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Pfal. 37. 25. I have been young and now am old, yet have I not feen the righteous forfaken, nor his feed for faken, though) begging bread. Phil.4.6. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiSving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Jam. 2.5. Hearken my beloved Brethren, Hath not God chofen the poor of this world, rich in Faith, and heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him.

- Prov.17.5. W he thum

reproacheth bis Maker, and he that is glad at calamities, fhall not be unpunished.

Pfal. 10:14. The poor committeth himself unto thee, thou art the helper of the FatherLeffery is out

Matth.6.25. Therefore I fay unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye fhall eat, or what ye (ball drinks nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on, is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ?

V.26. Behold the fowls of the air, for they low not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them, Are ye not much better than they?

V27. Which of you by taking thought, can add one Cubit unto his ftature?

V.28. And why take ye thought for raiment? LI 3 confider

confider the Lilies of the field how they grow, they toyl not neither do they pin.

V.29. And yet I fay unto you, that even Solomon in all his Glory, was not arrayed like one of these. V.30. Wherefore if God fo cloath the grasse of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is ca into the Oven, fhall be not much more cloath you, Oh ye of little Faith?

V 31. Therefore take no thought faying, What fhall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithall fhall we be cloathed?

V.33. But feek ye firft the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

V.34. Take therefore no thought for the morron, for the morrow hall take thought for the things of it felf, fufficient unto the day is the ea thereof.

See more Scriptures to this purpofe", pig 215.

СНАМ

E

CHAP. XVIII.

of the Duties of the Young and
old.

First, Of thofe that concern the younger

fort.

ALL young perfons fhould confider that it is their duty and high concernment, to endeavour to be really good, and truly religious be times. In order hereunto, Ifhall,

1. Lay down Jome Reasons and Arguments to preffe them to it.

2. Answer fuch objections, and labour to remove fuch prejudices, as are conceiv'd against

it.

3. Give fome Directions to them, who are willing to be advif d herein.

There are many weighty Reasons and Argu‹ ments to perfwade them to it.

I. God now invites them to it, Ecclef.12.1. Remember now thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth, &c. And let them confider, 1. God hath no need of them, but they have need of him, and cannot poffibly be happy without him. 2.He is willing to be reconcil'd to them, if they will turn to him, though for their fins he might justly LI 4

destroy

deftroy them. 3. He offers them better term. and conditions (if they will ferve him) then they can poffibly have any where else,either in the Service of fin or Satan, Rom.6.21. What fra had ye then in thofe things whereof ye are now afhe med? for the end of those things is death. The two genuine and natural fruits of fin are shame and death. Is it not then an intollerable indignity and affront put upon the great God of Heaven and Earth for any to refufe to ferve him, who offers them fo fair terms, and to continue in the Devils flavery, who (they know) intends the ruine both of their fouls and bodies?

II. Delaies are exceeding dangerous.

1. Life is uncertain, Prov. 27. 1. Boaft a thy felf of to morrow, for thou knoweft not whats day may bring forth. Young men may reckon upon years, when poffibly they have not moneti to live. Confider how quick God is with some. cutting them off in their fins. Time is preciou Redeem it; for on this moment depends Et nity.

2. Grace is uncertain. 'Tis not in mans pont to have Grace when he will. The Spirit of Gu will not alwaies ftrive with the children of men. 1: day, and while it is call'd to day, hear his voir Pfal.95.7. And harden not your hearts. Gathe the Manna while it fals; come in while the d of Grace ftands open: Take heed of being lik Efau, coming too late for a bleffing.

3. The longer thou delayeft, the more unfit, unable and indisposed thou wilt be to return. Now thy parts are fresh, and thy affections vigorous. If thou wilt enter thy felf into the School of Chrift now, what a great deal of knowledge and Grace and spiritual experience maift thou attain unto ? What a good Scholar, a good proficient maist. thou be?

But if thou delayeft,then confider in what a fad condition thou art. 1. Sin will be every day more and more bardning thy heart, and stupifying thy Confcience, and fo will make thy return the more difficult. Now (may be) thou haft fome tenderness of Confcience: Thou wilt quickly lofe ic ; if thou refuseft to hearken to Gods call. 2. The world, and the cares of this life will more and more engage and intangle thy Affections. If thou giveft not thy felf to God while young, before thou art much engaged in the cares and bufineffes of this life, 'tis very hazardous, whether the world will not carry away thy heart, and whether thou maift not lose thy foul in an eager purfuit of these outward things. 3, The Devil will get stronger poffeßion. Every foul is either Gods Temple, or the Devils houfe. 'Iwill be many hard to caft Satan out, where he hath had years poffeßion. The longer any go on in fin, the greater power God permits the Devil to have over them.. 4. The longer thou delayeft, the more thou provokeft Godto give thee up to tby own

hearts

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