B09511:51
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.
Again; What Changes have we seen, in point of Mortality? By Mortality, almost all the Old Race of our First Planters here, are carried off; the Old Stock, is in a manner Expired. We see the Fulfilment of that word, in Eccl. 1.4. One Generation passeth away, and another Generation cometh. It would be no unprofitable Thing for you, to pass over the several Streets, & call to mind, Who Lived here so many years ago? Why? In that place lived such an one; and in that place lived such an one. But, Where are they Now? Oh! They are Gone, They are Gone into that Eternal World, whither We must quickly follow them. Here is another Petition, to be made unto our God; Lord, Help us to Number our Days, and apply our Hearts unto Wisdom, that when the places that now know us, do know us no more, we may be gone into the City of God.
Again; What Changes have we seen, in point of Mortality? By Mortality, almost all the Old Race of our First Planters here, are carryed off; the Old Stock, is in a manner Expired. We see the Fulfilment of that word, in Eccl. 1.4. One Generation passeth away, and another Generation cometh. It would be no unprofitable Thing for you, to pass over the several Streets, & call to mind, Who Lived here so many years ago? Why? In that place lived such an one; and in that place lived such an one. But, Where are they Now? Oh! They are Gone, They are Gone into that Eternal World, whither We must quickly follow them. Here is another Petition, to be made unto our God; Lord, Help us to Number our Dayes, and apply our Hearts unto Wisdom, that when the places that now know us, do know us no more, we may be gone into the City of God.
Furthermore; What Changes have we ⟨p. 41⟩seen, in point of Possessions? If some that are now Rich, were once Low in the World, 'tis possible, more that were once Rich, are now brought very Low. Ah! Boston, Thou hast seen the Vanity of all Worldly Possessions. One fatal Morning, which laid Fourscore of thy Dwelling Houses, and Seventy of thy Ware houses, in a Ruinous Heap, not Nineteen years ago, gave thee to Read it in Fiery Characters. And an huge Fleet of thy Vessels, which they would make, if they were all together, that have miscarried in the late War, ha's given thee to Read more of it. Here is one Petition more, to be made unto our God; Lord, Help us to Ensure a Better and a lasting Substance in Heaven, and the Good part that cannot be taken away.