N02152:18
Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be looked for. A wise expectation…Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be look'd for. A wise expectation…
Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be looked for. A wise expectation of, and preparation for, troublesome changes, recommended unto the strangers and pilgrims in this present evil world / by Cotton Mather D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Matthew]Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be look'd for. A wise expectation of, and preparation for, troublesome changes, recommended unto the strangers and pilgrims in this present evil world / by Cotton Mather D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Matthew]
printed by B. Green for Thomas Hancock, 1724
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.
Man, Why shouldest thou Expect an Exemption from the Common Lot of the World!
BUT then, Secondly. Our Sin, makes us Deserve Troublesome Changes; it makes us worthy of all sorts of Troubles. Man was at first created a Changeable Creature: It was fit he should be so. This was the occasion of his first Falling into Sin. Since our Fall into Sin, we are now obnoxious to ⟨p. 6⟩all kinds of Troublesome Changes. Our Changes are part of the Death, which is the Wages of Sin. It it because we have Sinned, that we make that Complaint, Job X. 17. Witnesses against me, — Indignation upon me, — Changes against me. Our Changes are oftentimes Witnesses of the Divine Indignation against us, for our Follies We do Change our Gl•••. We Forsake the Unchangeable GOD. We pursue a Satisfaction in Objects, which are so liable to Changes, that they cannot Satisfy. We must Expect that we shall be Punished with Changes. Changes with Troubles, how proper a Punishment are they for us! We are attended with no Comforts, but we are too Unthankful for them, we are too Unfruitful with them, we grievously Forfeit them. We may justly Expect Changes every day, to take away those Comforts, which we don't improve to the Glory of GOD, as we ought to do.
Thirdly. TO Expect Changes, is the way to Prevent Changes, that they shall not come, or to Sweeten Changes, when they come. It is often so, That the Expectation of Changes, proves our Deliverance from them. Tho' the World usually proves worse than we hope, yet it usually proves also Better than we fear. 'Tis true, Job could say, The Thing which I greatly feared, is come upon me. But then, he speaks of the case, as a Rare case; he wonders at it, that it should be so. 'Tis most frequently otherwise; The Changes which we most Expect, are those that we most frequently Escape. It may be, our Fear puts us on those Methods of Safety, that save us from our Feared Changes.