N00528:198
Winter-meditations directions how to employ the leisure [sic] of the winter for the glory…Winter-meditations directions how to employ the liesure [sic] of the winter for the glory…
Winter-meditations directions how to employ the leisure [sic] of the winter for the glory of God. : Accompanied with reflections, as well historical, as theological, not only upon the circumstances of the winter, but also, upon the notable works of God, both in, creation, and providence: especially those, which more immediately concern every particular man, in the whole course of his life: and upon the religious works, wherewith every man should acknowledge God, in and from the accidents of the winter. / By Cotton Mather. ; With a preface of the Reverend, Mr. John Higginson.Winter-meditations directions how to employ the liesure [sic] of the winter for the glory of God. : Accompanied with reflections, as well historical, as theological, not only upon the circumstances of the winter, but also, upon the notable works of God, both in, creation, and providence: especially those, which more immediately concern every particular man, in the whole course of his life: and upon the religious works, wherewith every man should acknowledge God, in and from the accidents of the winter. / By Cotton Mather. ; With a preface of the Reverend, Mr. John Higginson.
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris over-against the Old-Meeting-House, 1693
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.
God has graciously stirred up others to do the part of Parents for us, when we were shiftless Orphans To proceed,
God has graciously stirr'd up others to do the part of Parents for us, when we were shiftless Orphans To proceed,
The FOURTH Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the PROVISION which Divine Providence has made for us and ours. Our Lord said once unto some of His Ministers, When, I sent you without Purse, Lacked ye any thing! And they said, Nothing. Even we, whole Maintenance hath been Left unto the Arbitrary and Alterable Humours of a Fickle Multitude, and who perhaps have never made any Agreement with that Multitude about our Maintenance, yet have hitherto been strangely Supplied in all our Straits. Many of our Neighbours, have but Impoverished Themselves, by not Communicating unto their Teachers in all good Things; and if Devils, who are the Rulers of this Dark World, could have had their Wills, we must have been Beggared, been Famished. Yet we have seen, that we have Served a Good Lord: He has, as for the Tribe of Levi, Blessed our Substance; and He has been a Shepherd that would […] suffer •s His Under Shepherds to Want. But have not all our Faithful People also, had the like Experiences? Agurs Wish, has been granted us; even, Food convenient for us. Yea, how many of us may say, That we never did properly Want, one good Meal, ever since we drew our first Breath? Speaking of our God, we may say with our Father Jacob, He ⟨p. 54⟩is the God, that has fed me all my Life Long, unto this Day. And what has been our Meat? our Drink? our Lodging? Have we not had for Delight, and Splendour, as well as for Necessity? It may be some of us, once had but very Little in the World: nevertheless as Jacob said, Once, I had no more than my Staff in my Hands, and now I am become two Bands; thus, when we began the World, we were hardly worth so much as the Heads of the Canes which we now carry in our Hands; whereas we are now Risen to, how much of Grandeur! Thus have we been Supported. And, How Assiduously? We may say, The Lords Mercies are New every Morning. How Seasonally? We have seen, When being Poor and Need we have sought Water, the Lord has given i. Indeed, our God has from Day to Day, carried us along as He did His Israel in the Wilderness. We could scarce foresee sometimes one Day aforehand, how we should be Relieved for the Next; but our Heavenly Father has as well Answered, as Understood, our Exigencies.