Qjgainft/ldulterieandlugsofYouth. 26.3 that the (nines of theiryouth arefo intheir foreheads,andall men fee them.Manyòfthere Si.'t o f youth. are rockesof offence. They makeDauid andSalomonproótors oftheir finnes, which Ian aaui land sa- erfwaded grieueth thofe foules at thisday,ifthere beany forrow inheauen, toheart men tcmonnn Tro- p a Ilanforfrnnèt. allcagethem for their fnnes. 7 Webe taught Elay9.17.thatwhen the Lord intendethtodeflroya common wealth, a fpeciall notethereofis this: Hetaketh no delight intheiryouth : thereforewhereyoung tooth dfotuti men bedtffolnte,it is aheauir note ofGods wrath to fall vpon hispeople. 8 Suchas doe take libertie bySalomòns example , letthem confider it well. Hee was in salmons ex- theprime of his youthwell difpofed&wife, but hauingpail to riperyeares,he grew vaine 000210 and dif lilute. Then by Gods freemertie, bebecame a lorrowfull man in his age. Andhe made himfelfe a pubhkepenitenziarie, leavinghis EcclefiofÈcs as a monument of his follie: and it may-well becalledhisbooke of Retra&ations. This isSalomonsexperimentall con- clufion:Allis vanitie andvexation ofmird.Thishe tried,whé hehad gone through al things Tria bonorux* henos faine co trennst to that wherewith bebegan. Hisbooke Confuted: all Pagans belt genera: moral) wifcdome. Hewanted nothing,he had experienceofall kinds ofbleflings that may be found on earth. Yet after long experiencehe found no true ioy in any thingon earth. Thewile menofthis agewools!fay: he was too fad,or ofamelancholickehumanr,& could not vie rungs well. But himfelfeanfwercth the follie of fuck, Chap. 6. Nonecould haue moreioy, nor fo much plealure in them, as he had : yetIre found in conclufionnothing in thembut vanitie and vexation of mind. 9 lob was treueradulterer, yetmadehe acóuenant with hiseycs,becau`e hebeing rlcaneAdottery. inhearc,would give no occafton outwardly. When Pxtiphars wifecould not preuadebe- Sheoolírd to taufe oflofephsconftancy,fhewas not moued to repentanceas theought,confidering that htokfe00 of htr her feruantwas'fo faithfull to her husband, much more Ilseought to bate beene: but con- hoof 3 9,tç, trarilie thevfech a defperateremedic, worfethenthe fault it Idle: namely, to feekehis life. And this is theend of all vnbridled& carnal) lone, that in the end it turneth to extreame carnalltose. hatred:yea and that niotobitterthenofthenr, who neuer bare themgoodwill :asappea aS r redin that inceftuous loueof Amman tobislìtter7homar, who afterward hated her ex- am.r 3' ç. ceedingly, Let vs learne to feare there vnbridled affaCtions g and if we will not haue this l fue to comeofthem,let vsmake our bond inthe Lord, that one may draweanother nea- rer whim thereby. And this isnot onelyin this huffing loue, but in allother familiarities amenwhatfoeuer, without the Lord,whetherit be for gaine orfauour &c. for whenthey cannot enioy the things they lookefor, theirloue is turned to hatred. r o lofeph inhis profpeririewouldnot fcrfaketheLord to cleave tohis Miilris,and now in that he feed: prefentdangcr,.yct helhandethfag: Thus on euery fidethe Lord triethhis Perfeaeranrei children,and giueth gracewithalitoperfeuere.Outofthis we maylearne, that we neuer knowwhetherwe louerighteoufnelle andholineffe for Gods caufe,fo well aswhen ween- . dure fometrouble forit. rofephmight haue done this fecretlie that it fhouldnot hauebin knowne,yet the loueof Godcons}rained him , and thefeare ofthe,LOrd caufedhiss to re- fìainefromeuill.Albeithe fawprefent daungerofhis lifeandgood name: yet becaufe he knew that the Lordwhich feeds fecrets he rewarded) openly,therfòre heconrmitteth him felletothe'Lord, and had ratherhazard his good namebeforemen, then keepe an cal confciencebefore God. Andhebelceued withal), thatthe Lordat thelalt would makehis righteoufnes as cleareasthe nooneday. t r Manicwill not fight ormurderopenly, but ifrheirenemies were fecretly deliuered into their hands,theywouldbe farm fromDauid,whowould not hurt the Lordes annoin- r,Sam.a}: ted: inthetneane timethey deuifecoil!ámongttthémfelues,andwhen they comeabroade theyvtterit. Manydoeabltainefromfornication forfeare oflawes and filch like; butthey confider not that theLordfeeth their vnclaffcmindes,andwill recoinpence them. Many would be religious, but yet vnlike toSidrac, Mifar, and Abcdnago, who woidd'not for llan.;.t6 feareof the king fo much as confult of the'tvorfhipping of the hnage. Bat they would feeme to bemore thenthey are, as Ananias and Saphira: therefore they (hall Irauethe taste reward with them for their tempting of God. Sòlong then as our hearts doe.de- ceiue vs; and chefe will delires ouerconrc vs, and we vfe vngodlie meaner, we fhall Aa.$, neuer
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