Considerations for Young Men

Some Considerations and Councils Let me set before you.

Consider. 1. The way which the generality of young men walk in is a woeful way. It will be found so at the judgment day. It is the way of their own heart which is the broad way that leads to destruction [illegible] that it might not be [illegible] of the young men who have been born in New England. Many of them are profane. Are there no profane swearers to be found among young men? It is a sad thing that there are any such. I knew the time when in New England young men knew not what it is to swear. A man might live twenty years (some have done so, I myself did so when in my youth) and never hear a profane oath in New England. Is it so now? And are there not young men who are lovers of strong drink? I wish I could say, that we had not given the Nazarites wine to drink. Are there not young men who are Sabbath breakers, notwithstanding they have been put in mind of a young man executed for murder, who when dying cried out, Let young men take warning by me, and let them know that [illegible] breaking will prove a dangerous and a costly sin to them. Are there not young men who are disobedient to their parents, or to their masters whom God has set over them, and that are like the children of the devil, given to lying? Are there not young men whose life is among the unclean? Are there not young men that will steal and [illegible] that will rob their parents or masters and say it is no transgression. No, young men born in New England, that have turned bloody pirates, that to get silver and gold have imbrued their hands in blood. God will bring them into judgment, and then they will wish that they had never been born, and most of all that they had never been born in New England. There are others that are not profane, but like the young man in the Gospel, they have externally kept the commandments in their youth, who nevertheless, are strangers to faith in Christ, and strangers to the new birth. Is it not so with the youth throughout this land generally? There are some and blessed be God that are so many young men in New England that the grace of God is manifest in them. Nevertheless, do we not see that the young generation as to the greatest part of them, is a poor unconverted, perishing generation? On that account it is not to be wondered at, that God from heaven has testified his displeasure against the present generation. He has poured it out upon the children abroad, and on the assembly of young men together (Jeremiah 6:11). It is a sad word which is spoken in Isaiah 9:17: The Lord shall have no joy in their young men. And again (Amos 4:10): Your young men have [illegible] with the sword. How many young men in New England have in these late years been numbered for the sword? Many a French sword or an Indian sword has slain, but more have been slain by the sword of the Lord in respect of mortal diseases, which he has visited them with. We may say after the prophet, Death is come up into our windows, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets (Jeremiah 9:21). And have not many young persons gone into captivity. We may say with the lamenting church, My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity (Lamentations 1:18). Now then the Lord calls from heaven to young ones that yet remain, saying, Oh! do not you continue to walk in the ways of your heart, lest captivity, lest death come upon you also. Do you think that the young persons whom God has thus dealt with, were greater sinners than any in New England? I tell you no, but repent lest you likewise perish.

Consider. II. There are some young men who if they die in their sins, the day of judgment will in a peculiar manner be a dreadful day to them. To instance, it will be so to such young men as have been more wicked than ordinary; who have above others indulged themselves in walking after the lusts of their own hearts. It was said of Babylon, how much she has lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her. The more pleasure any have had in sin, the greater will their torment be in the judgment day. All ungodly ones will be punished in that day, but not all [illegible]. The Lord has reserved the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished, but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness (2 Peter 2:10). A young man that has committed but one act of uncleanness, or that has been drunk but one time in all his life, must perish for ever without repentance, much more one that has been so an hundred times over. Again, they that have been favoured with means of grace above others, and yet shall neglect the great salvation, will have the sadder account to give to God at the day of judgment. The Son of God has declared it (Matthew 11:23, 24): You [illegible] which are exalted to heaven shall be brought down to hell; it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. There are some young men who as they have singular advantages to gain knowledge, so they do know more than others: now if such miss of heaven, their knowledge will be as an aggravation of their sin, so of their punishment at the last day. He that knows his Lord's will, but does it not shall be beaten with many stripes; to whom much is given, of him shall be much required (Luke 12:48). Again, a young man that has had godly relations, and yet shall continue in his sins, will on that account come under the sadder condemnation when God shall bring him into judgment. When those of the same family with him have set before him good examples: it may be he has seen his own brother or sister turning from sin to God; and yet continues to walk in the way of his heart and the sight of his eyes: this will render him inexcusable in the day of judgment. Esau will be damned the deeper in hell because he had such a brother as Jacob; whose piety he saw but did not imitate. But especially such as have been born of godly parents, if they continue to walk in the way of their own hearts, will have a sad account to give at the day of judgment. Inasmuch as they have broken the everlasting covenant, the waters of baptism will be turned into fire at that day: the tears and prayers of their pious parents will be as oil to the flames of hell. Their examples and all their instructions and admonitions will rise up in judgment against the children of their own bowels. How dreadful will it be when a godly father and mother shall join with the Lord Jesus Christ in passing a sentence of death on the children whom themselves have begotten. As it is said (Zechariah [illegible] 3): His father and his mother that begat him shall say to him, you shall not live. So will they say, when they hear the Son of God saying it before them. It is reported of the Emperor Mauritius, that when he saw his children slain before his eyes, he used that expression, You are righteous O Lord because you have judged thus. So will it be at the day of judgment. As the elders said when the great whore was judged, Amen; Hallelujah (Revelation 19:4). So when a godly father shall hear the Son of God pass the sentence of eternal condemnation on the child which was exceeding dear to him, he will say, Amen! Amen! You righteous Judge; I praise your glorious justice: I have nothing to say, why this child of mine should not be sent into everlasting burnings. You know that I prayed for him; you know I instructed him; you know I endeavoured to set a holy example before him, but he would go on in the way of his heart and in the sight of his eyes: therefore do I justify and join with you in the righteous sentence which is passed upon him. You that are the children of godly praying parents, think sadly of this.

Consider. III. They that turn from the [illegible] of their own heart to God in Christ, shall not come into a judgment of condemnation. Indeed, all must be brought into judgment, but as for them that repent and believe it will be a judgment of absolution, and not of condemnation. He that believes has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life (John 5:24). If young men repent and turn from all their transgressions, and betake themselves to Jesus Christ for salvation, all their sins will be pardoned. I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake (1 John 2:12). The sins of childhood and youth are many, and sometimes very great. How many wicked words have they spoken? What sabbath breaking? What disobedience to parents have children and young men been guilty of? How many lies have they told, for which they must be damned in hell fire without repentance. But if they truly repent and turn from all their sins to God in Christ, none of them shall ever be mentioned against them, though never so many, though never so great (Ezekiel 33:16).