The Young Mans Remembrancer and Youths Best Choice, Frontispiece – To the reader 2
MATTHEW MEAD Minister of the Gospel
Aetatis Suce 70. An.o Do: 1699.
Printed for Iohn Marshall & Sold by him at ye Bible in Grace-church-Street
THE Young Man's REMEMBRANCER, AND YOUTH's Beſt Choice: BEING An Exhortation to Converſion, in Two Anniverſary Diſcourſes from
Eccl. xii. 1.
Remember now thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, while the Evil Days come not, nor the Years draw nigh, in which thou ſhalt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them.
LONDON: Printed in the Year MDCC.
THE EPISTLE TO Young Readers Looking towards the Kingdom of God.
Dearly Beloved in our Lord,
THE Hopes, that there is a Harveſt of Young Ones to Chriſt, for which the Fields are Already White, when Chriſt ſhall have in this ſenſe the Dew of his Youth from the Womb of the Morning, and You Freewill Offerings to Him in that Day of his Power, This gives Encouragement of this Addreſs to you, in Confidence, there will be many of You Readers: It is Evident. Young Perſons are One Eminent Portion of the Lord Jeſus his Love, and Care; and ſo of the Goſpel Miniſtry, and of the Servants of God in all Ages; God was aſſured of Abraham, he would Inſtruct his Children after Him in his Knowledge, and Fear: Moſes took great Care of this, to leave Monuments for Young Iſraelites growing up; David the Father gave Excellent Principles to his Son Solomon; And in a Holy Zeal, and Love to Young Men, cries out, Wherewithal ſhall a Young Man cleanſe his Way? As if he ſhould ſay, What Spiritual Engine ſhall I find to raiſe the Hearts of Young Men, to Buoy them up from the World, the Raging Sea of Vanity, Luſt, and Wickedneſs? I ſhould rejoice in ſuch a One, and I have found it, even thy Word, to which they ſhould always give heed. Solomon in this Penitential Sermon of his, after ſome Declinings, recovering the Piety of his Youth in which he ſtiles himſelf Eccleſiaſtes, or the Preacher is much engaged in it; as you will ſee in the Following Diſcourſes. Jeſus Chriſt in Love to the Riſing Hopes of Young Ones, Bleſſed early, even Infant Age: The Beloved Apoſtle, that lay in the Boſom of Chriſt, ſays, I write to you, Young Men, becauſe you are ſtrong, Vigorous in Mind, Body, full of Spirit, and Vivacity; and in all of them who are Chriſtians, the Word of God abideth; and as Vigorous Perſons, the Champions of Chriſt overcome the Wicked One, though the Strong Man; Obadiah feared God from his Youth, that early Saint of the Old Teſtament: Timothy of the New Teſtament, Knew the Scriptures from a Child. Chriſt remembers the Kindneſs of Youth, the Love of Firſt Eſpouſals, before farther Alienations from him, and Proſtitutions to Sin, Satan, the World; His Soul deſires the Firſt Ripe Fruit. Oh that all this might perſwade; But I eſpecially recommend the following Directions, prepar'd for you, given forth by ſome Excellent Maſter of Aſſembly, whom I will not attempt to ſuppoſe, who he was, being not entruſted with it; and whether he did not Animam in Vulnere Ponere; He did not draw out his very Spirit, and Life in ſhooting this Sharp Arrow of Chriſt into your Hearts, that you might fall under Chriſt; Oh therefore, You in the Aſcendency of Life, againſt all Temptation, flee Youthful Luſts, ſacrifice this Choice Part of Life to God; take heed that Curſe come not on you; You who have in your Flock this Male of Life, even Youth, Oh deſign not to Vow, to Sacrifice to God the Corrupt Thing of Old Age; Grown old in Sin: The Brand of a Deceiver is ſet on all ſuch; Know therefore in this your Day, the Lord hath made for you the Day of your Viſitation, the Accepted Day of Salvation, the Things of your Peace; This is recommended to you, in the following Inſtructions, under the Bleſſing of the Eternal Father, through the Redemption of the Eternal Son, by the mighty Efficacy of the Eternal Spirit, the One Eternal God, the Ancient of Days, the Father of Lights, with whom is no variation of Age, nor ſhadow of Turning to the West of Days, to whom be Glory for Ever.
Amen.
TO THE READER.
IT may not be amiſs to inform thee, that this Piece thou haſt now in thy Hand may truly he called Orphan, and therefore it cannot be expected to come forth in ſuch a Curious Dreſs, as becomes the Child of ſuch a Parent, there being no poſſibility of acceſs to his Wardrobe to adorn it: Yet notwithſtanding (I hope) there are many Witneſſes to its Birth, into whoſe Hands it may come, that may give ſufficient Teſtimony of its Legitimacy. It cannot be at all queſtioned, but you who have ſo often deſired, and have with pleaſure heard its Voice, but will alſo add this Requeſt to your former, Let me ſee thy Face. It now with Samuel to Eli cries out, Here am I, for thou didſt call me. Say not of it as the God of Iſrael, How ſhall I put thee among the Children? But let this which was the Parents Benoni, be thy Benjamin; and the rather, becauſe, (as the Reverend Mr. Mead ſays)*Preface to Four Ʋſeful Diſcourſes by J. Burroughs. The Publiſhing the Labours of ſuch Men of Worth, is of Happy Tendency to promote our Communion with them in the Spirit, whom it may be we never ſaw in the Fleſh; and it is to be reckoned among our Mercies, when the Dead are made to ſpeak, that the Living may be perſwaded to hear. May the God of Heaven attend this Eſſay with his Bleſſing, that its Publication may be attended with ſuch Succeſs, as was the Author's Deſign in its Preaching; and may'ſt thou by this Small Tract be Enabled to have an Eye to that Reward which now he reaps as the end of ſo Liberal a Seed-time here, even Everlaſting Joy and Felicity in the World to come.
Farewel.