N00569:58
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.
II. A GOOD WORD, is the near thing that our Young People must have Recommended unto them. See to it, Young People, that you Study the Word of God; and, Search the Scriptures, like busy Miners, pursuing the inestimable Treasures in them. Let none of us despise or neglect our Larger Bible, when David that had but a little Moiety of the Bible, cried out, O 'tis more desirable than much fine Gold, and sweeter than the Honey comb. Give a due entertainment unto this invaluable Word of God. But how? I say, Entertain the Word of God Awfully. So did they in 1 Thess. 2.13. Ye received it, not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, Realize the voice of the Omnipotent God, in every line of this Word. Suppose that the Great God should with Rapid Peals of Thunder in the Sky over your Heads, articulately say, Young man, I have given thee thy Life, now give me thy Heart, and seek thou my face, that thy Soul may Live ▪ Would it nothing affect you? Why ⟨p. 25⟩you may truly suppose, That the terrible Voice of God, as distinctly thus calls upon you in the Thunder Claps of his Word. Suppose it, and say, Lord, my heart stands in Awe of this Word! Again, Entertain the Word of God Frequently. This was enjoined, in Deut 6.7. Thou shalt talk thereof, when thou sittest in thine House, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. This Word falls like the Manna about you every day; and you should every day gather a Portion of this Manna. Ordinarily count the Day lost, or that you have had▪ but a Dark and a Black day of it, wherein you have not had something of this Word laid before you; let this Word be the Young mans, as 'tis the Good mans, assiduous Meditation! Once more, Entertain the Word of GOD Profitably. Let the Word be mixed with such things in you, as m•y conduce to your profiting by this Word: and especially, let unceasing Prayer, accompany it. What said the Psalmist? in Psal. 27.8. When thou saidst, seek ye my Face, my heart answered, thy Face, Lord, I will seek. Even so, when God speaks to us, let us then seek to him. I have known a very Young person, who in hearing a Sermon sometimes, has not permitted one Text, or one Head, in all the Sermon pass him, without a pertinent Ejaculation thereupon. Thus, When