N00425:176
Addresses to old men, and young men, and little children. In three discourses ...…
Addresses to old men, and young men, and little children. In three discourses ... To which may be added, a short scriptural catechism, accommodated unto their capacities. / By Cotton Mather.
Boston: printed by R. Pierce for Nicholas Buttolph, 1690
THE YOUNG MAN'S Glory. OR, A Wreath of Graces for the Head of YOUTH. › Application.
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.
Fourthly, Overcome the devil, when he tempts you to the youthful sin of Haughtiness. We read concerning a Novice, in I Tim. 3. 6. there is danger least being lifted up with Pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. Truly, young people are but Novices; whatever good they have or do, they are but newly come to it; it will be a wonder if the devil do not look them, as he did Rehoboam into Ruin, by their Pride, unto which they are too naturally disposed by their self-ignorance and their small experience. In many Obsessions we see the devil […] lymp•nizing the Bodies, which he has […] into; he swells them most unreasonably. But O let not the devil cause ⟨p. 77⟩you to swell with any proud Apprehensions of your selves; be not proud of your own Abilities, your own Excellencies, your own performances; but let a most humble modesty accompany your whole Behaviour. The Devil will trip you into some grievous fall, when once he has got you lifted up with pride. But, there is also a more childish kind of pride, which the airy minds of young people, are too prone unto; and that is, A pride in Apparel. There is a certain flant of Gaiety and Vanity in Attire, wherein young people do too often manifest their inward inclinations to Extravagances; and sometimes they go so far as to transgress the seventh Commandment in it. We that are Protestants may blush to read what rebukes the graven sort of Roman Catholics themselves have bestowed upon such Exorbitancies. One of them has written a whole Book of Reprehensions to Naked Breasts and Shoulders; and others of them have published whole Discourses, Country less vains Ornemens de• femmes, against the vain Ornaments of the Female Sex. Young People, would you have Ornament's. The Apostle says in I Pet. 5. 5. Be Adorned with Humility; Humility it self is represented there as the most comely knot of Ribbons in the world. Let your Garments not want any Decency, but let your virtues be your chiefest Ornaments. [study I pet. 3. 3, 4, 5.] To use the Expressions of a• Ancient; I pray, ponder, whence you came; that will make you blush; ponder, what you are; that will make you sigh; ponder, where you go; tha•