off God and the great things of eternity with may-bes. What
And thus much for the directions that young men must follow, if they
would be godly early, if they would seek and serve the Lord in the
spring and morning of their days. I shall now give some brief
answers to the young man's objections.
Objection 1. But some young men may object, and say, You would
have us to be godly early, and to seek and serve the Lord in the
primrose of our days. But it may be time enough hereafter to follow
this counsel; we are young, and it may be time enough for us to
mind these things hereafter, when we have satisfied the flesh so and
so, or when we have got enough of the world, and laid up something
which will stand us in good stead, and which may oil our joints
when we are old. Now,
To this objection I answer,
1. First, That it is the greatest folly and madness in the world to put
off God and the great things of eternity with may-bes. What
tradesman, what merchant, what mariner—so mad, so foolish, so
blockish—as to put off a present season, a present opportunity of
profit and advantage, upon the account of a may-be? It may be—I
have as good a season; it may be—I shall have as golden an
opportunity to get, and to enrich myself as this is; and therefore
farewell to this. No men who are in their right minds will argue thus;
and why then should you, especially in the things that are of an
everlasting concernment to you?