The Vanity of Childhood and Youth, Title page – Table of contents
THE VANITY OF CHILDHOOD & YOUTH, WHEREIN The Depraved Nature of Young People is represented, and Means for their Reformation proposed.
BEING SOME SERMONS PREACHED In Hand-Alley, at the Request of several Young Men.
To which is added A CATECHISM For YOUTH.
By DANIEL WILLIAMS.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultrey. MDCXCI.
To the Children and Young People who were Hearers of the following SERMONS.
THE Design of these Sermons was to regulate and improve the state of your Souls. The Blessing of God having made them successful to several of you, enclined me to publish them at your importunity; thô I do oft refuse a Compliance with many judicious Friends, in desires of the same kind, even when the Subjects are more perswading.
Having overcome the Discouragement which I suggested to my self, from the plainness of these Discourses, I dare not make an Apology for the commonness of the Stile or Matter. It had been a Profanation of an Ordinance, when desired to preach to Youth, to propose any Subject below what tends to their Salvation, from that Sin and Wrath they are naturally under. It had been folly to treat of such a Subject for Edification before Children and Apprentices, in words unapt to inform or perswade them. I thank God I could rather bear the dislike of a few less serious wits, than neglect the eternal Concerns of so many less intelligent Hearers. On the same account, I am now afraid to raise the Style, or omit the very repeated Appeals and Pleadings with Children, being resolved to approve my self to the weakest Reader, and leave the judicious to what is more fitted to their improvement.
My Prayer and Hopes be, That God will accompany this Book with powerful effects on your Souls, and not leave you to that obstinacy, as will render it a farther aggravation of your sin and punishment; you cannot pretend that God never informed you of your Disease, nor directed you to a Cure: You dare not, after reading this Book, say, My Danger was concealed from me, and Rules for my Safety were not prescribed. God will severely witness, that he condescended to argue matters with thy Soul; he disswades thee from the Sins that will condemn thee at last, however thou now flatterest thy self. He useth many Arguments to encline thee to Duties which his very Gospel cannot dispence with the want of, in any person whom he will save.
Let me then acquaint thee, oh young Man! that God addresseth himself to thee, as by Name. Thou by nature art brutish and devilish, and as long as thou followest the imaginations of thy vain mind, thy case becomes more desperate, thy Lusts by indulgeuce grow more violent, and Conscience still less concerned to vindicate the Affronts thou offerest to Gods Dominion, or to represent the injury thou dost to thy own Soul; yet be assured, whether thou mindest it or not, there is a God, whose right it is to govern thee, and will be sure to judge thee: Thou art born his Subject, thô unwilling to obey, and forward to rebell against him; thou hast an immortal Soul, how little soever thou providest for its future State; yea, how much soever thou actest to expose it to endless misery, and this for a short and fading Pleasure. Thou art naturally depraved, and thereby under that Condemnation which was pass'd by the Law of Innocency against man, in the least sinful.
Oh, then do not fancy that Baptism did regenerate thee whiles thou findest the want of every Grace, and carnal Inclinations are thy governing Law. Do not conceit that Baptism delivered thee from thy cursed State, when thy Vnbelief and Enmity against holiness, do both express it, and further expose thee to it. It's true, there is a way of Salvation for lost man published in the Gospel; but that can benefit none who continues to reject Christ, and refuse the terms of Peace. Thou art the dedicated Child of believing Parents, but their Faith cannot save thee now that thou art capable of consenting to the Covenant, and refusest it; yea, thy early Dedication adds Perjury and Falshood to thy Profaneness. Plead not thy Christian Name, whiles thou art a Reproach to it. Boast not of religious helps, when they have not that good effect on thee, as the light of Nature hath on meer Pagans; which may convince us, that where the Gospel fails to convert its Hearers, Satan oft governs more powerfully, than if the Gospel had never been preached to them. We live in an Age of wonders, among which it is not the least strange or awful, that professed Christians are viler than Heathens, and most of our baptized Youths scorn the plainest Rules of Christianity. Ah, wretched Age! wherein Gospel-light cannot convince of that wickedness which even Nature condemns! what Conceptions have they of God, who think he can approve of such Enormities as they commit, or be satisfied with those heartless and trifling Regards to which they confine all the Homage which they afford him?
Surely England's Calamities are like to be terrible, when this jealous God ariseth to force men to juster Thoughts both of his Nature and his Laws.
I must allow that this Treatise is intended to convince thee of the great Evil of such things as most esteem indifferent, and practise as allowable; yea, so far doth their blindness prevail, that Sobriety (much more Godliness) is ridicul'd as Folly. But know that the feeling of endless Torments will soon convince such as dare mock at Divine Revelations. The Perfections that render God able to endure their Affronts now, will oblige him to vindicate his Government and Honour then. Poor Wretches that would not be ruled by means suited to their Natures, as rational, shall without their Consent undergo the inflicted Evils, which, whiles only threatned, did not move them. Therefore, young Man, be not affrighted from true Wisdom by the Clamours of the worst of Fools, whatever Wit they pretend to. Vndo not thy self for the sake of a Crowd, for it's better be religious with the lesser number now, than be damned hereafter with the multitude: Sure thou must be an Atheist, and wholly disbelieve unseen things, if the Contempt or Perswasions of enslaved Factors for the Devil can encline thee to chuse Hell, by resolving the Course that infallibly tends to it.
I must acquaint you, That in the last Sermon I add no Particular to the Notes one of your selves took from me when I preached, and supplyed me since with, to help the defect of my own Papers; yet I have added many of the Directions for avoiding the eight particular sins I disswaded you from in my first Sermon. I have also thought fit to subjoyn a short Catechism in the end, wherein you may learn the Essentials of Practical Religion in familiar Terms, if you think fit to learn it, consult the Proofs.
The good Lord prosper all to you. Could I but see young ones generally enclined to serious Religion, I would hope that God hath a mercy in reserve for England, and the Vengeance that hangs over it because of the last thirty years too successful Contrivances to debauch the Nation, in order to Slavery and Popery, might be diverted, or at least confined to such as are too far engaged, or obstinate to admit a Reformation.
That every Child and Youth who shall read this Book, may (as many of you already do) thus contribute to my Hopes and Share in the Benefit thereof, shall be the Prayer of
Your Compassionate Friend, Daniel Williams.
THE CONTENTS.
THE Context explained, to Page 5.
Vanity considered as its natural Frailty, p. 7, 8, 9.
Vanity in a moral sence in General, 10, 11, 12.
Particularly, as to eight Sins to which Youth is prone,
1. The folly of Youth in the Concerns of Eternity explained and demonstrated, from p. 13. to 17. Directions against Folly, from p. 18, to 21.
2. The Inconsiderateness of Youth, with Directions against it, from p. 21. to 24.
3. The Obstinacy of Youth described, disswaded from, with Directions against it, from p. 25, to 33.
4. Anger, and violent Passions of youth described, disswaded from, with Directions, from p. 33, to 37.
5. Youths idleness and mispence of time described, disswaded from, with Directions, from p. 37, to 43.
6. The Levity and inordinate Mirth of young people described, disswaded from, with directions to get Sobriety, from pag. 43, to 51.
7. The sin of Lying described, disswaded from, with Directions against it, from p. 51, to 55.
8. Fleshly Lusts, viz. Drunkenness, Gluttony, and Vncleanness described, and disswaded from, from p. 55, to 57.
Directions against Gluttony and Drunkenness, from p. 58, to 61.
Directions against Vncleanness, from p. 61, to 67.
The Vanity of Youth, as it consists in their living to no valuable purposes, demonstrated, from p. 68, to 74.
The Vanity of Youth, as it lives to destructive purposes, from p. 74, to 77.
An Account how Childhood and Youth became vain, where Original Sin is treated of, from p. 77, to 82.
An Enquiry why Youth continues vain; where also the possibility of their healing is spoken to, from p. 82, to 90.
The Reasons why many young people do grow more vain daily, from p. 90, to 92.
Inferences from the whole Doctrine.
1. The dismal Aspect of the World, p. 92, 93.
2. Parents and Masters care and pains in the Education of youth, urged and directed suitably to the Disease of youth, from p. 94, to 97.
3. The reasonableness of youths subjection to the Rebukes and Restraints of Superiours, p. 97, 98.
4. Attentiveness to Advice needful and fit, p. 98, 99.
Exhortations.
1. A serious Examination of the present state of youth, whether they are still vain or no, urged, p. 99, 100
2. They are called to admit Directions answerable to their present Condition.
1. A Call to young people still vain, with Directions and Arguments for their present casting off their Vanity, from p. 100, to 110.
2. Advice proper for such young Ones as are serious, from p. 110, to 121.
A plain youths Catechism, from p. 110, to the end.