The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England WitchesMather, Cotton
History
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England -- Early works to 1800
But we must now, likewise, apprehend, that in _such a time_, the _woes_
of the World will be heightened, beyond what they were at _any time_ yet
from the foundation of the World. Hence 'tis, that the Apostle has
forewarned us, in _2 Tim. 3.1._ _this know, that in the last days,
perillous times shall come._ Truly, when the Devil _knows_, that he is
got into his _Last days_, he will make _perillous times_ for us; the
times will grow more full of _Devils_, and therefore more full of
_Perils_, than ever they were before. Of this, if we would _know_, what
cause is to be assigned; It is not only, because the Devil grows more
_able_, and more _eager_ to vex the World; but also, and chiefly,
because the World is more _worthy_ to be vexed by the Devil, than ever
heretofore. The _Sins_ of men in this Generation, will be more _mighty
Sins_, than those of the former Ages; men will be more Accurate and
Exquisite and Refined in the arts of _Sinning_, than they use to be. And
besides, their own sins, the sins of all the former Ages will also lie
upon the sinners of this generation. Do we ask why the _mischievous
powers of darkness_ are to prevail more in our days, than they did in
those that are past and gone! 'Tis because that men by sinning over
again the sins of the former days, have a _Fellowship with all those
unfruitful works of darkness_. As 'twas said in _Matth. 23.36._ _All
these things shall come upon this generation;_ so, the men of the last
Generation, will find themselves involved in the gulf of all that went
before them. Of Sinners 'tis said, _They heap up wrath;_ and the sinners
of the Last Generations do not only add unto the _heap_ of sin that has
been pileing up ever since the Fall of man, but they Interest themselves
in every sin of that enormous heap. There has been a _Cry_ of all former
ages going up to God, _That the Devil may come down!_ and the sinners of
the Last Generations, do sharpen and louden that _cry_, till the thing
do come to pass, as Destructively as Irremediably. From whence it
follows, that the Thrice Holy God, with his Holy Angels, will now after
a sort more _abandon_ the World, than in the former ages. The roaring
Impieties of _the old World_, at last gave mankind such a distast in the
Heart of the Just God, that he came to say, _It Repents me that I have
made such a Creature!_ And however, it may be but a witty Fancy, in a
late Learned Writer, that the _Earth_ before the Flood was nearer to the
Sun, than it is at this Day; and that Gods Hurling down the _Earth_ to a
further distance from the _Sun_, were the cause of that Flood; yet we
may fitly enough say, that men perished by a _Rejection_ from the God of
Heaven. Thus the enhanc'd Impieties of this _our World_, will Exasperate
the Displeasure of God, at such a rate, as that he will more _cast us
off_, than heretofore; until at last, he do with a more than ordinary
Indignation say, _Go Devils; do you take them, and make them beyond all
former measures miserable!_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account