N00431:215
The wonderful works of God commemorated. Praises bespoke for the God in heaven in…
The wonderful works of God commemorated. Praises bespoke for the God in heaven in a thanksgiving sermon; delivered on Decemb. 19. 1689. Containing just reflections upon the excellent things done by the great God, more generally in creation and redemption, and in the government of the world; but more particularly in the remarkable revolutions of providence which are every where the matter of present observation. With a postscript giving an account of some very stupendous accidents, which have lately happened in France. / By Cotton Mather. ; To which is added a sermon preached unto the convention of the Massachuset-Colony in New-England, with a short narrative of several prodigies, which New-England hath of late had the alarms of heaven in.
Boston: printed by S. Green & sold by 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.
These Considerations, will not have their due Force, unless they expire in a Threefold Request, which I must now lay before you; and I may justly assert concerning the Things contained therein, They are not Vain Things, they are Our Life. Wherefore, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, & Benjamin; Hear ye these things, all ye people of the Massachusetts!
First, Let us Return to the Lord. We must Come to Him, if we would Be with Him. We have marvellously backsliden from our God, but He […] after us, Return ye backsliding Chil•••, and I will heal your Backslidings. O that we may all as one man Reply what is in Jer. 3. 22. Behold, we come unto thee, for thou are the Lord our God! If we ask that Question, in Mal. 2. 7. Wherein ⟨p. 25⟩shall we return? Methinks, 'twere an harder Question, Wherein should we not? But, Behold, We have had a great voice out of the Temple in answer thereunto. We have had the Elders and Messengers of our Churches, convened in a SYNOD, solemnly informing of us, Wherein we shall Return. God forbid the Advice of that Synod, should only serve to Convict us and Condemn us, in the Day when He shall take vengeance on us for our Conten••ing of it. That were dreadful indeed! But in Compliance with it, Let every man seriously now enquire of himself, What have I done? Mark what I say, That man who does not suspect himself, of having a share in the Sins which have driven away from us the Presence of our God; That man, I may safely affirm it, is one of the principle Troublers of this Israel; I do without any Scruple say it, Thou art the man. Let us all then Examine our selves, and set upon the Reforming of our own Hearts and Lives, and the Renewing of our Covenants with the Lord.
First, Let us Return to the Lord. We must Come to Him, if we would Be with Him. We have marvellously backsliden from our God, but He after us, Return ye backsliding Chil, and I will heal your Backslidings. O that we may all as one man Reply what is in