N00569:92
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. VIII. What if you should unhappily DIE before you are Acquainted with Religion; ⟨p. 60⟩What will then become of you, throughout Eternal Ages? We read, That the Threat of a Fiery Furnace, once made all the Country, except three or four Young men, to Renounce the God of Heaven. But I do this Day require all of our Young Folks, to Adore, to Obey, to Glorify that Great GOD, by the Denunciation of a more Terrible Fiery Furnace unto the Disobedient. It was long ago said, in Mat. 3.7. Who hath Warned you to Flee from the Wrath to come? Let our Young People now take notice, That they have the fair Warnings of such a Wrath, and Who 'tis that has given them such Warnings. Young People, you must Expect that the Wrath of God, will multiply Desolations upon you, in this World, if you Despise His Religion. It is from Him that I do this Day declare this Thing among you; if you Apostatize from the God of your Fathers, He that was your Fathers Friend, will become your Unappeasable Enemy, and with Ireful, Direful, Wasting Plagues, He will take Vengeance on you, for your Apostasy. If you persist in putting slights upon Him that would be the Lord-Redeemer of your Souls, the Angels of Death, will get leave to smite you with the Arrows of Death, till there be Left but a little Remnant of you. My Brethren, It astonishes me, that I see you no more astonished with the Fearful Judgments, wherewith a Righteous and an Angry God, is daily Consuming Our Generation; and, The ⟨p. 61⟩Fury of the Lord is poured on the Assembly of our Young men together! But as the Prophet said once unto a Great man, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast not hearkened unto my Counsel; So, if you still give a Deaf Ear unto the Counsels of Religion, I know, that God has Determined still to Employ the Besom of Destruction upon my woeful Generation; and, I know, that some of you, must Lie open to the Sweeping Strokes of that Flaming, Deadly Besom. O my God, Thou knowest the Griefs, the Fears, the Tears, wherewith I Deliver this thy Message.
Quest. VIII. What if you should unhappily DY before you are Acquainted with Religion; ⟨p. 60⟩What will then become of you, throughout Eternal Ages? We read, That the Threat of a Fiery Furnace, once made all the Country, except three or four Young men, to Renounce the God of Heaven. But I do this Day require all of our Young Folks, to Adore, to Obey, to Glorify that Great GOD, by the Denunciation of a more Terrible Fiery Furnace unto the Disobedient. It was long ago said, in