hearts lufts, and to leave thee to thy felf. TT of Na fad word, Ifa, 6.10. Go and make the best And this people fat, and shut their eies, left the IV with their eies, and hear with their eas, tages understand with their heart, and convert a times healed. God may justly refuse to hearkento # when thou calleft for mercy, who wo

I.

prev

before hearken to the call of his Graf whe

Spirit of God after many repulfes may aggrieved. God may fmite thee wit and fenfeffeneffe (that great Spiritual je And then what will become of thee? fides, doft thou think that any mas wife fhould be falfe to him, and run an him, and follow after ftrangers is ke time, would receive her at laft in her Why wilt thou think then to deal fe with Upon the whole matter then, if thou art of verted, and doft really turn to God whey 'tis a hundred to one, whether ever thou verted or no. 'Tis rarely feen that men hak and long accustomed to fin, do ever chang black skins, as the Reverend Mr. Bargd obferves.

what that great Taft!

need

Any parts

on a hurt Ow Mar

III. Confider, whether there be mans life wherein he may reasonably think heb liberty to ferve the Devil? If not, why thou not speedily turn to God? Why the not thy youth be confecrated unto him? As as thou remaineft unconverted, and in the

been had cuti

kno

Ay

his

as o

and

beg

we

of Nature, thou art doing the Devil service; And who would ferve fuch a Master?

IV. Confider, There are many great advan` tages that will come unto thee by turning to God be

imes.

1. Multitude of fins and forrows will be hereby prevented. Thofe that get bruises and strains when young, feel them when they grow old. O what anguish, and pain of Confcience have they that have lived long in fin (and committed great ones) if they be brought home to God at laft! O what a cutting confideration must it needs be to old people to caft their eyes back upon a life spent in fin and dishonouring God, and hurting the foules of others by their ill example! O what a deal of forrow would Manasses and Mary Magdalen have efcaped, if they had been converted in their younger years? So if Paul had peen betimes brought home to God, he had not ad all that tromble and grief of Spirit for perfecuting the Church.

2. Thou maift hereby come to forme eminency of knowledge, and Grace, and Spiritual experience. A young man that is a good husband betimes upon his trade, we fay, is like to grow rich; whereas one that has been prodigal in his younger time, and a pend-thrift, if he should in his elder years begin to be wife, yet having loft fo much time, we are apt to think, he will never do any great matter at it. So they that give up their hearts to

God

God betimes, and confecrate their

to him, O how rich in knowledge and Grand

3. Thy joyes and comforts will bet

they grow?

Thou art a hinderer of thy peace and

thou

wild

nor

of hi

the while thou art going on in the sling

Thou art feeding on Onions, when tho have Manna, Thou art feeding on the Prodigal, when thou mighteft fatted calf. What are all the noifome fin to the peace of a good Confcience ment of God, the delights and joyesc. Ghoft?

H

ed d edo art g more.

fore

come done

fuppo hour.

6.

heart

this li Gal.d

4. The more fervice thou wilt do fa pofe a man be call'd at the twelfth 'tis little he can do for God before old man that was late converted, ordet: be written upon his Tomb-ftone, old man of feven years old. Suppofe ama many years (pent in fin) should at lahat! verted, he had need of Methuselah's & wail his former miscarriages, and to de for God, whom he hath fo difhonour think what an honour it is to live toglan and to do him fervice! And canft tho 100 foon to honour him, who deferves on ly well of thee?

5. It will make not only thy life, baths alfo comfortable. When death comes, wilt have this good evidence of thy fincerity,

that

rupti the s

Id

the d they

Pleas

the

So

thou didst turn to God betimes, in thy youth, and in the flower and prime of thy daies. Thou wilt not then be afraid to look God in the face, nor dread him as an enemy, but think delightfully of him as a long experienced friend, and be willing to furrender thy foul unto him. 'Tis reported of Adrian, that when he came to die, he cried out, O my foul, whither art thou going? thon art going where thou shalt never be jovial nor merry more. O my foul, whither art thou going? There fore do thofe things now, which (when thou comeft to die) thou wouldst wish thou hadst done; and leave thofe things undone, which thou fuppofeft will not yield thee comfort in that

hour.

6. And lastly, The fooner thou engageft thy heart to God, and the more fervice thou dost him in this life, the greater will be thy reward in Heaven, Gal.6.7,8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man foweth that shall be reap. He that foweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that foweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlafting.

I come now to the fecond thing; to answer the objections that young perfons may make, why, they fhould not turn to God fo foon.

obj.1. We shall hereby lofe our chief time of pleasure.

Sol. You fhall exchange dirt for Gold, and the draff of fine for the food of Angels, your.

finfull

and

finfull pleasures for the delights of the time. Ghoft, and the joyes of a good Concien tion ligion will abridge you of nothing but frigh is rank poifon to your fouls. It will allow creations that are lawful, expedient, feu (.e and moderate, and which may fit your glorifie God in your general or particulate See the Rules fet down in the foregoing under the fifth Direction to Pag 490

mess neg com and

cand

mor

turr

S

fore

obj.2. We do but as most young and as others have done before us. Sol. If you fin with others, you m to fuffer with others. They that are ». and Levi brethren in iniquity, must be alfo in mifery. The old world finn'd toga in were drown'd together. You must notter. amples, but by precepts. Look not at al do, but at what God commands, Exod gin Thou shalt not follow a multitude so vil.

obj.3. There needs not fo much ade to Heaven.

S

oth

end

fak

rep

Sol. Is it more ado than God's Word regs for read and judge, Luke 13.24. Strive to est rit at the ftrait gate, for many, I say unto you By feek to enter in, and shall not be able, M6 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his onfineß, Sec. Eph.5.15. See that ye walk in pectly, not as fasles but as wife, redeem

Bl.

you