A29676:543
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 objections Answered
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.
Fourthly, The young man objects ⟨p. 327⟩and says you press us to be good betimes, and to seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of our days; but we observe that most men mind not these things, but rather give liberty to themselves, to walk in ways that are most pleasing to the flesh; and why then should we be singular and nice, we were better do as the most do, &c. Now to this I answer.
Fourthly, The young man objects ⟨p. 327⟩and saies you presse us to bee good betimes, and to seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of our daies; but wee observe that most men minde not these things, but rather give liberty to themselves, to walk in waies that are most pleasing to the flesh; and why then should wee bee singular and nice, wee were better do as the most do, &c. Now to this I answer.
1 That though bad examples are dangerous to all, yet usually they prove most dangerous and pernicious to young persons, who are more easily drawn to follow examples, than precepts, especially those examples that tends most to undo them, 12 King. 15.9. It is said of Zacharia, the King of Israel, that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his Fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, he would be as his Father was, and do as his Father did, whatever ⟨p. 328⟩came on it. So the Samaritans of whom it is said, 2 King. 17.41. These Nations feared the Lord, (that is, they made some kind of profession of the true Religion, as the ten tribes had done) and served their graven Images (too) both their Children, and their Children's Children (did thus) as did their Fathers, so do they unto this day: By evil examples they were both drawn to Idolatry, and rooted and confirmed in it; so the main reason why the Kingdom and Church of Judah were so settled in their Idolatry, that there was no hope of reclaiming them, was this, that their Children remembered their Altars, and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills,