" REF="12">for tho&s;e that are Old, to rejoyce in car|nal things: a few days will make an end of them, and lay them in the Grave: Oh the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> you that are of years, break off your Sins by Repentance: and your iniquities by Mercy: Rejoyce ye, in being good: and in doing good, this joy will continue with you. But know thou, that for all this, God will bring thee to judgement.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="doctrine">
<HEAD>Doct. 2. That the Lord God will certainly bring men to Judgment for all the Sins they have committed.</HEAD>
<P>But know, thou mu&s;t know it: you &s;hould always remember it: and what&s;oever thou take&s;t in hand, con&s;ider with thy &s;elf whe|ther it will &s;tand with thee at that great day of judgement, <HI>Mal. 3.18. A Book of Remem|brance was written before God, for tho&s;e that fear the Lord, and thought upon his Name.</HI> So the Lord hath a Book of Remem|brance, wherein he writeth down the &s;ins of the Sons of men and this &s;hall be opened, <HI>Eccle&s;. 12.14. God will bring every Work unto Judgement, with every &s;ecret thing; whether it be good, or whether it be evil, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.10. We mu&s;t all appear before the Judgement &s;eat of Chri&s;t, that every one may
<PB N="18" REF="13">receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 1 The&s;. 4.16. The Lord him&s;elf &s;hall de|&s;cend from heaven with a &s;hout, with a voice of the Arch-Angel, and with the Trump of God, Jude 14.</HI> For the opening of this Point, I will briefly &s;hew you the&s;e two things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, What is the rea&s;on that God will bring all the&s;e things to judgement.</P>
<P>Secondly, What manner of judgement this will be.</P>
<P>For the Fir&s;t, What is the rea&s;on that God will bring all the&s;e things to judge|ment.</P>
<P>The Fir&s;t rea&s;on is, Decr&eacute;e, <HI>Heb. 9.27. It is appointed for all men once to dye, and af|ter Death to Judgement.</HI> Even as it mu&s;t needs be, that men mu&s;t dye, becau&s;e God hath appointed it, &s;o it mu&s;t needs be that men mu&s;t come to iudgement, in regard of the purpo&s;e and decree of God.</P>
<P>Secondly, God will do this, in regard of his righteou&s;ne&s;s: He is a holy God, a hater of iniquity: But many times in this World it is well with the Wicked, and ill with the Godly: <HI>Lazarus</HI> he is in woful mi&s;ery, and <HI>Dives</HI> is in abundance of pro&s;pe|rity. Now God will &s;hew his love to the
<PB N="19" REF="13">Righteous, and his hatred to the Wicked, in this judgement.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, the con&s;ciences of men may prove that there &s;hall be a judgement: For let a Man commit &s;ecret &s;ins, that none know|eth of but God and he, yet many times he feeleth helli&s;h horror, which is a manife&s;t proof, That Con&s;cience &s;eeth, and appre|hendeth God, as the Supream judge, That will call all men to account for their &s;ins.</P>
<P>Thus you hear the rea&s;ons why there mu&s;t be a judgement.</P>
<P N="1"><HI>1.</HI> It will be the la&s;t judgement, which declareth the terriblene&s;s of it. In this there is hope: Let the wicked for&s;ake his ways and turn to the Lord, and he will be gracious to him.</P>
<P>Again, It &s;hall be a general judgement: which is the &s;econd thing, <HI>2 Cor. 10. We mu&s;t all appear before the judgement &s;eat of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><HI>3.</HI> It &s;hall be a Manife&s;t Iudgement: Sometimes the Lord judgeth men &s;ecretly, by rai&s;ing up in them fears and horrors in their hearts, cau&s;ing his Cur&s;e in them, as Water in their Bowels, and Oyl in their Bones: but then God &s;hall open his wrath again&s;t the Children of wrath, before all the world of men, and no eye &s;hall pitty them.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="14">
<P N="4"><HI>4.</HI> It &s;hall be a &s;udden judgement, even as the flood came upon the old world, when they were &s;porting them&s;elves, and deriding <HI>No|ah,</HI> that preached to them of the flood: this day &s;hall come as a Snare, upon all that dwell upon the earth, it &s;hall come as a thief in the night.</P>
<P N="5"><HI>5.</HI> It &s;hall be a Righteous Iudgement, <HI>Rom. 2. God will tender to every man accor|ding to his deeds.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, It &s;hall be an eternal judgement So &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb. 6.2.</HI> It is not meant that God will fit for ever, but it is &s;o called from the effects: for the conclu&s;ion &s;hall be this: the eternal weal and happyne&s;s of the Godly, and the eternal woe and mi&s;ery of the wicked, that &s;hall be plunged by the Iu&s;tice of God into the &s;evere&s;t torments.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="application">
<HEAD>The U&s;e of this Doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>Will God bring both Old and Young great and &s;mall, to judgement? then let this be for in&s;truction to all, to ha&s;te to repen|tance. Beloved, this is one of the la&s;t things that God will do, and this is the greate&s;t thing that the Mini&s;ter can &s;ay: <HI>God will iudge you for your &s;ins, Acts 17 31. God hath appointed a day, in which he will judge
<PB N="21" REF="14">the World in Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Surely if this doth not awaken us, nothing will, nothing can. Art thou able to &s;tand before God when he is angry with us? oh, the hardne&s;s of Mans heart! that will not be awakened though he hears that the Iudge is at the door, but &s;till goes on, trea&s;uring up wrath again&s;t the day of wrath.</P>
<P>In the third place: this Doctrine that God will judge the world, &s;hould make us Pre|&s;erve in our &s;elves a good con&s;cience. <HI>Act. 24.16.</HI> The Apo&s;tle had hope that there &s;hould be a Re&s;urrection of the dead, both of the ju&s;t and unju&s;t, therefore he did exerci&s;e him&s;elf to have always a good con&s;cience, void of of|fence, towards God, and towards man.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, This Doctrine &s;hould teach us to fear God, and give Glory to him: As St. <HI>John</HI> &s;peaks in his Revelation: <HI>The Day of his Judgement is a coming, therefore fear him, and give glory to him: and the Lord give you under&s;tanding in all things.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
