N00569:82
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. V. Suppose the God of Heaven, should Put YOU off, as you put off the Religion of that God; I beseech you, How would you like it? You are not only Impatient, if a Servant of your own stay long upon an Errand; With how much discontent say you upon it, How Long this Lazy Creature Loiters! Whereas the Infinite God sent you into this World, upon that Errand of, Bearing some Testimonies for His Truths and Ways; and you have been Loitering, even for some whole Prentice ships of Years! Methinks, I Over-hear the Resentments of my God upon it; I […] this Person upon an Errand for my Service, more than Ten Years ago; and the Vain Youth has never done yet so much as one stroke of that Errand! Say, Young man; Is this Convenient? But ⟨p. 52⟩we'll Turn our Discourse another way. I say then; What if the Great God Himself, should not presently Accommodate You, when you Cry unto Him for His Mercies? In what […] Importunate Hast are you; Like that in Psal. 70.1. Make Hast, O God, to deliver me; Make Hast to help me, O Lord! Or, Like that in Dan. 9.19. O Lord, Hear, O Lord, Forgive, O Lord, Hearken and Do, and Defer not! Or, Like that in Psal. 143.7. Hear me speedily, O Lord, my Spirit faileth! Well, and what if the Blessed One should now give no Answer but this, Be Patient, Sinner; Be Patient; It may be Twenty or Thirty Years hence, I'll consider, whether any thing should be done for thee? How Discomposed would you be upon such a Denial? With what Raging Souls would you Expostulate, as in Psal. 13.1. How Long wilt thou forget me? O Lord, for ever? How Long wilt thou Hide thy Face from me? Yea, 'Tis well if you don't become so Froward, as to say with him, Why should I wait for the Lord any Longer? Unreasonable Youth; Why then must the Most High, be continually Calling in thine Ears, Make Hast, Young man, make Hast to S•rve me; Defer it not, but speedily do it; and your Answer be, that you will do it, you scarce know, When, your selves? What if you should hereby provoke Him to say, I will not wait for that Young Sinner any Longer? I cannot but own, Lord! ⟨p. 53⟩