N00619:67
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.
But then, Lastly, to put an Edge upon these Things; That we may be in Earnest about the Necessary Reformation, Let us consider the loud calls of Heaven, that most earnestly bespeak it of us. The Necessity of Reformation, is a Thing that ha's been long and oft Preached unto us, ever since that the Judgments of God, began to make us more generally miserable; but the Judgments of God, are going on still to further and further Degrees of misery upon us, while the Cares of a Necessary Reformation, continue fast asleep in our Souls. We do one year after another feel the formidable Executions, of those Threatenings, in Lev. 26 23. If ye will not be Reformed by me, through these things, but will walk contrary unto me, Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and I will Punish you yet Seven Times for your Sins. Our most Intolerable Indisposition, to do any Significant Thing, towards our Necessary Reformation, ha's been already Revenged, with Sore Plagues, and of long Continuance; Yea, The Lord ha's made our Plagues Wonderful, for this our Obdurate & Obstinate Impenitency. Wherefore, As they cried unto Pharaoh, Let the men go; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? ⟨p. 64⟩Even such a cry must I this Day awaken you withal; Know you not, that New-England, is very near destroyed, by the Sins that have been Harboured among us? Oh! Let them Go! Let them Go! Lest we perish in them. Christians, Let us take Warning. There have been many Thousands, I say, many Thousands, of Churches in Europe, not much less famous for the Protestant Religion, than that little Handful & Hundred of Churches, whereof this Country is composed; Every one of which, have been made an utter Desolation, within these few years; even since the Time that so Young a Man as I am, came into the World. And, is not the Fate of those Churches, a Solemn Warning to us, in these Ends of the World? I say again, Let us take the Warning, and, Repent, Lest we likewise Perish. Don't you see, the Tokens of the Divine Wrath against us, arise apace towards an horrible Extremity? O Lord, They who dwell in these uttermost parts, are afraid at thy Tokens! I'll say only these Two Things. One thing is this; If there be not an Extraordinary Appearance of God, from Heaven, to give a check unto a Great Leviathan, who is at this Day Troubling all the European Waters, New-England will be soon overwhelmed in Desolation.
But then, Lastly, to put an Edge upon these Things; That we may be in Earnest about the Necessary Reformation, Let us consider the loud calls of Heaven, that most earnestly bespeak it of us. The Necessity of Reformation, is a Thing that ha's been long and oft Preach'd unto us, ever since that the Judgments of God, began to make us more generally miserable; but the Judgments of God, are going on still to further and further Degrees of misery upon us, while the Cares of a Necessary Reformation, continue fast asleep in our Souls. We do one year after another feel the formidable Executions, of those Threatnings, in