Two Discourses Addressed to Young Persons, Half title – Dedication
Mr. Barnard's SERMONS TO YOUNG PEOPLE, And on the Earthquake.
TWO DISCOURSES Addressed to Young Persons; To which is added, A SERMON Occasioned by the EARTHQVAKE, Which was October 29. 1727.
By Iohn Barnard, A. M. Pastor of a Church in Marblehead.
Luk. X.41.
Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful.
Amos IV.12.
Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
BOSTON, in N. E. Printed for S. Gerrish, at the lower end of Cornhill. MDCCXXVII.
Deum timere est nulla Mala facere, et nulla Bona, quae facienda sunt, praeterire; — Ubi vero Timor non est, ibi Perditio est Animae; ibi Dissolutio Vitae est; ibi est abundantia Peccatorum.
Bern. ad Sororem.
THE DEDICATION. To the Young People in Marblehead, especially those under my more immediate Care.
Dearly Beloved, and longed for,
I Hope, I can truly say, That my Hearts Desire and Prayer for you all i…, That you may be saved. To this End were the two Discourses to the Youth Calculated, and as is most suitable, in a plain and natural Method, and the most easy and familiar Style. 'Tis at your Desire that they ar… now made publick: and if the Preaching, and publishing of them, may be influential upon you, to stir you up▪ to make Religion your Business, my End will be answered, and I shall be little concerned at the Exceptions, which from the manner of my handling the Subjects, or the near Relation of the one to the other, may be made by such as read only to find Fault.
SURE I am, that the Subject is of the nearest Con…ernment unto you all, that you lift your selves in the Service of God, and that you do it Immediately, without Delay; and no warmth of Spirit can be too great in pressing so Important a Duty upon you.
THE awful Providence of GOD, in the Terrible Earthquake, and astonishing Noise, which so soon followed upon the Preaching of these Sermons, has, doubtless, given an Edge to the Convictions of many of you, what Need there is that you be in Earnest, and make all imaginable Haste, to secure your Eternal Welfare, by getting into the Ark of Safety. This, doubtless, has awakened you to flock more earnestly to the House, and Ordinances of God, that you may be instructed in the Path of Life, and be in the way of the Blessing. This also has produced your Desire of printing the Discourse, which I gave the crowded Assembly, upon the Lecture after that dismal Night, and while as yet the Rumblings of the Earthquake were daily heard among us.
SUCH astonishing Praelibations of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, has made you Thoughtful, what you shall do to be saved. O, suffer not the Convictions of the Necessity of your being found in Peace with your Iudge, and your Beginning Preparations for that awful Day of the Lord, to dye away in the Birth.
GOD is yet holding the Rod over us, and keeping your Fears awake, by the Repetition of the Noise of the Earthquake almost daily, and particularly the last Lord's-Day Evening, at 20 min. after Nine, the One and Twentieth Day since it first began, you were again surprized with the Roaring Noise. But if there were no such Cause for your Fears, yet Remember▪ that the terrible Commination in the Word of God, are a much stronger Ground of fearing to fall into the Hands of the Living God, than any Noise or Shakes of the Earth can be. Let then your fearful Apprehensions lead you to lay hold on the Horns of the Altar; and while your Fears drive you to IESUS, the SAVIOUR, let Love constrain you to abide faithful to Him. See the wide Field of Divine Grace and Love opening before you, in the Wonders of Redemption, in providing such a Saviour for you, and in His Readiness to accept of you; and the Riches of Divine Mercy in sparing of you, when your Flesh and Heart trembled, for fear of the Righteous Iudgments of God; and let the Prospect fil… you with an inextinguishable Flame of Love to God, and Christ; that the Love of God, reigning in your Hearts, may effectually prevail over every other Love, to the …radicating of Sin and Lust out of your Souls, and filling you with the Principles of the Divine Life, that you may never more relapse into any way of Wickedness, but may walk unblameably before Him, in all the Duties of Holy Obedience.
THERE are especially Two things I would Commend to you, as very requisite to the Life of real Piety, and to promote your Growth in Grace; namely, a high Veneration for the Word of God, and a sacred Regard to the Day of the Lord.
IF the Word of God be duly valued by you, as it ought to be, then will you improve it, as the Man of your Counsel, and direct your Walk according to it. This will render the Doctrines of the Christian Religion certain to you, its Duties easy and pleasant, and its Hope comfortable. Whereas a light Esteem for the Divine Oracles will necessarily slacken your Regard to the practical Duties of Christianity, and deprive you of the Ioys of its promised Mercy.
AND a due Sanctification of the Lord's-Day will render the Word more profitable to you, your Spirits more devout and Heavenly, and will have a great Influence into your Practice all the ensuing Week. Whereas, a slighting and Profaning of that Holy Time by unnecessary Business, by Sports and Diversions, will rob you of the Benefit of Divine Instructions, and sink your Minds into a careless Regardlesness of God▪ Religion, and your own Souls, and will leave you an easy Prey to all Temptations to Profanity, and Immorality.
I beseech you therefore, as you value your Souls, let these Two have a kind Entertainment with you; and let the Voice of God in His Providence, put you upon hearkening more diligently to the Voice of His Word, and make you more careful to afford on holy Rest to the Day of the Lord, that you may have a well grounded Hope of partaking of that Rest which remains for the People of God, where no Terror or Amazement shall ever surprize you.
MAY the Blessing of God go along with these Labours, and make you greatly to increase in Divine Knowledge, and abound in Faith and Love▪ in Righteousness and Charity, in Temperance and Sobriety, and in your Earnest Cries to Heaven for the best of Blessings upon you▪ and for me also, that I may find Mercy to be faithful, and accepted.
AND now, Brethren, I Commend you to God, and the Word of His Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are Sanctified.
Marblehead, Nov. 21. 1727. John Barnard.