N00941:98
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.
Sirs, Deny not unto your own Souls, this piece of Duty, of Prudence, and of Justice. But shall I know describe to you, the Process of the Work, whereto I Exhort you? Give your Attention, and Hear, how you should proceed, in your Self Examination First, When you set about it, ⟨p. 59⟩Oh, Let it be, with very great Solemnity, with very great Solicitude. It was prescribed, Psal. 4 4 Commune with your own Hearts, and stand in Awe. Self Examination is a very Awful Service of Religion. When you go to Commune with your selves, Whether you have the Fear of God, you must Consider with your selves, How Easy a thing, and how fearful a thing tis for you, to Deceive your selves. Oh, Consider this, and Stand in Awe! When you are Examining your selves, you are about the most Weighty Undertaking that ever you took in hand. Affect your own Hearts, with the Weight of the undertaking. The case to be considered is no less than this; What is like to become of me throughout Eternal Ages? You never had a case of such moment under Consideration! Consider with your selves, the infinite concernment of your coming to a True Knowledge of your selves, and of your coming Truly to know, Whether you have the Fear of God, or no? Consider This; That I• you mistake, and conclude your selves in a Bad condition, when you are in a Good, or conclude, that you do not Fear God when indeed you do; This will be to Deny the Kindness of God unto you; ⟨p. 60⟩This will be to deprive your selves of the Com•ort you are to take in the Kindness of God▪ This will be to […] it the Devil who would •ob you o• all your Comfort and Grieve the Holy spirit of God by which you are sealed unto the Day of Redemption Consider This, That if you mistake, and conclude your selves in a Good […] when you are in a Bad, or conclude, that you do Fear God, when indeed, you do not This will be a Benumbing sort of a Poison upon your Souls. This will be to lay your selves ••leep upon the Top of a Most; This will be to […] the […] of Darkness but the faster upon you: and this will be to rock your selves […] a lumber, wherein you will be Seized […] Damnation that […] not […] to Examine you have […] above all […] do wickedly […]