1724
THE LAST DAYS OF INCREASE MATHER
by Cotton Mather
Electronically Enhanced Text (c) Copyright 1996, World Library(R)
The Last Days of Increase Mather
AND now the time draws nigh, in which Dr. Mather is to die. He
grows old, yet what a green olive-tree in the proseucha of his
God!- nec tarda senectus debilitat vires animi, mulaive vigorem.
Old age came on. But what an one! How bright! How wise! How
strong! And in what an uncommon measure serviceable! He had been an
old man while he was yet a young man; I can quote a Rabbi for it:
Sapiens appellatur senex, etiamsi diebus sit exiguus. And now
he was an old man his public performances had a vigor in them,
which 'tis a rare thing to see a young man have any thing equal to.
How did the good people far and near discover even a growth of
their appetite for the enjoyment of as much as might be obtained
from him! The churches would not permit an ordination to be carried
on without him as long as he was able to travel in a coach unto
them.
Though in the prefaces of the useful books which he now
published he repeated an ungrantable request unto his friends, 'no
longer to pray for his life,' they only prayed the more for it.
When he had finished forty-nine years of his public ministry he
preached a sermon full of rare and rich thoughts upon 'A Jubilee;'
and he requested for a dismission from any further public labors.
His flock prized them too much to hear of that; but anon, when they
saw the proper time for it, that they might render his old age as
easy as might be to him, they wisely and kindly voted it, 'That the
labors of the pulpit should be expected from him only when he
should find himself able and inclined for them.' It would be no
strange thing if while he wanted yet some years to reach fourscore
there should be found some little thing that might carry something
of senile weakness in it. But he held it unto fourscore in a
wonderful exercise of his intellectual powers, and with public
ministrations to very great congregations which his ministry
continued still to give the greatest satisfaction to. A treatise
which he published about this time, concerning 'An Hoary Head found
in the Way of Righteousness,' notably described what he was
himself, and as notably declared, what he was yet able to do. He
continued preaching to vast assemblies; and such well composed
sermons that the notes taken by some ready writers after him, when
communicated unto the public by the way of the press, found their
acceptance in the churches. Among which ready writers we owe our
particular thanks to a virtuous gentlewoman, whose exquisite pen
helped several of his treatises into the world; in some sort as the
excellent Lady Rich did the most valuable and admirable books of
Mr. Strong on 'The Covenant.' Yea, and even after fourscore the old
prophetic strain had not forsaken him.
In September, 1720, he preached an awful sermon (from Amos
iii. 7,) on this doctrine:' When God has an holy purpose to visit
his people with great judgments, He uses to give them notice and
warning of it beforehand.' In the conclusion he expressly fortold;
first, 'That an heavy judgment was impending over Boston, that
would speedily be executed.' And then, 'That the churches of the
country were near to some shocking dispensations.' He added: 'My
brethren, I take no pleasure in testifying unto you of evil days.
But when the Word of the Lord is like a fire in a man's bones,
there must be something said that may awaken you out of your
security.' Now within a few months after this the small-pox was
brought into Boston, and within as few months more the besom of
destruction swept away near a thousand people. And how strangely
was way made for the Destroying Angel to do his execution! But let
me not anticipate. I am saying that until fourscore the Doctor held
it unto admiration! And on the day of his attaining to fourscore he
preached a sermon full of light and life on those words, Ezek. xvi.
5, 'The day when thou wast born.' They that wrote after him have
printed it. The mens et ratio et consilium which are by Cicero
mentioned as the prerogatives of 'Old Age,' were found in him to an
uncommon degree. On very many accounts he might have said, as old
Georgias did, Nihil habeo propter quod senectutem meam accusem;
yea, as a better man, old Drusius did, Senectus mihi melior quarm
ipsa juventus. But that which most of all gave him a comfortable
old age, was what Calvin, who did not live to old age, well pitches
on as the chiefest comfort of old age: Tenendum est, proecipuam
partem bonoe senectutis, in bona conscientia animoque; sereno ac
tranquillo consistere. A good heart, filled with the love and peace
of God and the soul of an Abraham.
In consideration of this eugaria **
it was not amiss for a grandson, upon the birthday on which he
entered fourscore, thus to compliment him.
To my most honoured Grandfather, on the day of his entering the
eightieth year of his age.
To my Grandfather in all good so great,
His nephew does his age congratulate.
'Tis not enough, Syr, that you live to see
Such years; we hope you'll our true Nestor be.
We wish the years in which you live and preach,
To those of a Methuselah may reach.
'Tis true, in common reckoning we suppose
You want eight hundred eighty-six of those,
But measuring life, by works and not by years,
Your age nine hundred sixty-nine appears.
Methuselah had a bright father too;
A 'walker with his God;' Syr, such as you.
If you and we must have a parting day,
Death, strike not!-Let him go in Enoch's way.
And Syr, if prophets mayn't forever live,
May you in Grandsons left by you survive.
But it is now time for me to tell that after fourscore the
report of Moses did no longer want confirmation with him. He began
to be more sensible of those decays which not only caused him to
recite the verse of the Roman satirist:
O quam continuis, et quantis plena senectus longa malis!-
but also caused him several times to say to me: 'Be sure, you don't
pray that you may live beyond fourscore! 'Yet now he preached nobly
on An Old Disciple;' as well as many other subjects.
And now, he that had wished for 'sufferings for the Lord,'
must be content with sufferings from the Lord. Even these borne
with the faith and patience of the saints have a sort of martyrdom
in them, and will add unto the 'far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory.'
On September 25th, he did with an excellent and pathetic
prayer, in a mighty auditory, conclude a 'day of prayer' kept by
his church, to obtain a good success of the Gospel and the growth
of real and vital piety, with plentiful effusions of the good
Spirit, especially upon the 'Rising Generation.' Within two days
after this he fell into an apoplectic sort of deliquium (very much
occasioned, as it was thought, by too extreme a concern of his mind
on some late occurrences at New Haven), out of which he recovered
in a few minutes; but it so enfeebled him, that he never went
abroad any more.
However, his 'wisdom yet remained with him.'
THE END
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