i` h,ifionofthe *ends. s. The fon of youngmen. z: The Cute: TheYoung. mani LibertyandLimits, or, "I he {irft is this, that thougha man live many years, yet let him remember the dayes of dar¢nef, that is, thata timeof Death will come; a timewhen our Sun will fct,an l our light will turn todarknefs;though we livenever fo long,never fo fwectly, never fo plealantly, though weenjoy the light of the Sun, yet we Ihould carefully remember that darkncfs abideth us. Secondly, faith Solomon, thofedales are ma- ny. His Argument is thus much. Let a man confider with himfelf, though he live many years; yet notwitthllanding the dayes and years of his life, cannot be co:npared with the dayes andyears ofhis Death : a man is many more years tinder the ground in the Grave , than above ground walking on the face of the earth. Thirdly , faith Solomon ; all that comet6 it vanity. That is , if a man may enjoy the light of the Snn,and the pleafures of this life,that makeshis heart lightfome; yet all this is vanity ; there is no full contentment in chele things, but an emptincfs in them all, and no man knows how loon hemay be bereaved of them. Now in the words we have read : Solomon hash to deal with the youngman : and he is altogether given to jollity and merriment, he forgetteth God, and the dayes of darknels, and his latter end. Well, Soloman giveth him the bridle (as it were ) and fuffcreth him to follow his own way by an Ironical conccfiìon, or figurative fpeech : declaring not what young men ought to do, but what their courfe is, and what commonly they do. Rejoyceohyounvman in thyyouth, and let thyheart ebene thee in the darer ofthy youth, and walkin the wayes of thine heart,. and in thefig't ofchine eyes : but know this (there isthe cooling card) thatfor all! thefe things God will brim: thee into judgement. In the words we willconfider two parts, Firff, what young men do. Secondly, the Medicine ofGod to heal youngmenof their default. That that young men do is this ; They give over themfelves to an inordinate carnal Joy: ThisJoy isfetout from the timeof it : the dayesofthy youth. From the caule of it, their hearts chear them. From the kindsof it, they walkin the wages oftheir hearts, and afier the fight of theireyes. Secondly, the Medicine with which Solomon would heal young nico ofthis inor- dinate carnal Joy , is this , Know ( faith he) that for all ehef things, rodmil bring thee into judgement : that is it is a molt divine and infallible truth, that every one fhould know and acknowledge, that whatfoever fins they commit in their youth, without repentance, they muff undergo the dreadful judgement of Cod becaufeofthem. Thus (as briefly as I can) I haveopened the words unto . you. . Though rmight ittfiff on many doctrines, yet notwithftanding, I will only handle thcfe two. The bill (hall be that whicharifeth from the firft part of theTeat; what young men do ; what their fault is : For (as I Paid) it is an Ironical conceffion, not declaring what young men ( houlddo, but what they do. The domhrineis thus much. `Doll T. That it is thefin ofyoung mess to repoyce inordinately, and carnally, in the dage It is the finof of their youth, to walkafter their hearts, andthefight of theireyes. young men to re¡oyce .nor We read concerning the old world, that they were eating and drinking, any chastely. ° marrying, and giving in marriage : altogether fott¡ffi and fenfual , till the wrathy of GodUcame in the flood and fwept them.away. Now left any should fuppofc that this were the fault of old age only, the Scripture fheweth, that alljiejh had Gen. r,. u' II corrupted their way before god, Gen. 6. it. IG, xi t q Ifa. az. 14. Let its eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die. It is thought by learned Divines, that this fpeech was not fo much the language of Age, as of the youth in lfracl. Hence Solomon giveth a caveat to the young man, Eeclef.ra. 1. to bridle an& 8cdcf tz t rcftrain hint from his jollity and carnal mirth. Remember now thy Creator in the' dayes of thy youth, while the evil day come not, nor the years draw nigh, whoa thou (halt fay, 1 bave nopleafure in them. And the Apoftle SaintPawl, t Tim.z.zz. iüftru&etb',
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