gods judgement onMansCarriage. ??7 But not to giveyou thisonely in Precept, but alto to (hewyou howto reform Direalonr your felves in thefe vices, that Solomon fpecifieth to bear fway in youngmen ; let chow to avoid me lay you downthefe few dire&ions. anal ¡oy. Firft, you muff betake your felves to mourning for your fins ; as Saint fames s. To tabour faith, Be aficeted, and weep, and mourn, let your laughter be turned into heavinefi. for fouow for Ifwe be no reconciled toGod, if we havenot affurance, that we are interefted in 60' Chrift, there is no time for us to rejoyce, we should rather betake our felves to bittermourning; forthe wrath ofGod is due untous,andwcknow nothow fobn it nia; fall upon us. In .the fecond place; Confider how vain all things are in which youthful perlons thevan.y of rejoyce. things. Ifyoungmen rejoycein humane wifdomeand undcrftanding,this is a vain thing. t. Óf humane For firft, it is gotten with a great deal of trouble, and vexation of .grit ; fo faith wifdome. Solomon, EccIei r. 13. Igave my heart to leek, andfearch oat by wifdom, concern- Ecclef. i.13. ing all things that are done under', heaven , this fore, travel bath rod given to the funs of men to be exereifed therewith. And ( verf.t8, ) in much wifdome W muchgrief, and be that increafetb knowledg , increafeth farrow.. God doth fo punilh the pride and boldncfs of the wit of men, even from the fall of our firft `Parents. "econdly, this humane wifdome it muff needs be a vain thing, for Ecclef. 1.15. Ecclef. z, rs. that which is crooked cannot be made ftraight, and that which is wanting cannot benumbred, by humane wifdome ; The meaningis this ; that the natural wifdome) ofman cannot fupply the defects ofnature whicharc innumerable ; much lefs can it furnifh the foul with grace or falvation. Thirdly, it is but vexation of .girit. Solomon though he had gottenwifdome and underflanding, andhad experience more then all theKings offerufalem that werebe- forehim, yet (Faith he ) Behold this isvexation ofAfin e. Again, God will abolifh this humane wifdome, 1 Con'. i a. I willdel?roy the t Coe. t. r9. wifdome of the wife, andwif bring tonothing theunderilandingt ofthe prudent. Where is the wife? where is the Scribe ? where is the diffuser of this world ? Hath not god made foolifh thewifdomeof this world? Betides, all your humanewifdome,' It (hall not go downto the Grave ; it (hall leave you when you die. There is no work, nordevice, nor knowledge, nor wifdome in the grave whither than goefl, fcclef 9.1o. This is the tirft thing in which Ecclef. 9. M. young men oft rejoyce, they areprudent andwife: Andyou fee that thisis a vain thing. In the fecund place, ifa youngman rejoyce in his honour, and credit ainongft ho°F"ridiy men o this allo is vain. aolomonhath (hawed it, Ecclef.z. 16. Hedeclareth to credit, us, that all the honour of the world will end in oblivion , there is (faith he) Ecciti, n. to. no 'remembrance of the wife , more than of the fool , for ever.: for that which now is, in the dales to come fhall be forgotten, andhow dieth thewife man ? as the fool. Again, if a man rejoyce in honour, and muchglory, hecannot believe a fo faith Chrift, ?obit 5.44. How can you believe, limeyou fee&hononrone ofanother, and !ohm S. 44, not the honour that cometh of Godonly? And it is noted to be the reafon why many ofthe chiefRulers thatbelievedonChrift did not confefihim, (without which faith cannot beunfeigned) becaufe they loved the praife ofmen, more than the praife of lohn ro.43. God, Joh. to. 43. Nayfurther, theApoftle fheweth us that this is the caufeofenvy, Gal: S, ï6. Be Gal. s se. not delroiu of vain-glory, envying one another. Envy is a vexing affe&ion : this vain-glory is the caufeof this envy; wherebywe Iball pine away , when we fee the happinefs and welfare ofour brethren. Ofwoddl Further, if young men delight in pleafures (which is the common courfe of 3. Ouwo y yputh) theft allo are vain things. I(aidinmy heart (faith Solomon, Ecclef, z., z.) Ecciti. s. 2. Go to now, Iwill prove theewith mirth,, therefore enjoypleafure; and behold this alfo is vanity. Kings that have had the greateít wifdome to invent them ; and the great- eft lcifure to ufe them; yet they never found full contentment in thefame. Imade G g x me
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