N00569:90
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. VII. You Procrastinate in Religion; but what is the LANGUAGE of that Procrastination? Many of my Young People say, That they will not yet Cleanse their Ways; But what is the English of this? For the Interpretation of Deeds is much easier and surer, than that of Words. The plain English of it then is; That you will still remain an Enemy of God, and a Child of the Devil! This, O Inconsiderate Youth! Even This, is the Foaming Language of thy Delays to be Religious. You say, That you will still Go on, to Rob God of a Servant, Christ of a Subject, the Holy Spirit of a Temple, and all Mankind of an Honest Neighbour. For your Procrastinations in the Business of Religion, your Plea is, Non vacat, or, I have no Leisure for it; but the Truth is, Non placet, or, I take no Pleasure in it. It is noted, That the Building of the City of God, went on apace; because as in Neh. 4.6. The People had a Mind unto the work. But it is no Uncharitable Censure upon You, Young People, who have never done any thing yet for the Growth or the Peace of that City, That you have no mind unto the Work. You say, To Morrow, You'll Consider your Ways; but your meaning is, To Morrow come never; God Almighty takes it so. Indeed, you say, That God will never be Glorious, That Christ will never be Precious, That Sin ⟨p. 59⟩will never be Dangerous, That Satan will never be Bloody, That Hell will never be a Place of Torment, and, That Heaven will never be the Pleasant Land. For Mark it; If these Objects are not so just Now, they will Never be so; They'll Never be any other than what they are Just Now. And you say, They are not thus J•st Now; for else, you would by Religion acknowledge their being Thus. Behold, Young man, Behold the Blasphemies, in the Bowels of thy prolonged Unbelief! Yea, Tho', I hope, thy very Soul within thee is moved with a Just Horror, at those Greater Devils Incarnate, who Dare the Almighty to Damn them, which is an Impudence beyond what the other Spiritual Devils have ever yet arrived unto; Yet I here Indict Thee, for using of that very Language, in thy Sinful Procrastinations to Leave off thy Sins. What says the Psalmist, in Psal. 68.21. God shall Wound the Head of his Enemies, and the Hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses? Wherefore, when Thou Goest on still in thy Trespasses, thou dost in Effect say, Let God Almighty Wound me if He please;