B09511:24
The Bostonian Ebenezer. Some historical remarks, on the state of Boston, the chief town…
The Bostonian Ebenezer. Some historical remarks, on the state of Boston, the chief town of New England, and of English America. With some, agreeable methods, for preserving and promoting, the good state of that, as well as any other town, in the like circumstances. / Humbly offered, by a native of Boston.
Boston: printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips, 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Yea, When we ascribe the Name of Helper, unto our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Let us also acknowledge, that the Name is not sufficiently Expressive, Emphatical, and Significant. Lactantius of old, blamed the Heathen, for giving the Highest of their Gods, no Higher a Title, than that of, Jupiter, or, Juvans Pater, i. e. An Helping Father, and he says, Non intelligit Divina Beneficia, qui se a Deo tantummodo ⟨p. 16⟩Juvari putat: The Kindnesses of God, are not understood, by that man, who makes no more than an Helper of Him. Such indeed is the penury of our Language, that we cannot coin a more Expressive Name. Nevertheless, when we say, The Lord JESUS CHRIST hath been our Helper, Let us Intend more than we Express; Lord, Thou hast been All unto us.
Secondly; Let the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, most Explicitly, have the Glory of Purchasing for us all our Help. What was it, that procured, an Ebenezer, for the People of God? We read, in 2 Sam. 7.9. Samuel took a Sucking-Lamb, and offered it a Burnt Offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel Cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord Heard him. Shall I tell you? Our Lord Jesus Christ, is that Lamb of God; and he has been a Lamb Slain as a Sacrifice; and He is a Sacrifice pleadable, not only for persons, but also for peoples, that belong unto Him. To Teach us this Evangelical and Comfortable Mystery, there was, A Sacrifice for the whole Congregation, prescribed in the Mosaic Pedagogy. 'Tis notorious, that the Sins of this Town, have been many ⟨p. 17⟩Sins, and mighty Sins; The Cry thereof hath gone up to Heaven. If the Almighty God should from Heaven Rain down upon the Town, an horrible Tempest of Thunderbolts, as He did upon the Cities which He overthrew in His Anger, and repented not, it would be no more than our Unrepen•ed Sins deserve. How comes it then to pass, that we have had so much Help from Heaven after all? Truly, The Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, has been pleaded for Boston, and, Therefore, say, Therefore it is, that the Town is not made a Sacrifice to the Vengeance of God. God sent Help to the Town, that was the very Heart and Life of the Land, that He had a pity for: But why so? He said, in