The Young Mans Guide, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Exposition of the Words.
Eccl. 12. 1.
Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy Youth, while the evil dayes come not, nor the years draw night, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.
THE Royal Preacher King Solomon in the latter part of the foregoing Chapter, doth by an emphatical Irony disswade young men from those youthful lusts, and sensual pleasures, whereunto they are naturally addicted; and that by the consideration of that dreadful account they are to give unto God at the great day, as vers. 4. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, and walk in the wayes of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into Iudgement. As if he had said, since thou art so set upon it to have thy will, and thy way, to suck the sweet, and make the best of what is before thee, take thy course, take thy fill of thy pleasure, ease, and hearts-content whilest thou livest: but remember what comes after, and know that for all thy sweet morsels, and pleasant draughts, for all thy pleasant sins, and youthful liberties, and those vain, and wicked courses, wherein thou now takest such content and delight, God will bring thee into judgement: die thou must, thou knowest not how soon, and after death thou shalt be brought before Gods Tribunal, there to answer for all that thou hast done, and receive a just recompence of reward. Remember this, O young man, and then go on thy way at thy peril.
A serious consideration of the judgement of God would be an excellent means to abate the heat of lust, and take off young men from those sensual delights, wherein they are commonly so drench'd and drown'd.
Solomon having thus disswaded young men from their youthful lusts and pleasures: In the beginning of this Chapter he perswades them to the seeking of God, and that from their youth, and younger years, by several arguments.
The first is couched in the four first verses of this twelfth Chapter, taken from the unfitness of old men to set themselves to the service of God, which they have neglected all the former part of their lives: Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy yeuth, while the evil dayes come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. Briefly to clear the words.
Remember.] Young men of all others in this case have but short memories, are apt to forget God, his wayes and Judgements, and to leave the care and minding hereof to their old age. Therefore the Wise man knowing how unfit and unseasonable that would be to enter upon so great a work adviseth them to begin betimes, and early to fix their thoughts on God, and to consecrate their strength, from the very first to him. For this remembrance in the text doth not only import an Act of memory, but such a calling to mind as works upon the affection, and practice, so as to set us a doing of what we know and remember.
To remember God is the same as to know God, to love, and fear, and serve him. 'Tis the same counsel which Solomon here gives, which once he received from his aged Father, 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and willing mind. As God is said to remember man, when he thinks upon him to do him good: So man doth then remember God, when he thinks upon him to do him service.
Thy Creatour.] From whom thou hadst thy being, and well-being, thy Creation and Preservation, and therefore owest thy self, and service unto him. As thou art from God, so thou oughtest to love and live unto him: he made thee this living soul after his own image, and thereby as thou art more capable, so art thou the more obliged unto him; and that
Now in the dayes of thy Youth (Which is the prime of thy time, the flowre of thine age, the strength of thy life, when thou art able to do him the best service. God will be served with the best of all thy strength, and will not be put off till thy strength be gone: therefore now in the flowre of thy youth give up thy self unto him.
While the evil dayes come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. That is before old age seiseth on thee, which will be full of pains and sorrows, so that thou canst take no delight in any thing, neither canst thou find any desire or strength for service. Here the dayes of old age are called evil, because men are then subject to manifold infirmities, and afflictions, as if he had said, seeing the Elder dayes are like to be evil dayes, full of pains and griefs, be sure thou do not add thereunto the bitterness of thy youthful lusts, and pleasures, and the butthen of those duties which should have been the business of thy youth. Shall the sins, and the works of an whole age be laid upon thi…e aged Shoulders? what an intolerable burthen will that be to thee? who wilt find it hard enough for thee to bear up under thy diseases, and infirmities. Be doing rather now in the dayes of thy youth, lay up against the time to come, be aforehand with thy necessary work, get to be rich in greace, abundant in good works, serving the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of thy life; which may comfort thine heart against the evils of thine old age, that so it may not be unto thee an evil, but as it was to Abraham, a good old age, Gen. 25. 8.
The drift of the Wise man in these words is to stir up young men to consecrate their youth, and younger years, especially, to the remembring and serving of God: because old age, being full of weaknesses and infirmities, is very unfit then to begin to serve God, or to mind the great work of Repentance and Reformation.