N00896:57
The excellency of a public spirit discoursedThe excellency of a publick spirit discoursed
The excellency of a public spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]The excellency of a publick spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Masachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green for Nicholas Boone, 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.
It was the greatest Mourning that ever was known among the Jews, so that it grew into a proverb, as the Mourning of Hadradrimon in the Valley of Megiddon Zech 12.11. That is as the Mourning for Josiah who was slain at Hadradimmon, which was a Town in the valley of Megiddon And a long time after in their Lamentations, that is, in their funeral Elegies on other persons, they would drop some tears over Josiahs Grave. 2 Chron. 35 25. Many other Instances there are in Scripture confirming the great Truth before us, which I omit. Histories also do abundantly declare it. Never was there man in the Roman Empire whose Life was so much desired and his death Lamented by all good men as that of the great Constantine, who was the greatest blessing to the Empire that ever it enjoyed in ⟨p. 23⟩any one man I shall only add, that we have seen a recent and Royal instance of this, in our late QUEEN of glorious Memory who (like another Queen Esther) sought the welfare of her People. And was resolved, if the Lord had continued her life but a while longer, to have used her utmost endeavours towards the effecting of two things, which had it been done the Nation would have been happy, viz. A Reformation of manners, and an Union among al• sincere Protestants, and never was there a Queen in England, that lived more desired or that dyed more Lamented. And as they that have been great blessings to the World are usually honoured whilst they Live, so much more after they are Dead. Eminent men whilst living are objects of much envy, but they are less so when dead. —Livor post fata quiefcit. Some that would run out against Moses whilst alive, were ready to worship him after he was dead. The Jews would build the Tombs of the dead Prophets, and garnish the Sepulchres of the Righteous, who when living were little regarded by them. Mat. 23 29. There has through the subtlety of Satan been a sinful excess in this respect. The Gentiles did Idolize their great men after their death. The great Apostasy of the Christian World has been in their making Gods of departed Saints. Men are apt to run into extremes.
It was the greatest Mourning that ever was known among the Jews, so that it grew into a proverb, as the Mourning of Hadradrimon in the Valley of Megiddon Zech 12.11. That is as the Mourning for Iosiah who was slain at Hadradimmon, which was a Town in the valley of Megiddon And a long time after in their Lamentations, that is, in their funeral Elegies on other persons, they would drop some tears over Iosiahs Grave.