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 ...

Some Counsils let me leave with you.

1. Do nothing which you are unwilling that ever the World should know that you have done that thing. For it is certain that at the day of Judgment all will be known? Even Every Work whether it be good, or whether it be evil. All the passages of your lives where∣ver you have been, will be called over. They are all Written down in a Book. Rev. 20.12. The Jews have an apprehension that the An∣gels write down all the Works of men, and will produce them at the day of Judgment: To be sure, God Writes them down, and Conscience will remember them, and the World will hear of them. This is a Good Rule for every man to remember; If I•• would not have it known that such a thing ha's been done by me, then never let me do it. If Young men would remember this, it would keep them from committing many a sin. Remember therefore the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ, who ha's said.

There is nothing Covered that shall not be Re∣vealed, neither hid that shall not be known. Luk. 12.2.

2. Beware of those sins in a special manner which do often times prove the Ruin of Young Men. To Instance, Breaches of the Seventh Commandment are evils which Young men are often found guilty of, and by indulging themselves therein they provoke God in a way of Judicial dispensation to give them up unto that and unto other lusts of their own heart also. The Lord in his sorest Wrath saith, He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. Again, those sins of Drinking and Company keeping prove fatal to the Souls of many Young Persons. A Father once hearing that a Son of his was become a Drunkard, gave him up for lost and gone. I shall never forget with what anguish a Young man that dyed in this place above Twenty years ago, on his dead bed laid the ruin of his Soul to his vain drinking Companions. Beware of that sin of Idleness, or mispence of precious Time: there are many Young men who have much to answer for in this respect. They have not been deligent in their Call∣•…•…ngs. They have enticed one another to go •…•…o the Ale house, or to the Coffee-house or •…•…o the Tavern; when they have no call to

be there; and there do they spend a World of precious time in Drinking, or in unprofi∣table Discourse, or it may be in Gaming; for which they will have a fearfull account to give to God at the hour of Death, and at the Judgment to come. An old dying man once said to some Young Persons, O Children prize your Time, I would give a thousand Worlds that I had not lost the Time of my Youth.

3. Let the Counsils of Godly Parents be of great Weight with you. Hear the Instructi∣on of thy Father, and forsake not the Law of thy Mother Prov. 1.8. To disobey and disregard the Admonitions of a Father is one of the blackest marks of Reprobation that can be. Witness the Sons of Eli, of whom it is said, They hearkned not to the Voice of their Father, because the Lord would slay them, 1. San 〈◊〉〈◊〉 2.25. If thou art such a Child as will no hearken to the voice of thy Father, tho•…•… mayest fear that the Lord ha••s determine•…•… thy destruction. The very Heathen have〈…〉〈…〉 Reverence for the Counsils (especially the dying Counsils) of their Parents. And ha•…•… thou who art born of Christian Parents le•…•… Religion in thee than they? Oh Tremi•…•… to become guilty of the Fifth Command∣ment, lest thy light be put out in obscur•…•…

darkness 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Blessings are wont to at∣tend duti••••ll, and signal Curs;es follow dis∣obedient Children. Honour thy Father 〈…〉〈…〉 and thy Mother which is the first Com∣mandment with Promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest be long on the earth. Did you ever know any dy on the Gallows, but they professed that their ruin began with disobedience to their Pa∣rents? And no doubt (as one speaks) Hell rings with the same Complaints.

4. Remember DEATH, and the Day of JUDGMENT. Think seriously and often of your dying. You have heard, and daily experience of it before your eyes, may con∣vince you that Young Persons may dy•• as well as others. Serious thoughts about it, would put you upon Prayer and Prepara∣tions for it. A man whose constant practice was to Pray Six times every day, gave this ••••son for his doing so, I Remember I must D••••. I have else where spoken of a gracious Praying Child, whom the thoughts of Death caused to be much in Prayer: and when some said to him, you are a Child and may live many years, what should you think of Death for; he replyed, I was in the Burying place, and there I saw a Grave that was shorter

than I am. You Young ones may dy, and therefore you are concerning to Repent and Pray, and make sure of an Interest in Christ. And think sadly with thy self, If I should dy this night, what would become of my SOUL? In what place would my Immor∣tal Soul be lodged for ever? And remem∣ber The Great Day of JUDGMENT. Live now as you will wish you had lived, when That Day cometh. Think with thy self, If Jesus Christ the Son of God should now rend the Heavens and come down to Judge the Earth; What would He say to me? What Sentence would He pronounce upon me? Would He say to me, Come thou Blessed, or would He not say, Go thou Cursed? Remember these things now, so may you hope to find Mercy in that Day.