N00530:352
The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the…
The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the nature, the number, and the operations of the devils. : Accompanied with, I. Some accounts of the grievous molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoyed the country; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better days. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! V. The Devil discovered: in a brief discourse upon those temptations, which are the more ordinary devices of the Wicked One. / By Cotton Mather.The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the nature, the number, and the operations of the devils. : Accompany'd with, I. Some accounts of the grievous molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoy'd the countrey; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better dayes. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! V. The Devil discovered: in a brief discourse upon those temptations, which are the more ordinary devices of the Wicked One. / By Cotton Mather.
Boston : printed, and sold by Benjamin Harris, 1693 i.e., 1692
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.
V. Grievous and Pulling Hurries to Self-Murder are none of the smallest outrages, which the Devil in his Temptations commits upon us. Why, did the Devil say to Our Lord, Cast thy self down, but in hopes that Our Lord would have broke his Bones, in the fall? The Devil is an Old Murderer; and he loves to Murder men, but no Murder gives him so much satisfaction, as that which at his Instigation, Men perpetrate upon themselves. We see that such as are Bewitched and Possessed by the devil, do quickly lay violent hands upon themselves, if they be not watched continually, and we see that w•en persons have begun that Unnatural business of killing themselves, there is a Preternatural Stupendous Prodigious Assistance, by the devil given thereunto. When people are going to Harm themselves, we call upon them, like those to the Jailer, in Acts. 16.28 Do thy self no harm! And we have this Argument for it, It is the Devil that is dragging of you to this mischief; but will you believe, will you obey such an one as the ⟨p. 25⟩Devil is? What was it that made Judas to Strangle himself? We read it was when the Devil was in him. I suppose there are few Self-Murderers, but what are first very strangely fallen into the Devils hands; and possibly, 'tis by some Extraordinary Discontent, against God, or Backsliding from Him, that the Devil first entered into those disturbed Souls. Indeed, some very great Saints of God, have sometimes had hideous Roils raised by the Devil in their minds; until they have even cried out with Jo•, I choose Strangling rather than life; and sometimes the Ill Humours or Vapours in the Bodies of such Good Men, do so harbour the Devil that they have this woeful motion every day thence made unto them; You must kill your self! you must! you must! But it is rarely any other than a Saul, an Abimelek, an Ahithophel, or a Judas; rarely any other, than a very Reprobate, whom the Devil can drive, while the man is, Compos Mentis, to Consummate such a Villainy. Yea, no Child of God, in his Right Senses can go so far in this Impiety, as to be left without all Time and Room, for true Repentance of the Crime; 'tis thus done, by none but those that go to the Devil. A Self-Murder, acted by one that is upon other accounts, a Reasonable Man, is but such an Attempt of Revenge upon the God that made him, as none but one full of the Devil can be guilty of.