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

§. 32. The Reader, that is Inquisitive after the Prosopography of this Great Man, may be Informed, That he was of a Clear, Fair, Sanguine Complexion, and like David of a Ruddy Countenance. He was rather Low than Tall, and rather Fat than Lean; but of a Becoming Mediocrity▪ In his Younger years, his Hair was Brown, but in his Latter years, as White, as the Driven Snow▪ In his Countenance there was an Inexpressible sort of Majesty, which Commanded Reverence from all that approached him; This Cotton was indeed, the Cato of his Age, for his Gravity, but had a Glory with it which Cato had not. I cannot, ⟨p. 66⟩indeed, say, what they Report of Hilary, that Serpents were not able to Look upon him; nevertheless it was commonly Observed, that the worser sort of Serpents, would from the awe of his Presence keep in their Poisons. As the Keeper of the Inn, where he did use to Lodge, when he came to Derby, would profanely say to his Companions, That he Wished Mr. Cotton, were gone out of his House, for, he was not able to Swear white that man was under his Roof: So, other wicked Persons could not show their Wickedness, whilst this Holy and Righteous man was in the Company. But the Exacter Picture of him, is to be taken from his Printed Works, whereof there are many, that Praise him in the Gates; though few of them were Printed with his own Knowledge or Consent. The Children of New-England are to this Day most usually Fed with his Excellent Catechism, which is Entitled, Milk for Babes. His well known Sermons on the First Epistle of John, in Folio, have had their Acceptance with the Church of God: though being Preached in his Youth, and not Published by himself, there are some Things therein, which he would not have Inserted. There are also of His abroad, Sermons on the Thirteenth of the Revelations, and on the Vials, and on Rev. 20. 5, 6. and 2 Sam […] Last, in Quarto; as also a Savoury Treatise Entitled, The way of Life; The Reverend Prefacer whereto saith, Ever since I had any Knowledge ⟨p. 67⟩of this Judicious Author, I have Looked upon him▪ as one Entrusted with as Great a part of the Churches Treasure, as any other whatsoever. Several Volumes of his Expositions upon Ecclesiastes and Canticles, are also Published in Octavo; As likewise A Treatise of the New-Covenant, which being a Posthumous Piece, and only Notes written after him, is accordingly to be Judged of.