IT is a matter of no less wonder than grief, to see that Man, the most excellent and noble Creature of the World, made by God to enjoy all the benefits of this and another Life, should respect his great happiness so little, as at once to neglect them both; and wil­fully run headlong into misery, and so carefully to provide for himself eternal Torment. How unpleasant the Way that leads to Sin and Destruction is, o­thers cautions with his own experience daily tells him? and tho' Death and Damnation were not the sure Wages [Page 4]of Sin, yet the very ills that are pro­duced and issue from hatefull vice here, should methinks, engage Mankind to an abomination of it, and make him apply himself with his utmost diligence and industry to follow and keep those Commands which God out of his infi­nite Goodness and Mercy delivered himself to guide Mankind to his ever­lasting rest and happiness. And can we believe that God did bestow all those noble Faculties of our Soul upon us, as Reason, Knowledge and Under­standing, to be Instruments of any thing besides his Glory and the Salvati­on of us? what then will be the con­sequence (we may easily imagine) of the mis-employment of these great Gifts and Benefits, and converting them to the ruine of our own Souls and contempt of him and his Glory, a a Use clear contrary to what he design­ed them? Ah! huge Ingratitude of Men, thus to abuse and forget so mer­cifull a God, and too too worthy of e­ternal Afflictions that will to the De­struction [Page 5]of themselves, wickedly defie the means and opportunities that are offered of being happy; which can ne­ver be found in the loathsome embraces of Sin and Wickedness: Hear Young men what is here denounced against your Riots, Debauches, and your own joyful tho' perverse Heart; the Judg­ment of the all-powerfull God, who will not spare your Blasphemies, your Drunkenness, nor the Sins of your Lust, but will deliver you to the Tyranny of Death and eternal Despair. Let these, let these thoughts and considerations, enjoyn you to a Change of your une­ven ways, remembring that for each thing you say, you do, you must ren­der an account to the just and all-know­ing God of Heaven and Earth, who will punish you according to your Crimes.: And though as in the 8th. verse of this Chapter of Ecclesiastes, You live many days, and rejoyce in them all, yet remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many, and that cometh is vanity. Let us reflect but a little on [Page 6]the miseries that all who has been Of­fenders, against Heaven has suffered, and we shall give over the continuance in our Impieties; and let us take a view of all the Examples in Holy VVrit, and we shall find not one amongst them that left to fear the Lord, but was in­volved in Ruine and Misfortunes: Saul pay'd for his VVickdness with the dear loss of a Kingdom to Himself and Posterity; and all the wicked and unrepenting Kings of Israel was scourged by their Enemies, or dye by the dangerous hands of their own Sub­jects: think then what God will even doe to you if you continue in your evil doings and desires. Rouze, rouze, and cast from thee, vile Sinner, these de­stroying Evils, and with the Prodigal return to Repentance: and that you may not be discouraged from so pious & be­neficial a Work, God himself does promise that your Ills shall be past over when you pray to be forgiven, leaving off the power of Satan, turning with all your Hearts to your Creator. How happy, [Page 7]how fortunate, are you young men that begins with the fear of the Lord? how assured is your Estate of Bliss, since God himself says he will accept you, and professes his Joy at the younger Years of Piety and Religion, leading you still with his Grace till you arrive at the blessed Land, the Land of Promise to all Believers? Let me then perswade every one of you to lay hold of all means of being saved, and with your first endeavours seek the knowledge of your God and Redeemer; for know 'tis Youth, the most healthy and the most strong years are the best and most acceptable Offerings to him: and when the dismal Groans and Sighs of an Old Age, preceeded by a wicked and de­bauch'd Youth shall he but little mind­ed, you will be sure to meet with a kind reception of your Prayers, and have all the Blessings of a present and future Life poured upon you. Believe me, for you will find it, that 'tis the Knowledge of a well-spent Youth that secures us the greatest comfort, and a­lone [Page 8]can afford us Pleasure, when the Aches and pricking Pains of Old Age, lies heavy upon us; and 'tis that that makes us with courage and assurance enter upon Eternity, knowing that we shall receive the gratefull Rewards of what we so well acted here. There is none who is not quite hardned with Sin and Wickedness, but knows what a Joy a well past day brings, how com­fortable a good action is, and how terri­ble to Conscience, (which every one feels sooner or later) the cruel remem­brance of a Wickedness is. But more than this, it would be well to consider how vast Injuries these Bodies too suf­fer, for whose pleasure we so oft en­gage our Souls in endless and lamenta­ble Woes, by Vice; and it is strange to see Men hurry on by so many seve­ral ways to Death and Diseases the on­ly two Bugbears thought of humane Nature: it is true that some by Drun­kenness shorten those Lives every Body seems so much concern'd for, and are oftentimes living Martyrs to that Vice, [Page 9]continuing to their Grave the wretched Objects of our pity, and their own shame. By Whoring, how greatly mi­serable Men make themselves each Hos­pital tells us, & their cruel Diseases are as so many marks for us to avoid such de­plorable conditions; which if we neglect after such personal warnings, we are not to be pitied if we split against those Rocks and loose our Healths, and all the Comforts of our Lives. By Swear­ing, how constantly do we call God's Judgments upon us? and how extream­ly abhorred are our Conversations, e­ven by Wicked Men, who tho' they practice it themselves, yet hate the de­formed Sin in another? Of all the Sins that has so absolutely subdued Men, I could say the same things, but it is needless, since the most common Ex­perience cannot but be acquainted with their inconveniences: but to say some­thing in short of them, they not only injure our Souls, but spoil our greatest benefits here; for there is not so much as an advantage to be expected, where [Page 10]Vice is taken notice of; Men justly suspecting they will be false to others who are so to their own Souls, and to their God; which without doubt is the cause of so many endeavours, though they have nothing of Piety or Sanctity but the bare pretence to maintain the o­pinion of it amongst others, finding it necessary to the increase of their Rich­es and esteem in the World. But to re­turn to the Afflictions that follows at the heels of the neglect of pious exer­cises and duties; what People shall we ever find that ever had the smiles of a prosperous Condition, without being true to God and the just Principles of Religion? did not the contempt of God and abominable filthiness, cause the destruction of Sodom and Gomor­rha? was it not the forsaking of God, the Instructions and Commands recei­ved from him, that rendred not only the People of Israel lamentable, but made them become the By-word of all Nations, to whom they were a terrour whilst they preserved God their Friend [Page 11] [...]nd Protector, by serving him alone [...]nd dedicating themselves to the pure Worship of him? all this but duly con­sidered, it will be owned that Sin is the impulsive cause of all our own Unhap­pinesses, both Temporal and Eternal; and 'tis because of our Transgressions that we are so often plagued; for Ʋbi Peccatum ibi Miseria, Where there is Sin there is Misery: Iniquity calls down all sorts of Punishments upon our heads; are we molested with Wars? is our Health crusht with raging Disea­ses? are we tormented with distracting Maladies 'tis all for our Sins? Haggai. 1.9.10. Hear the great God of Heaven declaring Punishments to those that break his Commandments and keep not his Statutes in the 28. chap, of Deut. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of thy Lord thy God, to observe to do all his Command­ments and the Statutes which I command this day, that all these Curses shall come upon thee. The Lord shall send upon thee Cursing and Vexation, and Rebuke in [Page 12]all that thou settest thine hand unto, o [...] to doe, untill thou be destroyed and unti [...] thou perish, quickly, because of the Wickedness of thy Doings, whereby thou hast for­saken me. Again, The Lord shall make the Pestilence cleave unto thee, untill he have consumed thee from off the Land whither thou goest to possess it. Art thou not a­fraid wretched Man! then to offend this great, this just God, who is so able to punish, and who will assuredly doe it if thou forget thy God, and his Com­mandments? thinkest thou, he will be more inclined to spare thee than that People whom he so loved? he lead them with his own mighty hand through so many dangers; for whom he made a dry Passage over the Red Sea, to secure them from their Enemies; Ah! no, feed not thy self up with these Hopes, for he will send these and many more Curses upon thee, if thou return'st not with Penitence, begging his most gra­cious pardon: delay it no longer, since it so much concerns thy eternal welfare, and endeavour to reconcile thy self, [Page 13]whom thou hast so unworthily and un­gratefully offended; least he crush thee [...]n the very midst of thy Sins, and give [...]hee over to Hell and the Devil, from whence there is no Redemption. Think again and again upon this Portion that [...]s allotted the Wicked and Impenitent; pity thy own Soul, and thrust it not into Hell and its Torments; but call, and God will hear thee, knock and he will open and deliver thee Heaven, with such Joys as never entred into the Heart of Man to conceive: But if the denouncing of Judgments no whit stirs thee nor removes thee from the course of Sin, let his kind and gentle promises allure thee to be Righteous and Holy: hear him pronouncing his Blessings to the Good and Holy, in the 28. chap. of Deut. ver 1. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken dili­gently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and to doe all thy Command­ments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high, above all Nations of the Earth. v. 4. [Page] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of, thy cattel, and the increase of thy Kine, and flocks of thy sheep; so on: See then what a great gain Godliness is to us here: see how necessary the observation of God's Command is for the Riches of this World, for the increase of our store: and mark that 'tis from Vertue alone that we are to expect the Riches of this Life and the Glory of another. How justly will all Men condemn him for a Fool, that in spight of these immense Promises and Blessings, shall continue a Sot to Pleasures, which tickle only for the present, but leave a fatal Sting be­hind them; and whilst they are Honey in the Mouth, are Gall in the Stomach, and are succeeded by Miseries and Dis­contents? Let Reason take a place a little, and hearken to the dictates of Truth; compare impartially the Good and the Bad together, that thou may'st find the difference, and not like the Child, choose only things that are fair, and pleasant to the first eye of Fancy; [Page] [...]ut those that carry an intrinsick and [...]olid worth: Moreover, weigh with thy self the small duration and continu­ance of things of this World, and think thy self that thou canst not be with them long thy self, but must be summoned to make thy appearance: these often considered, will perhaps a­bate thy affection to things here below, and will perswade thee to strive to se­cure an Interest where is eternal happi­ness and where Joys can never fade; which done, thou wilt be sure to be quiet within thy self here, and not fear Death, which is so great a terrour to the Lovers of wordly Delights. Ha­ving done with this, it becomes me to tell you young Men the Ways by which ye may most assuredly glorifie God and purchase your selves eternal Happiness. Be sure to avoid Idleness, it being the Banker and Rust of good Inclinations, and an inlet to a thousand dangerous Sins: be sure to Honour your Parents, as those that gave you Life and Being, with many more benefits: be obedient [Page]to all Magistrates and all higher Pow­ers, according to the Direction of S [...] Paul, flye the Company of Drunkard debauch'd Persons of all degrees, fo [...] Evil Conversation corrupts good Manners: Shun the Embraces of loose and wanton Women, Solomon assuring you they will bring you to a Morsel of Bread: But chiefly, be sure to perform your Duties of Prayer both day and night to God, using no frivolous pre­tences to excuse you from them; for so we bless God and he blesses us: On the Lord's day abstain from all Works or Sports, and fail not to be present at the publick hours and places of Prayer, attending reverently and devoutly. Lastly, doe as you would be done by, practise these, tho' there be many other Rules, and you will not fail to have Eternal Life.