N00569:73
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.
Briefly, There is a Debt of Obedience, which You, Young Folks, Owe to the Almighty God. Well, suppose No Day had been Expressed in the Bill for this Debt. Why, Then Present ⟨p. 39⟩Payment is to be Demanded. And now, as an Officer, of the Great God, this Day I make this Demand. Souls, You Owe to the Glorious God, all the Glory that by Loving Him, Seeking Him, Serving Him, and Giving your whole Selves unto Him, you can render Him. Don't put me to prove the Debt; You dare not but Own it all. I say then, Pay it out of hand, Pay it without any more ado; Let your God Now, presently have those Good Things which he Requires of you. But now I do again Think of it, There is a Day Expressed, for your Obedience unto God; and I am to tell you, my Young Folks, that it is, THIS VERY DAY. As David said Long ago, To Day, O that you would hear the Voice of God! And Paul said again Long after him, To Day, O that you would hear the Voice of God! Thus, In Every Age, The same Thing still is to be said; and it is to be said also To every Age; What is to be done in Obedience unto the Voice of God, must be done, TO DAY. And therefore you have so many a, NOW, in the Commandments of God. His Voice is, in Jer. 25.23. Turn ye •OW every one from his Evil Way. His Voice is in Josh. 24.14. NOW Fear the Lord, and and Serve Him in Sincerity 'Tis His Voice, in 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold, NOW it the Accepted Time; Behold, NOW is the Day ⟨p. 40⟩of Salvation. Agreeably whereunto, is the Speech of the Jewish Rabbins, Gnabar Zeman, Gnabar Corb•n; the offering is past, if the season be past, Well, But who is to Regard this NOW? Are they none but Old People, that should NOW be concerned about the Welfare of their Souls? Nay, Let Young People Hear; 'Tis Expressed, in Eccl. 12.1. Remember NOW thy Cre•t•r in the Days of thy Youth. And agreeable hereunto, are those Calls in