N00569:158
Early religion. Urged in a sermon. the duties, wherein, and the reasons wherefore, young…
Early religion. Urged in a sermon. the duties, wherein, and the reasons wherefore, young people should become religious. Whereto are added, the extracts of several papers, written by several persons, who are dying in their youth, left behind them those admonitions for the young survivors; with brief memoirs relating to the exemplary lives of some such, that have gone from hence to their everlasting rest. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines of Scripture text]Early religion. Urged in a sermon. the duties, wherein, and the reasons wherefore, young people should become religious. Whereto are added, the extracts of several papers, written by several persons, who are dying in their youth, left behind them those admonitions for the young survivers; with brief memoirs relating to the exemplary lives of some such, that have gone from hence to their everlasting rest. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines of Scripture text]
Boston: printed by B.H. i.e for Michael Perry, 1694
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.
IT is not a Year ago, that there Died, a Serious, Virtuous, Hopeful Young man, among us; whose Name was, NATHANAEL SHOVE. He was the Son of a Worthy Minister, whom, the Town of Taunton, Long Enjoyed, as their Watchful Pastor. But being Arrested by a Languishing and Consuming Sickness, he did with his Dying Hand, Write about Threescore Texts of Scripture, which God had made more singularly useful unto him; whereto he added this Account of his Experiences.
IT is not a Year ago, that there Dy'd, a Serious, Vertuous, Hopeful Young man, among us; whose Name was, NATHANAEL SHOVE. He was the Son of a Worthy Minister, whom, the Town of Taunton, Long Enjoy'd, as their Watchful Pastor. But being Arrested by a Languishing and Consuming Sickness, he did with his Dying Hand, Write about Threescore Texts of Scripture, which God had made more singularly useful unto him; whereto he added this Account of his Experiences.
February 3. 1691, 2. Having for a Long Time, been Lame, and much Afflicted in Body and Spirit, I am by Meditation brought to Look back, and see Gods former and present Dealings with me; and my own Behaviour under them; which, if I know my own Heart, I set down for my own Warning, and the promotion of Repentance in me; and, An Example to OTHERS, who may view it after ⟨p. 86⟩me, that they by me, may warn themselves not to fall from their First Love. Happy are the Children of the Servants of God; who meet with a Blessing from every Good Man they meet! For my Fathers Sake, I have had many a Blessing; and many Instructions and Directions, from men of Great Worth. But that which most especially took place with me, was the Counsel of Mr. — Who asking my Age, I told him, It was Twelve Years; and he thereupon said, The Example of Josiah, would intimate, that it was High Time, and that God Expected it at Least Four Years ago, that I should set my self to Pray unto Him, and Engage my self, by the Vows of my Soul to Seek and Serve Him. He brought many Examples to quicken me, and Scriptures to Encourage me, and Laid the matter before me in a solemn manner. I now began to consider with my self what a miserable Wretch I was, who had never Prayed but Three or Four Times in my Life: and now I did not know how to go about it. But being also every Sabbath Day at Night, after Repetition, pressed unto the same Duty by my Cousin Avery, with whom I dwelt: for it was his Custom, at those times, to warn all his Family, with Renewed Arguments, unto their Duties, pleading that if we hearkened not, his