Sermons in One Volume, Sermon 11
THE YOVNG MANS TASKE.
Eccleſiaſtes. 12. 1.
Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth.
IF it be ſo, as they ſay, that none but young men do heare our doctrine; then this Text is well choſen for the auditory, to teach young men that which if they learne, they may ſay with Dauid, I hauehave more vnderstanding then the auncient. Pſalm. 119. 100. All Scripture is mans duetie, and anſweres like Iohn Baptiſt to, What ſhall wee doe? In the firſt of Iohn the ſecond and the twelfth, Iohn ſayth, I write vntounto you babes, I write vntounto you children, I write vntounto you fathers, I write vntounto you youngmen, I write vntounto you old men. So the word which is called aflying booke, flyeth from one age to another, from one ſexe to another, from one calling to another, till like a Iudge it hath giuen eueryevery man his charge. Among the reſt, I may call this Scripture, The young mans taske. Wherein the Wiſe man ſheweth, when is the beſt time to ſow the ſeede of vertue, that it may bring foorth the fruite of life, and make a man alway readie to die. Let him remember his Creator in the daies of his youth, and all his life ſhall runne in a line, the middle like the beginning, and the ende like the middle; as the Sunne ſetteth againſt the place where it roſe.
After Salomon had deſcribed man (like Martha) troubling and toyling himſelfe about many things; at laſt hee bringeth him to that one thing neceſſarie, which Chriſt taught Marie: and ſhewes him, that if he had begun there at firſt, he had found that which he ſought without trouble, and been happier many yeares ſince, than he is now. Therefore to them which are young Salomon ſhewes, what a vantage they hauehave aboue the aged like a ſhip, which ſeeing another ſhip ſinke before her, lookes about her, pulles downe her ſayle, turneth her courſe, and eſcapes the ſands, which would ſwallow her, as they had done the other.
So they which are young, neede not trie the ſnares and allurements of the worlde, or the iſſues and effectes of ſinne, which olde men hauehave tried before them, but take the tryall and experience of others, and goe a neerer way to obtaine their wiſhed deſires. That is this (ſayth Salomon) If thou wouldeſt hauehave any ſetled peace or heartie ioye in this vaine or tranſitorie worlde, which thou haſt beene ſeeking all the time ſince thou wert borne, thou muſt Remember thy Creator, which did make thee, which hath elected thee, which hath redeemed thee, which daylie preſerueth thee, which will for euer glorifie thee: and as the kinde remembrance of a friende doth recreate the minde, ſo to thinke and meditate vponupon GOD, will ſupply thy thoughts, diſpell thy griefes, and make thee cheerefull, as the ſight of the Arke comforted Dauid: for ioye, and comfort, and pleaſure is whereas God is, as light, and cheerefulnes, and beautie is whereas the Sunne is. Nowe, if thou wouldeſt hauehave this ioy, and comfort, & pleaſure to bee long, and wouldeſt eſcape thoſe thouſand miſeries, vexations, and vanities, which Salomon by many weary and tedious tryals ſought to make naked before thee, & yet held all but vanitie when hee had founde the way, thou muſt Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, at the firſt ſpring time, and then thy happyneſſe ſhall bee as long as thy life; and all thy thoughts while thou remaineſt on earth, a foretaſte of the glorie of Heauen. This is the ſumme of Salomons counſaile.
Salomon findes man ſeeking happineſſe out of the way, as Eſau hunted long for a bleſſing, and yet went without it: he pities to ſee him ſeeke and not finde, to runne and not obtaine: therefore he ſetteth him in the way like a guide ſent from heauen, which often had ſtrayed himſelfe before, and being now recouered to his right way, ſtands like a mark of knowledge in the turnings that leade vntounto blinde by-waies, to direct all thoſe that paſſe by, that they may followe the readie path that leadeth to eternall happineſſe.
And becauſe the Trauailour marcheth cheerefully, which knoweth his way before he ſetteth foorth: therefore from the firſt ſetting forth, euen from the time of youth, when a man beginneth to runne his pilgrimage, Salomon tels him how he ſhall therein prepare himſelfe to walke, and ſets him in a faire high way, wherein is no turning either to the right hand or the left, which he calleth, the remembrance of GOD. As if he ſhould ſay, Walke with God as Enoch did, and remember well, that he which ſhall be thy Iudge, doth ſee all that thou doeſt, and heareth thee at euerie worde: and this thought ſhall keepe thee in the way at all times, like the clowde and piller of fire which went before the Children of Iſrael aſwell by day as night, when they trauailed in the wildernes.
In the next chapter before, and the ninth verſe, Salomon ſayd, Reioyce O young man in thy youth: now he hath chaunged his note to Remember O young man in thy youth. No more Reioyce, but Remember. Salomon mocked before, and ſhewed what they did remember: here he ſhewes what they ſhould remember, leaſt anie Libertine ſhould miſconſter him and ſay, Salomon taught vsus to reioyce, Salomon gaue vsus leaue to ſinne, Salomon ſaid, doe as ye liſt, for you are yong men, and hauehave a priuiledge to bee laſciuious and vaine: he recants with a breath, and denyes forthwith his word, euen where he ſpake it.
What ſayd I? Reioyce O young man in thy youth? I would ſay, Remember O young man in thy youth. So God mockes vsus while wee ſinne, like Michaiah, which bad Achab fight agaynſt Aram, and then forbad him againe: ſo hee bids them reioyce, and forbids them agayne. Reioyce not in thy youth, but repent in thy youth. One would thinke that Salomon ſhould hauehave giuen this Memorandum rather to olde men then to young men, let them repent which looke to dye. Oh ſaith Ieremie,Lam. 3▪ 27. it is good for a man to beare the yoake in his youth: if it be good to ſuffer in youth, it is better to learne in youth. Therefore if Dauid wiſht that his tongue might cleaue to the roofe of his mouth,Pſal 137. 6 if hee forgot Ieruſalem: what are they worthie which forget GOD the King of Ieruſalem? Can a childe forget his father? Is not GOD our Father? therefore who is too young to remember him, ſeeing the childe doth knowe his father? As the deepeſt wounds had neede to be firſt tented: ſo the vnſtableſt mindes hauehave neede to bee firſt confirmed. In this extremitie is youth, as Salomon ſhewes them before hee teacheth them. For in the laſt verſe of the former chapter, he calleth youth vanitie, as if he would ſpeake all euill in a word, and ſay that youth is euen the age of ſinne. Therfore when he had ſhewed young men their ſollie vnderunder the name of vanitie, like a good Tutor he taketh them to ſchoole, and teacheth them their dutie: Remember thy Creator, as though all ſinne were the forgetfulneſſe of God, and all our obedience came from this remembrance, that God created vsus after his owne image, in righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, to ſerue him here for a while, and after to inherit the ioyes which he hath himſelfe. Which if we did remember, doubles it would make vsus aſhamed to thinke and ſpeake, and doe as wee are woont. For what man dooth remember his Creator, or why he was created, while he ſweareth and forſweareth, and maketh his trade of ſinne, as though there were no God to iudge, nor hell to puniſh.
This is becauſe the remembrance of God which would wake ſinners, is ſo chaſed from men, for feare it ſhould curbe them of their pleaſures, that they dare not thinke of him, but ſtriue to forget him, that they may ſinne without feare. Therefore he becommeth a Schoolemaſter for God, and calleth children vntounto him before they be corrupted, to teach them this one leſſon for the guide of their life, Remember thy Creator. To which he draweth them as it were with two cordes: the ſhort ſlight of their youth, and the infinite infirmities of age. To ſhew how ſoone our youth is gone, which we thinke will neuer hauehave ende: Salomon doth not reckon it by yeares, but by dayes, in the dayes of thy youth: ſo the Scripture numbers our life, by dayes and houres, and minutes, to teach vsus to make vſe of al our time, and eueryevery day to thinke vponupon the ende. Yet leaſt they ſhould poſt ouer this remembrance vntounto age, which is the generall daye that all ſet to repent, after this verſe Salomon brings in the old man deafe, and blinde, and lame, and ſtammering, for the young man to behold, as if he ſhould ſay: looke my ſonne, is this man fit to learne? which cannot heare, nor ſee, nor ſpeake, nor goe? Therefore remember thou thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth before this dotage come. This then is the leuell of our meſſage, to haſten them forward which trauell towards heauen, becauſe there is a great ſpace betweene God and vsus, and much a doe to aſpire the toppe of mount Sion, but more a doe to aſpire the top of the mount of heauen.
Therefore as Abraham roſe early to ſacrifice his ſonne in the morning,Gen. 22. 3 ſo in the morning of thy life ſacrifice thy ſelfe to God, and let him which is Alpha in eueryevery thing, be Alpha in thy conuerſion, that is, the beginning as well as the ende. Becauſe wee are giuen to ſet the beſt laſt, that wee may hauehave a longer time for our ſinnes and pleaſures, like the Iewes in the 1. of Agge & 2. which ſaid alway, the time was not yet come when they ſhould build the temple. Therefore the holy Ghoſt crieth ſo often:2. Cor. 6. 2. This is the acceptable time, this is the day of ſaluation, to day heare his voyce, like Rebeccah which taught her ſonne the neareſt waie to get the bleſſing.Gen. 27. 9. When Chriſt went about to caſt out diuels, they ſaid,Mat. 8. 29. that he tormented them before the time: ſo whenſoeuer thou goeſt about to diſmiſſe thy ſinnes and pleaſures, though thou ſtay till thou bee an olde man, yet they will ſay ſtill that thou diſmiſſeſt them before the time. But then is the time, when the diuell ſaith, the time is not yet, for the diuell is a lier, & knoweth that with what liquor our veſſels be ſeaſoned at firſt, they will taſt of the ſame euer after, whether it be good or bad. Therefore as God ſueth to hauehave vsus begin at goodneſſe, ſo the diuell wooes vsus to begin at wickedneſſe: alledging either that wee are not reſolued yet to leaue our pleaſures, or els that God is exceeding mercifull to ſinners, or elſe that we ſhall hauehave ſpace enough to ſerue him hereafter. So he ſtands as it were at the ladder foote, and keepes vsus off with theſe weapons, that wee cannot get vponupon the firſt ſtaffe, but one thought or other pulleth vsus backe, when the foote is in the ſtirrop, ready to ride away from all our ſinnes at once. Thus wee hauehave long purpoſed to ſerue God, and eueryevery man thinketh that hee ſhould be ſerued, but wee cannot accord of the time when to beginne: One ſaith when I am rich, an other ſaith when I am free, another ſaith, when I am ſetled, an other ſaith when I am olde, then my pleaſure will leaue me, and I ſhall be fitter to faſt and pray, and ſequeſter my ſelfe, but now I ſhal be mocked if I be not like others. Thus like bad borrowers, when our day is paſt alreadie, we craue a longer and a longer, and yet a longer, til we be arreſted with death: ſo the prince of creatures dieth, before he conſidered why hee liued, for as no diſcipline is vſed where Chriſts diſcipline is neglected, ſo no time is obſerued, where Gods time is omitted.
It is an olde ſaying; Repentance is neuer too late, but it is a true ſaying; Repentance is neuer too ſoone.1. Cor. 9. 24. Therefore we are commaunded to runne, that wee may obtaine, which is the ſwifteſt pace of man.Exo. 25. 20. The Cherubines were portraited with wings before the place where the Iſraelites praied, to ſhew how quickly they went about the Lords buſineſſe. The Hound which runnes but for the Hare, girdes foorth, ſo ſoone as he ſees the Hare ſtart: the Hawke which flyeth but for the Partridge, taketh her flight ſo ſoone as ſhe ſpyes the Patridge ſpring: ſo we ſhould followe the woord ſo ſoone as it ſpeaketh, and come to our Maſter ſo ſoone as hee calleth. For God requiring the firſt borne for his offering, and the firſt fruites for his ſeruice, requireth the firſt labours of his ſeruants, and as I may ſay, the maidenhead of eueryevery man. Therefore ſo ſoone as man was created, a law was giuen him,Ge. 2. 15. 16 to ſhew that hee ſhould liue vnderunder obedience from the day that hee is borne. So ſoone as he is borne, hee is baptized in the name of God, to ſhew that when we cannot runne to Chriſt, we ſhould creepe vntounto him, and ſerue him as we can in youth and age: ſo ſoone as hee beginneth to praye, hee ſaith, Thy name be hallowed, thy kingdome come, thy will be doone, before hee aske his dayly bread, to ſhew that wee ſhould ſeeke the will of God, before the food which we liue by, much more before the ſinnes and pleaſures which we periſh by: ſo ſoone as the Lord diſtributed the Talents, he enioyned his ſeruants to vſe them. Who is ſo young which hath not receiued ſome talēt or other: therefore youth cannot excuſe him, becauſe the talent requires to be asked of eueryevery one which hath it. So ſoone as God had created the man and the woman, hee commanded them to increaſe and multiplie: ſhall we increaſe and multiplie in the fleſh, before we encreaſe and multiplie in the ſpirit: the firſt thing which God did after hee had created heauen and earth, he did ſeparate light from darkenes,Gen. 1. 14. to ſhew vsus how we ſhould ſeparate good from euill, before our good become euill.
The firſt leſſon that Iohn taught, was: Repent, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. Math. 3. 2. The firſt leſſon that the Diſciples taught, was, Repent too, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand, Matth. 10. And the firſt leſſon that Chriſt taught, was repent, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand, Matth. 4. 10. to teach vsus what we ſhould do firſt. Repent was the firſt leſſon to yong and old: For what can we owe God to morrow, which wee are not indebted to day? Therefore Dauid prayed, Teach mee O Lord to number my dayes: Pſal. 90. 12.not yeares, nor my moneths, nor my weekes. but my dayes, ſhewing that we ſhall anſwere for daies as well as yeares, for to day as well as to morrow: and for our youth as ſtraightly as our age, which made him cry, Remember not the ſinnes of my youth: which hee would not hauehave ſpoken, if God did not marke the ſinnes of youth as well as age. Therefore he calleth children vntounto him as Salomon dooth, and ſaith, that hee will teach them the feare of the Lord. For ſhould children honor their father and not honour God. It was a ſweete comfort, when the children went before Chriſt to his temple, and ſang there Hoſanna, to make their fathers aſhamed, which did not know the Meſſias when he came, when their little children knew him. It is written that when Chriſt heard a young man anſwer, that hee had kept the commaundementes from his youth, Chriſt beganne to louelove him, which ſhewes how Chriſt loueth theſe timelie beginnings, when wee make him our nurſe, and drawe our firſt milke from his breſts. There is not one confeſſion for olde men, and another for young men, the old man ſaith not, I did beleeue in God: the young man ſaith not, I will beleeue in God, but both ſay, I doe beleeue in God, for hee which is called I am, in the third of Exodus, loueth, I am, and careth not for, I was, nor I will be. When Chriſt aſketh Peter, Loueſt thou me? he looketh that Peter ſhould anſwere him, Yea Lord I louelove thee: and not driue him off as Felix did Paule, I will heare thee, I will louelove thee, when I hauehave a conuenient time. For he which will not come when God cals, whatſoeuer he ſay, it is impoſſible that hee ſhould reſolue to come heereafter: for hee which is euill, how ſhould hee reſolue to bee good? therefore now or neuer, now and euer, the tree which buddeth not in ſpring, is dead all the yeare. when a man is firſt maried, he may vſe the matter ſo, to winne his wife vntounto him, or to eſtrange her hart for euer. when a Paſtor commeth firſt to a place, with a ſmall matter he may make the ſimple people like him or diſlike him, ſo long as he ſtaieth: when the heire comes to his lands, lightly all his tenants beginne to ſpeake well of him, or euill of him. when a Prince commeth to the crowne, by the lawes which hee maketh, firſt the people geſſe how he will rule euer after: and eyther diſpoſe theyr hearts to louelove him, or wiſh his death.
Therefore the ſage and beaten counſaylers aduiſed Rehoboam when he beganne to raigne:1. Chro. 10. Shew thy ſelfe louing to the people this day, and they will be thy ſeruants for euer. As though all the dayes after could not doo ſo much as the firſt: Such a victorie it is to beginne well, as our Prouerbe ſaith: hee which hath begunne well, is halfe his waye, eſpeciallie it is good for a man to beginne his repentance, before he learne to be euill: For herein our minds do follow our bodyes. If our children bee deformed in their youth, we neuer looke to ſee them well ſauored: ſo if the minde be planted in ſinne, ſildome any goodneſſe buddeth out of that ſtocke. For vertue muſt hauehave a time to growe, the ſeede is ſowne in youth, which commeth vp in age.
And if we can ſay of others, when we ſee a graceleſſe boye, thou wilt prooue a wagſtring, if thou liue to bee elder, why ſhould wee, if we begin as ill as hee, thinke that wee ſhall bee better and better, which iudge that he will be worſe and worſe; as the arrowe is directed at the firſt, ſo it flyeth all the waye, ouer, or vnderunder, or beſide, but it neuer findeth the marke, vnleſſe it bee leuelled right in the hand; ſo they which make an euill beginning foreſpeake themſelues as it were at the firſt, and wander out all their race, becauſe when they ſhould hauehave leuied their life, they tooke their aime amiſſe. Therefore happie are they which hauehave the arrowe in theyr hande, and day before them, for they neede not wiſhe to bee yong againe. Now kill the ſerpent in the egge, for when he is a ſerpent he wil kil thee, if thou cannot ouercome ſinne in the infancie, before the roote faſten, and the fence bee made about it: how wilt thou ſtruggle with the Lion, when he ſeeth his pawes? and ſinne is become like an olde man, ſo tough and froward, that he will not heare. As harde as it is to reclaime one of theſe olde ſinners, or graunde Papiſts, which are incorporate into poperie, and as poyſon is ſetled in a ſerpent; ſo harde it will bee to reclaime thee, when thou wilt beginne to ſaye, it hath beene my cuſtome, and I cannot leaue it.
Trie thy ſtrength but with one of thy ſins: and ſee what ſhifts, what excuſes, what delayes it will find, and how it will importune thee to let it alone, as the diuell tormented the Childe before hee went out: if thou canſt not diſcharge one vice that thou haſt accuſtomed thy ſelfe vntounto, when all thy vices are become cuſtomes, how wilt thou wraſtle with them?
Therefore wee bende the Tree while it is a twigge, and breake the Horſe while hee is a Colte, and teach the Dogge while hee is a whelpe: and tame the Eagle while hee is young.
Youthe is like the daye, to doo all our woorkes in. For when the night of age commeth, then euerie man ſayeth, I might hauehave beene learned, I might hauehave beene a teacher, I might hauehave beene like him or him, but the harueſt was paſt, before I beganne to ſowe; And Winter is come, now my fruite ſhould rype. Thus euerie man that is olde ſaith, he cannot doe that which hee thought to doe, and crieth with Salomon: Catechiſe the Childe in his youth, and he will remember it when he is olde: ſo corrupt him in his youth, and he will remember that too.Dan. 1. This Nabuchadnezzar perceiued, and therefore hee choſe the towardlieſt children of the Iſraelites to traine them vp in idolatrie, like the popiſh Seminaries, that they might be his inſtruments another day: If he had let them alone till they had learned the truth firſt, hee thought that they would not take his way: therefore hee tooke them before they had any religion, to frame them to his religion. If idolatours and Papiſts be ſo cunning in their generation, to poyſon their Children betime, leaſt they ſhould prooue Chriſtians after, what care appertaineth to Chriſtians to ſeaſon their children in the ſpring, like the vertuous Ladie which Iohn commendeth, leaſt they prooue papiſts and traytours, and reprobates, when they looke for comfort of them. There was nothing which made Rehoboam to chooſe ſuch young counſailers, when hee beganne to raigne, but becauſe they were his companions before: therefore they became his counſailers after. This is the preferment of our ſinnes, if they hauehave been our companions in youth, in age they will looke to be our counſailers and maſters too. Therefore the beſt ſeaſon to ſeeke GOD, is to ſeeke him early before the floudes of wrath ariſe, and the heape of ſinnes ſtand vp like a rampired wall betweene GOD and vsus. They which ſeeke mee earlie, ſhall finde mee, ſaith Wiſdome, in the 8. of Prouerbes: but to them which deferre (ſhee ſaith) they ſhall ſeeke mee, but they ſhall not finde me; 1. Prouerbes: becauſe they did not chooſe the feare of the Lorde: that is, when good and euill were ſet before them, they did preferre euill before good, as a man chooſeth that which hee liketh. Therefore when they ſeeke mee (ſaith GOD) they ſhall not finde mee. How doe yee ſay then that yee will ſeeke GOD, when God himſelfe ſaieth that yee ſhall not finde him? Therefore in the 4. of Prouerbes and the 7. Wiſedome is called the beginning, to teach vsus to ſeeke Wiſedome in the beginning.Mat. 6. 33. For ſaith Chriſt, If yee ſeeke the kingdome of heauen firſt, all the rest ſhall bee cast vponupon you: hee ſaith not, if you ſeeke the world firſt, heauen ſhall bee caſt vponupon you, but if you ſeeke heauen firſt, worldly things ſhall be caſt vponupon you. Hee which dooth beleeue this, would firſt ſeeke the kingdome of heauen, for that which followeth; that all the reſt might bee caſt vponupon him, as when Salomon deſired wiſdome before honour, God gaue him wiſdome and honour too,Ioh. 5. 2. becauſe he ſought the beſt firſt.
There was a poole in Iurie, where the ſicke and Leprous laye, for at one time of the daye, the Angell came and ſtirred the water, and then he which ſtept in firſt was healed of his diſeaſe: hee which ſtept in firſt was healed ſaith Iohn, none but hee which ſtept in firſt; ſo he which taketh time is ſure, but he which foreſloweth time oftener faileth then ſpeedeth. For when golden opportunitie is paſt, no time will fit for her. If Elias would bee ſerued before the widdow, when ſhee had but a little cruſe of Oyle, which was not enough to ſerue her ſelfe; will God be ſerued after Elias, will God bee ſerued after thee? Nay after the fleſh and after the diuell? Thou maiſt reade in the 19. of Leuit. and the 13. that GOD would not hauehave the labourers hire ſtaie in thy hands all night, but would hauehave thee pay him before thou ſleepe. If God would not hauehave the labourers due ſtay in thy hands one night; how dareſt thou keepe his due from him day and night? ſo many dayes and nights, and weekes, and moneths and yeares together? where is the morning ſacrifice which God requireth: nay where is the euening ſacrifice which God requireth: the glomy morning hath ouercaſt the whole day, doeſt thou thinke it enough if thou do not ſit in the chaire of ſcorners, or if thou do not ſtād in the waie of ſinners? hee which ſtandeth ſtayeth not, he which ſitteth taketh his eaſe, but he which walketh goeth his way. Yet he which walketh in the way of ſinners, though hee neither ſit nor ſtand, is not of the bleſſed number. But hee which neither ſitteth, nor ſtandeth, nor walketh, is bleſſed ſaith Dauid, Pſalm. 1. ver. 1. Alas then why doe we ſit, if they which ſtande are accurſſed, and they which walke are not bleſſed?Math 6. 33. Chriſt ſaieth, First ſeeke the kingdome of God, and wee ſay firſt, let mee burie my father, firſt let me bid my friendes farewell, and ſo many things firſt. So long in burying our Father, and bidding our friends farewell: that is the riches, and honours, and pleaſures of this worlde, that there is no time left to ſeeke the kingdome: but followe mee, is turned to, followe vsus, Chriſt muſt followe our ſinnes, and come after our pleaſures, or elſe he ſhall not be ſerued at al. When we were Children, we deferred tyll we were men: when we are men, we deferre tyll wee bee olde men, when wee are olde men, wee deferre tyll death: in all our lyfe wee finde no leaſure to liue well, but flit from ſinne to ſin, from wicked thoughts to wicked ſpeeches, from wicked ſpeeches to wicked deedes, as the flie skippeth from ſcab to ſcab, vntill wee bee caſt ſo farre behinde, that we hauehave no courage to goe forward, or elſe ſtraied ſo far out of our way, that wee care not to ſeeke it againe. Therefore I cannot ſay to you as Chriſt ſaide: First ſeeke the kingdome of heauen, for then you ſhould hauehave ſought it long agoe, but now I muſt ſay with the Apoſtle, Redeeme the time, and at laſt, Seeke the kingdome of heauen. For it is to be feared, that as little flies when many came together, plagued and deſtroyed the Egyptians: ſo ſhort houres, but many in ſinne and ſecuritie will ſteale away our whole life, and deceiue our repentance, while wee liue like beaſts longer then Nabuchadnezzar. There be not many Lots, but many linger like Lot, loth to depart, vntill they ſee the fire burne. If the Angell had not ſnatched him awaie, Lot had periſhed with Sodome for his delaye.
There be not fiue fooliſh Virgins, and fiue wiſe, but fiue for one knock when the doore is ſhut. There bee not many Simeons, but many as old as Simeon, which neuer yet imbraced Chriſt in their hearts. They thought to repent before they were ſo olde, yet now they doate for age, they are not olde enough to repent yet. Naye I anſwere, many Maſters of Iſraell, Maiors, Aldermen, Sheriffes, Iuſtices, Ba…liffes, Conſtables, Gentlemen, know no more what it is to be borne againe; than Nicodemus which came by night: line after line, ſermon after ſermon, and the Black more like himſelfe. All their tearms are vacations, all their religion, promiſes; and all their promiſes hypocriſes. In ſtead of catechiſing their children, as Salomon teacheth them, they catechiſe them to hunt & hawke, to ride and vaute, to ruffle & ſweare, to game and daunce, as they were catechiſed themſelues; leaſt the childe ſhould prooue better than his father, and then he is qualified like a Gentleman. Is this to ſeeke the kingdome of heauen firſt, or laſt, or not at all? Woe to the ſecuritie, woe to the ſtubbornneſſe, woe to the drouſineſſe of this age. The theefe commeth at midnight, and we ſleep till the dawning of the day; we let in ſathan, before wee bid him auoyd; we ſell our birthright, before it come to our hands; we ſeek for oyle, when our lampes ſhould burne: this daye paſſeth like yeſterday, and to morrowe we will ſpend like this day. So hee which ſhould hauehave the firſt fruites, can get no fruites, becauſe we mar the ground before we ſowe it.
Conſider this, ye which might hauehave known a thouſand things more than yee doo, if yee had begun when Salomon taught you.
God will not alway knocke at the doore, Chriſt will not alway clocke like an Henne, Iohn will not alway crie in the wilderneſſe; but mercy is in the foreward, and iudgement in the rereward. They which can ſaye now, We hauehave a prophet; ſhall ſay, We had a prophet, but wee entertained him like the Gergeſites: ſo God ſent him awaie from vsus like Ionah to the Niniuites, when the Iſraelites deſpiſed him. Yet Wiſedome cryeth in the ſtreetes, Let euerie Ioſeph ſtore vp before the famine come: for he which promiſeth thee pardon when thou dooſt returne, dooth not promiſe that to morrowe thou ſhalt returne. Repentance is a gift, and a gift muſt be taken when it is offered. The time paſt is gone, and thou canſt not recall that to repent in; the time to com is vncertaine, & thou canſt not aſſure that to repent in; the preſent time is onelyonly thine, and thou maieſt repent in that: but anone that will be gone too. Therefore, as Samuell began to ſerue God in his minoritie, as Timothie read the Scriptures in his childhood, and Iohn grewe in ſpirit as hee rypened in yeares; ſo whether thou be olde or yong thy repentance cānot come too ſoone, becauſe thy ſinne is gone before. If thou lackeſt a ſpurre to make thee runne, ſee how euerie day runneth awaye with thy life, youth commeth vponupon childhood, age commeth vponupon youth, death commeth vponupon age, with ſuch a ſwift ſaile; that if all our minutes were ſpent in mortifying our ſelues, yet our glaſſe would bee runne out, before wee had purged halfe our corruptions. All theſe examples & ſentences, and Prouerbs, and reaſons do cry with Salomon, Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. This is the Kings commendation or greeting to the Colledge of youth. But how ſhould young men remember God, when olde men forget him? If Noah be drunke, who ſhall rebuke Cham? It is time to remember GOD in age, or to forget him for euer. Therefore as the Iſralites gathered twice ſo much Manna the day before the Sabboath as they gathered any day before that, becauſe they might not gather vpō the Sabbaoth; ſo the gray head which looketh euerie day for the laſt Sabbaoth when he ſhall reſt in the graue, ſhould pray twice as much, heare twice as much, doo twice as much, to prepare the ſacrifice of his bodie & ſoule readie and acceptable vntounto GOD; becauſe the night is at hand, when he cannot heare, nor pray, nor repent any more. It is ſaid, the Diuel is very buſie becauſe his time is ſhort, but an old mans is ſhorter. What haſte ſhould he make, that muſt goe farther than the Mores, than the Sunne in a yeare, or a mouth, or a weeke, which the Saintes were going all their life. Therefore, if youth had neede of legges, age had neede of wings to flie vntounto God. But as Chriſt ſaide, The poore receiue the Goſpell, though the rich be more bound; ſo we may ſay, the yong men receiue the Goſpel, though the olde men hauehave more cauſe.
The yong men follow Chriſt, the yong men heare the word, the yong men ſanctifie themſelues, the young men ſtande for the church, the yong men beare the heate of this day: olde Noah is drunke, old Lot is ſleepie olde Sampſon hath loſt his ſtrength. Once the yonger brother did ſteale the bleſſing from the elder, & now he hath got it againe, as the malice of Eſau ſhewes, which perſecutes him for it. I ſpeake it to their ſhame, they that weare the furres and ſcarlets, as though they were all wiſedome, and grauitie, and holines euen to the skirtes, may ſay as Zedechias ſaid to Micaiah, When did the ſpirit depart from me and goe to thee? When did zeale depart from vsus, and goe to you? They are ſo nouſeled to the world, and acquainted with ſinne, that it is too late now for the world to ſpeake vntounto them; they may looke vponupon the ſignes of wiſdome, and grauitie, and holines, when they ſee their long beards, and gray heads, & ſide gownes, and aske why is this buſh hanged out, and no wine within? What meruaile then if they be not reuerenced, but mockt and pointed at, when Sem and Iaphet had need to come againe, and couer their nakedneſſe? What a ſhame was it to the Iſraelites, when Chriſt ſaide by a Canaanite, I hauehave not found ſo great faith in Iſrael? So what a ſhame is it to the elders, that Chriſt may ſaye againe, I hauehave not found ſo great faith nor knowledge nor zeale in Maſters, and Fathers, and Rulers, as in ſeruants, and children, and prentiſes? Which made an olde Father of this Citie ſay, which now is with God, that if there were any good to bee done in theſe dayes, it is the yong men that muſt doe it, for the olde men are out of date, their courage ſtoopes like their ſhoulders, their zeale is withered, like their browes; their faith ſtaggereth like their feete, and their religion is dead before them. Bee aſſured of this that yee are come to that time which your ſelues ſet to repent: and yet as though there were another age to repent after olde age: for you ſpende olde age like youth, as if you were appointed to die in your ſinnes. God hath choſen the weake things ſaith Paul, 1. Cor. 1. ſo I may ſay, God hath choſen the young things to doe his woorke: as if the Lord had ſpoken to you in his wrath, Fathers I will prouoke you by your children, Maſters I will prouoke you by your ſeruants, as once hee threatned to prouoake the Iewes by the Gentiles. Therefore be of good cheere yong Daniel, yong Samuel, yong Timothie, though our aduerſaries be as the Aramites, yet there be mo with vsus, than againſt vsus. Fleſh & blood could not ouercome fleſh and blood: but if you be ſanctified, it is the ſpirite which hath ſanctified you; for the diuell would not goe out, vnles a ſtronger than the diuell had entred the houſe; when you come to be richer, and elder like Demas, then take heed that ye doo not embrace the world as Demas did, & turne to that which ye condemne. The vine would not leaue her grapes, nor the oliue her fatnes, nor the fig-tree her ſweetnes to bee a King, but the bramble did; hee is not a vine, nor an oliue, nor a fig-tree, but a bramble, made for the fire, which leaueth his righteouſnes to become worſe. He which is of the Church, will ſay with the Church, I hauehave waſhed my feete, how ſhould I defile them again? Let the dogge turne to his vomite, and the ſwine to their walloing, but hold thou on thy ſacrifice like Abraham to the euening of thy life, and a full meaſure ſhalbe meaſured vntounto thee, as thou haſt meaſured thy ſelfe. VntoUnto the which meaſure without meaſure, the Lord Ieſus bring vsus.
FINIS.