Six Sermons, Sermon 6
OF THE Advantages of an early Piety. A SERMON Preached in the Church of St. Lawrence J…ry, In the Year 1662.
ECCLES. XII. 1.
Remember now thy Creator in the d…ys of thy Youth; while the evil days come not, nor the years draw …igh when thou ſhalt ſay I have no pleaſure in them.
IN the former Diſcourſes, concerning the Education of Children, I have carried the Argument through the ſtate of Childhood to the beginning of the next ſtep of their Age which we call Youth; when they come to exerciſe their Reaſon, and to be …it to take upon themſelves the performance of that Solemn Vow which was made for them by their Sureties in Baptiſm.
To encourage them to ſet ſeriouſly and in good earneſt about this Work, I ſhall now add another Diſcourſe concerning the Advantages of an Early Pi… ty. And to this purpoſe I have choſen for the foundation of it theſe Words of S… lomon, in his Book called Eccleſiaſtes or the Preacher: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the …vil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou ſhalt ſay I have no pleaſure in them.
It will not be neceſſary to give an account of the Context any further than to tell you, that this Book of the Roy…l Preacher is a lively deſcription of the Vanity of the World in general, and particularly of the Life of Man. This is the main Body of his Sermon, in which there are here and there ſcattered many ſerious Reflections upon our ſelves, and very weighty Conſiderations to quicken our preparations for our latter End, and to put us in mind of the days of darkneſs which will be many, as the Preacher tells us in the Chapter before the Text.
Among theſe is the Admonition and advice in the words of the Text: Which do indeed concern thoſe that are young, but yet will afford uſeful matter of Meditation to perſons of all Ages and Conditions whatſoever: Of great thankfulneſs to Almighty God from thoſe who by the Grace of God, and his Bleſſing upon a pious Education, have entred upon a Religious courſe betimes: And of a deep ſorrow and Repentance to thoſe who have neglected and let ſlip this beſt Opportunity of their Lives; and of taking up a firm Reſolution of redeeming that loſs, as much as is poſſible, by their future care and diligence: And to them more eſpecially, who are grown old and have not yet begun this great and neceſſary Work, it will miniſter occaſion to reſolve upon a ſpeedy retreat, and without any further delay to return to God and their Duty; le…t the Opportunity of doing it, which is now almoſt quite ſpent, be loſt for ever.
The Text contains a Duty, which is to remember our Creator; and a Limit… tion of it, more eſpecially to one particular Age and Time of our Life; in the days of our Youth: Not to exclude any other Age, but to lay a particular Emphaſis and weight upon this: Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth, that is, more eſpecially in this Age of thy Life: To intimate to us, both that this is the fitteſt Seaſon, and that we cannot begin this Work too ſoon.
And this is further illuſtrated by the oppoſition of it to Old Age: When the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh of which thou ſhalt ſay I have no pleaſure in them: This is a Deſcription of Old Age, the evils whereof are continually growing; and which in reſpect of the cares and griefs, the diſtempers and infirmities which uſually attend it, is rather a burthen than a pleaſure.
In the handling of theſe Words, I ſhall do theſe three things,
Firſt, I ſhall conſider the nature of the Act or Duty here enjoin'd, and that is to remember God.
Secondly, I ſhall conſider what there is in the Notion of God as Creator which is more particularly apt to awaken and oblige us to the remembrance of Him.
Thirdly, I ſhall conſider the Limitation of this Duty more eſpecially to this particular Age of our Lives, the days of our youth: Why we ſhould begin this Work then, and not put it off to the Time of Old Age.
I. I ſhall conſider the nature of the Act or Duty here enjoin'd, which is to remember our Creator. For the underſtanding of which Expreſſion and others of the like nature in Scripture, it is to be conſider'd that it is very uſual in Scripture to expreſs Religion and the whole Duty of Man by ſome eminent Act, or Principle, or Part of Religion: Sometimes by the Knowledge of God, and by Faith in Him; and very frequently by the Fear and by the Love of God; becauſe theſe are the great Principles and Parts of Religion: And ſo likewiſe, though not ſo frequently, Religion is expreſs'd by the Remembrance of God: Now Remembrance is the actual thought of what we do habitually know. To remember God is to have him actually in our minds, and upon all proper occaſions to revive the thoughts of Him, and as David expreſſeth it, to ſet him always before us: I ſet the Lord, ſays he, always before me, that is, God was continually preſent to his mind and thoughts.
And in oppoſition to this we find wicked men in Scripture deſcribed by the contrary quality, forgetfulneſs of God… So they are deſcribed in Job; Job 8. 13. Such are the paths of them that forget God, that is, of the wicked: And the ſame deſcription David gives of them, Pſal. 9. 17. The wicked, ſays he, ſhall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God: And elſewhere he gives the ſame character of a wicked man, Pſal. 10. 4. that God is not in all his thoughts.
And the courſe of a Religious Life is not unfitly expreſs'd by our Remembrance of God. For to remember a Perſon or Thing is to call them to mind upon all proper and …itting Occaſions; to think actually of them, ſo as to do that which the remembrance of them does require, or prompt us to. To remember a Friend, is to be ready upon occaſion to do him all good offices: To remember a kindneſs and benefit, is to be ready to acknowledge and r…quite it when there is an opportunity: To remember an injury, is to be ready to revenge it: And in a word to remember any thing is to be mindful to do that which the memory of ſuch a thing doth naturally ſuggeſt to us.
So that to remember God, is frequently and in our moſt ſerious and retired thoughts to conſider that there is ſuch a Being as God is; of all Power and Perfection, who made us and all other things, and hath given us Laws to liv… by, ſuitable to our Natures; and will call us to a ſtrict account for our obſervance or violation of them, and accordingly reward and puniſh us; very often in this World, and to be ſure in the other.
It is to revive often in our minds the thoughts of God and of his infinite Perfections, and to live continually under the power and awe of theſe apprehenſions, that He is infinitely wiſe and good, holy and juſt; that He is always preſent with us, and obſerves what we do, and is intimate to our moſt ſecret thoughts, and will bring every work into Judgment, and every ſecret thing whether it be good, or whether it be evil; as the Preacher tells us in the concluſion of this Sermon.
The Duty then here required of us, is ſo ſoon as we arrive at the uſe of Reaſon and the exerciſe of our Underſtandings, to take God into conſideration, and to begin a Religious Courſe of Life betimes; to conſecrate the beginning of our Days and the flower and ſtrength of them to his Service: Whilſt our Mind is yet ſoft and …ender, and in a great meaſure free from all other impreſſions, to be mindful of the Being that is above us; and in all our deſigns and actions to take God into conſideration, and to do every thing in his Fear, and with an eye to his Glory. Remember thy Creator, that is, honour fear, love, obey and ſerve Him; and in a word, do every thing as becomes one that is mindful of God, and hath Him continually in his thoughts.
II. I ſhall in the next place conſider, what there is in the Notion of God as our Creat…r that is more particularly apt to awaken and oblige men to the remembrance of God. The Text does not barely require us to remember God, but to remember Him as the Author and Founder of our Beings: Remember thy Creator. And there is certainly ſome particular Emphaſis in it, ſo that God conſidered under the Notion of our Creator is apt to ſtrike us with a particular regard and awe of Him. And that upon a threefold account; as Creation is a ſenſible demonſtration to us 1ſt. Of the Being. 2dly. Of the Power, and 3dly. Of the Goodneſs of God.
Firſt, Of His Being. The Creation is of all other the moſt ſenſible and obvious Argument of a Deity. Other Conſiderations may work upon our Reaſon and Underſtanding, but this doth as it were bring God down to our ſenſes. So often as we look up to Heaven, or down upon the Earth; upon our Selves, or into our ſelves; upon the things without us, and round about us: Which way ſoever we turn our eyes, we are encounter'd with plain evidences of a Superior Being, which made us and all other things: Every thing which we behold with our eyes doth in ſome way or other repreſent God to us and bring him to our minds, ſo as we cannot avoid the ſight of Him if we would. So the Pſalmiſt tells us, Pſal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament ſhews the work of his hands. And ſo likewiſe St. Paul, Rom. 1. 20. The inviſible things of Him, from the Creation of the World, are clearly ſeen being underſtood by the things which are made; even his ete…al Power and Godhead.
Secondly, As the Creation is a demonſtration of God's infinite Power. And this Conſideration is apt to work upon our F…ar, the moſt wakeful Paſſion of all other in the Soul of Man: Inſomuch that the Atheiſt would fain aſcribe the Original apprehenſion and belief of a Deity to the natural Fears of Men; Primus in orbe Deos f…it timor, Fear firſt made Gods; and by this means would fain perſuade us that it is ſo far from being true that God is our Creator, that He is merely the Creature of our own vain Fear and Imagination.
But ſurely this is very unreaſonable. For if there be a God that made us, there is infinite reaſon why we ſhould ſtand in awe of Him, and have him always in our mind and thoughts; becauſe He who made us and all other things, if we neglect Him and forget ſo great a Benefactor, can as eaſily make us miſerable, or turn us out of Being. Therefore Remember thy Creator, and deſpiſe or forget Him at thy utmoſt peril.
Thirdly, As the Creation is a demonſtration of the Goodneſs of God to his Creatures. This Conſideration of God as our Creator doth naturally ſuggeſt to our minds, that his Goodneſs brought us into …eing; and that if Being be a Benefit, God is the Fountain and Author of it, that his Goodneſs called us out of nothing, and made us to be what we are; for of his good pleaſure we are and were created. He was under no neceſſity of doing it; for He was from eternal Ages happy in himſelf before we were, and would have been ſo to all eternity though we had never been; nor was it poſſible He could be under any obligation to us before we were.
And He is not only our Creator as He gave us our Beings at firſt, but likewiſe as we are preſerved and continued in Life by the ſame Goodneſs which firſt gave us Life and Breath; for of his Goodneſs we ARE as well as were created.
And can we forget ſo great a Benefactor, and be unmindful of the God that formed us? Can we chuſe but remember the Founder of our Beings, the great Patron and Preſerver of our Lives? And ſo ſoon as we arrive at the uſe of Reaſon, and diſcover this great Benefactor to whom we owe our Lives and all the Bleſſings of them, can we forbear to do homage to him, and to ſay with David, O come, let us worſhip and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker: For He is the Lord our God, it is He that hath made us and not we our ſelves; we are his People, and the Sheep of his paſture. I proceed to conſider in the
III. and Laſt place, The Reaſon of the Limitation of this Duty more eſpecially to this particular Age of our Lives, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth, when the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou ſhalt ſay I have no pleaſure in them: NOW; in the days of thy Youth; by which Solomon plainly deſigns two things,
Firſt, To engage young perſons to begin this great and neceſſary Work of Religion betimes, and aſſoon as ever they are capable of taking it into conſideration, Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth. And the Son of Sirach much to the ſame purpoſe, ſpeaking of one that in good earneſt applies his heart to Wiſdom, deſcribes him in this manner, Eccluſ. He will give his heart to reſort early to the Lord that made him; which is the ſame with the expreſſion in the Text, of remembring our Creator in the days of our Youth.
Secondly, To engage young perſons to ſet about this Work preſently, and not to defer it and put it off to the future, as moſt are apt to do; Remember NOW thy Creator, in the days of thy youth: Eſpecially, not to adjourn it to the moſt unfit and improper time of all other, to the time of infirmity and old Age, NOW, in the days of thy Youth; when the …vil days c…me not, n…r the years draw nigh when thou ſhalt ſay I h…ve no pleaſure in them: While the Sun, or the Light, or the Moon, or the Stars be not darken'd, &c.
And how much reaſon there is to preſs both theſe Conſiderations upon young perſons I ſhall endeavour to ſhew in the following Particulars.
Firſt, Becauſe in this Age of our Lives we have the greateſt and moſt ſenſible obligation to remember God our Creat…r: In the days of our youth, when the Bleſſing and benefit of Life is new, and the memory of it freſh upon our minds. It ought not indeed to be ſo, but we find it true which Seneca ſays, Nihil citiùs ſeneſcit quàm gratia, Nothing ſooner grows old and out of date than obligation; and we are but too apt to forget what we have the greateſt reaſon to remember.
In this Age of our Life, when we begin to come to the free uſe and exerciſe of our Reaſon, the firſt thing we are inſtructed in, and if we were not taught it we ſhould, though perhaps more ſlowly, diſcover and find it out of our ſelves: I ſay, the firſt thing we are inſtructed in and inquiſitive about is the Author of our Beings, and how we came into the World: And when God firſt appears to our Minds, and we come by degrees clearly to underſtand by whoſe …ounty and Bleſſing it is that we are and have been preſerved thus long, without our own care; principally by the Providence of God, and under Him by thoſe inſtruments which He hath raiſed and p…eſerved for that purpoſe: When we conſider this, we cannot but be ſtrangely ſurprized both with the Novelty of the …enefit and the Greatneſs of it.
And when we have well viewed our Selves, and look'd about us, upon the Creatures below us, all of them ſubject to our Dominion and uſe: And when we conſider ſeriouſly in what a noble Rank and order of Creatures we are placed; and how fearfully and wonderfully we are made, not groveling upon the earth or bowed down to it, but of a beautiful and upright ſhape of Body, and ſuch a Majeſty of Countenance as if we were all Kings of the Creation: And which is much more excellent than this, that we are endued with Minds and Underſtandings, with Reaſon and Speech, whereby we are capable not only of converſing with and benefiting one another, but alſo of the knowledge and friendſhip and enjoyment of the Beſt and moſt Perfect of Beings, God himſelf: I ſay when we firſt conſider this and meditate ſeriouſly upon it, can we poſſibly ever after forget God? Shall we not naturally break out into that enquiry which Elihu thinks ſo proper for Man that he wonders it is not in every Man's mouth, Where is God my Maker, who teacheth me more than the Beaſts of the Earth, and maketh me wiſer than the Fowls of Heaven? Job 35. 10, 11.
So that there is a very ſpecial obligation upon us to be mindful of God in this Age of our Lives, when we firſt come to the knowledge of Him, and when the ſenſe of his Favours is freſh and new to us; and not only ſo, but when the Bleſſing of Life is at the very beſt and in its verdure and flower; when our Health is in its ſtrength and vigor, and the pleaſures and enjoyments of Life have their full taſte and perfect reliſh. So Job deſcribes the days of his youth, Job 29. 2, 3, 4. O that I were as in months paſt, as in the days when God preſerved me; when his Candle ſhined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkneſs, as I was in the days of my youth, &c.
Indeed when the evil days are once come, and thou art enter'd upon the years in which thou thy ſelf haſt no pleaſure, there might be ſome ſort of pretence then to forget God; becauſe then Life begins to wither and decay, and not only the gloſs and beauty but even the comfort and ſweetneſs of it is gone, and it becomes an inſipid and taſtleſs thing: But thou art inexcuſable, O Man, whoever thou art, if thou art unmindful of God in the beſt Age of thy Life, and when the ſenſe of his Benefits ought upon all accounts to make the ſtrongeſt and deepeſt impreſſions upon thy Mind.
Secondly, The Reaſon will be yet ſtronger to put us upon this, if we conſider that notwithſtanding the great obligation which lies upon us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth, we are moſt apt at that time of all other to forget Him. For that which is the great Bleſſing of Youth is alſo the great Danger of it, I mean the Health and Proſperity of it; and though men have then leaſt reaſon, yet are they moſt apt to forget God in the height of pleaſure and in the abundance of all things.
Youth is extremely addicted to pleaſure, becauſe it is moſt capable and moſt ſenſible of it; and where we are moſt apt to be tranſported, there we are moſt apt to tranſgreſs. Nothing does ſo beſot the Mind and extinguiſh in it all ſenſe of Divine things as ſenſual Pleaſures. If we fall in love with them, they will take off our thoughts from Religion and ſteal away our hearts from God. For no man can ſerve two Maſters… and the carnal mind is enmity againſt God.
Beſides that Youth is raſh and inconſiderate, becauſe unexperienced; and conſequently not apt to be cautious and prudent, no not as to the future concernments of this temporal Life; much leſs of that which ſeems to be at ſo much a greater diſtance, and for that reaſon is ſo very ſeldom in our thoughts.
Thirdly, Becauſe this Age is of all other the fitteſt and beſt to begin a Religious courſe of Life. And this does not contradict the former Argument, tho it ſeems to do ſo. For as it is true of Children, that they are moſt prone to be idle and yet fitteſt to learn; ſo in the caſe we are ſpeaking of both are true, that youth is an Age wherein we are too apt, if left to our ſelves, to forget God and Religion, and yet at the ſame time fitteſt to receive the impreſſions of it.
Youth is aetas Diſciplinae, the proper Age of Diſcipline; very obſequious and tractable, fit to receive any kind of impreſſion and to imbibe any tincture: Now we ſhould lay hold of this golden Opportunity. This Age of ſuppleneſs, and obedience, and patience for labour, ſhould be plyed by Parents, before that rigor and ſtiffneſs which grows with years come on too faſt. Childhood and Youth are choice Seaſons for the planting of Religion and Virtue, and if Parents and Teachers ſleep in this Seed time they are ill Husbandmen; for this is the time of plowing and ſowing.
This Age is certainly the moſt proper for Inſtruction, according to that of the Prophet, Iſa. 28. 9. Whom ſhall he teach knowledge? Whom ſhall he make to underſtand Doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breaſt. For precept muſt be upon precept and lin… upon line, here a little and there a little. And the ſooner this is done, the better; only things muſt be inſtilled into them gently and by degrees.
It is a noted Saying of Ariſtotle, That young Perſons are not fit to hear Lectures of Moral Philoſophy; becauſe at that Age Paſſion is ſo predominant and unruly: By which, I think, he only means that the Minds of young Perſons are leaſt prepared to receive the Precepts of Morality and to ſubmit to them; but that he does not hereby intend, that ther… fore no care ought to be uſed to form the Minds and Manners of Youth to Virtue and Goodneſs. He certainly underſtood the nature and power of evil Habits too well to be of that mind; and conſequently muſt think that the Principles of Morality ought with great care and diligence to be inſtill'd into young perſons betimes: Becauſe they of all other have the moſt need of this kind of Inſtruction, and this Age is the moſt proper Seaſon for it: And the leſs their Minds are prepared for it, ſo much the more pains ought to be taken with them, that they may be taught to govern and ſubdue their Paſſions before …hey grow too ſ…iff and headſtrong. So that if the Seeds of Religion and Virtue be not planted in our younger years, what is to be expected in old Age? according to that of the Son of Sirach, Eccluſ. 25. 13. If thou haſt g… thered nothing in thy Youth, how canſt thou expect to find any thing in thine Age?
Young years are tender and eaſily wrought upon, apt to be moulded into any faſhion, they are udum & molle lutum, like moiſt and ſoft clay which is pliable to any form; but ſoon grows hard, and then nothing is to be made of it. It is a very difficult thing to make impreſſions upon Age, and to deface the Evil which hath been deeply imprinted upon young and tender minds. When good inſtruction hath been neglected at firſt, a conceited Ignorance doth commonly take poſſeſ…on, and obſtruct all the paſſages through which Knowledge and Wiſdom ſhould enter into us.
Upon this Conſideration the Work of Religion ſhould be begun betimes, becauſe it is a mighty advantage to any thing to be planted in a ground that is newly broken up. It is juſt the ſame …hing for young perſons to be enter'd into a Religious courſe and to have their Minds habituated to Virtue before vicious Cuſtoms have got place and ſtrength in us: For whoever ſhall attempt this afterwards will meet with infinite difficulty and oppoſition, and muſt diſpute his ground by inches.
It is good therefore to do that which muſt be done one time or other, when it is eaſieſt to be done; when we may do it with the greateſt advantage, and are likely to meet with the leaſt and weakeſt oppoſition. We ſhould anticipate Vice, and prevent the Devil and the World by letting God into our hearts betimes and giving Religion the firſt ſeiſine and poſſeſſion of our Souls… This is the time of ſowing our Seed, which muſt by no means be neglected. For the Soul will not lye fallow; good or evil will come up. If our minds be not cultivated by Religion, Sin and Vice will get the poſſeſſion of them: But if our tender years be ſeaſoned with the knowledge and fear of God, this in all probability will have a good influence upon the following courſe of our Lives.
In a word, this Age of our Lives is proper for Labour and Conflict; becauſe Youth is full of heat and vigor, of courage and reſolution to enterprize and effect difficult things. This heat indeed renders young perſons very unfit to adviſe and direct themſelves, and therefore they have need to be adviſed and directed by thoſe who are wiſer and more experienced: But yet this heat makes them very fit for practice and action; for though they are bad at counſel, they are admirable at execution, when their heat is well directed; they have a great deal of vivacity and quickneſs, of courage and conſtancy in the way wherein they are ſet.
Beſides, that Youth hath a great ſenſe of Honour and Virtue, of Praiſe and Commendation, which are of great force to engage young perſons to attempt worthy and excellent things: For hope and confidence, ſtrength and courage, with which ſenſe of Honour and deſire of Praiſe are apt to inſpire them, are admirable inſtruments of Victory and Maſtery in any kind; and theſe are proper and moſt peculiar to Youth, I write unto you young men, …aith St. John, becauſe ye are ſtrong, and have overcome the evil One.
And, beſides the ſpirit and vigor of Youth, young perſons have ſeveral other qualities which make them very capable of learning any thing that is good. They are apt to believe, becauſe they have not been often deceived; and this is a very good quality in a Learner. And they are full of hopes, which will encourage them to attempt things even beyond their ſtrength; becauſe Hope is always of the future, and the Life of young perſons is in a great meaſure before them and yet to come. And, which is a good Bridle to reſtrain them from that which is evil, they are commonly very modeſt and baſhful: And, which is alſo a ſingular advantage, they are more apt to do that which is honeſt and commendable than that which is gainful and profitable, being in a great meaſure free from the love of Money, which Experience, as well as the Apoſtle, tells us is the root of all Evil. Children are very ſeldom covetous, becauſe they have ſeldom been bitten by want.
Fourthly, This is the moſt acceptable Time of all other, becauſe it is the firſt of our Age. Under the Law the firſt fruits and the firſt-born were God's. In like manner we ſhould devote the firſt of our Age and Time to Him. God is the firſt and moſt excellent of Beings, and therefore it is fit that the prime of our Age and the excellency of our ſtrength ſhould be dedicated to Him and his Service.
An early Piety muſt needs be very acceptable and pleaſing to God. Our Bleſſed Lord took great pleaſure to ſee little Children come unto Him; an Emblem of the pleaſure he takes that men ſhould liſt themſelves betimes in his ſervice. St. John was the youngeſt of all the Diſciples, and our Saviour had a very particular kindneſs and affection for him; for he is ſaid to be the Diſciple whom Jeſus loved.
It is a good ſign that we value God as we ought, and have a true eſteem for his ſervice, when we can find in our hearts to give him our good Days, and the years which we our ſelves have pleaſure in: And that we have a grateful ſenſe of his benefits and of our mighty obligation to him, when we make the quickeſt and beſt returns we can, and think nothing too good to render to Him from whom we have received all.
It is likewiſe an argument of great Sincerity, which is the Soul of all R… ligion and Virtue, when a man devotes himſelf to God betimes: becauſe it is a good evidence that he is not drawn by thoſe forcible conſtraints, nor driven to God by that preſſing neceſſity which lies upon men in time of Sickneſs and old Age. And on the contrary, it cannot but be very diſpleaſing to God to be neglected by us when we are in the flower and vigor of our Age: When our Blood is warm, and our Spirits quick, and our Parts are at the beſt, then to think our ſelves too good to ſerve God; what an affront is this to Him who hath deſerved ſo infinitely well of us, and beyond the beſt and u…moſt that we can poſſibly do?
Beſides, that there is a peculiar kind of grace and lovelineſs in the worthy and excellent actions of Young Perſons, great thing… being hardly expected from them at that Age. Early Habits of Virtue, like new Cloathes upon a young and comely Body, ſit very gracefully upon a ſtraight and wellſhap'd Mind, and do might…ly become it.
As there is Joy in Heaven at the converſion of a great and old Sinner, ſo it cannot but be a very delightful Spectacle to God and Angels, and to the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect, to ſee a Young Perſon beſieged by powerful Temptations on every ſide, to acquit himſelf gloriouſly, and reſolutely to hold out againſt the moſt violent Aſſaults: To behold one, in the pride and flower of his Age, that is courted by Pleaſures and Honours, by the Devil and all the bewitching Vanities of this World, to reject all theſe and to cleave ſtedfaſtly to God: Nay, to frown upon all theſe Temptations and to look down upon them with indignation and …corn, and to ſay, Let thoſe dote upon …heſe things, who know no better: Let them adore ſenſual Pleaſures and lying Vanities, who are ignorant of the ſincere and ſolid Pleaſures of Religion and Virtue: Let them run into the arms of Temptation who can forget God their Creator, their Preſerver, and the Guide of their Youth: As for me, I will ſerve the Lord, and will employ my whole time either innocently or uſefully, in ſerving God, and in doing good to Men who are made after the Image of God. This work ſhall take up my whole Life, there ſhall be no void or empty Space in it; I will endeavour, as much as poſſibly I can, that there may be no gap or breach in it for the Devil and his Temptations to enter in: Lord, I will be thine, I have choſen thee for my happineſs and my portion for ever: Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I deſire beſides thee. Lo! they that are far from thee ſhall periſh: But it is good for me to draw near to God, to begin and end my Days in his fear and to his glory.
Fifthly and Laſtly, This Age of our Life may, for any thing we know, be the only Time we may have for this purpoſe; and if we caſt off the thoughts of God and defer the buſineſs of Religion to old Age, intending, as we pretend, to ſet about it at that Time, we may be cut off before that Time comes, and turned into Hell with the People that forget God.
The Work of Religion is the moſt neceſſary of all other, and muſt be done one time or other, or we are certainly undone for ever. We cannot begin it too ſoon, but we eaſily delay it too long; and then we are miſerable paſt all recovery. He that would not venture his immortal Soul, and put his everlaſting Happineſs upon the greateſt hazard and uncertainty, muſt make Religion his firſt buſineſs and care, muſt think of God betimes and remember his Creator in the days of his Youth.
I have now done with the three things which I propoſed to conſider f…om theſe Words. The Inferences from this whole Diſcourſe ſhall be theſe two,
Fi…ſt, To perſuade thoſe that are young to remember God their Creator, and to engage in the ways of Religion and Virtue betimes.
Secondly, To urge thoſe who have neglected this firſt and beſt Opportunity of their Lives, to repent quickly and return to a b…tter mind; leſt the Opportunity be loſt for ever, and their caſe become deſperate and paſt remedy.
Firſt, To perſuade thoſe that are young to remember God their Creator be…times, and to engage early in the ways of Religion and Virtue. Do not ſuffer your ſelves to be cheated and bewitched by ſenſual ſatisfactions, and to be deſtroyed by eaſe and proſperity. Let not a perpetual tenor of Health and Pleaſure ſoften and diſſolve your Spirits, and baniſh all wiſe and ſerious thoughts out of your Minds. Be not ſo fooliſh and unworthy, as to think that you have a privilege to forget God when he is moſt mindful of you; when the Candle of the Lord ſhines about your Tabernacle, and you are enjoying the health, and ſtrength, and ſweetneſs of Life.
No man knows what he does, and what an invaluable Treaſure he prodigally waſtes, when he lets ſlip this golden Seaſon and Opportunity of his Life; whilſt he is yet innocent and untainted with Sin and Vice, and his Mi…d is clear of all bad impreſſions, and capable of the beſt; not enſlaved to evil, and at liberty to do well.
Conſider, that the ways of Religion and Virtue are nothing ſo difficult and unpleaſant now, as they will be hereafter: And that the longer you forget God, and the more you are eſtranged from Him, the more unwilling you will be to think of him and to return to him: That your Luſts will every day gain more ſtrength, and your hearts by degrees will contract ſuch a ſtiffneſs and hardneſs that it will be no eaſy matter to work upon them.
Therefore remember your Creator in the days of your youth: To day, whilſt it is called to day, leſt any of you be hardned through the deceitfulneſs of Sin. When will you think of beginning a good courſe, if not now? You have a great Work before you which cannot be done in a little time, which cannot be begun and finiſh'd at once. Your whole Life is no more than ſufficient for it; to do it to the beſt advantage, and as it ought to be done. Do not then think of crowding it into a corner of your Life, much leſs of putting it off to the very end of it: When that night comes, no man can work.
Conſider further; If we will deny God the hearty and vigorous ſervice of our beſt days, how can we expect that he will accept the faint and flattering Devotions of old Age? Wiſe men are wont to forecaſt and provide ſome ſtay and comfort for themſelves againſt the evils and infirmities of that Time; that they may have ſomething to lean upon in their weakneſs, ſomething to mitigate and allay the troubles and afflictions of that dark and gloomy Evening: That what they cannot enjoy of preſent pleaſure and ſatisfaction may in ſome meaſure be made up to them in comfortable reflections upon the paſt actions of a holy and innocent, an uſeful and well ſpent Life.
But on the other hand, if we have neglected Religion, and forgotten God days without number; if we have lived an ungodly and vicious Life, we have treaſured up ſo much guilt and remorſe, ſo many aggravations of our ſorrow and anguiſh againſt an evil Day; and have fooliſhly contrived to make our burthen then heavieſt, when we are leaſt able to ſtand under it; and have provided and laid in infinite matter for Repentance, when there is hardly any ſpace and opportunity left for the exerciſe of it; and when we ſhall be utterly diſhearten'd from ſetting about ſo vaſt a Work, of which we can ſee no end; and yet have ſo very little time for it, that if we do any thing at all in it we ſhall be forc'd to huddle it up in ſo much haſte and confuſion, as will, I doubt, ſignify but very little either to our preſent comfort, or our future happineſs.
Conſider this in time, all ye that forget God in the Day of your proſperity and in the beſt Age of your Life, and yet when the Day of affliction and the infirmities of Age come upon you would be glad then to have God mindful of you, and merci…ul to you. But if thou wouldſt not have Him caſt thee off in thine old Age and forſake thee when thy ſtrength fails, do thou remember Him in the days of thy youth, in the prime and vigor of thine Age: For this is the acceptable Time, this is the Day of Salvation.
Therefore acquaint thy ſelf with Him, and remember him NOW; in the days of thy Youth; defer not ſo neceſſary a work, no not for one moment: Begin it juſt now, that ſo thou mayeſt have made ſome good progreſs in it before the evil days come; before the Sun, and the Moon, and the Stars be darkened, and all the comforts and joys of Life be fled and gone.
Be not deceived, O man, whoſoever thou art; for God is not mock'd. He will not be put off by us with the Days in which we our ſelves have no pleaſure. Offer up thy ſelf a living Sacrifice and not a Carkaſs, if thou wouldſt be accepted. Do not provoke and affront the Living God by offering up to him faint ſpirits, and feeble hands, and dim eyes, and a dead heart. He hath been bountiful to us in giving us the beſt Bleſſings of Life, and all things richly to enjoy; and do we grudge Him the moſt valuable part of our Lives, and the years which we our ſelves have pleaſure in? Do we thus requite the Lord? fooliſh people and unwiſe! Is the Giver of all good things unworthy to receive from us any thing that is good? If we offer up the lame in Sacrifice, is it not evil? and if we offer up the blind, is it not evil? Offer it now to thy Governor, and try if he will be pleaſed with thee and accept thy perſon. Hath God deſerved ſo ill at our hands, that we ſhould forget and neglect Him? And hath the Devil deſerved ſo well of us, that we ſhould be contented to ſpend the beſt part of our Lives in his Service, which is perfect Slavery? Was he our Creator, or can he make us happy? Nay, does he not carry on a moſt malicious deſign to make us for ever miſerable?
Secondly, Let me urge thoſe who have neglected this firſt and beſt Opportunity of their Lives to repent quickly and return to a better mind, leſt all Opportunity of doing it be loſt for ever, and their caſe become deſperate and paſt remedy. Reſolve to redeem, if it be poſſible, the Time which you ſhould have improved: you have ſquander'd away too much already, waſte no more of this precious Opportunity of Life: you have deferr'd a neceſſary Work too long, delay it no longer. Do not delude your ſelves with vain hopes that this Work may be done at any time, and in an inſtant; and that if you can but faſhion your laſt breath into Lord have mercy upon me, this will prevail with God and make atonement for the long courſe of a wicked and ſinful Life. What ſtrange thoughts have men of God and Heaven, what extravagant conceits of the little evil of Sin and the great eaſineſs of Repentance, that can impoſe upon themſelves at this rate?
Bethink your ſelves better in time, conſider and ſhew your ſelves men. What will you do in the day of your diſtreſs, who have neglected God in your moſt flouriſhing and proſperous condition? What will you ſay to Him in a dying hour, who ſcarce ever had one ſerious thought of him all your Life? Can you have the face at that time to beſpeak him in this manner? Lord, now the World and my Luſts have left me, and I feel my ſelf ready to ſink into eternal perdition, I lay hold upon thy Mercy to deliver my Soul from going down into the Pit. I have heard ſtrange things of thy Goodneſs and that thou art merciful even to a miracle. This is that which I always truſted to, that after a long Life of Sin and Vanity thou wouldſt at laſt be pacified with a few penitent words and ſighs at the hour of Death. Let me not, I pray thee, be diſappointed of this hope and put to confuſion.
Is this an addreſs …it to be made to a wiſe man, much leſs to the all-wiſe and juſt Judge of the World? and yet this ſeems to be the plain interpretation of the late and forc'd application of a great and habitual Sinner to Almighty God in his laſt extremity, and when he is juſt giving up the ghoſt and going to appear before his dreadful Tribunal.
I ſay again, let no man deceive you with vain words, or with vain hopes, or with falſe notions of a ſlight and ſudden repentance: As if Heaven were an Hoſpital founded on purpoſe to receive all ſick and maimed perſons, that when they can live no longer to the Luſts of the ſinfulPleaſures of this World can but put up a cold and formal Petition to be admitted there.
No, No, as ſure as God is true, they ſhall never ſee the Kingdom of God, who inſtead of ſeeking it in the firſt place make it their laſt Refuge and Retreat: And when they find themſelves under the Sentence of Death and Damnation, only to avoid preſent Execution, and ſince there is no other remedy, do at laſt bethink themſelves of getting to Heaven, and fall upon their knees to petition the Great Judge of the World that they may be tranſported thither.
Can any man in reaſon expect that ſuch a Petition will be granted? I tell you Nay; but except you repent ſooner, and at a fitter time, and after a better faſhion, you ſhall certainly periſh. As much as God deſires the Salvation of Men, he will not proſtitute Heaven, and ſet the Gates of it wide open to thoſe who only fly to it in extremity, but never ſought it in good earneſt, nor indeed do now care for it or deſire it for any other reaſon, but to excuſe them from going to Hell. They have no value for Heaven, becauſe they are in no wiſe fit for it, but yet they think Hell to be the worſe Place of the two.
The ever Bleſſed God is Himſelf abundantly ſufficient for his own Happineſs, and does not need our company to make any addition to it: Nor yet is Heaven ſo deſolate a Place, or ſo utterly void of Inhabitants, that like ſome newly diſcovered Plantation it ſhould be glad to receive the moſt vile and profligate perſons, the Scum and refuſe of Mankind. There are an innumerable Company of glorious Angels, much nobler Creatures than the beſt of Men, to people thoſe bleſſed Regions. Thouſands of thouſands continually ſtand before God, and ten thouſand times ten thouſands miniſter unto Him.
We do abſolutely ſtand in need of God to make us happy, but He hath no need of us to help Him to be ſo. God indeed is ſo good, as to deſire our Happineſs as earneſtly as if it were neceſſary to his own: But he is happy in and from Himſelf, and without Him it is impoſſible we ſhould be happy, nay we muſt of neceſſity be for ever miſerable.
To conclude; if we would have God to accept us in a dying hour, and our B. Saviour to rem…mber us now he is in his Kingdom, let us think of him betime…, and acquaint our ſelves with him that we may be at peace: NOW; before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh when we ſhall ſay we have no pleaſure in them.
O that men were wiſe, that they underſtood this, and that they would conſider their latter end. Which God of his in…inite Goodneſs grant that we may all ſeriouſly lay to heart, in this our Day; and may learn betimes ſo to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wiſdom: For his mercies ſake in Jeſus Chriſt, to whom with the Father and the H. Ghoſt, be all Honour and Glory, now and for ever. Amen.
FINIS.
Books writ by his Grace JOHN, late Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury.
FOrty Two Sermons and Diſcourſes upon Several Occaſions, moſt at Court; in Four Volumes, in Octavo.
Six Sermons concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of our Bleſſed Saviour, &c. againſt the Socinians. In Octavo.
Theſe Six Practical Sermons. In Twelves.
The Rule of Faith… In Octavo.
A Perſuaſive to Frequent Communion… Sticht. Price Three pence.
Printed for B. Aylmer and W. Rogers…
A Family Guide to the Holy Sacrament. By T…oph. Dorrington.
End of the text · John Tillotson, Six Sermons (1694)