N00683:143
A good man making a good end. The life and death, of the Reverend…
A good man making a good end. The life and death, of the Reverend Mr. John Baily [i.e., Bailey], comprised and expressed in a sermon, on the day of his funeral. Thursday. 16.d. 10.m. 1697. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two line epigram in Latin]
printed by B. Green for Michael Perry, 1698
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.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, was begun to be Preached unto the Gentiles: Antioch particularly was a City of the Gentiles, where the Preaching of the Gospel was Crowned with a great Success. And at this Antioch it was, that the Name of CHRISTIANS, was first put upon the people, who Received the Love of the Truth of that Gospel. It had been predicted, as a thing to come to pass at the coming of the Messiah, in Mic. 4.5. We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. And there now seems a partial completion of this prediction, in our having the Name of CHRISTIANS; for CHRIST, is the Name of the Lord our God.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, was begun to be Preached unto the Gentiles: Antioch particularly was a City of the Gentiles, where the Preaching of the Gospel was Crowned with a great Success. And at this Antioch it was, that the Name of CHRISTIANS, was first put upon the people, who Received the Love of the Truth of that Gospel. It had been predicted, as a thing to come to pass at the coming of the Messiah, in Mic. 4.5. We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. And there now seems a partial compl•tion of this prediction, in our having the Name of CHRISTIANS; for CHRIST, is the Name of the Lord our God.
We have Two Things here before us, that seem Remarkable.
First, We have the Name, which was betimes fastened upon the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. This Blessed people, had hitherto called one another, by the Name of Disciples, because of their subjection to the Instruction, and Protection, and Government, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of their Faith also, they called one another Believers; Because of their Love, they called one another Brethren; and they called one another Saints, because of their Holiness unto the Lord. Their Enemies all this while, called them Nazarenes, and Galilaeans, because our Lord was Conceived, and had Resided at Nazareth in Galilee; and His Apostles were mostly of that Country. But now, the Honourable Name of CHRISTIANS, became That, by which they were afterwards most of all distinguished.