N00619:64
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.
Fourthly. To Assist the Designs of Reformation among us, Why should we not Review, & Renew, and Apply, the Obligation, which is by Covenant Lying upon us thereunto? If one would say at once, what it is, that hath procured the Indignation of Heaven against us, to be written in such Dismal and Bloody Characters, methinks, I could find a passage in our Psalter, that should Expressively enough describe it. While the Time was not yet come, that the Israelites in Egypt should be delivered out of their Difficulties, the Active Colony of Ephraimites formed a Lively Expedition, against the Philistines to the North-ward, from whom they had Received many Injuries; they reckoned themselves Numerous and Powerful enough, to attack the Canaanites in their own Country; but they came off unhappy losers in it; and the Psalmist ha's told us, what was the reason of the loss that befell them: T'was, as in Psal. 78.10 Because, They kept not the Covenant of God. This I venture to say, whatever else may be said; Covenant-Breaking, I say, Covenant-Breaking, or, the Neglect, and Contempt of that Covenant, even, the New-Covenant, wherein the Lord Jesus Christ, ha's been tendering Himself unto us; This, is the most comprehensive Cause of all our Disasters. I will say so, as long as I can Read that horrid Picture of our own condition, in Isa. 24.4. — the Lord makes the Land Empty, ⟨p. 59⟩and makes it wast, and turns it upside down, and Scatters abroad the Inhabitants thereof; The Land mourns and fades. And why is all this? Because they have broken the everlasting Covenant; therefore the Inhabitants of the Land are Burned, & few men are left. Wherefore▪ if we would be Recovered out of our Condition, 'tis the Covenant of our God, that must Recover us, & Reform us. 'Tis imagined by some, That when the General Assembly of Israel here, Poured out Water before, the Lord, they used a Rite of making of a Covenant; q. d. If we Return to our Sins, let our Blood be thus Poured out. This we all know; A Renovation of Covenant, ha's been always pressed, as a very special and Important Expedient of Reformation. The Covenant of Grace, which is Brought unto us all, is very particularly Sealed and Owned, with such as have been Admitted unto any Ecclesiastical Privileges among us. Let all Persons, by the Help of Grace, give the consent of their Souls unto this Covenant;