A Young Mans Inquisition, Text (2 of 3)

A Young Mans Inquisition · Text (2 of 3)

p. 95In the 127. Psalme, Dauid calleth children by three titles; First, Behold (saith he) children are the inheritance of the Lord; to shew, that they should bee educated and brought vp by their parents with such care, as though they were not the children of men, but of God; and consider, what care a man hath and respect vntounto his inheritance, that it be not abused any way, or spoyled; the like, & greater care, hath God our heauenly Father, that our children, which are his inheritance, p. 96(for of these is the kingdome of heauen) be not negligently or euilly brought vp, to dishonour his name, who should honour him. The heyre of a king and kingdom, must be so educated, that hee may be found worthy of the crowne. The children of the faithfull, are heyres to the King and kingdome of Heauen. Therefore their parents, as tutors, to whom they are concredit for a time, must trayne them vp so carefully, in pietie, and and the obedience of God their heauenly father, that they may bee found worthy of the inheritance, of that Kingdom, and Crowne of glory, purchased by the blood of Iesus Christ our Lord, & their parents may bee found faithfull, so in discharging their dutie therein, to God and them. Secondly, Dauid calleth children the Lords Reward, shewing, that as God of his grace, doth giuegive to parents children, as a testimony of his louelove, to their earthly pleasure, comfort and seruice, p. 97so they should (as it were) reward God, by giuing and dedicating them againe, with Hannah, vntounto his seruice, and pleasing of him, by an immaculate and pure life, as a token and testimony of their louelove to God againe.

And thirdly, Children are compared to arrowes in the hand of the strong man; who, if they bee well and godly brought vp & framed, they wil shoot at their parents enemies, and be a griefe to their heart, to see them prosper so, in the feare of God, by his blessings; and blessed is the man that hath his quiuer full of them: but, if they be carelesly and too indulgently broght vp, as Elies sonnes, and Absolon, they will be the darts to pearce their fathers heart, with griefe and bitter sorrow to them.

In Latine, Children are called pigno…a, and pueri, the one, because they are the pledges of Gods fauour to the parents, as also naturall pledges of the mutuall louelove of the p. 98parents betwixt themselues, (beeing the surest bond in marriage, to knit and continue the louelove of man and wife betwixt thēselues, which Leah well did know, when beeing conceyued, shee said, Now my husband will louelove me.) If therefore, they be the pledges of Gods louelove, to their parents, in giuing them of his grace, for their worldly pleasure; then, by their good education, let them be the pledges of the parents louelove to God likewise, in giuing and dedicating them againe, vntounto his heauenly pleasure and seruice, as an vnspotted and cleane sacrifice, being puri, sicut pueros dec…t, and in the meane time, let parents be aware, to esteeme or louelove the pledge or gift, more then God, the giuer thereof: for if they louelove their children too much, dallying and delighting onelyonly with the gift, God the giuer, will eyther make them of a blessing in his louelove, turne to a curse in his anger, or else separate them one from another, in making p. 99eyther the father childlesse shortly, or the child fatherlesse, which experience oftentimes proueth manifestly: let children therfore be only as cords, to draw the parents hearts more and neerer vntounto God, in increase of louelove and thankefulnesse to him, and God wil heape his blessings more abundantly on them both, & also let their parents chiefe care bee, to trim and adorne their hearts and minds so with pietie and vertue, as becommeth a gift or reward, which is to bee presented to the King of al kings before whose eyes, no vncleane thing can stand: therefore Christ, once beeing to shewe, who should inherite the kingdome of heauen, tooke for example, a little childe, and set him in the middest of his disciples, saying, Whosoeuer receyueth not the kingdome of heauen as a child, Luke 18. 17.Luke 18:17he shal not enter therein: thereby shewing, that our children should be so innocent, so humble, and voyd of all euill, that they may be takē for example of the sonnes p. 100and heires of God▪ not as many are now (wofull to see) made proud in their cradle, learned to curse and sweare, before they can well speak or aske their parents blessing, and full of euill, before they hauehave reason to discerne good or euill: therefore set tender and wise parents not excuse their childrē in their faults: saying, They are tender, or hauehave no wit to doe otherwise; if they bee tender, let not the worme of sinne so sticke vponupon them, for the danger is the greater, lest the sooner it eate thorow their heart; and it is fearefull, when they hauehave wit to doe or speake euill, and goe in the wrong way, before they hauehave wit, or are taught to speake or doe well, and enter in the right way. As they were before compared to arrowes, we know, as the arrow is directed at the first, so it flyeth all the way, ouer, or vnderunder, or beside, but it neuer commeth vntounto the right marke or butte vnlesse it be directed right at the first, in the letting foorth out p. 101of the Bow: so it is, that except frō the first comming forth out of the wombe, children be directed in the right way, they shall hardly or neuer attayne to the end of the way, which is true happinesse in Iesus Christ; we know also, if our children bee deformed in their youth, we neuer expect that they will bee well fauoured in their age; and, when a yong Plant sprouteth vp, if there bee a worme, that lyeth at the roote thereof, we know, except we remoue and kill the same, the tender Plant will neuer thriue, nor grow forward; doe we know and beleeue so, in respect of our childrens bodies? & plants of our gardens? then let vsus know and beleeue the same in respect of their minds: if sin grow be…ore pietie, the weed will smother the good corne, if vice be sowen and appeare before vertue in youth, no appearance of a good or ioyfull haruest in age: remoue and kill the worme of sinne from the tender plant of childhood, p. 102lest it gnaw out the life thereof, ere thou be aware: kill the serpent in the egge, lest whē he is hatched, hee kill thee who is the parent, with griefe, and thy child with his poyson: yea, we teach a dogge while hee is a whelpe; wee tame a bird while it is yong; wee breake a horse, while he is a colt; and bow the tree, while it is a twig, so, with wise Salomon; Teach thy child in his youth, that he may remēber it when hee is olde: the birdes of the ayre teach parents their dutie, they flie before their yong ones, to teach them to follow; as parents should by good example and godly education, teach their children to flie to God also, by faith and holinesse of life: wee hauehave a care to feede our beasts, & see their education carefully, who, if they starue or die, we hauehave onelyonly lost a carkas; but, when carefully we ouersee not the education of our owne children and seed, the feeding of their soules by instruction, & curing of their sores p. 103of vice by correction, wee loose their bodies and soules, which is more precious then all the worlde, and their blood shall be required at our handes, and of this vice complayneth Isaiab, 1. 3. that the oxe & the asse were taught to know their masters, but his people did not know him, as Gods Ministers may now also iustly complayne of the same. Wee hauehave three notable examples of parents, for good education, in the Scriptures: 1. King. 2. wee hauehave Dauid, instructing his sonne. Gen. 34. Iacob reproouing and correcting his sonnes: and Iob. 1. Iob praying for his sonnes; put these three together, instructing, correcting, & praying, they will make blessed children, and thrice happy parents; and as it was a sweete and comfortable thing, to see children goe before Christ to the Temple of Ierusalem, singing Hosanna to the most highest, that it might be fulfilled, that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings, Gods prayses should sound: so it shall p. 104be to the great ioy and comfort of their parents hearts, when in the temple and congregation of the faithfull, they shall see their childrē (beeing well brought vp) singing prayses to God on high, and setting foorth the mercy of Iesus Christ their Redeemer: and as their children shall bee a ioy to their heart in that present, so also their God, and the God of their children, shall send a blessing vponupon them, as Genes. 18. 17. vponupon Abraham, with whom they shal be worthily called Fathers of the faithfull; God shall auert from them that shame & sorrow, that proceedeth to parents from their childrens liberty, whereof the wise man speaketh, Pro. 17. 21. & 29. 15. and commandeth the contrary, GiueGive not the waters any passage, no, not a little: and the diuturnitie of the good of such education, shall be euer vponupon them, and their children, when after them they shal proue good fathers of faithful and godly children also, and at last, receiue p. 105both, a crowne of glory in life eternall, with God our heauenly father, and Christ his sonne our Sauiour. And so for the dutie and admonition of parents, let this obseruation suffice, to teach their children, being yong, how to redresse their wayes. The matter, concerning which the question is propounded, is, a yong mans way, that is, his course of life, which must be redressed. And it is a Metaphore taken from pilgrimage or iourneying, wherein a man, if hee would come to the right end of his iourney, must keepe the true and right way, without declining, eyther to the left or to the right hand, that he aberre not, nor goe astray; so that our life here, beeing a pilgrimage, (as old Iacob confessed to Pharaoh▪ and the Apostle, 1. Pet. 2. 11. exhorteth, saying, Dearely beloued, I exhort you, as strangers and pilgrim…s, abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soule.) wherein wee hauehave many bywayes, which leadeth to the wrong p. 106end, to wit, destruction; but one onelyonly true way, which leadeth to the right ende, to wit, Saluation, which is Christ Iesus, and a young man beeing the pilgrime, beginning, or hauing newly begun his way, hee must diligently take heed and trie, in what way hee insisteth, and whether he treadeth the right or the wrong path; and seeing in a yong mans way, Sathan the leader and way to perdition, on the one side, is busiest to cast before him many lets and hinderances of the affections, and alluring lusts of the flesh, with the pleasures of youth, thereby to hinder his course, or draw him backe from the right way, (as the Syrens would Vlisses) and to precipitate him headlong from the high rockes of sinne and despaire, in the fearefull and deepe gulfe of vtter destruction: and on the other side, of all ages, Youth, (hauing newly begun, and vnacquainted with these terrifying lets) being easiest by nature to be drawn p. 107away, and perswaded to the inticing & sweet pleasures of the flesh, the world, and of sinne, and so in most perill to yeeld: therefore a yong man must the more earnestly enquire and desire of God, (the way it selfe, the leader, and ende thereof) that of his grace, he would so direct and confirme him in his pathes, and giuegive him grace and strength, whereby to redresse his owne wayes, and ouercome all the impediments of Sathan, that insisting therin, he may euer constantly persist and continue, vntill hee come to the ioyfull and happy end thereof, where is true rest, from all labours, & glory infinite for a perpetuall reward.

The reason, why a yong man, in his youth, and first steps of his walking, should examine and redresse his wayes, is this; we know by experience, in a iourney, that the farther wee are gone from the right path, which leadeth to such a place, it is the harder and laborious, p. 108eyther by comming backe againe, to find the right high way, which we foolishly lost, or to come neere the place, which wee wish to bee at; and thererefore that it is best, at the beginning of our iourney, to enquire, and bee instructed, what way to keepe, by them who know, and hauehave tread the fame before vsus, and by their directions in walking forward, to trie and examine our selues, if we hold likewise in the right way or no; or if not, in time to returne, while wee are not farre off. So, in the iourney of this life, we hauehave a place which we aime at, to wit, Heauen▪ we hauehave but one true way to it, which is Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse, out youth is the beginning, or first step of our iourney, therefore in it, wee must know and be instructed what way to keepe, and how to walke therein, by the example of Iesus Christ, and the faithfull, who know and hauehave tread the same before vsus, and by the directions and touchstone of p. 109Gods word, we must euer bee trying and examining our selues, if we hold in the right way, or no? and if not, in time shortly to returne, while we are not farre gone astray in age, not running in the by-waies of iniquitie in a strange countrie, farre from our fathers house, while wee are yong, and in feeble age, thinking wee can returne and find the right way againe, to walke therein, let no man presume so, that in the day of his youth, while he is able, he may runne halfe way with the diuell to hell, and in the night of his age, when he is vnable, that hee may returne easily from Sathans hold, and the slymie pits of sin, to walke the whole way with Christ to heauen.

The second reason, why a yong man thus, in the first steppes of his way, must so take heed thereto, and redresse the same, is, because the time, of the walking in the way of this life, is so short and vncertaine, and therefore that wee should not p. 110trust thereto; for wee see some die in the bud of infancie, some in the flower of youth, some in the ripenesse of mid-age and strength, and some in the fall of weake rotten old age. The sunne of the life of some goeth too shortly, as in the winter day; and of others, it maketh longer delay, as in the summer. Our life is compared to a shaddow, and we know, at mid-day, when the Sunne is verticall, and in his greatest strength to vsus, the shaddow vseth to be least, so, oftentimes when we are in the greatest strength and vigour of youth, the shaddow of our vnconstant & short life is least, and when wee thinke vponupon many yeeres to come, as the rich Glutton did, commonly the sentence of vnexpected death commeth, & warneth to remoue. Therefore in youth, and eueryevery age, yea, eueryevery day and houre thereof, wee hauehave need to suspect the vncertaine and short way of life, and therein carefully and strictly examine and trie p. 111if our wayes and walkings bee in the way of the Lorde, the ende whereof, is eternall saluation, and if not, to day, while wee heare his voyce, and the acceptable time offereth it selfe, to redresse & cleanse our paths and walkings, and conforming them vntounto his. For as all riuers and springs, that come from the sea, returne againe; so all men that are made of the dust of the earth, shall thither also returne, but of the time, who can say? this drop of the riuer, at such a time or houre, shal returne into the Ocean? or the returning of such a man vntounto the earth, shal be at such a determinate speciall time or age? No, our returning is vncertaine, onelyonly then, being as a drop of a great Riuer, let eueryevery man commit the same to God, and endeuour, as he came salt with originall corruption from the earth or Ocean, so to walke in Gods wayes, and the way of this life, that hee may returne fresh and purged by Christs blood, to the p. 112Ocean of the graue, and so drinke of that fresh springing riuer which proceedeth from the midst of the throne of God, in that heauenly new Ierusalem for euer.

Our whole life is limitted but to 80. yeares, and in one of these, as in a poisonable cup, or dish of meate, death surely lurketh: of all then if thou shouldest taste and drinke, knowing this, wouldst thou not suspect eueryevery one? diuide againe eueryevery yeare in 12. moneths, thou knowest not in what month or parcell of meate the poison of death lieth, eueryevery monethmonth againe in so many weekes, and eueryevery weeke in so many daies, yea eueryevery day also in so many houres, in which houre or moment thereof, sleeping or waking, canst thou secure thy selfe from this secret & vncertaine poyson? suspect then all, and liue so alwaies, as to die alwaies, night or day, being prouided, and being neuer so yong, remember thou knowest not but the poison may bee in p. 113the first drop of the cup, and yeare of thy youth, as well as in the dreg or last dish of olde age, when thou art first set at the table of the carefull banquet of life, the sword of death is so soone hanged in a small haire aboue thy neck, suspect then the same at eueryevery morsell, that it fall not heauily vnawares vponupon thee, but euer hauehave an eye vpwards, thou knowest not if it will fall at thy first sitting downe▪ more then at thy last rising vp; as it euer threatneth then, so bee thou euer prepared, and in time seeke to redresse thy waies▪ Mans breath is in his nosthrels; which is the life or combination of soule and body, whose dissolution is death. Be thou neuer so young then, nor so strong, when thou letteth out the same, thou knowest not certainely if euer thou shalt draw it in againe. Let therfore thy soule breath vntounto God, and thy desire be, to walke in his waies, and to redresse thine owne. All flesh is as the grasse of the field; now greene, and p. 114presently blasted: whilest thou art then as the greene plant in thy tender youth, expect euer, and suspect this withering blast of Death, whose sythe shall send thee with withered age alike, to the graue; and in the short inconstant way of this life, walke in his way who is true and eternall life.

This life is a swift post, running fast vntounto death, whose certaine steps thou canst not marke nor obserue. Let thy soule then begin with him in thy first youth, and of the contrary run swiftly vntounto life, and in the way of life, which is Iesus Christ. Our life is a dreame, now present, and presently gone, wherein who lieth longest, and is most pleased, commonly (being awaked) riseth faintest and most sorrowful. Doe not assure thy selfe therefore of the length thereof, but suspect the shortnesse: in it there is no solide trueth nor rest; apprehend therefore in the beginning thereof, and in thy youth: let thy p. 115soule wake and walke in the way of trueth, Iesus Christ, in whom true rest is onelyonly to be found. Pythagoras the Philosopher, did set out the double course of this our life by the letter Y. expressing thereby with Christ the double way thereof: the one whereof hath a straight passage & narrow gate at the first, and fewe they are that enter in thereat: but in the end, there is great comfort and rest, for it leadeth vntounto eternall happinesse and saluation. The other, wide & large at the beginning, whereat many doe enter; but in the end, they finde great trouble and straightnesse, for it leadeth vntounto eternall miserie and destruction. Both these waies are set before the eyes of eueryevery young man, as Biuium Herculis, or as life and death to choose.

This narrow way which leadeth vntounto eternall life and saluation, (in the which eueryevery yong man should walke in the pilgrimage of this life, & redresse his own waies of youth, p. 116according therunto) is Iesus Christ himselfe. I am the way, the veritie and life, aad no man commeth to the Father but by me. Our walking in him and with him, must be in righteousnesse and holinesse of life, being holy as he is holy. The gate of this way is narrow, and the passage straight; for the liberties of flesh and blood must bee restrained, our affections bridled, and the whole man captiuated vnderunder the yoake of the obedience of Iesus Christ. And as through many tentations hee entred into the kingdome of heauen; so wee must the same way follow him, denying our selues, with our crosses taken vp, till wee come to the end of our way, which is true life, and eternall saluation.

The other broad way which leadeth to destruction, and whereat many doe enter, is sinne and Satan, who is that deceiuing way vntounto eternall death (& which eueryevery yong man should abhorre and flie, to enter thereat neuer so little, or walke p. 117therein neuer so few footesteps in youth). The walking in him, and with him, as hee is an vncleane spirit, must be in the impurity and impietie of all sinne and filthinesse. The gate of this damnable way, in the beginning is broad, & the passage easie, but the end is vtter perdition and straightnesse. Where in following Christ, wee must subiect the flesh vntounto the Spirit; they who follow him, must abandon, subiect, and banish Gods cleane Spirit out of their hearts, and be subiects and slaues themselues, to the libertine concupiscence of the flesh, and the vncleane licentious lusts and affections thereof. They must refuse the light yoake of the obedience of Iesus Christ, to follow him to life, & take on the heauy yoake of al kind of sinne, that may presse downe their soules to the lowest hells, and follow Sathan their way and guide vntounto eternall torments of fire and brimstone; for as hee is a condemned spirit himselfe, so the end of p. 118the way wherein he leadeth captiuated soules, vnderunder his heauy yoake of slauerie and sinne, is death and eternal condemnation; for the reward of sinne is death.

Therefore let eueryevery young man, beholding these two waies, choose that which leadeth vntounto a glorified eternall life in heauen, by a sanctified life for a time on earth, and walke with, and in him, who is the resurrection and the life, to all them that are saued. If thy walking heretofore hath beene in the by-waies of sinne, and that broad way of Sathan, giuing liberty and full head to thy youthly affections, and lusts of the flesh. Seeke how to redresse these thy waies, & hereafter striue violently to enter in at that straight way, which leadeth to saluation; presse hardly to thrust in at that narrow gate, lay off, and cast away far from thee, all the impediments of sinne, and the intising vanities and pleasures of youth, and let thy onelyonly care be with thee, first to see p. 119thy Sauiour, the way is narrow that leadeth to him; delay not then till it be full, but striue to be foremost; the way is narrow that leadeth to life, therefore not soone found: in the beginning thē of thy life, timely begin, and search carefully and narrowly for it; the true way is narrow and straight, therefore thy steppes therein (when thou hast found it) must be strait and narrow, thou must make a couenant with thy eye, that it behold no vanitie, thou must shut the gates of thy eares, that thou heare no vaine prophane, or idle speeches, offensiue to God, thou must not harken to them; but let the sound of Gods word, and healthfull admonitions, be pleasant only vntounto thy hearing: thou must hauehave a watch-man before thy lips, and Gods feare a bar vntounto thy heart & tongue, that thou vtter nothing, but may be to Gods glorie, thy owne comfort, and the edification of those that doe heare thee, abstaining from swearing, p. 120cursing, lying, backebiting, slandering, iudgeing, idle or corrupt speaking, and from all things that hath but the appearance of euill: thou must exercise thy handes to doe good only, thy feet to prosecute the same, thy will must be made cōformable to thy Sauiours, thy vnderstanding to perceiue and apprehend vertue, and Gods mercy towards thee, thy memorie to thinke vponupon his iudgements, to thine amendement, vponupon his mercy, to thy comfort, and his manifolde blessings and vndeserued benefites, for encrease of thankfulnesse in thee. Thy whole body and all the members thereof, which is a member of Iesus Christ, must no wise be made a member of Sathan by sinne, or polluted, to bee the member of an harlot, thy soule and heart, with all the powers and faculties thereof, must be the temple and tabernacle of Gods sanctifying and holy spirit, & not a lodge for that vncleane spirit of sinne, and his fellowes of p. 121thy filthy lusts and carnall affections: in body and soule thou must walke so warily and narrowly, in feare and trembling working out thy saluation. The way is narrow, feare then, neuer so little, to depart from the paths of the Lord; this straight passage and path to saluation, is soone lost by negligence, but not so easily found out againe, without great diligence: care not for the scornefull and diuelish slander of the world, to bee called precise, but daily more and more, labour so to be indeede; striue to liue a pure and vnspotted life, without an hypocriticall and externall shew onelyonly thereof. It is saide in a diuelish prouerbe, A young Saint, an olde diuell: but endeuour thou, being young, to be a Saint of God, and to dedicate thy youth to him, and his seruice onelyonly, walking in this strict and narrow path, & the same God who hath giuen thee beginning, shall also giuegive thee constancie and a ioyfull end, that thou maiest liue p. 122an old Saint also (as well as young) on earth, and in heauen he shal glorifie thee a blessed Saint for euer with himselfe. It is saide, and that most truely; Temporis praeteriti, bene impensi suauis est memoria: The memorie of time by-past, which was well bestowed, is sweete and ioyfull to the minde of man. And let any young man consider with himselfe, if God bring him to age, what greater ioy and comfort hee can hauehave, then to remember that hee hath borne the yoake in his youth, (as the Prophet saith) that hee entred, and walked then in the narrow & straight way, and now is come to the easie passage, and out-going thereof, to receiue that promised reward of eternall ioyes, and euerlasting life: where hee seeth others, who then entred a contrarie course, giuing loose liberty to their flesh, fulfilling their lusts, and neuer caring to redresse their waies, in their olde age to bee punished with pouertie, punished with infamie and disgrace, p. 123ouercome with sicknesse, humbled greatly, despised, expelled out of all good companie, a patterne of all miserie, in great straightnesse (the end of the way) and compelled with the prodigall Sonne, after they hauehave spent all, & abused Gods gifts, to liue in a lamentable estate, and to flie from Citie to City, from Countrey to countrey, wrestling, if they may to come out of their straightnes, but falling from pit to pit, from Scylla to Charybdis. And except God their father giuegive them a minde at last to returne to him aright, and halfe way run and meete them; that is to be feared, they bee cast into an euerlasting straightnes of eternall death and condemnation, which by their walking in that broad way of carnall libertie, they iustly hauehave promerited. What ioy (I say) shall this be to an aged man, to remember his happy estate he is in? And this wofull condition hee hath by Gods grace escaped, when for age hee cannot so well eate his p. 124meate, this remembrance, that hee remembred his Creatour in the daies of his youth, and redressed his waies according to his word, shall be a continuall banquet vntounto him; this peace of a good conscience, and ioy of an vpright heart, shal be a staffe to vphold his soule, when hee beholdeth the greene field, and pleasant fruites and flowers of his well spent youth, greater solace shall bee to his minde, then the pleasure of the finest decked garden of the world could bee to the eye, his soule shall flow with comfort, and his heart pant and leape with ioy; an infinite treasure shall he possesse & see continually, which shall neuer make him carefull, or the feare of the losing thereof, put sleepe from his eyes: but from death to life it shall passe with him, and leaue a perpetuall fame thereof in the world, when he shall die in the Lord, his works shall follow him. Let eueryevery yong man then spend and bestow his youth so, in p. 125walking in this narrowe way and straight passage, circumspectly, precisely, and as purely as hee can, redressing his waies according to Gods word, that in the haruest of old age, he may pull and eate of the fruit of his youth, and find refreshment after wearinesse, rest after labour, victorie after the battel, easinesse after straightnesse, and infinit eternall ioy, after momentaneall mourning and teares for a season: assuring himselfe, that his fasting from sinne in youth, shall be a feasting of comfort in age, his sowing in teares, shall bee a reaping of ioy. And Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, who hath promised the reward, is faithfull, willing, and sufficient to performe:Reu. 2.Rev 2 hee saith; To him that ouercommeth, will I giuegive to eate of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. He that ouercommeth, shall not bee hurt of the second death; to him that ouercommeth, will I giuegive of the Manna that is hid, and I will giuegive him a white stone, and in the stone a new name p. 126written, which no man knoweth, sauing he that receiueth it. He that ouercommeth; shall bee clothed in white aray, and I will not put out his name out of the Booke of life, but I will confesse his name before my Father, and before his Angels. Lo…, many rewards, diuers recompences, great liberality, vnspeakeable mercy, and infinite matter of comfort, and encouragement in thy youth to walke in this narrow way, that in age thy ouercomming may bee fulfilled and finished. Christ, who promiseth, hee is the way that cannot erre, walke in him, hee is the trueth that cannot deceiue, walke by himselfe, and hee is the life that hath swallowed vp death, walke therefore to him, make him wholly thy whole way, and wholly holily insist and persist in him, redressing all thy owne waies according to his. Be importunate with Moses, that the Lorde would shew himselfe vntounto thee, wrestle with Iacob for the blessing, that thou maiest preuaile with God, and by his grace, he may preserue p. 127& direct thee in all thy waies… according to his own way: striue to enter in at the straight gate, as Christ the way cōmandeth thee: pray with Paul 7. times, yea 70. times 7. times, and be instant that his grace may suffice thee: with the widow weary the Iudge of al flesh, that iust & willing Iudge to heare thee, and grant thee thy desire: with the poore Samaritane woman, begge earnestly at Christ to cure thy owne sicke soule, to redresse thy waies, to direct thee in his, and to giuegive thee of the childrens bread, that hid Manna, to eate. The kingdome of heauen, and end of the straight way, suffereth violence; inferre violence therefore to enter in at the same, neither delay any time. Iacob was desired by Ioseph, to make his iourney speedily to come to the kingdome of Egypt, where hee was second person. Iesus Christ our brother, whom we sold by our sinnes, desireth and willeth eueryevery young man to make his iourney speedily p. 128likewise, in the right way to come to the kingdome of heauen, where he is the second person also. Iacob, except that he had made haste to get the blessing of his father, hee had beene in perill to loose it; for presently, as hee went out from the presence of his father, his brother Esau came in: so, except thou make speed in thy youth to obtaine the blessing of God thy heauenly Father, by redressing thy wayes and walking in his, thou art in great perill to loose the same: this narrow and strait gate of grace is opened before thy eyes, then striue that thou maist enter in thereat, bee not slow then, but make speede in thy way here, lest hereafter, with the foolish Virgins, thou call and knocke, at the gate of glorie, but bee not admitted to that Ioy: say not in thy youth, with sluggard, Pro. 6. 10. Yet a slumber, and vnfolding of hands, but vp, and walke with Iesus Christ in the way of godlinesse, at the first call, according p. 129to the rule of Gods word, purge & redresse thy wayes: when that cloudy pillar warneth thee, to goe forward, goe and walke, hauing it before thy eyes, in the way of holinesse; and when it warneth thee to stay, then stay thy course, in repressing thy affections, brideling thy lusts and their precipitate course, redressing thy wayes, restrayning the liberties of the flesh, conforming thy will to Gods will, and walking in a strait and narrow way of life: follow young Abell, who walked innocently and holily before God, offering the first fruits of his flocke, as thou must of thy youth, to the Lord; and not the broad way of Cain, in murther, wrath, and despising of God; or of Lamech, in vaunting and bragging of thy strength in youth to commit sinne, (as many yong men do.) Follow godly Noah in the strait way of holines, and of curbing the liberties of the flesh, who in that generall corruption of time, was p. 130onelyonly found iust, and found fauour in Gods eyes, when the rest drinking and eating, taking of those whom they liked best, reioycing and walking in the broad way of iniquitie and libertie of the flesh, were destroyed with all flesh, in that generall Deluge. Follow iust Lot in this true way, who remained onelyonly vndefiled with the filthie lusts of the Sodomites, and in vprightnesse of conuersation, walked onelyonly before GOD, afflicting his soule eueryevery day, for their abominations, and eschued the broad way of their vncleannesse, whoring, oppression, drunkennesse, &c. wherewith yong & old was infected, and cryed downe from heauen feareful destruction vponupon them. Follow Abraham, who obeyed and beleeued God: godly Izaak, who in his youth was diligently occupied in prayer in the field, and liued chastly in the feare of God, vntil a lawful wife was prouided for him. Follow plaine Iacob, who esteemed p. 131Gods blessing better then all the world, and did cast all his care vponupon God (as the Apostle commandeth) and serued in a painefull seruice, long and truely, without sleep in the cold frost of the night, and burning heat of the day; also suffered many iniuries, and euer rewarded good for euill. Follow yong vpright Ioseph, who beeing greatly tempted, to enter in that broad way of liberty and lust, by his mistresse, refused to commit that vild sinne of adultery with her, and chose to walke on in the strait path of holinesse, he walked so wisely, that he found fauour in all mens eyes, and was loued greatly for his gentle and courteous behauiour, and at last was promoted, by Gods prouidence, to be the second person in all Egypt, after his straitnesse in prison there. Follow faithfull Moses, & enter in at this strait gate with him, who chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, (walking in the narrow way) then p. 132to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season, (walking in the broad way) esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt, (the reason is) for hee had respect vntounto the recompence of the reward, (the end of this narrow way.) Israel whom hee did leade, went out of Egypt to Canaan the land of their rest, thorow much straitnesse, and a narrow passage; as the true Israel of God must go out & from the Egypt of this world, to that spirituall Canaan, the land of their eternal rest. Follow couragious Ioshua, who went thorow a narrow passage ouer Iorden, vntounto the land of Canaan, with Gods Arke before him, & by many battels ouercame and obtayned the same; as thou must by many battels, betwixt the flesh & the spirit, obtaine that eternal Canaan, walking towards it in a narrowe passage, and hauing Gods worde continually before the eyes of thy heart, to redresse and conforme thy p. 133wayes according thereunto. Yong Dauid, after he was elected king of Israel, hee walked in this narrow path, thorow many tentations, to draw him from Gods feare and seruice, and thorow much straitnesse, before he came to the possession of the kingdome; as after thy election to that euerlasting kingdome of heauen, in this world, during that Prince of darkenesse raigne, thou must passe and ouercome many temptations of Sathan & the flesh likewise, & walke in the strait and narrow way of holinesse & sanctification, before thou come to the easie and spacious end of thy way, to the full possession of that heauenly kingdome, and eternall glorification through Christ Iesus: thou must bee in labours, before thou rest from labours; thou must liue in the Lord, before thou canst die in the Lord; thou must liue the life of the righteous, if thou wouldest wish to die the death of the righteous, and thy last end to bee p. 134like theirs. All the holy Patriarks, Prophets, Saints, and Martyrs of God, hauehave trode this narrow way, before they obtayned the recompence of their reward, vntounto which they had respect: if therefore thou hauehave any respect vntounto the same, and by hope looke for that, which they fully now possesse, follow and insist in their footsteps; if thou wouldest tryumph and glory with them, thou must also couragiously fight with them, against the diuell and thine owne corrupt affection… and concupiscence of the flesh, which fayne would hauehave libertie, and draw thee in that broad way of destruction; but assure thy selfe in thy youth, and in the way thereof, that the greater liberty of thy flesh and affections here, maketh the most strait incarceration, and feareful plunging of soule and body, in endlesse and easelesse torments of hell hereafter: which thou mayest plainely behold and learne, by the example of Diues & p. 135Lazarus, whereof the one, in the broad way, had his pleasures in this life, but not a drop of water to coole his tongue after death, (the strait ende of his way:) the other had his miseries here, without necessaries scarce for the flesh, but after death, (which opened the large end of his way) he was carried into Abrahams bosome, in eternall ioyes for euer to remaine; in their life, Lazarus was compelled to beg, from Diues, crumbes of his bread; at their death, Diues was compelled to beg from Lazarus, a drop of cold water, there did straitnesse follow after ease, and ease after straitnesse, in their seuerall wayes. Albeit the rich man in the Gospell, walking in the broad way, did bid his soule, Eate, drinke, and take it ease, for it had much laid vp for many yeeres, yet God from heauen had decreed, that the strait end of his way shold be neerer then he thought, & they should fetch his soule frō him that same night. Albeit Nebuchad-nezzar p. 136(walking in the broad way also) in the pride of his heart said, Is not this great Babel that I hauehave built, for the house of my kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Maiestie? glorying so in the flesh; yet he was cast into a great and wonderfull straitnesse, while the word was in his mouth, and driuen from men, as a beast to eate the grasse of the fields. Albeit Bel…hazzar likewise, (walking in the same large way) in the exaltation of his heart against God, proclaimed a banquet, sitting with his Princes, wiues and concubines, pampring & giuing all pleasure to the flesh, drinking wine in the vessels, consecrated onelyonly to Gods seruice, which were brought out of Ierusalem, not glorifying GOD, but praysing his Idols of gold, siluer and stone, yet the end of his way was this; the Hand declared on the wall, that hee was weighed, and found too light, his kingdome was ended, and giuen to others, and that same night he was p. 137slayne presently; so when he was highest, vponupon the top of his reioycing hill, most suddenly he did fall lowest, in the valley of mourning, and pit of teares, by lamentable destruction, the vnexpected strait end of his broad former way. The Sodomites knew little how neere fire and brimstone was neere them; the primitiue world, how neere them was the Deluge; and all such that walke in this way of libertie of the flesh, how neere, subuersion of soule and bodie is at hand. Therefore let vsus walke in the right way, if wee would sitte at Christs right hand; let vsus be sanctified here, if we would be glorified hereafter; let vsus walke in the true path, if we would attaine to the true end thereof; and subdue the slesh with the affections thereof, to the spirit and yoake of Christs obedience, if in body and spirit for euer, wee would raigne with him. Let vsus redresse our owne wayes, and let eueryevery one that calleth on the name of the Lord, 2. Tim. 2. 19.2 Tim 2:19depart from iniquitie: p. 138as the Apostle commandeth Timothie, 2. Tim. 2. 22.2 Tim 2:22and in his person all yong men, Flie from the lusts of youth, & follow after righteousnesse, faith, louelove, and peace, with them that call on the name of the Lord, for if any man purge himselfe from these, hee shall bee a vessell vntounto honour, sanctified and meet for the Lord, & prepared vntounto eueryevery good worke.

Seeing also, our course of life here, is compared to a Way, which wee must redresse according to Gods word, therefore let vsus walke in this life, as in a way, warily, and working out our saluation in feare and trembling. Considering with ourselues; 1. First, as in a way or iourney, no rest is to be expected, that is permanent, vntill wee come to the end thereof; so neither must wee looke for any permanent citie, or solide rest, in the way or course of this life, vntill we come to Iesus Christ, being dissolued, to be with him, who is the true end and rest, of the true and narrow way, the temple of that spirituall Ierusalem, p. 139and Citie of all perfect light and ioy. For the estate of his Church here, is, as the Boat, wherein vponupon the sea hee was with his Disciples, euer tossed vp and downe, in continuall labour; so that, except hee were our stay, our rest, and refuge, wee should surely perish. Our life here is a Warfare, our enemie is euer pursuing, as a raging Lyon, seeking to deuoure vsus, therefore wee must be in continual defence of the life of our soules, by his strength being armed, who gaue his life for our soules, vntill vnderunder his defence, hauing fought a good fight, and finished our course, we be victorious and tryumph with him, hauing receyued that immortall and incorruptible crowne of glory, which is layd vp for vsus, and for all them that louelove the comming of the Lord Iesus in glorie, to glorifie vsus with himselfe. 2. Secondly, in a way, we euer goe forward, and one step followeth another, sicut vnda impelli, tur vnda, as one waue is enforced by p. 140another; so also in the way of this our life, wee poast to our end, and our dayes passe more swiftly then a weauers shittle; our life is as a flower, that now springeth vp, and with a blast fadeth; as a water bubble, now vp, and now downe with an aire of wind; as a smoake, seene, and gone presently; as the fat of Lambes, which suddenly is dropped away: so that whether wee sleepe or wake, whether we eate or drinke, whether we go or sit still, as in a ship wee are caried speedily, with full sailes, thorow the sea of this turbulent world, to the port and hauen of our graue, and our refluxe is to that Ocean. Let vsus watch then carefully, and hauehave the houre-glasse of the number of our dayes, euer before our eies, that we may apply our hearts to wisedom; let vsus looke diligently to the precious and most deere loading of our soules, once purchased by Christs blood, suspect our weake vessels, and clay tabernacles, acknowledge p. 141that we are euer in danger of death, and that there is little betwixt vsus and him: foresee carefully the rockes and daungers before vsus, hauehave euer the Compasse of Gods word before our eyes, to direct our course and way according thereunto. Behold still the Mappe and Carde of that heauenly coast of Canaan, towards the which wee intend and attend our course, try and spy out the markes, whereby wee may know that wee are neere the same, or in the right way thereto; forget the things that are behinde, and hauehave our eyes forward, still on the further banke; and by continuall and earnest praiers, desire almightie God to saue vsus, lest we perish, to giuegive vsus his spirit to bee our guide and pilot, and by his infinite mercy & grace, to bring vsus at last, to that wished Land of our blessed Canaan, with Ioshua our Iudge and Captaine, through all the perills and daungers of this darke desart. And chiefly, let vsus daily striue, as p. 142in the way of our naturall life: so likewise, that in the way of our supernatural & true life, Iesus Christ, and his righteousnes, we may make some progresse, & so step forward frō life to life, forgetting the world and her whorish intisements behinde vsus, and bending our forces directly to follow him onelyonly.

Thirdly, in a way also, we hauehave euer certaine limitted bounds,3. We are limitted. which wee must not transgresse nor goe ouer. In the way of this life likewise, wee hauehave Gods word and Commaundements, as walles on each side to enclose vsus, which wee must striue to containe our selues within, and to redresse our waies according therevnto. Christs voice is the walls & hedge of his sheepfold, ouer which whosoeuer passeth, wandreth astray in the fearefull and darke desart of sinne, a readie prey to that cruell deuouring beare, and raging Lyon Sathan: for God, as hee is iust and mercifull, so hee hath declared and p. 143manifested the same plainely in his sacred word, his iustice chiefly in the olde testament, his mercy in the new; his iustice he hath set vp as a wall on our right hand, that wee may feare to sinne; his mercy as a wall on our left hand, that if wee sinne, we may know that wee hauehave a Mediatour & Sauiour, euen Iesus Christ the man: therefore, seeing we are set betwixt these two walls, let vsus walke warily, that on the one side beholding Gods iustice, wee despaire not, nor on the other, beholding his mercy, wee presume not, but with an equall eye beholding both, and with an equall pace walking betwixt both, in feare and louelove of him, wee may goe on our way to our iournies end, and so worke out the great worke of our saluation.

Fourthly, in a iourney way, or race to bee runne,4. We take no burdens eueryevery man, who desireth to bee at the end thereof soonest, wil make himselfe lightest, and not take vp heauie burdens to p. 144hinder and wearie him: So in this way and race of our life, if we hauehave eyes to see the reward, (being a crowne of immortall glory) if wee hauehave hearts to consider or vnderstand the preciousnes thereof, or a desire to attaine, or obtaine the same, we must not take on, the heauie and hindering burdens of this world, and the wearisome vanities thereof, to bee impediments in our course, but cast off and disburden our selues of these dangerous loadings, vsing the thinges of this world, as though wee vsed them not: and in our youth begin & take vp the light and easie yoake of Christs obediēce, & with our crosses follow him: in our hand wee must take the staffe of his worde; wee must gird our loynes with his sanctitie and righteousnes, and in the footesteps of pure vnspotted innocencie, must wee follow him, being holy as hee is holy: this is the way, Sic itur ad astra.

Fiftly,1. We desire not our way to be long. no pilgrime also will desire p. 145his way to be long and wearisome, but the sooner he may come to the end of his iourney, the more he will reioyce. In this way and pilgrimage likewise of our life▪ let vsus not desire so much to liue long till age, that our way may be prolonged, but to liue well while wee are young, that we may insist constantly▪ in the true way, and desire with the Apostle, rather to bee dissolued and be with Christ: and with olde Simeon, after our eyes by faith hauehave seene our saluation, & in the armes of our heart wee hauehave embraced him, to desire to departe in his peace, and enioy the reward & fulnes of our hope.

And in the meane time,6. Our way dangerous. seeing in our way chiefly of youth, wee hauehave many impediments cast before vsus, many fetters and nets for our feete, laide to insnare vsus, manie outward and inward enemies seeking to destroy vsus; and no wisedome nor strength in our selues to preuent or auoid them: therefore p. 146let our continuall and humble petition bee to that Lord of strength, and wisedome of the Father, Leade vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from all euill: and so in a way of this life, let vsus walke as in the way, according to the word and way of Iesus Christ, redressing our bywaies. And hauing these considerations, before our eyes, vntill by that true and liuely way Christ, wee attaine to the end thereof, eternall life and endlesse rest for euer.

The action set downe in this question is, Whereby shall a young man redresse his way? according to the vulgar translation, but according to the originall and Hebrew text, it is, Whereby shall a young man cleanse or purge his way? The first, to wit, redressing, is a metaphore taken from a house, which being vncleane or out of order, vseth to bee redressed and trimmed vp for the guests it should receiue, according vntounto the Parable and wordes of Christ, concerning the vncleane p. 147spirit, who departed out of the man whom he possessed, and wandred in dry places, seeking rest, and finding none: therefore he decreed with himselfe, to returne backe againe to his former lodging, and tooke with him other seauen vncleane spirits worse then himselfe; who returning, found the house dressed and wel garnished for them, and there they aboade; so that the last conditio… of that man, was worse then the first. And so truely it is in all ages, but chiefly in youth, that our soules and bodies, (which should be the temple and tabernacle of Gods holy and cleane Spirit, who can abide no impuritie) is polluted daily with the vncleannes of sinne, and defiled with the filthie Harpies of our lusts and carnall affections, and so we harbour in our heart (as it were) that vncleane spirit, and dresseth vp the same as a house or chamber for him to rest in with his fellowes. Therefore in our youth & tender yeares, if we would p. 148bee accounted, or any way esteemed to bee the children of God, to be the members of Iesus Christ, to be temples of Gods Spirit, to hauehave our names written in that booke of life, or euer to exspect participation or enioying of the endlesse and infinite ioyes of heauen: then let vsus by the assistance and strength of that stronger man Iesus Christ, who hath ouercome and subdued all, and by the speciall grace of his blessed and powerfull spirit, striue to binde & expel that vsurping tyrant, out of the precious house of our soule, and to shut him out of the gates and doores of our hearts, that we be none of his possessions, or vessells in his house, and with all our strength, diligence and power, seeke to redresse our soule and heart againe, and make it fit and meete for the habitation & abiding place, of that cleane and holy spirit of Iesus Christ onelyonly, being sanctified by his grace, in all the members of our body, & faculties of our soule, p. 149that the Lord of rest may giuegive rest to our cesciences, & rest by his cō fortable presence in our harts cōtinually: let vsus lift vp the celestiall and euerlasting gates of our soules, and let the king of glory enter in: walke in his waies, and redresse by his grace, our vncleane and enormous waies of sinne and vnrighteousnes.

The second word, to wit, cleansing, according to the original word in the Hebrew text, which is foreign mundabit, is taken likewise by a metaphore, chiefly from vessells, which vseth to bee made cleane and purged, when they are foule or polluted with any thing, according to Christs words, Matth. 23. 25. in reprehending of the hypocriticall Scribes & Pharises, who did make cleane the outter side of the cup & platter, but within were full of hypocrisie and iniquitie. So indeede, all men, young and olde, wee are Gods vessells, either of honour or dishonour, appointed either continually p. 150to remaine in his sight, or eternally to bee reiected and banished from his glorious presence: there is no day also, but we are polluted (chiefly in youth) and desiled with some vncleannes of sinne, and our filthy lusts and affections euer doth infect vsus: therefore continually wee must endeuour, and seeke with earnest praiers, that wee may cleanse and purge (according to Christs commandement) first,Matt. 23. 26.Matt 23:26 the inside of the cup and platter▪ that the outside of them may be cleane also. In our youth, wee are as new vessells in Gods house, if at any time a vessell be esteemed of, or be cleane, it is when it is new: & therefore in our youth let vsus chiefly trie and know if wee be vessells of honour▪ if we be, surely then we must bee most cleanest, for a precious vessell of honour, ordained to be in the presence of the Prince, is neuer defiled with filthines, nor suffered to be put to an vncleane vse, chiefly being as yet new; but if we finde p. 151our selues polluted with filthines in our youth and newnes, & our soule made the receptacle of stincking lustes, and of all impuritie of sinne, let vsus feare and suspect that, except God of his free mercy and grace, create and frame vsus of a new againe, and purge vsus from all our iniquities, that wee can iudge our selues to be no other but vessells of reiection, impurity, and dishonour. Therefore in youth, while the filth of sin sticketh not so fast vponupon the vessels of our souls, nor the old mā of iniquitie hath not taken so long & strong possessiō of the house of our heart (as he may plead long custome or defend it) let vsus purge by the teares of true repētance our filthy blots, & vncleannes of sin, and desire that vnspotted Lambe by his precious bloodshed, to purge vsus likewise from the guilt thereof: let vsus by the strength of his gracious Spirit, expell that vncleane spirit of sinne, and pleasures of the flesh, and redresse the roome and house p. 152of our soule, with open gates to receiue, retaine, and entertaine with ioy, that spirit of all cleannes, of ioy, and endlesse comfort. As Iesus Christ our Sauiour hath commanded; let vsus first purge & make clean the inside of the cup & platter, that the outside may be cleane also, that is, let vsus begin & purge the worme of sinne and corruption from the roote of our hearts and the branches, with the fruite of word and deede, shall prosper the better; begin and purifie the spring, and the streames that runneth therefrom shall be the clearer: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: and according as the affection of the heart is, so the workes proceed, and the members executeth their command. This purifying is by true repentance, with Marie Magdalen, in sorrowing truly for our sinnes, and in all humilitie washing his feete with the teares of deepe remorse, constantly endeauouring neuer to sinne no more, and by a liuely faith p. 153in the armes of our soule, embracing and apprehending the blood of Iesus Christ and his death, as our onelyonly righteousnes, obedience, and propitiatorie sacrifice before the Father, and by good workes and a sanctified holy life, shewing our faith and Gods mercy manifested in vsus, to our liues end, to the good example of others, and our owne soules saluation.

This action of cleansing or redressing, is set downe in the future time, Qui nam mundabit, &c. Wherewith shal a young man cleanse his way. Noting thereby the present estate thereof to bee vnredressed and vncleane. Whereby wee learne and may obserue, first, that howsoeuer we flatter or excuse our selues in any age, but chiefly in our youth, that our waies nor course of life is not so vncleane nor worthy of reproofe, but may be easily borne with, & soone redressed oramended, yet the spirit of God in this place of his sacred word dooth by the mouth of p. 154his holy Prophet, shew vntounto vsus that our waies are so vncleane and filthy, that it is a very hard & difficult thing to redresse or cleanse them, their pollutiō being so great: which he would signifie by asking interrogatiuely, how they shall bee redressed? And therefore, that in all humilitie and lowest submission of heart in our youth, and in all ages, wee should acknowledge the infinite greatnes of our transgressions and filthy vncleannesse of sinne, which cannot bee cleansed but by an infinite purgation, euen by the blood of Iesus Christ, in his infinite and vnsearcheable mercy shed for mankinde, which wee should daily begge, and continually thirst after the same greedily, walking worthy hereafter, as those who are redeemed with so precious a price. Secondly, wee may obserue here, the markes and difference betwixt a godly and vngodly young man, the one consulteth and asketh at God, Whereby he may redresse and purge p. 155his waies? the other consulteth with flesh and blood, and asketh counsell at Sathan and his owne filthy lusts and affections, whereby hee may defile and pollute his waies? The onelyonly care and vigilant studie of the one is, how to redresse vice, and ouercome sinne in his mortal members, that Gods free Spirit may make his aboad and comfortable habitation in his soule. The diligent care of the other is, how to represse and oppresse vertue and godlines, that it take no roote in his soule, nor bring forth no acceptable & pleasant fruit before God, but that as a sinke of iniquitie, it may abound and yeelde forth out of the aboundance thereof, rotten and vnsauorie smells, in thought, word, and action. The one seeketh to purge himselfe from the least spot of sin, that might make him displeasing in his fathers sight, yea hee abhorreth from the very appearance of euill, or the least meane that might draw or perswade him any way p. 156thereunto. The other seeketh the foulest puddle or mire of sin, wholy in body and soule, not caring to tūble & pollute himselfe as a filthy swine thereinto, and as a dogge deuouring sinne griedily, (which deuoureth his soule) and returning euer to his vomit, he embraceth all occasions of sinne, hee headlong runneth vntounto the brinke of destruction, & as it were with cart-ropes of iniquitie, he is swiftly carried, as the oxe to the slaughter, or the foole to the blocke, vntounto the bottomles pit of perdition. The one, for the least sinne he committeth, that stayneth his soule, hee heapeth and powreth out tears vponupon tears, as a treasure to be laid vp in a bottel before God, that thereafter hee may reape the fruite of his seed sowed in tears, in the ioyful and plentifull haruest of the Lord, when he shall find true rest and comfort to his soule. The other, in his greatest sinnes hee most reioyceth, and with Lamech, Gen. 4.Gen 4vaunteth of his vngodly p. 157furie and crueltie, of impietie inferred to his owne soule, hee heapeth sinne vponupon sinne, vntill the day of wrath, as a treasure, and with all griedines filleth the cup of iniquitie to the full, til God in his iust iugment giuegive to him also the full cup of his fierce wrath and indignation, and make him drinke out the very dregs thereof▪ for as he soweth, so he shall reape. The one sort, being the children of the light and the day, they walke in the light, and doe the workes thereof, therfore they shall enioy the cleare and endlesse light of that heauenly new Ierusalem, which is the bright countenance of the Lambe. The other being the children of darkenesse and the night, they delight to walke in the wayes of darknes, and to doe the workes thereof; therefore with the prince of darkenesse, they shall bee at last cast into vtmost darkenesse, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Finally, as euerie tree is knowne by his fruite, so by p. 158their works you shal know and discerne, betwixt godly, and vngodly yong men; as a good yong tree bringeth foorth best fruite in the spring, while it is yong; so, a godly yong man bringeth forth best fruits of vertue and pietie, in his tender yeeres, and spring of his youth, not delaying, till the cold winter of old age come, wherein eyther no fruit at all, or if any, nothing but sowre grapes are to be expected: but as no man can gather figs of thornes, nor seeke for honie out of the viper, so, from those that consume their best age and prime of youth, in all lustfull licentiousnesse, & outlaw liuing in sinne, and slauish libertie of iniquitie, nothing can be expected, but that the haruest shall be like the spring, wherin they shal reape the fruit of their labours, and their seed time of wickednes shall bee rewarded, with the measure of bitter & seuere punishment; when the axe shall bee put to the root of the tree, and eueryevery tree that bringeth p. 159not forth good fruit, shall bee cut downe, & cast into vnquenchable fire. The examples of both these sorts of yong men, we hauehave in the Scripture, set before the eyes of all youthes in this age, to learne by, and behold. Of the one, whom they should follow, the examples, of yong Abel, vprightly sacrificing vntounto God, the first fruits and fat of the flocke; as they should the first fruits and fat of their youth, in vprightnesse and holinesse of life: of yong Isaac, exercising himselfe in prayer alone in the field: of yong Iacob, in suffering many wrongs, obeying the good counsell of his parents, fearing their displeasure, dealing faithfully, in an holy and humble mind with all men: of yong Ioseph, refusing the way of sinne and adulterous lust, suffering patiently, rewarding good for euill, and being a comfort and reliefe to his old father, and his whole family: of Moses, refusing to bee counted the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, to bee p. 160esteemed the sonne of God, and a faithful seruant in his whole house: of yong Dauid, in trusting euer stedfastly, and beleeuing in Gods mercy towards him, suffring much aduersitie, and still sticking fast vntounto the Lord, who deliuered his enemies so oftentimes in his handes, and his life out of theirs: of yong Salomon, in seeking the true wisedome of God, before honour or riches: of yong Samuel, zealous and faithfull in Gods sanctuarie in his youth, there seruing him: of yong Daniel, in walking with an holy and vpright heart, before the almighty: of yong Timothie, brought vp frō an infantin the true knowledg & feare of God, a glorious starre & painfull instrument in his Church: of the children of the elect Ladie, 2. epist. Ioh. 1. 4. whō the beloued Apostle of Iesus Christ found walking in the trueth, as God had commanded, and therefore reioyced: with such like examples, which are set before the eyes of all youth, according p. 161thereunto, to reforme and cō forme themselues in all things, that they may obtaine that rich reward of eternall life, whereof they are already in possession. Of the other sort, which wee should eschue and abhorre, is malicious murdering and hypocriticall Cain, who was accursed of God: vaunting Lamech bragging of his strength & furie to commit sinne in his youth: Ham dishonouring & contemning Noah his father: Esau, in being a griefe to his parents heart, a profane A theist and persecutor of his godly brother: Absolon, a bloodie, vnnaturall, proud & wicked sonne to his father Dauid, whose end was a shamefull and sudden death: Elies two sonnes, who oppressed Gods people, committed most vile filthinesse in Israel, and were at last the death and heart-break of their old father, and their owne destruction: Ammon, incestuous with his sister, whose reward was cruel death and sudden destruction: the young men p. 162of Sodome, who in their filthinesse were consumed with fire & brimstone: Zimri and Cozbi in their burning lust, thrust thorow by zealous Phineas: with many other such examples, of those, who in the time of their youth, fulfilled their owne lusts, and wicked affections, til they tasted of the full cup of Gods fierce wrath, to their vtter destruction, which was their s…al end & lamē table conditiō; such therfore let vsus abhor with their course of wicked life, as we would eschue their feareful end & most cursed death. R…hoboam, by his yong counsellers, in obeying them, lost a kingdom, to the which he was called: by the wicked and furious hote counsellers of our lusts and affections in our youth, let vsus not also loose the glorious kingdome of heauen, to the which wee are likewise called by Gods word. Neither (as the yong mans louelove to his riches, made him to forsake Christ) let the vncleane louelove, or desire to follow our youthly pleasures, p. 163or to fulfill our filthy lusts and affections draw vsus from following Iesus Christ our Sauiour, and these godly examples and patterns of youth▪ which in his word, wee hauehave here set before our eyes; but with yong Samuel when the Lord calleth vsus in his Church, to heare and do his word, let vsus so oft answere, Lord, here am I, thy seruant, to doe thy godly will, speake, for thy seruant heareth: while the spring and seed time is, of our tender yeeres, let vsus so sowe, as wee would reape; and so bud as wee would ripen: our youth is the day, to doe our works in; the night of age commeth, wherein wee cannot worke, in that time wee shall say onelyonly, I might hauehave bin learned, I might hauehave bin so or so, if I had vsed my time aright; but winter is come, before I thought on seedtime, and Times bald backe-side is turned to mee, but the heary forehead, which I might hauehave caught holde by, is already past: therefore p. 164the wise man saith, Remember now thy Creator, in the dayes of thy youth, whiles the euill dayes come not, nor the yeeres approach, wherein thou shalt say, I hauehave no pleasure in them, whiles the sunne is not darke, nor the light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after rayne, when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shal …ow themselues, & the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by the windowes, &c. describing so metaphorically, the infirmities of old age. They, who stept in first, when the Angel came downe and troubled the waters of the poole Bethesda, were cured of their disease; so if we would be cured of our soules disease, and leprosie of sinne, wee must striue to step in first, before others, in our youth, without lingring, to be washed with the blood of Christ, and liue a pure vnspotted life. Ioseph before the time of famine came, laid vp aboundance of corne prouidently for the same; so before the p. 165leane and crinkled yeeres of age come, we must prouidently, in the Sommer of youth, with the Bee and Ant, gather and lay vp food for our soules, filling the store-houses of our heart full with the knowledge and true feare of God, to be our comfort and ease in that time, that here, & in the world to come, we may bee accounted among the number, and of the sort of those forenamed, who dedicated their youth and first fruites thereof, to God their heauenly Father, and now do enioy the ioyful recōpence of their labours with Iesus Christ, in the presence of the Lambe for euer to remaine.

The answere that is made vntounto this question, is this; In taking heed thereto, according to thy word: that is, by these meanes, a yong man may redresse his wayes and course of life, if, according to the rule and prescript of thy holy worde, O Lord, hee take heed thereto, diligently and straitly marking, examining p. 166and iudging the same, and rectifying all his waies and actions by the direct line and rule of thy commandements.

This answere is made by way of prayer or confessiō to God, or (as it were) by resolution frō God: In taking heed thereto, Vse.according to thy word: thereby shewing and teaching all men, that to know, will or doe aright, as God hath commanded, according to his word, is not of our strength, neither can flesh and blood reueale it vntounto vsus, but our heauenly Father, & it is the gracious worke of his glorious Spirit, who, as the knowledge of Gods will proceedeth of his speciall Illumination, so the acting and doing of the same, in an holy and vpright life, is of his speciall grace and powerfull operation also, who giueth thee knowledge, will and power to doe the same. Velle & perficer…, by enlightning our vnderstanding, reforming our wicked will, and conforming the same vntounto the holy and perfect wil of God, p. 167and with his cōmand to rise from the sleepe and death of sinne, to a new and sanctified life, giuing vsus a power and flowing light and life from himselfe to doe so, as when Christ our Sauiour said, Talitha cumi, or, Lazarus arise, &c. and at that last day, when it shall be said, Rise dead folke, come to iudgement: and so in all Gods word, when hee commandeth to repent, beleeue, bring forth good fruit, or so, we must not thereby thinke, because God commandeth so, therefore that we hauehave knowledge or free-will to doe, or not doe so, but with the command there floweth a concomitating power and vertue from Gods spirit, to the hearts of the faithfull predestinate for saluation, to doe this command; as a further induration, to harden the hearts of the sonnes of reprobation in their stiffe-necked disobedience to Gods will, euen as at the words of Christ, the fig-tree withered: free wil then and strength of our selues, to know and p. 168doe euill, wee hauehave, for it is according to our nature, for by nature wee are the children of wrath, and all the imaginations of our heart are onelyonly euill continually from our very infancie: and it is the worke of our flesh, for the flesh coueteth against the spirit: but to know, will, or to do well, we hauehave no power at all, but it is Gods sanctifying Spirit, who giueth both, and it is aboue nature, yea, it is the worke of the Spirit, against nature. Therefore let vsus not trust to our owne knowledge or wisedom, for it is darkenesse & foolishnesse, nor thinke of our owne will or strength, that we can doe, or truely desire or know, that which is good, being so peruerse and wicked, but with the Prophet, after his example, acknowledg al our knowledge of his will, or of the right way to saluation, to proceed onelyonly from the illumination of his good spirit, and that the will or strength to doe and performe the same, is onelyonly his owne free worke in merciemercy also, p. 169and let vsus by earnest prayers (as in all ages, so chiefly in our youth) implore his holy helpe, to teach vsus, according to his word, how to walke in his wayes, and to take heed to our owne, in greatest difficulties consult with him, who is true light and wisedome, and in whom is no changing; in greatest tentations, by continuall prayer, let vsus flie to him, that with his all-sufficient grace, he may euer assist vsus, when Sathan would not only buffet, but kill & deuoure our soules, with the poyson of sinne, and our owne lusts, and in all things let him be our onelyonly refuge, resolution and comfort continually.

In taking heed thereto, &c. this action of taking heed to our wayes, in the answere, hath reference to the action of redressing or cleansing the same in the question, as if hee would say, by taking heed to his wayes, according to gods word, a young man may redresse or purge the same.

p. 174The purging therefore or redressing of the waies of youth, whereby eueryevery yong man may insist & persist in the right way of holinesse to saluation, must bee in marking straightly, and in taking heed carefully to the whole course of his life, in thought, word, and deede, directing and instituting the same according to the rule and expresse direction of the word of God, in the which, night and day he should meditate & exercise himselfe continually, that therby his whole life, and all the waies thereof, may bee kept spotlesse and cleane from all corruption of sinne, and the filthy lusts of the flesh.Vse. Therefore, let all young men apply all the actions & waies of their life to this touchstone of Gods word: let them take diligent heede to thought, word, and deede, marke them narrowly, examine and iudge them diligently and vnpartially, according to this rule and square, that by God himselfe, they bee not strictly marked p. 175here, and seuerely examined, iudged and rewarded in the world to come. If they finde their waies to bee in some measure conformable to Gods word (for none are perfite) desire Christ to helpe their imperfection, praise God for his mercy and this measure of sanctification, desiring increase thereof and confirmation. If by taking heede vntounto their waies, and due examination thereof, they finde them disagreeable vntounto the word of God, then humbly prostrate themselues in true repentance and contritenesse of a broken and rent heart, before the tribunall of that great King and Iudge whom they hauehave offended; desire earnestly remission and cleansing of their sinfull waies by the precious bloodshed of Iesus Christ; vow and performe reformation and conformation of their waies hereafter, according to Gods word, by a renewed and sanctified life; and to that effect, beg importunately with p. 172that poor widow, frō the iust Iudge of all mē, his holy sanctifying spirit to be their directer & leader in that way of saluatiō, to the end thereof. This way of yong men, vntounto which they shold take heed according to Gods word so diligently, is threefold. 1. Their way of particular and lawful vocatiō. 2. Their way of christian & ciuill manners. And 3. their way of true godlines, the perfectiō of all. According to this rule of the word of God, let eueryevery young man therfore (I say) take heed & examin▪ First, his way of the ordinarie and particular vocatiō, God hath called him to, if in the same he hath behaued himselfe vprightly, & vsed aright, the talent that God hath giuē him for that effect: for to none of his seruants, but God hath allotted & giuē some special talēt & gift, fit to be vsed in a special & particular vocation; wherby in some measure they may be profitable to church & Cōmonwealth, from the Son of the Prince that sitteth on his throne, to p. 173the sonne of the poorest begger by the hie way side: to some hee hath giuen a quicke wit and diuerse inclination to diuers kindes of learning, as Diuinitie, the Lawes, Phisicke, &c. wherein seuerally by eueryevery one, his glory may bee aduanced, and the Church or Commonwealth in some measure profited: to others hee hath giuen of his spirit, in wisedome, vnderstanding, and knowledge to worke in all manner of workemanship, as hee did to Bezaleel and Aholiab, Exod. 31. 3.Exod 31:3fitting them for seuerall mechanicall and handiecrafts: and for some one particular of these two kindes of vocation, that God hath giuen euerie one from his cradle, a naturall inclination and speciall gift therfore, (if education bee ioyned) it doth euidently appeare by experience. Let eueryevery young man then, noble or ignoble, consider & take heede vntounto this way of vocatiō, according to Gods word, that if God hath fitted him by some speciall gift and p. 170inclination, he loose not, spend, nor hide his talent by idlenes, for feare of the punishment that Christ hath mentioned in his worde therevnto: for idlenesse and delicacie was the sin of the primitiue world that drew downe that fearefull deluge vponupon thē; idlenesse was the sin that c…ied down fire & brimstone vponupon Sodome. Prou. 6. 11.Prov 6:11It is the impouerisher and destroyer of a Kingdome, Citie, house, or man, as industry is the enricher. The one crieth for Gods curse on a people or person: the other for a blessing. Idlenes is the doore to let in sinne and the diuell euen in the godliest. When Adam was idle from dressing the garden, he was tempted to eate of the forbidden fruit, and did fall, and wee in him: when Dauid was idle, hee was drawen in adulterie and murder: when Sampson was idle from the warres, he fell a whooring with Dalilah, and fearefull destruction came vponupon him. The little vnreasonable creatures of God condemneth p. 171it: therefore Salomon, Prou. 6. 6. referreth the sluggard to the Pismire, to behold her wayes and bee wise: and Virgil saith of the Bees; Illae continuo saltus …yluas que peragrant, Excudunt ceras, & mella tenacia fingunt Venturae que hyemis memores, aestate laborē Experiuntur, & in mediū quesita reponū … Not like the Grashopper, who singeth all the sommer, but starueth in winter: as many Gentlemens sonnes in their youth are idlely brought vp by their parents, but in the winter of olde age must beg, or try many vnlawfull shifts, because they cannot frame themselues to worke, nor were not in their youth trained vp to vertue. It is a pittie that such should liue in a Kingdome or commonwealth, but hauehave the Apostles Law; He that laboureth not, let him not eate. And a greater pitty it is to see or suffer such idle bringing vp, or rather bringing downe to pouertie and destruction, in a ciuill or well instituted kingdome or commonwealth. God our heauenly p. 176father euer worketh, in propagating, conseruing, and gouerning of his creature, so that if once hee should withdrawe his hand, all should perish; our soule also which resembleth him, is called by Aristotle, foreign: that is a continuall operation. As God then is euer occupied in doing of good, so should we be; and in so farre as we are idle, so farre wee depart from likenesse to God, and our owne soule. The blessed and holy Angels also are euer occupied, either in continuall praising of God their Creator, or in doing his message, for preseruation & ministring to the godly, and punishing of the wicked, whereof many examples are in the Scripture: the glorious Sunne in his swift motion compasseth the earth continually: and assure thy selfe, whosoeuer thou be, that albeit thou bee idle from applying thy minde, or exercising thy selfe in vertue while thou art young, the diuell hee is not idle, who compasseth the earth p. 177too and fro, to intice thy minde to vice, and lay snares before age come, to draw thee to destruction and a shameful end. Neither think, albeit thou be a Noble or Gentlemans sonne or heire, that hath landes or ample possessions, that therefore thou needest not, nor should apply thy minde to vertue, or thy hand to worke: the truely noblest that euer was, Iesus Christ, God & man, whose creatures and worke all Nobles and Kings are, wrought with his hands vnderunder his supposed father Ioseph, in the craft of carpentarie, in all subiection, till the time of his publike ministerie came, wherein hee behoued to goe about his true Fathers businesse. Iacob a great Patriarch, and borne to great possessions, euē the whole land of Canaan, which flowed with milke and hony, yet sent to seruice by his parents, who loued him more deerely and wisely then many who cocker vp their children now, and thinke it an indignitie to p. 178put them to handie-crafts or seruice, being a great deale lesse able to sustaine them, nor hauing so sure a promise that God wil so prouide for them: yet hee being so great a mans sonne, thought no shame nor griefe to serue full 21. yeares in the colde frost of the night without sleepe, and hote sunne burning of the day, and when hee had many seruants and goods, yet still serued painfully, albeit vnderunder an vnthankfull Maister. Moses sometime called the sonne of King Pharao, was called by God to bee the leader of his people to Canaan, from keeping of sheepe in the field: Gideon, sonne to Ioash, father or chiefe of the Ezrites, who had many seruants, as is euident, Iudges, 6. 27. was found threshing wheate himselfe, when the Angell called him to bee Iudge of Israel: Saul, who is called, 1. Sam. 9. 1. the sonne of a man of Beniamin, mighty in power, named Kish, was sent to runne through many countries, with one seruant onelyonly a foote, to p. 179seeke his fathers Asses, that were lost, with no great prouision of money or victualls, as appeareth vers. 7, 8. and thereafter called to bee King of Israel: Dauid likewise from keeping of sheepe: Elisha that great Prophet, called from the Plough: Amos from keeping of cattell: many of the Apostles of Iesus Christ, who shall iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel, and whose doctrines are the twelue foundations of the wall of that spirituall Ierusalem, were called from painefull fishing: Paul a man of great learning and authoritie, yet a Tent-maker: and if thy parents (how noble or gentle soeuer they bee) thinketh thee better then these, or thou thy selfe; then indeede thinke shame to worke, or to apply thy minde to some kinde of vertue or vocation: neither trust onelyonly to thy lands or possessions, for God may giuegive Sathan power, as hee did concerning Iob, to try thee and take thy goods from thee many waies, vnexpected and neuer p. 180thought of. Seeing also he hath giuen them to thee freely, as sufficient meanes to increase and imploy thy talent: & as Salomon saith, Prou. 17. 16. As a price in thy hand to get wisedome; if in idlenesse notwithstanding, without any vocation, thou suffer the same to perish, and waste the means & price improfitably, they shall make thee (howsoeuer for a time the more honored & acceptable before mē) yet the more inexcusable and vile before God, whō thou so dishonourest: for many of these forenamed, had greater possessions then thou canst hauehave, yet laboured with their hands. It is not thy landes that maketh thee noble or gentle, it is onelyonly vertue: Nobilita… sola est at que vnica virtus; and thy predecessors obtained this title only by some vertuous acts, which is deriued to thee; increase therefore the same by vertue, & impaire it not. We reade of an ancient custome and most laudable amongst the Romans, that none was suffered p. 181to goe in the publike streetes without some instrument in his hand, to be thereby known of what vocation he was of, to shew he was not an idle drone in the bee-hiue of the Cōmonwealth, & to teach him that whatsoeuer hee was, not to be ashamed of his calling. And amongst the Indians in these daies, before they eate, they vse to take an account what they hauehave earned or wonne. Iustinian, the Emperour of Rome, exercised himselfe in the lawes, and perfited the law of Nations: Mithridates king of Pontus, was a Phisitian, who first found out that excellent compound called frō his own name, Mithridatum: Quintus Cincinnatus, was called frō the Plough to be Dictator of Rome. And we read of Dyonisius, who being expelled from his Kingdome, that by the vertue he learned in his youth, hee liued in teaching a few youths in a schoole, and therefore onelyonly was called backe to his Kingdome againe. Homer, in commendation of p. 182Vlisses, accounteth this as a note of great honour, mentionating that he could make his owne ships himselfe. Quintus Fabius a most noble Roman, with his owne hands painted the walls of the Temple of Salus, and not thinking shame thereof, but rather coūting it a laudable and auowable thing, agreeable with his honour & degree, affixed thereto, & vnderunder wrote his name. Achilles is recorded to hauehave bin so cūning in cookery, that he thought it no dishonor at a certaine time to shew the same, in dressing a royall and sumptuous supper to certaine Ambassadours who came to him. Constantine the Emperour also had his liuing a long time (…as it is reported) by drawing. And a certaine learned Philosopher in Grecia vaunted, that his cloake & the ring hee wore on his finger, were of his owne making, esteeming it a great praise he could doe so. Therefore, take example of these, that by thy owne vertue thou maiest rather p. 183shine before thy predecessors, then to glance onelyonly by their light: studie to bee called, not onelyonly one of such a race, which is by thy parents, but a vertuous one, of such a race which is by selfe. By trusting to lands or possessions, oft times vertue is neglected, and infamie or no fame followeth: when poore mens sonnes, not hauing lands to trust to, but leaning only to vertue and Gods grace, come to great honour, riches, and renowne: both which, experience teacheth to all men. The pouertie of such as are idle, without any vocation, commeth, as Salomon saith, like a traueller in the hie way, or the necessitie of an armed man, which is suddenly or hastily: and therefore it is, that so many Noblemen or Gentlemen make away with their lands, which their antecessours by their vertue and hard purchase obtained and left to them, they by vertue got it, they by idlenesse & vice consume it. Hence aso it is, that so many old p. 184and young sturdie beggers are in a kingdome or citie: education without vocation. From idlenesse also in youth it is, that so many miserable spectacles are seene, of so many that goe to the gallowes, who behoued to steale, because they applied not their minde to any vertue being young; dum vires anni que sinebant, and now could doe nothing else. Hence it is that so much wickednesse aboundeth, and is committed in the world, as in the time of Sodome and the primitiue world. Whereby wee may know, that the second destruction by fire (as the first was by water) is not farre of. In this clay age hence also it is, that many gentlemen being shooed in their cradle, and now barefooted (as we say) in the saddle, are forced (when Fortune failes them, or rather when God punisheth their idle vp-bringing without vertue) to hauehave the cruell warres as their last and best refuge to goe to, and to be set before the deuouring mouth of p. 185the Canon, and vnderunder the sharpe edge of the sword, when in their youth, if they had betaken themselues to some honest and lawfull vocation, they might hauehave liued quieter at home, done more pleasingly to God, beene more profitable to Church or Commonwealth, in their Country or elsewhere, beene a greater comfort to their friends, and left a better fame and memorie to the posteritie after them, to Gods glory, and the honour of their Countrie and themselues for euer. To conclude, from hence as from the roote, proceedeth all vice and euill, as out of an vntilled ground proceedeth nothing but weedes; Otium enim …omes vitiorum est, otia mentem ad mala multa trahunt: all kinde of sinne ariseth from idlenesse (as Adams fall did from idlenesse in his charge, Gen. 2. 15.) all kinde of sinne is nourished by idlenesse, and idlenes bringeth (as sinne to perfection): so man to the end of sinne, which p. 186is finall and fearefull destruction. For God decreed & appointed mā to labor from the beginning, both in his innocencie, as in the forenamed place, and after his fall. Gen. 3. 19. In the sweate of his face that he should eate bread, till hee returned to the earth. Therefore, let euerie young man examine and redresse this his way, in the ordinarie vocation that God with his special gifts hath fitted him for, In taking heede thereto, without idlenesse, or iniust dealing therein, according to Gods word, that the necessities of life may be supplied, and hee be found rather helpefull then chargeable to any.