The Morning Seeker, To the reader – By the same author
To all Young Ones whoſe hearts are ſet to ſeek the Lord before it be too late, who are and deſire ſtill to be Morning Seekers.
WHen I conſidered the dangers that ſuch a day, as we live in, expoſes your precious Souls to, I was willing for your Souls ſakes to contribute my Mite to that Work which ſo many Reverend and Worthy Servants of Christ had gone before me in: Yet we living in a ſleepy Age, and knowing we have ſleepy hearts, we muſt be often calling on; and the more Calls, and the more Cryers, the more are Souls ſtirred and ſtartled. I have ſadly obſerved ſeveral things ſince I with others of the Lords Servants have been under this preſent day and diſpenſation.
1. That our great hopes and expectations, that we have had of the Lords effectual working upon the hearts of Young Ones, have often met with great diſappointments; and many of the poor Miniſters of Chriſt have been like the Troops of Tema, Job 6.19, 20.and the Company of Sheba, waiting for ſome good iſſue of the travel of their Souls, but they were confounded, becauſe they had hoped they were aſhamed; and is not this cruelty, to cruſh our hopes and croſs our expectations, who travel for you, and all in hope Chriſt might be formed in you? Will it be your gain if we loſe our prayers, our tears, our ſtudies, our pains? Will this be profitable to you, if all our deſigns for your good be made by your ſelves miſcarrying deſigns?
2. That it is a great reproach to the wayes of God, and name of God, when ſuch, as have been for a time forward for God, do go back again. How hath the Name of God been blaſphemed many times by the miſcarriages of ſuch? And how may it be ſaid of many Young Ones, as was ſaid of that Fig-tree Jeſus Chriſt curſed,Mat. 21.20. How ſoon is this Fig-tree withered away! Where is your Zeal, your Affections, your Love, your fervency for God, for his Ordinances, for Duties, for Worſhip, that once ſeemed to move upon your Spirits? O conſider of it young men, that the wayes of God have been evil ſpoken of by your means. And I may ſay to you as the Prophet to them, This hath been by your means.Mal. 1.9.
3. The going back of ſuch I have obſerved is a great ſtumbling-block to others, a great diſcouragement to others to own the wayes of God. O ſay ſuch poor Souls, ſhall not I prove as others have done? make a fair flouriſh for a year or two, bear green leaves, and promiſing buds and bloſſoms, but yet for all that brings forth no fruit to perfection? And therefore ſuch poor Souls rather ſit ſtill, ſeeing ſo many that have been in a fair way of profeſſion, backſlide and apoſtatize before them.
4. Many poor Sinners have been hardned in their Atheiſm, Profaneneſs and contempt of the wayes of God by ſeeing you fall off after that you have made ſome progreſs in the wayes of God. Do not they conclude at the ſight of ſuch miſcarriages, that their conditions are good,Deut. 29.19. though they walk in the imaginations of their own heart? Do not they cry Peace, Peace to their own Souls, though they walk in Soul-undoing and deſtroying courſes? Take two young men, One of them falls under ſome conviction of ſin, under the Miniſtry of the Word, upon this Conviction he launches out into a viſible Profeſſion, owns the wayes of God, Hears, Prays, Reads, repeats Sermons, &c. The other of them continues ſinning on ſtill, ſenſeleſs of his Soul, kicks againſt the pricks ſtill, but he cryes, his Companion will return to him again, this is but for a fit, a little melancholy, or to pleaſe ſome party or other. Well, in a little time it proves thus, the Profeſſing young man becomes profane again, returns with the dog to his vomit,2 Pet. 2.22. and with the Sow after once waſhing to her wallowing in the mire, returns to his Onions and Garlick again: O how this doth now harden the other poor Sinner in his dangerous and damnable ſtate, and makes him venture his Soul to live and lye, and dye in it!
5. I have obſerved ſuch Young Men that once have taſted ſome thing of the Word of God, and have laid under Convictions of Sin, when they have fallen off and loſt them, they have grown harder after than before; they have like the wicked men we read of, grown worſe and worſe:1 Tim. 3.13. Such have outſtripped others in ſin. As Iron often heated proves harder, ſo it is with ſuch poor Souls; and is not this a ſad ſight to ſee him a Drunkard, a Swearer, a Reviler, a Scoffer at the wayes of God, who once was a praying Young Man? One that worſhipt with thoſe he now ſcoffs at and reviles? If one had told thee while thou wert a praying, a profeſſing Young Man, that thy Praying, thy Hearing, thy repeating Sermons, would have ended thus, would not thou have ſaid as Hazael did to the Prophet,2 Kings 8.13. Is thy Servant a Dog? O but have not a few years produced too many ſuch inſtances?
6. I have obſerved, that as ſoon as many Young Ones have ſet forth under Convictions of a need of Chriſt to ſeek after him, they many times have fallen into erroneous notions. When Satan cannot keep poor Souls in profane practices, he then will labour to poyſon them with pernicious Principles. And as the Devil hath his Nurſeries to debauch Young Ones in their Practices, ſo he hath his Nurſeries to poyſon them with pernicious Principles. No ſooner doth a Young Man become ſober and ſerious, but there are perſons that are ready to drop their poyſon upon them; and ſo many poor Souls are ſet wrong at the very firſt ſetting out.
7. I have obſerved Young Ones to be like fooliſh Children, Hoſ. 13.13.as the Prophet ſayes, to ſtay long in the place of breaking forth; Eſpecially Young Ones under Godly Education, nurſed up in Godly Families: How long is it often before the work be a through-work upon their Spirits? Alas, how do their Convictions come and go, for months, if not for years ſome times, not hearing of them; and then another while Conſcience being a Boanarges to them, thundring forth the terrours of the Lord to them. One while they are murdered, another while they walk and make a dreadful noiſe in the Conſcience. Here poor Soul, thou may ſee thy danger in delaying thy great work of ſeeking in thy prime and flower of thy youth.
8. I have obſerved a great deal of pride grow up with the Profeſſion of Young Ones. O how often hath this been the mortal bane and poyſon of many of their Souls! How many have upon this Rock ſplit their Convictions, their Profeſſion, their Expectations with their Souls for ever? Have not many poor Young Seekers been over-ſet by carrying too much ſail? Ʋpon their ſuppoſition of acquired gifts and parts how have they prided themſelves? untill as the Poets ſay of young Narciſſus, that he fell in love with his own ſhadow untill he pined away. Have not many Young Seekers fallen into a Conſumption by ſelf-love, and ſetting too high a price upon themſelves? Nay, hath not this ſin cauſed the Lord to ſuffer ſome of them to fall into ſome viſible groſs evil, that might keep them little and low in their own eyes all their dayes? Many have got a halt at the first ſetting out, that they might be kept from ſelf-exaltation.
9. I have obſerved an untractable Spirit grow up with Young Ones, to their Superiours and Guides, which is a dangerous evil. Doth this become young Travellers, nay indeed any Travellers to caſt off their Guides? or to think they can get to their journeys end, without obſerving the Counſels, Conduct, and the directions of ſuch as are ſet over them in the Lord? Are Miniſters ſet over you to be your Guides, are Parents, are Maſters ſet over you to be your Guides,1 Pet. 5.5. and will you prove untractable to theſe? This is a great provocation to the Lord, which occaſioned that Exhortation of Peter's, You younger ſubmit your ſelves to the elder. As it particularly relates to Miniſters, ſo it may refer to others. At what door came in Erroneous Principles,Heb. 13.17. at firſt, and Licentious Practices? Was it not at this, when perſons refuſed to obey and ſubmit to them that were ſet over them in the Lord?
10. I have obſerved that Satans grand Deſigns and Engines are laid ſo as (if it be poſſible) to prevent Jeſus Chriſt having a Young Off-ſpring. The Devil would not have Chriſt have any Nurſeries, any Young Nurſeries, where any tender Plants ſhould be ſet and watered, that they might become Trees of Righteouſneſs. Therefore he hath his Nurſeries to debauch and corrupt them; like Herod, he is all for killing Chriſt in the cradle. O this puts him upon that rage and wrath in purſuing poor Souls, as ſoon as their Convictions begin to ſtir in them. As Pharaoh purſued Iſrael, when he ſaw them attempting an eſcape; ſo doth Satan follow poor Young Ones as ſoon as ever they look out of their miſerable Captivity under which they are in their natural eſtates and conditions.
11. I have obſerved that the Lords effectual working upon the hearts of Young Ones, is, and hath been a token of ſome approaching appearance of God on the behalf of a People or a Nation. It argues God hath ſtill ſome work there, ſome thing to do there, that he would not leave that place and people. He doth not beget Children for the murtherer, he doth not uſe to beget Children and ſend away the breaſts from them. And on the contrary when Converſion-work ceaſes, O then ſome heavy blow comes! Some National ſtroak is at the door! When the Harveſt is inn'd, then the labourers are called home, and this portends a ſtorm. Ambaſſadours calling home looks like a War.
12. I have obſerved the ſad and doleful heart-breaking lamentations of many Godly Parents over the Souls of their dear and dead Children, many Families mourning over their dead. There was a great cry throughout the Land of Aegypt when the Firſt-born was dead.Exod. 11.6. O what a cry hath gone through the Land for the Souls of poor dead Children! One Family crying, Lord, this dear Child is dead, his Soul is dead while he lives;1 Tim. 5.5. (as is ſaid of ſome, while they live in pleaſures are dead) and that which cuts poor Parents to the heart, is this, they fear they ſhall ere long hear ſuch a cry for their Childrens Souls, as was in the night time in the great Plague ſome times, Caſt out your dead, caſt out your dead. O then ſayes one Family, LORD, how many have we to caſt out? So many Children, and ſo few of them made alive to God, ſo few that have Chriſt formed in their precious Souls? O you Young Ones that are the Seed of Godly Parents, if you miſcarry to all Eternity, your Parents Tears and Frayers, I muſt tell you, will be as ſo much oyl to make Hell flames burn ſo much the more vehemently upon you. If you that are Children of the Kingdome by Education, be ſhut out, this will aggravate your condemnation dreadfully.
13. I have obſerved that the wandring of ſuch Young Ones, in the bywayes of Sin, as have ſprung from, and have been nurſed up in Godly Families, have rolled much reproach upon Gods Covenant. If the reproach was only upon their Perſons, it would not be ſo laid to heart; though for a Son to be an occaſion of reproach to his Father and Family is ſad: but that which goes deeper is, the Covenant of God is reproached. The world ſay, they ſee no difference betwixt the poſterity of the Godly and the Ʋngodly, and this is an over-whelming conſideration to them. And O Young Ones, is neither the Name of God, nor the Name of your tender Parents, nor your Families, nor your immortal Souls precious in your eyes? How may that Endictment be drawn up againſt you?Mic. 7.6. The Son diſhonoureth the Father, and the Daughter riſeth up againſt her Mother.
Laſtly, I have ſadly obſerved, a ſpirit of ſtubbornneſs and rebellion hath taken poſſeſſion of many Young Ones towards their dear and tender Parents;2 Tim. 3.2. which indeed is a ſin of the higheſt rank,Rom. 1.30. therefore reckoned among ihe ſins of the later times: and ſo on the contrary obedience to Parents is reckoned among the moſt Religious Duties.Lev. 19.…. You ſhall fear every man his Mother, and his Father, and keep my Sabbaths, I am the Lord your God. Yea, in the puniſhment of this ſin we may read the heinouſneſs of it, the Rebellious Son was to be ſtoned to death under the Law;Deut. 21.18, 19, 20, 21. and ſure the ſin is not leſs now in Goſpel-times than it was then.
Now Young Men, theſe were ſome of thoſe Obſervations I have made, that tendered my heart towards the everlaſting good of your immortal Souls, and prevailed with me to put theſe papers into your hands, hoping the Lord may in ſome meaſure ſucceed them with his bleſſing, which is and ſhall be the hearty Prayer of
Your unfeigned Souls Friend and Servant in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, J. R. Decem. 9. 1672.
Advertiſement to the Reader.
There is publiſhed by the ſame Author a Book Entituled A Plat for Mariners, or the Sea-mans Preacher, in ſeveral Sermons upon Jonah's Voyage. In 8vo.