Words of Advice to Young Men, Sermon 2 · Section 2 – Section 3
SECT. II.
(2.) THE second thing is to shew To what you should be strong.
There are four things unto which you should labour to be strong.
1. To do.
2. To suffer.
3. To fight.
4. To die.
1. Young men, labour for strength to do; you have many things to do, great things to do, necessary things to do, and difficult things to do. I am not now speaking of the works of your particular callings which require strength of body; but I am speaking of the works of your general calling, as Christians, which do more immediately concern Gods glory, and your own salvation; such as treasuring up a stock of saving truths; making your peace with God; getting your hearts broken for sin; closing with, and living by faith upon Jesus Christ; getting your hearts furnished with every grace; living in the powerful exercise of it; denying your selves; mortifying the deeds of the body; laying out your selves, time and talents for the glory of your Master; standing daily upon your watch; improving the means of grace; worshipping God, and seeking him diligently in publick, family, closet; making it your business to be religious; laying up your treasure in Heaven; and labouring to get your heart more loosened from …hings below, and raised and fixed upon things above; …hese, and the like things, are the works which the Lord requireth of you all; all other employments are of an inferiour nature: These things you must do …ere, or you will not have opportunity for them …ereafter: These things you must do, or you are unone for ever; and since they are hard works to …esh and blood, therefore you had need to get much …rength to enable you hereunto; I do not mean …xternal strength, but internal spiritual strength: …eak sickly men cannot endure hard labour; you must …e strong, that you may work for the Lord, that you …ay work for eternity.
2. Young Men, labour for strength to suffer, I mean to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. If you would be Christs Disciples, you must take up his Cross and follow him, Math. 10. 24. and sometimes his Cross is very weighty. It is not a weak shoulder that can bear an heavy burden; and it is not a weak Christian that can bear an heavy Cross, that can endure weighty and pressing afflictions. You must therefore get much strength, great strength, that you may suffer great things for the sake of Christ; otherwise you will shrink when you are put upon the tryall; you will be offended when sore persecutions do arise for the Word. The Apostle prayeth for the Colossians, chap. 1. 11. that the Lord would strengthen them with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Young ones, look for sufferings, reckon upon them, and make full account of them before-hand; and prepare for sufferings, get on winter Garments against winter seasons, I mean suffering graces against suffering times. Get strength for sufferings, labour to be strengthened with all might according to Gods glorious power unto all patienc… and long-suffering with joyfulness: Get strength to endure much, and to endure long, and to endur… not only with patience but also with chearfulness looking upon it not only as your duty when called to suffer for Christ, but as the greatest honour tha… can be conferred upon you in this life, and as tha… which will work for you an exceeding and etern… weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. 17.
3. Young men, labour for Strength to fight, not with men, not with one another; you must take heed of a quarrelsome and contentious spirit; but get strength to fight with your spiritual enemies, which of all enemies are the strongest and most dangerous: Young ones, you are called to be Souldiers in your most tender years, when you engage your selves to be Christs disciples, you list your selves under his Banner, you wear his Livery, and carry his Colours; you have need then of strength, that you get Victory over your enemies, the Devil, the Flesh and the World, which warr against Christ, and warr against your own souls: Those that warr with men have need be strong in body, and you that are to warr with sin and Sathan, and the allurements of this present evil world, had need be strong in Spirit. You have need of strength to resist strong temptations, to subdue strong corruptions, and to get the victory over such strong enemies.
4. Young men, labour for Strength to Dye. It is a great thing to dye, and hard thing to dye as a Christian; it requireth strength to resign up the Soul, when sickness and death come, which none can escape; but you may be called to lay down your Lives for the restimony of Jesus Christ; you may be deprived not only of Liberty and Estate, and all the comforts of this life, but also of Life it self too, if you will cleave to Christ, and hold fast his Truths; this you must prepare for, and resolve upon, otherwise you do not reckon what it may cost you to be a Christian, and you do not accept of Christ upon the terms of the Gospel: you have need of great strength to be enabled to dye for the sake of Christ. Th…nk, that you may be called to dye for Christ, and if you should, that this would be the most honourable death, that you cannot keep your life long, and cannot lose it upon a better account; that if at such a time you should seek to save it, you would within a while lose not only your natural life some o…her way, but lose eternal life, and be eternally miserable. Thus To what you should be strong.
SECT. III.
(3.) THe Third thing is to shew, In whom you should be strong.
Negatively, you must not be strong in your selves, either to do, or suffer, or fight, or die; for in your s…lves you are utterly insufficient for any of these things; of your selves you can do nothing; if you undertake any duty in your own strength, you will fail either in the thing, or in the manner of performance; if you fight in your own strength with your spiritual enemies, they will be too hard for you, you will be wounded and beaten to the ground: If you think to suffer or die for Christ in your own strength, you will start aside when you are put upon the tryall. You have read of the self-confidence of Peter, Deny thee! I will dye first; and yet he denyed his Master when he was tryed; you know not what spirits you are of; you are not yet, it may be acquainted with the deceitfulness of your own hearts, be not self-confident, be not strong in your selves.
But Affirmatively: Be strong in the Lord, as the Apostle doth exhort, Eph. 6. 10. Finally, Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might. Our Saviour telleth his Disciples, Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing, and they found it to be so; therefore the Apostle doth disclaim all self-sufficiency, 2 Cor. 3. 3. Yet however weak and nothing as he acknowledgeth himself to be, he telleth us, Philip. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ strengthening me: Let me then direct you to the right fountain of strength, apply your selves to the Lord; I cryed unto the Lord, and he heard me, (saith David) and strengthened me with strength in my soul, Psal. 138. 3. Beg of the Lord, that he would strengthen you with might by his Spirit in the inner man, as Eph. 3. 16. When you feel your strength to fail or decay, apply the Promise which God hath made of renewing the spiritual strength, Isa. 40. 31. Thus much for the First Duty, Young men, labour to be strong.