Meat out of the eater. Or, Funeral-discourses occasioned by the death of several relatives.…
Meat out of the eater. Or, Funeral-discourses occasioned by the death of several relatives. Work accommodated unto the service of all that are in any affliction; but very particularly such as are afflicted with the loss of their consorts or children. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Four lines from I Corinthians]
Cotton Mather 1663–1728Boston: printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Benjamin Eliot, 1703
[6], 222 p. ; 15 cm. (12mo) · 46k words · Evans 1127
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.
III. Why should we not maintain a Distinct Communion with each of the Three Persons in the Trinity, when we consider our Maker as Giving Songs unto us in our Night? The Night would be astonishingly Illustrated, and Shine as the very Day, if our Songs in the Night might very distinctly apprehend a Trinity of Persons, in our Maker. But, Oh! Lord, how dark is the Night of thy Wrath upon the English Nation wherein Arian, Socinian, Deistical Blasphemies of the Trinity, are uttered so commonly, so openly! Surely, through the Wrath of the Lord of Hosts, the Land is darkened, in those Heresies and Blasphemies. That which ⟨p. 138⟩leads me to this Contemplation, is, The plural Number, wherein we have the Name of our Maker given us; In the Original 'tis, My Makers.
III. Why should we not maintain a Distinct Communion with each of the Three Persons in the Trinity, when we consider our Maker as Giving Songs unto us in our Night? The Night would be ashonishingly Illustrated, and Shine as the very Day, if our Songs in the Night might very distinctly apprehend a Trinity of Persons, in our Maker. But, Oh! Lord, how dark is the Night of thy Wrath upon the English Nation wherein Arian, Socinian, Deistical Blasphemies of the Trinity, are uttered so commonly, so openly! Surely, through the Wrath of the Lord of Hosts, the Land is darkened, in those Heresies and Blasphemies. That which ⟨p. 138⟩leads me to this Contemplation, is, The plural Number, wherein we have the Name of our Maker given us; In the Original 'tis, My Makers.
My Hearers, I ask for your greatest Attention. In the ONE GOD, who is our Maker, there are Three Persons, of One Substance, Power, and Eternity; which Three are called, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [See Matth. 28. 19 and, 1 Joh 5. 7.] There is indeed in the Old Testament, as well as in the New, a very frequent, and no obscure, mention of this Mystery. The Jewish Nation, rejecting the Belief of the Trinity, at this Day, have therein deserted and rejected, The Faith of the Fathers, and apostatized from the Faith of the Old Testament. [Ponder, Deut 4 37. and
& Psal 45 8 & Isa 48 16 and see whether you cannot see the Trinity there] That very Text which the Jews do so often bring against the Trinity, is indeed a notable proof of it; for so tis to be translated,
. Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord, are One. What tho' no Mortal, no, nor any Finite Beings, can fathom this Mystery; yet it is Revealed unto us, in the Book of Truth; and we may, especially
⟨p. 139⟩
when a Night of Affliction is upon us, find no small Consolation in the Revelation. The Mystery of the Trinity is not an unprofitable Speculation. The very Vitals of the Christian Religion lie in this Mystery. Oh! that we were more affected with it: Let our Thoughts more distinctly converse with God the FATHER; and let these be our Songs: Lord, Thou art He, who hast Chosen me before the Foundation of the World, and predestinated me to an Inheritance among thy Children, world without End. Lord, Thou art He who hast so Loved the World, as to give thy only Begotten Son, for the Salvation of them whom thou hast Chosen out of it. Lord, Thou art He, that hast Created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were Created: Thou art my Maker too, and thou shalt be my Father. Let our Thoughts more distinctly Converse with God the SON; and let these be our Songs: Lord, Thou art He, who art God manifest in Flesh, and in that Flesh hast thou died for me, and Risen from the Dead, and art Received up to Glory. Lord, Thou art He, who being the Son of God, and
⟨p. 140⟩
equal with God, hast appeared in the Form of a Servant, and tho' thou didst make the Law, yet thou hast for us yielded Obedience to the Law. Lord, Thou art my Redeemer, who taking upon thy self my Guiltiness, when thou didst know no Sin, hast given thy Righteousness to me, who am nothing but Sin:
My Hearers, I ask for your greatest Attention. In the ONE GOD, who is our Maker, there are Three Persons, of One Substance, Power, and Eternity; which Three are called, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [See Matth. 28. 19 and, 1 Joh 5. 7.] There is indeed in the Old Testament, as well as in the New, a very frequent, and no obscure, mention of this Mystery. The Jewish Nation, rejecting the Belief of the Trinity, at this Day, have therein deserted and rejected, The Faith of the Fathers, and apostatised from the Faith of the Old Testament. [Ponder, Deut 4 37. and Psal. 33. 6 & Psal 45 8 & Isa 48 16 and see whether you cannot see the Trinity there] That very Text which the Jews do so often bring against the Trinity, is indeed a notable proof of it; for so tis to be translated, Deut. 6 4. Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord, are One. What tho' no Mortal, no, nor any Finite Beings, can fathom this Mystery; yet it is Revealed unto us, in the Book of Truth; and we may, especially ⟨p. 139⟩when a Night of Affliction is upon us, find no small Consolation in the Revelation. The Mystery of the Trinity is not an unprofitable Speculation. The very Vitals of the Christian Religion ly in this Mystery. Oh! that we were more affected with it: Let our Thoughts more distinctly converse with God the FATHER; and let these be our Songs: Lord, Thou art He, who hast Chosen me before the Foundation of the World, and predestinated me to an Inheritance among thy Children, world without End. Lord, Thou art He who hast so Loved the World, as to give thy only Begotten Son, for the Salvation of them whom thou hast Chosen out of it. Lord, Thou art He, that hast Created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were Created: Thou art my Maker too, and thou shalt be my Father. Let our Thoughts more distinctly Converse with God the SON; and let these be our Songs: Lord, Thou art He, who art God manifest in Flesh, and in that Flesh hast thou died for me, and Rison from the Dead, and art Received up to Glory. Lord, Thou art He, who being the Son of God, and ⟨p. 140⟩equal with God, hast appeared in the Form of a Servant, and tho' thou didst make the Law, yet thou hast for us yielded Obedience to the Law. Lord, Thou art my Redeemer, who taking upon thy self my Guiltiness, when thou didst know no Sin, hast given thy Righteousness to me, who am nothing but Sin:
Thou art able to Save unto the uttermost, and thou shalt be my Saviour. Once more; Let our Thoughts more distinctly Converse with God the SPIRIT; and let our Songs be these Lord. Thou art He who helpest me to know the Things freely given to me of God. Lord, Thou art He, who doest Res•ne me from the paths of Death and Unite me to my Lord Jesus Christ and Renew His Image upon me. Lord Thou art He, who doest Support me in all my Weakness, Direct me in all my Darkness, Guide me by Counsel, and bring me to Glory, and fetch me out of the Grave by thy mighty power unto Celestial Circumstances at the last.
Thou art able to Save unto the uttermost, and thou shalt be my Saviour. Once more; Let our Thoughts more distinctly Converse with God the SPIRIT; and let our Songs be these Lord. Thou art He who helpest me to know the Things freely given to me of God. Lord, Thou art He, who doest Res•ne me from the paths of Death and Unite me to my Lord Jesus Christ and Renew His Image upon me. Lord Thou art He, who doest Support me in all my Weakness, Direct me in all my Darkness, Guide me by Counsel, and bring me to Glory, and fetch me out of the Grave by thy mighty power unto Caelestial Circumstances at the last.
Make the Experiment, O Christians What inexpressible Irradiations may comfort your minds, in the darkest and the ⟨p. 141⟩Deadliest of all your Nights, from such Contemplations of the Incomprehensible Trinity. Try, Oh, Try, whether you may not arise [Wonderful! That the wretched Worms of the Dust may do so!] unto a sort of Correspondence with the Immanent Acts of the Ever adorable Trinity, in your Communion with it. God beholding His own Image, is God the Father; God beheld in His own Image, is God the Son; God with infinite Love and Joy taking Satisfaction in Himself, is God the Spirit. Methinks, We may be a little rapt up into this Communion! How? Thus: Let us behold the Image and Brightness of God, in our Lord Jesus Christ; and let us be filled with Love and Joy and Satisfaction in Him. Lord, Let me behold thy Face in Righteousness, and be satisfied with thy Likeness! This, This will bring us to a near Communion with God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. O afflicted Saint; If these be thy Songs to thy Makers, in the Night, it will soon cease to be Night: Arise, and Shine, for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is Risen upon thee.
Psal. 42 5. 11.
Oppressed with Loads of Grief, Art thou
My Soul, O why dejected so?
Why do thy Grievous passions now
Into a Restless Tumult grow!
In God thy Hope Rejoicing place;
My God He is by Covenant;
I'll praise Him still: Joy to my Face
The Help of His will surely grant.
Psal. 42 5. 11.
OPpress'd with Loads of Grief, Art thou
My Soul, O why dejected so?
Why do thy Grievous passions now
Into a Restless Tumult grow!
In God thy Hope Rejoycing place;
My God He is by Covenant;
I'll praise Him still: Joy to my Face
The Help of His will surely grant.
1 Pet. 1. 8.
The CHRIST I see not, yet I know,
I Trust and Love; Through' CHRIST there's given
A Joy unutterable to
My Faith, a Joy that's full of Heaven.
1 Pet. 1. 8.
The CHRIST I see not, yet I know,
I Trust and Love; Thro' CHRIST there's given
A Joy unutterable to
My Faith, a Joy that's full of Heaven.
When the famous Luther, was under great Sorrows, he wrote once upon his Table in Great Letters, that word, VIVIT, or, HE LIVETH. ⟨p. 144⟩A Friend, that saw the word, Enquired, Who? and he so answered the Enquiry, CHRIST LIVETH! And if He did not, I should not my self one minute longer desire to Live. Well thought, and like a Christian! It is a Thought which I am this Day to manage among you; and if some Dying Circumstances in my own Family do Quicken me to manage it, with a more Lively Inculcation, 'twill be some Ease to me, that my Sorrow proves in any measure a Service unto others, and that my Ministry receives any Advantage by my Affliction.
WHen the famous Luther, was under great Sorrows, he wrote once upon his Table in Great Letters, that word, VIVIT, or, HE LIVETH. ⟨p. 144⟩A Friend, that saw the word, Enquired, Who? and he so answered the Enquiry, CHRIST LIVETH! And if He did not, I should not my self one minute longer desire to Live. Well thought, and like a Christian! It is a Thought which I am this Day to manage among you; and if some Dying Circumstances in my own Family do Quicken me to manage it, with a more Lively Inculcation, 'twill be some Ease to me, that my Sorrow proves in any measure a Service unto others, and that my Ministry receives any Advantage by my Affliction.
An unknown Penman hath in a curious Poem, drawn up for us, a Real and Famous History, of the unusual Calamities, and amazing Deliverances, that befell an Excellent Person in Arabia, some Thousands of years ago. Some Conferences between this Renowned person, and some of his Friends that gave him a Friendly Visit, in his Calamities, are in this Book related. Their unkind Censures of him, and bitter Speeches to him, were not the least part of his Calamities; but in this Chapter we have something of his Vindication. ⟨p. 145⟩One thing in their Charge upon him, was, That he knew not God: & now, to vindicate himself against so unjust a Charge, he declares his Belief, not only in GOD, but also in His promised Messiah, by whom he Expected a Resurrection from the Dead.
An unknown Penman hath in a curious Poem, drawn up for us, a Real and Famous History, of the unusual Calamities, and amazing Deliverances, that befel an Excellent Person in Arabia, some Thousands of years ago. Some Conferences between this Renowned person, and some of his Friends that gave him a Friendly Visit, in his Calamities, are in this Book related. Their unkind Censures of him, and bitter Speeches to him, were not the least part of his Calamities; but in this Chapter we have something of his Vindication. ⟨p. 145⟩One thing in their Charge upon him, was, That he knew not God: & now, to vindicate himself against so unjust a Charge, he declares his Belief, not only in GOD, but also in His promised Messiah, by whom he Expected a Resurrection from the Dead.
The Words now before us, are accordingly a short and sweet Confession of Faith, whereto I am sure, you will all Subscribe, O Faithful people of God! It was wished concerning them, O that they were Printed in a Book! They are so, and blessed be our Great Lord Redeemer, that they are so!
