N00499:28
Optanda. Good men described, and good things propounded. A serious consideration of two very…
Optanda. Good men described, and good things propounded. A serious consideration of two very important cases. I. What should be our spirits, and II. What should be our studies, that so all things may go well among us. / By Cotton Mather. ; In two sermons; whereof one, was preached unto the governor, and General Court, of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England; at their first session: June 9. 1692. ; Published by authority[.]Optanda. Good men described, and good things propounded. A serious consideration of two very important cases. I. What should be our spirits, and II. What should be our studies, that so all things may go well among us. / By Cotton Mather. ; In two sermons; whereof one, was preached unto the governour, and General Court, of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England; at their first session: June 9. 1692. ; Published by authority[.]
Boston: printed by 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.
'Tis said in Isa. 32. 8. He does Devise Liberal Things. He sets himself to Devise how he may support sacred and civil Order, how he may set the poor to work, how he may feed the Hungry, clothe the Naked, Relieve the Sick, Comfort and Requite his Parents, and make the Heart of the Aged, the Widow, and the Orphan, Sing for Joy. And hence also, He is a man of a Public Spirit. He is not all for Himself, but he earns that Epitaph to be inscribed upon his Grave at last, Here lies a Good CommonWealths Man! and while he lives he is concerned for the whole Vessel, as well as his own Cabin; especially when an Horrible Storm does Threaten all. When that Excellent Prince of Orange, the Ancestor of our present Sovereign, had from ⟨p. 14⟩a Treacherous and Murderous Papist received such a mortal wound, that he saw he had but one Breath to draw in the World, he cried out, O my God, have mercy on my Soul, and on my poor people! His poor People! had half of his last Breath. Truly, so, a Good Man would let his poor People, have more than Half of all that he has, when it must and can be afforded unto them. Be sure, he will not grumble at every penny that goes to defray, the Public Charges, while he can throw away whole Pounds on his own private Pleasures. Nor will he needlessly and angrily Decline to Serve the Public, when he has a clear Call unto it. Tho' a sense of Inability may make him very backward in accepting of an Office; yet if he be Able he will be Willing to do his best. It is true, every Public Servant must carry two Handkerchiefs about him, one to wipe off Sweat, of Travail, another to wipe off the Spit of Reproach, but a Good Man, has his Handkerchief always at hand. It is possible, that the Poor People, have been shamefully Ungrateful to him, for what he has already done; but their being Ungrateful shall not make him Unuseful; he Looks for his Rewards, not in the Acclamations of a fickle and froward people, but in the Great Gods, Well done ⟨p. 15⟩Good and Faithful Servant! he can pass by their Little Follies, and still spend his Time and Strength, and Estate for them; even, To do them good against their Wills; as every one must, that will do them good at all. In Serviceableness, He is, Like the Lion, which turneth not away for any. It is required in