N01015:36
A faithful man, described and rewarded. Some observable & serviceable passages in the life…
A faithful man, described and rewarded. Some observable & serviceable passages in the life and death of Mr. Michael Wigglesworth. Late Pastor of Maldon [i.e., Malden]; who rested from his labours, on the Lords-Day, June 10th. 1705. In the seventy fourth year of his age. : And memorials of piety, left behind him among his written experiences. : With a funeral-sermon preached (for him) at Maldon; June 24. 1705. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines of quotation in Latin]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benj. Eliot, 1705
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.
Yea; Faithfulness unto Death, implies, That we must be Faithful unto our Lord Jesus Christ, although it be with the very Loss of our Lives. Our Faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ, may cost us very dear: It may cost us all the comforts of our Lives; It may cost us our very Lives. But we must venture the loss of all; and lose our very Lives rather than lose our Faithfulness. Thus those Faithful ones; Rev. 12.11. They loved not their Lives unto the Death; They were willing to part with their Lives, before the Term to which they might have lived by the course of Nature. The Work we have to do for our Lord Jesus Christ, must be Dearer to us, than our very Lives. If our Lord Jesus Christ call us to part with our very Lives upon His Account we must be Ready to do it. As that Faithful man Expressed himself; Act. 20.24. I count not my Life dear unto my self, so that I may finish my course with Joy: Thus we should say; I shall not count my Life dear unto my self, if I may but Faithfully Discharge and Finish the Work, whereto my Lord Jesus Christ has called me. Death it self, in all the Terrors of it, must never Terrify us, from our Faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Faithful said of old; Psal. 44.18, 19. Our Heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; Tho' thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the shadow of Death. So should we be able to say; Tho' all the Dragons in the Valley of the shadow of Death, may seek to Sting ⟨p. 11⟩me to Death, yet I will never Decline taking any Step that my Lord Jesus Christ shall call me to.