Meat out of the eater. Or, Funeral-discourses occasioned by the death of several relatives.…

Name: Meat out of the eater. Or, Funeral-discourses occasioned by the death of several relatives.…
Author: Cotton Mather

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

Title page typeset from the transcription.

The Loss of a Desirable Relative, Lamented and Improved.

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.

[ Earlier:326–341 of 362

:326p. 196–197

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 ⟨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 un worthy Children of men; That Relatives are made highly Desirable and Agreeable to one another.

:327p. 197–199

And it is especially thus in the Conjugal Relation. The God of Love sometimes Disposes them, whom He has made Consorts in the Conjugal Relation, greatly to love and prize one another. The Consorts are to each other, the Desire of their Eyes; & they so Love each other, that they Love to be as much as may be in the Sight of each other. About the one of these Relatives, tis said,

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36