N00441:105
Fair weather. Or Considerations to dispel the clouds, & allay the storms, of discontent
Fair weather. Or Considerations to dispel the clouds, & allay the storms, of discontent: in a discourse which with an entertaining variety, both of argument and history, lays open, the nature and evil of that pernicious vice, and offers diverse antidotes against it; / by Cotton Mather. ; Whereto there is prefixed a catalogue of sins against all the commandments, whereof all that would make thorough work of repentance, especially at this day when the God of heaven so loudly calls for it, should make their serious and sensible confessions before the Lord; with an humble and fervent address unto this whole people, there-about.Fair weather. Or Considerations to dispel the clouds, & allay the storms, of discontent: in a discourse which with an entertaining variety, both of argument and history, layes open, the nature and evil of that pernicious vice, and offers diverse antidotes against it; / by Cotton Mather. ; Whereto there is prefixed a catalogue of sins against all the commandments, whereof all that would make thorough work of repentance, especially at this day when the God of heaven so loudly calls for it, should make their serious and sensible confessions before the Lord; with an humble and fervent address unto this whole people, there-about.
Boston: printed by Bartholomew Green for Benjamin Harris, 1692
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.
If our CHURCHES do not now more then ever Study to Reform every thing that may be offensive to the Sacred & Flaming eyes of the Blessed Jesus in them, & Revive their Zeal, their Watch, their Care against every R••e of Bitterness, which Professors may have insensibly Rising in their Hearts and Lives; We are certainly Blind before Lightning, We are Deaf to Thunder! The Lord Jesus throughout all our late War with the Indians in our East, had hitherto marvellously preserved and protected our Churches, and only Broke up such Plantations as had been too much without the due Respects or Effects of His Glorious Gospel. But what a doleful Thing is there now come to pass? A Church of Saints in now lately in a manner Dissipated, by a Sudden, Furious, Treacherous ⟨p. 85⟩Attack, from the most Bloody Salvages in the World. Our Hearts are harder than the Northern Iron, If they do not bleed at the Tidings of the Blood shed; made by the Northern Indians, which Barbarous Worshippers of the Devil, have newly, after a sort broken up an Holy Society, of Believers, that were Combined for the Evangelical Worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sad! That we must now Complain, Lord, The Enemy had done Wickedly in the Sanctuary; thine Enemies Roar in the midst of thy Congregations! It seems that even unto Churches too it may now be said, There are even with you also, Sins against the Lord! Doubtless, the Fall of One Golden Candlestick in our Borders, makes Noise Enough to awaken all our Churches, unto the doing of some Remarkable Thing in Returning unto God; unless our Lethargy be become (God forbid! ) Incurable. When a few poor Gal•leans had been in the midst of their Sacrifices, butchered by a Cursed Pagan, our Lord made that Reflection thereupon, Suppose ye that these were Sinners above all! I tell you, Nay; but Except ye Repent, ye shall all ⟨p. 86⟩Likewise Perish. But what shall we say, when many Times Eighteen Christians, are in one Day made a Sacrifice unto those Tawny Pagans, than which there are not worse Devils Incarnate upon Earth! O that all the Churches in the Country might now more than ever Stir up themselves unto such Demonstrations of Repentance, as might prevent the further progress of our Calamities; and answer this Warning of the Lord our Saviour, Be thou Instructed, O New-England; Lest my Soul Depart from thee, L•st I make thee Desolate!