N00569:65
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.
Thirdly, TAKE HEED, Lest your Delaying prove your Damnation. There is nothing more frequently or more dreadfully Threatens the Destruction of Young People, than their Delay of their Duty. They will not positively say, We will n•t hearken to the Word of God, but they say, We will hereafter Hearken: Like unhappy […] in Act. 24.25. they […] of, A more convenient Season. •ut When? I beseech you, Vain Youths, when will that More Convenient Season, come? O do not say like them of old, in Hag. 1.2. The TIME is not yet Come. Take Heed, Lest by a by a Dream of, Hereafter, you utterly Lose the opportunity of making your Peace with God, and throw your selves beyond the reach of Mercy. Let This awaken you, That if you are not now in your Youth brought home unto God, it is probable that you never will be so at all: for the most of Them that are brought Home unto God, are so before their Youth is altogether out. But let me more particularly Admonish you, That you will Forfeit your Whole Opportunity, of Getting into the Lord Jesus Christ, if you Neglect the taking of your Present Opportunity after plain Warnings that have advised you to take it; if after you have been most fairly and fully Forewarned of the Danger in Delays, you will still Delay to Turn unto God, upon a presumption of your having ⟨p. 33⟩Time and Strength to Turn at your own Dispose, 'tis to be Looked for, that the Righteous God will in His Wrath Swear against you, That you shall never Know the Things of your Peace; that you shall never be Purged from your Filthiness; that you shall never Enter into His Rest You have been told, Youth is Vanity; and its passing so soon, so fast away▪ is one thing that makes it Vanity. But, O Take Heed, Lest by Sweeling away your Youth in the Vanities of this World▪ you so offend the Spirit of Grace, that He Leave you in a Graceless Condition all your Days. If you Grieve that Spirit, you do but throw your selves into Interminable Griefs; If you Vex that Spirit, you do but procure▪ Everlasting Vexations for your selves; If you Quench that Spirit, you will but throw your selves into the Fire, that never shall be Quenched. All this you do, by Delaying to do what is incumbent on you, in order to the Good Settlement of your Eternal Concerns. Wherefore, Take Heed of this Folly; and be able to say, Lord, I made Hast, and I did not Delay to keep thy Commandments!