N00162:116
An earnest exhortation to the inhabitants of New-England, to hearken to the voice of…
An earnest exhortation to the inhabitants of New-England, to hearken to the voice of God in his late and present dispensations as ever they desire to escape another judgement, seven times greater that any thing which as yet hath been. / By Increase Mather; teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1676
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.
Connecticut is deprived of their Worthy and public-spirited Governor Winthrop. This Colony of Massachusetts hath been bereaved of two ( viz. Major Willard, and Mr. Russel) who for many years had approved themselves faithful in the Magistracy. And the death of few such is as much as if thousands had fallen: yet many other righteous and useful ones are gone, leaving us behind in the storm. And amongst the common people, not a few have been carried to their Graves in these two last months. We have heard of no less then eight in one small Plantation, buried in one week, wherein also twenty persons died this spring. And in another little Town nineteen persons have died within a few weeks. We in Boston have seen (a sad and solemn spectacle) Coffins meeting one another, and three or four put into their Graves in one day. In the month of May about fifty persons are deceased in this Town. By which things, God from Heaven speaks to us and would give us to understand, that if the Sword will not reform us, be hath other Judgements in store, whereby he can suddenly and easily bring us down. The Lord help us to apply our hearts unto Wisdom, and make us thankful, in that he hath been entreated graciously and wonderfully to restore Health unto us again.
Connecticut is deprived of their Worthy and publick-spirited Governour Winthrop. This Colony of Mattachusets hath been bereaved of two ( viz. Major Willard, and Mr. Russel) who for many years had approved themselves faithful in the Magistracy. And the death of few such is as much as if thousands had fallen: yet many other righteous and useful ones are gone, leaving us behind in the storm. And amongst the common people, not a few have been carried to their Graves in these two last months. We have heard of no less then eight in one small Plantation, buried in one week, wherein also twenty persons died this spring. And in another little Town nineteen persons have died within a few weeks. We in Boston have seen (a sad and solemn spectacle) Coffins meeting one another, and three or four put into their Graves in one day. In the month of May about fifty persons are deceased in this Town. By which things, God from Heaven speaks to us and would give us to understand, that if the Sword will not reform us, be hath other Judgements in store, whereby he can suddenly and easily bring us down. The Lord help us to apply our hearts unto Wisdome, and make us thankful, in that he hath been entreated graciously and wonderfully to restore Health unto us again.