... 1>ire8ions for young Chriftians. you come where baits of lufi abound ; where Women, a~d Playes, and Fealis, and Drunkards arc the Devils fnar.c:s, and tindu, and bellows, to enf\amc your lutb, you may then tind to your lorrow that you had t1ccd ofwatchfulnds, and that all is not mortifitd, that is ujleep, or quiet inyou. As a'man that goerh with aCandle a:rnon&Gunpowder, or near Thatch, thould n~ver be carclefs, bccaufc: he ~oerh in continual danger ; fo you that are young, and have naturally eager appetires and lulls, Chould remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder Hill about you, and are never out of da11gt::r while you ha,vc fuch an enemy to watch. ~~ z. And if once you fuffer thefire to kindle; alas, Wlut work may it make ere you areawart> Jamcs I. 14, 1 5· E11try man is tempted when he is drawn away t{his ow;t lujt and enticed: 1hm 1Vbe~ JHjt bath co;zceived. it bringetb forth fin ; and ji11 when it ir finijhed bri11getb forth dta1h. Licrle know~ eth the Fifh when he is catching or nibling at the bait, that he is [wallowing the hook which will lay him prefently on the bank. When you are looking on the cup, or gazing on alluring beauty or wantonly dallying and plealing your fenfes with things unfafe, you hnle know how flr beyond /our intenti0ns you may be drawn, and how deep the wound may prove, how great rhC fmarr, or how 1ong and difficult the cur:. As yo~ love ymu {Quls, ob~rve PaKIJ counfel, 2 Tirn~ 2. 22. Flee pulb~ fHl i#jh' : Keep at a full dJ1lance : Come. not near the batt. If you get a wound JO your confciences by any wilful heinous fin, 0 what a cafe will you be in ? How heartlefs unto flcrer duty> airaid of God that fhou!d be your joy; deprived of thecomlorts of his pretence ; and all the pleafure of his · wayes} HowmifCrably: will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupifccnce, rhc fling of fin, the gripes of con!Cienoe, and the terrors of the Lord ? How much of the life of !aith and love, and heavenly zeal, will be quenched in a moment? I am to fpeak more afcerwards of chis ~ and therefore (hall only fay at prcfent ro all young Converts that care for. rheir lalvarion: Mor1ijie the j{tjh, and alnJayu w.itch, a.nd avoid temptation.;. Diretl~ 1~· ~~ml~f~lt& Dited. IS· BE cxuuling wary not onry what1'eachers yore commit: tht g~tUJnct ofyourjiYHII':tnto, t~n~idi,mS:: bHt alfo with what compa~tyyou familiarly cuHverfe : '1hat t-hey be neitlur /Hub as would n1odo non cDrmpt )'OUt rnindJ wilb e-rror, o'# your hearts with viciou[Jfcji, profanti1t[J, IJtk,srJ"armnefs, or with ,, c~nful~ndi,fed j'tavorij}J f.z{JWtu ze"l: Bttt-cboofe, ifpoffible, judicivus, holy, he.Jvtnly, lmmble, unbJ.1-meab/e, fllfdmying ~:~~b~~~ ~j~~' perfuns, to be yourr ordi11ary companions, 1.md f;;miJiars; but. tJ[peciaUy j~t your neat Relatio11.s. · :~.i~~i~~~ti:~· ~· 1. lt is a matter of very gre3t impottance, what. TeaciJtrJ you choofe in order to your falvation. fu;fius, &t. In. this the fnc grace o£God much,ditferenccth fome from others ; For as poor H~athcns and Infields Pemtr~b. Dial. havt.none rhat knowmore, than what the Book of Nature teacheth ( if !0 much ) ; fo in C·hc fever 3 1 11 7· /(, z.. Nations o£Ciuit\ians, it ~hard fur t.he people tonave any, but fuch as the StPord of the Af.-gijlrate– Sciencis ell forceth on them, or the jlrtamof their Co11nt.rtys CHjtom r.ecommendeth to them. And it is a won· polfedccere. der if pure Truth and Holintfsbe countenancedby.either of theft:. ~ut. ~vhcn and where his ~1ercy PrDwrb. plcafeth God fendcth wife and holy Teachers, wah compaffion ana dtbgence, to feek the (aviug ~.:~~:~~~~:S of men; fouls, fo that none but the malignant and obilinare are deprived of their help. , ~!~~~~f~~~5'divin~, ut cimo lcquitur. Auguftims de feipf!) tcfiltur (_cuinon omnia cr~d~r~ ~efa.~ dl) qt:~ l & Ariflot~lic:u C.ncgori:tt; quz inter difficHlum. numeramur, & 3rtes Lber.1les, ( <J.tlls fin~ula$ a prxcrpwnbus didicdle m:1gnum dJcJtur) r.ullo craJe·.tc,omnts intellexit. Bet~~:trd:u itrm, virdoihina & fanb1t:1te clanfiimu~, om.~e, !Uas literas ( quarum inter cunaos fui temporis abunliAQtillim~;s fuir) in fil(is & in agris did1.cir, no1.1 hominum magifterioJ fed m:dit:mJ.o & orando, nee ullvs unqulm :tlios prrceptorc! habmt, quam .'IU!:tcUS & f01gos. Petrauh.ll. ~. DJaWf., 40• • · §• 2 : Ambitious, proud; covetous, licentious, ungodly men, are not to be chofm for you,r 't8.1clurt if. y.ollhave your choice. In a Nation w.here uue.Rdigion is in cr€dir, and hath the MlgiHrates counwnance or the,Major. Vote, fomc. gracelefs men may joyn with bettu, in preachiJ1g and dct6nd.. ing the purity of dotlrine, and holinds of life: And they may be very ferviceable ro the Church herein; efpecially in expounding and difputi.ng for the truth : But even. there, f{lore experienced fpiri.. tualTeachers arc.much more delirable : They will fpeak moll feelingly, who fed what they lp<ak : And they ue fittdlro bring others to faith and love, who believe and love God and holinefs them· felves. "fhey that have life will fpealo mote lively. rhan rhe dead. And in moll places of rhe wo,Jd, rhe ungodlinefs of fuch Teachers makes them enemies ro rhc Truth whi'h is according to godlinels: Thei< natures are at enmity to rhe lifi: and power ofi !he dotl:rinc which they fi1ou!d preach: And they will do rheir wodl to corropt the Magifirares,.and make them of their mind : And it' they ca<1 bur get rhe Sword to favour rhem, rhey are.ufually the cruellefi perfteutor• of rhe fincere. As it i; notorious among the Papifis, that the bait-s ofFower, and. H\1~our, and Wealth have fo vitiated the body of rheir Clergy, rhat they conlpire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion; and in ex– pretS contradiction to Senfeand Reafon, and to Antiquity and the jud:gement of rhe Church,. and ro che holy Script.uns, rhcy captivate the ignoran~and fenfual to their t.y,r.anny and fal[c worlhrp, :u:{l ufe tk feduced Magifirates and multitude ID rhe perfecuring of thofe rnu will no~ follow them, to'"' and to perdition. Take heed oli proudran<L world!~ Guides. ~· 3• And yet it is not every one tha< p<etendeth l!iel\)' and Zeal, thu i; to behear-d or taken for a Teacher : Bur r.Such as preach ordinati!y.the fobfianrial Truths which all Chrifiians arc agreed in: >• Suclr.asmake itrhc drift oi' th<ir p>o:~ching, rorraife your fouls to the Love of God, and ro a holy
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