N00887:21
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord:…
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetched out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their leisure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetch'd out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their liesure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1702
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.
And if also we may be Foolishly Impatient at the Reproofs of our Neighbours, and by that Impatience perhaps may discourage them from doing us the kindness of their wise Reproofs, we may now obtain those to Reprove us, that cannot Offend us. What an admirable, what a profitable Chemistry, Sirs, have we now before us! A Chemistry, by which we may turn the meannest Objects whatsoever, into what is far better than Gold, than much fine Gold! And for this Chemistry, we have indeed one singular Advantage; That no Employment, no Company, no Place, need hinder us from it. We may any where, every where, Apply our selves unto it; and especially in the little Fragments of Time, that intervene between our more Stated Businesses. There will also be this very notable of it. That when-ever we have been at the pains to ⟨p. 13⟩make any Occasional Reflections on any thing, there are not only Good Thoughts for the present raised in us, but the Sight of those Things upon any occasion afterwards, will be ready to raise the same Good Thoughts again, and make our mind, for the continual Feast of it, as that of the Righteous is: For, Anima Justi Caelum est. Let no man be so vainly Impertinent, as to deride the Art, (& Heart,) of making these Occasional Reflections. We have not only the Writings of the Incomparable Robert Boil, of Sr. William Waller, of Dr. Spurstow, and other persons of the finest Heart strings, recommending this Art unto us; but we have above all the most unexceptionable Example of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to recommend it. Our Glorious Lord Jesus Christ; when He saw a Vine, or a Field, or the Bread on the Table, or a stately House, or but an Hen and Chickens, His Holy Soul presently Sallied forth to some Occasional Reflections thereupon, which had much of Admonition in them. To abound in these works of the Lord, will be no small Conformity to our most Exemplary Saviour: and it will therewithal most gloriously transfer this World, from the First, unto that Second Adam.
And if also we may be Foolishly Impatient at the Reproofs of our Neighbours, and by that Impatience perhaps may discourage them from doing us the kindness of their wise Reproofs, we may now obtain those to Reprove us, that cannot Offend us. What an admirable, what a profitable Chymistry, Syrs, have we now before us! A Chymistry, by which we may turn the meannest Objects whatsoever, into what is far better than Gold, than much fine Gold! And for this Chymistry, we have indeed one singular Advantage; That no Employment, no Company, no Place, need hinder us from it. We may any where, every where, Apply our selves unto it; and especially in the little Fragments of Time, that intervene between our more Stated Businesses. There will also be this very notable of it. That when-ever we have been at the pains to