PREFACE THIS Abridgement of "Persuasives to The original work is published by The fallen and ruined state of man... Some of the sins of youth enumerated. 44 Cautions against some delusive supports VII. Divine love a reason for early piety... 99 VIII. Early piety peculiarly acceptable to God, and peculiarly honoured by him. 114 IX. The advantages of early religion. 124 X. The pleasantness of early piety. 153 XI. The happy conclusion of a religious life, a motive for early piety. XII. No real good possessed by those who are destitute of religion: their ingrati- tude to God, and cruelty to themselves 181 XIII. The vanity of youth, and the uncer- tainty of life, reasons for the imme- diate choice of early piety... XIV. The sorrows and dangers that attend the way of transgressors noticed, as a reason for the choice of early religion. 198 XV. The terrors and fearful consequences of death and judgment, to the uncon- verted, a reason for early piety.... PERSUASIVES ΤΟ EARLY PIETY. CHAPTER I. Introductory Address to the Young Reader. My dear young friend, if a person could rise from the dead to speak to you, how attentively would you listen to his discourse, and how much would you be affected by it.. Yet a messenger from the dead could not tell you more important things, than those to which I now beseech you to attend. I come to ask you to give your heart to GOD; I come to invite you to follow the divine REDEEMER now ; I come to entreat you to walk in the pleasant path of early piety. O that I could, with all the fervour of a dying man, beseech you to attend to your only great concerns!-It is not to a trifle that I call your attention, but to your life, your all, your eternal all, your God, your Saviour, your heaven, your every thing, that is worth a thought or wish |