N00619:12
Things for a distressed people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the…Things for a distress'd people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the…
Things for a distressed people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the General Assembly of the province, of the Massachusetts Bay, at the anniversary election. May, 27. 1696. Wherein, I. the condition of the future, as well as the former times, in which we are concerned, is considered. II. A narrative of the late wonderful deliverance, of the King, and the three kingdoms, & all the English dominions, is endeavoured. III. A relation, of no less than seven miracles, within this little while wrought by the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, for the confirmation of our hopes, that some glorious works, for the welfare of his church, are quickly to be done, is annexed. / By Cotton Mather.Things for a distress'd people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the General Assembly of the province, of the Massachusetts Bay, at the anniversary election. May, 27. 1696. Wherein, I. the condition of the future, as well as the former times, in which we are concerned, is considered. II. A narrative of the late wonderful deliverance, of the King, and the three kingdoms, & all the English dominions, is endeavoured. III. A relation, of no less than seven miracles, within this little while wrought by the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, for the confirmation of our hopes, that some glorious works, for the welfare of his church, are quickly to be done, is annexed. / By Cotton Mather.
printed by B. Green for Duncan Campbel, 1696
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.
The People of Israel, were, by their Sins, like us, the poor People of New England, brought into very dismal circumstances. Those Ta• ny ⟨p. 4⟩Pagans the Philistines, had made cruel and bloody Depredations, upon several of their Villages: and besides their Loss of men, by the Hand of the Philistines, they lost a great number of their Principal men, by the more Immediate Hand of Heaven upon them. The least computation of that mischief, is that of them, who thus read the Story: When they were together met from all Quarters at Bethshemesh, about Fifty Thousand People, the Lord smote Threescore and ten men: and it may be those Threescore & ten men were equivalent unto Fifty Thousand People, of the more common sort. Under these awful Judgments of God, they continued Impenitent, for as many years, as have ran out, since the Children of those Philistines were first let Loose upon our selves; even for Twenty years together. But it was well for them, that they had a Samuel among them; a faithful Minister of God, who had no little part of their Civil, as well as of their Sacred Affairs, falling under his Direction. Upon the Exhortations of that Blessed Samuel, they began to Lament after the Lord, that is, to cry unto the Lord for […] grievous Lamentation; and they […] private Reformations of their Families, all the Land over, to their Lamentations. But […] must have something more publicly done in this matter: the whole Body of that People must ⟨p. 5⟩Assemble at Mizpeh, a Town of some Note in the Confines of Judah and Benjamin, near the centre of the Country, where we suppose there might be an Altar Erected for the Worship of God; and at Mizpeh they do Three Things, whereto, may the Body of this People, to Day, endeavour some Conformity.
The People of Israel, were, by their Sins, like us, the poor People of New England, brought into very dismal circumstances. Those Ta• ny ⟨p. 4⟩Pagans the Philistines, had made cruel and bloody Depredations, upon several of their Villages: and besides their Loss of men, by the Hand of the Philistines, they lost a great number of their Principal men, by the more Immediate Hand of Heaven upon them. The least comptation of that mischief, is that of them, who thus read the Story: When they were together met from all Quarters at Bethshemesh, about Fifty Thousand People, the Lord smote Threescore and ten men: and it may be those Threescore & ten men were equivalent unto Fifty Thousand People, of the more common sort. Under these awful Judgments of God, they continued Impenitent, for as many years, as have ran out, since the Children of those Philistines were first let Loose upon our selves; even for Twenty years together. But it was well for them, that they had a Samuel among them; a faithful Minister of God, who had no little part of their Civil, as well as of their Sacred Affairs, falling under his Direction. Upon the Exhortations of that Blessed Samuel, they began to Lament after the Lord, that is, to cry unto the Lord for gievous Lamenation; and they private Reformations of their Families, all the Land over, to their Lamentations. But must have something more publickly done in this matter: the whole Body of that People must