N00499:55
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.
it is You, that will cause Things to Go well among us. Good Hearts will procure Good Times. It is the Speech of the Wise Man, in Eccl. 7. 10. Say not thou, what is the cause, that the former Days were better than these? For thou dost not Enquire wisely concerning this. Why so? Because if men would mend themselves, they would mend the Times immediately. But now there are
it is You, that will cause Things to Go well among us. Good Hearts will procure Good Times. It is the Speech of the Wise Man, in Eccl. 7. 10. Say not thou, what is the cause, that the former Dayes were better than these? For thou dost not Enquire wisely concerning this. Why so? Because if men would mend themselves, they would mend the Times immediately. But now there are
Secondly, some other particular Assertions, which we are now to descend unto. We may, by an Induction of particulars, attempt a Catalogue of good things that would make a people Happy; and I shall endeavour that all Sorts of men, may find themselves touched in it.
I. It is fitting that they who fit Highest, should be first carved unto; they that fit in the first place, must in the first place be spoken of. FIRST then, I say, That Good Magistrates are some of the Best Things among ⟨p. 39⟩any people; and Things will go well with a people, when they have Good Rulers over them. There is a Day coming; And Amen! Let it come quickly! A Day wherein all things will go well among the Children of men. And a principal Character of that Illustrious Day will then be this, That the Greatness of the kingdom under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High. It is mentioned as a cause of the Good Things which will attend that Notable Day, in