Compassionate Counsel to All Young Men, Chapter 12 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XII. Counsel to the Sons of the Nobility and Magistrates.
THough men of your rank, are furthest out of the hearing of such as I, and usually the greatest contemners of our Counsel, yet will not that excuse us from due compassion to the Land our of Nativity, nor from Love and Pity to your selves, nor from any probable Ministerial attempt to do you good.
Your dangers are much greater than other mens; or else Christ had never so often told us, how hard it is for Rich men to be saved; and how few such escape the Idolatrous damning Love of the World, and become sincere believers and followers of a Crucified Saviour, Luke 12. and 16. &c.
I. One part of your great danger is, that you are commonly bred up among the baits of sensuality. It is not for nothing that fulness of bread is made one of the sins of Sodom, Ezek. 16.49. and that he that after lay in the flames of Hell is described, as richly cloathed and faring sumptuously every day. Not that all rich Cloathes or sumptuous seasonable Feasting is a sin, but that these use both to signifie sensuality and to cherish it. Its the sure brand of the ungodly, to be Lovers of Pleasure more than of God. They that but seldom come where tempting plenty is, of delicious meats and drinks are too often overcome: But they that are bred up, where plenty of both these is daily before them, are in greater danger, lest their Table and their Drink become a snare.
Feast not therefore without fear, remember that flesh-pleasing sensuality is as damnable in the rich as in the poor, and that the greatest wealth will not allow you to take any more for quantity or quality, than standeth with Temperance, and truly tendeth to fit you for your duty, your riches are given you in trust as God's Stewards, to serve your Countrey, and relieve the poor, and to promote good uses, but not to serve your fleshly lusts, nor to be abused to excess or cherish sin. To be sober and temperate is the interest of your own Souls and Bodies, and under your great Temptations the more laudable.
II. Another of your dangers is the ill examples of too many persons of your rank. You are apt to think that their wealth and Pomp and Power makes them more imitable than others, as being more Honourable. And if they wallow in drunkenness or filthy lust, or talk prophanely, you may think that such sins are the less disgraceful.
But can you dream that they are the less Dangerous and Damnable. Will God fear them or spare them. Must they not die and be judged as well as the lowest. Is it not an aggravation of their sin, that its done by men that had the greatest Mercies, and were put in trust and honour purposely to suppress sin in the World. As their places signifie more than others, so do their sins; and accordingly shall they be punished: Doth the quondam Wealth, Honour or Pleasures of a Dives, a Pharaoh, an Ahab, a Herod, a Pilate, a Nero, ease a lost tormented Soul.
III. Another of your Temptations will be Pride, and overvaluing of your selves, because of wealth and worldly honour. But this is so foolish a sin and against such notorious humbling evidence, that as it is the Devils Image, it is natures shame. Is not your flesh as corruptible as a Beggars. Do you not think what is within that skin? And how a Leprosie, or the Small Pox, would make you look, and how you must shortly leave all your glory, and your bodies become unpleasant spectacles? Do you not think what it is to lye rotting in a Grave and turn to Earth? And do you not know how much more loathsome a thing all the Vice and Unholiness of your Souls is; And what it is to have to do with a Holy God, and to be near to judgment and an endless State. He is mad in sin that such considerations will not humble.
IV. Another of your dangers is from flatterers, that will be pleasing and praising you, but never tell you of that which should humble you and awake you, to the sence of your Everlasting concerns. But none here are so dangerous as a Flattering Clergy, who being themselvs carnal worldlings would serve that flesh which is their Master, by your Favour and Beneficence. Ahab had such Prophets that said go and prosper; in whose mouths the Devil was a lying Spirit. How many sincere men have been undone by such.
Remember then what it is to be a sinful man, and what need you have of vigilant Friends and Pastors, that will deal faithfully with you, as if it were on your death Bed: And encourage such, and abhorre worldly flatterers. Your Souls have need of as strong Physick, and as plain dealing as the poorest mens, and therefore bear it, and thankfully accept it.
V. And one of your greatest dangers here will be, that your own fleshly minds and this worldly sort of men, especially if of the Clergy, will be drawing you to false contemptuous thoughts of serious Godliness, and of serious godly men. When as if you be not such your selves you are undone for ever, and all your flatterers, your big Names, Wealth and Honour will neither save you nor ease your pains in Hell. As ever you believe there is a God, believe that you owe him the utmost reverence, obedience and love, that your faculties can perform. And as ever you care what becomes of you for ever, pay him this great due, and hate all that would divert you; and much more all those diabolical suggestions, which would draw you to think that a needless thing which must be your life and all.
VI. But above all I beseech you fear and watch, lest you be drawn to espouse any thing as your interest, which is against the interest, and command of Christ, and against his Kingdom, or the good of his Church, or the Commonwealth. As the Devil first undid the World, by making deceived Eve believe, that Gods command was against her interest, so doth he to this day, but with none so much as with Nobles and Rich men. God hath commanded you nothing but what is for your own good, nor forbidden you any thing but what is for your own and others hurt. He needs not you or any; but you must allow him to be God, and therefore to be wiser and better than you, & to know better what is best & fittest for you and others: But Satan will slander to you Gods Laws, Ways and Servants; for he is for your enmity and separation from God, and therefore would draw you to believe, that that he and his ways are Enemies to you, and against your pleasure, honour, domination, commodity or ease. O how many Princes and Great Men have been utterly undone, by believing the Flesh, the Devil and his Ministers, that Christianity is against their power, honour or other interests, and that the Scripture is too precise, and that Conscience, obeying God before them, is against their power and prerogative, and so have set them as Enemies to keep under Conscience and serious godliness, lest obedience to their wills be thereby hindred.
Yea how many also so dote, as to think that the interest of Head, Heart, Stomack and Members, of Rulers and Subjects, stand not in Union, but in contrariety and victory against each other. Wo to the Land that hath such Rulers, and to the poor Tenants that have such Land-Lords. But much more wo to such selfish oppressours, that had rather be feared than loved, and take it for their honour to be free and able to do mischief, and destroy those, whose common welfare should be more pleasant to them than their own. And to them especially that take serious godliness, and godly men to be against them, and therefore bend their wit and power to suppress them; as if they said as Luke 19.27. We will not have this man reign over us, whom Christ will destroy as his unthankful Enemies, and will break them with his Iron rod, and dash in peices as a potters vessel, Psal. 2.
VII. As you love your selves and the common good, get good men about you, read Ps. 101.15, 16. Especially faithful teachers, and next godly Friends and Servants, and Companions, and read much the Histories of the Lives of wise and Godly men, such as K. Edw. 6th. and the Lord Harrington, young men, imitate such excellent persons as Scripture and other History justly commend to your imitation. It will be profitable to read the Lives of worthy men, such as are gathered by Mr. Clerk, Dr. Fuller, Thuanus, Beza, yea of the Martyrs; and of such Christian Princes as Constantine M. Theodosius, &c. Maximilian 2d. Emperor, Iohn Frederick of Saxony, Philip of Hassia, Ludov. Pius of France, yea such Heathens as Titus, Trajan, Adrian, but especially M. Aurel. Antonine and Alex. Severus: Yea and such Lawyers, Philosophers, Physicians, but especially Divines, as Melchior Adamus in Four Volums hath recorded; and of such Bishops as Cyprian, Nazianzene, Ambrose Austin, Basil, Chrysostome, and our Vsher and such others.
VIII. Live not in Idleness (as the Sons of rich men too oft do) for that will rust and corrupt your minds, and cherish besotting, damning lusts, and render you worthless and useless in the world, and consequently the greatest plagues of your Country, to which you should be the greatest helps and blessings. Make as much Conscience of improving your hours, as if you were the poorest men: you have most wages, and should do God most work. Let holy and useful studies one part of the day, and doing good to others another part, and necessary refreshment and exercise another, take up your time; you have none allowed you for any thing unprofitable, much less hurtfull.
O what a blessing to the world are wise Godly Magistrates, and what a curse are the Foolish and Ungodly.
IX. Remember that the grand design of the Devil and all deceivers is to delude and corrupt the rulers of the people, knowing how much they signifie by their Laws, Power and Examples: and how sad it will be to be judged as a Persecutor or a Captain of iniquity. And therefore you must have a greater self-suspicion, and fear of seduction and sin than others; and must watch more carefully against wicked Counsel and example, but especially the Temptations of your own flesh, and corrupted nature, and of your VVealth and place.
CHAP. XIII. Counsel to Parents (and Tutors of Youth.)
SHould I now say, to Parents and Teachers, what on their parts is necessary, to their great duty, and the good of Youth, it would be more than all that I have said already; but that is not the present work, and you may see much of it done in my Christian Directory. But because so much lyeth on their hands, I beseech all such that read these lines, to remember.
I. How near their relation to their Children is, and that for a Parent to betray their Souls to Sin and Hell, by neglect or by ill means, seems more unexcusable cruelty, than for the Devil a known Enemy to do it.
II. How very much their welfare is entrusted to your care, you have the Teaching of them before the Ministers, and have them alwaies nearer with you, and have greater power over them. O! that you knew what holy instructions, and heavenly excitations and good example God requireth of you for their good: And how much of the hopes of the Church and World lie on the Holy skill and fidelity of Parents, in the right education of youth.
III. O feed not their sinful desires and lusts; use them not to pride, to idleness, to too much fulness or pleasing of the appetite; but teach them the reasons of Temperance, and Mortification, and the sin and mischief of all sensuality.
IV. Yet use them with tender fatherly Love, and make them perceive that it is for their own good, and cherish their profitable delights; study how to make all good delightful to them, encourage and reward them. Tell them of the wisdom and goodness of Gods word, and let them read the Lives of Holy men.
V. Choose them both Callings, Habitations and Relations which make most for the common good, and for the advantage of their Souls, and not those that most serve Covetousness, Pride or Slothfulness.
VI. Know their particular inclinations, corruptions and temptations, and accordingly watch and keep them, as you would do against death.
VII. Settle them under wise and godly Pastors, and in the familiar Company of godly persons, especially of their age and usual converse.
VIII. Keep them as much as possible from Temptations at home and abroad, especially those that tend to sensuality and to impiety or corrupting their judgments against Religion. Thrust them not beyond Sea or elsewhere unfortified among deceivers, for a meer Ornament, as some cruelly do.
IX. Remember how you dedicated them to Christ in Baptism, and what was promised, and what renounced, and what you bound yourselves to do.
X. Remember still how much the happiness or misery of Church, and Kingdoms, and of the World, doth lie on the right or wrong educating of Youth by Parents; much more than our Universities or Schools.
XI. Remember that your own comfort or sorrow in them, lyeth most on your own duty or neglect; if they prove wicked and Plagues of the World, and you are the cause, it may tear your hearts, but what a joy is it to be the means of their Salvation, and of their publick service in the World.
XII. Disgrace sin to them, and commend holiness by word and practice, and be your selves what you would have them be. And pray daily for them and your selves. The Lord bless this Counsel to them and you.