N00655:31
The way to excel. Meditations, awakened by the death of the Reverend Mr. Joshua…
The way to excel. Meditations, awakened by the death of the Reverend Mr. Joshua Moodey; with some short character of that eminent person: who slept in Jesus, 4d. 5.m. 1697. In the sixty fifth year of his age. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Six lines from Joshua]
printed by B. Green, 1697
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
First, We may have a continual Apprehension of GOD in our minds. In every Place, we may Apprehend GOD Wherever we are, we may Subscribe to that Article of the Ancient Faith, in Psal. 139.7. Lord, Whither shall I flee from thy Presence? What if we should never be from under the Awe of such a Thought as that, The Omnipresent God observes all my ways! And we may Apprehend GOD, in every Thing. We need not stay at any Second Causes; but we may with a Spiritualized Soul, Soar up to some Notice of God in all. Upon all the Works of Creation we may say, The Finger of God is here! And we may make the Positions of the Pauline Philosophy, in Acts 17.24, 28. God made the World, and all Things therein; In Him we Live and Move and have our Being. Upon all the Works of Providence, we may say, This comes from that God, whose Kingdom Ruleth over all. And we may make the Conclusions once taught by our Lord, no doubt alluding to the Two Birds, whereof one was to be killed, the other to be Let Loose into the Open Field, at the cleansing of the Leper, in Mat. 10.29. Two Sparrows, one of them shall not fall on the Ground without our Father. To be Led unto some Notice of ⟨p. 14⟩GOD continually, This, O This, it is Angelical. 'Tis Godliness. What is Holiness, but Godliness? This were a little of the Angelical Holiness.
First, We may have a continual Apprehension of GOD in our minds. In every Place, we may Apprehend GOD Wherever we are, we may Subscribe to that Article of the Ancient Faith, in Psal. 139.7. Lord, Whither shall I flee from thy Presence? What if we should never be from under the Awe of such a Thought as that, The Omnipresent God observes all my wayes! And we may Apprehend GOD, in every Thing. We need not stay at any Second Causes; but we may with a Spiritualized Soul, Soar up to some Notice of God in all. Upon all the Works of Creation we may say, The Finger of God is here! And we may make the Positions of the Pauline Philosophy, in Acts 17.24, 28. God made the World, and all Things therein; In Him we Live and Move and have our Being. Upon all the Works of Providence, we may say, This comes from that God, whose Kingdome Ruleth over all. And we may make the Conclusions once taught by our Lord, no doubt alluding to the Two Birds, whereof one was to be killed, the other to be Let Loose into the Open Field, at the cleansing of the Leper, in