A Directory for Youth Through all the Difficulties attending that State of Life. Or a Discourse of Youthful Lusts. IN WHICH The Nature and Kind's of them are described, and Remedies against them laid down.  
First Preached to Young People, and now Published at their Request.  
By Samuel Pomfret, Minister of the Gospel.  For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth, Job 13. 26. His Bones are full of the Sins of his Youth, which shall lie down with him in the Dust, Job 20. 11. Remember not against me the Sins of my Youth, Psal. 25. 7. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my Youth, Jer. 31. 19 Ad vos juvenes mihi Sermo; flos aetatis periculum mentis. Aug. de temp. 
London, Printed for John Dunton at the Black-Raven in the Poultry. 1693.   

To the Young People that were Hearers of the following Sermons, and since have been solicitous for the Publishing of them, Grace and Peace, etc.  
Beloved Friends,  
THat sincere Affection, and Compassion, which God hath wrought in me, to your precious Souls, hath prevailed with me (against my natural inclination) to yield to your Request, for the Printing those Sermons that I Preached from ●● Tim. 2. 22. wherein is recommended to ●● the weight and necessity of St. Paul's Ad●●●ition to Timothy to Flee Youthful Lusts.  
The Wise Man saith, Prov. 25. 11. A ●ord spoken in season is like Apples of ●●ld in Pictures of Silver. And if so, then must be allowed me, that I have not miscar●●d in my choice of such a Word spoken to you: O that I might not miscarry in my wish for you, namely, that it may prove eventually, a Word whereby you may be saved. The Word damned is hard, you would not have that to be your lot. But pray permit me to tell you, (plainly and publicly without Lisping and Whispering) that saved you cannot be, and damned you must be, except by a true and timous Repentance you flee your Lusts; the infallible truth of which is originated in and built upon his Word, who is Truth itself, and cannot lie, as you may see in the 6. Gal. 7. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap. 13. Luke 3. Except ye Repent, ye shall perish. 8. Rom. 13. If ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die. 20. Job 11. His Bones are full of the Sin of his Youth, which shall lie down with him in the Dust. 5. Prov. 11. And thou mourn at the last, and say, How have I hated Instruction, etc. 11. Eccles. 9 Rejoice O young man, in thy youth— but know thou that for these things God will bring thee to Judgement.  
O Young People, would you with due care apply these, things to your own Souls, it were enough to rend the very Caul of a secure Heart. I know such is the Depravation of our. Natures, that if there were, any possibility of escaping Hell and Damnation, without fleeing our Lusts; we should never voluntarily submit to this Godly Counsel given by St. Paul to young Timothy. I have read of a Book that the Pope hath called Taxa Camerae Apostolicae, wherein men may know the Rate of any Sin, upon what terms men may keep a Whore, be Drunk, etc. As to that it is a bundle of Lies. But the Inspired Scriptures may be truly called a Rate Book, where any of you may know what a beloved Lust will cost without Repeneance (viz.) the Wrath of God in Hell: and so everlastingly true is this, that I beg you to despair of ever finding the least Jota of God's Word to fail, or fall to the Ground unaccomplished.  
I know you will be tempted to do as other Young People commonly do, namely, to forget these things, and by the sloth and aversion of a wretched Heart in conjunction with Satan's temptations, to be carried away to other trivial matters; wherefore let me entreat you, as ever you would avoid the Curse of Reuben [Unstable as Waters] to ballast your Hearts, by laying in strong and powerful Convictions of the intolerable Evil of Sin, the indispensible necessity of Christ, and holiness, the unconceivable worth, and the preciousness of your Souls, and Time, and the unavoidable approach of Death, and Judgement. Look ye, you Young Folks, the Breasts of whose Virginity hath not yet been pressed, you are young, and want that, Experience that elder Christians have; and therefore the greater allowance must be made; you must allow your Souls more time to digest the great mysteries of Religion by Meditation and Prayer: And you are more strongly bend to sensual Pleasures and Sports, and to forget God and your Souls, Death and Judgement. And therefore you must so much the more chastise the pregnancy of that Vanity and Folly that is bound up in your Natures by a severer vigilance and abstinence. When I was young, it pleased God of his infinite Mercy, to privilege me above thousands with a Religious Education, and by his restraining Grace to preserve me from open Profaneness (blessed be his holy Name) But yet notwithstanding this (to my own just shame I mention it) in those early and wanton days of my Youth I was miserably vain, foolish, and disobedient, serving divers Lu●ts and Pleasures: The bitter remembrance whereof hath (for more than 20 Years passed) cost me Sighs and Groans unutterable: Oh! the time's not to be numbered that I have wished I had been sick in Bed rather than sinning against so good a God; the Remote parts of the World that I have been in, the Roads I have journeyed in, the Fields I have watched in, the Nights I have watched on, the Houses I have lived in, and the Beds I have lain on, can witness to my Tears and Sorrows while I have recognised my Vanities and Folly.  
And now forasmuch as it is utterly impossible for me to recall and recover those past and misspent days of my Youth. I would on the bended Knee of Importunity, for my own sake, as well as yours, beseech this one thing of you, (as I have of God for you) (viz.) to take Warning, and to be effectually persuaded (by the Terrors of the Lord which I have felt) to Flee that Youthful Lust, and with that Godly young man Moses, rather choose any Affliction than adventure to sin; it's a known Sentence felix quem faciunt, etc. It's not unknown to many of you, how unwilling I have been drawn to expose these my homely thoughts to public view. But an extreme thirst after the present Conversion, and Eternal Salvation of your Souls, hath overswayed me herein: I know God's Blessing upon it can make it effectual to reach this end, which is all I aim at, or am ambitious of; and if it shall please Almighty God to make me a poor weak Instrument successful herein, I shall go to my Grave with joy, and esteem it so great a Recompense, as if I were young again, or had remembered my Creator in the days of my Youth.  
I am not ignorant of my own Infirmities, but I writ not to you Fathers and Mnasons, old Disciples; but to Children and Youth, who need not strong Meat, but Milk. If any other should so far humble themselves, as to cast an Eye upon so mean a Discourse, with whom its business is not, I would desire this of them, that instead of loading this poor thing and its Author with harsh and hasty Censures, they would lend it and him their help in their hearty Prayer to God for a Blessing upon the one, and an increase of Gifts and Grace in the other. I esteem myself obliged to acqudint you, that two of these Sermons were Preached above a Year ago, and those Young Men that were not my Auditors then, may be apt to think that I have made great alterations in the transcribing of them, for as much as here they will meet with a great deal more than what they heard in a single Sermon about six Weeks ago, wherein through the straits of time I could do no more than just name many particulars, which formerly I was large upon.  
I shall detain you no longer, only add this hearty desire for you, That while many of your Age are hastening the Wrath of God upon this poor Nation by their Atheism & Immoralities that you may be frequenting your Closets, and on your Knees mourning for your own and the Nations Sins,  the Lord come upon us with his fierce Anger, and there be no remedy, which is the hearty desire of him, who is a willing, though weak and unworthy Servant of Christ,  
Samuel Pomfret.   

2 Tim. II. xxii. Flee also Youthful Lusts.  
IN this Chapter Paul proceeds to direct Tim. in the right management of his great Work, whereunto he was called; in order to which he instructs him, whence he should derive strength for it, v. 1. than he exhorts him to propagate those truths to others which he had heard, and received from him, v. 2. then he encourageth him to endure hardness in his Work, from a two fold Metaphor, viz. that of a Soldier, and an Husbandman, who first strive and labour, and afterwards receive the reward, and reap the fruit of their pains; from ver. 3 d. to the 8th. There he minds him of the Example of Christ, who first suffered, and died and afterwards was raised to life again, and thence inferreth that all the faithful who suffer with him, shall also live and reign with him for ever. From v. 8. to the 14th. and then he gives other instructions, how he should behave himself as a workman, that need not be ashamed, dehorting him from all vain and profane Babble, and Errors, that began to infest the Church of God; adding an argument that if a man purge himself from these, he shall be a Vessel of Honour, prepared for his Master's work, from 14. to the 24th. and so he cometh to the words in my Text, Flee also youthful Lusts.  
Which admonition to Tim. one would have thought might have been omitted, and that upon a two fold account, Tim. had an infirm, weak Body, and such sickly people usually incline more to mind a Winding-sheet than wanton Lusts.  
Tim. was a holy young Man, very temperate, for the most part drinking only Water; and such cold Liquor was more likely to quench, than inflame the heat of Lusts: and yet because Tim. was a young Man, Paul saw need to give him this admonition. Well then may you young people need it: Besure it is written for your admonition in these last and lewd days, on whom the end of the World are come: Wherefore attend thereunto as for your lives. Flee youthful lusts. In which words there is no need of any Logical division, to detain you from this following Theological proposition, which (without the least violence done to the Text) naturally floweth from it.  
That it is a duty of special concernment, to young people, to flee youthful lusts. In the prosecution of this Doctrine, I shall endeavour the resolution of these following Questions.  
Q. 1. What is the import of the word Flee?  
Q. 2. What are those Youthful Lusts that you are so concerned to flee?  
Q. 3. Why it as a duty of such special concernment for Youth to flee those lusts?  
Q. 4. How young people may best Practise this their especial duty to flee youthful lusts?  
Q. 1. What is the import of this word Flee?  
Answ. Now to Flee imports the swiftest motion, as to run is more than to go, so to flee is more than to run; Wings are nimbler than Legs. You know in all motion, there is terminus a quo, & terminus ad quem, the terms from which, and the terms to which So it is here flee from sin to God. Flee i. e. to the farthest distance from sin, and to the nearest closure and union to God, 11. Job 14 If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away, How far? so far as God puts it away when he pardons sin, even as far as the East is from the West, 103. Psal. 12 So should you do in your Repentance for sin.  
Object. But we can as soon, flee from ourselves, as from our Lusts, in this sense: the Law in our Members will abide.  
Sol. Although there cannot be in this life a perfect freedom from, nor destruction of sins, Being an existence, (this being only the privilege of the glorified Souls above) yet there may and must be a subversion of its Power and Dominion, both in Heart and Life; so that the meaning is flee from thy youthful lusts to the utmost distance, even as far as the East is from the West, in respect of thy love, and affection to, and practice of these lusts: Tho sin is and will remain in thee, yet maintain a continual alienation in thy heart and endeavours in thy life against it, in a diligent use of all those sanctified means, and spiritual remedies which God hath appointed for the abandoning thy youthful lusts. Such as these following.  
1. Vehement desires and long of soul after the mortification of them in their habits as well as external acts. 7. Rom. 24.  
2. Deep humblings of soul, and loathe of self, for former yield to thy Lusts, 73. Psal. 22. So foolish and ignorant was I even as a Beast before thee. 31. Jer. 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Surely after I was instructed, I smete upon my thigh, I repent; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.  
3. Earnest cries to Heaven for Preventing, pardoning, and purging Grace, 19 Psal. 13. Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion ever me. 51. Psal. 1. 2, 7, 10. verses, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, Wash me throughly from mine iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me, and I shall be clean; create in me a clean heart O God.  
4. Fixed resolutions in Christ's strength to obey your Youthful Lusts no more. 14. Hosea 8. Ephraim shall say, what have I any more to do with Idols? 34. Job 32. Lord what I know not, teach thou me, and wherein I have done iniquity, I will do so no more.  
5. Lively acting of faith on a crucified Christ, and the precious promises. 6. Rom. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed; that hence forth we should not serve sin. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises, (dearly beloved) let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.  
6. Daily watch against all occasions of drawing out your youthful Lust and Corruption. 31. Job. 1. I have made a Covenant with my eyes, that I will not look upon a Maid▪ 18. Psal. 23. I have kept myself from mine own iniquity, and you may rank under this head that in 13. Rom. 13. of making no provision for the flesh, to fulfil it in its lusts.  
7. And Lastly, Willingness to receive a Christian and Friendly reproof, for your youthful sins, and follies. 141. Psal. 5. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head. Now when you carefully use these, and such like-means, which God in his holy word hath appointed: than you comport with this exeellent Rule, Flee Youthful Lusts, and so you have the import of that Phrase, Flee, which will further receive an accession of light, if you read with it those other Scriptures, where the word Flee is used in a good sense. I shall only allude to them.  
Flee youthful lusts, as Lot fled out of Sodom. 19 Gen. 17. Flee for thy life, look not behind thee, stay, not thou in the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. Flee Young man thy Lusts, as Joseph fled from his tempting Mistress. 39 Gen. 12. And she caught him by his garment, saying lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. Flee as Jaocb fled from the face of his bloody Brother Esau. 35. Gen. 1. Flee as the poor distressed Manslayer, fled from the avenger of Blood, to the City of refuge. 19 Deut. 5. And thus I have endeavoured the Resolution of the first Question, what the import of the word Flee is?  
Q. 2. What are those youthful lusts, that you are so concerned to Flee?  
Ans. In the Division of our lives, there are peculiar, and predominant lusts, incident to each division: Now in the general, Youth is obnoxious to most sins, yet some more than others. Youth hath its proper sins, that hang about, that haunt, and dog that season of life; some whereof respect the temper of their minds, and others the frame of their lives, which I shall give you in these following Heads.  

1. Aireness of Spirit, levity of Mind, vanity of thoughts.  
2. Blind Boldness in adventuring on desperately in dangerous ways.  
3. Careless incogitancy, and inconsiderateness about the most awful important matters of their Souls.  
4. Delaying Repentance, and turning to God, foolishly thinking its time enough, they are yet young.  
5. Eager pursuits after sensual Pleasures, Games, etc. Loving these more then God.  
6. Flexibility to temptations, as dry Tinder to receive the least spark, easily enticed.  
7. Going down the Stream, and following a multitude to do Evil; saying I do but as other young people do.  
8. Hating lustructions, Admonition and Reproof.  
9 Intemperance in meats, and Drinks.  
10. Keeping of ill Company, that Soul runining snare of Hell.  
11. Lying and inventing Excuses.  
12. Making little or no Conscience of relative Duties.  
13. Nourishing vain hopes, and flattering themselves with the thoughts of long Life, and putting far away the evil Day.  
14. Omitting the holy Observation of the Sabbath.  
15. Pride of their parts, Beauty, Strength.  
16. Quenching the motions of the Holy Spirit.  
17. Ridiculing serious Religion, as too strict, and more than needs.  
18. Time-wasting.  
19 Uncleanness.  
20. Woeful giddiness of Spirit, ready to imbibe any kind of error. To begin with the first of these.   
1. Aireness of Spirit, etc. It is observable what name the Hebrews give a young Man, (viz.) Nagnar, which cometh from a root, that signifieth to be tossed to and fro: Thereby setting forth the Levity, and Vanity of a young Man's mind. Solomon tells us in the 10. Eccl. 11. that Childhood and Youth are Vanity, light Spirited and Frothy. O how rare a sight is it to see young people serious and stayed in their minds. Ballasted, and Balanced in the matters of Religion. Most are as the Apostle saith of them, tossed easily to and fro with every Wind: though they are born with sinful corrupted Natures, and are every moment liable to Death and Damnation, while they continue in a natural condition: yet they are like the wild Ass in the Wilderness, that snuffeth up the Wind at her pleasure, as the Prophet Jeremiah speaks: 2. Jer. 24. They are become vain in their imagination, their minds are like that of the Poets, full of vain fancies, and fictions: the Eye of their minds like that of their Body, looks all outward, as if they had no Soul to mind. Hence it is that so many thousands of Prayers, Tears, and Instructions of faithful Ministers and Relations are defeated, and rendered unsuccessful, through the Instability and Vanity of young people's spirits.  
B. Boisterous, and Bold, adventuring upon sinful, and pernicious Courses; of a Jehu like temper, 2 Kings 9 10. Furious, and Desperate: This is that young people are prone to, in the heat of their Youth, to be venturous, as the Horse that rusheth into the Battle. Now if you would see how the Horse rusheth into the Battle, compare with that 8. Jer. 6. the 39 Job. 19 and there you have it Now most elegantly, and lively expressed by God himself. Hast thou given the Horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a Grasshopper? his nostrils are terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the Sword. The quiver rattleth against him: he swalloweth the ground with firceness, he saith among the Trumpets, ha', ha'; in which description, you may see how furiously and dangerously he rusheth into the Battle for he rusheth upon the Pikes, and deadly 〈◊〉, prepared for destruction, and oftimes is suddenly slain. Thus young people are apt, to rush on in sinful ways, Furiosus juvenibus animi habitus. Tho God hedge in their way with Thorns, they break through all; as Balaam would on, though there was a drawn Sword in the way. So Youth is prone to this mad fury, in venturing on, though God hath laid many bars in sins way, as Majestracy, Ministry, Conscience, and the ocular demonstrations of his Judgements upon other impenitent sinners; these are all bars in their way, yet how rare is it, to see young ones restrained, and kept b●ck, by any, by all of them. You have an instance, in Ely's Sons, 1 Sam. 2. and for this cause in the 12 verse, they are called children of Belial, because no Yoke would hold them: Also you read of two of jacob's Sons, Simeon and Levi, of whose miscarriages of this kind the good old man thus expresseth himself, in the 49▪ Gen. 5. 6, 7. Simeon and Levi are Brethren, instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations. O my Soul come not thou into their Secret; unto their Assembly, mine Honour be not thou united, for in their anger they Slew a man, and in their self will they digged down a Wall. Cursed be their Anger, for it was fierce, and their Wrath, for it was Cruel: It is to be observed, that the greater number of those Malefactors that end their miserable lives at Tyburn, are the younger sort of people, their boisterous lusts consume them, that they scares live out half their days.  
C. Careless incogitancy, and want of serious consideration, and laying to heart the most awful important matters of their Souls. There are three things (saith a great Writer) that are chief ruiners, and destroyers of Souls. Namely, 1. want of consideration, and self reflection. 2. Infidelity, 3. Earthly mindedness; but especially want of consideration. The first of these, which Youth are exceeding guilty of: How seldom do young people retire, and soberly inquire, what their State and Condition God wards is? whether it be a state of Nature or Grace? whether God be reconciled, and sin pardoned, etc. Alas, young people are generally led by sense, extending their thoughts no further, than just what is before them, though they live, and move, and have their Being in God: are always under his allseeing Eye; yet he is not all their thoughts, though he will bring them to Judgement, for all they do, yet they think not of it: This evidently appears in the advice the Holy Ghost giveth young ones: in the 11. of Eccles. 9 it's true, all men naturally are inconsiderate about these things; but young ones are averse to the thoughts of God, their Soul, Death and Judgement: because the remembrance of these things, would damp their youthful sensual Delights, and Pleasures, and administer trouble to their minds, against which that age of life hath an irreconcilable enmity; and hence it is, that the vanities, and fooleries of this world, out way Christ, Heaven, and eternal Life. O did young ones but seriously consider, and bend their thoughts close to those rousing Doctrines and truth, as they are represented in the word of God: Their undone state by Nature, and the peril of Hell and Damnation, they are in each moment, whilst they delay Conversion, and flying for refuge to a crucified Jesus; surely it would render the temptations of fleshly pleasures, jejune, and vain, and prove an excellent means to awaken them to Repentance, ere the day of God's Patience be ended: which brings me to the fourth & next sin young people are prone to.  
4. Delaying of Religion, saying, They are yet young, and its time enough, though young People are often told, how much more dubious, and difficult their Repentance, and turning to God will be hereafter, then now, supposing their Lives should be continued to them. Yet (without the breach of Charity) one may say, scarce one of many Hundreds, but delay and neglect a present compliance with those repeated Calls of God to Conversion; when, in the mean time, their Youthful Lusts, their Games, and Sports, call them, and find a quick and ready Attendance, and Closure. David's great Care was to set about the Work of Religion, while he was under the first, and early calls thereunto, 119 Psal. 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. But how rare is it to see, young Persons (whom the Devil lays Siege to, endeavouring to persuade them that it is time enough, when they are older, to sleep their thoughts in such a melancholy Subject as Religion is) to follow his example.  
5. Eager pursuits after Pleasures, Loving them more than God. Pleasure is that which strangely carries it with the younger sort of People, (Modo P●tiar) saith the youngster, let me have Pleasure now, whatever ●●me on'●: as Esau parts with his Birth●●ght, for a mess of red Pottage: so young ones are ready to part with Heaven for the pleasures of Sin, that are but for a season; they are joined to pleasure, as Ephraim was to Idols; and O how difficult a task is it, to force a divorce between them: Shall I be cloistered up, and manacled in the days of my Youth, by the severities of Repentance, and Selfdenial, this is to bid me be no more Naomi; but Marah? Thus the young man pleads, like the Figtree and Olivetree you read of in the 9 of Judges and the 9 Should I leave my fatness, and my sweetness, etc. so should I leave my youthful Pleasures to match with Sighs, Groans, Tears, and a strict course of mortification? No, no, i'll rather rejoice in the days of my Youth, ere the days come wherein I can have no Pleasure: Thus Youth are prone (like the Bee that hovers about the Pot of Honey, until at length it is drowned in it) to hanker after, yea, madly to ru● full breast upon Pleasure, u●till like a da●● it strikes into their very Liver. Their mind are perpetually drunk with the love of Pleasure, till they fall down Dead.  
F. Flexibility to Temptation, as dry Tinde● to the least spark, hence you read in the Proverbs, frequently of the young Man's bei●● easily enticed and drawn away, Chap. 7. from the 7 Verse to the 23. And I beheld among ●● simple Ones; I discerned among the Youths, young Man void of Understanding, and he w●● the way to the Harlot's House, etc. Verse 21. With her fair Speech she caused him to yield, and he goeth after her straightway, as an Ox goeth to the Slaughter, etc. hence in the 1st. Chap. 10. you Read, My Son, if Sinners entice thee, consent thou not, etc. intimating, that impetous or vigorous Inclination & Bias that is in Youth to consent to Temptations; young ones are easily drawn by the smallest Temptations; they are ready to meet it half way, yea, to out go it. Isa. 5. 18. We read of some that will Transgress for a piece of Bread. 28. Prov. 21. Ahab sold himself to work Wickedness. Judas offered himself to sell Christ. and Ephraim willingly walked after the Commandment of False Worship. 5. Hosea 11. Thus young People are presently persuaded, the least Motion is bait and hire enough; like soft Wax they readily receive the stamp of a Temptation.  
G. Going down the Stream, and following ● Multitude to do Evil, excusing all with this, Namely, That there are Thousands, and Millions, that steer the Course, and tread the Paths that I do; ducimur exemptis. If Ministers give warning from God to avoid, and flee such and such youthful Sins, and cry out as the Angel to Lot, Haste escape for thy Life, cito, citius citissime: Presently in some ●●ch plausible manner as this they reply, If I never do worse. I hope I shall do well enough, ●ave not others done the same or as bad? I have the Examples of Thousands, a multitude on my side, both of Superiors, Equals, and Inferiors. O the unspeakable deal of Poison that is thus conveyed in the hearts of young Persons; and the innumerable Souls that go to Hell by Pattern! How many Children have learned to Lie, Swear, break the Sabbath, and deride the Godly, from their Graceless Fathers and Mothers, who have herein been special Factors for the Devil and Hell.  
8. Hating Instruction, and Admonition, and Reproof. This is another Sin that Youth are guilty of. 5 Proverbs 11, 12. There you have the Rebellious Youth brought in under strong Impressions of the Terrors of the Lord for this very Sin. And thou Mourn at the last and say, How have I hated Instruction, and would not obey the Voice of my Teachers. O how many sad Witnesses have we had of this at Tyburn. Hence it is that we find Godly Parents oft times abounding in Tears, wring their Hands, smiting their Breasts, and crying out, O nothing will work upon my Chil● Thousands of times have I prayed, wept, warned, and after all as stubborn and disobedient a before! Alas, there is a secret loathing of goo● Council in Youth, Monitoribus Asper. Youn● Men love to consult with Flesh and Blood and to walk after the Imaginations of thei● own Hearts, but they hate to comply wit● the Sage and Serious Instructions of Religion.  
9 Intemperance in Meats and Drinks, which stands in a voluntary eating and drinking to excess, for the pleasing the Appetite; this is not so much the Temptation of old and sickly People, as of our youth, to pamper, and glut their vile Bodies; as if God had made them a kind of upright Bruits, that need not stoop down to a Trough, or in resemblance of a Spring, or a Hogshead that are of little use, save to contain Liquor. Alexandrinus calleth this Sin the Throat-Devil, and the Belly-Devil. And too true is it, that the Devil destroyeth Multitudes of Youth by this Sin, who for the pleasing of their Throats will sell him their Souls, as Esau his Birthright, for his Belly: O this Canine, Eager, and Insatiable Appetite; where it Rules, it Ruins all. Physicians say, That of those who outlive their Childhood, scarce one of many that die in their Prime, but by Intemperance; for generally in the younger sort, religion and Reason are weakest, and but underlings to their unruly Appetites, and ●hen once this outrageous Lust has got the Ascendant, and Regal Power, a blazing S●●r burning in the Heavens, is not so fatally ●●●inous of Ruin, as this. Seneca saith, E●●lo est Parochianus Diabolo. An Epicure is Parishioner to the Devil; who then can anciently lament that Innundation of Epicu●●m, Gluttony and Drunkenness that hath ●●er-run the Youth of this Nation? Ah, who can refrain Tears? To see how many born of pious Progenitors, and bred up in Religious Families; again, How many born of Gruth Blood, descended from Honourable Ancestors, and bred up at the Feet of Gamaliel at the Schools, and of pregnant Capacities, and who might have been peculiar Blessings to the Land; I say to see these (as well as others that are brought forth in a lower Station, and brought up in a viler and a more irreligious way) to Sacrifice their Youthful days to Bacchus, the God of Wine, and emasculate their Spirits in Taverns, and Drunken Societies. We read in 1 Pet. 4. 3. of those who walked in Lasciviousness, Lusts, excess of Wine, Revellings, Banquet wherein they think strange, that you run no● with them to the same excess of Riot, speaking evil of you. I need not search into the Riotous Practice of other Nations, nor lay m● Scene abroad to make Application of thi● Text: Alas, it holds too true of us in th●● Nation, who reckon that they have no● made their Guests welcome, if they have no● made them Drunk, and deem it as a piece incivility and rudeness, that deserves a stat● if you will not go on to pledge them in thei● Hellish Health to their Wit's end. Goo● Lord! that ever any that breaths within th● English Air, and that names the name ●● Christ, should commence such Wickedness Oh that our Head were Waters, etc.  
10. Another Sin that youth is prone to, is keeping ill Company, that Soul ruining snare of Satan's, which hath slain its thousands, as being the foundation and inlet to all manner of wickedness. O how many hopeful young ones have been spoiled in the very bud, by the infectious influences of vile Company; whence is that advice of the Wise-man's in the 1st. of Prov. 10. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. My Son if sinners entice thee, consent thou not, walk not thou in the way with them, refrain thy feet from their Path. What Solomon saith elsewhere of the steps of the strange Woman, we may say of the steps of wicked company, they take hold of Hell, it is a new link in the Chain that fasteneth damnation to you, it is like tying a Millstone about your necks, that will pull you both Soul and Body into the bottom of the Sea of God's Wrath, from whence there is no recovery. O young ones, you will find it one of the hardest things that is, when once you are engaged in evil Company, to disenthral yourselves again: little do you know where it will lead you, it will insensibly harden you and bring you to a reprobate mind, it will vastare conscientiam, lay waste your Consciences, and so seat you in the Chair of the Scorners; and then the next step is Hell. Ah! how many young ones, when first they have engaged in evil company, and set out with them, have been a little startled and affrighted at their interlocutory Oaths (for nemo repent fit turpissimus) as Juven. speaks: yet after a while frequenting such company they find themselves almost irrecoverably ingulfed into those prodigious sins, that themselves could not have believed they should ever adventured on; such an Emblem of Hell is ill company, that (without the breach of Charity) one may say that none continue in the one while they live, but inevitably fall into the other when they die, and so their steps take hold of Hell, where the worm dyeth not, and fire is not quenched; where their fellowshp in sin will be turned into a miserable fellowship of flames, where an holy and just God will do that, viz. damn them, which they in their merry meeting have so often called upon him to do; and the Devil will take that, viz. their Souls, which they have so freely and frequently given him.  
11. Another sin whereunto youth are much addicted, is Lying, a sin that seemeth to be contemporary with speech in young Children; that as soon as their earthly Parents teach them to speak, their hellish father the Devil, learns them to lie; that as soon as the one learns them to go on Earth, the other learns them to go to Hell, hence these two are joined together, in that 58. Psal. 3. Speaking of young ones, they go astray from the Womb telling lies. This is a sin, that all, but especially young ones are exceedingly prone to, whereby Satan leads them captive at his will, to make them his Vassals: Look there young people! there are several sins that are (as I may say) the very offspring and Progeny of Satan, and in acting of them, a sinner resembles the Devil, as a Child the Father: For instance, Pride, it's called their condemnation of the Devil, 1 Tim. 3. 6. an angry passionate spirit it's styled giving place to the Devil, 4. Eph. 26, 27. the like one may say of this sin of Lying, in the 8. John, and the close of the 44. v. the Devil is called a liar, and the Father of Lies, and in the 5. of the Acts 3. Satan is there said to fill Ananias his heart to lie against God, which showeth that where there is a lie in the Tongue, there is the Devil filling of the Heart, ruling in Children of disobedience; hence James saith 4. chap. and the 6. v. that it sets all on fire of Hell. O how great is the power that Satan acquireth in young people by this sin, it gives him that which he so earnestly desires; namely, a spiritual possession of Souls, as a man possesseth and dwells in his House, and there it is he learneth young ones that masterpiece in the Black Art, to call Evil Good, and Good Evil, and to deny the fact when they have committed sin, as 2 Kings 5. 25. thy Servant (said lying Gehazi) went not whether; thus jacob's Sons, after they had wickedly sold their Brother, come with a plausible Tale (though a palpable lie) to their Father, we found this bloody Garment in the Field, but whose it is we know not, 37. Gen. 32.  
12. Another Sin, young ones are given to, is neglect of Relative duties, as honouring and obeying their Parents and Masters, etc. this is a sin peculiar to young people, and there are but few that escape the guilt of it. Hence have Ministers Ecclesiastical Fathers, almost every Lordsday Bills of complaint, like Ezekiel's Roll, filled with lamentation, put into our hands, begging our earnest Prayers for rebellious and disobedient Children and Servants: Though the justice of God is ordinarily manifest in the execution of his threatened Judgements upon Children of Belial even in this Life: yet alas, how seldom do young people take and improve such awful, awakening warnings, to hear and fear and do no more so wickedly? How common is it for Children, yea, when grown up, and their Parents grown old, to set light by them, and to speak Saucily and Contemptuously of them, and to them, behaving themselves proudly, and rudely before them, as if they were their equals; a practice most vile against the light of Nature, and always (according to the Scripture) entaileth a Curse upon such unnatural Children, 27. Deut. 16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother: and all the people shall say, Amen. The punishment that the Heathens inflicted on such, was, to few them in a Sack with a Dog, Cat, Viper and Ape, (an Emblem of unnaturalness) and so drown them together, and the punishment that the Law of God in the time of Moses did assign to a rebellious Son, was to be stoned to Death: 21. Deut. 18. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious Son, which will not obey the voice of his Father, or the voice of his Mother, then shall they lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the Elders of the City, and all the men of the City shall stone him with stones till he die. And it is observable, now under the Gospel, how the holy and wise Povidence of God ordinarily sets a mark upon disobedient Children, either in embittering their lives with a succession of miseries and vexations here, or suffering them to fall by an untimely Death.  
13. Another Sin Youth is prone to, is Sabbath breaking; a day which usually young people meet together upon, to walk abroad in the Fields, and take their pleasure, and run into all excess of Riot, Chambering, acting their filthy lusts, drinking Healths, playing at Cards, Dancing, Swearing, and sometimes Quarrelling, Fight, Thieving, Robbing of Orchards and Gardens, and thus inverting that Day which God hath sanctified, and appropriated to his own Honour and Service, and the saving of souls; to the service of the Devil, and damning their own souls; sure I am the whole Christian world at this day groans under the tragical and bitter effects of this sin, and he is nothing worthy of Eyes that weeps not to see whole droves running headlong to Hell through this breach, viz. the Breach of the Sabbath. Verily the Devil hath more service done on this day than on all the six besides, and how deplorable is the serious consideration hereof, that the day which should be Christ's, is the Devil's great harvest of Souls, and that day which should make joy in Heaven, by an addition to the Church, of such as shall be saved, should ever prove Satan's triumph, and Hell's enlarging itself beyond Measure, at the accession of so vast a multitude of Sabbath-breakers into it.  
14. Another sin that Youth is exceedingly prone to, is nourishing of vain hope, and flattering themselves with the thought of long life, putting far away from them the memorial of the evil Day. Young people account it, a kind of death to think of Death; the meditations, or tidings of it, are (like those of the Judges coming to the Bench, to Malefactors) entertained with great reluctancy; and when they cannot wholly banish the items of it, out of their Consciences, they will be sure to set it a great way off: as those bold sinners did the Prophet's Vision, in the 12. of Ezek. 27. the Vision that he sees, is for many days to come, and hence as that evil Servant, in the 24. Mat. 48. when he saith in his heart, my Lord decayeth his coming, he began to smite his fellow Servant, and to eat, and drink with the drunken; so young people, when they once drive off the thoughts of death, as far as they can from day to day, than they run a whoring from God, lay aside Religious duties, let lose the reins of their Lusts, laugh at the tremendous threaten of the Almighty. It is one of the greatest strengtheners of temptations to Luxury, Pride, and almost every sin in the World, when sinners are bold, to promise themselves many years to come, as you may see in that 12. Luke 17, 18, 19 where our Saviour brings in that foolish rich man speaking to his soul, after this manner, Soul take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry, thou hast goods laid up for many years. O young men, as you would escape the rebukes an angry God, and an exasperated guilty Conscience, promise not yourselves long life, it is the ready way to Atheisin and Apostasy: whereas if you would always keep the eye of your mind open, to behold the speedy approach of Death, and Judgement, as in rem presentem, how admirably would it work, how serious in casting up your souls accounts, and imploring of pardon and eternal Life would you be.  
15. Another of these youthful sins is Pride, and vain Glory, which stands in an overvaluing of ourselves, with reference to the endowments of the Mind, or Body; such as Wit, Parts, Beauty, Stature, Strength, Agility, etc. Young ones have much darkness, and ignorance both of God, and themselves; and hence they set themselves as among the Stars in their own thoughts: if they have Parts, how prone are they to be proud of them, conceiting themselves to have much more than indeed they have, and then above measure, admiring their own Wit, and strength of parts, and expecting every one else should admire them too, not considering that these mental gifts, without Grace, makes them more like the Devil, that abounds with endowments of this kind, and to be more serviceable to him (as malignant instrumentals) in promoting the ruin of men's souls; as Austin told a great, but unsanctified Scholar, ornari a te diabolus quaerit, the Devil seeks to be honoured, and served by thee: And you read in 3. Gen. 1. Because the Serpent was more subtle than any other beast, the Devil used that Creature to destroy mankind. Now this Pride of Intellectuals, is never more dangerous, than when it terminates upon Religion, and Souls affairs; and there are none more obnoxious hereunto, than young people, a little knowledge maketh them think they are fit to be Preachers presently: whereas the old, and experienced Christian, with trembling cryeth out, Lord, who is sufficient for these things. Young ones, for want of acquaintance with, and experience of the wickedness, and deceitfulness of their own hearts, are apt to think that they have abundance of Grace; Paul, a young man, was highly conceited of his good estate in Religion and spiritual matters, till the commandment came in the power of it, and revived in him a sight and sense of his cursed and sinful estate by nature. 7. Rom. 9 And so the young man in the Gospel according to Matth. 19 chap. 20. All these have I done, what lack I yet. O young man remember, this spiritual Pride, is like the fly in the pot of Ointment, make all to stink, if you over-value yourselves in matters of Religion, you may soon undo yourselves, and fall into the snare, and condemnation of the Devil. This was the reason why Paul forbids the choosing of a young beginner in Religion to the work of the Ministry: Not a Novice, lest he should be lifted up with Pride. 1 Tim. 3. 6. Paul was a wise man, he well knew the subtleties of Satan, and the want of experience, in young ones, would soon ensnare them, and betray them into the hands of this sin. And then with respect to Pride in bodily endowments, as Beauty, Strength, Stature, etc. Alas, how is the Youth of the present Age grown monstrous herein? Never did Pride ride in such state, when it went abroad in the Streets of Sodom, as at this day it doth in this Nation, wherein I was born, and in this City wherein I now breathe. Alas, what wandering eyes, wanton dresses, foolish fashions, apish imitations, extravagant washings, profane patching, in a word, a practical devotedness to the vile Body, that is but a fine skin full of filth, Phlegm, Choler and Corruption, abounds in this City: O the Arts, Studies, Pains, among us all for the neatifying, priding, pampering this piece of earth, that e'er long will be meat for the Worms. O young people, what will a white skin, or strength of Limbs, or a rosy Complexion signify, when God rebuketh man for sin, his beauty will consume as a Moth. 39 Psal. 11. One fit of an Ague can alter thy beauty, or a visitation with the Small Pox, can change it into its contrary.  
16. Another sin Youth is ordinarily prone to is quenching and stifling the holy motions of God's Spirit: This more especially they are liable to, that are the seed of the Righteous, and that dwell among those, whose chief scope and aim is to promote your Conversion by their daily Prayers, Instructions, and holy examples. Such young ones, as are thus educated in righteous Families, and used to a constant attendance (through the care of their godly Parents or Masters) on the means of Grace, both public and private; they do meet with innumerable inward motions of the spirit of God, striving in, and with them, they lie more obvious to the Lords grace; and I am persuaded that there is not one to be found among these, that are come to years of understanding, but what must own the truth of this. But oh, the woeful opposition, that is commonly made by young ones against these holy suggestions, and illapses of the blessed spirit; they are usually like the sparks falling into a Sea of water: when they are at a Sermon, how many knocks, and secret jogs, touches of Heart, and Conscience, do they meet with, to consider soberly about their spiritual and everlasting state. But what through the subtlety of Satan and the love of foolish mirth, and pleasures, and vain company, etc. presently as soon as they return they lose all, quench those begun convictions, and just were it if the abused spirit should departed for ever and strive no more. Be assured young people, you cannot sin, at so cheap a rate, as an old sinner, that never had the heavenly gales, breathe, operations, motions to conversion, interruptions, and checks in sinful courses, as you have had. O it is this that accents Gospel condemnation, that light is come, and men love darkness rather than light. 3. John 19 When because light reproves, gauls the sinner, therefore it is hated, this is dreadful indeed. O ponder a while what an infinite mercy of God, it is to your poor miserable souls, to have the strive and negotiating of the holy spirit of God. 147. Psal. 19 he hath not dealt so with all of your ranks, and standing: How many thousands are let alone, like young Dagons? now to resist these, and to sin against the light, argueth such a love to sin, and aversation to God, as justly may place you in the forefront of desperate sinners.  
17. The next sin Youth are prone to, is Atheism, etc. ridiculing serious Religion. The holy Apostle distinctly foretold, by a spirit of Prophecy, this very sin, in the 2 Peter 3. 3, 4. knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming; surely these are those last days, wherein we live; and never did this sin of Atheism, and deriding at goodness, obtain such a vogue, till of late, in this irreligious Age; wherein the main Articles of the Christian Faith are shaken in the minds of multitudes of young people. Satan hath corrupted the minds of many, and diffused his venomous influence, not only through the Pagan and Papal, but also through the Protestant and Reformed world too. O! what a world of infidelity, and Atheism is to be found in our Cities, and Countries, and would to God our Churches were free: but if we compare the lives of abundance of Professors, with their pretended Creed, really their profession will scarce cover their Hypocrisy, and Atheism; though you should exercise the largest Charity. God, and Christ, the immortality of the Soul, Death, and Judgement, Heaven and Hell, are in their Creed, and they would condemn you for a rank Heretic, if you should deny any of these Doctrines; But a little observation of their sensual lives will soon acquaint you with their vile and odious Hypocrisy and Atheism; while you behold in their lives, the great God disobeyed, Christ vilified, Heaven condemned, and the World's vanities preferred before it, Hell ventured upon for the sake of a pleasing sin. And among us there are a generation of young Wits sprang up, that (that albeit they have had baptismal Water on their face, yet) arrived to that height of sin, as to tell the world, not only in their works but also in words, that Religion is a mere fancy, nothing but the melancholy imagination of some poor spirited men, that foolishly and fond conceit of such a thing as God lives, and of a Heaven prepared for those that have it, and Hell for those that want it, and then they scare, and affright themselves with those buggbears, that their own fancies represent. And thus as the judicious Gurnal sadly observes, (p. 298.) Some among us have dared to make it their boast, and glorying, that they have at last got from under the burden of that Tyrant Conscience, they can Swear and Drink, Whore, and what not, without any check, or remorse. Time was when they were under the wing of their Parents, that they trembled at the hearing of such guilt: But now entering into those Atheistical Clubs, and imbibing their principles, their Consciences are become silent, after they have been ducked so often for scolding, that they are Sermon poof, and laugh at the Notion of Damnation; and at Ministers, who in the name of God threaten impenitent sinners with it, and look upon them, as the veriest fools, and mad Men in the World;— but know, that these will prove the worst fools at last, yea, worse by far, than David's Fool, Psal. 14. 1. The food hath said in his heart, there is no God: That fool durst only whisper it, but these speak it boldly and openly: These declare their Sin as Sodom, and hid it not. To go about to confute these Sons of Belial, would be a vain thing; we have Moses and the Prophets, every Leaf therein is sufficient. But these Sinners deride the Scriptures; and so tho' one should arise from the Dead, and come from Hell with the Flames of that burning Lake about his Ears, and tell them the Torments they endure; neither would they believe. Surely that such a Generation not only of practical, but professed Atheists should be found in a Land, that hath enjoyed so much Gospel-light, is a lamentation, and aught to be for a lamentation. I may say as Jeremiah, 2. chap. 12. v. Be astonished, O ye Heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. Methinks it should make our very Hearts to tremble, when we see such cursed Weeds spring up in such a Garden, that God hath taken such pains withal; he is more than blind that doth not see, and so say, Stultorum plena sunt omnia. Master Greenham feared rather Atheism, than Popery, would be England's Ruin. The Lord affect your Heart, and mine with this Abomination of the Day we live in, namely the ridiculing, and deriding the power of Godliness, styling it nothing but Fancy, or Faction, Pride, or Singularity.  
18. Another Sin the Youth of this Age, are much given to, is Swearing, Cursing, and taking the Holy and Reverend Name of God in vain. A Sin for which the Land mourns. There are two Kind's of it, both which young people are prone to.  
1. Using the Name of God unreverently in common talk, at every turn to say [O Lord, O God, or, God bless me, or, take me] this is taking God's Name in vain; and how many thousands of little Children, as well as others, are guilty in this kind, almost at every word, tossing that awful and holy Name about in their graceless mouths; which a world of Glorious Angels and glorified Spirits are magnifying continually.  
2. Horrid prodigious Oaths, not to be named without abhorrency, Rom. 3. 13, 14 you read there that their Throat is an open Sepulchre, the poison of Asps is under their Lips; whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness. And certainly if ever the Youth of a Kingdom, were in danger of that dreadful Curse of the Almighty, flaming out from the Mount Ebal of those Scriptures; the Swearing Youth of this Kingdom is, Zech. 5▪ 2, 3, 4. And he said unto me, What seest thou▪ And I answered, I see a flying Roll, the leng● thereof is twenty Cubits, and the breadth there of two Cubits. Then said he unto me, This i● the Curse that goeth forth over the who●● Earth: for every one that sweareth shall b● cut off according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of Hosts, and it shall enter into the House of him that sweareth falsely by my Name, and it shall remain in the middle of his House, and it shall consume it, with the Timber, and Stones thereof. Whence you may note, that so long as this Sin remains unrepented of, this Curse remains and abideth on them, till it bring utter ruin upon them and their whole Estate. Mal. 3. chap. 5. And I will come near to you in Judgement, and I will be a swift Witness against the Swearer, saith the Lord of Hosts. Exodus 20. 7. The Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his Name in vain. Not guiltless (there is a Meiosis in those words) that is, the Lord will be severely avenged on such. O the fearful estate, of not a few, but multitudes, and whole troops of Children, and young ones, in this Land, in this City, in our Armies, in our Fleets, by reason of this Sin! who can number the Persons, much less able are we to number the Oaths, the horrid Imprecations they use, that almost at every word call to God to Damn them, their Souls, their Blood? woe to us, the moral Heathen would be ashamed of us: Is it not time to lament, to see a young Generation run with open Mouth upon Ruin, with their Mouth set against Heaven in Blasphemies, and such prodigious Vices as hasten their own Damnation, and threaten England's Destruction; may not we justly fear, that the bloody Oaths of the Land of our Nativity, may turn it into an Aceldama, i. e. a Field of Blood. In this Sin are wrapped both Parents and Children, Masters and Servants, Officers and common Soldiers, Rich and Poor, and too frequently Ministers with the People, the Buyer, & the Seller. Verily if the Lord, who threatneth to be a swift Witness against the Swearer, should now come among us, with his deserved, as well as threatened Curse, what scudding and crying to the Hills and Mountains to cover us, would there be! A Tree loaded with Boughs is fit for lopping; a Sinner loaded with Oaths, is fit to be hewn down, & cast into Hell Fire. A Chimney furred with Soot, will take fire at last; a Sinner's mouth furred with Oaths, will at last, without Repentance, burn him with unquenchable Fire. O how little is this considered by our common Swearers; O young ones take heed of this Sin: young Joseph when he was in a Swearing Court, he learned to swear the Court-Oath; viz. by the Life of Pharaoh, that was his Sin. But alas, in our Age it's become fashionable, and a piece of Gentility to Swear by the Death, Wounds, Blood of Christ; Petty Oaths of Mass, Faith, and Troth, which in former times were most severely condemned by the good old Puritans: Now woe to us, we run to the highest form in the Devil's School, and commence Masters of that Black Art of damme's, and full-mouthed Blasphemies. Yea, and (the Lord be merciful to us) our little Children have learned it as soon as they can speak or waddle about Streets; the sound whereof, hath often pierced my Heart, with my Ears: the good Lord of Heaven and Earth banish it out of our Island, or it will (I fear) sink us. We are encompassed about with two Oceans, saith one, an Ocean of Waters, and an Ocean of Mercies; And let me add a third, namely an Ocean of Oaths, which if not reform, will bring a fourth, viz. an Ocean of Miseries. Some say Words are but Wind: it's true; but it is such a Wind as will blow a Soul to Hell, if Grace prevent it not.  
19 Another Sin that young people are notoriously given to, and guilty of, is Idle, and Sinful squandring away their precious time; young People think that they have such a profound, and full stock of time to come, that they have enough to spare and spend profusely, and while away (as the Country Phrase is) at present; and therefore they make little or nothing of lavishing out Hours and Days. You know persons will spend prodigally out of a full Purse, who would be very sparing, if they knew they had but a little, or were like to come to Poverty. Thus Youth foolishly fancy that, because some have lived to see and fulfil 70, or 80 Years, therefore they must do so too: and when they have been thus kind to themselves, in making such a computation of many Years to come; then they turn Prodigals of their time, and cast it away, as a thing of nought, and with it cast away all care of their Souls, and loiter out their Morning-Season, at that profuse rate, as if they were never to be called to account for that, or that God only designed, and assigned the Evening of their Life, that last, and worst part of time, to be redeemed, and carefully improved, for their better part their precious Souls. But how miserably cheated are young People herein, as appeareth by those many awakening instances, of our Lord's coming to young Ones, in the Morning of their Life, a time, when they least of all looked for him, and then how have they cried out; O precious time! more worth than a World, when it cometh to the last Sand at the bottom of the Glass: O then what a mercy would they esteem it, if God would trust them once again with Time. O young People, think of this the next Temptation to Idleness or carnal Ease o● Pleasures that returneth, and frown upon it give it the same entertainment, as you would a Thief that comes to kill, or rob you; remember your Souls and Eternity are embarked in your youthful Seasons: and surely the consideration of the worth of your Souls, and the astonishing nature of Eternity, carrieth force enough to make the extravagant lavishers of time, to become the most thrifty Husbands of it, as one of the most precious things in the World. O young Man, thou hast now a rich Price put into thy hands; dost thou want a Heart to improve it? Know thou, that ere long thou mayest have a Heart, but no price of precious Time in thine Hand. We are fallen into a lose and licentious Age.  
20. Uncleanness is another Sin, that Youth is prone to, this is the breach of the Seventh Commandment. In which Commandment there is a two fold Uncleanness forbidden, first, mental, or the uncleanness of the Mind; secondly, corporal, or that of the Body. Now Youth is commonly addicted to both these, and to watch, and wait for opportunities to fulfil their impure Lusts; hence in the 7th of the Prov. 6, 7, 8, 9 you read: At the Window of my House, I looked through the Casement, and behold among the Simple Ones, I discerned among the Youths, a Young Man void of understanding, passing by the way to her House, and he went near her Corner, in the twilight in the Evening, and behold there met him a Woman with the attire of an Harlot, his Eye waited for the twilight, and in the twilight he was taken by her; as you may see in the 23 verse. Peter speaketh 2 Epist. 2 chap 4. vers. of Eyes that are full of Adultery. It's true indeed, that this Sin hath the same common principle as other Sins, viz. a corrupt Nature; it is seated in the Heart, there is the Fountain of it, 15. Matth. 19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, etc. But yet the Eye is the Heart's chief agent to espy out objects, and to find out and fetch in Fuel for this Sin: And as the Heart sometimes sets the Eye on work to prole, and range about for a beautiful Bait; so the Eye sometimes meeting with Objects, sets the Heart on work yea, all a fire, or in a flame of adulterous Lustings: Youth is a hot Age, and exceedingly propense to be carried away, with these lascivious and filthy Lustings (as hot an● fat Grounds are most ferti●●●nd abounding with filthy Weeds) hence we find upo● Record, 15. Luke 13, 14. the Younger Brother called the Prodigal Son, who spent a upon Harlots, his vicious and corrupt Afections were restless, and raging, till h● had yielded his Members, as Instrument and Servants to this Sin of Uncleanness, ● the Apostle phraseth it in the 6. Rom. 13. & 1●. Not that I speak this as if other Age's we●● free from such inordinate Lusts: for Nature Corruption is not idle in any Age; but of a Ages, Youth is most incessantly, and violently bend hereunto: So that it is to ●● accounted a singular Mercy and Grace f●● a young Person to pass that season of Life chastely, as not to contract some such notab●● blot to cleave to him (like a Leprosy,) as shall be matter of just shame, and humiliation before the Lord, so long as he liveth. Sure I am the success Satan hath had in poisoning the Youth of this City with this sordid and beasily Sin deserves to be lamented (were it possible) with Tears of Blood: O how desirable a Mercy would it be if the Lord would please to touch the Hearts of those who are fearfully guilty of this base Sin among us, and bring them to cry out with the ●eper, 13. Leu. 45. I am unclean, I am unclean; and to make that Confession as the Prophet doth in 1. Isaiah 6. From the Sole of the Foot, to the Head, nothing but putrifying Sores; and then to put up that Petition of David's in 51. Psalm 10. Create in me a Clean Heart, O God. And that of Peter's in the 13. John 9 Wash me, Lord, not my Feet only, but my Hands and Head, yea, my whole Body, and my whole Soul also; as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, 1 chap. 5. 23. That God would sanctify them wholly in Body, Soul and Spirit.  
21. The next and last Sin of Youth that I shall mention is, A woeful giddiness of Spirit to imbibe and receive any kind of lose and wild Errors that are spread abroad. Indeed the Ringleaders and Broachers of Error oftentimes are persons who have passed the flower of their Age: but usually they that run after them and are proselyted by them, they are our raw, and unexperienced Youth, and more especially such of them as have not been catechised, nor by the care and endeavours of Parents and Masters, been well grounded in the Principles of Religion, for want of which they have easily been seduced and led into Errors by such as lie in wait to deceive. And woe to us, are we not miserably overrun at this day with pernicious Errors? contending most unchristianly for our own Devices, and Parties, crying out, Lo here is Christ, and there is Christ, when more truly it may be said, Lo here is Satan, and there is Satan, transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and through his subtlety corrupting the minds of many among us from that simplicity which is in Christ. 2 Cor. 11. 3. Hence the Apostle was filled with a Godly jealousy and fear lest the Corinthians should be removed and carried away from Christ. The good Lord humble us for our swervings from the end of the Commandment, which is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience, and Faith unseigned, and for our turning aside so much to vain Janglings. Error has got the Ascendant in the Cockloft of some men's Brains, and there it so inebriates and infatuates them, that (like the Gnostics of old, who under the pretence of New Light and Revelation, fancied themselves admirably Holier than others, so) these conceit themselves to be more Evangelical and refined, because more airy and notional, and then they are strongly inclined to spend all their Zeal in a violent obtruding their own starving and sleepy Opinions upon others, which indeed serve for no other end, but to devour all the Life and Substance of Religion, as the lean Kine, in Pharaoh's dream, did eat up the Fat. How audaciously have some by their lose and lewd Pens, and Tongues, argued against the merit and Deity of the Son of God, derided the Spirit of Prayer, advanced Morality, and the works of the Law in the room of Christ, boasting of the sufficiency of man's power to save himself: and then on the other hand, how industrious have some been to contrive a smooth and easy way for corrupt Nature to come to Heaven, without the toilsome labour of subduing our Lusts, and Sinful Affections; as if now under the Gospel the holy Law of God was no Rule for us to walk by, but laid flat (like an old Hedge) that Sinners may at their pleasure trample on it, and walk over it: and that to be solicitous about Sanctification and Inherent Holiness, is but a legal business, and not influential to a Christian's Peace, nor Evidential of his Pardon; but that now the main design of the Gospel at the first flight, is to mount Sinners so high as to possess them with a gallant triumphant Confidence, and strong, gigantic Persuasion of the Everlasting Decrees of God, that he hath Elected, and loved them, and that their Sins are pardoned, so that they need not trouble themselves about Repentance, and the Law of God written or copied out on the Table of their Hearts, and the Inhabitation of the Spirit of Grace in their Souls, as a Principle of Spiritual Life. O how sad a sight is it to see the Field of the Church thus overrun with Tares, and the House of God filled with Smoke! it's enough to fill us with fear that the Fire of God's Judgement is beginning there. Now this being the sad genius of our Times, there are none more apt to take in the infection, than Youth, upon the account of that levity and curiosity that usually possesseth that Age. Young people have itching Ears, and are very credulous, being rather willing to take what they hear on trust than to trouble themselves and take pains to try what conformity such and such Notions have to the unerring Rule, the Scriptures. Unstable Youth is given to change, and like a Reed is soon shaken, or like young and fresh Meat in hot weather, which is most in danger of being Flyblown. And Satan he is that old Serpent that is most busy to blast and poison their hopeful Spring; he is that mystical Fox that is evermore endeavouring to spoil our Vine o● its tender Grapes, yea, when they begin to bud. Now when these two meet, a● subtle Devil, and a simple Youth, what danger is there, of an impure copulation, between the young man's Mind and Error, especially when in the one there is a pleasing Vagrancy and Vanity, like Dinah gadding abroad; and in the other a poisoning Energy. And alas how is this abundantly verified by woeful experience at this day; shoals have been perverted, insomuch that our Land is like a Lazar-House or Hospital the Plague is begun among. O that there were some Aaron among us, to take a Censer and put on Incense, and go in quickly, and make an atonement; to allude to that 16 Numb. 46. And thus I have finished the second Query proposed, viz. What those Sins are that Youth is here admonished to flee.  
3d. Qu. Why is it a Duty of such special concernment for Youth to flee these Sins?  
A. In the resolution of this I shall give you these two Reasons.  
1. It is a duty of special concernment for Youth to flee these Sins: 1st. Because of the propriety of their Inherence. And  
2 d. Because of the malignity of their Influence.  
1. Because of the Propriety of their Inherence. The roots of all these Youthful Lusts are deeply fixed in thy corrupt Nature. Hence they are here styled Youthful Lusts, indeed Original Lust is one and the same specifically in all 〈◊〉; yet every Age hath its particular, proper Lusts: this appropriation cuts off young ones from all vain Excuses that ordinarily are made when they sin: O such a one provoked me, or Satan tempted me: Alas these Lusts are from thyself, they are inherent in thee; if it be enquired, Whence are all these heaps of filthy Lusts in young ones? the Answer is easy: Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornication, Theft, false Witness, Blasphemies, 15. Matth. 19 This is that Dunghill in which the whole Serpentine blood of all actual Sins is conceived, and brought forth: here is that ho● Aetna which is within you (young ones) that never ceaseth from sending forth continual steams and fumes of vile Lusts. It true, the Devil, and the World, are grea● enticers to Sin, but not like your inherent Lusts. 1 James 14. 15. But every man ● tempted, when he is drawn away of his ow● Lust, and enticed: That when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin; and Sin when i● is finished, brings forth Death. Satan and th● World can only tempt and entice you Objectively, and Externally; but your youthful Lust tempts internally, and therefore more dangerous. Now see the strength ●● this 1st. Reason, viz. that that gives me mo●● danger, that must put me on more labour and diligence to shun and escape. Besides whatever any of our spiritual Enemy's shoul● attempt to draw you to Sin, it would be altogether ineffectual, were it not for these Lusts within: These most endanger the Soul, and according to your mortifying and fleeing these, you may estimate the true estate of your Soul, to be a state of Grace 18. Psalm 23. I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine Iniquity. Alas young ones, the propriety and inherence of your Lusts is such as necessitates your continual Watch, Strive in Prayer at the Throne of Grace; if a man had a Thief in his House, a Fire in his Chamber, he had need to bestir himself, or he will be robbed and burned. Young man, thou carriest Gunpowder about thy very Nature: O had thou not need to flee them, or that which carries Fire. It's dangerous yielding to thy youthful lust. It's like putting Fire to the Powder. It was the saying of a Germane Divine, when his Friends were commending him, recounting his usefulness and serviceableness, Auferte ignem, adhuc enim paleas habeo, Take away the Fire, for there is yet Chaff in me. O what Guards do you young ones need, to keep you from being ruined by so near domestic an Enemy. What sharp Winters of Frost and Snow, i. e. Fasting, Weeping or Suffering, dost thou need to kill these rank Weeds, i. e. thy youthful Lusts, in the Garden of thy Soul: the consideration of this Inherency of thy Lust, (young man) calls for both inward and outward Exercises; Assistance internal; as Checks of Conscience, solicitousness of Thoughts, earnestness of Desires, actings of Faith in Christ, the strive, teachings, strengthenings, quickenings of the blessed Spirit; External, as denying your Senses that dangerous (tho' extremely delightful Flesh and Blood) liberty of a guardless, careless, and needless converse with the world's Trinity, Honours, Pleasures, Profits, and allowing your sinful and needy Soul a due proportion of time in constant attendance upon God in all outward Ordinances, both public and private, which he hath appointed and instituted for thy help and assistance to mortify and abandon thy youthful lusts. It's upon this account and consideration (namely that propriety of Sins inherence in thee) that renders this duty of fleeing thy youthful Sins so very difficult, hence it's called 18. Matth. 9 a cutting off a righ● Hand, a plucking out a right Eye; hence it is that the Gate of entrance into Life, i● by our blessed Saviour called a straight Gate; hence it is that if there were no Devil in the world to tempt you or wicked Instruments to entice you, yet would you be carried out to commit all Evil with greediness, i● you close not with the Counsel here given you. Were it not for this propriety of your Lust's inherence, you might no more fea● that roaring Lion, that goeth about seeking whom he may devour; than the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who said, The Prince of this World cometh unto me, and finds nothing in me, 14. John 30. But alas, your Lusts are within you, as the Canaanite in the Land of Israel, and they easily beset you; there is a naturality of Sin now since the Fall, as blackness to the Aethiopian, and like a fretting Leprosy adheres to our Natures with so much pertinacy, that even after conversion Sin remains while on this side the Grave▪ which truth is verified by the sad experience of all believers in the world, that so they may never put off their Christian Armour till they put off this earthly Tabernacle, but be continually kept watching, fight, running, wrestling, praying, etc. after millions of Tears and Prayers still they are fain to send up their Cries and Groans to Heaven for the abating, and destroying the remains of Pride, Atheism, Unbelief, etc. And what hope can be left (O young ones) that ever you will obtain a Victory, when your Enemy is so near you, nay, dwells in you, if you lie idle? nay, how sure is it that you will be carried a miserable Captive by your Lusts to Hell, if you take not this Advice, to flee your youthful Lusts, especially if you consider how the Devil night and day is watching to set Fire to thy Lusts? thou hast a combustible Nature and Constitution, and he is cunning and filled with Malice, and with all sorts of Wiles, Depths, Baits, Snares for all tempers, and above all, he desires to have young ones; so that to be secure and indifferent here, is in a sense equivalent to yield your Souls to Sin and Satan: which brings me to the second Reason of this Doctrine.  
Second Reason. That therefore it is a duty of special concernment to Youth, to flee youthful Lusts, because of the malignity of their influence: this I shall evidence to you more generally, and then more particularly. (1.) More generally. Your youthful Lusts so far as they prevail, they destroy your Souls. 8. Rom. 13. If you live after the Flesh you shall die, (Mark it I pray) upon what unalterable terms it runs. O the malignity of these Lusts, 7. Rom. 21. and the 23. What Fruit had you then in those things whereof yo● are now ashamed, for the end of those things is Death, v. 23. The wages of Sin is Death▪ But to be more particular, there is a threefold evil influence these youthful Lusts (if no● abandoned) will certainly have upon you.  

1. They will hinder your Conversion, o● render it exceeding difficult.  
2. They will hurry you into most grievous Temptations and Perplexities.  
3. They will hasten your utter Ruin an● Destruction.   
1. They will hinder your Conversion, or render it exceeding difficult, and this they will do these two ways.  

1. As they woefully indispose the Soul to it.  
2. As they directly oppose the means of it.   
1. As they woefully indispose the Soul to it, this will appear, beyond the least doubt, if you seriously consider what a polluting a pernicious influence youthful Lusts have upon all the faculties of the Soul. These Lusts they diffuse a blindness upon the Mind, they benumb the Conscience, increase the natural rebellion of the Will, exceedingly harden the Heart, and miserably enthral and deprave the Affections; and so they woefully indispose the Soul to conversion.  
1st. They diffuse a blindness on the Mind, that noble faculty, the thinking, discerning, and reasoning Power of the Soul, which some call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the leading and directing Faculty, which is to the Soul what Eyes are to the Body, therefore called 1. Ephes. 18. the Eyes of the Understanding; these Eyes youthful Lusts blind, so that they cannot see afar off to the end of a sinful Life, how bitter and evil a thing Sin will prove at last, when God will bring the young man to Judgement, for all his youthful Lusts; hence they fearlessly chose a course of Vanity, and Sensuality, in serving divers Lusts, and Pleasures: Being blinded through their Lusts, they discern not the absolute necessity of a Saviour, they see no beauty in him that he should be desired; and what more effectual bar can there be to their Conversion? Alas, while the mind is blinded, tho' a poor Sinner hangs over Hell, every moment, under a just sentence of Condemnation, at the very door of Eternity, yet all's at peace, the Soul lieth in a deep, and deadly Sleep: though a Minister come, and weep over him, use the most rousing Arguments with him, all's one, no● a whit moved or stirred, though you spea● never so much Reason, or Scripture. ●● Soul, thou hast an unholy Nature to be renewed, an offended God to be reconciled to▪ thou hast innumerable Sins, and not one o● them pardoned: thou hast Death and Judgement to make ready for, thou hast but a fe● more days on Earth, yet while the mind ●● blinded they make light of all; a merry ta●● will more affect them, Romances, Play● and Comedies, such Bubbles, and emp●● Vanity are much more pleasing, than th● most powerful Heavenly Sermon. No● whence is this? but from the blindness young men's Minds? and whence is th●● blindness, but from their youthful Lust? a● you may read in that apposite Scripture Ezek. 14. and 5. They are all estranged fro● me through their Lusts. Lust in David blo●ted out the impression, and remembrance of the Evil, and danger of sinning against God: hence when he was recovered by effectual Grace, see how he rates himself in Psal. 73. 22. So foolish and ignorant was I, even as a Beast before thee. Lust in toxicates the Mind, and then like a Drunkard, that through the vapours that fume up into his Head, sleepeth, and forgetteth all his dangers, his debts. So it is here, and O how impossible is thy Conversion, while thy Mind is thus darkened, the Mind, that is the Watchman of thy Soul, to keep off Sin, and danger; and if the watchman be blind, how small hope of Conversion? By this you see how youthful Lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion, as they blind the mind.  
2dly, They indispose the Soul for conversion as they stupefy Conscience, that Spy in our Bosom, that Vicegerent of the supreme Judge, whose office is various (1.) to record and register all we do, (2.) To bear witness, and give in evidence. (3.) As a Judge to pass sentence, Conscience sits on the Throne as God's Deputy in the Soul, to award out Life or Death. (4.) To be a Tormentor, a neverdying Worm, it is to the damned ●n Hell, and an insupportable burden to ●ome on Earth, creating such internal Anxieties, and Tortures, that all the Arts, Wits, Pleasure, and Diversions in the world cannot root out; as in Belshazzar, Cain, Judas, Tiberius, Nero, Caligula, etc. of these divers offices and acts of Conscience, you read in Rom. 2. 15. 1 John 3. 20, 21. Prov. 18. 14. And that in order to Conversion, it is necessary, that this busy Faculty in man be awakened, will appear, if you consider that 8 of Jer. 6. God harkened and heard, and no man repent him, saying, What have I done? but every one turned to his course, as the Horse rusheth into the Battle. There you have God's inquisition, and search, to find ou● whether that People repent or no, ● harkened and heard (saith God.) Then yo● have God's evidence brought in, no ma● repent, or converted; and than you hav● the Cause laid down of their not repenting No man said, What have I done? q. d. Ha● Conscience been awakened to have don● its office, to have dived into all their Villainies; had that domestic Spy in the Bosom brought in a true account, concerning wha● they had done, they would certainly hav● repent e'er this. Alas, the subtle Hea● of a Sinner, will endure, and bear all th● historical notions of the evil of Sin, of th●●erribleness of Hell (as one in Health can be●● the names and notions of Plague, Ston● Colic, and the most tormenting disease and all but as Powder shot, and scare-Crow● until Conscience, like Peter, 2. Acts 36, 3● closeth particularly with Sinners thus, Ye a● they that with wicked Hands crucified 〈◊〉 Lord of Glory; and then they were pricked to the Heart: and as Nathan closed with David, 2. Sam. 12. 7. He draws his Parable out of the Clouds, and enters him with this arrest, Thou art the man; then he presently cries out, I have sinned. O believe it, Sirs, when once Conscience meets with a desperate Sinner, that hath been ruffling it, in all manner of Riot for a time, drenching himself in sensual pleasures, and Conscience in the name of the great God arrests him, with an, O wretch! what hast thou done? thus, and thus to provoke the Great, the Holy, the Righteous, sin-revenging God; I have been privy to all thy secret, as well as open Wickedness, and I have sad News to tell thee, that the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against thee, etc. Thus when Conscience finds out a Sinner, and spits as it were Hellfire in his Face, believe me, it will eftsoon put the Soul upon the Rack, and cause it to break forth with an, O Woe is me! the Sins which I now see, are bitter as Death; the Wrath that I begin to feel at present, and that to come that I fear, makes a kind of Tophet within me. O if I should die in this case, what would become of me? Lord! is there no mercy? What shall I do to be saved? Thus Conscience in its efficacious working, is necessary to Humiliation, which is one great part of Conversion: and then for hope of mercy, and pardon, and a fixed resolution to forsake all known Sin, and teturning home to God, which makes up, and completes a Sinners conversion, you may easily discern, from what I have said, as to the first part of Conversion, the necessity of a waking, working Conscience, in order to Conversion: for it is the property of Conscience to turn in upon the Soul, and debate matters discursively, in a kind of silent reasoning with the Soul: it hath both a directive, and reflexive power; i● takes that light that lay cold and useless before in the mind, and brings it down in ●way of home application to the Soul, 3. La●. 40. 119. Psal. 59 And now I come ● make good what is proposed, namely, Tha● Youthful Lusts stupefy, and be●u● this faculty of Conscience, and so indispose the Soul to Conversion. (Look you, Si●s although it is not in the power of young o● old Sinners to raze out, and expunge this Faculty out of their Breasts; for it is so essential to the Soul, as that the Soul can't be Soul wirhout it: nothing can be more it separable than this bosom Judge, which o● calleth sensus, & praejudicium judicij divin● Yet (though I say they can't get rid on they may, and often do by a love and life ●● sin gag it, muzzle and stifle it for the present they cast Conscience into a deep sleep by yielding to their Lusts. One calleth the Love ●● Sin the Devil's Opium, whereby he lu●● Conscience asleep. Hence it is that you read of its being past feeling, and seared as with an hot Iron Ephes. 4. 19 and 1 Tim. 4. 2. defiled, polluted, 1. Tit. 15. not performing their offices, being deaf to every holy suggestion of God's Spirit. O young people, your lusts served, and obeyed, will make your Consciences to be like Lot, when he was made drunk by his Daughters, of whom it's said, That in the Morning, he knew nothing what he had done, in Gen 19 Thy Lusts will breed such sottishness, and stupidity in thy Conscience, as will most certainly hinder thy Conversion. Conscience is a Witness, but if that witness be dumb, who shall tell thee of thy Sin, and danger? Conscience is a Schoolmaster, to direct, and correct; but if that Schoolmaster be blind, or crazed, or lie like one stark mad, or dead, who (I pray) shall admonish you, and administer reproof to you? alas, we speak without you, it's Conscience that is as a thousand Witnesses within you; and if that be like an Idol, what hope of Conversion? Conscience is the Candle of the Lord within thee, and if this be put under a Bushel, how easily may the Devil hurry thee blind fold to Hell and Damnation. Conscience is appointed of God to be that to the Soul, as the Pilot is to the Ship amidst Rocks, Sands; suppose now that the Pilot have either lost his Compass to steer by, or has no supernal light to make an Observation by, how improbable is it, that the Ship should ever come safe to Harbour! So if Conscience be stupefied, how unlikely is it, that ever that Soul should be converted. It hath been, and still is to me, just ground of wonder, and astonishment, that when a Minister comes in the Name, and by the Authority of the Great Jehovah, Maker of Heaven and Earth, to a Congregation of sinful Worms, and there preach, and prove to them, out of the infallible Scriptures, that they are born in Sin, and that in their natural conditions, they are but a few steps off Eternal Damnation: and that there is a blessed Jesus come to seek and save what is lost, and that he is able, and willing to save to the uttermost all that come to him: and yet after a Minister hath done al● this, not one (probably) of many Score● in the Auditory that brings the Doctrine preached, home to his own Soul, saying, Thi● is my Condition, my Soul's portion, I am by Nature a Child of wrath, God's Law hath found me ou●, and convinced me o● sin, that there are none more guilty than I, and more worthy of Hell: I am the Man, the Woman, whom it curseth, as sure as if my Name was mentioned; but the generality detain the Truth in Unrighteousness, they go away, and live as wickedly a● before. Now (the Lord be merciful to us) how could ever Dust and Ashes be thus unconcerned, did but Conscience roundly, and sound do its work, (viz.) to bear witness, to pass sentence, etc. But here is the bane of all, and the true Cause of men's Impenitency and Unconversion, they harken and yield to their lusts, and thereby Conscience is laid asleep. O young people, see the malignity of Sin's influence, and say, Away ye cursed Lusts, it's high time, O my Soul, to flee these. Awake, Conscience, awake, it's high time to regard thy message.  
3dly. These youthful Lusts, they increase that natural rebellion that is in the Will against turning to God; and so they indispose the Soul to Conversion: the Will is an excellent part, or power of the reasonable Soul: it is compared, by some, to the Primum Mobile in the Heavens, that carrieth all the inferior Orbs away in its own motion; or like a Queen sitting upon its Throne, exercising its dominion over the other parts of the Soul: And as Conscience hath several offices, and acts, so hath the Will. The Schoolmen marshal up several; as. Volition, and that either absolute, and efficacious, or more languid, and imperfect: (2.) Fruition▪ (3.) Intention: (4.) Election: (5.) Resolution and Consent, etc. but I shall only show you how impossible a saving and found Conversion of the Soul can ever be, except the Will, this superior faculty in the Soul, be brought into subjection and obedience to Christ: and then show you how youthful Lusts not only hinder that subjection of the Will to Christ, but strengthen its resistance and rebellion against it.  
(1) How impossible a thing Conversion is without the Will be brought into obedience to Christ. When God first created Man upon Earth, this noble part of the Soul, the Will, was in a most perfect and holy conformity to the Will of God; but since Sin entered, the Will is so far fallen from its primitive honour, that Bernard saith, voluntas tua infernus est tuus, that man's Will now is his Hell; of a Virgin, she is now become like a polluted Whore; So that naturally we will not come to Christ, John 5. 40. We will not be made clean, Jer. 13. 27. We will walk after our own Devices, Jer. 18. 12. Now how impossible a thing is it, that there should be a through Conversion, till this natural Rebellion of the Will is slain, and removed; for the Will is the man, and it's everlastingly true, and will be found so, That his you are whom you willingly obey, whether it be of Sin unto Death, or Obedience unto Righteousness, Rom. 6. 16.  
(2.) Youthful Lusts yielded unto, strengthen that natural averseness and obstinacy that is in our Will, and so it indisposeth the Soul to Conversion. We read that Whoredom and Wine take away the Heart, in Hosea 4. 11. Why, may some say, was the Heart set upon God before? No not at all, but by it is meant that those Lusts do exceedingly augment that estrangedness to, and distance from God. So here there is a natural rebellion in the Will against God: but these youthful Lusts when fulfilled, do much more add to that resistance and opposition, and further that wretched and vile aversion in the Will to God. And they will introduce such a vile settled habitual enmity in the Will to the blessed God, as that you will wish there were no God, with David's Fool in the 14. Psal. 1. For you cannot but know that your Lusts are detestable to the holy and pure Nature of God, who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, as the Prophet speaks in the 1. Hab. 13. You have Items of this in your own Breasts, you cannot plead ignorance herein, that when you obey your Lusts, you do that abominable thing which his Soul hateth and abhorreth; which (being done) most certainly influenceth the Will to a dislike of, and regret at the holy Nature of God, that you like not to retain him in your thoughts, but will account thine own impure lusts more desirable, and better than God: and if so, you may easily make an estimate how these youthful lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion: it may as well stand with the life of a man to be cast into the depth of the Sea with a Millstone about his neck, as it can stand with thy Conversion whilst thou yieldest obedience to thy youthful Lusts; for these more and more alienate thy Will from God and Christ, and swell thee with pride and enmity against the holy Will and Word of God, that it will become a pleasing thing to thee to shove God out of thy thoughts: 10. Psal. 4. and to say to the Almighty, Depart from me, I desire not the knowledge of thy ways: And can this stand with Conversion▪ O see the malignity of the influence that thy youthful Lusts have upon thy Will, to hinder thy Conversion: with what astonishment should you bethink yourselves, and say, What a wretch am I to yield to my youthful lusts, which set my Will against my bountiful and blessed Maker, the Author of my Life and Being. O the complete and comprehensive Wickedness of this, enough to make me tremble; what to hate God, and love my lusts that will damn me! O horrid temper, how canst thou hold up thy Head before him whose Eyes are as a Flame of Fire, if there be found in thee an obstinate downright aversation in thy Will! surely, O my Soul, if thou wer● to live here a thousand years, and hadst no other business than to bewail this, it would not be sufficient: O young ones think of this. O that God would set it home upon your Hearts; methinks it should cast yo● down with amazement, and compel you t● say, when tempted to yield to your youthful Lusts, with that excellent young man in the 39 Gen. 1. How can I do so great Wickedness and sin against God.  
4thly. These youthful lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion, as they exceedingly harden the heart: hence have you that admonition in the 3. Heb. 13. Take heed lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin. There is a threefold hardness incident to the heart of man: (1.) Natural: (2.) Habitual or contracted: (3.) Judicial or penal. (1.) the Natural is found in all men, as they come into the world in their several Ages and Generations; it is derived to us from Adam, and its part of that wretched corrupt nature that we receive from him by our immediate Parents. (2.) the Contracted or acquired hardness is that which we bring upon our hearts by a course of Sin: we read of it in Prov. 29. 1. Ezek. 3. 7. and Rom. 20. 5, 6. (3.) the Judicial hardness is a tradition, or being given up to our own hearts lusts, by a justly provoked God, not that God infuseth any evil disposition into the heart, but withdraweth his gracious Spirit, Deut. 29. 9 and moreover he leaves the stubborn Sinner to his own natural and contracted hardness, whereby he becometh more blind, dead, refractory, and obstinate than ever: of this we read in the 9 of Exodus and the 12. in the instance of the Lord's hardening Pharaoh's Heart. Isa. 6. 9, 10. Go and tell this People, hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not; make the Heart of this People fat, lest they be converted. It is a tremendous Text, and is quoted six times in the New Testament, Math. 13. 14. Mark 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. John 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Now it is principally the second and third (viz.) Contracted and Judicial hardness that youthful lusts yielded to, do miserably bring upon the Heart. These make the Heart like the Leviathan's scales, as Job speaks: these do as it were bury their Heart in the Grave, and roll a great Stone over it; and so they indispose the Soul to Conversion: for what fruit can ever be expected from a Rock, o● a Stone: let the Rain come down from Heaven upon it, let the Sun shine with its Beam● upon it; let the Seed's-man cast his Seeds on it, yet the Rock is a Rock still: So it is with a stony rocky Heart, let there be line upon line, and precept upon precept, alas there is no impression made, neither can there be, until there be a removal of its hardness; and that can never be till the cause of that hardness be removed, which is a going on in the practice of these vile Lusts. O the malignity of their influence, they stop the Ears tha● the Heart becomes like the deaf Adder, they shut the Eyes, they fold up the Arms, the● make the Heart like an Adamant, regardless under threaten, and all other administrations used by God to awaken, convince, and convert Sinners; let one Minister come after another and cry aloud, lift up their Voices like Trumpets in the shrillest manner as Boanerges; yet as Zephaniah telleth us in 3. Chap. 5. They know no shame: let God speak to them in their Prosperity, they will not hearken, 22. Jer. 21. let him multiply upon them the Fruits and Expressions of his Goodness, in daily Preservations, Deliverances, etc. yet they despise the Riches of his Goodness, 2. Rom. 4. and 32. Deut. 15. But Jesurun waxed fat, and kicked: then he forsook God which made him. O the malignity of Sin 's influence: Solomon saith in 9 Eccles. 3. It fills the Heart with madness while they live. O young man, thou art besides thyself, bereft of the right use of thy Reason, by following of thy lusts: hadst thou ever any fear, or tenderness, any sense of Sin, any compunction of Heart. O if thou yieldest to thy Lusts, how quickly will all be extinguished; and not only so, but those Lusts will bring thee to such obduration as will lay thee naked and open to the unexpressible Misery of having that Scripture fulfilled upon thee, 6. Isaiah, and the 9 and 29 Chap. 10. The Lord hath poured upon you the Spirit of a deep sleep. We may stand amazed to see how Persons adorned with excellent Endowments of Nature, that have great ability in natural things, men of great Sense, as we say, when they hear how their unmortified Lust's war against their Souls, and expose them to the Wrath of God, and Everlasting Burning; yet can go on in their lusts without remorse, or any achings of Heart; nay that which made the Son of God to bleed, an● brought him to such bitter Agonies, and strong Cries and Groans, and for which Vengeance is now tearing and tormenting thousand in Hell. Alas, all is but as a Dream, whil● sin prevaileth it hardeneth the Heart to ● degree of spiritual Frenzy, Hosea 7. 9 5. Jer. 3. 5. Isa. 12. and 1. Chap. 5. like Jonah, fast asleep in the sides of the Ship tho' ready to perish. Young men, remember it, yielding to your Lusts will so insensibly harden you, that you will be like ● man that is seized with the dead Palsy, who● tho' you pinch and strike, he feels nothing or like Solomon's besotted Wretch, 7. Pr●● 14, 15. They have stricken and beaten me, b● I felt it not. Or like the Prophet's Aet●opian, 13. Jer. 23. Can the Aethiopian chan●● his Skin, and the Leopard his Spots? the● may you change your accustomed Evi● Bernard describing the malignity of Sin's influence as to its encroaching Nature, observes this Gradation: At first, saith he, S● is importable, next time heavy, than ea●● then light, then sweet, at last necessary Wherefore flee youthful Lusts, as ever y●● would escape these Soul-ruining Evils, as blindness of Mind, searedness of Conscience, incurable hardness of Heart: all which indispose the Soul to Conversion; nay, they expose it to Damnation.  
5thly, These youthful Lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion, as they miserably enslave and defile the Affections, which are seated in the sensitive apperite of a man: and they are such as these, Anger, Love, Joy, Fear, Sorrow; these are planted in us to be subservient to our Souls in glorifying God, and working out our own Salvation: But through these youthful Lusts they become subservient to Satan, and predominant over the Soul, bringing it into miserable bondage, and vile slavery, and so indispose it to Conversion. In Prayer, thy affections should be fixed on God in Christ, as the sole object of thy Love, Delight, and filial Fear: But are they so? dost thou draw nigh to God as thy exceeding joy? tell me, young man, where are thy Bethels? thy Penuels? I doubt, upon a serious review, it will be found quite otherwise, that vain thoughts have lodged in thy mind, and that swarms of noisome Lusts have been tumbling up and down the dead Sea of thy Soul in time of Prayer. Ah, how little of love to God, hatred of Sin, answerable to their nature, have possessed your Souls in duty: if any pious stir of Affections have been, how short a stay have they made; how many more ambitious, wanton, covetous or revengeful Thoughts have been jumbled together, with them I appeal to you. Is it not enough to change that Prayer into Sin, wherein thy God hath been lodged with a crew of viperous Lusts, or rather wherein thy Affections have been committing spiritual Fornication with their Idols, or have been (Dinah like) gadding abroad with the Fools Eyes to and fro to the ends of the Earth. Now upon enquiry whence this comes about, if thou search impartially, and cast the lot right, it will appear that the Arch-Agent of, and in all this is thy minion Lust, that Youth is under the power of: some complain of continual distractions in Prayer, their Minds are like the unquiet Waves of the Sea, up and down; their Affections unstable, rambling up and down. Alas, the main reason of this woeful posture in Duty, is their unmortified Lusts; and it is very observable that the more provision you make for the Flesh, to fulfil it in its lusts, the more dominion and tyranny it will have over your Thoughts and Affections in holy Duties: and is such a Prayer ever like to issue in thy Conversion, wherein thy Affections have been under the vile umpire and influence of thy Lusts? It may rather be called a Service done to thy Lusts, than to God. There was Jehu, what ardent and zealous affection did he seem to have in the Service and Cause of God, when he cried out, Come see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts. But what was it that influenced and moved his affections? it was not the Glory of God, but the lust of Vainglory and Self-advancement. Experience confirms this, that many in their youth have had shows of great affection in their Profession of Godliness, who have after a while fell away, and become at last as senseless and stupid about Heavenly things as any profane one in the world.  
O young People, those Lusts you serve, will have such an ill influence on your Affections, as that they will become like wild Horses, to tear your Souls in pieces. O cursed Lusts, how unspeakable is that thraldom they lay our affectionate part under, that when thy Affections should be like Elijah's fiery Chariot, to mount thy Soul up to Heaven, they should (through thy lust) be like the Wheels of a Jehu's Chariot, furiously to hurry thy Soul to Hell. Our affections were planted in us for this end, to facilitate, and make our access to God, to become easy, pleasant, and delightful to our Soul; but, O miserable change, they now are quite contrary, (through thy unmortified Lusts) they are like Clogs, Chains, and Fetters, to hinder the Soul's approach to God. When at any time the Ship of thy Soul should hoist fail for Heaven, thy Affections (being defiled and led captive by thy Lusts) will (like a Sheet-Anchor) hold it back: When thou shouldst be loving the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind; which our Saviour telleth you, is that first, and great Commandment, on which all depends: for (saith Christ) on this hang all the Law and the Prophets. O how deplorable a case is it! that instead of this, my depraved Affections should terminate upon, and cleave to a Cup, or a Whore, or a dunghill world! O monstrous wickedness! O young men bethink yourselves, what a pernicious temper this is; ought it no● to cut you to the very Heart, to find yourselves convicted of such enmity, and aversion in your affections to the blessed God and whence is it but from your youthful Lusts? O diseased Soul; if thy lusts had no● corrupted, and perverted thy Affections thou wouldst have thought God as suitab● an object for thy love, as meat to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty. Is he not th● chiefest, best, most excellent, comprehensive purest, fullest, and most immutable, permanent Good? Should not an object so admirably fit attract and allure thy superlati●● love? Do you not know, do ned your Consciences tell you, that your affections oug●● to be placed on God above all? and oug●● it not to fill your Souls with horror, whe● you find not your affections strongly be●● and inclined to him? how much more than should you loathe yourselves, when your Affections are sullenly averse to him? Is not this a fearful pitch of malignity? wouldst thou not think him a vile Miscreant, and reckon the Earth too good to bear him, that should hate the presence of his own Father, and abhor all converse with him? and canst thou so accuse, and condemn such a one, and not thyself for much greater degrees of wickedness? better thy affections were disinclined to thy nearest Relations, yea, to thyself, than to the blessed God, who is the spring of thy life and being; and yet thus it is while thy Lusts are obeyed, instead of loving God, thou lovest thy Pleasures more than God: instead of hating Sin, thou hatest God more than Sin. O then, possess thy Soul throughly with a due and deep sense of this great Evil, that thy youthful Lusts do thy poor Soul in depraving thy Affections; so that they seem to be in you, what the Devils were in the Herd of Swine, violently carrying you from God, the fountain of living Waters, to lying Vanities.  
And thus I have showed you how these youthful Lusts do hinder Conversion, as they indispose the Soul in all its parts, and faculties to Conversion. Which brings me to the second thing, namely, to show how these Lusts do hinder Conversion, as they directly oppose the means of it, and that both on God's part and yours.  
1. On God's part: These youthful Lusts provoke God to withdraw his Spirit and Grace, and leave you to your own Hearts Lusts; and then what hope of Conversion remains? It is God alone that can take away that Stony Heart, and give a Heart of Flesh, that quickens the dead Soul. In Conversion we are said to be his Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto goo● Works, 2. Ephes. 10. And St. John saith, 1. John 13. We are born again, not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will ●● man; that is, not by any natural power virtue, or strength inherent in them; B●● of the Will God, it's he that worketh both ●● will and to do; and his people are said t● be a willing People in the day of his Power Psal. 110. 3. The Metaphors that the holy Ghost useth in Scripture, to set forth th●● work of Conversion by, do plainly poi●● out this, That no less power than that Omnipotent Power of God, is required to th● Conversion of a Sinner: as for instance▪ (1.) That of the Resurrection from the dead 6. Rom. 4. to raise the Dead, is the effect ●● an Almighty Power. (2.) That of Creation, 2. Ephes. 10. And who can create b● God? no Creature can, the mightiest A●g● cannot create the meanest Worm. Th● Conversion is set forth in Scripture, to be the Lord's own workmanship. Hence you read, 2. Ephes. 1. You hath he quickened, who were dead in Sins and Trespasses. And in 36. Ezek. 27. A new Spirit also will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes, and ye shall do them. And in 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? And it was God that opened Lydia's Heart: It is true that the Lord of Heaven, the God of all Grace, who could work of himself, and without any means, is pleased to make use of means; to wit, his Word; as in the 1. James 18. By the Word of Truth, of his own Will begat he us, that we should be a kind of First Fruits of his Creatures. Hence the Word is called the Incorruptible Seed, 1 Pet. 1. 23. and the Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit. Hence the Lord hath appointed and instituted the great and honourable Office of the Ministry, and bestows Gifts on his Ministers, to preach the everlasting Gospel to the World, to open Sinners Eyes, and turn them from Darkness to Light. Hence Ministers are called Spiritual Fathers; not that there is any inherent power in either the Word itself, or him that preacheth it, but from the Spirit of God, whose Instruments we are, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. The Weapons of our Warfare (saith the Apostle) are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, etc. And in 2 Cor. 4. 7. We have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels, that the Excellency of the Power may be of God: So than saith the same Apostle, 1 Cor. 3. 7. Neither is he that planteth, any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Not any thing in a way of efficiency, only instrumentally; as a Pen is the Instrument, but it's the Hand that writes: so the Word preached, and the dispense● of it, are Instruments of Conversion: but it's the Spirit of God is the quickening Agent: for it must needs surpass the strength of a Creature to change the Nature, and to cause a return from so miserable a privation, and death, as by Nature we are in; unto so glorious and excellent a participation of the divine Nature, and Life, as every converted Soul is put into, when transformed into the Image of God.  
Now then to raise the Argument, and build upon this Foundation that I have laid; if the principal efficient Cause and means o● Conversion on God's part, be his own Almighty Arm revealed, and made bare, hi● Spirit poured out, and putting forth a quickening vital Energy; then there's little hope of Conversion, where this Almighty Agent is provoked so far forth, as to withhold his Spirit, and to leave a Sinner to his own Heart's Lust. But youthful lusts yielded to, and served, do most certainly thus provoke God to withdraw his Spirit, and Grace; and therefore obstruct their Conversion, in a direct opposing the means of it on God's part. That they do thus provoke God, is evident from these Scriptures, 81. Psal. 11, 12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice, and Israel would none of me: So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lusts, and they walked in their own Counsels. 1. Rom. 26. For this cause (saith the Apostle) God gave them up to vile Affections. This Text, it's true, speaketh of the Heathens, of whom the Apostle had been speaking before, in ver. 19, 20. he had been showing what means they had to know God; they had not the Light of the Gospel, as we have, only the Light of Nature: then he showeth us, ver. 21. how they had abused this Light; wherefore saith he, For this cause God gave them up. You see here what may befall poor Heathens, that have no more than a Natural Light; yet even they, for not improving, and living up to that, may so far provoke God, as to give them up. O what do you think, young people, that are within the Pale of the Church, you have what the Heathen had, and you have superadded a further and more excellent Light, the Light of Scripture; and many of you have the enlightenings of the Spirit in manifold Convictions: I say what do you think will become of you, who obey not the Gospel? you may read in 2 Thess. 1. 7, 8. what your Portion will be, without a speedy fleeing your youthful Lusts. Did God give up the Heathens? O be afraid, young ones, that have the Light of Scripture before your Eyes in this Text: flee youthful lusts, lest you by yielding to them provoke God to say, as once to Ephraim, He is joyne● to Idols, let him alone. q. d. Such a one knoweth better, but he hateth the Light; he must have his Lusts, let him have them, le● his Heart be made fat, that he never convert and turn. O fearful sign of Reprobation. You will find your Soul (like: Bowl down hill) rolling to Hell amain▪ For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the Knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement, and fie● Indignation, which shall devour the Sinner. 10. Heb. 26, 27. My Spirit, saith God, shal● not always strive with man, 6. Gen. 3. young People, did you never find the Spiri● of God in this Text, or others, tending ●● the same thing, to abandon your Lusts, striving with you? Have you had no Motion excited? have you had no Thoughts cast in that have had this aspect and tendency which you have repressed, and resisted through the indulgence of your youthful Lusts Know it, young man, that herein you hav● provoked God to take away his holy Spiri● and it is a righteous thing that the Spirit of God should retire, and desist as to further influences, and operations; which should make you with awful thoughts retire into your own Soul, and smite upon the Thigh, and say, What have I done? I have provoked the Most High God to withdraw his Spirit: and can that Sin be small, that hazards the favour of God, and the life of my Soul for ever? If once the abused Spirit of God departed, and leave thee to thy youthful Lust, thou wilt be like Samson, when his Locks (wherein his strength lay) were cut, Judges 16. 20. It was told Samson that the Philistines were upon him, and he awoke out of sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself, and he witted not that the Lord was departed from him: Or, like Esau, Heb. 12. 17. who afterward would have inherited the Blessing, but was rejected, for he found no place for Repentance, tho' he sought (it carefully with Tears: Or like those Mountains of Gilboa, upon which neither the Rain, nor Dew falls. They say that nastiness in a Dove-house will cause the Dove to leave that House: Sure I am that your youthful unclean Lusts will in time drive away that mystical Dove, the holy Ghost, from thy Soul; and than who shall quicken thy dead Soul? Alas, if that great Master of Assemblies leave thee, never more to strive with thee: what can poor Ministers do? Suppose there were a vast Assembly o● Godly, able Divines met to consult abou● thy Cure; they must all return (re infecta) i● vain, and say, as the King of Israel did i● another case to the poor Woman, that crie● to him in time of Famine, Help, my Lor● O King: And he said, If the Lord do ●● help thee, whence shall I help thee, out of th● Barn-floor, or out of the Wine-press? 2 King. ● 26, 27. So here, if the Lord have do●● with thee, and will not pity, and help whence should we out of our barren So●● and earthen Vessels? your case is dreadful and we can give you our Tears, but we ca● not give you any Oil, not a drop of savin● Grace. If God have given you the Spir●● of Slumber, and a deep Sleep, Isa. 29. ●▪ 11. Rom. 8. Can we open the Heart, God shut it up? Can we blow up the Groun● if God lay it Fallow? here's a judgement i● deed! If a man sin against God (saith Eli) w● shall entreat for him? So if God set him●e●● against a Soul, who can recover that So●● Thus you see the malignity of that influence youthful Lusts have, in hindering of Coversion, as those lusts do oppose the mea● of it, on God's part, provoking him to t●● judicial penal act, of withdrawing his Grac● and delivering up to their own hearts lust And therefore it is a duty of special conce●● to young ones, to flee their youthful lu●● But then in the second place, it will forth appear, if you consider, that these youthful lusts do oppose the means of Conversion on the Soul's part.  
2. Youthful Lusts oppose the means of Conversion on our own part, such as Consideration, Prayer and attendance upon God in his holy Word, Resolution, and Reformation.  
But here (perhaps) you may object, and say, That Conversion is not in your power, it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God who giveth Grace, and showeth Mercy, to whom he pleaseth, ex mero motu suo, & beneplacito, and who can move him, or command it from it?  
A. This is a point which very many young ones (through Satan's subtlety) are greatly puzzled about: but the chief fault is themselves; let us endeavour to set you to rights, and all these matters in clear light, that so much stumble you, as to the use of means on your own part. And first (pray remember) by way of Concession, that there is no man (without the mighty power of God, and his effectual Grace) can convert, and change his own corrupt Nature; this is granted. But then I say moreover, that where ever the Gospel cometh, and is preached, as it is now (blessed be God) among us (there is none that I know of so much as question it) but that all those who enjoy it, and to whom it is preached, have such a sufficiency of means, and aids for Conversion and Salvation granted to them, a is abundantly sufficient to convict, condemn, and leave wholly inexcusable all those that are disobedient to it, and remain unconverted under it; that it was not so much their cannot, as their will not, and obstinate refusal, that is the proximate and immediate cause of their non-conversion and unbelief John 3. 19 This is the condemnation, Light i● come into the World, and men love Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds are evil. John 5. 4. And ye will not come unt● me, that you might have Life. Jer. 8. 5. They refuse to return. And it is upon this Hypothesis, that all those melting, moving Expostulations, and plead with Sinners, in the Word of God, are raised and built: as for instance, Turn, turn ye, why will you dye● as I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the Death of a Sinner. Ezek. 33. 11. Chap. 18. 23. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, wash you make ye clean: come now let us reason together▪ saith the Lord, though your Sins be as Scarlet▪ they shall be white as Snow; though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as Wool. Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean ●● when shall it once be?  
Thus having cleared what lay in our way as matter of Objection, and discouragement, touching the means of Conversion on our part, I shall proceed to consider (more particularly) those instituted means of Conversion; and then show you how your Lusts oppose those means, and thereby hinder your Conversion. For the Means, I shall begin with that of Consideration, and that because I find the Holy Ghost in Scripture, beginning here with unconverted Sinners, commanding, and commending this as an excellent means of Conversion in the 1 Kings 8. 47. If they shall bethink themselves, and repent, then hear thou their Prayer, etc. where you see plainly that retiring into our own hearts by serious thoughtfulness, and consideration, is a singular means to Repentance and Conversion. Again in Hag. 1. 5. Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Consider your ways. Psal. 119. 59 I thought on my ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies: He first considered, and then he converted. So the prodigal Son came first to himself by consideration, and then he came home to his Father by sound Conversion. Luke 15. 17. Here the Lord complains of that People's impenitence, in Jer. 8. 6. No man repent him: And in the next words relateth the Cause of it to be want of consideration, No man said, What have I done? O would but young men retire from the Noise, and foolish Vanities of this world, and allow their Souls leisure for the serious exercise of this important Duty; to consider their sinful and woeful estate by Nature, in what posture they stand God-wards with their apostate Natures; and how the Wrath of God that is revealed from Heaven against all Unrighteousness; this wrath abideth on them every moment, during their unconverted state: and how fearful a thing it is to carry one's doom in ones own bosom! to go up and down the world in a state of enmity to the most high Jehovah, under his Cur●e and Wrath, as they most certainly do i● their state of Nature, and there to consider of their manifold Omissions, and Commissions, how many thousand ways they have offended God; how many checks of Conscience they have stifled; what Motions of the Spirit they have resisted; what precious seasons of Grace they have neglected; wha● Light, Love, Mercies, Engagements, Vow● they have sinned against; what pains they have taken to satisfy their Lusts, stopping their Ears at the holy Instructions, Counsels Exhortations, entreaties of Parents & Ministers what estrangedness, and separation thei● Sins have made between God and their Souls and then to consider how short their time o● Earth will be, how sure it is that their youthful Sins will sooner or later find them out ● how certain that God will bring them ●● Judgement for all thy Pleasures in the Flesh, all thy Thoughts, Words and Deeds. Thu● I say, would but young men take time ●● commune with their own Souls about the●● tremendous matters, it would surely awake● and call them to fear, and inquire, What m●●● I do to be saved? And so prepare them fo● that other Head of Consideration, name●● the rich, sovereign, and free Grace of God in Christ, laid open in the Gospel; how God hath so loved the World, as to give his only Son to die for us, when enemies; that whosoever believeth, and repenteth, shall not perish, but have everlasting Life: how able and willing Christ is, to save, and receive all heavy laden weary Souls, that see themselves lost, and ●aste the bitterness, and feel the burden of their Sin that come to him; how lovingly he invites all such to come to him, and assureth them of a gracious reception, and a full remission of all their Sins, and eternal Salvation, etc. and that it is not all the aggravations of their Sins, however they have been multiplied, and committed against the Light of Natural Conscience, or the Light of Supernatural Grace revealed in the Scriptures, that shall be an impediment, or bar to their acceptance, and pardon upon their return : If the Wicked forsake his Way, and the Unrighteous man his Thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, he will have mercy, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon, Isa. 55. 7. or multiply to pardon. Again, there is nothing but an unbelieving, impenitent Heart, resisting this Grace, can, or shall ever deprive you of so great Salvation, as is offered to you in the Gospel: and tho' you have refused in past seasons, when he hath called; yet for all that he won't refuse you. If you flee from your lusts to him, the only refuge for lost Souls, the match shall not break on his part; and if you perish, and miss Salvation at last, it shall not be long of him So that this is undeniable (viz.) that Consideration on our part, is a most fit and apposite means of Conversion. I have some time read of a Religious Father, that had rebellious wicked Son, that was a great grie● to him; when the Father was on his dea●● bed, he called his Son to him, and laid hi● under a solemn engagement and promise▪ That he would every day retire alone, a●● spend one quarter of an Hour in serious thinking. After the pious Father was dea● the wild Son began to consider of his promise to his Father, and accordingly once day retires; at first he began to think of th● Honours, and Pleasures of this World; bu● after a while he began to consider, what h●● Father's design was, in obliging him the● once a day to retiredness and thoughtfulness and then he began to call to mind his Sin● and wicked Life that he had lived: and th● good Spirit of God concurring with thos● thoughts, he became a new man. So tha● Consideration is a means of Conversion.  
Now I come in the next place to show yo● how youthful lusts directly oppose this mea● of Conversion: and that will appear, it yo● consider the rage of these Lusts, they wi●● not give the judgement leave, or leisure ●● animadvert, and consider; they are imp●ruous, and tyrannical, hurrying poor Sinners Hell wards: this is obvious to our observation every day; how many young people do we see, by one base pleasure or other, always led captive from the time they awake in the Morning, till they lie down at Night, and never take time to consider or ask themselves, What have I done? What must I do to be saved? Where must I abide for ever? If a man rides through a Country full speed, he can never draw a true Map of that Country: If you ●oile, and ruffle the Waters, you can never see your face in them. Thus if a Soul be hurried with its Lusts, it can never retire, and soberly debate matters in its own breast. Consideration can find no place in such a Soul, as Christ told the malicious Jews, in the ●, John, 36 37. My words can find no place in ●ou; because they were so enraged, and blinded with the lusts of Malice and Envy against ●im; that most pure, peaceable, meek, and heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel, which Christ had taught among them, could have ●o entertainment in, nor government over ●heir Hearts, to win them to him, because ●●eir hearts were engaged to their Lusts. So ●● is here, when God calls, and Ministers ●ll, and the dangers and miseries of thy nee●●y Soul calls, O young man, consider thy ●ays, remember thy Creator, know that ● will bring thee to Judgement: alas, the●e ●usts deasen and drown all. O wretched ●very, tho' Life and Death be set before thee, tho' thou art alured with all the glorious promises of pardon, and Eternal Lif● on the one hand: and tho' thou art constrained with all the Terrors of the Lord, th● Curses of the Law, and the everlasting Flame of Hell on the other hand; yet these Lus● slight, & make nothing of all these amazing and tremendous Truths, as if they were n● worthy of one quarter of an hours serious Consideration: they do so haunt, a● shackle poor Sinners, as that they hold the● Prisoners (arctâ custodiâ) in close bondage and will not allow them the liberty of consideration, and bethinking themselv●● Hence these Lusts are styled Snares, Ne● Bonds, Eccles. 7. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 26. and this respect are Sinners compared to Ca●tives and Prisoners kept up. Isa. 61. 1. a● Chap. 42. 7. Hence Simon Magus by re●son of his being under the dominion of th● lust of Covetousness, tho' he was also und●● a Christian profession, and had been but j● before Baptised; yet you read Acts 8. 23. see (saith Peter) that thou art in the Gall● Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniquity. A● so that young man, of whom you read the 19 Matth. he seemed to be near to ●● Kingdom of Heaven, but he was chai●● fast by the Love of Riches, and that set hi● quite back again. O young men, yo● Lusts, if you give way to them, will ●● come so ravenous, outrageous, and tyrant no● lusts malign Influences, what cause have you to Flee these Lusts!  
Another means, on our part, of Conversion, is Prayer; thus we read in Jer. 31. 18, 19 of Ephraim, when he was about turning, he prayeth to the God of all Grace, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned: In this respect Peter counsels Simon Magus, Acts 822. Repent (saith he) of this thy Wickedness, and Pray to God, if perhaps the Thought of thine Heart may be forgiven thee. Pray mind this Scripture. q. d. though thou art in the very Gall of Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniquity; yet supposing there remains only a possibility, a perhaps of Pardon and Salvation, yet thou art bound to Pray: I know there are many deboist, lewd Youngsters in this Age, that imitate those profane Wretches, of whose hellish Language you read in the 21. Job 14, 15. They say to the Almighty, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways: And what is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit is it if we Pray to him? But there is little hopes of their Conversion. However this is most certain, that Prayer is an Institution of God's, in order to Conversion, as you may see in those two Scriptures, Hosea 14. 1, 2, 3. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquities. In that Verse you have God's Invitation to Conversion; and then in the second Verse you have his Direction how to go about it, Take with you words, and turn unto the Lord, say unto him, Take away all Iniquity, and receive u● graciously. And then if you read tha● 36. Ezek. 26, 27. where you have God promising the Grace of Conversion, in those words, A new Heart will I give unto you; and presently enjoining Prayer, as a means on our part, ver. 27. Thus saith the Lord, I will yet for this be sought, by the House o● Israel, to do it for them.  
If you ask, What Prayer is?  
I answer, Prayer is the offering up of ou● Desires to God, for things agreeable to hi● Will, in the name of Christ. These Desire must proceed from an Heart touched with the sense of our sin and misery, and the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ: an● they must be servant and constant; like th● Publican, God be merciful, or propitious, ●● me a Sinner, Luke 18. and Gen. 32. 25. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Luk. 18. 1. to this end our Saviour spoke that Parable to instruct us, that we ought to Pray, and not faint: like that important Woman of Canaan, who would know no discouragements, being once entered and engaged in this heavenly Exercise; It is not meet (saith our Lord) to take children's Bread, and give it to Dogs: she owneth it, Truth, Lord, saith she, Matth. 15. 26. yet the Dogs may eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Master's Table. O when a poor Sinner cometh to God by Christ, and knocketh for converting Grace, out of a sense of its damned, undone condition: if he prevail not, and cryeth out, O thou most patiented (tho' provoked) God, it's matter of admiration, that thou sufferest such a Viper as I am to live and breath in thy common Air: O pity me a Hell-deserving Sinner, for the sake of thy dear Son, who made satisfaction by his bitter Death and Passion to thy Justice, and grant me this favour in thy sight, the forgiveness of my Sins, and the Spirit of Grace, to subdue the power of my lusts, and to renew me in Soul and Body: O Father of Mercies, if thou do not show me this favour and mercy, I shall live thine enemy, and shall, I know not how soon, die miserably, to mine own eternal undoing. O draw me into Union with thy blessed Son, unto whom none can come except thou draw: O let me never rest, till it be out of doubt, that I am converted, and that God in Christ is mine: let my Tears be my Meat night and day, while I have a being, till I obtain Grace and Mercy to help my needy miserable Soul. After this manner is this Exercise to be performed, and it brings God's Institution, it is under a promised Blessing, and many can set to their seals, that their labour herein hath not been in vain, with reference to Repentance and Conversion. Now giving way to youthful lust, directly opposeth Conversion, both as it withdraws you from it, and withereth your Soul in the performance of it. Alas, when your Lusts grow clamorous, and you obsequious to them, they will breed in you an aversation & opposition to Prayer: you will not find a Heart inclined to, but wretchedly dis-inclined from God, which is a sad case indeed; and to have a hard Heart, that cannot Pray (was the note of an Eminent Saint, and Servant of God now ascended) compleateth a Soul's misery; it pulls down fury and destruction upon the Heads of such; as you may see in the 10. Jer. 25. O what care should you take to preserve your comfortable access to God by Christ every day: our Life is a worthless thing without it; hence in 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle doth so earnestly press Husbands and Wives to exemplary walking, that your Prayers (saith he) be not hindered. Now there is nothing so much hindereth Prayer, as giving way to your Lusts; for by these you provoke God to stop his Ear, and withdraw and stand at a distance from you, and by these you irritate the Rebellion of your own Hearts against God, and cause it to stand at a greater distance from God: as Adam when he yielded to eat of the forbidden Fruit, he grew shy of God. Woeful experience evinceth this, when Persons have given way to Pride, or Passion, or Lust, or sinful Pleasures in the day, they can't tell how to go and pray to God at night, or look him in the Face, with any comfort or confidence: when Conscience upbraideth, dost thou pray, O vile Hypocrite! hast thou been kindling the Fire of his Wrath all day, and dost thou think to obtain his favour all of a sudden? When thou hast been grieving his Spirit, and tearing open the wounds of the blessed Jesus, by thy wilful sinning against Light, and Convictions, how canst thou expect the Comforter should come to thee? If a man were to plead for his Life at the Bar, would he be so mad as to distemper himself with strong Drink before hand; this were the ready way to lose him his Life: and so it is the ready way to lose your Conversion, wherein stands the Life of your Souls, if you intoxicate them with the stupefying Vapours, that arise from your fulfilled Lusts. It was holy Mr. Dod's saying, That either Praying would make us leave off Sinning, or Sinning would make us leave off Praying. And then pray observe, your Lusts tend to the manifest withering, cripling your Souls in the performance of this duty: It cuts and eclipse the Soul's wings in Prayer, and then down you fall, and sink as a dead thing in Prayer. O therefore flee youthful Lust, or they will render Prayer no more than a dead empty Formality; and how waste and desolate a thing is that? it will be like some Disease in the Body, that converts all the Food, that should nourish Nature, to the feeding themselves, and so macerate, and miserably consume the Body; or like some Thief, or Thiefs in a House, the Master's Goods and Stock continually waste and consume: and no wonder, the Viper is in their own Bosoms. Thus, young men, your Lusts will bring leanness into your Souls in Prayer. O young man, dost thou find the Lord gone in Prayer, no discoveries of himself, but a great estrangedness: wouldst thou know the cause? read that in Ezek. 14. 5. They were estranged through their Lusts. Be assured of this, there is a Heart-league, and some youthful Lust or other, which lays an embargo upon the Soul, and arrests the profit of all thy Prayers Suppose a man did know, and see his own Wife loving and cleaving to some other man; would not this spoil the comfort of their communion? as we that are reasonable Creatures, don't love to be among unreasonable Brutes in the Wilderness, or the Living to be among the Tombs and the Dead: So a holy God regards not the Prayers, will not be enquired of, nor spoke with, by those who regard their Lusts in their Hearts, Isa. 58. 1, 2, 3, 4. Why have we fasted, and thou regardest not? You took pleasure▪ saith the Lord, and broke not the Bonds of Wickedness. So some complain, Alas! we have prayed for Pardon, and Peace, and the Manifestations of God's Love, but have received no answer, find no return; now whence is this? Oh young man, sure there is some betwitching Lust or other sucks thee. As if I saw a Plant or Tree that is daily watered, and has no want of outward means of flourishing, and bearing Fruit; yet withereth, and dyeth away, be sure there is some Worm in the Root corroding it. I have heard of late many young People pouring out their Complaints after this manner, Alas, I have been seeking, and knocking at the door of Ordinances, Prayer, Word, Sacrament, etc. but have not, find not, feel not supplies come in: I am like those that had been toiling all Night, and catch nothing. Oh never was my Heart so dead in Duty, saith one : so straitened, and shut up, saith another! And hence some cry out, To what purpose should we wait any longer? What profit is there in Praying to the Almighty? What sweetness in Ordinances? What is Christ more than another? Now, I pray whence is this? What is Christ a barren Wilderness? a Land of Darkness? a broken Cistern? a Field without a Treasure? a Well without Water? a Cloud without Rain? What is the Lord unwilling to hear? and pity a poor distressed Sinner, that comes and makes its moan to him? And is it in vain to seek him? Oh no! Christ is precious, God is gracious, the hearer of Prayers, the rewarder of such as diligently seek him. But here is the true cause of all, a man comes to God with his Idol in his Heart, and then God will not speak with him; can you ever imagine that so pure▪ Majesty should match with your Lusts? no no, for than should the Father of Light have communion with the darkest Darkness: sooner will he leave thee, while tho● livest to be a Shrub, or Heath in the Dese●● that sees not when Good cometh, and to b● a magor Missabib when thou diest; than eve● let thee in to acquaintance with himself, ti●● the league and power of thy youthful Lus● be broke. Can two walk together that an● not agreed? No man can serve two Masters but either he will love the one, and hate th● other▪ etc. Matth. 6. 24. O be not deceive●, God is not mocked: if you regard Iniquity in your hearts, God won't hear you● Prayer. Possibly thou art pinched, through the power of a natural Conscience flying thy face, telling thee that such Lusts will sit thee at last; and this sends thee to th● Knees, and then thou criest, Lord, Lor● there be these, and these youthful Lusts of min● that wring my Conscience, that I can have ●● quiet; O ease me of them. And thus tho● seekest out to pacify and stop the Mouth ●● Conscience, and that's all: never comest up to practise this Rule, to flee these Lusts▪ but ever likest, lovest, and livest them never sell all, part with all, and so ru● divorced from them all, to Christ, taking his blessed Yoke upon thee, saying, He, an● he alone shall rule and reign in them, and over them. Oh that such would ponder that Text, James 1. 7, 8. Let not a double-minded man think to receive any thing at the hands of the Lord; and that other place in 1. Isaiah 10 to 14. I am weary (saith the Lord there) of your New-Moons, and your very Assembling is provoking to me, while your Hands and Hearts are unclean, and full of sin: wash ye, make ye clean, etc. The truth is, your youthful Lusts in Prayer, do render you most abominable and odious in the sight of God: for they do (as it were) challenge, and bid defiance to God; whence else are those thunders of his provoked Majesty? in 1. Mala. 14. 7. Jer. 9, 15, 16. 33. Ezek. 31, 32, 33. Chap. 14. from the 1st. verse to the 9 To go and Pray with the Idol of my Lust in my heart, is a mocking God, and God won't be mocked; nay, let me tell you, God's anger is increased by such Prayers, and then I appeal to you what Good can be looked for from such Prayers? alas, rather Confusion, than Conversion. O young People, pray remember it, your Lusts will not only blunt, and take off the edge of Prayer, that it shall never do any execution; but they turn thy very Prayers into sin, and how likely that is to turn thy heart God wards, judge ye.  
Thus I have showed you how your youthful Lusts hinder Conversion, as they oppose the means of it. Were there a demand made, why Consideration, and Prayer, and other Godly means should be so irksome, and bu● densom? Is God so undelightful an object to approach unto, that you cannot endu●● his presence, or are so soon weary in hol● Exercises, like a man under a heavy loa● Oh no, to draw nigh to God in Prayer, is th● joy of holy Souls; but they are those Lu●● within that make it (to our corrupt Nature so unpleasant, and tedious. And thus have showed you, how they oppose th● means of Conversion on our part; and therefore it is a duty of such special concern me● for young men to flee youthful Lusts, because of the malignity of their influence, express first in that they hinder Conversion. No● I come to the second Head, to show yo● the malignity of their influence as they hurry Youth into grievous Temptations.  
2. A second particular of the maligni●● of youthful Lust's inflence lieth in this, vi●▪ In that they hurry Youth into grievous Temptations.  
There are two sorts of Temptations th●● we read of in Scripture, the Apostle Jam●● treats of both, in the 1. chap. ver. 2. and ●● 14. The former sort are no other than Afflictions, which are for the probation an● trial of the Christian's Faith and Patience and with respect to these the Apostle saith My Brethren count it all Joy, when you f●● into divers Temptations, ver. 2. And Mos●● saith, that God tempted Abraham, 22. Gen. 1. That is God proved, and tried his Servant Abraham's Faith. But now the other sort of Temptations, are no other than solicitations and seducements to Sin; and with respect to these, the Apostle saith in the 13. and 14. verses. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with Evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Lust, and enticed; then when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin, and Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth Death. And hence our blessed Lord teacheth us to watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation; that is to sin; for in this sense is the word used in Scripture, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or to try, is the proper word for the other temptation; so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper word for temptation to sin. And of this sort of temptation it is that youthful Lusts are both the Fons, and Foams, the breeder, and feeder, the food and fuel, the mother and nurse, they do both by force and fraud, violently hale, and hurry, and cunningly entice, and draw young ones to sin. The Devil may flatter you, but he cannot force you: it's your Lust that opens the Door, or temptation could never enter. It hath been an old practice of Sinners, when they fall into sin, to accuse and lay all the blame either upon the Devil, or the instrument that provoked them. Oh, sa● they, the Devil owed them a spite, and no● he hath paid it; not considering that th● true procreating cause of Sin, is a man's ow● Lust. It must be owned that this World full of Snares and Temptations, to with draw Youth from God's house, to the Al● houses, and there provoke them to Intemperance: and to Gaming houses, and the● provoke them to consume their Estates, an● precious time: and to filthy houses, an● there provoke them to destroy themselv●● for the sake of brutish pleasures. In this sen●● it is true, homo homini daemon: One is a Devil to another, i. e. tempters to Sin. But a these are but external movers, the princip●● Agent is thy own Lust within. As one saith Temptation is a Siege, Satan is the Enem● without the Walls, labouring to force a● entrance; our Lusts are the Traitors with in, that hold correspondency with t●● Enemy without, and open the Gate of th● Soul to receive him. They are our ow● Lusts that go over to Satan, in the day ●● battle, and fight against our Souls, 1 Pet. 2. O young men, your Lusts are like the me●● of Keilah to David, in the day of temptation, 1 Sam. 23. 11. Poor David was hate● and hunted up and down by Saul, who sought his Life: at length he cometh to Keilah presently it was told Saul, that David w●● come to Keilah. David enquireth of the Lor● Whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up into the hands of his Enemy Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. Whereupon David presently fled, and so escaped. Thus if you follow not this counsel, to flee your youthful lusts, they will certainly deliver you up in the hour of temptation, that you will not be able to deliver your own Soul: they will betray you, as Dalilah did Samson, and let in the uncircumcised Philistines upon you. When Judas his heart was set upon the lust of Covetousness, how miserably was he overcome, with many desperate Temptations, he will betray the precious Life, and Blood of the Son of God, for thirty pieces of Silver, and afterward you know what became of him; so true is that in the 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. They that will be rich (saith the Apostle) whose Hearts run after their Covetousness, fall into Temptation, and a Snare, into many foolish and hurtful Lusts. So when Balaam's Heart was set upon this Lust, he will rise early, run, and ride till he is weary, that he might Curse Israel; at length he becomes (through his Lust) more desperate, and senseless of God's fury, than the dumb Ass, he dissembles his Conscience, coins cunning Evasions. O the malignity of lust's influence! Suppose it be the Lust of Uncleanness, what pernicious temptation doth this cast many young men upon? frequenting Satan's Seminaries, those Chapels of Hell, Stews and Plays, wher● oftentimes are Challenges, Stabs, Comba●● Blood, and Murder: thus have many ventured as deep as Hell, to gratify their filthy Lusts. Hence they are said to draw Iniquity as with Cart-ropes, Isa. 5. 8. and that the wearied themselves to commit Iniquity, Jer. 9 ● and compared to fed Horses, every one neighed after his Neighbour's Wife, Jer. 5. 8. an● carried on with a brutish rage, against a● reason, without any counsel, or consideration; this is that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eagerness of Lust, noteth a raging eagerness. 1 Thes. 4. 5. ● that, where it is consented to, it carrieth a● before it, breaks all sorts of Bonds, the La● of God, the Law of Nature; all are but as th● new Cords, wherewith Samson was boun● as soon as he awoke from Sleep, he bra●● all like so many twine Threads. An instance hereof holy Providence, while I a● writing, affords me, of a young man, th● through yielding to the Lust of Concupiscence, hath plunged himself into such drea●ful Temptations, and consuming Misery that he moves like a Shadow, and pin● away under the malignity of his Lust's influence, to the grief of them that behold him. The holy Apostle telleth us, Th●● when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth S●● that is the outward act of Sin, and when S● is finished, it bringeth forth Death. The Metaphor there used, is taken from a teeming Mother: now a Mother conceiveth first inwardly, and after the revolution of so many Months, bringeth forth the Fruit of her Womb visibly to others; thus here, according to that noted place, Matth. 15. 19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, false Witness, Blasphemies. So in 2 Peter 1. 4. all the actual Corruptions and Abominations that are in the world, are through Lust. Oh there is a vast difference between our Lord Jesus his being tempted, and ours; when Satan came to tempt him, he found nothing in him, John 14. 13. nothing to comply with him, there was no internal temper, no indwelling lust, no corrupt matter to fasten on: but it is otherwise with us, A man's Enemies (saith Christ) are they of his own House. O remember it, young man, the principal Cause of all thy misery, is the Lust of thy own Heart, if all outward obstacles were removed, thou mayst yet be an Adulterer, a Thief, etc. in the sight and account of God, as one hath it,  Omnia si claudas, intus adulter erit. 
Moreover, consider the malignity of these Lusts, as they have a sly, subtle, enticing property, you will see a necessity of fleeing them. O young man, thy Lusts are as deceitful to betray you with Smiles, and Kisses, as they are violent, and desperate to stab you with temptations to bold and bloody perpetrations of sin. Your Lusts not only tempt by haling, and hurrying you o● to sin in an imperuous manner, but they also tempt you by flattery, and putting Tricks and Cheats upon you; insomuch that it is next to impossible, that you should ever flee, and avoid the Cheats, except you flee your Lusts that are the cheaters. Ah how many thousand of young ones hath Lust slain this way; fitly may that be applied here that is spoken of the Harlot in Prov. 7. 26. She hath cast down many wounded. Solomon was a wise man, yet Lust made a fool of him; Lust hath much of the subtlety of the old Serpent in its blinding Sinners minds, i● draweth young men to sin, by drawing a vail over their Consciences; thus enticing them on with fair & flattering Promises, one while pleading the sweetness and pleasure of yielding, and giving way to its desires and solicitations; at other times arguing ab utili, the profit, and gain, the honour, and preferment. Hence the voluptuous, and unwary Youth are ensnared, as you read frequently in the Proverbs 1. Chap. and the 7. Chap. promising themselves abundance of satisfaction, in yielding to their Lusts 18. ver. of that 7. of the Prov. Come let ●● take our fill, and solace ourselves with Loves Stolen Waters are sweet, and Bread eaten in secret is pleasant, Prov. 9 17. Doth Ahab sell himself to his Lusts to work wickedness? what gratis? Oh no, his lusts promise him a brave Vineyard. So Gehazi, what will he frame and utter a Lie for nothing? Oh no, he should have Sheep, and Oxen, and change of Raiment, etc. So Achan, what will he sin for nothing? Oh no, there's a Wedge of Gold. So Judas, what will he betray innocent Blood for nothing? Oh no, he shall have thirty Pieces of Silver. Thus doth Lust tempt by flattery & fraud, and all is a mere Cheat; for, pray, what got Ahab by his Vineyard? was it not the ruin of him and his? oh it brought forth Grapes of Gall. And what got Gehazi by his Lie, but a Leprosy entailed upon him, and his Heirs for ever? And what got Achan by his Wedge? It is the notion of one upon it, That it was a wedge to cleave asunder his Soul from God: And I may add, to cleave asunder his Soul from his Body too. So Judas his thirty pieces purchased him an Halter. Thus for a lust's pleasure, multitudes of Youth are tempted into it by mere flattery, as you may see in the 20. Job 12. 14. Though Wickedness be sweet in the Mouth, yet the Meat thereof will turn to the Gall of Asps within. And in Prov. 9 17. Stolen Waters are sweet, etc. but they consider not, that the Dead are there, and that her Guests are in the Depths of Hell. I have read a Story ● a Roman Soldier, who was by a Cou●● Marshal condemned to die for breaking hi● rank, to steal a Bunch of Grapes; and ●● he was going to execution, some of th● Soldiers envied him, that he had Grapes and they had none, (saith he) Do ye em● me my Grapes, I must pay dear for them. S● may we say of all the pleasure of your Lust● its last act is always Tragical, it serveth th● young man as Absolom did Amnon, whe● his Heart was merry with Wine, than h● killed him, 2 Sum. 13. 28. Or as Jael, ●● enticed him into her Tent, and gave hi● Milk, and layeth him to sleep; and then S●● put her Hand to the Nail, and with the Ham she smote Sisera, she smote off his Head, wh●● she had pierced, and stricken through h● Temples, Judg. 5. 26. O young men, fle● your Lusts, yield not to their enticement when they would draw, and tempt yo● with the bait of pleasure; remember the● is no truth in all its promises. Oh practice that 3 Heb. 13. O venture not upon the forbidden Cup, when it sparkleth with pleasure. Your Lusts will promise you a Paradise, and pay you with a bryary and tho●ny Wilderness, where if you have a min● to be torn with Bushes, fed with Ashe● stung with Serpents, scorched with Burning and that everlasting, you may credit thei● youthful Lusts. And this brings me to th● third and last Particular, expressive of the malignity of youthful Lust's influence, viz. That they hasten your Destruction.  
3. Flee youthful Lusts, because of the malignity of their influence, in that they not only hinder your Conversion, hurry you into Temptation; but in the last place, in that they hasten your destruction, as you may read in these following Scriptures, Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things, for the en● of them is Death? And in verse 23. The Wages of Sin is Death. 1 Pet. 1. 11. Abstain from Fleshly Lusts, which war against the Soul. Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die. Matth. 18. 8, 9 If thy right Hand offend thee, cut it off, etc. or no entering into Life eternal, Isa. 3. 10. Now in vain were all these Revelations of the determined and immutable Will of God in his Word, if continuance in your Lusts, could stand with impunity, and escaping destruction. I know that the vain hopes of escaping, is a mighty encouragement to the voluptuous Youth, whose Heart stands bend upon his Lusts; but if once his Conscience comes to be throughly convinced, that his lust's will most surely find him out, that his Damnation lingreth not, slumbreth not, but is hastening a pace towards him; so that he may as well hope not to die, as not to be thrown into Hell when he dies: oh then what trembling surpriseth the guilty Sinner. Now in order to the awakening the Conscience of wild and wanton Youth, to flee their youthful Lusts, let them but weigh this Argument taken out of God's Word, who hath peremptorily declared, that he will by no means clear the Guilty; but is angry with them every day, and hath revealed his Wrath from Heaven, against all that persist in their Lusts, let them steep their thoughts in such terrible & tremendous Scriptures, as Deut. 29. 18, 19, 20. Lest there should be any among you, whose Heart turneth away from the Lord, and it cometh to pass that when he heareth (or readeth) the Words of this Curse, that he bless himself in his Heart, saying, I shall have Peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine Heart to add sin to sin. What then? O pray mind, and lay to heart what followeth in the 20. verse. The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him: Also in Job 5. 3, 4. Eliphaz saith, I have seen the Foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his Habitation: and in the 27. Chap. and 13. you read, this is the Portion of a wicked man with God: and in 17. Chap. 5. Their triumphing is but short, and their joy but for a moment. So that as soon should God cease to be God, as the Sinner that goeth on in his Trespasses, should go unpunished, the certainty of whose destruction depends upon the irrevocable Will of God: God hath said it, the Lord hath spoken it, and it shall come to pass. Alas we that dwell at ease, and enjoy our health, are not able fully to conceive, what the power of the Lord's anger and wrath is, which he hath revealed against Sin, and Sinners. Some indeed as they have been drawing near, and launching out into the Ocean of Eternity, have had such sights and views of it, as hath scared, and affrighted them with such amazements, that they have cried out (inducias usque ad mane) truce but till the Morning: Others, O that I had never been born, call time again: Others, O Lord, let me live on Earth, though it be but the life of a Toad. I have also read of one, who saw Hell, but in a Dream, or Vision, and the terror was so great, that he would have chosen ten times to die, rather than see and feel so great horror again. But as to our Youth that look at a Deathbed many years off, they can scarce imagine what an aspect this will have at a dying hour. Now at present it shows its fairest side, but when all Masks are pulled off, it will be quite another thing; you may see its stinging efficacy in the 33. Isa. and 14. Now in the days of your vanity and pleasure, this Argument and Reason is wrapped up like a Flag about the Staff: Hell and Damnation are but as it were in semine, and your persisting in Si● is called a treasuring up of Wrath against that great and terrible Day of Wrath that is approaching; and hence you are secure, careless, and all quiet. But oh that young people would but think what a dreadful sight it will have, when they come to lie down with their Bones full of the Sins o● their youth, and their Souls brought dow● to the sides of the Pit, as low as Hell, by their youthful lusts. O with what unexpressible rage and fury will their Consciences then reflect on their forepast Sins You read in James, that when Lust is consummate, it bringeth forth Death, and the sting of Death is Sin unmortified, unpardoned, & this brings to a terrible Bar, Judge, and Sentence, Depart ye cursed, etc. So that here in the final issue of your youthful lusts, they will (if you flee them not) cast you into the Fire of Hell, with an utter destruction from the presence of the Lord. See here how God hath hedged up your sinful wa● with thorns to stop you, and restrain yo● from yielding to your filthy and forbidde● Lusts; and also to spur you on to b●ea● through all the difficulties and objection that lie in your way to Repentance and Conversion; that so when the Devil, o● the Lusts of the Flesh object against the Severities, pains and labour o●●b●ndoning, and forsaking your Dalilah-corruptions, 〈◊〉 might have it in readiness to answer, Avoid Satan, what tell you me of pains in parting with, or departing from Sin; do not you see here in the Scripture, is it not written, that Eternal Pains will be my Portion, if I flee not my youthful lusts? and what are the pains of parting with my lusts now, compared with the pains of parting with God, Christ, and Heaven, and the undergoing the pains of Hell's torments, the Fire that is never quenched, the Worm that never dies? O Devil, that wouldst tempt me to sin; O vile Lust that wouldst entice me, and draw me to fulfil your unreasonable request, is it easy to dwell with everlasting Burning? If I dwell with you, and hearken to you, if I flee you not, I must dwell and lodge for ever and ever in Tophet. Is it not better to dwell with Lions, Bears, Serpents, Adders, here in a Wilderness all my Life on Earth, than abide with you an hour longer? seeing that I run the hazard of an Eternity of Torments in that hour, and the only way to provoke God to shorten my Life on Earth, is to yield to my lusts. What if I should gain a little beastly pleasure, or perishing earthly treasure, by obeying my youthful lust? what then? when God takes away my Soul, Job 27. 7, 8. and in Matth. 16. 25, 26. What is a man profited though he should gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? What can a man give in exchange for his Soul? Wherefore as Moses spoke unto the Congregation of Israel in the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abaram, saying, Depart I pray you from the Tents of wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their Sins. So I say to you, young people, flee your wicked lusts, touch nothing of them, lest you be consumed. It was good counsel the Angel gave Lot, Flee out of Sodom, escape for thy Life, look not behind thee, lest thou be consumed in her Flames. But it's more merciful counsel to you to flee your youthful lusts, inasmuch as it's better the Body were swallowed up in the Earth, or burnt to Ashes in Flames, than that your Souls and Bodies should be swallowed up in Tophet, and burnt in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, world without end, as most certainly if you flee not your lusts, they must be. O young people, if you stay with your lusts, they will undo you, Soul and Body, for ever. Who would not flee from Plague, Fire, Sword, Famine, &c▪ Alas your Lusts are worse than all these; while you abide in them, the Wrath of God abideth on you, John 3. 36. its all being within the reach of the Wrath of God▪ within the ●ail of his storm. O what is it then to be just under it? Amos 2. 14. How much more  were it to lie open to famine, Pestilence, Bloodsheds, etc. than to be exposed to the Storms, and strokes of God's vengeance. Oh what is there in your Lusts, that should so bewitch you, as to venture your eternal ruin and destruction for them? and judge ye, whether it be possible for any one of you, to do any thing more directly to the ruin of himself, (tho' you should study for it seven years) than to go on impenitently in the fulfilling thy Lusts. That judgement that in itself is slow, and your living in a course of Sin, most certainly hasteneth its execution. It's true, God may grant you further patience, but you cannot promise yourselves an hours patience, you are not sure of being out of Hell one hour longer. But if God should spare thee some years, as is the Case proposed by Solomon, in that of Eccles. 8. 12. Tho' a Sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet what then? shall it go well? Oh no, as it followeth, surely it shall not go well with him. The Iniquity of Ephraim (saith the Lord) is bound up, Hos. 13. 12. And in Psal. 50. I held my peace (saith God) and thou thoughtest me such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set thy sin in order before thee. This is enough to make a Sinner's Loins to tremble, to consider, that in the day of God's patience, while he continueth impenitent, it is no other than a treasuring up wrath against the great and terrible day of wrath. Oh! how many of our brisk and jovial Youngsters fancy they shall hear no more of their Vanities and Sensualities; because God hath born with them i● their past Follies, they conclude all's over▪ and done with: But be it known to you● God hath (as Job speaketh) sealed up you● youthful Sins in a Bag against the day ●● Judgement, in which day God will reckon with you for all, even from the Sin tha● clavae to you in your Mother's womb, to the last Sin you commit in this World. If yo● fly not your Lusts by Repentance, there i● no flying Divine Vengeance. If you adventure to cry Peace, Peace, behold swift a● sudden destruction is coming upon you, according to the unalterable Law of the grea● God, Psal. 68 21. But God shall wound th● head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp ●● every one that goeth on in his trespasses: an● in Luke 19 27. O the malign influence ●● their Lusts! there is no flying future wrath except you fly your present Lusts. Future ●● I say, alas it's in part come; for God is (as I to you) angry every day, and his wrath abideth on you in the threathing every moment; how soon execution may be who knoweth? methinks it's like a Malefactor's being upon the ●adder, there wa● nothing but turning off, and he is go● Consider, What a fearful thing it is to ●. into the hands of a living God? Hebr. 10. ●. Then how glad would you be to fly out ● his hands if you could? as you read ● Job 27. 22. yea, how fain would such flee to the Rocks, Mountains, Hills, and there be glad if they would but fall upon them, to cover and hid them from the wrath of a Sin-revenging God? Rev. 6. 15, 16. Now God commands you to flee Sin, and so make an escape from the fullness of wrath to come: But if you be contentious and disobedient, why then he himself will not let you escape, Hebr. 2. 3. That's a startling Question in Isa. 10. 3. And what will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will you flee for help? and where will you leave your glory? methinks that other Scripture in Job 5. 1. might put you in fear; Call now, and see if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn? Alas! the Wise Virgins could not help the Foolish to a drop of Oil; no, no, Saints and Angels have but enough for themselves, they be sure can't help you, and be sure God won't, he hath positively told you so, in Prov. 1. 28. Then shall they call, and cry, and seek, but I will not hear, because I called, and they refused. From the 20th. verse, to the 24th. of that Chapter, you have the Riches of Grace displayed on God's part, in calling prodigal Youth to Repentance. And from the 24th. to the 26th. verses, you have on the Sinners part, the malignity and poison of youthful Lusts expressed in their refusal. And then from the 26th. to the 33 d. you have the Epitome of all Misery; Then shall you call on me, but I will not answer, etc. O that young Men did but see the Truth of this, viz. the certain and sure destruction that they are pulling down upon their own heads, while they embrace their Lusts When the Disciples saw themselves in danger of drowning, they earnestly solicited their Lord and Master Christ to save them, Matth. 8. 25. But do you hear young Men▪ you are in greater danger than drowning, you are in danger of damning. When Jo● was under some fearful apprehensions o● this, see how pathetically he takes on, in Job 10. 1, 2. I am weary of my life, I wil● speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me. When Nimveh heard this Argument of destruction hastening within 40 days, O how were they concerned; they proclaim a Fast, and  themselves in Sackcloth, confess and forsake their Sins, etc. O Young Men, Are you tempted by the delights of Sense then place these Terrors of the Lord against those sensual Joys. Let me ask you, Can you be content to be cast into scalding Lead for a Banquet of Wine? Or for a drop ●● Pleasure upon Earth, to have an Ocean o● Torment in Hell? See Luke 16. 25. Son remember thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things, and Lazarus his evil things; now he ●● comforted, and thou art tormented. So that hence you see the Reasons why it is a Duty of such special Concernment, for young People to flee their youthful Lusts, because of the propriety of their inherence, and the malignity of their influence; and that particularly as they hinder their Conversion, hurry them into grievous Temptations, and hasten their destruction, which brings me to the last Question.  
Quest. 4. and last: How young People may best practise this their special Duty, viz. To flee youthful Lusts.  
Answ. Before I proceed to the consideration of distinct Rules and Remedies suitable to each particular Sin that Youth stands inclined to, I shall, by way of Premise, lay down one general Rule, which will be of unanswerable advantage to you, if it be duly attended unto: And I do beseech you in the Bowels of Christ, as you will answer the denial of so reasonable a Request, at the Judgement Seat of Christ, before the great God and Sovereign Judge both of quick and dead, that you will make a Stand, and deliberately bethink yourselves about it, allowing your poor Souls therein some due proportion of time, as the weight and importance of this Rule requires, which is as followeth, viz.  
See that in the first place, there be the ground work of Regeneration, and sound Conversion of your Souls to God. The success o● all other means will depend on this; an● the fatal miscarriages of both young and o● in the matters of Religion, principally a●● from a Non-attendency to this: For want ●● this it is, that there suddenly spring up ●● many rotten Professors, so many almost an● half-Christians, such multitudes that after ●● season fall from their Profession, and gro● lose and vain, turning the grace of God i● wantonness, and returning with the dog to ●● vomit, and with the swine to the wallowi●● again in the mire; twice dead, plucked up ●● the roots, as Judas speaketh, ver. 12. To ●● it hath been a most startling Spectacle; in ●● time I have seen some young ones awakened, and galled in their Consciences, insomuch that they have not been able to refra● crying out, and under the efficacy an● strength of these Convictious, they have ●●gorously gone to work, making Vows an● Promises, O what they would be and do ●● time to come, etc. That one would ha●● thought, they would never have been Slav● and Drudges to their Lusts any more. A● I verily believe, at that time, if any shoul● have told them, that within a few mont● they would become such Apostates from, as Enemies, to the ways of God, they woul● certainly have said with Hazael, Are we D●● that we should ever do so? Yet I have seen it, all their early Goodness hath proved but as an early Dew, and a morning Cloud. Now whence is this? Or to what can it be more reasonably and truly imputed, than to this grand Error in the Foundation? viz. Their Natures were never changed by converting Grace, there never had been the implantation of a Principle of saving Faith, in grafting them into Christ: Can the rush grow without mire? or the flag without water? saith Bildad, in Job 8. 11. So here: Can it ever be expected that Convictions should be maintained and improved to a right, regular, and constant abandoning your Sins, without a Principle of sound Conversion? As soon may the Bird sly without Wings, or a Man run without Legs, or move up and down without Life, as you can aright flee your Lusts without a Principle of Grace. Fleeing, I told you, (in the opening the words) imported a spiritual motion from Sin, to God; now, in all spiritual motion, there must be a spiritual life. Besides, this is God's Order, as you may see in Ezek. 36. 26, etc. first it runs, I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, there is the Principle of renewing Grace; and than it followeth, I will cause you to walk in my statutes, there is the heavenly motion. The truth is, all other helps will in the issue prove helpless; and all attempts to subdue their Lusts, on less and lower Principles tha● those of Regeneration, and Faith closing with the person of Christ, so as to unite th● Soul to him, will all, sooner or later, bewray their Vanity, like those that labour in th● very Fire, and there is no profit in all the● labour; or like those silly People, that a● ever learning, but never come to the knowledge of the Truth, remaining in the very gall ● bitterness, and bond of iniquity. Hence ou● Saviour first expostulates, and asks the Question in Matth. 6. 16. Can Men gather Grape on Thorns? And in Matth. 12. 33. and the he answers it, and determines; Make, sai●● he, the Tree good, and the Fruit will ●● good.  
I have often thought, what pity it is, th● so many Praying, Fast, Solemn Assembling, Tears, etc. should all be in vain, an● fruitless, and never reach the end, viz. Eternal Life, but end in the loss of the Soul, an● of God for ever. O young People, if in anything you need a light to guide your Feet i● the way of Life, it is here, to see the utter impossibility of ever being effectually divorced from Sin, without Union to and wit● Christ, and the Inhabitation of the Spirit o● Grace, transforming and renewing you i● your minds. An imperfect work, having some apprehension of Sin and Misery, an● some fears and affections for a season, an● then some apprehensions and hopes of Mercy, and all these without being humbled throughly, and to purpose; so as that Sin be such an intolerable evil and insupportable burden, as that the poor Soul cannot bear, is not able to live without freedom and deliverance, but is constrained to fly for Refuge to Christ, that blessed Hope, set forth for poor Sinners. I say, an imperfect work in these things, is the baneful misery and ruin of Souls in our time. Alas! until there be a deep radication of Grace, all your attainments in spiritual things will be but like Paint and Pageants, Shells and Shadows; and you know a painted Sword or Fire, will never cut nor burn: neither will all the circumstantials, and semi▪ persuasions in Soul-matters, ever lay the Axe to the root of your Lusts, to fetch out the core of Sin there, and slay the Enmity that is engraved in your carnal minds against God and Godliness; there must be a deep, inward, powerful work, such as may carry the Soul through the pangs and struggle of the New-birth, out of itself both as to Sin, and its own Righteousness, quite over to Christ; or else, in a short time, your Lusts will regain their strength, and become more mischievous than ever, like the Man in the Gospel, Mat. 12 43, 44, 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, but findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out, and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swe●● and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh w●● himself seven other spirits, more wicked th●● himself, and they enter in, and dwell there, an● the last state of that man is worse than the f●●mer. So in Hebr. 6. 4. and 10. 26. a●● 2 Pet. 2. 20. O then above all, You●● Ones, see to this, that there be a sound Conversion, as the groundwork of all, for upon this the very hinges of your Souls salvation turn. Hence our blessed Saviour i● John 3. 3. pronounceth, Except a man be bo●● again, he cannot see the kingdom of Go● Wherefore again and again, I advise Young Ones to see to their Foundation: it were, ● conceive, much better for a Man to be deceived in thinking himself unregenerate when he is regenerate; than on the other hand, to deem himself regenerate, when h● is not. The former mistake indeed is afflicting, but the last is damning. If a condemned Malefactor conceit he hath a Pardon, an● has none, he may go pleasantly to the Gallows, but he won't be able to hold it whe● he comes there: The Lord open your eye● and hearts, and cause you to see and feel the truth and power of this first general Rule, o● Means, in order to the fleeing your youthful Lusts.  
Now I shall proceed to lay down th●se distinct Remedies, suitable to each particular Lust that young People stand bend unto: And here again I must entreat you, as you have any regard to the glory of God, and your own Salvation, and would not be condemned with ungodly and impenitent Sinners at last, that you do not refuse to put in practice what shall be taught you in the following Rules, how to flee each particular Sin that you are so prone to; and now I shall begin with that which so early appeareth, even in your very Childhood, and woefully groweth up with you to riper years: Namely that airiness, vain rashness, and carelessness of spirit and conversation; all which, I at large and distinctly treated on under the first Enquiry, viz. What were those Sins that might be more especially called youthful Sins? Now forasmuch as these three border so near and close upon each other, I shall, for the Cure of these, prescribe this Remedy.  

Remedy or Means against youthful Vanity, Rashness, and Inconsiderateness.  
The First Remedy.  
Endeavour to get, and keep an awful impression upon thy heart all day long, of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience: that you cannot fly from him, because he is every where, and that you cannot hid or conceal any thing from him, because all things are naked and open to his Allseeing Eye. At what time thou art ready to pour out thy heart in Vanity and Froth, catechise and chastise thy feathery and light spirit, after this manner: Dost thou now remember thy Creator? Art thou ware of his holy Eye and Presence? Canst thou blear and blin● the pure piercing flaming Eye of Heaven▪ What, wilt thou dare to pilfer, steal, be undutiful, and lie, while the jealous sin-revenging God stands by? Thus would but Young Men presentiate the Majesty, Prescience, and Omniscience of God to themselves, in the midst of their juvenile Extravagancies, how would it a we and fill their Souls with trembling? one Aspect of this Eye of God, ●● able to make the whole Earth tremble, Psal. 104. 32. He looketh on the Earth, and it trembleth. And Job speaketh of some Sinners the Murderer, the Thief, the Adultere● that to be seen in their Sins, is to them the greatest terror imaginable. Job 24. 17. ●● a man (saith he) see them, they are in th● terrors of the Shadow of Death. Now then young People, I appeal to you, what fear and holy seriousness would this work i● you, did you always thus set the Lord before you, as David speaketh in the 16. Psal 8. and at your right hand, then would you? could you? durst you be so vain, fickle, unstable, tossed up and down with every puff of windy pleasures? Oh no, and here let me add this, viz. represent to thy Soul, what an Eye it is that seethe thee? It may be you may fancy, that God sees as man sees. Scripture speaks of Sinners thinking that God is such a one as themselves, in 50. Psal. 22. Alas man may see, and not see, as we say, i. e. wink, and connive at thy youthful Sins, and not be at all displeased with thee: But God's Eye is, (1.) an holy, pure, strict, observing Eye; there is nothing can escape his knowledge, wheresoever you are, whatsoever you are doing, you are still under his observation. Psal. 11. 4. His Eyes behold, his Eyelids try the Children of men. Hab. 1. 13. Thou art (saith the Prophet) of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and canst not look upon Iniquity. That is, canst not with the least approbation, nay, canst not without great indignation look upon evil. O vain Youth, remember that an angry, holy Eye is upon thee, in all thy irreligious and vicious Courses, in all thy furious and precipitate Evil Ways. And then (2.) consider it is an infinite Eye, comprehending all things past, present, and to come at once, (uno intuitu.) Many things confound us, we can be intent upon nothing, but in a successive way things done many years ago elapse; and slip our remembrance; but it's not so with God, with whom a thousand years are but as one day. See that 139. Psal. v. Thou compassest my Path, saith David, and o● lying down, and art acquainted with my Way v. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? whither shall I flee from thy Presence? If ascend up to Heaven, thou art there: If make my Bed in Hell, behold thou art there▪ If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwe●● in the uttermost parts of the Sea, even th● shall thy Hand lead me, etc. Sure, you● men, this would call in your vain, an● straggling thoughts, and unite your careless Spirits to the fear of God's holy name, di● you believe and remember God's infi●● Presence. There is a Story, of a pious man, have met with, who being desirous to reclaim an unchaste Woman, from her lewd a● vile Conversation, took this course wi●● her, he came to her, pretending to ha● some wanton dalliances with her, provide it might be done with all privacy; she the● upon led him from Room to Room, ●● he still made many scruples, lest at th● Window, or that Keyhole, this crevice, ●● that cranny, some or other might chance ●● peep in, and espy them together; at leng●● she brought him to the inwardest Room ●● the House, where, saith she, I am confident that none can possibly pry in to discover what we do. Whereupon he told her wi●● weeping Eyes, No bolts not bars can kee● out God; no walls nor doors can binde● his piercing Eye; and what will it profit us to shun the Eye of man, when the Eye of God is still upon us? Methinks this consideration should change thy youthful froth and fury into a serious gravity and sobriety; that God's Eye upon thee is never shut: the most waking Eye among men is at times closed, but the Lord never slumbereth, nor sleepeth, Psal. 121. 4. It was excellent advice, that a Rabbi gave to one of his young Pupils, Three things, saith he, I would have thee remember all day long; an Eye that sees thee, an Ear that hears thee, an Hand that regusters all thy Actions. So would I commend this to you, young people, to cure that natural Levity, and Precipitancy, that your age is so incident unto. O remember, and often repeat it to yourself, that God is in all places, and not only without you, but in your very Breasts and Bosom, viewing all your vain Thoughts and Imaginations, and all your vile Lusts and Inclinations: So that if you have a mind to be merry and jolly for the space of an hour, or two, with that Mirth which the Wise Man calleth Madness; I beseech you before you adventure upon it, first try if you can find out such an hour wherein God's Eye is not on you, and then you have my consent, to take that hour for that mirth: But sure I am, no such hour can be found out. And then (3.) consider that this Eye of God, that is thus holy, pure, observing, and infinite, is also an Eye of jealousy and justice. If a Husband have a jealous Eye over a Wife, or a Master over his Servant, what a curb and bridle is it, to restrain the one from filthiness? and the other from falseness? and if so, how much more should the consideration of his Eye, who hath styled himself in the 20. Exod. 5. the Jealous God▪ abate, and tame the wild fierceness an● wantonness of Youth, especially if yo● possess your Soul with the deep apprehensions, that his Eye is an Eye of Justic● too, that is, to bring you to Judgement, fo● all your youthful Vanities and Follies. I● this sense, the Prophet Jeremiah explainet● it, Jer. 32. 19 Thine Eyes are upon all th● Ways of the Sons of men, to give every o●● according to his Ways, and according to th● Fruit of his doings. For God now observe you, in order to bring forth all into the la● Judgement; the serious thoughts of which made such deep impressions on the Heart ●● Augustine, that in his 8th Sermon concerning the coming of Christ to Judgement, h● saith, Ecce in quo periculo incessanter consider etc. Behold in what danger I stand continually, though I do not continually thin● of it; and the more wretched I, that I ca● forget it: for God always seethe me, and a●● my Sins: a strict sentence always await me; in this condition I am, when I wake▪ and when I sleep; when I laugh, and when I am sad; when I am proud, and passionate, sic semper & ubique thus I am always, and every where. O would but young people, when they are in their brisk and careless moods, with this holy man, represent it to themselves, that they are thus in the presence, and under the Eye of God, who hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge both qu●ck and dead, surely it would create a trembling in them. Wherefore in the close of this Rule, let me present you with a collection of choice Scriptures, that may be as a continual guide for youth to direct their Paths in the good Old way, how they may be all the day long in the fear of the Lord, and also that may be as an Angel with a drawn Sword in their evil ways to restrain their steps therein. Job 13. 27. Thou lookest narrowly to all my Paths. thou settest a print upon the Heels of my Feet. Job 24. 21, 22. For his Eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seethe all his go: there is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of Iniquity may hid themselves. Job 31. 41. Doth he not see my Ways? and count all my Steps? Psal. 11. 14. The Lord's Throne is in the Heavens, his Eyes behold, his Eye lids try the Children of men, and the 139. Psalms throughout. Prov. 5. 21. The ways of man are before the Lord, and he pondereth all his go. Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the Evi● and the Good: And in the 11. v. Hell an● Destruction are before the Lord, how much more than the hearts of the Sons of men: Jer. 23. 24. Can any man hid himself ●● secret places, that I shall not see him, sai●● the Lord? Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord? Darkness hideth not fro● him, but the Night shineth as the Day. And in the 27. verse. I have seen thine Adulteries, and thy Neighing, woe unto thee, wilt thou not ●● made clean? when shall it once be? Heb. 4. ●. But all things are naked and open unto ●● Eyes of him with whom we have to do. Th● you see what abundance of Scriptures the● are of this kind, and there are multitude more, tending to the same purpose; sure●● it intimates to us, that we are not easi● persuaded of this truth, that God is alwa● present with us, and beholding of us: su●●ly the Lord would never urge this ma●● so often upon the Children of men, ●● that he knoweth how prone we are to question it; O there is a world of Arheism a● unbelief in our Heart about it. Hence y●●●●ad Psal 50. 22. Thou thoughtest I was such one as thyself. Job 22. 13. How doth G● know? can he judge through the dark Clo●●. so Psal. 64. 7. They say the Lord shall not s● And Ezek. 9 9 The Lord hath forsaken ●● Earth, he seethe not: And they say to ●● Almighty, Depart from us, etc. O the horrible, hellish Atheism, that reigns in the hearts of thousands: Else whence is it that a Servant shall be afraid of his Master's eye, a Sinner of his Minister's, a Child of his Father's, and a man of his Child's eye and presence, more than of the great Jehovah's? O how many declare their Sin as Sodom, neither are they ashamed; I appeal to you, can you believe that these consider that the most high God hath a piercing Eye to espy, and a powerful Hand to punish the workers of Iniquity? Would Achan have stole the Wedge of Gold? or Gehazi took the Reward? or Annanias and Saphira contrived, and told the ●ye to the Apostle? had they seen the Eye of God that saw them. O young men, durst you leave, and neglect your sinful and miserable Souls to perish for ever at that rate you do, did you but live always as in the presence of God, and as under his all seeing jealous Eye? Wherefore I beseech you practise this Rule, if ever you would be delivered from a vain Spirit and Conversation. I have been the longer upon this, because it will be of use through all the rest, which I hope I may dispatch with a quicker hand.   

Means, or Remedies against that Epidemical Sin of youthful delaying Repentance, and Conversion, etc.  
YOung People are (as you have heard exceedingly prone to put off God, and their Souls, with saying in themselves, I a● young enough, and have time enough to repent hereafter, etc. these are the usual pleas that young people make for delaying their Conversion; and this is indeed the usual, an● beaten Road to Hell, and the commo● Snare, in which Satan entangles multitudes of unwary Youth, persuading the● that it's too soon to repent, that it's too ea●ly to fully, and sadden the briskness, an● beauty of their Youth, with the melancholy apprehensions of Religion: but ala● while silly Youth listens to these charms the fatal hour of death often steals on, an● cuts them down,  they are ware, o● awake. Wherefore for the Cure and Remedy hereof, I shall offer these following Considerations.  
First, Consider the danger of Delays.  
Young People make little or nothing o● putting off the important matters of th●● Souls, a day, a week, a month, a year, not considering what an infinite prejudice it may be to their everlasting Happiness to neglect the looking after these matters, though it were no more, than for one hour, or one day: and that will appear,  
1. In regard of the utter uncertainty of their time, and that both of their time of Life, and time of Grace. Alas you know not what a day, an hour may bring forth; the very next hour may find thee alive, and leave thee dead. This is that which Youth are not easily persuaded of; they foolishly dream of years, and then they entertain so good an opinion of the truth of their Dream, that they grow as peremptory in it, as if they had an Inheritance settled upon them for perpetuity. But O vain Youth, where ever dwelled the man, wh●t was his Name, that could ever assure thee of another day, nay, that thou shalt see the end of this day? Is not thy Flesh grass, as well as others? view the weekly Bills of Mortality; and see there whether young ones are privileged above others from Sickness, and Death. Let it therefore be seriously thought upon by young people, that their time of Life is utterly uncertain, that they are but one breaths distance from Death and Eternity; and though it is possible that they may live till to morrow, or next Year, yet it's equally possible that they may die before; others have been surprised, who have had the same reason to hope for a longer time, a● themselves; and therefore they cannot delay, and put off their Conversion, and turning to God, without notorious or manifest danger.  
O be not deceived, you whose consultations have wont to be with Flesh and Blood, and whose conclusions use to be, that you are young, and healthy, and have many Year● to come; and therefore it's time enough hereafter to repent. Piety is too grave for your green head, the caput mortuum of your old Age, will serve well enough to serve God with. I say, be not deceived, a sudden death may snatch you hence, and send you● guilty Soul to Hell, before your Body be carried to the dust; for the great God is the sole and sovereign Lord of your life and time, and pray see how he rebukes the presumption of such Sparks, who boast of their years to come, 12. Luke 19, 20. I will say t● my Soul, Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. This Prodigal was neither sick, nor possessed with any fears of Sickness and Death, yet see what follows, v. 20. But God said unto him, Thou fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee: than whose shall these things be? So in the 28. Isa. 18. you read of some Desperadoes that had made ● Covenant with Death, and were at an agreement with Hell; But what saith the Lord? why he telleth them that the one should be disannulled, & the other should not stand; nay, he calleth them a refuge of Lies: and that the overflowing Scourge and Storm of his wrath should rend down all their lying refuges: And in the 58. Psal. 9 you read that such as are taken away living, and in his wrath, before the Pots can feel the Thorns, i. e. suddenly, and in so short a breath, that elsewhere they are said to go down into the Pit in a moment: and that these rebukes may particularly intent young ones, you may see in the 36. of Job 14. They die in Youth, etc. Hence the Holy Ghost often makes use of that Metaphor Grass in the 40. Isa. 6. and 90. Psal. 6. In the Morning it flourisheth, and groweth up, in the Evening it is cut down and withereth. The grass is growing in the field, and, as our Saviour noteth, to morrow cast into the Oven, Matth. 6. 30. Such is the condition of Youth, you may be in good health, in a flourishing condition, in mirth and jollity one day, and be burning in Hell the next. Therefore flee this Sin of delaying your Repentance, etc. it was the counsel of Solomon, who was inspited, 27. Prov. 1. Boast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. q. d. This day God in mercy affords thee to repent in, etc. but trust not upon a to morrow, that is utterly uncertain whether it come or no? or if it do, whether thy Conversion or thy Condemnation in it shall be brought forth or no? If it was thy own, and thou couldst certainly kno● it would be in thy possession, etc. the● might be some little pretence for thy present delaying: but when it is another's, and ●● is utterly hid and concealed from thee, whether thou shalt live to it or no, how can yo● without certain danger delay till another day. He that will adventure to build o● Ground that is none of his own, must loo● to have all undone, or overturned at th● pleasure or displeasure of another. T●us you delay, and profusely waste the prese season and space of Repentance, which merciful God indulgeth you with, a● boldly entrench upon the future, which Go● has reserved in his own power: how hazardous an adventure do you run, for it's a ru●● in the civil Law, no Person can promi●● that which is another's. Now the own and proprietor of your time is God, and ●● hath concealed the day, the hour, the moment of Death's arrest from us, that so yo● should never delay, but work out your Salvation to day, while it's called to day: th● command of God takes hold of you at th● present; the counsel of God concerning th● future, is kept hid from you: alas for a t● morrow, whose is it, Seneca the Heathe● could see this, and say solum tempus praese● nostrum: No time is ours but the present to count upon a to morrow, is as the Proverb runs, To count your Chickens before th● be hatched. It is reported of Caesar, that he would never let his Soldiers know when or where he meant to march next. So here it is altogether uncertain, at whose door God may knock next by a sudden Death; he doth not always send out the Scouts and forerunners of a lingering sickness, as warnings of our approaching change. But sometimes in a moment, in the midst of youthful security and jolligy, he lops down the strong and healthful, while he spareth the more infirm and sickly. There is no condition of Life, but we have instances how it hath been imbittered by sudden deaths occasioned, and sometimes by falls, either of a House, or Horse, or else by falls off a House or Horse; and sometimes by Fire kindling upon Persons when asleep, and sometimes by Water, persons falling into it when awake. Again, sometimes by preternatural Heats and Colds, some burnt up with Fevers, others drowned with Humours, some choked with Quinsies, others snatched away with Apoplexies, in so short a breath, that they have not time to cry out for help. Innumerable are these Casualties that you young ones lie open to, and how dangerous then is it to delay, though you are now free from pain, and in good health: may not the same be said of many others, who died suddenly, and it may be delayed their Repentance on the like grounds as you do. O foolish and unwise, who hath bewitched you! Moreover it is to be considered that your present delaying to fl● your Lusts doth exceedingly provoke the Lord of your Life and Time, to cut sho● your Life; for how can you reasonably expect that the Almighty, in whom ye live and move, and have your being, shoul● prolong the days of such Rebels, who mak● no other use of their time but to affront an● dishonour him? O young people, ho● righteous a thing would it be for God ● cut you off, and deny you a longer continuance on Earth, while you put him o● and delay your Repentance and Return ● him. Surely if thou resolvest upon a present league with thy Youthful Lusts, refusing a divorce as yet between them and th● Soul, it is most just with God to resolve up on a present divorce between thy Soul an● Body, and to refuse thee an hours patien● more. Wherefore O mortal Youth, ● minute Dust and Ashes, represent to th● self thy danger, if thou delay; the time ● thy delay, is a time full of danger upon th● account, viz. the uncertainty of thy time o● Life. But then,  
2. It is dangerous in regard of the uncertainty of thy time of Grace. So th● suppose thou hadst an assurance ●● the continuance of thy time of Life s● many Years, as Hezekiah had, yet wh● would that avail thee, while thou art at utter uncertainty about thy time of Grace. If you inquire what I mean by time of Grace. I Answer, it stands in the enjoyments of the usual means of Salvation, which are two fold; first, the outward preaching of the Word; secondly, the inward strive and motions of the Spirit: these make up a time of Grace, which is called an acceptable time, a time wherein God may be found, a day of Salvation, in Psal. 32. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now such a time much differeth from that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the time of our Life which lasteth as long as our Lives last. Alas there is many a man outlives his time of Grace: hence Luke 19 O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace; but now they are hid from thine Eyes. The time of Grace is tempus labile a transient thing: delay but one quarter of an hour longer, and thou mayst with Esau be rejected, and find no more any place for an acceptable Repentance; post est occasio calva. Ah how did Esau weep and take on after he had lost his time of Grace: he might once have had the time of Blessing without those bitter Agonies, but he delayed and loitered away his season. Great is the mercy of God to allow man a time of Grace on Earth; but great is the misery of man, as Solomon saith, Eccles. 8. 6. because he discerns not his time, who can give a due estimate of enjoying the Gospel, wherein so great Salvation i● offered to Sinners, Behold I stand at the Door and knock, &c▪ Rev. 3. 20. Though thou ha● played the Herlot with many Lovers, yet return unto me, saith the Lord. Jer. 3. 1. O Israel thou ha●t destroyed thyself, but in me ●● thy help found. As I live saith the Lord, I desire not the death of a Sinner, etc. Ezek. 33. 11. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, that you be reconciled ●● God, 2 Cor. 5. 19 In the Gospel we have the love of God commended to us, in th● when we were Enemies, Christ died for u● we have his admirable Condescension, hi● manifold Invitations, his precious Overtures, his strange and wonderful Reasoning● Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? His rei●● rated Calls, Isa. 55. 1. Come, come, come three times in one verse. O the incomparable love and kindness that is displayed i● the Gospel to poor Sinners. O that the● was in young People a Heart to understand these things that concern their Peace in thi● their day, before they are for ever hid from their Eyes. Sure you would not shuffle an● shift off these blessed offers of Grace wit● dilatory excuses, did you but consider ho● soon the Market will be over and gone, ho● soon your plenty may be turned into penury a Famine may arise of hearing the Wor● of the Lord, and thy Soul perish for want ●● Vision, thy Teachers may be removed by Death, natural or civil; or God may send the Gospel one way, and thee another. O young man, now thou hast the Lord's Voice in the public Ministry of his Servants, crying to thee, Flee, flee thy youthful Lusts to day, while called to day: O hear his Voice this day, this hour of the day, without any longer delay, for you are wholly uncertain whether (if you should live till a to morrow) ever you shall have another Call; you are not the disposer of his Offers and Calls: sometimes God hath been quick with Sinners, he hath invited them to come in, and they not regarding, he hath immediately rejected them, Luke 14. 24. For I say unto you, that none of the men that were bidden, shall taste of my Supper. Therefore take heed, it is dangerous deferring; that which the Lord spoke of Judgement, and Affliction, in the 1. of Nahum 9 I will make an utter end: Affliction shall not rise up the second time, may be fulfilled concerning his gracious offers and invitations in the Gospel; possibly the Lord will make an utter end of speaking, you may never hear more from him, be sure he will at last come to an end of calling, and you are not sure but the present Call may be his last. And O how deplorable is a Sinner's case when the Lord shall say, Because I have called, and you have refused, I will call no more for ever, he that is unjust, let him be unjust still; a● he that is filthy, let him be filthy still, Rev. 2● 21. Which brings me to speak of the second Branch, wherein thy time of Gra●● consists, and whereof it is constituted, namely the inward strive and motions of th● Spirit of God, how uncertain these a● So that suppose thou hadst an assurance o● the continuance of the outward Calls of th● Word, yet what assurance hast thou of th● inward strive and operations of the Spirit, without which all the outward mea● will be ineffectual. Alas! how long m● we poor Ministers stand at your Doors, an● knock and call, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the Dead; ere one Si●ner will stir, until that omnipotent Age● put forth his virtue and influence. As th● Waters of Bethesda had no sanative healing Virtue in them, till the Angel at a certain time of the day moved and troubled th● Waters: So let Minister's abilities an● gifts be what they will, they do but plough upon the Rocks, as it were, until the Spi● concur to take away the stony Heart, an● open those Iron Gates of the Soul, as h● did Lydia's. Now this blessed Spirit do●● ordinarily in time of hearing the Wor● afford to men, especially to young one, many good Motions and Excitations to repentance, in enlightenings, Awakening, setting their Sins before them, in thei● bloody guilt and condemning nature; bringing them into straits of Conscience, stirring up affections and good purposes of leaving their Sins, putting them upon Prayer, and coming to Christ, etc. All which precious Motions and workings of the Spirit with the Word, in the Souls of young persons, are choice Mercies; and if they were wise without delay incontinently, and presently to comply with the same, it might be as much as their eternal Happiness is worth: whereas on the contrary, if they quench these blessed motions, by delays and prorogations, as Felix did, it may amount to the damage of Damnation, and who can tell what that amounts to. God may be provoked to withdraw his Spirit, and say, My Spirit shall strive no more with them. For there is nothing more uncertain than the strive and motions of the Spirit of God, it is compared to the Wind that bloweth where it listeth, John 3. 8. It is not like our Tides that come at certain and 〈◊〉 times, so that if you miss the Morning Tide, you may ●ake the Evening; no, no, but it's like the Wind which sometimes rises, as we say, and then all of a sudden falls and lies still; sometimes it ●loweth cut of one corner, and then the quite contrary way, so are the workings of the Spirit, he may deal with thy Soul to day, and afterwards withdraw from thee; move in your Hearts now, and for hereafter be for ever silent: and therefore thou shouldst do as the Mariner, who knowing that he hath not the Wind at his own command, and that he cannot make his Voyage without its gales, what doth he do? why he lieth by and watcheth for the season, when the Wind maketh for him, and when such a season cometh, he is careful to lay hold of it, and to hoist up Sail and be gone. So shouldst thou do, young man, never imagine that thou hast the Spirit of God at thy command, or that ever thou canst sail to Heaven without his gracious Gales, but diligently lie by the Waters of the Sanctuary, waiting and watching for his sacred Move thereon, and when thou hast them, then immediately and obedientially open the surled Sails of thy Soul, and say, Adored be thy heavenly Majesty, for this gracious Visitation of thine to me a wretched Sinner: Welcome, welcome to my blind and hard Heart, are these Convictions and Pulsations of thine. O let me not miscarry and perish between Convictions and Conversions; but perfect thy work, dear Lord, now thou hast me on the Wheel: O defist not thy operation, till thou hast form me a Vessel of Mercy and brought me out a new Creature in forming Christ in me. Thus be thou kind to thy own Soul, in being careful to close with the present advantages, which are vouchsafed to thee in this thy time of Grace, and encourage thyself in this, the Spirit of God will be with you. 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you, while you are with him: if you seek him, he will be found of you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off. O consider the danger you run, when you put off all with this hereafter, hereafter you will obey his Motions, and receive his Instructions: This is the ready way to be for ever deserted and cast off by him. It is reported of Hannibal, that bewailing the loss of his opportunity that he once had to take Rome, he should say, When I could, I had no mind to take Rome: When I would, I had no power. There will be, I fear, innumerable, and incurable instances in the other world, that will confess to all Eternity, that when the Spirit in their time of Grace, wooed them to repent, and be converted, that their Sins might be blotted out, they had no mind to it; but when they would, after their desertion and rejection upon a Bed of Death, they had no power. O young men, who now put it off, it is never enough considered by you, what infinite hazards you run, of perishing for ever; a while longer, and a while longer, had almost ruined Augustine, when he was young, as himself owneth, in his 8th Book of Conscience when he would not answer the Convictions of the necessity of Repentance, he craved Forbearance not to do it yet; I know not (saith he) what to answer 
Non erat quod responderem veritate convictus, nisi tantum verba lenta & somnolenta. Modò ecce modò sine paululum, sed modò & modò non habet modum & sine paululum in longum ibat. Aug. in Confess.  being convinced o● the truth, but only sluggish and sleep words, anon, behold anon, suffer me little: but anon, an● anon had no measure, and bear with m● a little, held long afterwards. In chap. 1● of that Book, he finding the Devil flattering his Soul with persuasions to dela● his Repentance, at last he violently brea● out usque quo Domine, quamdiu? quam ●● cras, & cras? quare non modò? quare ●● haec hora est finis turpitudinis me●? O m● God (saith he) how long wilt thou suffe● me thus? How long shall I say to morrow and to morrow? Why should I not do now, and this hour end that filthiness ● Life, which otherwise will ruin me— It is pleasing to Satan to steal away our precious seasons of Grace one after another until we have not one more remaining O young man, who is it, think you, th● suggests that Corvina Cras as Augustine ca● it, cras, cras, if you have been ignorant hitherto, know it from this day for a m● certain truth, it is no other than that liar ● Hell, the Devil, and sure I am he hath ● way so plausible and politic to circumv●● thee, as by hanging these weights of dela● upon thy Soul, and thereby letting and bindering thy present flight from Sin to Christ with an hereafter is time enough; so that thou mayst conclude upon this, that more perish this way than any other, for Satan can prevail upon few, to say peremptorily they will not repent; but this is the common snare and bait wherein, and whereby he taketh multitudes, I will turn to God hereafter; for these delays provoke the God of Grace to take away his Spirit, and then what can the miserable Sinner do. It was the saying of an Eminent Person, The Spirit of God is a tender thing, grieve it once, and you may drive it away for ever, and then it is not your crying, Lord, Lord, that will fetch him back again. Thou mayst entreat (to use the words of that blessed Soul-converting Preacher) for 
Mr. Fenner's danger of deferring Repentance.  one dram of that Mercy that hath been offered, but thou hast rejected; but it shall never be granted to thee: God may clap that fearful sentence upon thee, Now henceforth never Fruit grow on thee more, never Repentance come into thy Heart more. If now thou wilt not repent, and be converted, the Lord may set it down in his decree, that from this day forward thou mayst sumble about thy Sins, but shall never get victory over them; thou mayst blunder about Repentance, but never do the work; what is the reason? why because I would have purged thee, and thou wouldst not, therefore thou shal● not be purged any more. O young men there is a time wherein God will not be found; he will not always wait your leisure, your pleasure; how long or how sho●● your time of Grace will last, is hid from you: Repentance is God's gift, and Gi●● are given according to the good pleasure of the giver: It is a great mistake to think that it is at your pleasure to call it down from Heaven at your need, to convey you to Heaven, when you feel yourselves falling into Earth; bitter Experience hath taught multitudes of shuffling delaying Sinners, the delusions of such conceits, while it their immoderate pursuit of their Lusts they have endeavoured to stop the mouth o● Conscience with promises that e'er long they would take time to consider and recollect themselves, and return to God, in the mean while, stifling and slighting the merciful motions of the Spirit of Grace, o● a sudden,  they are ware, a silent and secret decree passes against them, Let the● alone, they are joined to their Lusts, which though it make no noise in their Heads, yet it effectually sealeth up their Heart to an incurable obduration and hardness. And now I appeal to you upon this consideration, viz. the uncertainty of the time of Grace, whether Delays are not unspeakably dangerous, since no man knows whether the next day will afford him so much as a possibility of Repentance, if he put off and defer it this day. Wherefore, O young man, as ever thou wouldst not be forsaken of God, and have the things of thy Peace for ever hid from thine Eyes, and the dreadful guilt of innumerable Sins sealed upon thy Soul, O flee this youthful Sin of delaying Repentance a moment longer.  
2. Consider the Impiety and Wickedness of Delaying, for it doth in effect speak thus to God, The real love and delight of my Soul is in my Lusts, I desire thee therefore to stay for my Repentance till hereafter, and by no means to punish me while I shall be provoking and dishonouring thee in the tract of my youthful days; give me leave to be a faithful Servant to divers Lusts and Pleasures while I have strength and spirits, and then when I grow impotent, and my Lusts turn me off, I pray thee to accept me, and grant me Heaven. O what monstrous Blasphemy and Impiety is there in such a vile deportment towards the Blessed God, and pray is there not something of this in every delay; it showeth evidently that thou preferrest thy Lusts before him, yea, the Devil's service before his. O transcendent horrid Wickedness, that ever a reasonable Creature should choose to be employed in the Devil's work and drudgery, before that most gracious, noble, honourable service of God. O young man, let Conscience speak, is the Devil so real a Friend, so good a Master, or is there so much pleasure in being a slave to thy Lusts, as that the Lo●● of Heaven and Earth, the Author of thy Life and Breath, should stand by and stay till they are in the first place served, and then when the Devil and thy Lusts will dismiss thee, God shall have their leaving I beseech you let Conscience judge in th● case, whether Hell itself can exceed suc● Ungodliness. Suppose your dear Father that begat you, or your tender Mother tha● bore you, should knock at your Door, an● entreat an admission, and you should say That at present they must excuse you, the●● are a company of Thiefs, Murderers an● Adulterers that you must first attend an● entertain, etc. Would not this be condemned as a piece of vile Inhumanity And can it be deemed (in the present cas● a less piece of Impiety to put such an hig● affront and indignity upon the Great God as when he graciously invites you to bre●● off your Sins by Repentance, that he might show you Mercy, to put him off, as Fe●● did Paul, Go thy way for this time her● after (possibly) I may attend, but for ●● present, there is the Devil and a train ●● youthful Lust's stay for me, and I must give entertainment to them in the first place. This without an Hyperbole, may be styled the Masterpiece of Wickedness, the Mother of Abominations: it is a plain contradiction of, and direct opposition to the sovereign command of our Maker, who saith, Eccles. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, before the Evil days come, etc. God saith, To Day while it is called to Day, repent: And you say, No, to day while it is called to day, I must rejoice and follow my youthful pleasures and delights. And so you put the lie upon God, and credit the Devil, who is the Father of Lies. O this Sin of Delays hath a world of rebellion in it, and Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft. Moreover the impiety of this Sin will further appear, if you consider what a Scorn it casts upon the admirable Grace of all the three glorious Persons of the Trinity, as if not worthy of acceptance, the Father's Love and Wisdom to and for a lost World of Sinners, in decreeing and revealing of Jesus Christ his blessed Son, to seek and to save what was lost, opening a Fountain, and sealing a new and everlasting Covenant of Grace in his Blood, that whosoever believeth, and repenteth, shall not perish, but have Ever lasting Life. O astonishing Love; was there any need for God to stoop to offer undone man a Covenant of Grace; but his ways are not as ours, &c Now this youthful Sin of Delays spurneth at this Bowel and Bosom, Mercy and Love of God the Father: And can this be thought to be a little Sin? O unparalleled Wickedness, of what a Scarle● tincture and bloody nature is this Sin O young man, consider it, take he●● of shuffling; here thou wilt be apt ●● think within thyself, that sure this is not so: What I guilty of trampling on the bowle● of Gods mercy, which I venture to pu● off, turning to him a little longer; far be● it from me to do so great wickedness, I never intended any such thing. O delude● Youth, come see thy guiltiness  it ●● too late to remedy thyself. The Go● and Father of our Lord Jesus revealeth an● publisheth his eternal thoughts of love t● poor Sinners, that had destroyed themselves alloweth them a day of Salvation, and acceptable time to come in, and be saved without exception, though he was the offende● party, yet he proclaims fury is not in me▪ I have no pleasure in the death of Sinners. I am willing to be reconciled, lo I have found out a Ransom, I have bruised my own Son, and slain my own Lamb, to be a sacrifice for Sin, and a Saviour for Sinners: him have I sealed and set forth to be the only propitiation for Sin through Faith i● his Blood: sure they will reverence my Son, and admire my Grace in offering him, and strive who shall first receive him: sure every Knee will bow to him, and every Mouth confess to him, what less could be expected. Now then instead of this, to crave with Solomon's sluggard, a little longer, and a little longer to embrace and enjoy our vile Lusts, which according to the tenor of the Gospel, cannot one moment be regarded and loved without a manifest rejection of Christ: I appeal to you whether your present delays are not a notorious despising the Riches of God's Goodness, which Sin is a most bitter provocation of Almighty God, who could every moment confound such despisers of his Grace. What think you, will an earthly King bear it, that his descending below himself to spare and show mercy to obstinate Traitors, should be despised. It is also to be considered how wickedly these delays do vilify the Grace of our dear Redeemer, who though he was rich with the Riches of the Deity, he thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet such was his amazing Grace, that for our sakes he became poor with the poverty of our humanity; he took upon him the form of a Servant, he was a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Griefs, and here in the days of his Flesh endured the contradiction of Sinners, the temptations of Satan, the curse of the Law, the bitter wrath of God, and the accursed death of the Cross, and all this for Rebels, Enemies. O infinite condescension; and after all this is done, he comes a wooing to our Doors, and follows us up and down with the sweet motions of his Spirit, and with the strong motives of his Love, in dying for us: pleading, O Sinners, why will you die? I am Jesus who died for you, turn unto me, my Heart is towards you; what could I have done more for you to win you, to redeem you, than I have done. O remember how I was wounded for your Sins, Behold my Hands and Feet, reach hither thine Hand, put it into the hole in my side, look upon me in the Garden, and on the Cross, and trace me there, when my Blood trickled down my weary Body, and see how I loved you, and whether ever love was like mine to you. O that the Lord would please to make you sensible, young people, and cause you to apprehend the truth of this, that Christ doth really thus plead with you, to know the things of your Peace, now in this your day, and to flee your youthful Lusts without delay. And here I pray give me leave, without the least prevarication, to represent to you the impious nature of this Sin of delaying, as it is a despising and contemning all this rich Grace and Love of blessed Jesus. O young man, while thou delayest, thou tramplest on Christ's precious Blood, thou embracest and openest to thy vile Lusts, and Christ is made to serve, to stand without in the mean while; is it not enough to provoke him in fury to be gone, and never return more till he come to sentence thee, to go accursed into everlasting Fire? Young man, has not Christ's Blood a cry? does it not cry to Heaven for Mercy to poor Sinners? and does it not cry on Earth to Sinners, O cease your enmity, throw down your weapons of hostility: O repent, repent, and I will appease and quench the Flames of divine Wrath, that your Sins have kindled, etc. Now delays, so long as they last, are a direct opposition hereunto, it is equivalent with waging war against crucified Christ; it is interpretatively a conspiracy with the Devil against Christ. Young man, were you ware of this, O be assured the hand of Joab is in this, there is a peculiar enmity in Satan against the Blood of Christ, as it is a Sinner's ransom, while himself is left bound with eternal Chains; hence he subtly endeavoureth to strengthen the confederacy with thy youthful Lusts by present delays, which if he can effect, he knoweth it to be a direct compliance with him, to vilify that healing Plaster of Christ's precious Blood; and how doth he insult when he can prevail herein, to keep out Christ, notwithstanding all his woo, plead, and to keep up the present leag●● between thee and thy Lusts, as he mo●● certainly does whilst thou delays. O you●● man, never forget this argument against this Sin of delaying: it is a Sin directly against the bleeding dying love of Chri●● And then it is a sin against the blessed Sp●rit, the third Person of the sacred Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the S●● and comes in the ministry of the Word inwardly to strive with you, to convince yo● of Sin and Misery, in order to a revealing ● Christ and his Righteousness to you for vo●● Salvation. O admirable Grace! that the H●● Ghost, that heavenly Messenger should vouch safe to come under a Sinner's roof upon su●● a design so advantageous to a self-destroyi●● Creature. O with what humble thank●● Hearts should we receive such a messenger that leaves thee probably many ninety nin● better than thou art, and comes to the secretly whispering and breathing. O ●● thy youthful Lusts to day, while it is ca●●ed to day, return, return, O prodigal you●● there is Bread enough, and to spare in th● Father's house: if you stay here in this ●● Country you perish, if you live after ●● Flesh, you must die.  
O young ones, your Delays must nee● provoke and highly affront the blessed Sp●rit, they cast a Scorn upon him, to see ●● his melting Persuasions and Motions set ●● naught, and at the same time the charms and hissings of Satan, that hellish Charmer and Serpent entertained. O how cutting, and bitterly provoking would it be, to a compassionate Father, to see a rebellious Son stopping his Ear to all his loving and good Advice and Counsel, and opening it to the vile enticements and seducements of base fellows. How was Jacob troubled, when his Sons Simeon and Levi rebelled, Gen. 34. 30. Ye have troubled me (saith their Father) and made me stink among the Inhabitants of the Land, the Canaanites, etc. O young man, when the two Spirits, that of Heaven, and that of Hell, come to thy Soul, and knock for entrance, and thou openest to Satan, and shutest out the Spirit of God by delays; this cannot be done without an high hand of rebellion, there is abundance of impiety in it: for herein thou castest a contempt on the Spirit: if it be a deprecating thing, to set one person lower, and in a meaner place in my House than another of meaner quality, how much more to shut the door against a person that is a Friend, while an Enemy is let in; surely comparisons are too short in the present case; the good and gracious Spirit of God cometh wooing, and arguing. Be entreated, O young man, to open, Christ's yoke is easy, one day of a repenting Sinner's Spirit in strict watching, and holy walking, is better than a thousand days elsewhere, etc. And Sinners delay and neglect attendance hereunto, making the urge of Sin and Satan an excuse for their present put-offs these do not only rob the Spirit of tha● honour and glory due to him, but highly expose him to contempt. And it is very remarkable, that ordinarily such persons are left of God, to run into such heights o● wickedness, that deservedly bringeth them to some shameful and despicable end: ●● must be confessed, sometimes God hath overcome such by his Grace, after much ado (if I may so express it) striving on his pa●● and rebelling on theirs; but than it must be granted also, that such have usually been exceedingly wounded, and woefully distressed in their Souls, for their so long standing, and stouting it out; but where it end● not in Conversion, there not only th● blackness of darkness is reserved for them in the other world, after that direful Sentence, of Go ye Cursed; but even in th●● Life, they become notorious to all for thei● Ungodliness and Impiety. O let this consideration, young ones, prevail with you● no longer to delay your Repentance an● turning to God, viz. the Impiety of i● which I might farther show you, from th● direct opposition that delays carry against your Baptismal Covenant, and all those holy Institutions of Christ in the Gospel, usually styled, the means of Grace, whereby you are obliged everlastingly to the earliest Conversion and Repentance, all which I might have easily form up into Arguments, to set forth the impiety of Delays: but I shall not insist on these, only shall sum up the strength of what hath been offered, that Delays are impious and wicked, as they trespass against the bowel-mercy of God the Father, the bleeding wounds of God the Son, the blessed Inspirations of God the holy Ghost, which Sin is enough to break our Hearts and Eyes with grief and tears: It is a Sin of such a Scarlet tincture, as that it must needs make us ashamed, if there be any shame in us; for the mercies of God are all as so many messages of Love and Kindness; and every drop of the Blood of Christ is as a Sermon of Love and Grace, and every illapse of that sweet and heavenly Dove, is as a sacred Band, and Cord of Love and Mercy, and all to win us, to draw us, to save us, Rom. 12. 1. 2 Cor 7. 1. O wonderful love of God, who ever heard of such kindness, that the offended Majesty of Heaven and Earth, who hath all Power and Might in himself, and is infinitely removed from all possibility of want; that he should condescend to us Rebels, to send his own dear Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh, deliver him up to the accursed Death of the Cross, open an everlasting Fountain of Grace, enter his Protestations, yea his Oath, that he has no pleasure in a Sinner's death and for as much as our Sin had procured a malediction, and heavy wrath upon us and a woeful separation of our Souls from the blessed God; That it should ever enter into the Heart of God (to the end that such as we might go free, and be delivered from that Curse and Wrath, and be restored to the favour of God) to bruise his own Son, and put his Soul and Body to grief and make him an Offering for Sin; and O how wonderful was the Love of Christ, tha● he should be content, and willing to come under the obligation to this Oblation, to the bearing of this Curse and Wrath in ou● stead; was there ever Love l●ke to this that when we were Enemies, spitting o●● our venom and enmity against God, h● should die for us, pay our Debts, have hi● Hands and Feet nailed for us, etc. And ● how wondrous is the Grace and Condescension of the third Glorious Person, the blessed Spirit that ever he should strive with Sinners; in order to their Conversion, whe● he might have stood at an everlasting distance from them. O the rare humility ●● the whole Trinity, expressed in these Mysteries of Love and Gr●ce. Now for any of Adam's undove posterity, condemned Creatures, poor Worms, Hell-deservin● Sinners, to abuse all this Grace and rich Mercy, how impious, and monstrously vile a thing this is, I have largely proved to you, and shown you in particular that this Sin of Delays, is an high affront, and indignity offered to all this Mercy and Grace, the consideration whereof should make you lift up your Voice, and weep bitterly. A stubborn Saul wept, upon the reflection of his abuse, and ill requital of poor David's kindness, in 1 Sam. 24. 16, 17, 18. The Lord open your Eyes and Hearts this day, young ones, that you may with grief and shame flee from this Sin, that carrieth such transcendent wickedness in it. It's a known rule, corruptio optimi, est pessima. The best things abused, prove the worst of all. O remember it, young ones, Delays under these Circumstances, put very great aggravations upon all your Sins. O think of it, what melting Arguments these three Names have in them, Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, to a present Conversion, and then think what a Soul confounding thing it is, to contradict, oppose the Power and Authority, and to abuse and contemn the Grace and Mercy of each Person. See that in Isa. 1. 2. Hear O Heavens, and give Far O Earth, I have nourished and brought up Children, but they have rebelled, etc. O what Paleness would gather upon your Faces, were you cited to appear before the Bar of God, and your Consciences should give testimony against you herein?  
The next Consideration I shall offer for your help, against this youthful Sin of Delays shall be as followeth.  
3. Consider the egregious folly and madness of Delaying thy Repentance, and return to God, wherein (as in the former Consideration thou abusest the Grace of God so here) thou abusest the very Reason of a Man, and most foolishly cheatest thyself, as is evident in these following particulars.  
Thou wilt turn to God hereafter, whic● is (as hath been largely proved) utterly uncertain, and at present thou wilt embrace thy sinful Pleasures; now is not this notorious folly, to put all to the desperate adventure of an hereafter, when thousand have perished, and found no place for Repentance, in all their after Times and Seasons.  
Suppose at last you should come to g● Christ, and pardon, and God would please to wait upon you (though this is rare, th● is a miracle of Grace) yet what a wounding will it be to you, to remember how you have spent your youth and strength in Sin O the bitter Out-cries, and Accusations o● such! Now how foolish a thing is it, to Delay at present, upon hopes of hereafter Repentance, that is, in plain English, in hopes of hereafter-Grief, next door to Despair, in hopes of being wounded a thousand times deeper, and being more confounded, and ashamed, and drinking larger draughts of the Wormwood, and the Gall, than early Converts do. Is not this Folly?  
Again, how unreasonable, and mad a thing is it, to expect that God should presently open to me, when I call for Mercy, in my last extremity, after I have most wickedly put him off, and sacrificed the Male of my Flock, my best Years to the Devil, and my Lusts. Can it seem reasonable, that an holy and jealous God should regard such presumption.  
Again, what Folly is it, to defer a work till hereafter, that may be done now at present with ease, since should I live a thousand years, each day, yea hour's delay, would add something more to the hardness of my Heart, and difficulty to my Conversion, qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit. All acts of Sin strengthen the habits within, they engage the heart more to the love of sin; and the more resistance, always the more impenitence and hardness. O foolish Youth, hast thou not enough already to sink thee? what folly is it to add more weight of guilt: if a man had received one stab, it were dangerous; but suppose he had a hundred, how hard would be his cure. Oh young man, woe to thee, if thou makest thy Conversion thus hazardous by Delays. As in bodily affairs, in case of Sickness, is it not folly to defer sending for the Physician, or, in case of Poison received into the Body, is it not folly to defer the Remedy till to morrow? or in case of a Wound received, never to regard the means of healing till it fester, and turn to a Gangreen? pray what would you say, or think of a man, that when Sickness or Distempers come, should say, I am not at leisure to be sick; go, and come at a more convenient time; would you not conclude, that the Disease had already seized the man's Intellectuals. Alas, the madness and folly in saying so to Repentance, is much more, and much greater, unless a man could command the Grace of Repentance at his pleasure; I remember the Advice one gave to young men, in imitation of Solomon, in the 11. Eccles. 9 Rejoice, O young man, etc. q. d. Walk after the sight of your own Eyes now, and look after the Duty of Repentance when you are blind, and can't see. Work not while its Day, but when the Night comes; mind matters of less moment, while you can do any thing, and your main interest, when you are fit for nothing. Defer your Repentance till hereafter, though you know not but you may die to Night; put it off to a sick Bed, though you cannot tell but sudden Death may prevent your lying sick at all. Run as far as you can out of the way to Life, even till out of breath, and then return. First let your time be spent, and then improve it. Increase your Debts to purpose, and be sure that you have a good long Score, and then pay. Provoke God as much as you can, and then appease him. Be sure you treasure up as much Wrath as you can, and then confidently expect Heaven. O the folly of delaying our Repentance; Sin is so fortified, and strengthened by delays, that every hour drives the Nail in farther, till it's very difficult removing it. Sin takes the deeper rooting by delays, and requires much more strength and violence to pluck it up, and the heart is in danger of growing to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you read of, Rom. 2. 5. an irrepentable heart; and altho' God is able to give Repentance, yet there's an infinite peradventure, whether he will or no; for, as Augustine saith 
* Qui enim poenitenti promisit indulgentiam, dilatori diem crastinum non promisit. Aug. in Psal. 145. 8. , That God who promiseth Pardon to the Penitent, hath not promised to morrow to the Sinner that puts off his Repentance. O the folly of delays, when every moment the Devil will be nearer, and God farther off; when the next closure with Lust, may ensnare and enslave thee for ever! O Young Man, is this thy Prudence, to promise to thyself a more convenient Season hereafter, when thou wilt have less time, less strength, less aid and assistance, less tenderness of Conscience, less influence of the Spirit; and when thou wilt have more love to thy Lust, more blindness in thy Mind, more hardness of Heart, more averseness in thy Will to turn to God, more unsensibleness and searedness in thy Conscience; or else more in danger of downright and absolute despair? O miserable folly of delays!  
Besides, if you consider the suspicion of an hereafter-Repentance; true Repentance is never too late, but late Repentance is seldom true; which might be abundantly argued, from the usual experience of Sinners when they are sick, O what Protestations do they then make of their Repentance and Amendment, but commonly return to Sin, as the Dog to the Vomit, when restored to health again: So that there is usually great unsoundness in men's Sickbed Repentances, by no means is it to be depended on. Surely it would be (compared with this) a pardonable folly for a Man to adventure upon Poison, because he hath heard there is a certain Antidote in the World to expel it, tho' he cannot tell whether he can get that Remedy or no; To what this is in the present Case: It would be a piece of madness, that would be deservedly unpardonable, to run the risk and adventure of a deathbed Repentance; when you are told of the multitudes that perish, to a very few that are saved, pray examine carefully what such a Repentance is made up of; usually it consists in the passionate awakenings of natural Conscience, upon the Sinner's Alarm to appear before that God to whom he has been a long time estranged, and against whom he has maintained a long and old Enmity; hereupon there springs up in his Breast a servile fear and dread of this holy and just God; hence the Sinner being stripped of all Creature comforts and help, flies and cries to God for pardon of his Sins, and deliverance from Hell, in great affrightment of Spirit, and O if God will spare, what manner of person he will be, and the like. Now pray judge righteous Judgement, and make a true estimate herein, many ignorant Wretches call this true Repentance, whereas all this is but nature in misery, crying for ease, which the veriest Reprobate in the World may do, nay, can't but do, if Conscience be awakened: here is no change of their hearts from darkness to light, and the power and love of sin, to God and holiness. Alas! let but these Men be put into their former state of health and temptation again, and they would be the very same; a Balaam may come thus far to cry out, O that I might die the death of the Righteous, and my last end be like his. There is the same love of Sin, and hatred of strict Godliness within as ever, which would soon appear, if they might but still enjoy their former Vanities: but alas all is under a force, they are launching out into the eternal World, and judgement seems to them just at hand, now they cry aloud for mercy, and desire pardon, bewail their abuse of time, make large offers of Reformation, and yet all this is but as an Iron in the Fire, or a Mariner in a Storm: Well said 
* Quale bonum hoc ●st quod melius est poenâ, etc. Tertull.  Tertullian, What a mean sort of good is this, that only excels punishment. It is good to repent and be saved, because who can dwell with everlasting burning? All this is good just when a Man's a dying. O young man, is this consistent with Reason, to venture thy All to all Eternity, upon so rotten a foundation? thou wouldst not venture to put out to Sea in a leak● Vessel, and wilt thou be so mad as to venture thy Soul upon such a bold Presumption as this? What if (O Youth) after your mad and long Rambles in the ways of Sin, after thou hast tried these desperate Conclusions, and thou at last gins to come to thyself, and attempts to come to Christ, what if he should remand thee, and send thee back again, to find Relief among the Husks and Swine thou so lately left? if when you (in your distress and calamity) supplicate with the most mournful Note his mercy and compassion, he shall return you back with this greeting, and ungrateful answer, It is now too late, thou shouldst have remembered me in the days of thy youth, depart, my patience and compassions are at an end, because you refused when I called, I will now reject you. O what if God should conclude his day of grace and mercy, just as thy time of Religion commenceth? If he end his Patience, as thou beginnest thy Repentance? If his Ear be stopped, just as thy cry for mercy is opening? pray, what then will you do? what say you young ones? will you inquire, return, and come now or no? to allude to that of the Prophet, Isa. 21. 11, 12. Watchman, what of the night? what of the night? if you will inquire, inquire, return and come. How many expressions are here to show the vehemency of the Call. What say you Youth? wilt thou dare to run the venture of the loss of God's acceptance, of Heaven and eternal glory, for a year, a month, a week, a day? shall the blessed Trinity stay till your Lust will release you? Why then be it known to you, and remember hereafter, that I this day give you notice of it, that as you sow, so you shall reap. If you sow a deaf Ear to God's call to day, while it's called to day, you shall reap a deaf Ear to your calls and cries for mercy, when your calamity and desolation cometh as a whirlwind upon you. O young Men I beseech you, and O that God would persuade you by his Spirit this day, to practise this advice here exhibited to you; Flee this youthful Sin of delaying. The sooner you come in, the more acceptable it will be to God, the more comfortable to your own Souls, and the more useful and beneficial to others. I might enlarge upon all these, but I have been long already in other Considerations against this Sin of delaying; and therefore I shall only tell you, That no Tongue can relate, no Pen can describe all the advantages of an early Conversion. One days sweet communion that you will have with a reconciled God in a state of grace, will be more comfortable than a thousand years of impenitent Sinners, who are or may be in continual fears of death and judgement. But O the blessed state of an early Convert, that is a● peace with God, his Soul may dwell at ease, let what will come that can, in life or death, Sin is pardoned, the sting of all is removed, Christ's yoke is easy, there is no condemnation to such an one. O the sweet peace and tranquillity of such a Life, what should trouble or disturb him, that hath good grounds to believe, That he shall be for ever with the Lord, when he shall go bence, and be seen no more. Young People are apt to th●nk, that there is no contentment in the ways of God, but they must lead sad and uncomfortable Lives; whereas it's most manifest, that there is nothing tends to free them from discontent and uncomfortableness, like an early conversion to God. The Kingdom of God consists in joy and peace; and there is a day at hand, when the proudest despiser of an holy life shall be convinced of it. O therefore make a trial of it, and if you do not find it so, take your own course, I have no more to say, but to pray that God would circumcise your hearts, and give you wisdom to take the present opportunity, and to admire his mercy that it is not too late.   

The next Sin that I shall direct Young Ones to flee, is, An eager pursuit of sensual and sinful Pleasures, their loving these more than God, etc.  
I Have showed you already, how strongly Youth is bend upon Pleasures, Sports, Games, Feasts, Pastimes. O! Young Men love these as their Lives, and some will as soon part with their Lives, as with their youthful Pleasures; they have had Threaten, Promises, Commands, Entreaties, Mercies, Afflictions, yet nothing to this day could prevail with them. What Solomon saith of the Fool, Prov. 27. 22. Tho' thou bray a Fool in a Mortar, yet will not his foolishness departed from him; may be applied here, to that excess of affection that is found in young Folks to vain and sinful pleasures: there is its true a great unwillingness in others to forgo the pleasures of Sin, but it strangely tyrannises over Youth; wherefore I shall lay down some Arguments, to persuade you to be willing to flee this Youthful Lust.  
First, Consider the Lord Jesus Christ, (young People) he was not a Man of Pleasures, but a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Griefs, and how unsuitable are you to him, while you pant after vain Pleasures. I remember I have read of five Men met together, that asked one another, What means they used to abstain and flee from Sin?  
The first answered, That he continually thought upon the Certainty of Death, and the Uncertainty of the Time of it, and that made him live every day as his last.  
The Second, Meditated on the severe Account he was to give at the day of judgement, and of the everlasting Torments of Hell, and this kept him from Sin.  
The Third, Of the vileness and loathsomeness of Sin, and of the excellency and beauty of Grace and this made him abhor Sin.  
The Fourth, Of the everlasting Rewards and Pleasures provided for those that did abstain from Sin, and this prevailed with him.  
The Fifth and last, Continually meditated on the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his Love to poor ainners, in dying an accursed death for them, Snd this made him ashamed to sin.  
And truly this last is the greatest of all: O what an Argument is this, to constrain you Young Ones to flee sinful Pleasures; I beseech you, for Christ's sake, to flee them. Methinks if Christ should come and demand your Life and Blood, they should freely go, and will you not part with your brutish Pleasures for him? You are certainly Enemies to the Cross of Christ, while you mind earthly Pleasures; he lived a self denying life, mortified to all the Vanities of this World, to set you an Example; he died also to redeem you from a vain Conversation.  
O Young Man, view thy Pattern, and imitate your Selfdenying Saviour, or you are ●one of his. If a Father or Mother come in competition with his Name and Interest, you are bound to hate them, Luke 14. 16. much more your youthful Lusts of vile Pleasure. The Pleasure of our dear Lord, was to do the Will of his heavenly Father, Joh. 4. 34. Now saith the Apostle, in Phil. 2. 5. Let the same mind be in you, as was in Christ. And in Luke 14. 27. Our Saviour saith, Whosoever doth not come after me, cannot be my Disciple. You are not to come after us Ministers one step, but as we conform to Christ. O look unto Jesus, Young Ones, did he affect Sports and Games? Did he use to spend hours at Cards or Dice, & c? You read of whole Nights he redeemed for, and spent in, Prayer, and how he went up and down always doing good. O what a blessed way would this be, to recover the licentious Youth of this Age, to the gravity and purity of Religion, if they would write after, and draw each line of their Lives according to this holy Pattern. I have read of an Earl called Elzearus, that was given much to immoderate anger, and the means he used to cure this disordered affection, was by studying Christ and his patience, in suffering the Injuries and Affronts that were offered to him; and he never suffered this Meditation to pass from him, till he found his heart transformed into the similitude of Jesus Christ. O Young Men, you are all distempered with the immoderate love of vain pleasure; O flee to Mount Calvary, to a crucified Jesus, and there represent to thy Soul his Sorrows and Agonies, till thou find this Lust crucified. Argue thus with thyself, what did so dear so great and glorious a Person as the Son of God, deny himself those ineffable pleasures above, that he had in his Father's bosom, and come down here on earth. and took to himself an house of Clay, our Flesh, which proved to him an house of mourning all the days of his flesh, and then died an ignominious, painful, accursed death, and all this for me, to redeem me from the pleasures of Sin, and destroy these works of the Devil: And shall I think much of denying myself a few draughts of vain delight for him, who drank of the bitter Cup of God's wrath, and the gall and vinegar for me? And then,  
Secondly, Consider that either you must forsake these sinful pleasures for a time here, or your sweet Saviour for ever hereafter: For ●n Man can serve two Masters, he will either love and live to the one, and hate and leave the other, or else è contra. Therefore what Christ said to the Jews concerning his Disciples, John 18. 8. If ye seek me, let these go their way. That may I say, to you Young Folk, concerning your sinful pleasures, if ye seek an interest in the blessed Jesus, you must let these go; it is made the Badge of a graceless, christless Man, in that of 2 Tim. 3. 4. A lover of pleasure, more than of God. And our Saviour, in Luke 18. 14. tells you, That pleasures choke the seed of God's Word; they nourish the heart, and fatten it into a senseless stupidity. And 1 Tim. 5. 6. the Apostle describeth the unconverted Widow thus, She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. And then,  
Thirdly, Consider Young Man, Tbat God will bring thee to judgement for all thy sinful pleasures. Is it not enough to embitter all thy pleasures in the flesh, to read in Faith that one Scripture, Eccles. 11. 9 Rejoice, O young Man, etc. but know that God will bring thee to judgement. You are apt to think that you shall hear of them no more, but be you assured all must come into the Judgement. O Young Men, how many are now under wrath, that when on Earth, were eager in their pursuit of Games and Sports, etc. O Youth, consider, the Feet of them that have carried multitudes of your Age to Perdition, stand ready waiting for the word of Commission to carry you away also. Hence it was, that the primitive Christians used to pray, Domine hic ure, hic seca, ut in aeternum parcas. Lord, burn here, cut here, that thou may'st spare hereafter. O remember Abraham's words to him that lived in pleasure while on Earth, and at last dying, and lifting up his eyes in Hell, and calling for a drop of water to cool his tormented tongue, Remember (saith Abraham) thou hadst thy pleasures in thy life-tme, and Lazarus his sorrows, Luke 16. 25. O that this were more thought on by our jolly Youngsters! Paul saw need of using this tremendous Argument in 2 Cor. 5. 10, 11. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, etc. And then it follows, Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade Men: To what? why to Self-judging, and Godly-sorrowing and mourning for Sin, that so they may not be condemned of the Lord, at that great and terrible day. Hence Paul himself beat down his Body, denied himself fleshly pleasures, lest at that day he should be a Castaway. Hence Peter interrogates, Seeing all these things shall be dissolved at that day of judgement, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness; not in chambering and wantonness, 2 Pet. 3. 11. Hence also is the force of that great Command to a present Repentance without delay, Acts 17. 30. Because God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world by Christ. It was this that made voluptuous Felix tremble. O Young Man, had thou but a lively impression of this upon thy heart, O how soon would it whither all thy pleasures at the root? and instead of Ease, it would fill thee with Remorse and Bitterness. O therefore when this thy Youthful Lust grows boisterous, then ●se this Goad to awaken thee, and oppose ●his strong and terrible Argument for the ●ooling and quelling thy Lust after pleasure, viz. That God will bring thee to Judgement. You read of Moses when young, and the temptation of pleasure strong, yet he chose ●ather to suffer Affliction, than to enjoy Sins pleasures, that are but for a season. And why? because he by Faith saw a day of final and further recompenses at hand, Hebr. 11. 25. And then,  
Fourthly, Consider, That all thy youthful pleasures are but for a season, Heb. 11. 25. And you read in Job 21. 13, 14. They spen● their days in mirth, and in a moment they g● down to the grave, or hell. Who do? why all your Pleasure mongers from one Age to another. Look ye, were it possible for yo● to have a sight of the damned in Hell, ther● would you find the many thousands tha● spent their few days on earth in the pleasure● of Sin. And it's but a while, but you, an● all of your complexion and temper, that love Pleasures more than God, must vanish away, and never laugh more; never jest it, ga●● it more; O the doleful hour is at hand! Th● stolen waters of Si●'● pleasure are sweet, bu● short, like Naboth's Vineyard, which Ah●● so ●●gerly thirsted after; he got it, (it's true) bu● he could not keep it. Sins pleasures ar● compared to the crackling of thorns under ● pot. If any should ask, Why they should be ●● short? I would have such to bethink themselves, Why they should be at all? I am sure the All wise God's thoughts are not as you● and those whose distempered Souls (th●● grace) are begun to be cured, think otherwise. Ask a converted Soul, What pleasure there is in Sin, and he will tell you, it i● the very gall of bitterness. Alas! Young Man, it is a disease upon thee, that make● thee think of any pleasure at all in Sin; bu● yet that mistaken Pleasure of thy sick and diseased mind is but momentary, and a ●ery Shadow. Why then art thou so ea●●r after Pleasure? O the great Cheats poor ●inners put upon themselves. Hence plea●ant Sins are called Lying Vanities.  
O young man, remember thy time on Earth ● but short, 1 Cor. 7. 29. and therefore thy pleasures in Sin cannot be long: O how small distance is there between the Sports and ●ames of Youth, and the mortal Pangs and ●ains of Death? how soon will thy clear ●orning be overcast with evening Clouds? ●e pleasures of Sin will be quickly over, ●●t the pain will be for ever; as Job saith ● man's Life on Earth, Job 14. 1. His days ●● few, but his Troubles are many; So may ●ay of Sin, its pleasures are few, but its Ter●●s are many, like a short Feast, but a ●ng reckoning; therefore when you are in anger of being enticed with Sin's pleasures, beseech you to endeavour and (O that God ●ould teach you) to improve this Consideration, that they are but for a season. ●here is a notable Story that I meet with ● Mr Burrough's Moses his choice, concerning one Theodorus a young man, who at a ●ne of great Festivity and Jollity in Egypt ● his Father's House withdrew from all the ●●mpany, and got alone, and fell a medita●●g thus, Here is delight, and content in the ●est, I may have what I will desire, but how long will it last? And upon this Meditation, thinking with himself, this will not hol● long, he withdrew himself into a private Room, and fell down upon the Earth, an● with many Tears cried out thus unto Go● in Prayer; O Lord (says he) my Heart i● open unto thee, I indeed know not what to ask but only this, Lord let me not die eternally; Lord, thou knowest I love thee, O let me li●● eternally to praise thee! And when his Mother came to him, and would have h●● him come to the rest of the company th● were bidden, he made an excuse, an● would not, only upon this meditation, b●cause he saw these things were but for a se●son, and would not last. O that it might please the Lord, to give you young o●● Wisdom, and a Heart, alike to know ●● brevity and vanity of all fleshly pleasures, as to draw off your Hearts from them, a● to make your choice of those pleasure's th● are for ever, at the right hand of Go● And then,  
Fifthly, Consider youthful and sens● Pleasures are vile in their nature. Cich (though a Heathen) thought not that m● worthy of the name of a man, that sp●● one day in sensual Pleasures: And T●● accounted a Life of Pleasure, a Life of Bea● And what doth God say in the Script●●● of the Person that liveth in pleasure? y● may see 1 Tim. 5. 6. Such a one is dead while be liveth. And in the 21. Job 11, 12, 13. Such say to the Almighty, depart from us. Pleasures they alienate, and take away the Heart from God, and the things of God, they stuff the heart with manifold Evils, they deaden it with security, they harden it in Sin, and swell it with Vanity, and ●our it with an enmity against the severities and strictness of Religion; in a word Pleasures dispose a Person to all manner of impieties, and expose a person to all manner of miseries. Aristotle maketh mention of a parcel of Ground in Sicily that sends forth such a strong smell of fragrant Flowers ●o all the Fields thereabouts, that no Hound ●n hunt there, the scent is so confounded with the smell of those Flowers: thus in our licentious Age, Pleasures hinder us in our spiritual chase, they take away all scent, ●nd sense too of Heaven, and heavenly ●hings. Who is fit for any holy excrcise, that hath been immersing himself in sensual pleasures? Can the Heart, that but just now ●ath been enlarged and let out, or poured ●ut in vain and youthful pleasures, be prepared for the holy presence of God in Prayer or Meditation? What think you? doth Chambering and Wantonness, doth Ga●ning and Sportfulness, fit you for communion with God? O how much sooner do they ripen you for Hell and Destruction. Wherefore, O young man, flee these vai● pleasures, that brutify and vilify thy Soul, that resemble thee to a Beast, and ripen the● for the Devil, that cannot stand with the infinite Love, but hatred of God. O flee these. And then,  
Sixthly, Consider youthful, sensual pleasures, are not only short of their time, and vile in their nature, but most bitter and pernicious in their end. Stolen Waters are sweet, and Bread eaten in secret, saith Solomon, Prov. 9 17. But in the end it bites like a Serpent, Prov. 32. 27. and st●ngeth like a● Adder. O Youth, such are all Sin's pleasure, whether you believe it or no, y●● shall be sure to feel it after a season, for your pleasures are all but for a season, and the● followeth the Curse of the Law, the wrath of God, the terrors of Conscience, th● guilt of Sin, and these are enough to drow● thy pleasue, and distract thy Spirits; like to that kind of Honey, that Historians te●● us of in Africa, lusciously sweet, but affect, all that eat of it with a mortal Madness, and Frenz●, and the reason they assign is that the Bees gather it from poisonous Weeds; thus sensual sinful Pleasures, a● Solomon saith, Eccles. 2. 2. affect with madness. Hence in the 7 Eccles. 2. he affirmeth, that it is better to go to the House of Mourning than Feasting: You have a Scripture very full and apposite to this purpose in that in 20. Job 16. where Zophar speaking of the wicked Pleasure-monger, saith, He shall suck the p●ison of Asps. There is an old Interpreter 
* Xantus Pagninus.  I have met with, that reads it, He shall suck the Head of Asps. The Hebrew word [Rosh] signifying both c●put, and veneum, Head and Poison. Now what is it to suck the Head of Asps? Pliny in his Natural History, tells us that the Asp, or she Viper, engendering with the Male, takes his Head in her mouth, and being overcome with the pleasure of the act, bites it off, whereby he perisheth: after which she conceiving, the young within her become impatient of staying their full time, and they eat out through her side; whereby she perisheth. And so it is with the Sensualist that is all for pleasure in Sin, as if you lo●k back to the 12. ver. of this 20. of Job, you shall find though wickedness be sweet in the mouth, yet it is but as the sucking of the Head of Asps, they shall perish by it. In the close of the 12. ver. it is said, to be Gall of Asps, by which is meant, both the bitterness, and destructiveness of sinful Pleasures: His Wickedness (saith Zophar) though sweet and delicious in his Mouth, that is the act of committing it; yet when it's turned in his Bowels, that is after the commission of it, it is the Gall of Asps. O its grievous to him, he wisheth he had never done it. So Prov. 5. 4. speaking of the end of Sin's pleasure, he tells you, its bitter as Wormwood. It is like a Pill, wrapped up in Sugar, which when the Sugar (which was over it) is melted, than the bitterness of the Pill shows itself: So when the pleasure of Sin is wasted, than the sorrow appears. I have read of a most pleasant and luscious sort of Fruit in the West-Indies, but withal that these dainties are so sauced with the intolerable scorching heat of the Sun by day, and a multitude of stinging Creatures by night, that the People that dwell in those parts, expose themselves to danger to gather them; which made the Spaniards to call them, the Comfits of Hell; and truly what are the pleasures of Sin but such Comfits of Hell? there is some carnal pleasure that delights a rank, unhallowed Palate; but here is the misery of it, they are served in with the scorching fiery wrath of God, and the stinging of a guilty restless Conscience, so that the fears of the one, and the anguish of the other, are surely able to melt away that little pleasure they afford. O that young ones would seriously consider how bitter Sin's pleasures will be in the end, brevis est voluptas peccati, sed perpetua paena peccatoris. And Bernard saith momentarium est quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat. O common with thine own Heart, enter the Closet within thy own Breast, and say, What shall I be taken with a little seeming sweetness, and pleasure in Sin, when within a moment or two, this will be turned into the Gall, yea Poison of Asps. O young men, evermore keep your Eye on the ending of Sin, how it goes off at last, you may see in Cain, and Spira, with hideous groans, and consuming griefs; it comes on like an Harlot very Comically, Come, let us take our fill of Pleasure; but it goes off like Rachel, weeping and bitterly lamenting. Solomon saith, in Prov. 23. 17, 18. My Son, envy not Sinners, for surely there is an end; and a sad and woeful end too, envy them not, they are rather objects of Compassion and Pity, to see a Sinner merrily for a minute, swallowing the bait of pleasure, and then to consider his end is to be torn for ever with the hook of Vengeance; and after a little giggling, and foolish mirth, to be cast into a Lake of ●ire and Brimstone for ever; O sad end! O happy is he that forseeth the bitter end of Sin at last, and shuneth it, by foregoing, and fleeing the bewitching pleasure of Sin at present, and wise is he that takes up (out of the Word of God) the same thoughts of Sin, now amidst all temptations and allurements to it; as the worst, at last will be forced to take up, out of their own experience and feeling, amidst all the torments of Hell. Sure it is better to go to Heaven with labour, than to Hell with pleasure, and to be preserved in Brine, than to rot in Honey (as one saith) to be fed upon salt Marshes, and short Commons, and to live, than to be glutted in rank Pastures, and so fatted up for destruction. Wherefore, O youth, call not, choose not that pleasure now, that thousands are suffering the wrath of God for in Hell. All you that have adventured, and took the sweet Bait, my advice to such is, let them vomit up their Morsels again, and smite on their Breast, and lament with penitent remorse, that ever they should be such fools, as to delight in that which hath grieved God, and wounded their own Souls, and never any more return with the Dog to the Vomit. And then,  
Seventhly, Consider youthful sensual Pleasures are deceitful, they mock thee, and make a Fool of thee, and then thou makest a mock and sport of Sin. Sin sm●l● with enticing blandishments, as Satan on our first Parents, Gen 3 5. O Ye shall be as Gods; So here Sin promiseth, O ye shall be thus, and thus advanced, and advantaged: But were our first Parents as Gods, by harkening to Satan, and eating of the forbidden Fruit? or were they not cheated, and instead of being like God, they became like Satan. It is observed by the Mythohgists, that Pleasure went out at first on occasion to  herself, and having stripped off her , laid them by the Water side; but Sorrow having hid herself in the Covert as unseen, steals the  away, puts them on, and so departs. Hence multitudes are cheated, they run, and ride, court, and woe Pleasure; which they have no sooner obtained, but they perceive their Error, alas it is nothing but Sorrow got in Pleasure's . O young man, that art so eager after Pleasures, you know not what you so earnestly reach after, do but inquire of those that have detected the Cheat, and they will tell you, there is nothing in all the world so deceitful as Sin: it deceived Angels above, and Man beneath, it promiseth credit, and pays with shame; it promiseth ease, and pays with pain; it promiseth Bread, and pays with Stones; it promiseth a Paradise of pleasure, and pays with a Wilderness of Sorrows; it promiseth Liberty, and pays with Bondage; it promiseth Satisfaction and Content, and pays with nothing but vexation and disappointment. O young man, inquire  thou venturest, inquire cui bon●? to what purpose? What shall I gain by Pleasures? Shall I be more free for, and cheerful in the Service of God? will my Soul be more heavenly? or my Body more healthy? what will come of this pleasure? will it forward me in the way to Heaven? or Hell? will it pay charges at last? This hunting after Sensual Pleasures, and neglecting God, and my precious Soul what aspect will it have in its final review? Alas young men, if you would bring things to a close trial and scrutiny, the vail of Sins pretences is so thin, that you might presently detect its falsehood, and in unmasking and discovering it Lies, you would rcceive much advantage, in fortifying you against its Allurements. I end this with St. Paul's Exhortation, Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin. And then,  
Eighthly, and Lastly, Consider in order to the fleeing of this youthful Sin, of an eager pursuit of vain Pleasure, that you shall not lose, but gain true pleasure, and by abandoning the spurious and pernicious Pleasures of Sin, a sound Conversion of thy Heart and Life to God, will but exchange thy Pleasures, and exchange is no robbery, Sure it would be a great favour and kindness to take from thee the filthy, muddy ditch-waters of Sin, and present thee with the pure and precious Waters of Life. Were that man hurt that should have a glass of Poison took out of his Hand, and a Cup of Sack put in? O youth, I must not spare to tell thee, that thou wilt never taste one drop of true Delight and Pleasure, till thou art converted, and become seriously Relious: It is no part of God's meaning, when we enter his sweet Service, that we should be debarred of Pleasures, for the Ways of Wisdom are Ways of Pleasantness, and all her Paths are Paths of Peace, Prov. 3. 17. But only that we should exchange the Onions and Garlic of Egypt, for the Milk and Honey of Canaan; Isaac must not be sacrificed, but the Ram; So here, all ramish, and rank Pleasures must, but not the Soul-ravishing, and refreshing pleasures at God's right hand, Psal. 16. 11. O that you would but make Experiment hereof, you will find One Hours praying, better than a thousand of profane fuddling; (as Mr. An. Burg. saith) thou wilt find one hours' enjoyment of Christ, as thy Husband by Faith, better than all the wanton Dalliances, and unchaste embracements of unlawful objects. So that, young man, thou fleest from true Pleasures, when thou fleest not thy youthful sensual Pleasures: the Lord bless these Considerations to thee. Now this brings me to lay down some Rules to direct Youth how they may flee the next youthful Sins.   

Remedies against those Youthful Sins of Flexibility in yielding to Temptations, and readily going down the stream, following a multitude to do evil, and keeping ill Company, etc.  
THese Sins I have showed you before, are especially the Sins of Youth, to be easily drawn and enticed to do as others do, etc. Now I shall very briefly offer you some Considerations for the fleeing of them.  
1. Consider Christ's Flock is but a little Flock, and the Gate and Way to Life eternal is strait and narrow, and they are but few that walk therein. If you will not be content to go to Heaven with a few, you are never like to come there. The beaten Path is the common Road to Hell, which hath used in all Ages to be thronged with Troops; but Heaven's strait way, from the time of the old World to this day, hath at best had but a paucity of Walkers, and sometimes a singularity, as Noah in his day was singular, and Elijah in his day left alone, when there were 400 false Prophet's of Baal; and Jeremiah, was fain to weep in secret. I confes● this is a shrewd temptation to ●oung People, and of all Ages, that age of Youth is most in danger of stumbling at it; but O Youth, is it not better to be ●aved alone, or with a few, than to perish with millions? Had you lived in Noah's time when the Flood came, would you not have rather chose to have been preserved with Noah's Family alone, than drowned with the rest, tho' you had all the world to keep you company? I remember the learned Breerwood divides the World into 30 parts, and after a diligent pondering of it, telleth us, that 19 of the 30 are Paganish; and of the 11 parts that remain, he saith Mahumetism takes up six, so that there remains but five for Christianism. O that the Desire of all Nations might come, and accomplish that Prophecy, Isa. 2. 1, 2. When the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be exalted on the top of the mountains, and all Nations shall flow into it. So that you may see by this, O Youth, that thou must either renounce all hopes of Heaven, and lay aside thy Christianity, or else be willing to be singular to the World that lies in wickedness; it's the World's fashion to be prayerless and graceless: but will you read Rom. 12. 1. with Jam. 1. 17. And then with these Scriptures, see 1 John 2. 15, 16. But it may be objected, That you are c●me out of the Pagan and Mahometan World, you go with the Christian World; and therefore ●hat can be said against you, but that you may do as other Christians do? I answer, with the Apostle that spoke expressly of our times, in that of 2 Tim. 1. and the five first Verses: This know, that in the last days perilous times shall come; Men shall be so and so, even in the Church of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power. Well, what Advice doth he give as to these nominal Christians? why, in the very next words, he saith, From such turn away. Alas! in the Christian World the number of sound Believers is but small, indeed if all that name the Name of Christ, might pass for true Christians, the number would be great; but if no more must be accounted true Christians, than such as are born again, and all old things are done away, and all things become new, being dead to sin, who once were dead in sin, etc. O than the number is but small! It's amazing to me, that strange blindness and heavy judgement that is fallen upon thousands of titular Christians at this day, they will severely condemn a Man that he is no good Christian, that doth not profess his Faith in Christ, and come to Church, and the like; and yet will hug themselves with this, that they are good Protestants and Christians, althe ' they will make nothing of omission of Closet and Family-Prayer; they will many of them swear and curse, and live in Rioting and Drunkenness, yet if they but come to Church, etc. all is well. It were impossible to reckon up here the thousands of ways how Satan a●d Sin blind poor Sinners in the Christian World to their everlasting destruction. Now ●en, O young Man, consult not with flesh ●●d blood, it may be there are many about ●ee, carnal Friends and Neighbours, that ●●ve no fear of God, and these are seeking to ●●w you off: O remember this advice, ●●t it's infinitely better to be saved with a ●●, than be damned with a multitude.  
2. Consider ill Company, whereunto ●●uth is exceedingly prone, is a Self-destroy●●● Evil; nothing more emboldens Sinners ● wickedness. A company of wanton, lose ●●ths met together, is like a Pest-house for ●ection; they do a world of mischief in ●milies, Churches, Kingdoms; here it is ●t so many of England's, London's Youth strained up for Hell, they soon ascend the ●●t of the Scorner, and so are quickly ripe ● a Descent down to Hell. Here they sow ●ows under one another's Elbows, and stu●usly argue one another to damnation; ●● they let fly against Religion, deriding ● Godliness, jeering at others, saying, What ● grow precise? You turn Fool? Thus as ●●od sought the death of Christ, and decoyed the young Babes in Bethlehem; so ●e seek the destruction of any hopeful ●●nings and good motions that are at any ●● found in persons of tender years: And ●● to be lamented exceedingly, the sad Suc●● this hath had in this City, O the innumerable Tears and Groans of godly Parents that this hath cost! And, after all, no recovery of their prodigal Children out of this Snare of the Devil's ill Company. The Lord be merciful to us, and convince the Youth (into whose hands this Book shall fall) of this Nation, of this City, of the truth of this, and cause them to keep at the utmost distance from this Pit of destruction. It is upon this account that wise Solomon so frequently calls upon the young Man, No● to come near the borders of this temptation, not to pass on that side of the way, or near the threshold of the house where this bait is laid. O young Man, be watchful of your Company, the greatest danger is when you are among vain and carnal Friends, and Acquaintance; these are the great Impediment● in your way to Heaven. In all probability many had been converted, if they had associated with gracious persons. The Man after God's own heart, gins his first Psalm, with, Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the company of the ungodly. O it's an excellent means to the saving of Souls to be there, where there is continual helps to Conversion and Holiness, as Prayers, and heavenly Instructions, and godly Examples: whereas among the ungodly, there are continual temptations to Sin; wicked Society is the Devil's Boat, wherein he ferrieth over multitudes to Hell. O young Man, as you would not be gathered with the ungodly at ●●st, take heed of joining with them now. It ●as the Prayer of a godly Person under ●ouble, on a dying Bed, O Lord, let me not ●● to Hell, where the wicked are; for, Lord, ●●ou knowest, I never loved their Company here? O it's a Soul-destroying Evil to keep company with those whose nearness will set me ●●ther off from God, to be there where Worldliness, Profaneness, and Wantonness, ●nd Sensuality reign, what is this, but the ●ery Suburbs of Hell? And then  
3. Consider what an Honour and Commendation it is to resist Temptation while ●ou are Young, and the solicitations of vain person's are strong, O then, to flee their enticements, how excellent and laudable is it? ●● was Lot's unhappiness to dwell in Sodom, ●ut it was high honour to be righteous there. ●● shown (saith an ingenious Writer) that ●● holiness was of a strong complexion, to retain ●● healthfulness in so corrupt an Air. It's a ●reat Sin to be bad among the good, but it is ●● high Honour to be good among the bad. O remember, Young Man, how well God ●akes it, when evil Company do strongly and violently draw and entice thee to the service ●f the Devil, the Flesh and the World, than ●o break through all those hellish importunities as Joseph did, and cleave to the Lord with ●o invincible and holy resolution. See the honour of this in that sacred and sweet portion of Scripture, 2 Cor. 6. 14. to the end: I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people; wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and I will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. If therefore you flee, and withdraw from evil Company, you shall be honoured with God's Company and Acquaintance, and what can you desire more? See how David triumpheth in this Privilege, Psal. 23. 4. Tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet will I fear none ill: why? because thou art with me. Hence Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the water, I will be with thee, fear not drowning. When flesh and heart faileth, God will never.  
4. Consider, That yielding to the enticements of the ungodly, and joining with them, is not only a foul Sin, but a fearful sign of a graceless person; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? Now this Argument should mightily move you to abhor and flee the company of the wicked, as you would a house marked out for the Plague. It was the saying of an Heathen, That Company is of an assimulating nature. Seest thou a Person choosing communion with one that is carnal, that liveth after the flesh, etc. You may be sure that that Man is so too; for as Face answereth to Face, so do men's Hearts and Lives to one another after their kind. They that are af●er the Spirit, do all savour and choose a spiritual Conversation; so they that are after the Flesh, do choose a carnal Conversation. Hence David, who was a gracious Man, proveth it by this ma●k, Psal. 16. 3. speaking of the Saints, the excellent ones of the earth, saith he) in whom is all my delight. And ●he heavenly Apostle John giveth you this very ma●k of true godliness, in 1 Joh. 3. 14. And, on the other hand, a keeping and lo●ing the company of ungodly persons, is made the badge of an unconverted person, Hos. 7. 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the People. What People? why, the idolatrous Heathens. And what's this a sign of? why, that he was but an Hypocrite, elegantly expressed in that Metaphor that followeth, Ephraim is a Lake not turned. O therefore, as you would escape the mark of an Enemy to God and Godliness: Flee this youthful Lust of ill Company, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them, Eph. 5. 11. Company ●●t with him that is a Fornicator, 1 Cor. 5. 9 Walk not in the way, enter not into the path of evil Men, Prov. 1. 1. and 4. 14. And this brings me to lay down Remedies against the next Sin that Youth are prone to, viz. The Sin of Intemperance.   

Remedies against the Youthful Lust of Intemperance.  
THis is a Sin Youth is much given to, as I have in the beginning shown, now in order to the fleeing of it.  
First, Labour after a distinct and clear knowledge what it is? wherein it stands? The Schoolmen say, a person is guilty of this Sin these five ways when he eats and drinks: 1. Praeproperè, too hastily. 2. Lautè, too daintily. 3. Nimis, too much. 4. Ardenter, too vehemently. 5. Studiosè, too carefully.  
1. If he eat too soon or hastily, before the proper Season, Isa. 5. 11. woe to them that rise up early, that they may follow strong drink. And Eccl. 10. 17. woe to the Land whose Princes eat in the morning. A time wherein the Soul is to be feasted at the Throne of Grace, and in the word of God's Grace, Prayer, and reading the Scripture, according to that excellent Rule in Matth. 6. 33. First seek the kingdom of God. And then a person may be said to eat too soon or hastily, when he falls on without Prayer, or craving of a Blessing; it was the continual practice of our dear Saviour, who is out Example, to look up to his Father for a Blessing,  he would partake of the Creature.  
2. If a person eat and drink too daintily, when there is an excess in point of Costliness and Curiosity; Manna had been better for the Israelites, than Quails. Holy Jacob's sanctified desires extended no farther, than if thou wilt give me Bread to eat; mark it, not sumptuous delicate Fare, but Bread, Gen. 28. 20. And Elijah was content with a Cruise of Water, and a Cake on the Coals, while Jezabe●'s 400 Prophets were pampered at her full Table. Christ has taught us herein in that Petition, how to regulate our desires, Give us this day our daily Bread. Pray observe it, no more than plain Bread. And the Apostle saith, Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content, 1 Tim. 6. 8. Raiment, not Ornament: So that when we (without cause) crave delicate Fare, and lash out beyond that proportion our Estates and Incomes will bear, we are guilty of this Sin: And then when we are too curious about the Sorts of Meat and Drink, and their Dressing and Sauces, we herein generally send in Ammunition to the sensual Appetite, to rebel against Reason and Grace.  
3. We offend, and are guilty of this Sin of Intemperance, when we exceed as to the quantity, eating and drinking more than what fits us for our general, and particular calling; as we must not neglect our Bodies, so on the other hand we must not pamper them; Take heed (saith our Saviour) lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting, etc. and so that Day come upon you at unawares. This was the Sin of the Old World, and Sodom; and it is England's and London's Sin, especially the younger sort, at this day.  
4. We offend, and are guilty of this Sin, when we seed eagerly, and greedily, or as St. Judas speaketh in the 12. ver. They feed without fear, not regarding God's awful Dispensations in the world, as you have it set forth in that 6. Amos, Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, ver. 1. That lie upon Beds of Ivory, and stretch themselves upon their Couches, and eat the Lambs out of the Flock, and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall, ver. 4. That drink Wine in Bowls, but are not grieved at the Afflictions of Joseph, ver. 6. When the Church of God is drinking Blood and Tears, it is unseasonable to drink Wine in Bowls : Daniel would eat no pleasant Bread, nor drink Wine, when it went ill with the poor People of God.  
5. We offend, and are guilty of this Sin, when we eat studiously, when we study to pamper, and make provision for the Flesh, and to please our Appetite, as if we were Debtors to the Flesh to live to it, and ca●er for it.  
6. We offend herein, when we make the pleasing of our Appetite our main end, in Eating and Drinking; and not the glorifying of God, and preparing us for his Service. The Alwise God never gave us our Appetites, to be our rule, or our end, in eating and drinking; but to be governed by Grace and Reason, to an higher end than pleasing the Flesh.  
Now having shown you wherein this Sin stands, the next direction in order to ●lee it, is as followeth.  
Secondly, Study how hateful this Sin is to God, and how hurtful it is to yourselves, and others; it is hateful to God, as it takes the heart off from him, and Idolatrously sets it upon the Throat, and the Belly: hence you have it described, in that 3. Phil. 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their Belly, being enemies to the Cross of Christ. Hence Gluttons are commonly called Belly-Gods. And you may further see how odious it is to God in that thundering Scripture, Isa. 22. 14. In that day did the Lord call for Weeping, and Mourning, and behold eating of Flesh, and drinking of Wine, saying, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die— Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged away, till you die, saith the Lord of Hosts. Again, it is hateful to God, as it is a notorious Transgression of his holy Law, Ephes. 5. 18. Luke 21. 34. Prov. 23 20. It is a Sin so expressly against the command of God, that Gluttons and Drunkards can't plead ignorance, especially such as live under the Gospel: So that it must needs be hateful to God, seeing it is Rebellion against the Light, Job 24. 13 hence David expostulates in Psal. 10. 13. Wherefore doth the Wicked contemn God? Again, it must needs be hateful to God, as it carrieth in it a hatred of God; if the Friendship of this World is enmity with God, as St. James affirmeth, in the 4. Jam. 4. What is then friendship with the Lusts of the Flesh. O young men, think of it seriously, when you are tempted to Riot, and Excess, this is direct enmity to God, and therefore most hateful to him▪ and can your seeble Hands grasp, and make your part good with Omnipotency? I●● a terrible thing to renounce the Heaven of God's love and favour, for the pleasing of my Throat; but directly to run into the Hell of his hatred, O what madness is this? It were much better a thousand ●imes, that thou shouldst never eat bit, or ●rink drop more, than do so. And then ●● it is thus hateful to God, so it is hurtful ●o yourselves, and others. (1.) To your ●elves, and that both as to your Bodies and ●ouls. Intemperance is the bane of the Body, as it fills it with Diseases, and oppresseth Nature, consuming its animal and ●ital Spirits, and so is a degree of self murder. Who hath Woe? who hath Sorrow? but ●he Glutton and Drunkard, Prov. 23. 29. Hence are those proverbial Say, Meat ●●lls as many as the Musket, and the Board as ●●e Sword, and much Meat, much Malady. Plures pereunt crapulâ, quam capula, etc. It ●rings ruin to a man's Estate. Prov. 23. 21. ●he Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to Poverty. Many a man hath become by ●ntemperance, worse than an Infidel, in wa●ing that Provision, that he was bound to preserve for Wife and Children. Thus Intemperance is hurtful to the Body. And then it is hurtful to the Soul, as it wages War against it. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dear beloved, ●l beseech you, abstain from fleshly ●usts, which ●ar against the Soul. Fullness breeds forgetfulness of God. Deut. 6. 11, 12. When thou ●halt have eaten, and art full, then beware 〈◊〉 thou forget the Lord. So Prov. 30. 9 Feed me with Food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? It unfits the Soul for all holy Exercises, a full Belly, and a lean Soul usually go together: When the great enquiry is, What shall we eat? what shall we drink? There is a deep silence about the Soul, no such voice heard as, What shall I do to be saved? A full Belly (saith one) neither studies well, nor prays well; and St. Paul saith, in Rom. 16. 10. That they serve not the Lord Christ, that serve their own Bellies.  
In a word, Intemperance is so hurtful to yourselves, as that without timely repentance, and fleeing it, it will most certainly exclude Soul and Body out of Heaven, and plunge both into Hell for evermore. 1 Cor. 6. 9 Know ye not (saith the Apostle) that the Unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God; be not deceived, neither Drunkards, etc. Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest; Drunkenness, Revellings, and such like, of which I have told you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And in the 12. of Luke 45. If that Servant shall begin to eat and drunk, ●nd be dru●k●n, the Lord of that Servant will out him asunder, and will appoint him his p●rt on with the unbeliever. And that is Hell.  
And then this Sin of Intemperance is hurtful to others, its injurious to the Poor, coathing and feeding them. Many have ●ot Money for such uses, because they have ●ast it away, and prodigally consumed it ●pon their Lusts of Gluttony and Drunkenness. And it's a Sin highly aggravated by ●he Miseries and Afflictions of the Church of God at this day, wherein God calls for mourning: Now at such a time to say with them in Isa. 56. 12. We will fetch Wine, and ●e will fill ourselves with strong Drink, and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. O what an aggravation is this. And would to God that I could not apply ●his Text to our present times: the Lord be merciful to us! What an incongruity is it ●o hear and see some Christians ready to starve, and cry out for a bit of Bread, in one place; and others, Jesuran like waxing fat, and kicking for Wantonness; some, rolling in Blood, and others in Vomit; some feeding on Ashes, and drinking of Tears, while others far deliciously every day; some like Dives, other like Lazarus. O young men, study the heinous nature of this Sin of Intemperance, as it is hateful to God, and hurtful to yourselves and others. And then  
Thirdly, Study thyself, both the state of thy Soul and Body: inquire and commune with your own Hearts about it, whether thy Soul be in a state of Grace, and Peace with God, or of Sin and Enmity? be sure one of them it is: O labour after a true sight of it, which it is? if a state of Sin and Enmity, then fasting and abstinence, become one in thy condition, much more than eating and drinking. Alas, a poor Sinner, unreconciled to God, ready to drop into Hell, and hanker after dainties, and delicacies of Meats and Drinks, how absurd! But if it be a state of Grace, and Peace, why then Grace will be content with less than Nature, and Nature will be content with little. It is Lust that is so outrageous, but they that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh with its Affections, and Lusts. And then study the state of thy Body too, is it not mortal? must it not be e'er long Worms meat? and than do but soberly judge how far such a thing should be pampered, and at what rates. O methinks a sight of your state, should make you abhor Gluttony and Epicurism. O youth, attend hereunto, remember Esau was called profane, for parting with his Birth right, for one Morsel of Meat: and when ever you feel your Appetite eager and craving, remember these three directions I have now given you, to flee this Sin; which brings me to lay down Rules and Remedies against the next youthful Lust.   

Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Lying.  
THis is a Sin I have showed, that Youth are especially prone to, I shall very briefly lay down some Directions to flee it.  
1. Awaken thy Soul, young man, to consider the danger of this Sin of Lying, and that in these two particulars, (1.) It's a Badge of a graceless Child. And (2.) it's a Bar to endless glory: It's a badge of one that's graceless; pray ponder on these Scriptures, Isa. 63. 8. For he said, Surely they ●re my People, Children that will not lie. And so he was their Saviour. And John ●. 44. when our Saviour told the wicked Jews, they were of their Father the Devil, who was a L●ar, and the Father of it. And then (2.) it is a Bar to Life eternal, Rev. 21. 27. ver. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever maketh a Lye. But in the 8. ver. of that Chap. it is affirmed, That all Liars shall have their part in that Lake that burneth with Fire for evermore. O this Sin hath been the bane of multitudes, it ruin'd Ananias and Sapphira, in the 5. of the Acts. It is one of those seven things the Lord hates, Prov. 6. 17. Moreover, it is the ruin of all humane Society and Commerce: for where there is no Truth, there can be no Trust; and where there is no Trust, there can be no thriving Trade, Truth being the Bond of all human Society. In a word, Lying is the very Image of the Devil.  
2. Arm yourselves before hand with forcible Scripture Arguments, and Antidotes against it, that whensoever the Temptation returns, it may not catch you unprovided. As for instance, if hopes of Profit tempt thee to Lie, have it in readiness, O Satan, what is a man profited, if he gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? or what can a man give in exchange for his Soul? What tell ye me of a little Pelf and Profit that Thiefs can steal suddenly, and that Death will strip me of shortly: is this worth the losing my Soul for, and those unsearchable Riches of Christ, and Heaven, that Crown of Life? If a little fear of mortal srowns, and displeasure from thy Superiors, prompts thee to Lve, provide thyself, and beat back the Tempter with an, It is written, Who art thou that art afraid of a man that is Grass? Fear not them that can kill the Body, and no more; but fear him that can destroy both Body and Soul, and cast both into Hell. O Satan! man cannot damn me, but God can, and will, if I make a Lve. O how much more tolerable is the wrath of a man, that is but a breathing clod of Clay, and is ready to die, and turn to Dust; than the wrath of the living God, that is every moment ready to seize the Lyar. Once more; ●f the Temptation to lie, receive force ●rom hopes of concealment, or that it is not likely ever to be discovered, etc. say, O Devil, can it be concealed from, or lie undiscovered to the Eye of Heaven? While ●here is a God above, and a Conscience within me, can I and my Lie (if I should ●enture) lie hid long, be sure it would find ●e out, to gripe and torment me. Wherefore avoid, avoid Satan. Truth of Speech, ●●d Peace of Conscience, cannot be too ●uch prized, nor too carefully preserved, according to that old Rule,  
●●re to be true, nothing can need a Lie,  
● Fault that needs it most grows two thereby.  
3. and Lastly, Beg hard of God, to purge ●y Heart; for out of the evil treasure of ●y heart proceeds Lying, and all Evil, the ●incipal work must be about thy Heart, ●sal. 12. 2. They speak Lies (saith the Psalmist) with flattering Lips, and with a double Heart do they speak. Gen. 17. 9 The Heart ● deceitful above all things. Now if ever ●ou would flee this Sin of Lying, O get ●● Heart-Cure, or this Evil will break out ●● the Lips again, though you should for a time bridle your Tongues: As a Spring will have its Course, though you should damn up the Stream a while, it will after a while break through all your Banks, and run into the old Channel again: So here it will be even so, For out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh; and the old Heart is a kin to the old Serpent for Lying; it's only the New Heart, that is the true Heart; and until the Heart be renewed, the Tongue cannot be aright reform. How can ye that are evil (saith out Saviour) speak good things? How can you match a double Heart, and a single Tongue together? a Lying Heart, and a true Tongue? Since there is such a near relation between the one, and the other, as between the Cause, and its effect. Now young man, who can create a new and true Heart in thee but God? Whither then shouldst thou go but to him? this was David's practice; how frequently do we find him on his Knees, sometimes praying that God would make his Heart sound in his Statutes; sometimes that God would create in him a clean Heart, and renew a right Spirit within him; again, sometimes he prays, Remove from me the way of Lying: and was it in vain? Oh no; he was a man after God's own Heart, he would not endure a Liar in his sight, in his House.  
The next Sin I shall direct you to flee, is neglect of Relative Duties; as Obedience to Parents and Masters, etc.   

Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Disobedience to Parents and Masters.  
THis is a Sin peculiar to that state of Life, O Young Man, if you would flee it.  
1. Study these Scriptures, Ephes. 5. 1. Col. ●. 20. Children obey your Parents, etc. for this ●s the first Command with promise, and it is wellpleasing to God: here is a double Argument to enforce Obedience to Parents. First, ●● hath a promise of long Life annexed, That ●hy days may be long in the Land. Is not this ●o be reckoned a singular Blessing, especially ●s it comes in by the way of a precious Promise? O flee Disobedience, as you would flee immature Death, or being cut off, and ●ut down, in the flower of your Age; for there is nothing more directly tends to cut short your life, than this Sin of Disobedience ●o Parent●, as in the Instance of Abs●lon. And then the 2● Argument is, That Obedience to Parents is wellpleasing to God. O powerful Motive, it wants nothing of strength to move you, only a due Application, and then  
2. Consider how the Sin of Disobedience to Superiors, entails God's Curse upon you; see for this these Scriptures, Prov. 30. 17. 1 Sam. 4. 11. Leu. 24. 14. Deut. 21. 18. Deut. 27. 16.  
3. Consider how subject and obedient Christ was to his Parents, Luke 2. 51. and should not you be subject to yours? Christ harkened to his, and want you to yours? O writ after this blessed Copy.  
4. Consider how unnatural a thing it is, not to love, honour, and obey your Parents; you have your being from them, and come out of their loins; you have cost them many thousand of Cares and Fears, and Tears, and will you rebel against them? I have observed that there is in Youth, when grown up, usually such headiness and pride in their behaviour towards their Parents, that when they should have most comfort in them, they have most heart-breaking grief and sorrow. O Youth thinks, they are wise enough now to govern, rule, and to dispose of themselves, without advising with their Parents. But be it known to thee, O foolish Youth, God doth not think as thou dost, and long experience hath instructed us of the Errors of unexperienced Youth herein, in those many fatal and ruining miscarriages that have followed upon the evil choice they have made. O young People, pray consider how much you are the Goods and Possessions of your Parents; That you cannot without a kind of Theft (as one saith) dispose of yourselves, without the consent of your Parents. And I have also made this Observation, That God doth seldom (of all Acts of Disobedience) ●uffer that of marrying against the consent of Parents, go off the stage of this Life unpunished.  
And then for Servants that are under the Yoke, who are in great danger of miscarrying in that Relation, let me prevail with ●hem to treasure up these following Scriptures, Eph. 6. 5, 6, 7, 8. Col. 3. 22, 23, 24, ●5. 1 Tim. 6. 1, 2. And especially study that, Titus 2. 9, 10. and 1 Pet. 2. 18. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters, ●nd to please them well in all things; not answering again, not purloining, but showing all ●ood fidelity, that they may adorn the Doctrine ●f God our Saviour in all things. O remember, that in serving your Masters after the flesh, in singleness of Spirit, you herein serve the Lord Christ.   

Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Sabbath-breaking.  
I Have showed you how prone Youth is to this Sin, and those that are afraid of pilfering from Man, and robbing their Masters of their Goods, yet make no Conscience of pilfering, and robbing God of his time. O what multitudes of Youth make this day to be the day of finding their carnal pleasures, and recreating themselves; wherefore to direct you how you may flee this Sin.  
1. Consider God hath sanctified and blessed this day, not only as a day for his own Worship, but for his own Workmanship, in a new creating us in Christ Jesus; it's a special day for dispensing of Grace and Pardon to undone, condemned Sinners, and should we not then sanctify it, and keep it holy? On this day, the golden Sceptre of Grace and Mercy is held forth, and Proclamation is made of an Act of Oblivion to all rebellious Sinners that shall throw down their Weapons of Enmity, and come in, and subject themselves to the Lord Jesus, that their Sins and Iniquities (however aggravated) shall be pardoned, and be remembered no more for ever: and not only so, but a Marriage Feast is on this day instituted to be celebrated, a Feast of fat things, wherein the returning Prodigal is crowned with all the expressions of joy and honour. Bring forth the fatted Calf, the best Robe, the Ring, let Heaven rejoice, and make merry, etc. O Youth! what are thy Esau-like morsels abroad in the Field, but as the husks that Swine do eat, to the dainties of a Father's house? O the time is at hand, when the crumbs that fall from the Lord's Table, will be more desirable than all the sweet meats of Sin, and the Flesh that thou meetest with in thy rambles on God's Holy day: Thou gainest a little fleshly content and merriment, but losest the blessednesses promised in Isa. 56. 2. Blessed [Ashre there is the plural number] is the man that doth this, that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it. The blessedness of gracious communion and fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus, etc. And who can express the heavenly comfort of that! O would you ever be drunk with Wine? or bewitched with the sordid pleasures of the Flesh? If you had once drank of this high Country Wine, the Wine of Heaven's consolations. Hark, Young Man, to those that have tried it, Psal. 84. How amiable are thy Tabernacles, etc. And so the Psalm runs on, One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste, 2 Cant. 3. But I must not enlarge.  
2. Meditate upon this, how woeful a Sin-Sabbath-breaking is, and how woeful a condition Sabbath-breakers are in. To profane the Sabbath, is a Sin of an high nature, it is a vile despising the Riches of God's goodness. Alas! You could not have a Sabbath, but from his astonishing mercy. Be sure then, to profane a Sabbath, is a surpassing Provocation, beyond the Sin of the Devil, who never had the mercy of one day of the Son of Man's afforded him. Moreover it indicateth, and sheweth that you have no delight in God, in his Service, who have no delight in his day, and is thy want of Love to God a small Sin? When it is (as one saith) the very heart of the old Man, the badge of Devils, and damned Spirits. And then consider how woeful the condition of Sabbath-breakers is, they carry about them the mark of Death and Hell (as 'twere) in their Foreheads, wherever they go; for it's passed all doubt, that Sabbath-breakers are under the wrath of God, and in a state of alienation to him, and will certainly perish if they continue in that state.  
O Young Man, strongly impress this on thy heart, and say, Is this a tolerable condition? Is it wisdom to continue it an hour longer? O think with yourselves, what if I had died in this Case? what had become of me? how exceedingly thou art beholden to the patience of God, that he hath not cast thee into Hell? The Lord open your eyes, and imprint this Meditation upon your hearts, than you would admire the mercy of a Sabbath, and the provisions of grace in the Ordinances, and you would loathe and detest the Tempter, that would entice you to waste a Moment of so blessed a Day. Wherefore to close this, I shall recite the Testimony of a wise and learned Person 
* J. Hales.  of this Nation, who was (as is noted of him) natus ad exemplar, born to be an Example to others; This Excellent Person writing to his Children, (of whom he travailed in Birth, that Christ might be form in them) he freely opens his mind in these following Words. I now write something to you (says he) touching the Observation of the Lord's day; because I find in the World much Looseness and Apostasy from this Duty. People begin to be cold, and careless in it, allowing themselves Sports and Recreations, and secular Employments in it, without any necessity; which is an ill presage, and a sad Spectacle. He there makes this profession and declaration to them. I have found (says he) by a strict & diligent observation, that a due observation of the Duties of this Day, has ever had joined to it a Blessing upon the ●est of my time, and the Week that has been so begun, has been blessed and prosperous to me: And on the other side, when I have been negligent in and of the Duties of this Day, the rest of the Week has been unsuccesful, and unhappy to my own secular Employment: and this I do not write lightly, or inconsiderately, but upon long and sound Experience.  
Here I thought to have given you a quotation of many Instances, very remarkable of God's punishing the breakers of this Holy Day; but it would swell this Treatise too big for the Poor to purchase it: and there are indeed few Months that pass, but you have sad memorial hereof at ●yburn of Malefactors, crying out of this Sin, as introductory to all others, and the source and spring of all their Miseries.  
The next Sin that Youth is addicted to, is Pride.   

Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Pride.  
THat Youth is apt to admire themselves, for their supposed Excellences, as Beauty, Parts, Wit, Strength, etc. I have showed before, Man is a proud piece of Dust, and a little thing will puff him up, a Ribbon, a Feather, a Wire, a black spot, a bag full of Dirt, a Shop full of Goods, or the Excrements of Beasts; this is that old Leaven of Corruption, that hath leavened the whole humane nature: hence young Absalon swells, O that I might be Judge of Israel. Wherefore I shall lay down some directions in order to your fleeing this Sin.  
1. Represent to thyself how odious and abominable this Sin is to God, as will evidently appear, if thou study these Scriptures. 1 Peter 5. God resisteth the Pruod, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word signifieth, Sets himself in battle array against such a person. Proverbs 6. 16, 17. it is there placed in the front of those six things the Lord hates, A proud look, etc. Proverbs 16. 5. Every one that is Proud in Heart, is abomination to the Lord; and though Hand join in Hand, yet shall he not go unpunished. Isaiah 23. 8. Surely the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to slain the Pride of all Glory. And in Isaiah 2. 11. The Day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is Proud, whose Heart is lifted up. O young People, when ever you are affecting a Glory, and a kind of Supremacy to yourselves, consider these Scriptures, and remember what a God he is, that hath thus expressed his hatred of this Sin: he is a God of infinite Greatness, and Majesty, that might in his Sovereignty have left thee in the Womb of Nothing, had he pleased; or might have crushed thee into nothing in the Cradle. When he did but let out of his Glory a little to Job, and Isaiah, one cries ou●, Woe is me! I am an undone man, I have seen the Lord, Isaiah 6. The other breaks forth, Behold I am vile, I abhor myself in Dust and Ashes, for mine Eyes have seen the Lord of Host. And in Heaven, where he fully shineth forth in his Glory, the Elders fall down, and cast down their Crowns before him that sitteth on the Throne. O proud Dust, one glimpse of the high and lofty One would make thee quake and tremble.  
Secondly, Get thy Heart well seasoned with deep Convictions of what a poor sinful mortal Creature thou art; it is ignorance of your selves, that makes you proud. Hence you read Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich, and increased with Goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Here you see the different judgement of God and man; Whence is it, but from man's ignorance of himself? O proud Youth, were you brought but once to understand what a leprous, deformed, diseased Soul lodgeth in thy dunghill Body, let Conscience answer whether thou couldst be Proud or no? a Soul so ignorant of, and averse unto the blessed God, so unbelieving, unholy, universally miserable and wretched, so like to the Devil, and yet be proud? a Soul so unreconciled to God, so unready for the coming of Christ, in such danger of the damnation of Hell, one would thi●k here should be no more room for Pride than there is reason for it, and that's none at all, but the quite contrary, namely, lying in Tears, and abasement before the Lord, and begging of Mercy, better becometh such a Soul. And then for thy Body, wherein this miserable Soul lodgeth for a few days, one would think thou shouldst have little mind to be proud of that, were it only for the sake of so wretched a Tenant that dwells within: but as wisely consider it, and see whether there be any thing in it, or no, to be proud of; first then, O young man, dost thou not know it to be a poor, vain, frail, perishing thing; the Heathen can tell you this without the Book of Scripture: hast thou now a juvenile verdure, and freshness of Complexion, or briskness of Spirits, or quickness of Parts, or strength of Body? and art thou tempted to Pride by any, or all of these? Alas, let but a Fever, or an Apoplexy seize you, as they may within the space of an hour, and then where are all these? Indeed if thou couldst by thy youthful strength and ability, hinder any of these; and wert so considerable a Creature, as to beat back Sickness and Death, when they come, thou mightest have some pretence for thy boasting; but if thy young Flesh be but as Grass, that can no ways defend itself from the Sith, then be ashamed and abased in the Dust. Have you no● seen? or at least have you not heard? ●●w suddenly many of your Age have d●●p'd into the P●●; go to the Churchyard, ●nd look among the Graves, and see it there be not shorter Graves than would fit you, and learn humility.  
Thirdly, S●udy an humbled Christ, and abhor Pride for ever. Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me (saith Christ) for I am meek an● lowly. And will you be proud and haughty? Psal. 22. 6. I am a Worm, and no Man, it is spoken of Christ. O when you are tempted to be highminded, and to over-valuing conceits of yourselves, to think I am some body, and deserve respect and esteem, then look an humbled Christ in the face, and loathe thyself, and say, O proud heart, dost thou stand upon thy Pantofles and Terms, and thy Saviour stoop and step down into the form of a Servant? Dismount, dismount, proud Dust, and come down, and let the same mind be in you as was in Christ, 2 Phil. 6.  
The next Sin Youth is prone unto, is quenching the Spirit.   

Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Quenching the Spirit.  
I Have showed you how prone Youth is to quench the Motions of the Spirit of God, stifling those inward Convictions that are wrought in them of their lost and undone estate by Nature, of the necessity of Conversion, and the New Birth, and of their indispensible Duty to use the means both public and private, that God hath appointed in order to their Conversion; there are not a few of London's Youth that are guilty in a high degree of this Sin. Wherefore to prevent it for time to come, attend to these following directions.  
First, Understand wherein this Sin of Quenching the Spirit stands, and that's the first step to Reformation in this point. Quenching is a metaphorical part of Speech, it is borrowed from a Fire or Lamp, that useth to give light and heat; now this applied to the Spirit, it must follow that the Spirit is a Fire heating, and Light enlightening the Soul; and therefore in reference hereunto, the Apostle in the 1. Thes. 5. 19 saith, Quench not the Spirit: how that is done, may be gathered from the metaphor thus, a Fire or Light is two manner of ways quenched, (1.) By withdrawing of Fuel from it: (2.) By casting of Water upon it. So it is here with this heavenly Fire, (1.) When we withdraw from the means, as Prayer, and the Word, and Holy Watchfulness, these are as materials to keep in the Fire; and when we decline, or restrain these, we quench the Spirit in his Influences, they decay and die away within us: Miscarriages of this kind Divines call Omissions. (2.) When (though we do not decline Ordinances) we adventure upon commissions of Sin; this now extinguisheth, and directly quencheth the Spirit's light and heat; this is as water cast on, it presently puts out the Fire.  
O that young ones would attend hereunto, for want of regarding these things many perish, and go to Hell. If ever any thing was to be deplored in this world, this is to be deplored, that the Spirit of God, when he comes with his Light and Heat to sanctify and save us, we grieve him, resist him, tempt him, vex him, quench him, these are all Scripture expressions. O Lord, what account shall there be at that great and terrible Day for these things! Learn hence young ones, that when you have this blessed Spirit, either in Sermon-time, or other times, like a Sun rising and shining into your dark Soul's, showing you as clear as Noonday, that your Courses have been naught, that thus, and thus, hast thou done; and that without the New Creature, Faith, Repentance, etc. thou art undone for ever; and showing thee farther, that thou hast before thee a blessed offer of Christ, and the great Salvation, purchased with his Blood, asuring thee if thou cast away thy Transgressions, and come in, and accept the Grace offered, thou shalt not perish, but have Everlasting Life; and probably this blessed Spirit goes on further, awakening thy Conscience, stirring up thy Affections, that thou goest from the Sermon smitten, wounded as with an Arrow sticking within thee; so that thou hast some Light and Heat too: (a mercy thou canst never enough value.) If now thou triflest, and growest careless of means, and through neglect of Prayer, and omission of other Duties, sufferest these Sparks to die in the Embers; then thou art verily guilty of this horrible Sin, of quenching the Spirit: much more if (instead of calling for the Bellows, and blowing while there is a Fire) thou adventurest to cast on Water, i. e. to run into Evil Company, to yield to thy vile Corruptions, to drink the poisoned Cup, and eat of the forbidden murdering Morsels; then be suit with an high hand, with a witness, you are guilty of quenching the Spirit. O the unspeakable misery this brings! O that ever you can hear these things without Trembling! This is the first direction, to get a true Knowledge what this Sin is.  
2. When you know it, study the grievous and heinous nature of it, that your wanton Hearts may be awed, and affrighted from the lest approaches towards it for time to come. O young people, is it now a time of the Spirit's striving in you, stirring of you▪ and striving with you? O take heed, for now is Satan most conversant, and instant to pick out your Eyes, to blow out the Light, And this he can never do without thy own agency, and compliance with him; though he is a Creature full of Malice, Subtlety, and of great Power, yet (blessed be God, he cannot force you; oppose you he will, you must expect it now more than ever, for now he is afraid of losing you. Luke 11. 42. therefore look for your share: but though he hath an opposing Power, yet he hath not an enforcing Power. Hence in James 4. 7. Resist the Devil, and he will flee. But now if instead of resisting the evil Spirit, you should resist the Good Spirit, for both may be resisted; O the grievous and heinous Nature of this Sin, words can't express it: without all question it's greatly influential towards the filling up the Measure of Sin, and the Vials of God's Wrath. And it may be said of such, as the Apostle hath it in 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better they had never known the Way of Righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the Holy Commandment given to them. They are in danger of these threatened Judgements, John 12. 40. and Prov. 1. 28. and Psal. 81. 12. and Hos. 4. 17. and Ezek. 24. 13. and Heb. 3. 11. and Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. O that young ones, would read and tremble at these Scriptures, to deter them from quenching the Spirit, as they would ever escape having their lot and portion, in such dreadful and tremendous Judgements, as are contained in those places. O take warning, Young Men, lest you be hardened to destruction: God hath removed many a one of your Equals already; neglected Talents have been taken away from many Drones and Dallyers, according to that 13. Matth. 12. Whosoever hath not, (i. e. improves not,) from him shall be taken away, that which he seems to have. There is no prevention of this Judgement, but by improving your Talents, and knowing the things of your Peace in your day.  
3. Never rest in Convictions, till they bring you to rest in Christ. Many, when under some sense of Sin and Misery, and some apprehensions of Mercy, they will go and pray, and may be weep too; and upon this (without real union to and application of Christ and his Blood) they grow well again, and think now all the danger is over, I am a new man; I was Prayerless, now I Pray; I was a careless wretch, careless of God, and my Soul; but now I bless God things are quite otherwise with me, and my House is swept and garnished, and the unclean Spirit that is gone, will return no more, etc. Here multitudes take up their Rest short of Christ, patching up a Righteousness of their own, hoping by their peddling Wares to maintain themselves, and all this while ignorant of Christ, and his Righteousness, or at least see no such absolute necessity of him; so that the Peace and Rest they get, is not from Christ's Blood, but their own Prayers and Tears; not from his atonement, but their own amendment, etc. And as multitdes take up their stand here, so from hence may they date their fatal fall. Wherefore I beseech you rest not in any thing of your own, short of Christ; and to the end you may not, I add in the next place,  
4. Study that great Scripture, in Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood: and what followeth, pray mark, twice it's expressed, to declare his Righteousness in Remission of Sins: and in the close of the 26. verse, That God might be just, in justifying the Sinner that believes in Christ. For the opening of this a little, I beseech you consider, the case between God and man stood thus, God made man upright, man sins, falls under the sanction of that Law he broke, viz. In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die. Now such is the Holiness of God's Nature, that he cannot but hate Sin, and such is the Impartiality of his Justice and Righteousness, that Heaven and Earth may sooner pass away, than the least Jot or Tittle of his Law pass away unaccomplished, though foolish Sinners make nothing of breaking it: Well then, the great case is, How shall Sin be pardoned, and the Sinner saved? If Justice come upon the Sinner for satisfaction, it will swallow him up in the Gulf of eternal misery: Therefore had this question been put to the innumerable Host of Angels in Heaven, what way sinful man could be saved, and yet Justice satisfied, and the Law fulfilled? They would have been everlastingly puzzled and posed; no less than the infinite Wisdom of God could ever have found it out, which is called Wisdom in a Mystery. Now that Mystery is revealed in this glorious Text, God the Father hath sent, and set forth his own Son in our Natures, to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to declare his Righteousness and Justice, as well as his Grace and Mercy, in pardoning and saving such, and only such as believe in Jesus. So that if you neglect Christ, and Faith in his Blood, do what you will, you will be still under the Curse of the Law, and the Wrath of God, you can never escape Condemnation, it's impossible it should be otherwise: without the shedding of Blood, there can be no Remission, Heb. 9 22. It cannot be the Blood of a mere Creature that can take away Sin; it must be the Blood of that Immaculate Lamb of God: And when all this is understood, there is another great Truth you must know, and that is, that there must be Faith in this Blood, or there can be no actual Remission of your Sins: and therefore in vain do Sinners support their hopes of pardon in Heaven, with their own Righteousness, saying, We have sinned, but God is merciful, and we now repent and reform, and turn to God, etc. Alas poor Soul, can these make Satisfaction, and make up a Ransom and Price for a Sinner's Redemption; what need Christ have shed his Blood then? It's true, these Duties are excellent in their due place, and must be performed: but will you put them in Christ's room, and make Saviour's of them, than you put an undoing Cheat upon your poor Souls, and will miscarry for ever under your Convictions, and amidst all your Performances; for he that believeth not, the Wrath of God abideth on him, and he shall not see Life. And therefore if you would not quench the blessed Spirit, and perish after all his strive with you, and showing you your Sin and Misery. I add in the next Direction.  
5. Prayer, this is an excellent means, to prevent miscarrying under the operations, and workings of the Spirit of God. O let nothing be able to keep God, and your Souls asunder: Are you under the Convictions of the Spirit, and done't know what course to take for Peace with God, and freedom from Condemnation? Away to the Throne of Grace, and there pour out thy Complaints into the Bosom of God, and say,  O Lord! I am a sinful wretched vile miserable Creature, I have destroyed myself; time was I was ignorant, and knew it not, but now thy Spirit has awakened my Conscience, and opened my blind Eyes to see my Sin and Misery; so that I am now convinced, that I must be damned without Faith in a crucified Christ; but alas, Lord, I have such a cursed base deceitful hard and unbelieving Heart in me, that I can't tell what in the world to do for an Interest in Christ. Lord, I am without strength, I beseech thee to pity a poor undone Sinner, that is now driven to thy Door by want and misery. 
And here plead hard, and make Supplication for an Heart to believe, and that in spite of all Discouragements; first tell him, what thou hast heard of his Benignity and tender Compassion, That the King of Israel is a merciful King, and that thou hast heard of an Eternal Design of Grace to poor Sinners, and how in the Fullness of Time he sent his Son to seek and to save what was lost, and opened a Fountain of Grace, and established an everlasting Covenant of Grace in the Blood of Christ, and now has set forth in the Gospel his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, and has made proclamation to all rebellious Sinners to come in, and accept of Mercy through Christ, and commanded upon pain of Damnation to take Christ, and with him all saving good. Then plead thy compliance with the Gospel-Call, and say, O blessed Lord! in obedience to thy Call, lo I am come here, a poor trembling starving Beggar, that of all that ever came in, and knocked at thy Door; none more in need of a Saviour and Salvation than I  
Now here suggest thy Wants, and say, Lord I want Faith, I have (through thy Mercy) awakenings of Conscience, but I want to be in Christ, that my Nature may be renewed: I see my undone state without him, but I want union with him. Lord! while I am without Christ, I am without strength. O draw me, O let it be the Day of thy Power; hast thou not said, no man can come except thou draw? and dear Lord, I find the impotency of my own cannot; O let me find the Efficacy of thy own Power, and feel the virtue of thy Almighty Arm drawing me to Christ. Lord, persuade me; make my Heart to stoop, subdue my strong Corruptions, dispossess and disarm that malignant party in my Soul, demolish those strong Holds of Sin and Hell there. O Lord! this is a sad condition, to be unreconciled to thee, and unespoused to Christ. O pity and help one that seethe reason enough to believe, but has not strength enough; my Insufficiencies are equal with my Necessities, though I can never get to Heaven without Faith and Holiness; and though I know I want both, yet Lord thou knowest, I am no more able to change my sinful nature, and be the Author of Faith to myself, than I am to create a World, or quicken and raise the Dead; but if thou wilt make bare thy Arm, it will soon be done, my proud Heart shall soon be humble, my hard Heart shall soon become soft, my unbelieving Heart be made believing: O speak but the Word, and a poor Sinner that has feared burning in Hell hundreds of times, shall sing thy Praise; O thou that commandest me to turn, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.  
And here plead his Promise, and Christ's Purchase after some such manner as this.  
Blessed Lord! hast thou not promised, that thou wilt not cast out him that cometh to thee; and that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to him that asks, and that it shall be opened to him that knocks; and that thou wilt take away the Heart of Stone, and give a Heart of Flesh, and give a New Heart, and remember Sin no more: Lord, if these be not thine own Promises, I'll be content to go away empty. And are not all thy Promises yea, and Amen? Is it not one of thy Titles, God who cannot lie hath promised. And thou never yet didst break thy Word with any poor Sinner, nor suffer the Word that has gone out of thy Mouth to fail, but art the same to day, yesterday, and for ever, in whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. O remember thy Word, wherein and whereon thou hast made me to hope; and remember me a poor Sinner now at thy Feet, laden with Iniquity, groaning and labouring under a burden, too heavy for me to bear: and O remember thy Son's Blood, and if that be not sufficient to discharge all I own, and procure all I want, then let Justice seize me. Tell God, He will be better paid with Christ's Blood, than thy own, and that his Justice will have more Glory in saving thee for the sake of Christ's Obedience, than in damning thee for the sake of thy own disobedience; that if he throw thee into the Prison of Hell, to pay what thou owest, he will never have a full satisfaction; but if the save thee, and take thee up to Heaven, upon the account of Christ's Blood, he will have all paid at one sum, and receive a plenary satisfaction. And tell him, That thou art resolved never to leave him to the last gasp, until he Bless thee with the Grace and Mercy thou needest, till it be out of doubt that thou art in Christ, and throughly converted, say, This I must have, there is no enduring of it, I will mourn, and be in bitterness, while I have a being, till I find this Grace in thy sight; O I will never departed from thy Door, whither should I go, thou alone hast the Words of Eternal Life.  
And know for thy Comfort, that when once it cometh to this, never question it, thou shalt have an answer of Grace to thy comfort and content. God's bowels will yern towards you, as they did to Ephraim, and the Prodigal Son at his return.  
And thus now I have done, and I know that e'er long God will bring me and you by Death to Judgement; but whether ever he will bring me to this place to speak more, or you to hear more, I know not: I have endeavoured to warn you, and woo you, and win you to Christ; I have told you again, and again, this can never be, except you flee your youthful Lusts: I have described them to you, and laid down Directions how to Flee these Lusts, excepting the five last, Atheism, and Ridiculing serious Godliness, Swearing, Time-wasting Uncleanness: and, which is last, a Woeful giddiness and greediness of temper to drink down Errors. But having not in public as yet insisted on these at large, I forbear the Printing of them.  
Wherefore in the conclusion, I demand of you, Young People, what is your resolution? Dare any of you maintain a league and friendship with your Lusts, in rebellion against the express Command and Call of God; to flee them; if so, O remember these Truths once Preached, and now Printed (as despised as they are now) will be a swift and fearful Witness against you another day, and confound you, like as the appearance of the Fingers of a man's Hand on the Wall, did that stout Sinner Belshazar. For who ever hardened himself against God and prospered?  
Well, once more, and may be no more for ever, I ask you, in the Name of him that made you, and will judge you, will you flee your Lusts or no? Will you lay down these Weapons, and take Jesus, and be ruled by him or no? O let thy Voice be with the Prodigal, I will arise and go to my Father, and say, I have sinned. Or with Ephraim, What have I any more to do with Idols? Behold thou art the Lord our God, we come, we come. O that God would make me the happy Instrument of converting Grace, this day, while it's called to day. O who can endure to see Satan get Souls to Hell from under our Pulpit. O awake, awake, up and be doing, it may be the last knock Christ by me will give: I am wounded to think of leaving any of you in Hell's way: The Lord give you understanding in all things.   
FINIS.