N00569:76
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.
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 a•e not in Madness, gone to the farthest Elevation; they do all Esteem you the Better, for those things, for which these Bats de•i•e 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, ⟨p. 44⟩The Day is just at Hand, when these Mockers will be Trembling under the Last Arrest of Death upon them; and, Then! When they see GOD Frowning on them, Hell Gaping for them, and a Legion of Devils just going to Drag them away into their Eternal Prison; How Then! Why, Then, will these Woeful Creatures Gnash their Dying Teeth, with Changing Wishes, Ō that I had Lived like those Young People, which I once Fl•uted at! Ō that I had been one among those Young People, which I spent my scoffs upon! Ō if I might now go back from the Pit, I would make those Young Men see that I Honour them, and that I Despise, all that are not like to those. This as to That.