N00446:81
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 I make no question, That at his Death, his happy Soul was Received, and welcomed, into the everlasting Habitations, by many scores got thither before him, of such as his Charity had been liberal unto.
But besides these more Substantial Expressions of his Charity, he made the Odours of that Grace yet more fragrant unto all that were about him, by that P•••fulness and that Peaceableness, which rendered him yet further Amiable. If any of his Neighbourhood were in distress, he was like a Brother born for their Adversity; he would visit them, and comfort them, with a most Fraternal Sympathy; yea, 'tis not eas•y to recount how many whole days of Prayer with Fasting he has got his Neighbours to keep with him, on the behalf of those whose Calamities he found himself touched withal. It was an extreme Satisfaction to him, that his Wife had attained unto a considerable skill in Physic and Chirurgery, which enabled her to dispense many safe, good, and useful Medicines, unto the Poor that had occasion for them; and some hundreds of sick & weak and maimed people owed praises to God, for ⟨p. 39⟩for the Benefit, which therein they freely received of her. The good Gentleman, her Husband would still be casting Oil into the Flame of that Charity, wherein she was of her own accord abundantly forward thus to be doing of good unto all; and he would urge her to be serviceable into the worst Enemies that he had in the world. Never had any man fewer Enemies than he. But once having delivered something in his Ministry, which displeased one of his Hearers, the man did passionately abuse him for it, and this both with Speeches and with Writings that revised him. Yet it happening not long after, that this man gave himself a very dangerous Wound, Mr. Eliot immediately sends his Wife to cure him; who did accordingly. When the man was well he came to thank her; but she took no Rewards; and this Good man made him stay and eat with him, taking no notice of all the Calumnies with which he had loaded him; but by, this Carriage he strangely mollified and conquered the Stomach of his Reviler.