A70554:89
Early piety, exemplified in the life and death of Mr. Nathanael Mather, who ...…
Early piety, exemplified in the life and death of Mr. Nathanael Mather, who ... changed earth for heaven, Oct. 17. 1688 whereto are added some discourses on the true nature, the great reward, and the best season of such a walk with God as he left a pattern of.
London: printed by J. Astwood for John Dunton, 1689
THE LIFE and DEATH OF Mr. NATHANAEL MATHER. › Part 2: II. His PIETY.
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.
Thus under the Fig-tree did our Lor• Jesus often behold this Nathanael; yea unto Prayer he became so habituated, th•• while others can Sleep in Prayer, he some times would pray in sleep. He records […] among his Experiences, that upon assault of imagined Temptations, when he has bee• asleep, he has quickly been at Prayer; an• so caused the Phantasms to leave annoy• ing of him.
Thus under the Fig-tree did our Lor• Jesus often behold this Nathanael; yea unto Prayer he became so habituated, th•• while others can Sleep in Prayer, he some times would pray in sleep. He records 〈…〉 among his Experiences, that upon assault of imagined Temptations, when he has bee• asleep, he has quickly been at Prayer; an• so caused the Phantasms to leave annoy• ing of him.
And Extraordinary prayer was also wit• him not altogether extraordinary. Th•• he were a Bottle that seemed incapable of holding it, yet this Wine agreed wit• him very well. As Young as he was, […] knew the Mystery of a Soul fattening […] ⟨p. 31⟩fasting, and thriving by hungering and thirsting after Righteousness. He was very inquisitive after the right way to manage a Day of Fasting and Prayer, and he would sometimes keep such a day. On such a day it was his Custom to make a very particular and penitent Confession of all the Sins that he could perceive himself guilty of; and renew his Covenant with the Holy One of Israel; to this End, he had by him in writing a large Catalogue of things forbidden and required in the Commandments of God, which was the Glass in which he then viewed his ways; and having found what Achans might procure trouble to him, he then fell to stoning of them. One may shape some conjecture at his Humiliations, by the Indignations with which he spoke, and wrote of the Vanities which his Childhood had. I came into the World (saith he in one of the Papers penned by him on a day of secret Fasting and Prayer, October the 17th 1685.)without the Image of the Holy God on my Soul; my Understanding, my Will, my Affections, and my whole Soul were altogether depraved, and wounded. When very Young I went astray