11 There is no sacrifice so acceptable to the Lord, as for youth to strive with this double,1 triple and seven fold cord, to abandon all pleasures, before we have tasted of the honey with Jonathan. It is acceptable I say before a taste, not after a loathing: God loatheth such service, when the stream of affection is weak. Look how many baits and snares Satan hath for sin, so many remedies hath God to crown us. But young men will have their reasons, I will do it, but for a while: A foolish reason, seeing the whole age of man is but short. God will not allow a minute, therefore not our youth. Again, in our time we must not look for longum, but opportunum, this is the time of salvation. It is in man as in other things, in breaking of Horses, luring of Hawks. Vegetius in his fourth book De remilitari had rather have a Soldier that never learned to fight, than one il brought up in warfare. Timaeus requireth a double tuition for a Scholar, that had been ill brought up. The diseases of the spring are more curable than those of Autumn: So the sins of a young man are curable, if they take not many surfeits one upon another. In youth it is easiest to resist the pleasures, which we never tasted of. If a young man then say, I will tarry until I be old, before I resist sin, it is as much as if he should say, I am strong now, I will stay till I be weak. This is the indignity of our reason, Isaiah 2. There be sins called purple, cri•zen, sins of a deep die. If it be right purple, it was died both in the wool, and in the thread. So if Satan do die us before we are made cloth, in our youth, whiles we be wool if we be so died, it is like to stick by us. But if we will needs be died purple, we must be so died as purple is taken in the Apocalypse: purple righteous in the blood of the Lamb. When a man hath long had a trusty servant, he is loath to forgo him, he will rather give him double wages, so is it with the devil, and thus for their continuance. Augustine said of a young man that had lived riotously in his youth, and afterward suddenly converted: I grant true repentance is never too late, but late repentance is seldom true. Therefore to make sure work, let us carry the yoke in our youth. Often God doth punish the want of his fear in our youth, with the want of wisdom in our age, he punisheth the flesh with the world.
11 There is no sacrifice so acceptable to the Lord, as for youth to striue with this double,1 triple and seuen fold corde, to abandon all pleasures, before we haue tasted of the hony with Ionathan. It is acceptable I say before a taste, not after a loathing: God loatheth such seruice, when the streame of affection is weake. Looke how many baites and snares Sathan hath for sinne, so many remedies hath God to crowne vs. But young men will haue their reasons, I will doe it, but for a while: A foolish reason, seeing the whole age of man is but short. God will not allow a minute, therefore not our youth. Againe, in our time we must not looke for longum, but opportunum, this is the time of saluation. It is in man as in other things, in breaking of Horses, luring of Haukes. Vegetius in his fourth booke De remilitari had rather haue a Souldier that neuer learned to fight, than one il brought vp in warfare. Timaeus requireth a double tuition for a Scholler, that had beene ill brought vp. The diseases of the spring are more curable than those of Autumne: So the sinnes of a young man are curable, if they take not many surfets one vpō another. In youth it is easiest to resist the pleasures, which we neuer tasted of. If a young man then say, I will tarrie vntill I be old, before I resist sinne, it is as much as if he should say, I am strong now, I will stay till I be weake. This is the indignitie of our reason, Esay 2. There be sinnes called purple, cri•zen, sinnes of a deepe die. If it be right purple, it was died both in the wooll, and in the threed. So if Sathan doe die vs before we are made cloath, in our youth, whiles we be wooll if we be so died, it is like to sticke by vs. But if we will needs be died purple, we must be so died as purple is taken in the Apocalyps: purple righteous in the blood of the Lambe. When a man hath long had a trustie seruant, he is loath to forgoe him, he wil rather giue him double wages, so is it with the diuell, and thus for their continuance. Augustine said of a young man that had liued riotously in his youth, and afterward sodainely conuerted: I grant true repentance is neuer too late, but late repentance is seldome true. Therefore to make sure worke, let vs carry the yoke in our youth. Often God doth punish the want of his feare in our youth, with the want of wisedome in our age, he punisheth the flesh with the world.
- 1Youth must renounce pleasures.
