Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…

But thus must a Bad Report, as well as a Good Report follow such a man as Mr. Cotton, whose only Fault after all, was that, with which, that memorable Ancient Nazianzen was taxed sometimes; namely, the Fault of Mansuetude.

§. 23. These Clouds being thus happily blown over, the Rest of his Days were spent in a more settled Peace; and Mr. Cottons Growing and Spreading Fame, like Josephs Bough, Ran ⟨p. 46⟩over the Wall of the Atlantic Ocean, unto such a Degree, that in the year 1641. Some Great Persons in England, were intending to have sent over a Ship, on purpose to fetch him over, for the sake of the Service, that such a Man as He, might then Do to the Church of God, then, Travelling in the Nation. But although their Doubt of his Willingness to Remove, caused them to forbear that Method of obtaining him, yet the Principal Members in both Houses of Parliament Wrote unto him, with an Importunity for his Return into England; which had prevailed with him, if the Dismal Showers of Blood, quickly after breaking upon the Nation, had not made such Afflictive Impressions upon him, as to prevent his purpose. He continued, therefore, in Boston, unto his Dying Day; Counting it a great Favour of Heaven unto him, that he was Delivered from, the Unsettledness of Habitation, which was not among the least of the Calamities, that Exercised the Apostles of our Lord. Nineteen Years and odd Months, he spent in this Place, doing of Good, Publicly, and Privately, unto all sorts of men, as it became, a Good Man, full of Faith, and of the Holy Ghost. Here in an Expository way, he went over the Old Testament once, and a Second Time as far as the Thirtieth Chapter of Isaiah; and the whole New Testament, once, and a Second time, as far as the Eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews. ⟨p. 47⟩Upon Lord's-Days, and Lecture-Days, he Preached through the Acts of the Apostles; the Prophesies of Haggai, and Zechariah; the Books of Ezra, the Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, the Second and Third Epistles of John• the Epistle to Titus, both Epistles to Timothy; the Epistle to the Romans; with Innumerable other Scriptures on Incidental Occasions. Though he had also, the most Remarkable Faculty, perhaps of any man living, to Meet every Remarkable Occasion, with pertinent Reflections, what ever Text, he were upon, without ever wandering out of sight from his Text: and it is possible there might sometimes be a particular Operation of Providence, to make the Works, and Words of God, meet in the Ministry of this His Holy Servant. But thus did he Abound in the Works of the Lord!