N00569:168
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.
The first of these hopeful Young men, belonged unto the Town of Weymouth; and his Name was Nash. He Left behind him, in the Hands of his Young Friends, a Large Paper, of Admonitions, wherein One might perceive what Impressions had been made upon his Young Soul, by the Ministry of that Able, Faithful, Painful, and Excellent Person, who is at this Time, the Burning and Shining Light, in that Plantation. Out of that Paper, I have Transcribed the following passages.
In the first place, I do acknowledge my self to be unworthy, even to take the Name of the Great and Blessed God, into my mouth; and much more to do any Service for Him. Yet I know, it is my Duty to do what Good I can, in such an Extraordinary Time as this is. We have been going away from the Lord our God; which doth plainly appear by His ⟨p. 97⟩Dispensations towards us. Would the Great and Blessed God, have sent His Judgments down upon our Heads, thus one time after another, if we had not provoked Him by our Sins in Departing from Him.? Hag. 1.5. Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your Ways. But God hath also been calling of us to Turn, by the Voice of His Servants in the Ministry. Oh the many solemn Warnings, we have had in Time past, by the Servants of Christ, especially upon Election Days, whereby we have been called upon to Repent and Reform, and have been told wherein we should Reform! Now, notwithstanding all that God hath hath done in a way of Judgment, yea, and is yet doing, we have cause to hope, that God is saying, to New-England, as to Ephraim of Old, How shall I give Thee up? If now we compare Gods Works with his Word, we shall certainly find, that we have Something to do, and that God is calling for some extraordinary thing from us; and therefore we should every one as we are able, be putting forward, and Labouring in this Great Work of REFORMATION. Let us Look into the Word of God, and enquire there; and consider, Firstly whether ⟨p. 98⟩there be not a Breach of Covenant, between us, and Our God; and that by a great neglect of Duty, in Parents towards their Children, in their not labouring to Train them up for God. Secondly, We may Consider, Whether we have not provoked our Lord Jesus Christ exceedingly to Anger against us, by our Covetousness and Worldliness, which is Idolatry. We seem to be Laying out the greatest part, if not all our Time and Strength, in and about the Things of this Life; and so we have been Exchanging our God. Thirdly, We may also Consider, Whether we have not provoked our Lord Jesus Christ exceedingly to Anger against us, by our unworthy Carriages one towards another; by giving one another just occasions of Offence. And for Church-Members, that have given themselves up unto the Lord Jesus Christ, to Walk with Him;