N00569:75
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.
and, I pray, Don't count the Darts of God, but Stubble, don't Laugh at the Shaking of His dreadful Spear. What shall I say more? David when there was a Great Work to be done for God, by his Young Son, thought it no Excuse for him to say, My Son is Young and Tender. Thus, Be any of you never so Young and Tender, yet I am to tell you, that you have a Great Work, for God, for Christ, for your own Souls, and for the Temple, incumbent on you; Oh! Be up, and be Doing, My Son, and the Lord be with thee. Don't slight the Commands of that God, at whose Voice, the Pillars of Heaven Tremble and who can with hot Thunder Bolts Revenge thy Disobedience!
and, I pray, Don't count the Darts of God, but Stubble, don't Laugh at the Shaking of His dreadful Spear. What shall I say more? David when there was a Great Work to be done for God, by his Young Son, thought it no Excuse for him to say, My Son is Young and Tender. Thus, Be any of you never so Young and Tender, yet I am to tell you, that you have a Great Work, for God, for Christ, for your own Souls, and for the Temple, incumbent on you; Oh! Be up, and be Doing, My Son, and the Lord be with thee. Don't slight the Commands of that God, at whose Voice, the Pillars of Heaven Tremble and who can with hot Thunder Bolts Reveng• thy Disobedience!
Quest. II. Can you not see that NECESSITY in Religion, which may fully and ⟨p. 43⟩fairly take off eve•y▪ Objection against it? There are I know not what, Objections, which Young People often have, against the Fear of God. But how easily answered! Sometimes 'tis objected, If we be Religious we shall be derided. But, by whom, I pray? Derided by none but a Crew of silly Fool, whose Praise, I hope, do's not Countervail with you, the Praise of God! By none but Wretches Acted so much by the Devil, that it is an Honour to be Reproached among them; I am sure, that the Apostles of Our Lo•d, once Reckoned so. As for all such as ae not in Madness, gone to the farthest Elevation; they do all Esteem you the Better, for those things, for which these Bats deie you. As the King of Israel upon the Achievements of Young David, asked, Whose Son i this Youth? So will every true Israelite, with great respect, be saying of you, What a Worthy Youth is this? And is it not better to have it said, There goes a Godly, Honest, Useful Young Man, than to have it said, There goes a Young Bully, as full of the Devil as ever he can hold? Ay, and I say this further; Let those People Scoff: but, Let him Laugh, that Wins. They Now ridicule you, for your Conscientiousness; they Mock at your Sabbaths, your Meetings, your Cautions. Well, Wretches, Mock on! But see you not, Their Day a Coming? I assure you,