A NEW-YEARS-GIFT to YOUTH OR, The Young Mans Guide to Eternal Bliss.  
Fitted for the use of all Christian Families; and more Particularly directed to the Youth of the Nation, for their General benefit and Instruction.  
THe Life of Man, may be justly styled a Pilgrimage, wherein each Person is a Traveller, from his Cradle to his Grave. The Miseries, Cares, and Disappointments that he meets with, no other than the Hardships of his Journey: which as they make his path troublesome, so they endear his Harbour. It is therefore the Concern of all Men to look to their Steps, least they fall by the way, or are alured by the Enticements of Satan, to leave the ruggedness of those ways that led to Eternal Bliss, and follow the more open and less Unpleasant Roads, whose End is Destruction. The which to avoid, is the Subject of the ensuing Rules: wherein no Advice can be more Suitable than that of the Wise Man, to the Youth of the Age wherein he Lived, and left behind him as a standing Rule to all Succeeding Generations: Eccle. 12.1. Remember now thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, while the Evil Days come not, nor the Years draw nigh, wherein thou shalt say I have no Pleasure in them.  
The reasons why he presseth this great Duty, are Twofold The first Implied ( viz.) the Uncertainty of our Condition here, Remember now: as if he should have said; This now, is all the Portion of Time that God hath allowed thee, or which thou canst call thy own: What is past, is in his Hand, and the Actions thou hast therein performed, whether Good or Evil, are under his Cognizance, and shall receive the Sentence or Acquittal of the Almighty: What is to come are at his Disposal: and whether thou mayest have another Call from the Spirit of Grace, to improve them to thy Souls Advantage, before thy Head is in the Dust, is uncertain. Yet Secondly, if it should so fall out, that thy Days may be lengthened, yet hath he herein  told thee what will most certainly ensue, Old Age and Imbecility, that will Incapacitate thee for that Service he requires at thy Hands: both which ought to bring us to an early consideration of our State, and urge us betimes to make our Peace, with the God of Peace; or in his own Words, to remember our Creator, &c.  
The Strength of the Wise Mans Argument, will appear more Distinctly in the parts of it. First in the Prospect of what Daily happens to others. And Secondly in what attends ourselves: and this will be enough to Waken the Securest, and Ring a Knell of Death, into the Ears of the Strongest amongst us. As for others, look abroad in thy Neighbourhood, and tell me whom the great Enemy of Mankind hath Spared. Hath he had Compassion on the Beautiful? Hath he been afraid to Grapple with the Strong, to Contend with the Wise, or Encounter the crwoned Head? Hath he forgotten the Poor as not worth his Notice, or Complemented the Rich, as above it? Has he said to the Infant, in Mercy I'll Spare thee, or to the Aged in Reverence, I'll pass thee by? Has he heard the Entreaties of the Fearful, or Regarded the Tears of the Childless, the Moans of the widow, or the Groans of the Orphan? Alas not he, Inexorable as he is, his Darts fly Undistinguished round the World, and where e're they light they are Mortal: no Charm can enchant them, no Power control them, no Device Counterwork them, no Wit avoid them, no Wealth purchase their Delay no Beauty Entice them to bee Courteous. This thou art every Day acquainted with, in the Examples of others; and how soon it may be thy Turn consider with thyself: should this Enemy Approach thee, what canst thou do to Avert him? If thou hearest the rattling of his Bones; if thou seest his Bolts a leveling at thy Head, dost thou think to put him off with a come another time, I am not prepared for thee. No such Answer will avail thee: or dost thou hope to grapple with him? what's thy Weakness to his Power? the least of his Messengers will appall thee. If he sends but the Tooth or headache thou Droopest: An Ague will Rob thee of thy Strength and Beauty: A Fit of the ston or Gout, Torments thee to Anguish: Nay the least of these with his Commission sends thee irriversably to Companion with Worms. A fly in thy Cup, a crumb in thy Glass, or a splinter'd Bone from thy Trencher, by his Order, is as fatal as a Charged volley at thy Breast or a Thunder-Bolt at thy Head. As thou walkest along, a Tile may Dispatch thee, or an Appoplex Fell thee: thou art always like Damocles, a fatal Sword hangs over thy Head, by a twine Thread, which how soon it may Break thou knowest not: Thy Enemies within thee may Destroy thee, and Thousands from without thee wait thy ruin. There is but one way into the World, but Millions to dispatch thee Hence, and which is most Dreadful, thou knowest not the manner how, nor time when. If thou liest Down to Sleep, thou mayst Wake in Eternal Burnings. If thou Journeyest abroad, the Home thou intendest may be thy Grave. If thou Feastest this Day, to Morrow thou mayest be made a Feast for Worms. Thou art now perhaps reveling in all manner of Delights and Pleasure, the Sparkling Glass it at thy Lips, thy Jovial Companions about thee, thy Eyes are Admiring the objects of Beauty, thy Ears entertained with the Harmonys of music, and odiferous Perfumes Strengthen thy Senses but thou knowest not how soon Death may strike thee, and turn thy Revellings into Languishings, thy Delights and Pleasures into Sighs and Groans, thy last Sickness nauseate thy Cups; thy friends take their Parting Adiews for ever: Beauty become loathsome, the Toling Bell thy music, and Stench and Defilement choke thee. And tell me Young-Man if thou thinkest it not thy Interest whilst opportunitys are offered thee, to follow the Wise Mans Advice. For Secondly, if thou escapest all these Casualties, Old Age will certainly be upon thee, its Harbingers are near, Gray Hairs, and the Bearing-Staff, will be quickly thy Portion. And canst thou expect when the Devil, the Flesh, and the World have had thy Youth and Strength of Performances Lavished out in their Service, that God will accept of the Lees and Remainders of Old Age, and the Repentance that proceeds from thy Pains and Anguish, it will then be too Late to give him thy whole Heart and thy whole Soul, which he requires of thee. The Cares of the World, the disposal of what thou hast, will rob him of his Share: besides thy Account will then be the Greatest, when thou hast the least to Discharge it with: when thou, shouldst Pray and Repent thee of thy Sins, the Distempers and Aches thou art under will discompose thee, when thou shouldst Weep for thy Transgressions, half the Tribute of thy Eyes will be required for thy Anguish; and perhaps thy Senses may Decay with thy Strength, and the time thou allowest for thy Repentance, be wholly swallowed up in Ignorance and Dotage. It behoves thee therefore to remember thy Creator at present, which is the application of the Wise Mans Reasons, and should be so of thine: which if thou dost, this will certainly carry thee through the whole Pilgrimage of thy Life, and bear thee up in all the mis-adventurous paths thereof.  
For, First if you remember him, he'll never forge thee: no trouble thou shalt encounter with, but he will Vanquish for thee, or support thee to bear it. No Allurement of the World shall draw the aside from thy Path, but he will present the view of heaven in thy Eye, as the Reward of that Goal to which thou Pressest, and pervert the Temptation.  
Secondly, remember him as a Good and Gracious God, Consider with thyself what he hath done for thy benefit, when thou wast a lost and undone Creature, when no Eye pitied thee, when no Heart Relented for thee, when thou wast under the sentence of the Law, and consequently a Condemned Creature: no help, no Sanctuary, no Refuge for thy Escape: it was then his time of mercy towards thee, then he partend with his only Son from his Bosom, for thy Relief, to live a painful troublesome Life upon Earth, for thy sake and Instruction, and at last to die a shameful Death upon the across for thy Redemption and let this his Goodness 'allure thee to love him, to Praise and Adore him for the greatness of his Mercies.  
Thirdly remember as he is a good God, so he is a Just and a Holy God; that tho he hath been, and is Merciful to thee, yet he will not suffer his Mercy to be abused and Slighted; that he is a Holy God, and expects those that come to him must be Holy as he is Holy, tho not in the same degree, which is unpossible for any human Creature to be: yet with endeavours of growing in Grace more and more, and Humble and hearty Desires to be as far conformable as thou canst possibly under thy Circumstances attain unto, stand not out against the calls of his Mercy, least the stroke of his Justice overtake thee: tho he is slow to Anger, yet is he of mighty Wrath to those that make light of his Commands. And let this induce thee to fear him, knowing thy Breath is at his Disposal, and every Moment he can call thee to an Account for thy misdeeds: and who is it that can stand before his Tribunal?  
Fourthly, remember him as a God of Power, who is as well able to Assist thee, as to condemn thee; that he hath Thousands and ten Thousands of ministering Spirits, who are as ready to Execute the Commands of his Mercy, to the Penitent and returning Sinner, as to deliver the messages of his Vengeance against the Obstinate and Remorsless. And let this induce thee to Praise and Adore him.  
Fifthly remember him as a God omniscient as well as Omnipotent; that he knows the Privatest of thy Thoughts: the most recluse and retired of thy Imaginations are open before him: nor will he pass by what thou Imaginest, as well as what thou Actest amiss. For as the Psalmist says, He requires Truth in the Inward Parts, and maketh us to Understand Wisdom Secretly. And let these make thee careful of thy Private Actions, considering that it is not enough, that the World cannot Challenge thee of the Transgression of any public Command; tho no man ever heard thee Swear an Oath, or observed thee to Break the Sabbath. No Man can Accuse thee of Disobedience to thy Parents, Disloyalty to thy Prince; of Theft; of Adultery; Contentiousness; or other open scandalous Crime: yet if thy Heart hath not been nor is right with thy God, know that he Understands and beholds the same; and will without due Repentance account with thee therefore.  
Sixthly remember him as a Guide in all thy Ways, for it is his Grace Conducts thee: 'tis his Grace that Preserves thee from the Trapans and wil●ss of that great Deciever, who constantly goes about seeking whom he may Devour: and should God let loose his Chain, and give him Power over thee, not all thy Strength or Subtlety could ever oppose him. And let this induce thee to aclowledge him as thy Preserver and conductor through the Pilgrimage of Life:  
Seventhly He is to be remembered as thy Redeemer, for from him and in him, is the measure of thy Hope: 'tis his Heaven thou art traveling unto: 'tis his Son that is thy Redeemer, to whose Bosom thou art Approaching; in his Hand is the Crown of Righteousness, that must impale thy Brows the rob of Glory that must array thee, and in his Presence are fullness of Joys for evermore. Fall down therefore upon thy Knees, and.  
First confess thy great Unworthiness for the least of his Mercies: say unto him in the words of the Psalmist, Have Mercy on me O God, after thy great Goodness, according to the multitude of thy Mercies do away mine Offence,, and with him in the Gospel, Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my Roof: I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of Men.  
Secondly, aclowledge his loving Kindness in all thy Ways, 'tis by him alone that thy Life hath been Preserved to this Day, 'tis by his Grace thou hast any hope of Glory Say to him therefore I should utterly have Fainted, but that I Believed verily, to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living. Thou art my Helper and Redeemer, O Lord make no long Tarrying  
Thirdly Beg for Patience under all the Crosses thou shalt meet with on this side thy Home, knowing the eternal weight of Glory that is laid up for all those that fear God. Say unto him O Blessed Lord who Scourgeth every Son thou receiveth, let me not be weary of thy Correction, but give me such a perfect Subjection unto thee the Father of Spirits, that what ever Chastisement thou art pleased to Visit me with, may be for my Profit, that I may be thereby partaker of thy Holiness.  
Fourthly, put thy Trust and Resignation upon thy God, for he alone is able to Support thee in all thy Ways: say Mine Eyes look unto thee O Lord in thee is my Trust: O cast not out my Soul: O Lord in thee have I Trusted let me never be Confounded. So that when thou hast run through the troublesone passages of this Life; thou mayest come to say when thou Arrivest to a Death-Bed, tho I am here in a state of banishment and absense from my God, O take me where I shall for ever behold thy Face, and follow the Lamb whether-soever he goeth. I have Fought a good Fight, I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness.  
O Blessed Jesus, who hath Loved me, and washed me from my Sins in thy own Blood, receive my Soul: into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit, for thou hast Redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Amen.   

LONDON, Printed by George Croom, at the Blew-Ball in Thames-street over against Baynard's-Castle 1685.