N00683:16
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.
Our Psalmist, the Illustrious David, now, as we may judge, drew near unto his End: and we may say of the Psalm here composed by him, These are among the last words of David, the man who was Raised up on High. The Sighs of the Psalmist here collected, seem to have been occasioned, by the Sufferings, which he underwent, when his own Subjects, took up Arms against him. Nevertheless, as our Psalter is all over, The Book of the Messiah, so this particular Hymn in it, is contrived Elegantly to point out, the Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ unto us. In the Text now before us, the Psalmist apprehending himself in danger of Death, does the Great work of a Dying man: Which i•, To Commit a Surviving Spirit, into the Hand of God. But in doing this, he Entertains a special Consideration of God, for his Encouragement in doing it: This is, Thou hast Redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth. It is the Messiah, that hath Redeemed us; It is the Messiah, whose Name is The Truth; David upon a view o• the Messiah, said, This is the man, who is the Lord God. Wherefore, ⟨p. 6⟩In Committing our Spirits unto God, our Lord Christ is to be distinctly considered; and He was, no doubt, by David considered. The Power of God, is called, His Hand; The Wisdom of God, is called, His Hand: But above all, The Christ of God, who is, The Power of God, and the Wisdom of God, He is the Hand of God; By Him 'tis, that the God of Heaven doth, what He doth in the World: And He is, for that cause also Styled, The Arm of the Lord. It is therefore to the Power and Wisdom, and Goodness of God, in Christ, that our Expiring Spirits are to be committed.
Our Psalmist, the Illustrious David, now, as we may judge, drew near unto his End: and we may say of the Psalm here composed by him, These are among the last words of David, the man who was Raised up on High. The Sighs of the Psalmist here collected, seem to have been occasion'd, by the Sufferings, which he underwent, when his own Subjects, took up Arms against him. Nevertheless, as our Psalter is all over, The Book of the Messiah, so this particular Hymn in it, is contrived Elegantly to point out, the Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ unto us. In the Text now before us, the Psalmist apprehending himself in danger of Death, does the Great work of a Dying man: Which i•, To Commit a Surviving Spirit, into the Hand of God. But in doing this, he Entertains a special Consideration of God, for his Encouragement in doing it: This is, Thou hast Redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth. It is the Messiah, that hath Redeemed us; It is the Messiah, whose Name is The Truth; David upon a view o the Messiah, said, This is the man, who is the Lord God. Wherefore,