N00569:170
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.
their Scandalous Lives cause a Reproach to be cast upon Christ, His Church, and the Christian Religion. Also instead of Provoking one another to Love and Good Works, we have been provoking one another to Evil, and to Sin; and instead of Loving one another, as we are Commanded, there is Hating one another, and Envyings, and Backbitings, all which are directly contrary to the Command of Christ. ⟨p. 99⟩Fourthly, We may also Consider, Whether we have not provoked the Lord to Anger, by the neglect of so great and profitable a Duty as, Secret Prayer. It is a Duty, whereby we may freely and fully pour out our Complaints to God, which we cannot so freely do before others; and it is a Duty, that Christ has Commanded us to perform, in Math. 6.6. and Eph. 6.18. but it is to be feared, that many, if not the most of Visible Church Members do neglect it, or at Least, are not Constant in it. But I wonder, (saith Mr. Increase Mather, in his Sermon) how such Men and Women can think, that they belong to God, or that they have a Real Interest in Heaven, who can find in their Hearts to Live without Secret Prayer! Yet Again, We may Consider farther, for our Humiliation, Whether or no, we may not be some Hindrance to the Work of Conversion, by our Bad Examples; for many do give Bad Examples upon several Accounts. If Children and Young Persons, do see Parents and Masters, Sleep at the Meeting, they'll think, they may do so too; and we are all generally too apt to follow Bad Examples. And, tho' our Fore-fathers had a Design to Labour the Conversion of the Heathen, yet how many be there now, who Teach them to Sin, and so are an Hindrance to the Work of Christ among them? ⟨p. 100⟩We may Consider, whether there has been any thorough Reformation, since there was a Synod-Book put forth, wherein God did no doubt declare the very Evils, whereby He was provoked. Oh! That we may therefore Set to it, in Good Earnest, that we may Pour out our Souls before God, in secret places, that He may be pleased to Pour out His Spirit, and Converting Grace, upon New-England, and upon His Churches here, and upon the Rising Generation!
their Scandalous Lives cause a Reproach to be cast upon Christ, His Church, and the Christian Religion. Also instead of Provoking one another to Love and Good Works, we have been provoking one another to Evil, and to Sin; and instead of Loving one another, as we are Commanded, there is Hating one another, and Envyings, and Backbitings, all which are directly contrary to the Command of Christ.