The Faith of Dying Jacob, Advice
THE Young Students Monitor, OR, Some words of Counsel TO THE Young Son of the deceased Mr. Isaac Hubbard a Student at School.
VErtue is no Natural Excellency propagated by Blood, or bequeathed by Will, but receives its production from the Almighty Grace of God, with the subserving Ministerial Cultivations of men: Weeds will grow up without Tillage; sinful nature needeth no School or Tutor for its maturation: This Eminently appears in the sins that spring up in Youth, as 'tis a… stem growing out of the Root of the first depraved Adam, laden with the miserable encumbrances of sin and wrath: Holy Job, and David had the painful feelings of the sins of their youth, Job 13. 26. Psal. 25. 7. Remember not the sins of my youth. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, Prov. 23. 15. There is a pack, and huge bundle of Vanity and Villany: The Vessel is full of Poyson though not presently broached: Youth is ignorant, and injudicious, unable to distinguish Friends and Enemies, good and evil: 'Tis Gamesome and Jovial for liberty, ease and pleasure; like the wild Ass snuffing up the wind, or the unreined Colt not enduring the Bridle: 'Tis full of presumption, about time, strength and future mercy to be relieved withal, after a long Career in sin and vanity: 'Tis credulous and waxy to temptation. Cereus in vitium flecti, monitoribus asper; however averse to wholesome Counsel: 'Tis vain, taken with vain things, being more under the conduct of Sense, than of Reason: as also in its attempts, specially in its overtures to goodness, seldom bringing any good action to perfection: Vanum est quod non ad finem valet: And strangely inconstant in memory, dropping to day what it received Yesterday, in purposes and promises soon disbanding its resolutions. In its affections disliking what it loved: Many more evils flourish in Youth, Pride, Conceitedness, Stubborness, and that render it an object of the greatest care, and tenderest compassion. The Ancients painted a Young Man naked, unguarded, with a Veil on his Face as Ignorant, his Right hand tyed behind him, as unexpert for worthy actions, with his Left Hand loose, as ready for Vanities, and time standing at his back plucking daily a Thread out of his Veil; and how happy are they that daily grow wiser? In the sense hereof Austin begins his Sermon,
Ad vos meus Sermo, O Juvenes,
Flos aetatis, periculum mentis.
To you, O Young men, is my Speech: The Flower of Age, the hazard of my thoughts, the hope of the Church, the desire of God, the envy of Men and Devils; Satan set upon Eve before a day old: Pharaoh was for the Bloody Laver and Baptism of the Males of Israel, Herod was for the killing, Bloody Circumcision of Rachels Children, and the red Dragon for the drowning of the Male-Child, by the Deluge of his Wrath: And 'twas the boast of one, that he had spent thirty years in corrupting of Youth; and that King, Dan. 1. 3, 4. Gives order for the most well-favoured and skilful in Wisdom of the Children of Israel to be trained up in Idolatry. The fear of such bad effects hath ingenerated a more than ordinary care of Children, even in the Heathen World: The Spartans would rather hazard the ruin of their City, than yield their Children for Hostages to the enemies to be tainted by them. And Antipater sending for fifty of them, 'twas replyed, they had rather give him 'twice as many of men of riper years.
In these and some other swaying reasons my mind hath been pressed to present you Young Mr. Isaac, with some few directive and Cautionary Rules; you are but a tender Plant that may be soon stried, an early Blossom that may be soon withered, that like Hercules in his Dream, will be courted by Virtue and Vice: And whereas at present you are unable to judge maturely of Divine matters, and your best timely interest, I shall say to you as the Prophet, Hear for after-time, Isai. 42. 23.
1. Study your self: Demonax, being asked when he began to be a wise Philosopher, replyed, when he began to know himself: And that Heraclitus, being asked the subject of his serious Meditation, answered, I am studying my self: And indeed, this self is a great Volume whereof daily a man may read, and turn over many Leaves and be a Non-proficient: That applauded Rule, foreign was concluded to be dropt from Heaven, the great lesson taught by Chilo, one of the seven Sages, and wrote in Golden Letters on the Portal of Apollo's Temple, Deo dignum oraculum, an Oracle only befitting the mouth of a God to speak. He that knows himself an intellectual Creature, capable of serving and enjoying his Creator for ever, will endeavour to do things worthy of himself. foreign. Let every man reverence himself, shunning acts ignoble, designing what is becoming his Great Soul; He that knoweth himself will get to the knowledge of his most glorious Maker, and be striving to live worthy of his God, foreign, Col. 1. 10. Vita est in se reflectio, & vis ex qua aliquis in seipso & à seipso agere potest, Life is a mans reflection into himself, a power by which setting himself at work he can act upon, in, and from himself. Suarez said, one hours self examination and reverberation was more to him than all his studies. Think what a vile polluted Creature in Blood, what a Child of Wrath you are by Nature, what an Hell of sin and deceit your heart is, how unable to outwrestle your Soul maladies, to extricate your self from the mighty hands of the curse, of sin, of Satan wherein you stand captivated: This will open the Fontinels of Penitential Sorrow, provoke to prayer, blast all confidences of self strength and worth, bring you to cry out as the Publican, Lord be merciful to me a sinner▪ will open your ears to Counsel, make you flie from wrath to come, and make free grace and a Saviour for ever precious to you. Know and stand in awe of your self of your own Conscience that will be Witness, Accuser, Judge and Executioner: Put no Rods nor Swords into its Hand.
2. Begin to seek God betimes. Remember thy Creators, Father, Son and Spirit, all are incensed, all are willing … —In the Days—not in the Years, those you may never see—of thy Youth, your chusing, learning, and fixing time, Eccles. 12. 1. Youth is the time to fix to a Trade that will be followed as long as life endureth: Will you now pitch unto the Trade of Sin or Holiness? 'Tis the marrying time; Will you match to Christ, or the World? Say not, 'Tis too soon, lest you cry out, Now 'tis too late. One, bid Repent, said, Come to me on my sick-bed, and upon his sick-bed called on to Repent, swearing a great Oath, cryed out, Is this a time to repent in? Repentance is Physick to be taken in the Spring, and in the morning: 'Tis best diluculare Deum, to begin the morning of your life with God; you want not time, waste it not. God gives the Sinner a day, and pardon to the penitent; Peccanti diem, & paenitenti veniam. Youth hath the promise, they that seek me early shall find me: This, say the Jews, is Lex saeculi, the Statute Law of Ages. If Prerogative grace pardons in old Age, 'tis Lex horae, the free Soveraign pleasure of a God, and not inserted into the Statute Law to encourage sin. 'Tis youth's love that takes with God, Jer. 2. 2, 3. Hos. 11. 1. When Israel was a child I loved him. I remember the kindness of thy youth: The Lord was for the First-born, the First-fruits, the first of the First-fruits, Lev. 23. 10. Ye shall bring a Sheaf, or an handful of the First-fruits, and the Priest shall wave the Sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you: He calleth for the green Ears of Corn dryed by the fire, would not stay till ripe, Lev. 2. 14. Like an hungry Traveller or longing Woman is refreshed with the first ripe in the Fig-tree, Hos. 9. 10. Children have many imperfect, immethodical ways, yet if there be but some good thing found in them, as in Abijah the Lord accepteth, 1 Kin. 14. 13. He hath a Bosom for Lambs; Loving Jesus taketh little Children into his Arms, and blesseth them: Vessels of small quantity hang upon the nail Christ Jesus, as a part of the Glory of the Fathers House, Isa. 22. 24. Young ones have had the Crown and Renown for piety, as Josiah and Timothy: You can't be happy too soon, a day for sin is a day too many. Say not, Postquam deferbuit aetas, when my youthful vigour is spent I will be serious; shall God only have the Bran and Dregs of life? Say not, my wild Oats must be first sown, lest surpriz'd you reap the Harvest in Hell. Here is no room for deliberation, in re quae laudari non potest nisi peracta: Can you ask, is Heaven better than Hell? Holiness than Sin? to live like a Fool or Beast better than to live like a man? 'Tis a more pardonable madness for a man to drink Poyson having heard of an Antidote, which yet he may never tast of. Time to come is not yours, and the Candle extinct shall never be lighted again: You have not a Brace of lives: There is no twice erring, In hoc bello non licet …is errare: Who have not mourned at last for mispent golden hours, and loving Christ too late? Serò te amavi Domine, pulchritudo tam nova, tam antiqua, serò te amavi. Aug.
3. Study the Scripture: This leads to the fountain of Amability, that foreign. This Timothy knew from a Child, 2 Tim. 3. 15. 'Tis the mystery of mysteries, Clavis & Janua Scientiarum, the Key and Entrance into all Knowledge; The Angels Library, Ephes. 3. 10. The best Furniture of that foreign, that upper Room, the Understanding: Here are the deep things of God; its words are wonders, foreign, its words are enlivening, foreign, spirit and life: The dead hear its voice and live. If sublimity or variety of matter, choiceness of story and style, if pleasure if profit, if vital, saving efficacy be minded, no Books are like these: All other Heathenish Divinity spel'd out of Natures Bible of an earthly extraction, or Tapers lighted from this Sun, all other huge Tractates are faint, fruitless and ineffectual, like a Winter Sun, or Night-shining Worm; argutiae & quisquiliae, Volumes of Vanity, Shadows, golden Dreams, the scum and froth of Nature, foreign, much time spent to Great Loss, after long search to find gemmam in stercore, a small Jewel in an heap of Rubbish. Blessedness consists in the operation of the noblest faculty about the noblest Objects, whereby the Divine Nature becomes raised up and perfected in the Soul transformed to Glory. 2 Cor. 3. 18 whereby the wicked one becomes dispossessed, and the Soul preserved from the wicked thing, 1 John 2. 14. I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Psal. 119. 9, 11. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psal. 17. 4. By the words of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 'Tis this makes the Walls of Jericho fall, that makes Devils flie: The Devil would not stir a foot, till Christ said, It is written, and then he vanished. Matth. 4.
And whereas your dear Father designed you, if possible, for Divinity, read and pray, pray and read Scripture: 'Twas Timothy's Primmer, Bible, Grammar, even all Books. Do not as Jet, draw Straws, nor as the Load-stone, draw Iron, letting go the precious Gold of Ophir: However 'tis slighted by frothy, wanton wits, to them that are saved 'tis the Wisdom and Power of God: Quod est grande ludibrium impiis, est grande mysterium piis. One promise out of this Scripture, will in Panick times afford more comfort than all the Volumes of Socrates, Plato, and the Learned Seneca.
4. Study Christ, the Center of all circumferential learning, the Sun that illuminates Heaven and Earth. The Spaniards say, He that knows Aquinas knows all: 'Tis said Phidias Features were so enwrought into Minerva's Shield, that if erased the whole frame was stryed; erase Christ and you stry all. He is the Light, Life, Glory and Vigour of all; As fire in the midst of a Room diffusing its heat to every side, like the Heart, that Forge of Spirits in the midst of the Body, the Figure to the Cyphers; Christ left out of a Sermon, is like the Womans Beer who forgot her Malt. Tully was a great Author with Austin, but after he came to know Christ all was insipid; dulces non sunt, quia nomen Jesu non est in illis. The knowledge of the Eternal Word is the Principal and Comprehension of all. Scire foreign est scientiarum nobilissima, & nobilissimarum scientia. The Spouse having waded in the commendation of Jesus, till nigh swallowed up, feeling no bottom, having play'd on her Melodious Strings till all were cracked, having gazed on Glory till nigh Blind, having soared high till her wings were melted, having enlarged till ravished and breathless, she falls into a Summary Rhetorical conclusion, He is altogether lovely, Cant. 5. 16. So Paul into redundant Pleonasms and sparkling particles, foreign Phil. 3. 8. rejecting all knowledge for the foreign, the transcendent excellency of the knowledge of Christ. You cannot be a Christian without Christ, nor Preach Christ, unless you study, know, and be ravished with him. But above all study a crucified Christ. Luther said he learned more by the Cross, than by all the Letters in the Alphabet. And when Aquinas was asked where he had his prolifick sublimated notions, pointing to the Cross, he said, Hic est liber meus, this is my Library: Schola crucis Schola lucis, 'tis the Cross is the Lamp of Light. This Tree, though dry and Barren, bears more Fruit than all the Trees of Paradise, in its Boughs the volatilia coeli the Birds of Paradise, make their Nests: O Christs Grave grow all the Flowers of Faith, Love, Joy that stick in a Believers Bosom: Of this Wood the Manubrium gladii, the haft of the Sword is made that cuts off Goliah's Head, from this groweth the Rod that smote the Rock gushing out living Waters: The Elixir of all a distressed Souls comfort is a Gum sweated out of the Cross, Hoc est flagellum diaboli, this is the Scourge of the Devil. Magical enchantments, the secret Sorceries of Memphys, the Mysterious Chaldean murmurs, are but the Nurseries, and lurking places of Devils, whom this drives away. Hence Paul, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, rapt into the third Heaven, f…d to speak its Language, to stain the Glory of all Humane Literature, being to Preach to the Learned Corinthians comes in with his foreign, decrevi, or in pretio habui, I determined …o know or to make known nothing among you but Christ, and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2 2. In this School of the Cross a Soul shall learn the poysonous provoking Nature of sin, the dread and severity of incensed Justice, the Terrour of Hell, the insufficiency of all self and Creature relief, and the unparallel'd Love of God in providing such a Saviour for undone lost sinners.
5. Keep up an honourable esteem of Religion and a Religious, Pious Life, labouring to know and practise the Will of God, and to bind thy self Servant to that Heavenly Lord and Master: Religion is a relegendo, that whereby the defaced Law comes to be writ and read again in mans heart and life, or a religando, renouncing sin to have your heart knit again to God, or a re-eligendo, from making a new choice of God and his work; nothing is more honourable: The Soul of true Nobility consists in a generous mind endowed with divine qualities, and laudable actions, that creates an alliance to the glorious God, and enables to live the life of God on earth, and prepares to live an ever-blessed life with God in Heaven. The Moralist, to dress up his Moral Lady, saith, her Head is Wisdom, her Eyes Prudence, her Heart Love, her Spirit Charity, her Thighs Justice, her Health Temperance, her Strength Fortitude, &c. But these and a thousand more are summ'd up in Religion, that is the chiefest and most lasting Glory.
Would you be Wise? The fear of the Lord is the beginning, the foreign of Wisdom: One said, To be a Schollar I would be a Christian: A few hours converse with Christ marvellously emproves the understanding, Acts 4. 13. The Jews marvelled at John and Peter that were unlearned, and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.
Would you live a life agreeable to Reason? and offer to God your foreign? Your reasonable service? 'Tis done by being religious, Rom. 12. 1. Even Natures Votaries proclaim 'tis better to live like a man, than like a filthy Debauchee: And what greater Arguments can be to oblige, than the infinite love of God in a bleeding Saviour; if Hell can disswade from sin, if Heaven can perswade to Vertue, Religion propounds both.
Would you live a pleasurable life? 'Tis Religion hath the true vivifying exhilarations, the placid serenities, the grateful Visions, the flowings of sweetest pleasures, and the purest perpetual calm: The Astronomers Galaxy or milky path; The Philosophers foreign, the Moralists foreign, the Physicians foreign, Epicurus's foreign and Archimedes's foreign are but froth to this solid pleasure. 'Tis sin hath its unquiet Tempests, its frighting Spectrums, and its self-loathing Resentments: Hinc taedium, & sui displicentia, & nunquam residentis animi volutatio, a sinners Soul is never at rest.
6. Take heed of sinful beginnings. The stream small at the Spring-head at distance swells into a great River: The Sea from a small breach overflows with an uncontrouled violence: The Besieging Tyrant though pretending fair usage, being entred with a small party, after possessed of all, falls to his merciless outrages: The stone beginning to roll from the Mountains top stayeth not till at bottom: Lesser dalliances pass on to repeated uncleanness; sin cannot be kept at staves end, but from little dissolutions will indiscernibly prevail to licentious intemperances: The Winter comes on with gentle cold Dews, till it claps on its Iron Frosts, and puts forth its full force to the imprisoning of Natures strength and glory. If sin and sinners get you one Mile, they will get you to two, till they have gotten you to the brink, even into the midst or Hell, getting thy Coat they will get thy Cloak also. If they take their Breakfast with thee they will stay till Dinner, till Supper, and lodge with thee: This Austin found, pudebat me non esse impudentem, he stop'd not till he became bold and impudent in sinning. One Game brings on another to midnight, to morning: Lesser Cups and Sippings bring on to Bowls and larger Draughts. The Flood of sin and punishment came upon the old World by drops. Peccatum aggreditur, ingreditur, progreditur, persicitur: Sin spreads like a Gangrene or Canker that begins with a little black speck: None leap into the heights of sin or depths of Hell at once, Numb. 24. The Israelites dine at the Moabites Table, thence get to their Beds, to their Idols. Psal. 1. 1, 2. At first men are at the Counsel of the ungodly, an internal forge, then in the way of sinners, then in the seat of the scornful. Therefore however modest and mannerly sin, Satan, or sinners be at first, Principiis obsta, stop at first, and a positive denial once given, temptations will be less busy, or less prevalent.
7. Shun bad Company. They are Timeeaters, a thing so precious that people would redeem with the price of the whole world: They are Estate-consumers, and Soul-poysoners. Your Father hath left you a competent Estate, not to enable you with fuel to be the more sinful, but that you may be the more free and able to serve your Maker: 'Tis pitty wit and wealth should be vilely cast away. Prov. 4. 14. Enter not into the path of wicked men. 13. and 20. A companion of fools shall be destroyed. Sin is a catching disease, many ingenuous Natures have been Metamorphosed, and hopeful, gracious tinctures discoloured and worn off by bad Companions: Can they be Friends to you who are Enemies to God, and their own Souls? Cicero said, he had rather have no Companion than a bad one: The most of worldly Friendship is managed with Enmity to God, with infractions on his Law, with a reproach to Religion, with wounds to Conscience, and murther to Souls: 'Tis better being sober and going to Heaven alone, than to go to Hell for Company and Fashion sake: If they say, You a Gentleman with an Estate carry it like a fool? If thou be the Worlds fool, you will be Gods wiseman: Who loseth a Princes favour for a Beggars? Or the Judges for a Malefactors? What are their smiles, if God frowns? Dives was afraid his Brethren should come to his Hell to encrease his torment. Zenophanes confessed himself a coward to ignoble challenges.
Is it Mirth in the exercises of Wit to puff and toss about an alternate Jest, whereby with many Religion and religious Persons are made a scoff? Whoever is in the dance, the Devil is Fidler to make the mirth.
Is it manlike bravery to strive who shall spend most, and drink the greatest draughts? Where lest the Cup should not overflow, our Gallants squeeze in the Blood of their Souls, as of their Estates and Reputation, to make a Drink Offering to the Devil.
Is this Valour to Curse and Swear, and strive for the biggest Oaths fetch'd many miles deep out of Hell? Men provoked, in wrath Swear and will be avenged on God and their Souls. 'Tis for Oaths the Land mourneth, Jer. 23. 10. Hos. 4. 3. And into the House and Heart of the Swearer will the curse come, Zech. 5. 3. How in distress can the Swearer call upon God, whose name he hath blasphemed? How at Death shall he appear to his Judgment? After his horrid invocations of Divine Vengeance in his ordinary swearing.
But Mr. Isaac, your education and hopeful ingenuity promise better things from you. However set God before you; and be in his fear in all Places, in all companies.
8. In your endeavour for Learning, get to the Throne of Grace for Grace, that you and that may be sanctified, else the strong tides of sin and errour may overbear you: The dead Fish are carryed along with the Stream: Sinister ends, accidental influences, and overawings may bring you on to make an hopeful beginning, but 'tis only a gracious fixed temper of mind will persevere you. Hot exhalations are check'd back by the Cold middle Regions: Much Corn and many sweet Blooms are stryed in the setting; excellent notions about Divine Objects are ineffective, unless those Idea's of Glory, be imprinted on the Soul, and be transmitted, recommended and commanded unto the will and affections by them to be embraced with Love, to ingenerate a vital transformation.
Be studious, nothing is more congenial to the Nature and Appetite of the understanding than knowledge; for this Solomon prayed: A Book is a better Ornament than an Hawk or Hound; if delving in the Mines be tedious, the Golden reward makes amends; difficulty is in the Agent not in the Work, get Love and all will be easie: A Schollar cannot be uncomfortable who hath intellectual Beauties to gaze on, and self repositories and stores to delight in.
Above all beg Grace. Court not the Hand maid for the Mistriss, the Glittering Lace for the precious Garment. One cryed, Quantus artifex pereo? What a great Schollar is going to Hell? Quid prodest peritum esse & periturum? What avails it, to be learned and cursed. 'Tis Grace that Gift of God, as the Altar, that Sanctifieth the Gold, and makes all conducible to Salvation. Veritatem Philosophia quaerit, Theologia invenit, Religio possidet; Philosophy seeks Truth, Divinity findeth it, Religion possesseth it; Grace bless you with it.
Lastly, Frequently call to mind the Counsel, and the practice of your Pious Father, how Praying how Reading, how Hearing the Word, and imitate all, that he, though dead may …e and have a first Resurrection in you. Every one Loves to see himself in another, but mostly in his Children, who are their Parents multiplyed, and new printed in a new Edition, and let it be with an Addition, for derived Priviledges are not yours: Et genus & proavos & quae non fecimus ipsi, vix ea nostra voco. Young ones have obtained pardon. I write unto you, little Children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake. And directing you to that Prayer of David, I take my leave of you; Psal. 119. 73. Thine Hands have made me and fashioned me: Give me understanding that I may Learn thy Commandments.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Gouge, The Faith of Dying Jacob (1688)