N00597:23
Solemn advice to young men, not to walk in the ways of their heart,…Solemn advice to young men, not to walk in the wayes of their heart,…
Solemn advice to young men, not to walk in the ways of their heart, and in the sight of their eyes; but to remember the Day of Judgment. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, & preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]Solemn advice to young men, not to walk in the wayes of their heart, and in the sight of their eyes; but to remember the Day of Judgment. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, & preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Bartholomew Green. Sold by Samuel Phillips, 1695
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 Enquiry here may be, What are those Ways of their own Heart which Unregenerate Young Men use to Walk in?
Ans. 1. The way of Pride is the way of a mans own heart. Man is naturally ever since Adam sinned a proud Creature. The Devil who is made up of Pride, infused that poison into Adams heart. When once ⟨p. 19⟩the Serpent of hell had bitten him, his heart was swollen with Pride: and Adam did propagate that poison to his children: he was in the day that God Created him in the likeness of God; but when once he had sinned he did not beget a son in the likeness of God, but in his own likeness and after his Image, that is to say, he begat a Son with a proud heart like his Father. Gen. 5. 3. Nor is there any Unregenerate man, but he is under the dominion of that sin of Pride. It may be other sins may have dominion over him. Men are serving divers lusts: but whatever lust besides there may be, Pride reigns in the Unregenerate Soul. Hence such persons are in the Scripture called the Proud, Mal. 4. •. There is no sin more natural then that of Pride: We see it in children who discover that Corruption to be in them before they can speak. And this is the sin which useth to reign in Young men: if they are descended of better parents then others, they are proud of their birth and parentage: if they have good natural parts, wit and memory; or acquired parts above others, they are on these accounts lifted up with pride. The Apostle faith that knowledge puffeth up, 1 Cor. 8. 1. Where there is not Grace to keep the heart humble it does ⟨p. 20⟩so. And vain Young men do often times conceit their knowledge to be much greater then it is, not being sensible of that Abyss of Ignorance which •s in their dark minds. It is from Pride that Young men do not show that respect to their Superiors, or unto Aged ones, which God Commandeth them to do. The child will behave himself Proudly against the Ancient, Isa 3. 5. Such especially whose parts and abilities are through age decayed: Proud Youth despiseth them. And hence it is that Young men regard not the Counsels and Instructions which are administered to them