Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

Name: Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…
Author: Cotton Mather

Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in the churches of New-England. : With interspersed and instructive reflections on the discipline of the primitive churches. : [Seven lines from Ezekiel]

Cotton Mather 1663–1728Boston: printed for S. Gerrish, 1726

[2], iv, 10, 207, [5] p. ; 18 cm. (8vo) · 57k words · Evans 2775

Title page typeset from the transcription.

We Proceed unto the Methods and Customs, IN THE CHURCHES OF New-Eng… › Article 6: ARTICLE VI. The Pastoral Care Exercised in the more PRIVATE SERVICES of it.

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.

[ Earlier:281–296 of 557

:281p. 106–107

In other Afflictions (as the Loss of Desirable Relatives, or singular Temptations, and Exercises) the Pastors do Visit their People, and suit their ⟨p. 107⟩Discourses unto the Occasions; and perhaps put suitable Books of Piety into their Hands. And then they usually Pray with them, that they may carry it well under their Afflictions, and that the Holy Ends thereof, may be obtained upon them. Thus particularly they make the Heart of the Widow to sing with the Joys of Piety.

In other Afflictions (as the Loss of Desireable Relatives, or singular Temptations, and Exercises) the Pastors do Visit their People, and suit their ⟨p. 107⟩Discourses unto the Occasions; and perhaps put suitable Books of Piety into their Hands. And then they usually Pray with them, that they may carry it well under their Afflictions, and that the Holy Ends thereof, may be obtained upon them. Thus particularly they make the Heart of the Widow to sing with the Joys of Piety.

:282p. 107–108

But the SICK are a special and frequent Object of the Pastoral Care. The Pastors, when the Sick Person sends for them (and often without their sending, and though they forget their Duty, to call for the Elders) have a very serious, and sometimes a very difficult Work to do. If the Sick be capable of Receiving Instruction, the Pastors now set before him, in lively Terms, the Miserable State which by Sin, both Original and Actual he is fallen into: and seeing him affected with a Sense of his Misery, they then as livelily propose to him the Remedy in a Great SAVIOUR provided for him. In the Directories prepared many Ages ago, for the Visitation of the Sick, it was directed that the Sick Person should say, O my GOD, I now place the Death of my Lord JESUS CHRIST between Thee and my Sins: Thus our Pastors do assist the Sick Person, all they can, to place his Faith in the Sacrifice, and the Righteousness of a Glorious CHRIST, for Deliverance from Eternal Death, as well as Temporal. They Tender the Covenant of Grace to him in the several Articles of it, and obtain his Explicit Consent unto them all. They repeat the Calls of the Gospel to him, and they obtain such Answers thereunto, as to make it hopeful that they are become Effectual. They set before him the very great

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