N00569:66
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.
THIS is that RELIGION, which we have Recommended unto the Rising Generation; and now we must bring this matter to some issue, before we part. Say, my Young People, will you now Comply, or will you still Delay?
If you would now COMPLY, and with Conquered Souls Reply, The Lord shall be my ⟨p. 34⟩Father, and the Guide of my Youth; my Saviour, and the Love, the Hope, the Joy of my Soul! Then we would leave Preaching to you; we would fall to Praising of God for you. Yea, there is a very Charming thing that I am now to utter; I am now demanding the Consent of your Souls, unto the Blessed Proposals of RELIGION; and the Angels of God, with the God of Angels, are this Afternoon observing whether you give an Hearty Consent unto those Proposals. If you do it, the Glad Report of the Change now wrought upon you, will immediately be Spread through the Heavenly Regions, and the Celestial CITY of GOD, will be All Joyfully Moved at the Report. All HEAVEN will quickly Ring with it, That such a Young Person is received into the Favo•r of the Eternal King, and into an Union with the Lord of Glory! And all the Three Persons of the Undivided and Adorable TRINITY, With the Myriads of Bright Spirits, that are about his Throne, will Rejoice over the Poor Youth, which was Lost, but is Found, which was Dead, but is Alive. Hard-Hearted Youth, how canst thou Resist a Charm so very powerful! Do not envy unto Heaven, the Satisfaction of seeing the Youngest Creature here made an Happy Creature! Do not hinder the Lord of Heaven from laying of thee, in that Bosom, where ⟨p. 35⟩there once lay the Youngest of his Disciples! If when Jesus beheld a Civil, Moral, Well Disposed Young Man, He loved him, what will He do, think you, when he beholds, a Truly Religious Young man? O be persuaded now to make Joy in Heaven this Afternoon, lest God Almighty Smite thee with Never-ending Sorrow in Hell another Day, for thy being such a Child of Unpersuadableness!
If you would now COMPLY, and with Conquered Souls Reply, The Lord shall be my