N00569:85
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.
I say then, Are you sure, that you shall ever see either Old Age, or Sickness! If not, Be not so Mad, as to Venture your Everlasting Interests, upon such desperate Peradventures. ⟨p. 56⟩Young Man, What if thy Life should be out, before this Year be out? Why, as the Prophet of Old said unto One, thus 'tis probable, that there are some now in this Congregation, Whereof it may without an extraordinary Prophecy be said, This Year thou shalt dye. And What? will not the suspicion of such a Thing make thee this Year, Give All diligence to make thy Vocation and Election sure? Yea, 'twas a necessary Advice of a Rabbi to a Scholar, You must be sure to Repent, at Least one Day before you Dy. And I am to tell You, that your Death will be very lamentably Circumstanced, if at It you cannot say, 'Tis at least a Day since I made my Peace with God. But I am to tell you one thing more; Namely; That you cannot Be sure of this most Necessary thing, except you do it this very Day. For, Boast not of to Morrow; thou knowest not what a Day may bring forth!
I say then, Are you sure, that you shall ever see either Old Age, or Sickness! If not, Be not so Mad, as to Venture your Everlasting Interests, upon such desperate Peradventures. ⟨p. 56⟩Young Man, What if thy Life should be out, before this Year be out? Why, as the Prophet of Old said unto One, thus 'tis probable, that there are some now in this Congregation, Whereof it may without an extraordinary Prophecy be said, This Year thou shalt dye. And What? will not the suspicion of such a Thing make thee this Year, Give All diligence to make thy Vocation and Election sure? Yea, 'twas a necessary Advice of a Rabbi to a Scholar, You must be sure to Repent, at Least one Day before you Dy. And I am to tell You, that your Death will be very lamentably Ci•cumstanced, if at It you cannot say, 'Tis at least a Day since I made my Peace with God. But I am to tell you one thing more; Namely; That you cannot Be sure of this most Necessary thing, except you do it this very Day. For, Boast not of to Morrow; thou knowest not what a Day may bring forth!