N00428:78
The serviceable man. A discourse made unto the General Court of the Massachusetts colony,…
The serviceable man. A discourse made unto the General Court of the Massachusetts colony, New-England, at the anniversary election 28d. 3m. 1690. / By Cotton Mather Minister of the Gospel. ; [Two lines of Latin quotation]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Joseph Browning, 1690
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.
And the First Answer, That I should offer unto it is, We should set ourselves to Think, what we have to Do. We all have our Talents that lie by unoccupied, because we do no oftener Think what they be, and what is to be Done therewith. May we now like David of old, Sit down in our Houses, and Think, What is there that I may do for the House of my God? To be often contriving with our selves, What may I do for this people of God? is to have Good Thoughts in Our Hearts; and the Great God will have none but Good Thoughts in His, for the men that are much used unto such Noble meditations. Might we all be prevailed with all to Do This, we should soon see what Else to do; and I might spare all the rest that I have to say.
And the First Answer, That I should offer unto it is, We should set ourselves to Think, what we have to Do. We all have our Talents that ly by unoccupied, because we do no oftner Think what they be, and what is to be Done therewith. May we now like David of old, Sit down in our Houses, and Think, What is there that I may do for the House of my God? To be often contriving with our selves, What may I do for this people of God? is to have Good Thoughts in Our Hearts; and the Great God will have none but Good Thoughts in His, for the men that are much used unto such Noble meditations. Might we all be prevailed with all to Do This, we should soon see what Else to do; and I might spare all the rest that I have to say.
But if I must pass to a further Answer, it shall be This, Be sure Those things are to be Done for us, that Ill men, are most loth to have us do. The Antipathies of them that Hate us, will be a Notable Direction unto our Services: thus one of the Ancients argued, ⟨p. 47⟩Christianity must needs be a good thing; why? Because Nero could not endure it. Those are usually the Best men, and the best things that are most barked at by men of a visible Impiety. We may then make our worst Enemies to Do for us, whether they will or no; and seth a Treacle out of the Vipers that are gnawing out our Bowels. We say, Malice is a Good Informer; may we take Information from the Malice of evil men; For, Fas est & ab hoste doceri.