FOR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN: AND A CROWN OF GLORY FOR OLD MEN AND WOMEN. OR, THE HAPPINESS OF BEING GOOD BETIMES: AND THE HONOUR OF BEING AN OLD DISCIPLE, CLEARLY AND FULLY DISCOVERED, AND CLOSELY AND FAITHFULLY APPLIED. ALSO, The Young Man's Objections answered, and the BY THOMAS BROOKS. The Twenty-second Edition. 1 KINGS xviii. 12. But I thy Servant, fear the Lord from my Youth. of righteousness. GAINSBOROUGH: PRINTED BY AND FOR HENRY MOZLEY. DEDICATION. 875 TO ALL YOUNG PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE NATION, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF BOTH SEXES, WHO BEGIN TO TURN THEIR FACES TOWARDS ZION. A Dear Hearts, WORD spoken in due season, how good is it! it is often like apples of gold in pictures of silver; many times such a word is sweet, precious, pleasing, and delectable, and strong in its operation, A company of near friends dining together one sabbath day, one that was at table, to prevent impertinent discourse, said that it was a question whether they should all go to heaven or no, which struck them all into a damp, and caused every one to enter into a serious consideration with themselves; one thought, if any of this company go to hell, it must be I; and so thought another, and another, and indeed so thought almost every one then present, as well servants that waited, as those that sat at the table, as it was afterwards acknowledged, and through the mercy and blessing of God, this speech so wrought upon the spirits of most of them, that it proved the first instrumental means of their conversion. I have my hopes through grace, that this trea M529252 tise though it be sown in weakness, yet by the blessing of the Most High upon it, it may rise in power, and be an instrumental means of the winning of souls to Christ, which is my highest ambition in this world, and therefore I have broke through all difficulties and carnal reasonings, that might otherwise have stifled this babe in the womb, and kept it from ever seeing of the light. I have read of an emperor, that delighted in no undertaking so much, as those which in the esteem of his counsellors and captains were deemed most difficult and impossible; if they said such or such an enterprise would never be accomplished, it was argument enough to him, to make the adventure; and he usually prospered, he seldom miscarried. I have never found greater and choicer blessings to attend any of my poor weak labours than those that have been brought forth into the world, thro' the greatest straits and difficulties. Valerius Max. imus reports, that one telling a soldier going to war against the Persians, that they would hide the sun with their arrows, he answered, We shall fight best in the shade; nothing should discourage nor dishearten a soldier of Christ, 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4. Christ saith to all his soldiers, (as the Black Prince's father said to him when fighting as it were in blood to the knees, and in great distress) Either vanquish or die; men of no resolution, or of weak resolution, will be but little serviceable to the good of souls; such watchmen as will be free from the blood of souls and be serviceable to the interest of Christ in turning sinners from darkness to light, must be men of spirit and resolution. I remember St. Austin beginneth one of his ser |