N00941:327
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]
Boston: printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Benjamin Eliot, 1703
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.
These things are now to be observed
I. The Children of men are sometimes Blessed with such Desirable Relatives, as may be very justly called, The Desire of their Eyes. The Blessed God makes a various Distribution of His Blessings among the Children of men. But not the least of those Blessings are Enwrapped in the Relations which the Children of men bear to one another. Inasmuch as we are the Children of men, we are in divers respects Related unto one another; & the All wise Maker and Ruler of the World has made a manifold provision for our mutual Comfort, in those Relations.
Now, 'tis a Special Favour of God, granted unto some, among the Children of men, that Relatives can take much Delight in one another. Indeed sometimes 'tis other wise; and it is a fearful Curse upon the Children of men when 'tis otherwise. Relatives there are, who have no Desire, but rather a Distaste of one another; so little do they Desire, that they can't Endure one another. Their Persons their Tempers, their Manners make them so Disagreeable to one another, that they do not Love, but Loath each other. It is not altogether unusual in this […] world, that Relatives are not ⟨p. 197⟩only Weary of each other, but also make each other weary of the World Thus the Lady of old, made that complaint about her Daughters in Law; Gen 27 46. I am weary of my Life because of them. Nevertheless, there are many Instances of that Compassion in our Good God upon the unworthy Children of men; That Relatives are made highly Desirable and Agreeable to one another.
Now, 'tis a Special Favour of God, granted unto some, among the Children of men, that Relatives can take much Delight in one another. Indeed sometimes 'tis other wise; and it is a fearful Curse upon the Children of men when 'tis otherwise. Relatives there are, who have no Desire, but rather a Distaste of one another; so little do they Desire, that they can't Endure one another. Their Persons their Tempers, their Manners make them so Disagreeable to one another, that they do not Love, but Loath each other. It is not altogether unusual in this world, that Relatives are not