N00446:41
The triumphs of the reformed religion, in America. The life of the renowned John…
The triumphs of the reformed religion, in America. The life of the renowned John Eliot; a person justly famous in the church of God, not only as an eminent Christian, and an excellent Minister, among the English, but also, as a memorable evangelist among the Indians, of New-England; with some account concerning the late and strange success of the Gospel, in those parts of the world, which for many ages have lain buried in pagan ignorance. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines from Luke]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris for Joseph Brunning i.e, 1691
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 hence also, his whole Breath seemed in a sort made up of ejaculatory prayers, many scores of which winged Messengers […] dispatched away to Heaven, upon pious Errands every day. By them he bespoke Blessings upon almost every person or affair that he was concerned with; and he carried every thing to God with some pertinent Hosanna's or Hallelujah's over it. He was a mighty and an happy man, that had his Quiver full of these Heavenly Arrows! and when he was never so straitly besieged by Humane Occurrences, yet he fastened the wishes of his devout Soul unto them, and very dexterously shot them up to Heaven over the head of all.
And hence also, his whole Breath seemed in a sort made up of ejaculatory prayers, many scores of which winged Messengers 〈…〉 dispatched away to Heaven, upon pious Errands every day. By them he bespoke Blessings upon almost every person or affair that he was concerned with; and he carried every thing to God with some pertinent Hosannah's or Hallelujah's over it. He was a mighty and an happy man, that had his Quiver full of these Heavenly Arrows! and when he was never so straitly besieged by Humane Occurrences, yet he fastned the wishes of his devout Soul unto them, and very dexterously shot them up to Heaven over the head of all.
As he took thus delight in speaking to the ⟨p. 17⟩Almighty God, no less did he in speaking of him; bat in serious and savoury Discourses, he still had his Tongue, like the Pen of a ready Writer. The Jesuits once at Nol• made a no less profane than severe Order, That no man should speak of God at all; •but this excellent person almost made it an Order wherever he came, to speak of nothing but God. He was indeed sufficiently pleasant and witty in Company, and he was affable and facetious rather than morose in Conversation; but he had a Remarkable Gravity mixed with it, and a singular skill of Raising some holy Observation out of whatever matter of Discourse lay before him; nor would he ordinarily dismiss any I e me without some gracious, divine, pithy Sentence thereupon. Doubtless, he imposed it as a Law upon himself, that he would leave something of God, and Heaven, and Religion, with all that should come a near him; so that in all places; his company was attended with Majesty and Reverence; and it was no sooner proper for him to speak, but, like Mary's opened Box of Ointment, he filled the whole Room with the perfumes of the Graces in his Lips, and the Christian Hearers ared a greater sweetness in his melt-season a Speeches, than the illustrious Homer ascribed unto the Orations of his Nestor,