N00569:176
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.
Sect. 2. Arriving higher in his Age, he was very Conscientious of his Duty, both to God, and Man; and particularly careful of his Fathers Business, which now became his own Calling. At Work with his Father in the Field▪ he would frequently be propounding of Questions, by the Answers whereof he might be promoted in the knowledge of God: and at the seasons which others usually employ to vain purposes, he would be abounding in the exercises of Devotion. But of all the Imitable things to be seen in him, he was exemplary for nothing more, than his endeavours in Preparation for, and Sanctification of, the Lords-Day. Yea, his Parents have affirmed, that for a Year or two before he Died, They never heard an Unprofitable Word come out of his Mouth; but, he would often bewail the Idle, Trifling, Vain Discourses of other People.
Sect. 2. Arriving higher in his Age, he was very Conscientious of his Duty, both to God, and Man; and particularly careful of his Fathers Business, which now became his own Calling. At Work with his Father in the Field▪ he would frequently be propounding of Questions, by the Answers whereof he might be promoted in the knowledge of God: and at the seasons which others usually imploy to vain purposes, he would be abounding in the exercises of Devotion. But of all the Imitable things to be seen in him, he was exemplary for nothing more, than his endeavours in Preparation for, and Sanctification of, the Lords-Day. Yea, his Parents have affirmed, that for a Year or two before he Dy'd, They never heard an Unprofitable Word come out of his Mouth; but, he would often bewayl the Idle, Tryfling, Vain Discourses of other People.
Sect. 3. About a a Year and a half before he Dyed, the Good Spirit of God, Blessed him, with yet a more thorough Conviction of his Misery by reason of Sin both Original, and Actual: whence tho' he had been ⟨p. 105⟩such a Pattern of Innocency, yet he would aggravate his own Sinfulness, with Lamentations truly extraordinary. And for his Relief against the Terrors of God, wherewith he was now Distracted, he was brought unto an utter Despair of his own Righteousnesses and Abilities; but in this Condition, he came to Adore the Grace of God, offering a JESUS who is Able to Save unto the Uttermost: In his Longings to enjoy the Love of God, through' Jesus, He was like the Hart panting after the Water-brooks!