The Young Mans Monitor, Chapter 1
CHAPTER I. The Introduction, or previous Entrance into the ensuing Discourse.
YOu are now entring a troublesom sinful world; and are therein to be pitied: You are now upon your great preparations for E…ernity; and therein had need be seriously counselled, and advised. Me thinks I see you just setting forth in your great journey, your long journey, whence you shall not return; a journey which will prove either. Heaven, or Hell to every one of you in the end. How much depends upon this moment, it may be you scarce believe, you little consider for the present: though afterwards your selves shall plainly see this Life hath been but a restless Voyage,foreign Mu…idus hic est via & vad…m ad mundum suturum. Majemonides. the World a tempestuous Sea, your Bodies the frail Vessels wherein you sail, and Time the Charon, the Boatman to wast you over these Waters, and set you upon another shore; delivering you up there (as the Souldiers in the Acts presented Paul) before your Judge, the Supream Judge of all Flesh in order to your final and solemn Trial.
It is on this great Errand of God, and of your Souls that these present Lines are sent unto you. You will, I hope, both willingly, and seriously peruse them. A wise Son heareth Instruction, but the scorner causeth shame. It is a kindness to shew the wandring Child the way to his Fathers house; and truly I have greatly desired amongst many other cares justly incumbent upon me, as I am able to further you heaven-ward, and to prepare your hearts, while you are yet young, as a generation for the Lord. Your natures are too easily disposed to receive evil impressions. Satan sees it; and w…tches be times to forestall your tender minds therewithall. It must be our care early to recommend, and your duty readily to comply with better things: that as the yielding …ax you may now *Ul…m & mode l… tu… es; nunc, in…c properandas & acri singendus …ine si…e rota. Persius.receive those impressions of God, and goodness, upon your spirits; which may become some step toward your happy sealing up to the day of redemption. Accept then, I pray you, of this plain Paper; it is the best Token I have to send: And Oh! that through the blessing of the Lord, it may prove a good Token for you to receive.
It is sadly evident that many, too many, losing their tender, their first years, in conclusion lose their souls also. And it is as undoubtedly certain, that gracious Counsel (however hardly thought of by most) might be …o the young man the best Guide of his Youth, to preserve him from the paths of the Destroyer. Consider what is laid before you, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Our own true welfare (we may freely grant) is, and justly ought to be the desire of all: the right way to it i… known, or understood of very few. I… was the sad observation of the wise… of men; The *…. 10.15.labour of the foolish wearieth him (as well it may) because he knoweth not how to go to the City. Mercy is not miss'd, because it is not sought: but because men will not be perswaded to seek it, where alone it may be found. Most men spend their choice and precious daies in a vain shaddow, and go down in the end thereof to everlasting sorrows. You have the world now before you, your own mercy or misery yet to choose, and be you sure, as you now choose, so shall you speed hereafter. Oh! be your own true friends, and choose ye that which is good, while, it may be obtained; and that good part shall never be taken from you.
You are now Flowers in their bloom; Your Friends delight; your Countries hope. It lieth very much in your Sphere to be either a crown of rejoycing to them, or to bring down their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. *Primiti… … primitie …oetatis D…o s…rae.You are those first Fruits, those green ears of corn, which should be offered to the Lord. For his sake, for your own sakes, for your Parents, …nd Coun…i…s sikes, embrace your own mercies, your own true good; before your Sun be set, and your hopes cut off for ever.
Others have been sometimes young, as you now are; and cannot be altogether strangers to the young mans heart, the young mans thoughts and waies. It is very likely your vain minds will be easily now taken with vain things. But observe if they be not still secretly afraid, meditating terrour, and crying out, I shall one day be called to a strict account for all this. In this suspence, it may be, you may stick long; not able to joy much in the waies of sin; nor yet fully willing to leave them, and seek the Lord. Sometimes faintly praying; and yet inwardly shrinking back, and still loth to receive indeed the grace that you seem to1 pray for. As the Father freely confessed the prayers of his youth had also been. *Direvam, da …: sed … modo. Time… …ni… re me cito exa…dires, & …ito san…ss. Aug. C…n▪I said indeed with my lips Lord I give: and yet in my heart I was too willing to give longer day, and could have said, Lord! pray, not yet. I was even afraid lest thou shouldst hear me too soon, and too soon heal, and subdue my corruption for me. Thus is the mind for a time like the wavering scales; rising, and falling; going, and coming ere it can settle with the true poize, and weight.
If Satan in this conflict prevails, your slavish fears will wretchedly degenerate, and grow worse, turning into an inward hatred of God, and his good waies; a disdainful loathing of Gods people; a continual backwardness to your own duty. Which God of his mercy prevent.
But if through grace you be enabled to overcome; you will find your fears clearing up unto more kindliness, and a willingness on your part to retain them still; you will find gracious desires springing up by them, Oh! that God would pardon my sin. Lord! give me Christ, or else I dye. From thence by tender steps (which I have not time now to express) will God lead you, and will not forsake you, or despise the d…y of your small things. And oh! that you may be thus led by the hand of the Lord, till you both see, and receive the blessed reward of the righteous, the salvation of your souls.
Think not that your present condition, your present †Transibit volupt as, manebit reatus, momentan…um quod delectat, aetern…m quod cruciat.pleasures will last long; No, no; as Adonijahs feast, these banquets will soon be broken up in a tragick amazement: *Pro. 14.13.The end of that mirth (is coming, fast enough, and) it will be heaviness. The sore of your Conscience will shortly g…ngrene, if it be not timely dressed, and bound up in the Balsom of Christs blood. The World will quickly fail you, and be as worthless dust under your feet. Your Friends now so dear to you, and you to them, shall suddenly go their way to their long home, and leave you to follow their cold clay, as Mourners to their Grave: And that which kn…cks still nearer at your door; your *Festinat e…im decurrere velo… slosculus agustae … seraeque bre…ssirea … fortie. Juven.life it self is continually spending upon the quick stock, the oyl hourly consuming in the Lamp; and your pleasing guest (so dearly desired to stay with you) tied up by an higher hand to a very short space of time; allowed only as a way faring man to visit you, and must (be you never so unwilling) hasten on his journey, quit his lodgings, an… be gone again f…om you.
Think not that you shall esc…pe, that you shall be excused because young: the dead shall stand, the small as well as the great, before the Lord. And your death is already upon its march towards you; and shall arrest you, it may be at unawares, telling you, (ripe or unripe) the Sickle must now be put in, and you cut up, and carried before the Lord.
Oh Young Man! what wilt thou do in that solemn day? Then will grace be needed, then will the necessity and worth of it be better understood than now it is. Prepare, oh prepare to meet thy God.
Now it may be thy Conscience is not yet setled upon its lees, or seared through long custome in sinning, which yet it too soon may be; Thy Heart is yet as the heart of Iosiah, tender and even melting within thee; As yet the World with its distracting cares is not crept in to hinder or overcharge thee; Hitherto the holy Spirit of grace even striveth with thee. Dost thou know indeed? Or hast thou seriously considered what this season is, what all these things mean, and at what pass thy present condition stands? Oh be perswaded to use means in time before the disease get too strong an head. Physitians tell us on the one hand, *Quicquid moves a principio move. Hip.Of all Physick that is the hopeful Physick that is timely taken. And experience tells us as sadly on the other hand; it is †Aegre reprehendas quod sinis co…suescere. Hier.hard, hard indeed to turn out sin when it hath been once suffered to settle, and strengthen it self by long connivance and entertainment.
Oh! let not time wait all the day long in vain upon thee: oh! let not the Spirit of the Lord, as in the daies of the old world, strive in vain with thee. Whomsoever thou deniest, deny not God any thing that he asks thee; whatsoever thou refusest, refuse not Heaven. God is graciously willing with it, thy soul may be everlastingly happy by it; Return, return, and live.
It is well worthy of observation, that in the Hebrew, the same word that signifies a *foreign juvenus a foreign selegit, quasi ad o…s operas select…s. Buxt…f.Chosen person, is commonly used throughout the Scripture to signifie also a Young person. It seems the L…rd woul… have young people a choice people. Oh! translate you this Hebraism into English, and shew your selves a chosen generation, a peculiar people, Children (as is said in Daniel) that may be able to stand before the Lord and King of the whole earth. Let others, if they needs will, be as dross, worthless dross, which no man values, in which no man takes delight. But as for you aspire after nobler things. Oh! strive for your parts to be as so many vessels of Gold, for the praise and service of your Creator.
Where are now those Isaacks, that meditate while they are young? Those Iacobs that prize and seek the heavenly blessing betimes? Where are now those Solomons, that study to know and serve the God of their Fathers? Those Obadiahs that fear the Lord from their youth? Where are now those Hebrew children, that ask their Parents (as those in the Law) wha… mean the Sabbaths and Ordinances of the Lord, that they may also keep them? Or where shall we now find those Sons of wisdom, that being enticed by sinners consent not, but refrain their feet from evil courses, and keep themselves from the paths of the Destrover?
Me thinks you should often call to mind the Example of Samuel; who ministred and served before the Lord while he was yet but a child. You cannot forget the good carriage of those children, which so affectionately sung Hosannahs unto Christ. We can truly tell you for your encouragement, the Lord ordaineth, the Lord accepteth praise out of the mouths of babes and children. Whoever quencheth them, God will not despise them.
These are the young mans lookingglasses; the young mans patterns and presidents that he should imitate and copy out. Oh! let not the memory of such die while you live, preserve them alive in your gracious carriage and co…versation.
Neither are other Examples wanting. Did you but read the life of that Iosiah of his age, King Edward the sixth; that Phoenix of his time, Pr…nce Henry; that truly noble Lord, the young Lord Harrington; with many others, who blossomed as the Almond tree betimes; whose holy and vertuous conversations, whose sweet and gracious expressions should be the young mans peculiar study and delight; Did you I say but read these, or wash your morning thoughts in the serious remembrance of them; as that noble Roman chose to wash his hands every morning in that Basin wherein he had the Picture of vertuous Cato in sight afresh before him for his imitation; It would even provoke you to be in love with all goodness for their sakes. You would even sit down and weep, as the Emperour did at the sight of Alexanders Tombe, to think how far others have gone in their early years heavenward; and you so backward, so far yet behind. Oh! that you would make it henceforth the real Motto of your youth, which was once the Swan-like Song of the dying Martyr, None but Christ, None but Christ.