N00896:59
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.
USE I. For Instruction and Information.
VSE I. For Instruction and Information.
Inf. 1. This lets us see the great Evil which is in being of a private self-seeking Spirit. When me• will do nothing but as their own Interest l•ads them; I• any thing is proposed, they do not consider, will this be beneficial to the Public, but will this be for my profit and all▪ Public Interests must truckle to their private concerns. There is an ungodly proverb which some have in their mouths, who say, Every one for himself, and God for us all; nay, but if every on• should be for himself, God would be against us all There is a sinful self-love which is the root of many and great evils. Many complain of bad Times; but what's the reason that the times are bad? All springs from this root. ⟨p. 26⟩• ▪ Tim. 3.1, 2 In the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves. There are no fewer than 19. evils mentioned by the Apostle, as making the Times perilous. This of inordinate self-love is set in the fore-front of all: Men will be lovers of themselves, and then it follows, they will be covetous, proud, blasphemers, and the rest. Sometimes one man by seeking to advance himself has brought great misery on whole Nations, and has caused rivers of blood to be shed. Not many years ago, all Europe was in a flame, Cities and Villages not a few, yea whole […] were made desolate, and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and all because of the Ambition of one self-seeking man. It is like ere long to be a bloody Time in Europe, and it may be in America too. Did not some in the world seek their own wealth more than the wealth of others, it would not be so.