Hints as may have a Tendency to their getting a great Deal of Good, by the Losses they meet withal. 8 d. 2 m. Lords-Day. Having first in Secret, with all Solemnity, dedicated my Little Daughter (with the rest of my Children) unto the Lord, I openly and publickly renew'd the Dedication, at her Baptism. I then declared, what we did, when we had our children Baptised; admiring the Free-Grace of God, in taking our Children into His Covenant, and so laying Hold on the Covenant for them, and resolving with His Help, to do our Part, that they may know and serve the only Saviour, and have a Part in Him. I called the Child's Name, JERUSHA; to admonish her, if she lives, that she should walk in the Steps of Piety, which were taken by my deceased Sister of that Name, the Memorials of whose Piety are published and preserved among the People of God.1 1 2. G. D. I am considering what I am to do for the Welfare of my Children. I am shortly to leave them Orphans in an evil World. The grand Provision that I am to make for my Orphans, is in the following Deed of Betrustment, which prostrate in the Dust, I spread before the Lord, and beseech Him to look upon it. O my great and good Saviour, and thou Son of God, in my glorious JESUS and the Lord in whom the Fatherless find Mercy. The principal Satisfaction and Consolation, with which I receive the Children, which the Lord graciously gives unto me, at their Birth into the World, is, the Prospect of more Subjects for my Saviour, and the Propagation and Continuation of His Kingdome in the World. For this Purpose, tis my own strong and full Purpose, to do my Part, that my Children may know their Saviour, and serve Him with a perfect Heart and a willing Mind; and I will earnestly cry unto Him, to produce a Work of His Grace in their Souls, and to take them under the perpetual Conduct of the Spirit of Grace, that they may do so. Now I firmly beleeve, that the World is under the Government of my admirable Saviour; He sitts at the Right Hand of God, and 1 See p. 57, supra. the affairs of the divine Providence are under His Administration. He does particularly employ the Ministry of His mighty Angels, in governing the Children of Men; and yett more particularly make them the Guardians of His little Ones; most of all, when in His Providence He makes them fatherless Children. O Orphans wellprovided for! Wherefore, O my Saviour, I committ my Children unto thy saviourly and fatherly Hands. I pray to thee, that thy gracious Providence may, I trust in thee, that it will, be concerned for them. Oh! Lett nothing be wanting to them, that shall be good for them! Oh! cause them to fear thee, to love thee, to walk in thy Wayes, and make use of them to do good in their Generation: Oh! Be thou their Friend, and raise them up such Friends as may be necessary for them, and in a convenient Manner supply all their Necessities. Give thy Angels the Charge of them; and when their Father and their Mother forsake them, then do thou take them up. This is the Supplication, this the Resignation, this the Dependence of, COTTON MATHER. 3. G. D. I have a Kinsman, who is Minister of Saybrook, and who has also an Opportunity to do good unto the Colledge there. I will send unto him our Bonifacius,2 and some other Things, that may prove Instruments of good unto him, and through him unto others. 4. G. D. It is complain'd unto me, that in the Places, where Churches are gathered, under the unhappy Government of N. York, the Pelagian Doctrines are so obtruded on the People by their Neighbours of the Ch[urch] of E[ngland] profession, that it is become a dangerous Crime to bear a due Testimony to the Doctrines of Grace. I would therefore procure some little Essayes for the Defence of the labouring Truths, to be printed here, and sent thither, that they may be scattered among the people, for their Preservation from the Error of the Wicked. 11/12 d. 2 m. Wednesday/Thursday. Tho' I am enter 1 Rev. Azariah Mather (1685-1737), son of Rev. Samuel Mather and Hannah, daughter of Robert Treat. He served as a tutor in the college at Saybrook. 2 Printed in 1710. ing upon the Duties of a general Fast, yett I was desirous to be employ'd this Night in the Duties and Actions of a Vigil. In this Interview with Heaven, having first received the pardoning Mercy of God, and the Blood of my Saviour as purchasing and procuring the Passage thereof unto me; I proceeded then to entreat for a Favour of the Lord, whereof I confessed my greatest Unworthiness. I beheld my admirable JESUS, as the promised Messiah of God, and Redeemer of Men; I beheld Him as taken into a personal Union with the second Person in the eternal Godhead; I beheld Him, as having once offered Himself a sacrifice to divine Justice, and now enthroned at the right Hand of God, and governing the World, unto the more visible Judgment whereof He will one Day make His Appearance; and having all the mighty Angels of the Heavens under His illustrious Authority. I entertained His Religion, as the Truth of God, and a Revelation forever to be relied upon; All faithful Sayings and worthy of all Acceptation. I bewayl'd it, that so few among sinful and woful Mankind are yett acquainted with Him; that in baptised Nations, and in our own wicked one, there are so many who deny Him, and deride Him; that among the Professors of His Name, He is no more known, and lov'd, and priz'd, and honoured with a zelous Obedience. The Favour which I now begg'd with Tears, lying prostrate in the Dust before the Lord, was, that He who with Triumphs of sovereign Grace in it, had already employ'd such a foolish and filthy Creature, as I am, in Services for the Kingdome of my Saviour; would now employ me to do some signal Services for His Glory. I desired, that I might myself, be first continually and exceedingly affected with the Excellencies of my Saviour, and live by the Faith of the Son of God, and have my Life perpetually filled with Acknowledgments of Him. I then desired, that I might bear such Testimonies for my glorious Lord, as might bring many others to acknowledge Him. I declared, that I made Choice of this as the Top of my Happiness, and my Ambition; and that whatever Abasements he would have me to undergo in conformity to my humbled Jesus, I would embrace them with all possible Submission, and have my Spirit reconciled unto them. I renounced all other Ends, and Aims, in Comparison of this; To be used as a Servant and a Witness of my Incomparable Jesus, and be employ'd in testifying to His Glories. Nothing would satisfy me so much as this: Nothing but this would Satisfy me; This would yeeld me a full Satisfaction. I entreated, that in my Ministry, under the Conduct of the Holy Spirit, who Glorifies my lovely JESUS, I may be led unto the Preaching and the Writing of those Things, which may exhibit His Glories, at a Rate that had never yett been done in the World. I hoped, the Glories of my dearest JESUS, would ere long be more considered in the world, than they have ever been heretofore, and I wished, that I might be concerned in the Exhibition of them. I went on with my Petition, that some remarkable Thing might fall out, which might furnish me with some special and precious Opportunities, to bear some very victorious Testimonies to the Existence, the Advancement, the Deity of my amiable JESUS. I consented unto the Lord, that if any breaking Dispensations of His holy Providence, must befall me, and praises to my glorious JESUS would arise from them, I would most heartily submitt unto them; this Effect of them should change the very Nature of them to me, and make me take a Sort of a Pleasure in them. Hereupon my Mind was irradiated with a sweet Assurance, that, no, I should not be so dealt withal. But I should be accommodated with some Opportunities; which I was not yett aware of, to bear the Testimonies, to which I had so strong an Inclination. I cried unto the Lord, that I might yett see one, and a very Rich one, in the Conversion of that poor Jew, for whose Conversion and Salvation we have been for six or seven Years more than ten, waiting on Him. And for this Purpose I now again did committ that Soul into the Hands of my Saviour, and His Holy Spirit, with a strong Faith of thy being, O Lord, able to enlighten him, and sanctify him, and conquer all his Obstinacy. To these Things I added my repeted Request, That some, at least one, of the most notorious and malignant Enemies to my Serviceableness, might be Smitten with such an Horror of Conscience, for his Wickedness, as may prove to me a Token for Good, which they that hate me may see and be ashamed. 12 d. 2 m. Thursday. A general Fast; in the Duties whereof I enjoy'd the special Assistences of the Lord. But I made it a Day of Alms, as well as of Prayers. 5. G. D. And in my Sermon I earnestly called upon the Members of the Church, to be more concerned for the Welfare of the particular Church to which they belong, and to take it into their frequent and serious Consideration. 6. G. D. I hear of a Family, wherein Parents and Children are at grievous Variance; [Υιλλις and χιλδρεν]. 1 I would endeavour to bring the Family into a better Condition. 7. G. D. It was proposed and advised unto me, to wear my Signet-Ring, as a Token and Assertion of the Doctorate in Divinity, whereto a foreign and famous University has admitted me; and to do it, not from any Vanity of Ornament, but out of Obedience to the Fifth Commandment, which directs us to assert the Honour of any Dignity, wherein the Providence of God may station us. If I do it, I will make even so mean an Action as this, an Engine of Religion, with me. First. This Ring shall be a continual Admonition unto me, to do nothing below the Character, whereof that is the Memorial; nothing disagreeable to the Gravity, the Discretion, the superiour Behaviour, which a Doctorate ought alwayes to be attended withal. Secondly. Yea, it shall effectually admonish me, that in my Discourse there pass nothing out of my Lips, that shall be vain, or mean, or not according to the Lawes of Wisdome and Goodness and Usefulness. Thirdly. The Sight of the Gold, shall frequently excite in me Wishes and Prayers of this Importance. Oh! may I have the Grace, the Gain whereof is better than Gold! And, on the Signet; Oh! May I be preserved from so provoking the holy Lord, that if I were the Signet on His right Hand, He would pluck me thence! Fourthly; One Original to the Ceremony of a Ring for Doctors of Divinity, was to intimate, that they should be ready to sett their Seal to the Advice which may be received from them. I would improve this, as a Caution unto me. My Advice is very often asked, and on many Occasions. I would be very considerate, very deliberate, seriously look up to Heaven on such Occasions, and speak nothing, but what I should be willing to seal it, and stand to it. Fifthly. The Emblem on the Signett, is a Tree, with, Psal. I. 3. written under it; and about it, GLASCUA RIGAVIT. May the Cast of my Eye upon it, continually provoke my Cry unto my 1 Willis and children. * Four lines are here struck out. |