N00499:36
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.
VII. The man who Reckons his own Soul, an Excellent Being, is like to have an Excellent Spirit; and a Good Man, will ⟨p. 24⟩make such a Reckoning. Of a wicked man, 'tis said in Prov. 15. 32. He despises his own Soul. But a good man, altho' he do with much Abasement of Soul, bewail that Abasement of Soul, which by Sin, is come upon him; yet he counts his own Soul to be a most Excellent Being. When he weighs the State of his Never-dying Soul, it weighs down the whole world besides, in his Resentments of it. A Great King was once advised every day, to think on that Word of the Lord Jesus, in Matth. 16. 26. What is a man profited, if he Gain the whole World, and Loose his own Soul? or, what shall be give in Exchange for his Soul? Why, a good man has that word ever now and then sounding in his Ears, Ten worlds are not so much worth, as that Soul of thine! Those two words, A CHRIST and, A SOUL, make a mighty Noise in the Ears of such a man. He looks upon his own Soul, and then he thinks, This poor Soul, or, such a Soul as this, the whole inferior World, cannot show an Abler or Nobler Thing? He again looks upon his own Soul, and thinks. The Almighty Son of God Himself, counted not his own Blood, a price too big, to lay down for the Ransom of such a Soul? He looks once more upon his own Soul, and thinks, The best Angel in Heaven, would gladly be a Guardian ⟨p. 25⟩to assist the Deliverances of such a Soul! He goes on to look upon his own Soul, & think, Here is a Soul, as poor as it is, every corner of Heaven would ring with Joy, at the Conversion of such a Soul. It is a Soul made for Eternity; the bright Mansions of heaven, were built on purpose, for such a Soul to be for ever in them. And when a good man thus thinks on the Excellency of his own Soul, oh! how loth is he to sell that Soul, for a Song! Indeed, ungodly men do make most woeful Bargains about their Souls; insomuch that their Souls may complain, as did the Saviour of Souls, in Zech. 11. 13. A goodly Price was I valued at of them! If the Devil tender them a little bit of Money, or Frolic, they'll sell their Souls unto him, by Rebellions like the Sin of Witchcraft. Whereas, if the Devil offer unto a good man, all the Pleasures and Profits and Honours of the World, he will not sin for the sake thereof, and wrong his own Soul. No, he says to the Devil, Thy offers perish with thee;