zz 6 The Young main Liberty andLimits, or, wordofGod, in deriding their faperiors behind their backs. As Solomon faith of laughter, thouart mad ; fo we may fay of this merriment, it is mad merriment : he isa mad man that rejoyceth in that for whicla,except he betake himfelf toferious andbitter mourning, hecannot belayed. Thirdly, the inordinatenefsofthe joy of youngmen may appear in this ; bccaufe they rejoyce eacefftvcly in lawful things : for any joy when it is inordinate and excelfive, it is carnal. It is lawful to rejoyce in recreations : a whetting is no let- ting ( as the Proverb goeth ) But for a man to let out himfelf to the hinderance of the fervicc ofGod, to the difturbance of his duty to mcn,it is unlawful. Itis law- ful to delight in the blefüngs, andcomforts ofGod, that he aflordeth us : we read oftheJoy ofharveft, in Ifa. ç. But for a man to delight in the gifts ofGod, more than in the giver, it is unlawful. Now if young men examine themfelves, they fhall find their hearts mount not up to God in theirjoy andjollity,and that they are exceflive in the joy of the creature, but altogether cold, without joy of the Cre- ator. Fourthly, the carnalnefs of theJoy ofyoung men may well appear in this ; be- caufe they terminate, and conclude not their joy inGod. Thisfolloweth on the former : for it is impoflìble that what beginneth not in God, fhould end inGod. Now whenJoy beginneth in fin, it cannot end in God, but in the Devil. Secondly, let youngmen take notice of themfelves, how they watkafter their own hearts. The heart that fayes ; Come,put away penfive thoughts: troublenot your felf about the day of reckoning and Judgement ; enjoy the time prefent : what need this ftri&nets ofconverfation: zeal is but rat anefs; there is no needoft it ; take thy fill ofpleafures : thou haft goods laid up for many years. Thus they Judge, and thus they walk after their carnal heart. Thisheart is as no heart : as we Mika 7. read ofEphraim in Hofa 7. He was a filly dove that had na heart : Certainly the heart that dothnot guide men in the right way, anddire&mento the fear ofGod, it is no heart. For as the eyethat will not lead us in the right way, that performs not its office, is no eye; fo the heart thatleadeth not mentoG'od, and to goodnefs, it is like the heartof Ephraim, it is as nd heart. Again in the third place. Let youngmen take notice of themfelves, how they walk after the fight of their eyes. That is, they ftandgazing on things temporal, and negle& things eternal : they fee a beauty andluftre intheft outward things, and perceive no glory and brightnefs in Chrilt Jefus, and in his precious Ordi- dances. Beloved, if we follow our own heart, and our own eyes it will be thus. We lob fit. t. fhould rather labour with job, to make a covenant with our eyes. Oh how few Young men are there that make a bargain and agreement with their eyes, that they (hall not be as opeirCafcments to let fininto thefoul ? Ohhow few youngmen are there, that like jerérity, have their eyes as fountains ofwater, to weep dayandnight for the afili&ions of the people ofGod? Oh how few young men arc there, that with ,alofes, have an eye to therecompence ofreward, that they may fbffer ajfliflion wirb the people ofGod, ratherthan to enjoy the pleafures offinfor ajeajon? Now Ibefeechyoutake a furveyofyourfclves intheir things.Thefe are the vices, and fins, and deformities ofyoungmen : tobe feen and lamented by all thofe that hope to dwell inGods holy Hill. The fecond ufe of this point, is for exhortation to youngmerit they fhould la- bour to be reformed in their affe&ions and hearts. And'away, away with this car. nal jdy ; we ought to caft it out ofus. Carnal joy : will you know what theevent of it will be ? It will end in carnal forrow, and without repentance in hell it felf. woe untoyou (faith our Saviour Chrilt) that laughnow, you fhdll weep and mourn. r'be triumphing of the wicked ( faith 7opñar in fob y re fhort, and the jey of the hypocritebut for a moment; though hie excellency mount up to the heavens, andhis head reach unto the clouds; yetbe /hall peri;72 as' his own dung, theywhich havelienhim ¡hall jaywhere idbe? He fhallfallaway as a dream, and(hall not be found ; yea, be/hall be chafed awayae 4 vifion oftbenight. But ;. Becaule it is exceffive in lawful things. 4. Becaufe it terminates not in God. x. Of their walking after their own heart. ;. Of their walking after the fight of their eyes. Ter. o. Heb. n: Vfe z. Fos Exbotta riots, I. To abandon carnal joy. Luke a. 26. lob ao. 6,7.
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