woeful, and because Nabal had been niggardly of his bread, David would be prodigal of his blood. Ah, how unlike a christian, yea, how below a man, doth David carry it, when his blood is up, and he a captive to rashness and passion! Rashness will admit of nought for reason, but what unreasonable self shall dictate for reason; as sloth seldom bring. eth actions to good birth, so rashness makes them always abortive ere well formed; a rash spirit is an ungodlike spirit: a rash spirit is a weak spirit, it is an effeminate spirit. "A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit," Prov. xvii. 27. or as the Hebrew will bear it, is of a cool spirit, not rash and hot, ready at every turn to put out his soul in wrath. Rashness unmans a man, it will put a man upon things below manhood. Herostratus a hotspur, an obscure base fellow, did in one night by fire destroy the temple of Diana at Ephesus, which was 220 years in building, at the cost of so many princes of all Asia, and beautified with the labour and cunning of so many excellent workmen. The truth is, there would be no end, should I discover the many sad and great evils that are ushered into the world by that one evil rashness, which usually attends youth. And therefore, young men, decline it, and arm yourselves against it.

IV. The fourth sin that ordinarily attends on youth, is mocking and scoffing at religious men and religious things. They were young ones, that scoffingly and scornfully said to the prophet," Go up, thou bald-head, go up, thou bald-head," 2 Kings ii. 23. And the young men derided and mocked Job. "But now they that are younger than I, have me in derision; whose fathers I would have

disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. Upon my right hand rise the youth, they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction," Job xxx. i. And oh that this age did not afford many such monsters, who are notable, who are infamous in this black art of scoffing and deriding the people of God, and the ways of God.

The Athenians once scoffed at Scilla's wife, and it had well nigh cost the razing of their city, he was so provoked with the indignity; and will you think it safe to scoff at the people of God, who are the spouse of Christ, who are as the apple of the eye, who are the signet of his right hand, his portion, his pleasant portion, his inheritance, his jewel, his royal diadem? Ah, young men, will you seriously consider how sadly and sorely he hath punished other scoffers and mockers? and by his judgments on them, be warned never to scoff at the people of God, or his ways more. Julian the emperor was a great scoffer of christians, but at last he was struck with an arrow from heaven, that made him cry out, Vicisti Galileæ, Thou Galilean (meaning our Saviour Christ) hast overcome me. Felix, for one malicious scoff, did nothing day or night but vomit blood, till his unhappy soul was separated from his wretched body. Pherecides was consumed by worms alive, for giving religion but a nickname. Lucian for barking against religion like a dog, was by the just judgment of God de. voured by dogs. Remember these dreadful judg ments of God on scoffers, and if you like them, then mock on, scoff on, but know that justice will at last be even with you, nay above you. F

V. The fifth and last evil that I shall mention, that attends and waits on youth, is lustfulness and wantonness.

Which occasioned aged Paul to caution his young Timothy, "To flee youthful lusts," 2 Tim. ii. 12. Timothy was a chaste and chastened piece; he was much sanctified and mortified; his graces were high, and corruptions low; he walked up and down this world with dying thoughts, and with a weak, distempered, declining, dying body; his heart was in heaven, and his foot in the grave, and yet youth is such a slippery age, that Paul commands him to flee, to post from youthful lusts; though Timothy was a good man, a weak sickly man, a marvellous temperate man, drinking water rather than wine; yet he was but a man, yea, young man; and therefore Paul's counsel and command is, That ye flee youthful lusts.

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And Solomon, who had sadly experienced all the slipperiness of youth, gives this counsel, "Put away the evil of thy flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity," Eccl. xi. 10. He was a young man that followed the harlot to her house; he was young years, and young in knowledge; Salazer upon the words, saith, "That was an happy age that afforded but one simple young man among many, where. as late times afford greater store;" ah, too many of the youths of this age, instead of flying from youthful lusts, they post and pursue after youthful Justs. Chrysostom speaking of youth, saith it is difficilem joctabilem, falibilem, vehementissimisque egentem frænis, hard to be ruled, easy to be drawn away, apt to be deceived, and standing in need of very violent reins.

The ancients did picture Youth like a young man naked, with a veil over his face, his right hand bound behind him, his left hand loose, and Time behind him pulling one thread out of his veil every day; intimating, that young men are void of knowledge and blind, unfit to do good, ready to do evil, till time, by little and little, makes them wiser. Well, young man, remember this, that the least sparkling and kindling of lusts, will first or last cost thee groans and griefs, tears and terrors enough. These five are the sins that are usually waiting and attending on youth, but from these the young man in the text was by grace preserved and secured, which is more than I dare affirm of all into whose hands this treatise shall fall. But these five are the sins of youth; yet they are not all the sins of youth, for youth is capable of, and subject to, all other sins whatsoever, but these are the special sins that most usually wait and attend young men when they are in the spring and morning of youth.

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CHAPTER IV.

SHALL now hasten to the main use that I do intend to stand upon, and that is, an use of exhortation to all young persons.

Ah, sirss you tender the glory of God, the good of your bodies, the joy of your christian friends, and the salvation of your own souls, be exhorted and persuaded to be really good. It was the praise and honour of Abijah, that there was found in him some good thing towards the Lord,

in the primrose of his childhood. Oh that it might be your honour and happiness to be really good, that it might be to you a praise and a name, that in the morning of your youth, you have begun to seek the Lord, and to know and love the Lord, and to get an interest and property in the Lord.

Now that this exhortation may stick and take, I beseech you seriously to weigh and ponder these following motives or considerations.

1. Consider, It is an honour to be good betimes. A young saint is like the morning star; he is like a pearl in a gold ring. It is mentioned as a singu. lar honour to the believing Jews, that they first trusted in Christ, Eph. i. 12. "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ;" this was their praise, their crown, that they were first converted and turned to Christ and christianity. So St. Paul mentioning Andronica and Junia, doth not omit this circumstance of praise and honour, that they were in Christ before him, Rom. xvi. 17. "Salute Audronicus and Junia, my kinsman and fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me." And so it was the honour of the house of Stephanas that they were the first fruits of Achaia; it was their glory, that they were the first that received and welcomed the gospel in Achaia. It is a greater honour for a young man to outwrestle sin, Satan, temptation, the world, and lust, than ever Alexander the great could attain unto. It was Judah's praise and honour that they were first in fetching home David their king,

Ah! young men and women, it will be your eternal praise and honour, if you shall be before