A50175:184
Winter meditations directions how to employ the leisure of the winter for the glory…
Winter meditations directions how to employ the leisure of the winter for the glory of God : accompanied with reflections as well historical as theological, not only upon the circumstances of winter, but also upon the notable works of God, both in creation and Providence ... / by Cotton Mather ; with a preface of John Higginson.
Boston: printed by Benj. Harris, 1693
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.
There have been SMITING Works of God, which ought seriously to be Remembered with us; As it is said, in […]. 3.19.20. Remembering my Affliction and my […], the wormwood and the Gall, my soul hath them still in Remembrance, and is humbled in me. Behold a fit work for the winter! Have we not sometim•• been in a winter of adversity, wherein this and that S•••m of Affliction and misery, has been hard upon us? Now in the winter, let it be part of our work, to recount every such work of God. Now bring to Remembrance all that Wormwood, and Gall; but what for? ⟨p. 47⟩Truly, to see whether you have been such Gainers by all those Chastisements as you should have been; and whether the weeds of the Corruptions in your Hearts, and of the Disorders in your Lives, have been duly Nipped by the Frost of such a Winter.
There have been SMITING VVorks of God, which ought seriously to be Remembred with us; As it is said, in 〈…〉. 3.19.20. Remembring my Affliction and my 〈…〉, the wormwood and the Gall, my soul hath them still in Remembrance, and is humbled in me. Behold a fit work for the winter! Have we not sometim•• been in a winter of adversity, wherein this and that S•••m of Affliction and misery, has been hard upon us? Now in the winter, let it be part of our work, to recount every such work of God. Now bring to Remembrance all that VVormwood, and Gall; but what for? ⟨p. 47⟩Truly, to see whether you have been such Gainers by all those Chastisements as you should have been; and whether the weeds of the Corruptions in your Hearts, and of the Disorders in your Lives, have been duely Nipt by the Frest of such a Winter.
But there have also been SMILING Works of God, which ought carefully to be Remembered with us. It was the Language of a David, in Psal 103.2. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits. To […] God, is not the least of the Duties, which the Ever blessed God requires of man: and all true Davids or men Beloved by God, evermore Love to be Blessing of God. If this is to be done, At all times, as the Psalmist elsewhere speaks, I am sure it may eminently be done in Winter-times. But God is not Really Blessed or Served, if not Heartily; and in our Blessing of God, the thing is Done to Halves, if the whole Soul, or all the Powers of the Soul, be not engaged in it. Indeed such is our Backwardness, to the Blessing of God, that we had need earnestly to stir, and spur, and rouse ourselves unto the Doing of it. Let us then stir up ourselves, till we have got ourselves into an heat, at this work, in our Winter, and know that a Commemoration of Gods Benefits to us, is to be one Main Ingredient of Our Thanksgivings to Him.