N01367:49
Nepenthes evangelicum. A brief essay, upon a soul at ease; in what piety will…
Nepenthes evangelicum. A brief essay, upon a soul at ease; in what piety will bring both parents and children to. : A sermon occasioned by the death of a religious matron, Mrs. Mary Rock. Who having entered the eighty first year of her age, withdrew from us. 30d. 7m. 1713. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line from Matthew]Nepenthes evangelicum. A brief essay, upon a soul at ease; in what piety will bring both parents and children to. : A sermon occasion'd by the death of a religious matron, Mrs. Mary Rock. Who having entred the eighty first year of her age, withdrew from us. 30d. 7m. 1713. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line from Matthew]
Boston: printed by Thomas Fleet for Daniel Henchman, 1713
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.
For near Twice seven Years before she Died, her Sight was utterly taken from her. But, Oh! the Light arising to ⟨p. 44⟩her in all her Darkness! Some that have been Blind all their Days, have yet been such Illuminated Persons, that they have been Eminent Preachers of the Gospel, yea, most notable Writers, for the Defence and Service of it. Among such Sons of Bartimaeus, I know not that the Armies of the Living God, ever had a more Illustrious Champion than that most accomplished Literator, the present Professor of History in the University of Glasgow: [Mr. WILLIAM JAMESON.] A Sampson by whose Hand God pulls down the Temple of the Romish Philistines! I snatch at an Occasion to mention this Miraculous Man, because I have really wished and fought an Occasion to Express my Desires that his Learned Books were more Common among us Others there have been, who have only lain Blind in their Latter Days; but yet have in the Light of God so seen Light that they have been able to Guide others in the ways of God, and show them the Paths of Life. And such an One was this Handmaid of God; One under Total Blindness, yet Gloriously Resembling the Living Creatures that are full of Eyes! ⟨p. 45⟩When the acute Milton had lost his Eyes, he Comforted himself with this; Orbitatem certe Luminis quidni leniter feram, quod non tam amissum, quam Revecatum intus atque Retractum, ad acuendam potius mentis Aciem quam ad hebetandam sperem. 'My Sight is only called Inward, that it 'may be sharpened there. And he argued, That as Man lives not by Bread alone, but by the Word of God, we see not with our Eyes alone, but by being under the Wise and Kind Conduct of God. Thus this Pious Person had her Sight, but as it were turned the more Inward and Upward by her Blindness, and fixed upon those Things which had hitherto been the Object of her Faith. She gained a stronger Sight of Him that is Invisible; a clearer View of the Things which are not seen and are Eternal. Cicero affirms, Democritus easily comforted himself under the loss of his Eye-sight by this; That if he was not able to distinguish Black from White, yet he could perfectly well discern Good from Ill, Right from Wrong.
For near Twice seven Years before she Died, her Sight was utterly taken from her. But, Oh! the Light arising to ⟨p. 44⟩