N00597:35
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.
Propos. IV. The Day of Judgment will be a Sad Day to those Young Men that shall Live and Die in their Sins. It will be to every man either the most Joyful or the most Doleful day. To the Righteous it will be the most happy day that ever was, but unto them that have walked in the way of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes, a bitter and a miserable day. A day of wrath: A day of Perdition. That it will be a sad day unto all (be they Young or Old) that shall be found in their sins and out of Christ, appears from several things.
Propos. IV. The Day of Judgment will be a Sad Day to those Young Men that shall Live and Dy in their Sins. It will be to every man either the most Joyfull or the most Dolefull day. To the Righteous it will be the most happy day that ever was, but unto them that have walked in the way of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes, a bitter and a miserable day. A day of wrath: A day of Perdition. That it will be a sad day unto all (be they Young or Old) that shall be found in their sins and out of Christ, appears from several things.
1. In that they have not improved their Talents committed unto them as they might and ought to have done. There is no man but some Talent or other is committed to him, which he ought to make a good use of. ⟨p. 35⟩He who is the Lord of us all, ha's given to Every man his Work, Mar. 13. 34. One man ha's this Work, and another man ha's that Work, in the doing of which he must improve his Talent. Young men are favoured with several peculiar Talents: Time is a precious Talent: Health, and Strength, and those Vigorous Affections which are commonly in Young men, are great Talents which they must be accountable for. A day of Reckoning will come. It is said in the Parable concerning the Talents, After a Long Time the Lord of those Servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. Math. 25. 19. It is now a long time since our Lord ascended into Heaven, but He will come quickly to Judge the Earth, and then will reckon with His Servants: He will know of them how they have lived, and what they done in the World. A Servant that ha's been set to work, but spends his time in Idleness all the day, will have a miserable account to give unto his Master when night cometh. A Servant that ha's been trusted with Money or Goods to improve for his Masters use, if he shall Embezzle or misspend them can expect nothing but severity. Thus when God shall say to a Young man at the day of Judgment, I gave thee space to repent in, I suffered