N00569:93
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.
But this is not all the Message; I am to tell you, That if you thus Dye in your Estrangement from Religion, there is a more Dreadful Wrath still to come upon you in another World; and such a Wrath to Come, that after 'tis already Come, there will be still more to Come, and more to Come, throughout Everlasting Ages. Your Tortures, by the Fire of Gods Displeasure, Flashing like Hot and Fierce Lightning into your Souls, and by the Worm of your own Conscience, like a Snake perpetually Stinging of you with Reflections upon your Old Miscarriages; These Tortures will not only be Intolerable, but Interminable. When you then feel yourselves passing into those Tortures, with what an Horrible Consternation, will you Roar out your Vain ⟨p. 62⟩Shrieks for a Rescue, o• at Least, a Respite, from the Place of Torment! Oh! When you indeed find your selves Drawing Nigh to that Hideous Place, Then, as Job Speaks, […] would Fain Flee out of the Hands of God! and, Then, with what inexpressible Fevers in you Souls, will you beg, Like the Foolish Virgins, Lord, Lord! Open the Door of thy Kingdom unto me, and Let me not go down into the Horrible Pit! Or, Lord, Lord! spare me▪ that I may have a little more space to look after my soul, before I go hence, and be no more! But [as it has been truly said, Justum est ut a Deo Contemnatur Mor•en•, qui Deum Omnipotentem Contempsit vivens:] the Blessed God will Then in the Day of His Vengeance, be as Regardless of your Cries, as you have been of His Calls Now, in this Day of His Patience. Young man, Read the Last Verses in the First Chapter of the Proverbs, and be Awakened! Know it, That your Perdition will then be unavoidable; and God will Accomplish upon you, that Word of His, i• Jer. 11.14. I will not Hear them in the Time that they Cry unto me. And what an Horrid Welcome, Young People, what a Welcome do you think, you shall then have of those Cruel Devils, to gratify whom, you have scorned the Religion of God? We have lately Seen, befalling a great many Young People ⟨p. 63⟩in this Land, one of the most Prodigious Things, that ever happened in the World! The Devils have actually Seized those Young People, and cruelly Scalded them, so that We, the Standers-by, could see Blisters, and Smell Brimstone, when yet our Eyes could not perceive the Instruments of those Cruelties.