A29676:134
Apples of gold for young men and women, and a crown of glory for…Apples of gold for young men and vvomen, and a crown of glory for…
Apples of gold 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 mans objections answered, and the old mans doubts resolved. By Thomas Brooks preacher of the gospel at Margarets new Fishstreet-hill.Apples of gold for young men and vvomen, 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 applyed. Also the young mans objections answered, and the old mans doubts resolved. By Thomas Brooks preacher of the gospel at Margarets new Fishstreet-hill.
London: printed by R.I. for John Hancock, 1657
THE Young-Mans Duty AND EXCELLENCY. › The Young mans Duty and Excellency.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The ninth Reason, why young persons should be really good betimes, and that is, because the time of youth is the choicest and fittest time for service. Now your parts ⟨p. 45⟩are lively, senses fresh, 1memory strong, and nature vigorous; the days of your youth are the spring and morning of your time; they are the first-born of your strength, therefore God requires your nonage as well as your dotage; the wine of your times, as well as the lees, 2as you may see typified to you in the first fruits, which were dedicated to the Lord; And the first-born. The time of youth is the time of salvation, it is the acceptable time, it is thy summer, thy harvest time. O young man, therefore do not sleep, but up, and be doing, awaken thy heart, rouse up thy soul, and improve all thou hast, put out thy reason, thy strength, thy all, to the treasuring up of heavenly graces, precious promises, divine experiences, and spiritual comforts, against the winter of old age, and then old age will not be to thee an evil age, 3but as it was to Abraham a good old age; do not put off God with ⟨p. 46⟩fair promises, and large pretences till your last sands are running, and the days of dotage hath overtaken you. 4That's a sad word of the Prophet, cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male, and yet offereth to the Lord a corrupt thing. 5Ah young men and women, who are like the Almond tree, you have many males in the flock, your strength is a male in your flock, your time is a male in the flock, your reason is a male in the flock, your parts are a male in the flock, and your gifts are a male in the flock; now if he be curst that hath but one male in his flock, and shall offer to God a corrupt thing, a thing of no worth, of no value, how will you be curst, and curst, curst at home, and curst abroad, curst temporally, curst spiritually, and curst eternally, who have many males in your flock, and yet deal so unworthily, so fraudulently, and false heartedly with God, as to put him off with the dregs of