Words of advice to young men delivered in two sermons at two conventions of…

That you may overcome this prejudice, know,

1. That sincere Professors, of all others, are the most humble persons; they have the highest esteem of God, but they have the lowest esteem of themselves. Indeed they have high designs, they are very ambitious, they cannot be content with earthly riches, and honours, but they must be Kings and Princes; they are ambitious of being made Sons and Daughters of God, and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven; this is a lawful ambition, but yet withal they retain the lowest thoughts of themselves, and look upon themselves as unworthy of the least mercy.

1. That sincere Professours, of all others, are the most humble persons; they have the highest esteem of God, but they have the lowest esteem of themselves. Indeed they have high designs, they are very ambitious, they cannot be content with earthly riches, and honours, but they must be Kings and Princes; they are ambitious of being made Sons and Daughters of God, and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven; this is a lawful ambition, but yet withall they retain the lowest thoughts of themselves, and look upon themselves as unworthy of the least mercy.

2. That sincere Professors are indeed singular and ⟨p. 65⟩precise, but they do not affect more than what God doth command, and more than what is necessary unto salvation; they do not make the way narrower than God hath made it. Our Saviour telleth us, that strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it, Mat. 7. 14. They dare not blot that verse out of the Bible, lest God should blot their names out of his Book; they dare not do as the most do, lest they go to the same place of endless misery, whither the most are hastening; they know they must be singular, otherwise they cannot be sincere; they must walk in the narrow way, and strive to enter in at the strait gate, or else they shall never be admitted into the New Jerusalem.