N02239:48
Christodulus. A good reward of a good servant. Or, The service of a glorious…
Christodulus. A good reward of a good servant. Or, The service of a glorious Christ, justly demanded and commended, from a view of the glory with which it shall be recompensed [sic]. With some commemoration of Mr. Thomas Walter, lately a Pastor to a church in Roxbury: who had an early dismission from what of that service was to be done in this world. Jan. 10. 1724--5. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [Two lines of quotation in Latin]Christodulus. A good reward of a good servant. Or, The service of a glorious Christ, justly demanded and commended, from a view of the glory with which it shall be recempensed [sic]. With some commemoration of Mr. Thomas Walter, lately a Pastor to a church in Roxbury: who had an early dismission from what of that service was to be done in this world. Jan. 10. 1724--5. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [Two lines of qutation in Latin]
Boston: printed by T. Fleet for S. Gerrish, 1725
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.
I will say, Sixthly; The Servants of our SAVIOUR, often have the Honour to be vilified by the vilest of Men; and by those who exalt none so much as the vilest of Men. Enquire of your Athanasius's and your Luthers and your Calvins, and all great Reformers, if it be not so. There is a sort of People, whose Ill Will, and Ill Word, is an Honour to those whom it falls upon; 'Tis a Disgrace unto a Man, and it brings a Suspicion upon his Innocency [Quid mali feci?] to be in the good Graces of such evil Men. We read concerning some Servants of our SAVIOUR; Act. V. 41. They rejoiced, that they were counted worthy of the Honour, to suffer Shame for His Name. The Servants of our SAVIOUR, shall have the Honour of Reproaches, and Calumnies, and Obloquies, from those wretched People, who have that Brand upon them, The Haters of GOD. And some Servants of our SAVIOUR, who are in Labours more abundant, often have a notable Experiment of it, That when they have been upon some special Service of the Lord, the Devil (who has a most inveterate Hatred, where he sees a CHRIST most Honoured, and studied and resembled; ⟨p. 19⟩and who has a marvellous Energy on the Minds of a multitude; I say, To give him his Due, — the Devil) in some odd and strange Occurrences, that one could hardly have dreamt of, raises a Storm of Obloquies upon them; a Storm of silly, senseless, wretched Slanders upon them; diffused it may be all a foolish Country over. The Men of GOD, are but Honoured, in all the Venom, that Satan and his Instruments may spit upon them.
All this while, I feel my self still in this World. The last Article is enough to render the proof of that very sensible! But then, lastly, Let us get forwards, into the World to come. There, there, will be Honours indeed; Oh! what Honours!— bestowed on the Servants of our SAVIOUR; Eternal Honours bestowed by His Eternal FATHER! The Honours wherein that Promise will be accomplished; Rev. II. 10. Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. O unfainting Servants of your SAVIOUR; Was there ever any Honour upon Earth, to be compared unto what you shall receive, when you shall at your Departure, find a kind Reception with your Almighty SAVIOUR, and being by His Angels, presented Faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding Joy, hear Him saying to you, Well done, good and faithful Servant; enter into thy Masters Joy! But then, can you comprehend, what will be your Honours, when your SAVIOUR shall come, to be Glorified in His Saints, and