Winter Meditations, Introduction
THE Introduction
IT is the Deſcription, which Martinius in that Noble and Learned piece of Geography, which he calls Atlas Chinenſis, gives concerning the Air in that part of the Eaſtern World, Majus in hac Provincia Frigus eſt, quam illius poſcat Pols Altitudo: Says he, The Cord in China, is greater than the Elevation of the Pole there would ſeem to allow: for the Country lies in little more than Forty Degrees of Latitude, and yet for four Months together in the Year, the Rivers there are ſo Frozen, that the Ice will bear the paſſage not only of Men, but of Horſes and Coaches too, upon it. Yea, and the Ships are ſo ſhut up in their Harbours, that unto the beginning of March, there is hardly any ſtirring out; and there is more Froze in one day than there can be Thaw'd in many. I almoſt Thought that I read the Deſcription of our Winters in this part of our Weſtern World, in thoſe words of the Geographer: for tho' the Latitude of the principal Town in this Province be but Forty Two Degrees, Twenty Seven Minutes, yet our Cold is by many Degrees more Fierce and Hard, however more clear, pleaſant and wholſome than, that of many places that Ly… beyond Fifty: and when it ſhall be told unto Strangers, that we have had Froſts both in June and in August, they will alſo conc…de, That our Winters muſt needs be as Long, as they are Cold. Now, the pinches of ſuch a New Engliſh Winter, Awakened me to Conſider, How ſo Cold and ſo Long a Time of Liverſion from very musk of our other Buſineſs, might be beſt Employ'd for the Glory of that God, who Made both the Summer and the Winter? As, 'Twas the manner of an Ingenious Perſon, when in the Morning there was a proſpect of a Fair Day, to ſay, 'Tis pitty ſuch a Fair Day, ſhould be Loſt: ſo, The moſt of our Winter Days are Fair ones; not ſuch Dirty, Slappy, Low…ing Thing, as fill the Winters, in ſome other Lands; and methoughts, 'Twas petty any of them ſhould be Loſt, as too many of them are. I am ſufficiently diſatisfyed at the ordinary Definition, which the Schools have given of the Cold, … Quality that Congregates Things both a like, and an un…e Nature. Yet I have been far more di…isty'd, at the t…o uſual way of ſpending our Dayes, when the Cold almoſt confines us from our Chriſtian Congregations, But what ſeem'd the beſt way of Redeeming theſe Dares? Truly, I was willing to Try, not only whether there could not be found many pious Works to be attended with a ſingular convenience in the Winter, but a ſo, whether the Accidents of the VVinter is ſo…, might not afford ſomething to Aſſiſt us, and Quicken as, in thoſe VVorks. There are certain Flants, which keep Green, all the VVinter Long; and thought I, why ſhould not I endeavour that the Exerciſes of Devotion, might ſo do, both in my-ſelf and others, who …eli…e to be, As Green Olive-Trees in the Houſe of our God? The VVinter has been ſometimes called, H…ews …ners, the …uggiſh Winter; but, I would contribute what I can, that it may be, I…e…s Sancra, …l… Pious Winter, the Holy Winter, the … Winter; a Winter devoted unto the Works of the God of Heaven. To S…p all Winter, more befits a Bear, than a Man, and much more than a Saint. It is very certain, That there is more Time contained in a Natural Day of the Winter, than there is in a Natural Day or the Summer: for, the Sun in its Animal Motion from the Weſt unto the Eaſt, thro' the Zodiac, paſſes equal Arches in unequal Times: the Winter Hall Year of the Suns paſſing from …b…a to Aries is but an Hundred and Seventy a Fight Days, whereas the Summer Half Year of his paſſing from Aries to …bra, is no leſs than an Hundred and Eighty Seven Days: the Sun is Nine Days more in paſſing through the Semi-Eclip…ick of the Summer, than he is thro' that of the Winter; and accordingly an Hour upon the Sun D…, when the Sun is inclining to the VVinter-Tropick, is longer than an Hour upon the Dial, when he is advancing near the Summer Tropick. Hereupon, I could not but make that Reflection, If there be more, tho' it ſcarce be ſenſibly more, Time in a Day now, than at other Times in the Year, why ſhould I do leſs work for God, for Chriſt, for His People now, than as other Times? and as an effect of that Reflection, Behold, Reader, ſome of my WINTER-MEDITATIONS.
'Tis, as I remember, Polydore Virgil who relates, that when Mathildis was, during the Depth of Winter, ſtraitly Beſieged, in Oxford, She arrayed her ſelf and her followers all in white, the colour of the Snow upon the Ground, and by the Advantage of that Colour eſcaped thro' the Beſiegers unto a place of Safety. That which I deſire, is, a free paſſage for the Truths, and the VVays, and the VVorks of God, into the minds of my Neighbours; and I have therefore taken the Advantage of putting a VVinter Complexion upon them; I have Clothed them in the Colours of the VVinter. And in this ESSAY, I have after a ſort Moralized the Fable of Antiphanes, That there is in a certain Scythian Region ſuch a Froſt, that the VVords uttered in the VVinter there Congele ſo as to be not heard until the Summer following ſhall diſſolve them: for 'twas at Boſton-Lecture, in the Month of December laſt, that the Heads of theſe VVinter-Meditations, were firſt Preached; and it is now in the Month of November following that they are Printed, on the ſame Deſigns of Religion, that gave them their Original.
When the Excellent Bartholinus, publiſhed his Book, De Uſu Nivis, it was accompany'd with an Epigram, ſomething to this purpoſe,
Libros Authoris, quieun que recenſet et Amos,
Amos quot poterit, tot Numerare Libros.
'Tis poſſible, that now I am Compoſing my Book about, The Uſe of the Winter, I may find my ſelf obliged to confeſs unto the World, as a Great Fault, what was indeed counted None at all in that Incomparable Perſon? I do confeſs, That I have written too many Books, for one of my ſmall Attainments; and I would ſay to my Reader, whom I now ſuppoſe by the Fire …de, If this or any Book of mine, hinder men from acquainting themſelves with the Bible, that Book of God, I wiſh, as Luther in that caſe did about his own Books, That they were all thrown into the Fire. But I hope, it will be otherwiſe; whereto I would alſo add, That all that Wearineſs of the Fleſh, as well as the various and humbling Temptation otherwiſe, which I have undergone, in the Study of, Writing many Books, has been abundantly Recompenced, by the comfort of thin…ing, That the Free Grace of my Good God, will Accept of my poor Thoughts, to be Serviceable unto the Inter…ts of His Kingdom in the World. And now I am Appendicing unto all the reſt, one Book upon the Winter, I will not ſay as my newly mentioned Bartholinus did in the Preface of his, Ego quidem ex hoc Niveo Labore, preter Atram Invidiam nihil Expecto, Or, That I expect nothing, but only to be Froſt-bitten with Envy for what I do. 'Tis true, There is a Froward Generation in every place, whoſe Calumnies muſt Perſecute all that Serve the Publick; and I have had the Experience of both my Fathers as well as my own, to convince me, that this place has of thoſe Frowards in it. If this People could have had Greater, which I know not, yet all mankind will ſhortly know, that it was impoſſible for any People to have Truer, Juſter, and more Indefatigable Servants, than ſome with whom I have the Honour to be well acquainted, have been to This: but the monſtrous Depreciations that have attended Them, have Taught Me, That I alſo muſt, Bene Agere, et Male Audire, Th…r…, if I will Do VVell; and it will indeed be a life found, that unto all Activity in well … perſons for the Publick W…l, the Sport of … itſelf, is not a greater Freezer, than … Uſages. Nevertheleſs, I am ſo … as to think, That this is the Spirit … of at leaſt, That there are multitudes among us, …ſo when any Servi…e is done for them, do …a…tlly give Thanks to God for it, and who …i… Reſent the Zeal with which they may ſee Almighty God inſpiring of any to be labouring for their Good. For the ſake of ſuch, none of our Thoughts, none of our Cares, none of our wea…y Su…ies, the too much; and it is unto ſuch, That Theſe of Mine are now humbly offered.