N00592:82
Durable riches. Two brief discourses, occasioned by the impoverishing blast of heaven, which the…
Durable riches. Two brief discourses, occasioned by the impoverishing blast of heaven, which the undertakings of men, both by sea and land, have met withal. : The one, handling, the true cause of loosing; the other, giving, the true way of thriving. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations in Latin]
Boston: printed by John Allen for Vavasour Harris, 1695
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.
First then, There is a Recompense in This Life, which the Liberal man, is made partaker of. And this every way; for, to be particular; Even his Inward man, shall have the Comfort of his Liberality. Thus 'tis said in Prov. 11.25. The Liberal Soul shall be made Fat. God will give a Thriving, Flourishing, Comfortable Soul unto him; and fill him with the Peace, which passeth Understanding. His Liberality shall also procure good Circumstances to his Outward man. Not only will that word be fulfilled unto him, He that giveth to the Poor shall not Lack; but also, God will bless him with an Increase of his Enjoyments. Thus 'tis said in Prov. 3.9, 10. Honour the Lord with thy Substance; and so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty I could mind you of poor little Trades-men that have come to Live upon their Rents, by the secret Blessing of God upon their Callings, when they have Conscientiously Laid aside a certain part of their Income, for the Lord. And God will bless him with a Success of his Businesses. Thus 'tis said ⟨p. 25⟩in Deut. 15.10 Thou shalt surely give to the Poor, because that for this Thing, the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy Works. I have known a Ship-master, who upon going to Sea, would still carry a considerable Purse of Money unto a Faithful Minister, to be by him Laid out for God; and a strange Blessing did Accompany him! Yea, The Children of such a man, do rejoice in the Fruits of his Liberality. Many Gripple Hold-fasts in the World, object against Liberality, That they must Lay up for their Children. But say I, Lay out, and that's the way to Lay up. Let your Bread be Cast on the Waters, and it will be safely Reposited in Gods Bags for your Children after you: Do you give a Portion to Seven, and also to Eight, and then though you have Seven or Eight Children, you have made sure of a Portion for every one of them. Your Widows, will have Meal and Oil very like to he•s of old. Be like Jonathan, and your poor Mephibosheths will have the Harvest of it. You shall see, I speak nothing without Book, and therefore you shall have a Scripture for this too; 'tis that in Psal. 37.26