Small Offers Towards the Service of the Tabernacle, Title page – Dedication
SMALL OFFERS Towards the Service of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Four Discourses, accommodated unto the Designs of PRACTICAL GODLINESS.
The First, Concerning the Methods wherein men ought to Engage both Themselves and their Houses in the Service of God.
The Second, Concerning the Right and Best waies of Redeeming TIME in the World.
The Third, Concerning the Carriage which we should have under TRIALS used by God upon us.
The Fourth, Concerning the END which in our Desires of Life, we should propound unto ourselves.
Preached partly at Boston, partly at Charlston. By COTTON MATHER, Pastor of a Church in Boston.
Published by a Gentleman lately Restored from threatning Sickness; as an humble ESSAY to serve the Interest of Religion, in Gratitude unto GOD for his Recovery.
Printed by R. Pierce. Sold by Ios. Brunning at his shop near the Exchange in Boston. MDCLXXXIX.
ERRATA.
PAge 11. Line 7. for Possession, r. Profession. p. 43. line. 3. after to, add Pray. p. 76. l. 7. blott out a. p. 112. l. 2. for and r. an p. 125. for …hms r. Thus.
To my Ever-honoured Father-in-Law, JOHN PHILIPS Esq
Sir
YOu cannot but Rememember, and I should not have this Occasion of Telling you so, if you did not well Remember, That many months are not passed since You encountred a Dangerous Fever; by which the Vital Ty between what must Return to God that gave it, and what must Return into the Earth as it has been there, was very near burned asunder in you; But God had then mercy on You, and not on You only, but on me also, lest I should have had sorrow upon sorrow. It was a darker Time in your House, than (thro' Grace) with your Soul, when we beheld You lying under what look'd like an Arrest laid on you by the cold Hand of Death, and saying, I shall go the gates of the Grave, I am deprived of the Residue of my years. But the Blessing which if you study to be a Blessing you can never want, was then your priviledge; even, To be much pray'd for; and behold, the Effect of those our Applications to the God of your Life! On that very day when your faithful and worthy Pastor the Reverend Charles Morton, with your pious Neighbours were together praying for You, we had our Answer, and You are yet alive. The living, the living, they shall praise God; and You have a blessed Opportunity, I hope not without some Inclination to be doing so. Twas from such an Inclination, that your Vowes did accompany our Prayers, and your Sickness expired in Resolutions, To endeavour the doing of something for the Service of the Churches here, and this particularly, By the Publication of some little Book, accommodated unto the Designes of Practical Godliness in the Persons and Houses of this professing people. Tis pitty indeed that ever any special Trouble, or any special Mercy should befal us, without producing some special service to the Name of our God, upon whose Orders and Errands every such Dispensation comes. Accordingly, you have commanded me to give you certain Discourses, which You thought agreeable to your serious purposes; and These are They. Unto You first I ought to make the Dedication of them; because it is by your Desire and Expence that they are to pass under any further Dedication; they are now therefore no longer Mine but Yours, and to be Enti…uled, The Writing of a W…ll-willer to Religion, after he had been sick, and was Recovered of his Sickness. These Composures are singled out from other Effects of my Daily Studies, not because of any singular Excellency adorning of them; for they are but the first, rude, untranscribed Notes of Sermons uttered in my ordinary Course of Preaching more than once or twice commonly in a Week; and strangers abroad in the world may without the least wrong to me, believe, That New-England is a Countrey wherein there are every week in the year delivered more than Two Hundred Sermons, to be preferred unto the Best of These. But these are by You pitch't upon, because they are most Expressive of the Resolutions, and Exercises and Experiences, which your self would choose to recommend unto the Children of your People; and tho they may amount to no better than Goat's hair and Ramsskins, it was thought they might be accepted among, Small offers to the Service of the Taberacle. There was once a great King, to whose Triumphs while many others made their more noble Offerings, a poor man in some Transport of Affection, having nothing else, took up his palm-full of water from the street, and offering of That, Received from the generous Conquerour a Gracious Recompance. Even such a King is our God! Sr. You have chosen to fetch a Thank-Offering for Him, from such a Kennel, such a Puddle (alas, it is no better!) as the Head and Heart of the greatest Sinner in all the Rising Generation. But I can only say, Tis as welcome from me to You, as I believe, tis from You to Him that made us Both. It is indeed a peice of Self-Denial that your Commands have obliged me unto; for whatever others may think of Appearing in Print, my own Opinion of it is, that unless a man be extremely unacquainted both with himself, and with the world, he will be rather Afraid or Asham'd of it, than Taken with it; Let him that wants Humbling become an Authour, and he shall have it, if mean Thoughts have not made him utterly Vnsensible. Nothing but a Respect unto the Interest of God and of Truth, and a Resolve to go cheerfully thro' much Contempt, Obloquy, Detrectation, can make any considerate Person to Salute mankind in the Quality of a Writer. But Since it is my Duty to be (like holy Bradford) alwayes doing Good, with Tongue, or Pen, or Purse, I should account it my Honour if my Pen may be employed for any Advancement of Practical Godliness, tho' it Cost me never so many Temptations, as it must cost me not a few.
Accept then, Dear Sir, the Little Book which You have called for; I may more fairly speak it than he of old unto his Father, I have done according as thou badest me; arise, I pray thee, Sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. The Blessing which once Caleb gave to a Son-in-law as I do not Want, I need not Ask; But the Blessing which I am now Craving is, That of your Prayers on my Behalf, to the EterEternal Father, for such Gifts, and Graces, and Improvements, as tis His Work alone to bestow upon us; and especially that I may be preserved from the Sins and Snares which Ministers in their younger years are most endangered by; of which I have long thought PRIDE (the natural Effect of Self-Ignorance and Small Experience) to be the principal. The Prayers of one so Related, have an Authoritative Blessing in them; and that I may further earn them, I take the liberty to mention my own Supplications unto the God of Heaven for Yourself. May the Almighty God Long preserve your Life, and give your Hoary Head to be found in the way of Righteousness. May You have before you the Exemple of that Nehemiah who was, A man come to seek the welfare of the Children of Israel; of that Cornelius, who was, A Devout man, that jeared God with all his House, and pray'd to God alwayes; of that Treasurer, who made the Bible his perpetual Companion, and Beleeved with all his Heart: and as You have Opportunity, Do Good unto all men. May the Death (I dare not say, the Loss) of your Ten Children, the last of which going from you made a Tenth Wave in your Tryals, only promote your Vnion & Communion with Him who is Better than Ten sons; and may you enjoy in the House of God, a Place and a Name better than that of sons & daughters. May all the Storms besides those which the Adventures of your younger years upon the Atlantic Ocean, made you betimes acquainte withal, in an unstable & a tempestuous World, prove so many fresh & fair Gales, to be friend your late but sure Arrival unto the Rest which remains for the people of God; Wherein the Anchor of your Hope, is already Cast, and where to You are with the more-than-half Furled Sails of Time hastening apace, after him that said, I desire to loose Anchor and be with Christ, which is by far the best of all. Tis by these Prayers that I would approve my self,
Sir, Your Dutiful Son and very humble Servant, COTTON MATHER.