Chap.1,Seeb. tlilllac lbttb WebtlS'. Book H. 13 -------,-- bring home to bimfclf aulltimeJ , i>i middle age, in old age, at the very 141, ., the ThiEfrttt;et< 1 f,e·· 11pm tbe Cro{i ; yet the time of ~ffeClual c.;lliilf, it more ordinary in tfu time ~fyou:h · ua ea 111 €· Some have obforvcd tl" time of effeUual caUinf!, to be bamm theye"J of eighteen, and th.r· ty m,,q ccmmonl;•· - A11d I believe tbat mojl SaintJ experience, that tbe Lord wr.u~ht upon tbem in theiry(lunger dayes. ---Mal'ri.Jges are mojt in ymnger time; fo are fpzrztual CJ>ttratiJ in Jrfiu Chrift: DJvid WM goodwhenyczt!l!(, D1melay ung Prophet, Timothy a .J'Ottng Preacher, SJmuel beg>n with God betimeJ, AbijJh l(ood when a Cbild, fa wai Jo· • {iah. Another thus, Thofi "'.'" iit their _Infancy were con~dered aJ p.<rt! oftl:eir Parent; :'c~?::;:;~~e~f and fo by vert~te of tbeir ParentJ memberjhzp t11Joyed tiN Ordmance of B'ftifin; wheua once confirmatio grown up tomart<rity and ripenefi of year!, they are to be look,!dupon, and conjidmd in them• n. JilveJ,aJJd 110 l•mgtr aJ in tbei~ Parenu,ll>td therefore, aJ being in a cap"ity fo todo,tbey ougbt mw to takg bold ofthe Covma111 for them{clvu , and to"mder aperfon•lacmmt nftheirFaitb. It pleafeth God that many do fo even very betimes: which agrees with the former opmion, that fame are rcgmerated after they cam~ under Catechizing 'It was the ule of rhe Buxror{ in 'Jews (as Bu.<torf , reports) that fo foon as their circumcifed Children were able to SJnt· c. 3· , , 'fpeak, they caught them lome feleCI: places of Scripture, ai·Jd fo proceeding on by de· 'grees, at thirteen years uf age they were called filii precepti, Son! of the Precept; and Synr. l,t•c.,. 'then they were fo receive the palfeover (as faith Mr. Weetns) and to oblerve the Seft.4.Par.r. '6 1 3precepts, which comprehended in them the fnmof the Molaical Law, and J~w- ' ilh Keligion, and then they themfelves were accounted guilty and lyable to punilh· 'ment both Divine and humane, if they did tranfgrefs the Law, whereas befote ttit>r 'faults were imputed to the1i Fathers, of whom the pumChment was exacted. The manner of the Jews, it feems was thus : The Son being thirteen yea•· s C·Jmpleat, the Fa• ther calli ten Jews to witnefi; faying, that hi; Son is now ofage, bath been injlrtttl'd in the prwpl!, >veil learned their wjtomCJ, and can readily recite the bencditlioni and daily P>·ayers a11d thereforrheis williltg tobe henceforth free, and. tofhak,! off the Sin! of his Son; ttfter whicl> he concludu with Prayer, brfoeching Goil th>t his So" "'"Y f!.r ,w "P into m•ny year! andgood work,!. I hope I tmy fay of Gentiles, as well as Jews, that ConvtrGou is fometmies vtry early,evc:n fo early as at thirteen years ofage,thongh it be not ordinary. And oh, how !(Ood is it for a man to bear the yoke in his youth, leeing it mufl be born at one time or other? the burthen of fin at that a;;e will be the lighter, the flowing of Heavenly affeC1:ions will b~ the fweeter, the m:'oval of fin, in likelihooo:l, will be Prov s.• ;. fooner, at leafi the furer, God ha_vmg engaged htmfelf, that tbey_th.•t foek.. him etrly ]hall fiudbim. Satan knows all th1s full well, and th~reforc he lets a ltricter watch on youth ; he obfaves all the motions, fiirrings, aC1:ings of the Soul, and of Gods · Spirit at fuch a time moft narrowly: and if he fpy any thing that may probably difturb him of his polfdlion, he preli:ntly foames, and tumes, and prepares himfdt' for barrel, and now ~.c: is ready with all his fiery darts (his thoufands of temptations) to throw them at him, rhat would throw down his Kingdom. . SECT. IJ. Of the OccJfion of Ssta>tJ firft, and fiiriom affa~tltJ. B. .. UT wllac >iks Satan, that he begins thus to rage ? it was but erewhile that he, , kGpt the hnufe qUietly, and poffetf<d all mpeace; and •s he now difiurbed? Gl yes; for now the Sonl begins toconjiler: it w1s but lately that the ;man was at fomc Sermon, or read fame Book, or obfervecl fome providence, or heard fame pray : Some Gofpel·n«ws, or glad·tidings is frelhly come, that ]cfus Chrift is iu the field, fent of God on this very account to rcfcue Sonls from the D.:vils power ; and to that end he hath made a prochmation, that ifany pear li;mer weary of the Devils G·overn– ment, a11d heavy laden with the chain' of his fpiritual bondage, will but come and re– pair toChritl, he !hall have protection'from Gods juflicc, the Devils wrath and fiu.s • D~minion. , This, or the like meffige hath perfwaded..th"C"Soul to p>u.\e, toc~nGder to poo;der,commune withitfeH; what it hat4 beft to do. ' ' ' · Conlideration is the firfiJlep 'to repentance; t\1e prodigal f.irft came to himfelfb~fure· h~ came to his Father; he coniidered with hrmlelt whara flarvtng'condition he was in; h!S husks were poor meat, and y):t he had not enough of them neither, bm at his fa– thers-H~ule was bread enough , and to fpare , and lhould he perilh wnh hunger.) 1t is nfual vrnh the Soul thus at tirfl to confide~with it fc!f , .ibid am I Satan 1 Va!Jat, mil
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