Apples of Gold, Book · Part 3
The Vanity of Youth
Ʋſe 1.
Firſt, This truth looks ſowerly and ſadly upon ſuch Young men, that are only ſeemingly good, that makes ſome ſhews of goodneſſe, but are not right towards God at the root. As Joaſh when hee was young, 2 Chron. 24.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16.hee ſeemed to have good things in him towards the Lord, whilſt good Jehoiada liv'd, but when Jehoiada was dead, Neroes firſt five years are famous, but afterwards who more cruel.Joaſh his goodneſs was buried with him. Ah how many in theſe dayes that have been ſeemingly good, have turned to bee naught, very naught, yea ſtark naught! It is ſaid of Tiberius, that whilſt Auguſtus ruled, hee was no wayes tainted in his reputation; and that whilſt Druſus and Germanicus were alive, hee feigned thoſe vertues which hee had not, to maintain a good opinion of himſelf, in the hearts of the people; but after hee had got himſelf out of the reach of contradiction and controulment, There are ſome that write that after Demas had forſaken Paul, hee became a Prieſt in an Idol Temple.there was no fact in which hee was not faulty, no crime to which hee was not acceſſary. Oh that this were not applicable to many young perſons in theſe dayes, who have made great ſhews, and taken upon them a great name, who have begun to outſhine the ſtars, but are now gone out like ſo many ſnuffs, to the diſhonour of God, the reproach of the Goſpel, the grief of others, and the hazzard of their own ſouls.
It was a cuſtome of old, when any was baptized, the Miniſter delivered a white garment to bee put on, ſaying, take thou this white veſtment, and ſee thou bring it forth without ſpot at the Judgement ſeat of Jeſus Chriſt; whereupon one Maritta baptizing one Elpidophorus, who when hee was grown up, proved a prophane wretch, hee brings forth the white garment, and holding it up, Crabs that go backward are reakoned among the unclean creatures. Levit. 11.10.ſhakes it againſt him, ſaying, this linnen garment Elpidophorus ſhall accuſe thee at the comming of Chriſt, which I have kept by mee as a witneſſe of thy Apoſtacy.
Ah young men and women, duplicate page duplicate page your former profeſſions will bee a ſad witneſſe againſt you in the great day of our Lord Jeſus, except you repent and return in good earneſt to the Lord. Pro. 14.14.Oh it had been better that you had never made profeſſion, that you had never ſet your faces towards Heaven, that you had never pretended to God and Chriſt, that you had never known the way of Righteouſneſſe, 2 Pet. 2.21.than after you have known it, to turn from the holy commandement. Cyprian in his Sermon de lapſis reporteth of divers, who forſaking the Faith, were given over to evil ſpirits, and dyed fearfully. Oh the deluſions, and the Chriſt-dethroning, conſcience-waſting and ſoul-undoing opinions, and principles that many young ones (who once were hopeful ones) are given up to! That dreadful Scripture ſeems to bee made good in power upon them, Jer. 17.13.All you that forſake the Lord ſhall come to bee aſhamed; and they that depart from him ſhall bee written upon the duſt; to begin well, and not to proceed, is but to aſpire to a higher pitch, that the fall may bee the more deſperate. Hoſ. 14.4.Backſliding is a wounding ſin. Eph. 6.11.—18You read of no arms for the back, though you do for the breaſt: Hee that is but ſeemingly good, will prove at laſt exceeding bad, 2 Tim. 3.13. they wax worſe and worſe, deceiving, and being deceived.
The Wolf, though hee often diſſembles, and cloſely, hides his nature, yet hee will one time or other ſhew himſelf to bee a Wolf.Commers make a greater blaze than fixed ſtars.
In the dayes of Hadrian the Emperour, there was one Bencoſby, who gathering a multitude of Jews together, called himſelf Ben-cocuba, the ſon of a ſtar, applying that propheſie to himſelf, Num. 23.17. but his mask was taken off, his Hypocriſy diſcovered, and he found to bee Burchoſaba, the ſon of a lye; this age hath afforded many ſuch monſters, but their folly is diſcovered, duplicate page duplicate page and their practiſes ahborred. This was the young mans commendation in the text, That there was found in him ſome real good towards the Lord.
Ʋſe 2.
2 This truth looks ſowerly and ſadly upon ſuch young men, who are ſo far from having good things in them towards the Lord, that they give themſelves up to thoſe youthful luſts and vanities that are …monouring, provoking, and diſpleaſing to the Lord, who roar and revel, and gad and game, and dice, and drink, and drab, and what … theſe make work with a witneſs for repentance, or Hell, or the Phyſitian of ſouls. I ſhall but touch upon the evils of youth, and then come to that which is moſtly intended.
1 The firſt evil that moſt properly attends youth, … 3.6.is pride, pride of heart, pride of apparrel, pride of parts; young men are apt to …e proud of health, ſtrength, friends, relations, wit, wealth, wiſdome: two things are very rare, the one is to ſee a young man humble, and watchful, and the other is to ſee an old man contented, and chearful. Bernard ſaith, that pride is the rich mans couzen, and experience every day ſpeaks out pride to bee the young mans couzen. God (ſaith one) had three ſons, Lucifer, Adam, and Chriſt; the firſt aſpired to bee like God in power, and was therefore thrown down from Heaven; Pride cannot c…be ſo high, but Juſtice will ſit above.the ſecond to bee like him in knowledge, and was therefore deſervedly driven out of Eden, when young the third did altogether i…te and follow him in his goodneſſe, mercy, and humility, and by ſo doing, obtained an everlaſting inheritance.
Remember this young men, and as you would get a paradiſe, and keep a paradiſe, get humble, and keep humble. Pride is an evil that puts men upon all manner of evil. duplicate page duplicate page Accius the Poet, though hee were a dwarf, yet would bee pictured tall of ſtature. Pſaphon a proud Sybian, would needs bee a God, and having caught ſome birds, hee taught them to ſpeak and prattle, The great god Pſaphon. Menecrates a proud Phyſitian, wrote thus to King Philip, Menecrates a god, to Philip a King. Proud Simon in Lucian, having got a little wealth, changed his name (from Simon to Simonides) for that there were ſo many beggers of his kinne, and ſet the houſe on fire wherein hee was born, becauſe no body ſhould point at it. What ſad evils Pharachs pride, and Hamans pride, and Herods pride and Belſhazzars pride put them upon, I ſhall not now mention. Ah young men, young men! had others a window to look into your breaſts, … an old woman …ing … …ormity … a glaſs went mad, &c.or did your hearts ſtand where your faces do, you would even bee affraid of your ſelves, you would loathe and abhor your ſelves. Ah! young men, young men, as you would have God to keep houſe with you, as you would have his minde and ſecrets made known to you, as you would have Chriſt to delight in you, and the ſpirit to dwell in you, as you would bee honoured among Saints, and attended, and guarded by Angels, get humble, and keep humble. Tertullians Councell to the young Gallants of thoſe times, was excellent, Tert. de Gult. Jam. Cap. 13.cloath your ſelves (ſaid hee) with the ſilk of piety, with the ſattin of ſanctity, and with the purple of modeſty. So ſhall you have God himſelf to bee your Sutor.
The ſecond evil that Youth is ſubject to, is, Eccl. 11.9 2 Sam. 13.23. … 29 foreign. Pleaſure is the bait of ſin, ſaith Plato.ſenſual pleaſures and delights, Rejoyce, O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes. The wiſe man by an Ironical conceſſion bids him rejoyce. &c. Sin, &c. thou art wilful, and reſolved upon taking thy pleaſure, go on, take thy courſe, this hee ſpeaks by way of mockage, and bitter ſcoffe, &c. but know thou that for all theſe things, God will bring thee into judgement. So Sampſon made a feaſt; Judg. 14.10for ſo uſed the Young men to do, the hearts of young men uſually are much given up to pleaſure. I have read of a young man who was very much given up to pleaſures, hee ſtanding by St. Ambroſe, and ſeeing his excellent death, turned to other young men by him, and ſaid, Oh! that I might live with you, and dye with him. Senſual pleaſures are like to thoſe Locuſts, Rev. 9.7 the crowns upon whoſe heads, are ſaid to bee onelyonly as it were ſuch, or ſuch in appearance, and like Gold, but verſ. 10 it is ſaid, there were (not as it were, They were much out that held pleaſure to bee mans ſum…um bonum.but) ſtings in their tails. Senſual pleaſures are but ſeeming, and appearing pleaſures, but the pains that attend them are true and reall; he that delights in ſenſuall pleaſures, ſhall finde his greateſt pleaſures, become his bittereſt pains. The Heathens look't upon the back parts of pleaſure, and ſaw it going away from them, and leaving a ſling behind. Pleaſures paſſe away as ſoon as they have wearied out the bodie, and leave it as a bunch of grapes, whoſe juice hath been preſſed out; which made one to ſay, (Nulla major voluptas, quam voluptatis faſtidium) I ſee no greater pleaſure in this world, than the contempt of pleaſure. Julian though an Apoſtate, yet profeſſed, that the pleaſures of the body were far below a great ſpirit. And Tully ſaith, he is not worthy of the name of man (qui unum diem velit eſſe in voluptate,) that would entirely ſpend one whole day in pleaſures, it is better not to deſire pleaſures than to enjoy them. Eccl. 2.2I ſaid of laughter it is mad, and of mirth what doſt thou? The interrogation bids a challenge to all the maſters of mirth, to produce any one ſatisfactory fruit which it affordeth, if they could. Xerxes being weary of all pleaſures, promiſed rewards to the inventers of new pleaſures, which being invented, hee nevertheleſs remained unſatisfied. As a Bee flyeth from flower to flower, and is not ſatisfied, and as a ſick man removes from one bed to another, from one ſeat to another, from one chamber to another, for eaſe, and findes none. So men given up to ſenſual pleaſures, go from one pleaſure to another, but can find no content, no ſatisfaction in their pleaſures. The eye is not ſatisfied with ſeeing, Eccl. 1.…nor the ear filled with hearing. There is a curſe of unſatisfiableneſs lies upon the creature, honours cannot ſatisfy the ambitious man, nor riches the covetous man; nor pleaſures the voluptuous man; man cannot take off the wearineſs of one pleaſure by another, for after a few evaporated minutes are ſpent in pleaſures, the body preſently fails the minde, and the minde the deſire, and the deſire the ſatisfaction, and all the man. Pleaſures are Junos in the purſuit, and but clouds in the enjoyment; Pleaſure is a beautifull Harlot, ſitting in her chariot, whoſe four wheeles are Pride, Gluttony, luſt, and idleneſs; the two horſes are proſperity and abundance, the two drivers are Idleneſs and Security, her attendants and followers are guilt, grief, late repentance, (if any) and oft death and ruine; many great men, and many ſtrong men, and many rich men, and many hopefull men, Becanus ſaith, that the fruit of the tree of knowledge is ſweet, but in the end it breeds choler, ſo do worldly pleaſures.and many young men, have come to their ends by her; but never any enjoyed full ſatisfaction and content in her.
Ah! Young men, Young men, avoid this harlot, and come not neer the door of her houſe. And as for lawful pleaſures let me onelyonly ſay this, tis your Wiſdome onelyonly to touch them, to taſte them, and to uſe them as Mithridates uſed poyſon, to fortify your ſelves againſt caſuall extremities and maladies: when Mr. Roger Aſcham asked the Lady Jane Grey, how ſhee could looſe ſuch paſtime, her father with the Dutcheſs being a hunting in the Park; Smilingly anſwered, all the ſport in the Park is but a ſhaddow of that pleaſure I finde in this book, having a good book in her hand. Auguſtin before his converſion could not tell how to live without thoſe pleaſures which he delighted much in, but when his nature was changed, and his heart graciouſly turned to the Lord, O how ſweet (ſaith hee) is it to bee without thoſe former ſweet delights.
Ah! Young men, when once you come to experience the goodneſſe and ſweetneſs that is in the Lord, and in his word, and wayes, you will then ſit down, and grieve that you have ſpent more Wine in the Cup, than Oil in the Lamp. There are no pleaſures ſo delighting, ſo ſatisfying, ſo raviſhing, ſo engaging, and ſ… abiding, as thoſe that ſprings from union, and communion with God, as thoſe that flows from a ſenſe of intereſt in God, and from an humble and a holy walking with God.
The third ſin of youth is raſhneſſe, they many times know little, and fear leſſe, and ſo are apt raſhly to run on, and run out often to their hurt, Ariſtot. Polit.but more often to their hazzard. Tit. 2.6.Exhort young men to be ſober-minded, or diſcreet. They are apt to bee raſh, to bee hot ſpurs. As you may ſee in Rehoboams young Counſellers, who counſelled him to tell the people (that groaned under their burthens) that his little finger ſhould bee thicker than his Fathers loins, 1 King. 12.8, 9, 10, 11.and that hee would adde to their yoak; and that whereas his Father had chaſtized them with whips, hee would chaſtize them with Scorpions; (this raſh counſel proved Rehoboams ruine; yea David himſelf, though a good man, yet being in his warm blood, and young, how ſadly was hee overtaken with raſhneſs. As the Lord God of Iſrael liveth, 1 Sam. 25.34, 35. Diis proximus ille eſt, quem ratio, non ira movet. Sen. Hee is next to God, whom reaſon not anger moveth.(ſaith hee) except thou hadſt haſtened, and come to meet mee, ſurely there had not been left unto Nabal, by to morrow light, any that piſſeth againſt the wall. And this hee bindes with an oath; becauſe the Maſter was fooliſhly wilful, the innocent ſervants muſt all bee woful. And becauſe Nabal had been niggardly of his bread, David would bee prodigal of his blood. Ah how unlike a Chriſtian! yea how below a man doth David carry it, when his blood is up, and hee a captive to raſhneſs, and paſſion. Raſhneſſe will admit of naught for reaſon, but what unreaſonable ſelf ſhall dictate for reaſon; as ſloath ſeldome bringeth actions to good birth, ſo raſhneſſe makes them alwayes abortive, ere well formed. A raſh ſpirit is an ungodlike ſpirit; a raſh ſpirit is a weak ſpirit, it is an effeminate ſpirit. A man of underſtanding is of an excellent ſpirit, Prov. 17.27.or as the Hebrew will bear, is of a cool ſpirit, not raſh and hot, ready at every turn to put out his ſoul in wrath. Raſhneſſe unmans a man, it will put a man upon things below man-hood. Heroſtratus (a hot ſpur) an obſcure baſe fellow did in one night by fire deſtroy the Temple of Diana at Epheſus, which was two hundred and twenty years in building of all Aſia, at the coſt of ſo many Princes, and beautified with the labours and cunning of ſo many excellent workmen; the truth is, there would bee no end ſhould I diſcover the many ſad and great evils that are uſhered into the world by that one evil, Raſhneſſe, which uſually attends youth, &c. and therefore young men decline it, and arm your ſelves againſt it, &c.
The fourth ſin that ordinarily attends on youth, is mocking, and ſcoffing at Religious men, and Religious things, they were young ones that ſcoffingly and ſcornfully ſaid to the Prophet, Go up thou bald-head, 2 King. 2.23, 24. Job 30.1.12, 13, 14, 15.go up thou baldhead. And the young men derided and mocked Job. But now they that are younger than I, have mee in deriſion; whoſe Fathers I would have diſdained, to have ſet with the dogs of my flock. Upon my right hand riſe the youth, they puſh away my feet, and they raiſe up againſt mee the wayes of their deſtruction, &c. And Oh that this age! did not afford many ſuch Monſters, who are notable, who are infamous in this black Art of ſcoffing and deriding the people of God, and the wayes of God. The Athenians once ſcoffed at Sylla's wife, and it had well nigh coſt the razing of their City, hee was ſo provoked with the indigninitie, and will you think it ſafe to ſcoff at the people of God, who are the Spouſe of Chriſt, Rev. 21. — Zach. 2.5. Deut. 32.9. Iſa. 19.25. Joel. 2.17. Pſal. 33.12. Iſa. 62.3.who are as the apple of his eye, who are the ſignet on his right hand, his portion, his pleaſant portion, his inheritance, his Jewels, his royal Diadem? Ah young men, young men, will you ſeriouſly conſider how ſadly, and ſorely hee hath puniſhed other ſcoffers and mockers? and by his Judgements on them, be warned never to ſcoff at the people of God, or his wayes more. Julian the Emperor was a great ſcoffer of Chriſtians, but at laſt hee was ſtruck with an arrow from Heaven, that made him cry out (viciſti Galilee) thou Galilean (meaning our Saviour Chriſt) haſt overcome mee. Felix for one malicious ſcoff, did nothing day and night but vomit blood, till his unhappy ſoul was ſeparated from his wretched body Pherecydes was conſumed by Worms alive, for giving Religion but a nickname. Lucian for barking againſt Religion like a dog, was by the juſt Judgments of God devoured of dogs. Remember theſe dreadful judgements of God on ſcoffers, and if you like them, then mock on, ſcoff on, but know, that juſtice will at laſt bee even with you, nay above you.
The fifth and laſt evil (that I ſhall mention) that attends and waits on youth, is luſtfulneſſe, wantonneſſe, which occaſioned aged Paul to caution his young Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.22.to flee youthful luſts. Timothy was a chaſte, and chaſtened peece; hee was much ſanctified and mortified, his graces were high, and corruptions low, hee walked up and down this world, with dying thoughts, and with a weak diſtempered, declining, dying body; his heart was in Heaven; and his foot in the grave, and yet youth, is ſuch a ſlippery age, that Paul commands him to flye, to poſt from youthful luſts; though Timothy was a good man, a weak ſickly man, a marvellous temperate man, drinking Water rather than Wine, yet hee was but a man, yea a young man; and therefore Pauls counſel and command is, that he flees youthful luſts. And Solomon, who had ſadly experienced the ſlipperineſſe of youth, gives this counſel. Put away the evils of thy fleſh, Eccleſ. 11.10for childhood and youth are vanity. He was a young man that followed the Harlot to her houſe; Prov. 7.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c.hee was young in years, and young in knowledge (Salazer upon the words ſaith, that was a happy age that afforded but one ſimple young man among many, whereas late times afford greater ſtore. Ah! too many of the youths of this age, in ſtead of flying from youthful luſts, they poſt and purſue after youthful luſts. Chryſoſtome ſpeaking of youth, ſaith, it is (difficilem, jactabilem, Chryſoſt. Homil. 1. Ad populum.fallibilem, vehementiſſimiſ que egentem fraenis) hard to bee ruled, eaſy to bee drawn away, apt to bee deceived, and ſtanding in need of very violent reines.
The Ancients did picture youth like a young man naked, Lapide.with a vail over his face, his right hand bound behinde him, his left hand looſe, and Time behinde him pulling one thread out of his vail every day, intimating that young men are void of knowledge, and blinde, unfit to do good, ready to do evil, till Time by little and little make them wiſer. Well young man, remember this, that the leaſt ſparklings and kindlings of luſts, will firſt or laſt coſt thee groans and griefs, tears and terrors enough. Theſe five are the ſins that uſually are waiting and attending on youth, but from theſe the young man in the text, was by grace preſerved, and ſecured, which is more than I dare affirm of all, into whoſe hands this treatiſe ſhall fall. But though theſe five are the ſins of youth, yet they are not all the ſins of youth, for youth is capable of, Other ſins attends youth as 1 Ignorance. 1 Cor. 14 20. 2 Falſhood, Pſal. 58.3. 3 Exceſſive love of liberty. 4 Impatience of councils and reproofs. Jer. 31.18, 19. 5 Impudency. Iſa. 3.5. 6 A trifling ſpirit. Eccleſ. 11.10. 7 Prodigality. Uſe.and ſubject to all other ſins whatſoever, but theſe are the ſpecial ſins that moſt uſually waits and attends on young men, when they are in the ſpring, and morning of their youth.
I ſhall now haſten to the main uſe that I intend to ſtand upon, and that is an uſe of Exhortation to all young perſons.
Ah ſirs! as you tender the glory of God, the good of your bodies, the joy of your Chriſtian friends, and the ſalvation of your own ſouls; bee exhorted and perſwaded to bee really good betimes. It was the praiſe and honour of Abijah, that there was found in him ſome good thing towards the Lord in the Primroſe of his child-hood. Oh that it might bee your honour and happineſſe! to bee really good betimes; that it might bee to you a praiſe, and a name, that in the morning of your youth you have begun to ſeek the Lord, and to know and love the Lord, and to get an intereſt and propriety in the Lord; now that this Exhortation may ſtick and take;