Winter Meditations, Title page – Dedication
Winter Meditations
DIRECTIONS How to employ the Lieſure of the WINTER For the Glory of God. Accompanied with Reflections, as well Hiſtorical, as Theological, not only upon the Circumſtances of the Winter, But alſo, upon the Notable Works of GOD, Both in, Creation, and Providence: Eſpecially thoſe, which more immediately Concern every Particular Man, in the whole courſe of his Life: And upon the Religious Works, wherewith every Man ſhould acknowledge GOD, in and from the Accidents of the WINTER.
By Cotton Mather.
With a Preface of the Reverend, Mr. John Higginſon.
Boſton Printed and Sold by Benj. Harris, over-againſt the Old-Meeting-Houſe. 1693.
To the Right VVorſhipful Sir JOHN HARTOP, Knight and Baronet.
SIR,
WHen the Sons of the Patriarch, were Travelling into that Country which was the Garden of the World, he ordered them, To take of the beſt of the Fruits of the Land, and carry a preſent unto a Great Perſon there. 'Tis into the Paradiſe of the European World, that a Little Book is now Travelling over the Atlantic Ocean; Hei mibi, quod Domino, non licet ire ſuo! And tho' it carry not of the beſt of the Fruits of the Land; for it may without wrong to Me, be tokl you, that many parts of the Land afford far better; yet the Fruits which it carries, have this Rarity to Recommend them, That they grew in the midſt of the barren Winter; but conſidering with my ſelf, to whom I ſhould make a preſent of theſe Fruits, the Character which YOU have among the Reformed Churches of God, a thouſand Leagues diſtant from the Iſland of your Abode, preſently determined this DEDICATION.
Might we in this American Wilderneſs, more enjoy the Preſence, as I hope we cannot but enjoy the Good Will of perſons, like You, Accompliſhed, we ſhould have a Compenſation made us, for all the deſperate Hardſhip, of our Winters; but in the mean time we will Invite you to partake with us in our WINTER MEDITATIONS, when we cannot have you to partake with us in our Winter Difficulties.
Altho' the Lines are fallen to You, in the Pleaſant Places, of a more Temperate Climate, yet the White Mantle of Snow at ſome Times covering that Happy Iſland alſo, beſpeaks for it the old Name of Albion; and if at ſuch Times, the Leſſons which then we have here had at our Fingers Ends, may give You as Acceptable an Entertainment as they would a Seaſonable One, my Satisfactions will even make me forget the Time of the Year.
A moſt Excellent Pen, long ſince did publickly deſcribe You, as a Perſon, who were by Your Faith In Cacumine Olympi conſtitutus, ſupra Ventes et Proceſſas; above the Blaſts and Storms of this Unquiet World. But. I perſwadè my ſelf, that a Treatiſe produced in the Months, that are full of Natural Blaſts and Storms, will have in it nothing Diſagreeable to that Serenity of Soul, wherein Your Faith has placed You.
The Day comes on apace, when the World which was once Drowned, propter Ardorem Libidinis, will now be Burned, propter Teporem Charicatis. I have here made for a few of my Friends, an Eſſay, To fetch out one Cord by another; and albeit it would not be eaſie for to find All that ſhould Leſs Need the Admonitions of this Eſſay than You, yet, I believe, that Few will Receive it with ſo much Candor, Goodneſs, and Kind Reſentment.
A Renowned Perſon once got himſelf an Immortal Sirname, only by an Invention, to come fairly at a Common Enemy, over and thorough Interpoſing Snow-drifts. I am here endeavouring to help my Neighbours with an Invention how they may Encounter their Spiritual Enemies, the Fleſh, the World, and the Devil, not only In, but even By, the circumſtances, when God, Says to the Snow, Be thou upon upon the Earth. By this Undertaking, I have neither Purſued, nor Deſerved, any further Name for my ſelf; and yet I am upon this Occaſion ambitious, to Earn and Wear that Name of,
Sir, Your moſt Sincere and Very Humble Servant, COTTON MATHER.