N00619:27
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.
I suppose, 'twere easy to single out, it may be, less than Twenty men, upon whose Removal from us, all our Affairs would be Palsy-struck, with an Irrecoverable Feebleness, and the Country would almost fall, for want of Pillars to support it. Indeed, the best symptom that New-England has to boast of, is an Hopeful Issue, of Learned and Pious Young men, from a well-governed College; a College, which the Sons of Barbarity among us, perhaps care not, if it might be Razed unto the ground. But those thy Sons, O New-England, will be no sooner Hatched and Fledged, but it may be, they will fly away from thee, as fast as they can. Among the First Planters of New England, there was a vast variety of Generous▪ Notable, Brave Spirited men; yea, some of those very men, that were afterwards found able to conquer and manage mighty Kingdoms, would have been but New England Farmers, if their silly Persecutors had not hindered them: Choice Grain from three sifted Nations filled this Wilderness. But, the Posterity do for the most part strangely Loose that Brave Spirit, which Inspired their Ancestors. I Remember, That the Writer of the Israelitish Chronicles, ⟨p. 16⟩in 1 Chron. 4.22. reports, That among the Children of Judah, there were Degenerate Creatures, who were Potters, and Wretche• Dwelling among Plants, and Hedges; there they dwelt with the King, for his work; a slavish Generation they were: But what were their Ancestors? Why, they were Brave Hero's, who had the Dominion in Moab: and it is added, These are Ancient Things▪ New England once abounded with Hero's worthy to have their Lives written, as Copies for future Ages to write after; But, These are Ancient Things! A Public Spirit in all that sustained any Public Office, and a fervent Inclination to Do Good, joined with an Incomparable Ability to do it, once ran through New England; But, These are Ancient Things! A new-England•man, once was as much as to say, A man that scorns to do an •ll Thing, and One whose word is as good as his Bond; But, These are Ancient Things! There seems to be a shameful Shrink, in all sorts of men among us, from that Greatness, and Goodness, which adorned our Ancestors: We grow Little every way; Little in our Civil Matters, Little in our Military Matters, Little […] our Ecclesiastical Matters; we dwindle away, to Nothing: I do not mean, for our Numbers, but for our Actions.