N00619:26
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.
Secondly, No Tears are enough to Bewail the visible Degeneracy, which is to be Instanced, let me plainly, and humbly say so! in all Orders of men throughout the Land. When there was a Second Edition of the Temple, among the People of God, it is noted, in Neh. 3.12. The Ancient men, who had seen the first House, when the Foundation of this House was laid before their Eyes, they wept with a loud voice. Truly, the few Ancient men that are left among us, do weep with a loud voice, when they see how miserably Temple-work is now circumstanced, in the Second and Third Generation of the Country. Tho' we may Shout aloud for joy, when we see so much of Christ, and of Truth, and of Grace, among us; for indeed, so much there is, that if they who talk of […] this Country, ⟨p. 14⟩would please to stay, as methinks they should, until they hear of a Country that has proportionably more of CHRIST in it, there would for the present, be little said of a Removal! Yet let not this Hinder our joining with such as weep with a loud voice for our Degeneracy. It is affirmed, That many sorts of Inferior Creatures, when Transplanted from Europe into America, do Degenerate by the Transplantation; But if this Remark must be made upon the People too, what can we do, but spend our Tears upon such a sad Remark? Our Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven seems to bestow that Rebuke upon us, in Jer. 2.21. I planted thee a Noble Vine▪ How then art thou Turned into the Degenerate Plant of a strange vine unto me! New England once had a famous Governor, namely, Hopkins of Connecticut, whose words were, I fear, I fear, the Sins of New-England will ere long be read in its punishments. Blessed hast thou been, O Land, in thy Rulers; but alas, for the generality, they have not considered, how they were to Honour the Rules of God, in Honouring of those whom God made Rulers over them; and I fear they will come to smart by having them set over them, that it will be an hard work to Honour, and that will hardly be capable to manage their Affairs. Now can we without many Tears, look upon the Tendencies, with the words of that Excellent man have towards an Accomplishment! ⟨p. 15⟩It must be acknowledged unto the praise of God, that New-England is yet Blessed with very Worthy men in all Orders; but alas, we have not such a Choice of them, as once we had.