It is an unutterable Grief, that some of you give unto your pious Parents; They see, that you are still poor, carnal, and thoughtless Creatures: and that perhaps a piece of gay Attire, is of more Account with you, than a Christ, or a Soul. 'Tis told them, That the Ungodly Youths in the Town do horribly poison one another. These Youths cry up an Indifferency in Religion, and say, 'Tis out of fashion for a man to be of one Religion more than another; that is, in reality ⟨p. 76⟩to say, 'Tis out of fashion to be of any Religion at all. So they insensibly draw one another on, to deride Seriousness in Religion, and the most Serious and Lively Preachers of it; Until they become Idle, profane, Sottish Debauchees, and betimes Ripe for the Fiery Indignation of God. Your Parents are Trembling, with an unknown Distress and Anguish, Lest you be Entangled in a Familiarity with these Ungodly Youths. It fills your Parents with a grievous Horror, That they cannot see the marks of a Regenerate Soul upon you; They never hear you let fall a word, that may discover in you the least care of a Never dying Soul. They cannot find out, that there are any Transactions between the Lord Jesus and you, about the Salvation of a Soul in the Hands of the Destroyer. As Austin says, of his Blessed Mother, Toties Filios parturiebat, quoties a Deo eos deviare cernebat, so it may be said perhaps of thine, She never sees thee Sinning against God, but it brings the Anguish of a New Travail upon her. It may be, you once had some Good Beginnings, in Religion,; Your Parents felt their Hearts within them Leap for Joy, ⟨p. 77⟩at those Beginnings; They Hoped, Well, This my Child was Lost, but is found, was Dead, but is alive! But seeing all your Goodness gone, like the Morning Cloud, and the Early Dew, it throws them into an Extreme Consternation. How Cheerfully would they give all they have in the world, if they might say of you, Behold, they Pray! They are every Day Extremely uneasy, least▪ you Die before you are New born, and it had been Good for you, that you never had been. Born at all. Ah, Vain Children; Give, Give some Relief to this Grief of your Parents. Fall down before the Lord, and say, Lord, Thou shalt be my Father, and the Guide of my •outh. Turn to God in Christ, and become Devout Children; Then, say they, My Heart, O my Children, shall Rejoice, even mine!
It is an unutterable Grief, that some of you give unto your pious Parents; They see, that you are still poor, carnal, and thoughtless Creatures: and that perhaps a piece of gay Attire, is of more Account with you, than a Christ, or a Soul. 'Tis told them, That the Ungodly Youths in the Town do horribly poison one another. These Youths cry up an Indifferency in Religion, and say, 'Tis out of fashion for a man to be of one Religion more than another; that is, in reality ⟨p. 76⟩to say, 'Tis out of fashion to be of any Religion at all. So they insensibly draw one another on, to deride Seriousness in Religion, and the most Serious and Lively Preachers of it; Until they become Idle, profane, Sottish Debauchees, and betimes Ripe for the Fiery Indignation of God. Your Parents are Trembling, with an unknown Distress and Anguish, Lest you be Entangled in a Familiarity with these Ungodly Youths. It fills your Parents with a grievous Horror, That they cannot see the marks of a Regenerate Soul upon you; They never hear you let fall a word, that may discover in you the least care of a Never dying Soul. They cannot find out, that there are any Transactions between the Lord Jesus and you, about the Salvation of a Soul in the Hands of the Destroyer. As Austin says, of his Blessed Mother, Toties Filios parturiebat, quoties a Deo eos deviare cernebat, so it may be said perhaps of thine, She never sees thee Sinning against God, but it brings the Anguish of a New Travail upon her. It may be, you once had some Good Beginnings, in Religion,; Your Parents felt their Hearts within them Leap for Joy, ⟨p. 77⟩at those Beginnings; They Hoped, Well, This my Child was Lost, but is found, was Dead, but is alive! But seeing all your Goodness gone, like the Morning Cloud, and the Early Dew, it throws them into an Extream Consternation. How Cheerfully would they give all they have in the world, if they might say of you, Behold, they Pray! They are every Day Extreamly uneasy, least▪ you Dy before you are New born, and it had been Good for you, that you never had been. Born at all. Ah, Vain Children; Give, Give some Relief to this Grief of your Parents. Fall down before the Lord, and say, Lord, Thou shalt be my Father, and the Guide of my •outh. Turn to God in Christ, and become Devout Children; Then, say they, My Heart, O my Children, shall Rejoyce, even mine!
