preached on Joh. VI. 11. Our Saviour distributing Bread, by the Hands of His Disciples. 26 d. 7 m. Thursday. The Lecture. On, Joh. IV. 6. An undue Satisfaction in temporal Enjoyments. 29 d. 7 m. On, Amos. VIII. II. A Famine of Hearing the Word of God. Advice to them who see the Reverse of it. On the same Occasion, that the last Lord's-day. 2 d. 8 m. [October.] Wednesday. A Fast at Old North-Church, to seek Direction about Calling a Minister. On Joh. X. ii. The good Shepherd. 6 d. 8 m. On, 1. Thess. V. 23. Being sanctified wholly, by the God of Peace. 13 d. 8 m. On, 1. Thess. V. 23. served Blameless. Being præserved Blameless. The Spirit Sanctified, and pre 27 d. 8 m. A. M. At the Old South. On Job. IX. 12. The Sovereignty of GOD, particularly in taking away. for Mrs. Sewal. A funeral Sermon P. M. At the Old North; on Jer. XVII. 11. Getting Riches, and not by Right. That the Condition of the six condemned Pirates may be rendred profitable. 3 d. 9 m. [November.] On Cant. V. i. The Provision, whereto our SAVIOUR invites His beloved Friends, in His Institutions. (And administred the Eucharist.) IO Io d. 9 m. On I. Thess. V. 23. The Soul Sanctified, and preserved blameless. 14 d. 9 m. Thursday. The Lecture. On Rev. I. 18. The Power of our SAVIOUR over Hades. (A funeral Sermon for Major General Winthrop.) 17 d. 9 m. On Prov. I. 31. Wicked People dreadfully punished in their own Wickedness. (On the Death of the Pirates, two days ago.) 24 d. 9 m. On, Eccl. IX. 5. The Knowledge which the Living have, that they shall Dy: And what sort of Knowledge it should be. (A Funeral-sermon for a Sister-in-Law.) 28 d. 9 m. Thursday. A general Thanksgiving. On Heb. XIII. 15. Offering the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually by our SAVIOUR. Both Parts of the Day. I d. 10 m. [December.] On, 1. Thess. V. 23. The Body sanctified, and preserved blameless. 8 d. 10 m. On, 1. Thess. V. 23. Powerful Considerations to animate blameless Holiness, the Coming of our Saviour, the Eye of our Saviour, and the Love of our Saviour. The sixth and finishing Sermon on the Thessalonian Blessing. 15 d. 10 m. On, Rom. XIV. 7, 8. Our being the Lords; and therefore both Living to Him, and Dying to Him. (A Funeral-sermon for Col. Hutchinson.1) 19 d. 10 m. Thursday. The Lecture was turned into a Day of Prayer with the Inhabitants of Boston; on the [torn] of our late Losses by Mortality, and the Sickness yett visiting and threatning of us. I preached both parts of the Day on Job. XXI. Sorrows distributed in the Anger of GOD. 22 d. 10 m. who are afflicted 29 d. 10 m. On Psal. CXIX. 107. What is to be done by those very much, that they may be quickened under it. On, Cant. 1. 4. On, Cant. I. 4. Desires to be drawn to and by our SAVIOUR; and Resolves to run after Him; and the Chambers wherein He gives a kind Reception to those who have such Desires and Resolves. (And I administred the Eucharist.) 5 d. 11 m. [January.] On, Jam. V. 7. The Patience, to be exercised by the Christian in a Course of Christianity 12 d. 11 m. On, Psal. XVI. 4. The Idolatries being committed, but rarely considered. And the Sorrows in the Consequences. 19 d. 11 m. On Psal. LVII. 7. An Heart fixed, in a due watch against wandring Thoughts in Devotions; and in a due Preparation for troublesome Events and Changes. (Not knowing how GOD may deal with me, or mine, in the Sickness now come into my Family.) 27 d. 11 m. On Psal. XC. 7. A People consuming by the Anger of GOD. Entertaining the Church, with Reflections on the Lessening of our Numbers, by Mortality; twenty-four of our Comunicants having died in a few Months; and half of these our Brethren. 2 d. 12 m. [February.] On, Psal. LVII. 7. An Heart fixed in RESOLUTIONS for the Service of GOD. Earnestly bespeaking it, and finishing what I began a fortnight ago. 9 d. 12 m. On Isa. XXVI. 9. The Desires of GOD, which in a dark Time, the Soul should be filled withal. SIR, TO SIR WILLIAM ASHURST. A.A.S. 5 d. I m. [March.] 1716-17. Four Winter Months have rolled away, since my last; wherein I applied myself to answer the Commands which I had received, with much Satisfaction, to exhibit some Account of our, 1 Colonel Elisha Hutchinson. Biblia Americana, and of my Prayers and Hopes concerning a Work of that Importance. I am unhappy, if the Packett have not arrived. But in some Expectation that it has, I now grow so much in my encroaching Boldness upon you, as to add this unto it. The Opus Ecclesia, which is now waiting for the Light, is a Work, wherein all sorts of Persons will find themselves accommodated with Entertainments, which, if they have been agreeable and acceptable in a separate Exhibition, how much more will common sense tell any man, they must be so in a refining Amassment of them! In these Varieties, none of all the Readers, will be more gratified, and edified, then the more curious Philosopher, who is on all Occasions here treated with such Things, as would be for the Palats of a Christian Virtuoso. I may without Vanity be of the Opinion, that if two or three able and (if there be such) honest Booksellers, exhibiting the new Offer, and making their Proposals, would soon find Subscriptions enough to encourage their procedure with the Work. My own Countrey subscribe for at least one hundred, Scotland and Ireland, as well as many parts of England, offer me to subscribe, as soon as they shall know where and how. And therefore, will your Honour forgive my rudeness, if I presume to say; that should a Person of your great Esteem and Figure, prevail with two or three more Persons of Quality, to appear as Patrons and Favourers of a Work, so evidently Calculated for the Service, of the Interests, which the best of men have been valued for serving of; and thereby obtain the Monuments and Memorials of their generous Goodness which would be therefore due to them, and rais'd for them; the thing desired, would be soon accomplished. I am dismissed from any Expectation of much Encouragement, from the Dissenters. And the Truth is, I have dismissed and even divorced myself in a great measure from every Party, but one which is now going to be formed; and in the Formation whereof, the mean hand that now writes, has a Prospect of being somewhat concerned. My Correspondence with the most illustrious Frederician University in the Lower Saxony, where the most glorious Design that ever was managed in the World, is now under a notable Prosecution, has been a Circumstance of great Use to me, in this grand Intention. Your Honour shall give me leave, to think, that you are of it; and indeed all good men are so, tho' sometimes they are not aware of their being so. Those Distresses upon the Nations, which may perhaps for a while retard the Publication of our B. A. will doubtless be so hott, as ere long to melt all good Men down, into a Compliance, with the Sentiments, in an Instrument, which I now humbly tender to your Acceptance and which is getting into the Heart of distracted France, as well as of Germany. 1 Sir, I may not break off, without a Word upon the evangelical Affairs among our Indians. After I had ineffectually sollicited the Governor of N. Y.1 who was too much encumbred with High-church, to do the Good he wished for; The Ministers on Long-Island have promised me, to do their best for Christianizing the Pagan Indians there, whose Children are now generally in English Families. And for their Assistence in that work, I have prepared for them, an Essay which is enclosed in this Packett. But the same Essay, is like to have a much more extensive Usefulness; not only for the Indians in the Eastern as well as the Southern Parts of Massachuset-Province, but also in many of our Families, where we have Negro's as well as Indians; and perhaps in some other Countreys. In the Packett, you find it accompanied with some other small Things, which are humbly tendered unto your excellent Lady. My Wife by whom a good God has made me one of the happiest of men, has the Honour to be known to her; and the Book entituled, Utilia, consisting of Sermons on Subjects, which were at her Desire preached upon, she tis that with her most humble Service, presents that Book to your Lady's Acceptance. That the Blessing of our glorious Lord, may rest upon your Person and your honourable Family, is the hearty Prayer of, Your Honours, most sincere servant SIR, TO REV. THOMAS PRINCE. M.H.S. Satureday Morn. 26 d. VIII m. [October.] 1717. Having first repeted my Thanks to you, for your Goodness, in the hopes you have given us, of your Assistence for the public Sacrifices in our Church on the Morrow in the Forenoon; I take the Freedom to request, that it may be rather before than after Nine o'clock in the Morning, that you lett our Patriarch2 have the sight of you; and this, (not only because, Aspectus viri boni delectat, but also) because I would have him to be wholly out of the Pain; which my Absence always gives him. I have nothing further to add, but only a matter of deep Contemplation. A late Candidate for the place, from whence you lately received a Letter, hoping you were in good Health, does, as I under 1 Robert Hunter. 2 Increase Mather. stand, express a great Aversion for a Compliance with an Invitation thither, on this account, that they are a People so peculiar and irregular in their Principles about ecclesiastical Matters, that he (who is for the true, old, N. E. Principles,) could never be easy with them, in the ecclesiastical Circumstances they would impose upon him. The Glorious Lord will give you His Direction, and the Blessings of the XXV Psalm, I am well-assured. I am Syr, Your Brother and Servt. Co. MATHER. |