Grata brevitas. An essay made in a few words, to demonstrate that a few words may have much comprised in them. With the most weighty matters of religion, offered in several abridgments, as particular demonstrations of it. : A winter-sermon preached at Boston lecture 27.d. 9.m. 1712. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line of quotation]

Grata brevitas. An essay made in a few words, to demonstrate that a few words may have much comprised in them. With the most weighty matters of religion, offered in several abridgments, as particular demonstrations of it. : A winter-sermon preached at Boston lecture 27.d. 9.m. 1712. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line of quotation]

Table of contents

Title page

Much in a FEW WORDS.

[Page]

Much in a FEW WORDS.

HEBREWS XIII. 22.

Suffer the Word of Exhortation, —in a FEW WORDS.

THE Publick Exhortation must be at this Time, confined unto a Few words: The Time of the Year will have it so! And since I am to Discourse IN a few words, why should it be Thought Improper or Indecent, if I do it also OF a few words, and make that the Subject of my Discourse?

Tho' I shall not use more than a Few words before I come to my Doctrine; yet I will be guilty of so much Anticipation, as to tell you afore hand, it will be of this Importance; That a Few words may have more than Few or Small Things comprized in them.

Ere I come to a more direct proof of that. I will first observe, an Intimation in the Text before us; That a Good Exhortation will sometimes go down the better, because there are but a Few words Employ'd upon it. Suffer the Exhortation, says the Apostle. One would think, it might have been said, Rejoyce in the Exhortation; Rejoyce that you Enjoy such an Exhortation. It seems, People [Page] are most unreasonably indisposed unto what would be for their Good. Exhortations that have a Tendency to make them Good, and bring them to Eternal Good, such Exhortations are a Burden and a Grievance to them. Oh! the Folly, and Mischief of Sin! Original Sin, What a Depravation hast thou brought upon us! Our Apostle finds out an Argument why his Exhortation should be tolerable. But there seems to be a Satyr upon Sinful Mankind in the Argument. Sayes he; Tis but in Few words; Men begrutch the Time for long Exercises and Entertainments of Religion. Brave Husbands of their Time! Of their Time, Two or Three Hours at a Time, can go well enough to meer Impertinencies; but One Hour in the Service of God; This is a Suffering. How many Hours of Ʋseless Conversation with a Friend are well enough! But One Hour to converse with GOD; This is to Suffer Egregiously. An Hour or Two at the Table is well enough; A Quarter of an Hour in the Closet, This is an Hardship, and hardly to be Suffered. Rather a Thousand Dayes Elsewhere, than One in the Courts of the Lord; Notable Redeemers of Time indeed! Well, The affairs of Religion, are, it seems, to be Recommended unto the Children of Men, because they may be dispatched in a Few words in a very Little Time. I confess, I do not think, this is much for the Honour of the World!

But then, I see Something that may be for the Honour of Religion, and of them that handle the affairs of it. It was alwayes thought an Honourable [Page] Thing. To say much in a Little, I need not quote Euripides or Menander for it. You shall find, They that write the Maxims of Prudence, will all tell you, There is no greater sign of Wit, and Sense, than to say much in a Little.

So did our Apostle. His Epistle to the Hebrews, is but a Short Epistle; it has but a Few words. But there is a Great Deal in it. It is full of Mysteries. It is an admirable System of the Christian Religion. There never was a Richer Composure seen upon the Face of the Earth. When Four Excellent Volumns in Folio, coming after a Library of other Expositors, have search'd out the Truths contained in it, there is work yet left for more than as many more. More Treasures are still behind; unspeakably more▪ So that I can obtain this Doctrine for you;

That much may be said in a Few words.

A Few words may have abundance of matter in them. A Few Drops of Expression, may have an Ocean of matter in them.

We will in a Few words proceed unto the Demonstration of it.

I. The Great God has in a Few words comprized all the Duty, that He has required of us. The Duty that we Owe to our God, it is very sure, as there is much depends on it; Eternity depends on it! So, there is very much belongs to it. Well, But as much as our Duty is, I can carry you, where you shall see a Few words containing of it.

In the first Place; Ten Words are a Few Words. Now All our Duty is compriz [...]d in Ten Words; You know what I mean; The [Page] Law of the Ten Commandments. The old Romans had a famous Instrument among them, called, The Law of the Twelve Tribes. They sent Embassadors unto foreign Countrys, to bring home an Account, and a Copy of their Wisest Laws. Then they Employ'd a Number of their Wisest Men, to Digest and Compile a Body of Laws out of these. The Extract, which was a long while in making, was called, The Twelve Tables. When it was done, their Orators admired it for its Excellencies; but especially for the, Mira Verborum concinnitas; its admirable Expressiveness; its Expressing in a Few Words, the Greatest and Bravest Things that ever were uttered. And yet, we have recovered about an Hundred Laws that were in it; Many of them Foolish▪ many Trifling, many Wicked Ones! Our Law of the Two Tables, does as much Exceed their Law of the Twelve Tables, as the Sun does Exceed a Gloworm. In these Few Words, Oh, how much is contained! Well might the Man of God say, Psal. CXIX. 96 Thy Commandment is Exceeding Broad Mind the Rules of Explication for these Few Words, and you will presently be sensible of it

Remember▪ first; That the Law is Spiritual; It reaches to the Spirit; it calls for the Obedience of the Inward Man, as well as of the Outward Man.

Remember secondly; That when a Duty is Commanded▪ the contrary Sin is Forbidden; and when a Sin is Forbidden, the contrary Duty is commanded.

Remember, thirdly, That when any One Duty [Page] is Commanded, and when any One Sin is Forbidden, all others of the Same kind are also Commanded and Forbidden.

Remember, fourthly; That when any Duty is Commanded, all the Helps and all the Signs of such a Duty are also Commanded: And when any Sin is Forbidden, all the Causes, and all the Occasions, and all the Appearances of such a Sin are also forbidden.

Remember, lastly; Tis Exacted & Expected, that we are not only to keep the Law our selves, but also do all we can, and use all Good Means, that others may keep it.

Now say, Is not this Commandment Exceeding Bread? And have not a Few Words Exceeding much Comprized in them? Truly, Brevius nihil est, nec Plenius istis. —

Here we ought to make a Pause; and in a Few Words describe a Confession, which we must all now be necessarily obliged unto.

Confess, That your have not kept this Law; You are daily breaking of it: In many things we offend all. Confess, That your Transgressions of this Law cannot be Numbred; Who can understand his Errors? Confess, That your Justification by your own Righteousness, is for ever to be despaired of. But then, Pitty. Pitty those Deluded Creatures, who have not Seen an End of all Perfection;— but Imagine themselves arrived unto a Sinless Perfection. Unto their Proud Assembly, my Soul, Be not thou Ʋnited!

I have shown you a World of Duty, yea, the [Page] whole of our Duty, comprized in Ten Words. Well, but I will show it you in Three Words. Three are not Many. Tribus Verbis, was an ancient Proverb for the greatest Brevity imaginable In so Few Words you have it; Mic. VI 8. He hath shewed thee, O Man, the Good Thing. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to Do Justice, and to Love Mercy, and to Walk Humbly with thy God?

More Briefly yet▪ I will show it you in Two Words. Two Words are but Few Words. But now, what think you of those Two Words? Matt. XXII 37.— 40 Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the First and Great Commandment. And the Second is like unto it; Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self. On these two Commandments hang all the Law, and the Prophets. How much, how much do these Two Words carry in them! The very same, and it is a very Instructive Hint that I give you, when I tell you, tis the very same! — You have, 1 Joh III. 23 This is His Commandment, That we should Believe on the Name of His Son JESUS CHRIST, and Love One another, as He gave us Commandment.

Yea, What if I should show you, where tis all comprised in One Word? I can do that! The Jews have a saying That there are Six hundred and thirteen precepts in the Law; but that they are all reduced into that one Sentence; Heb. II. 4. The Just by his Faith shall live. There is a World of Christianity in that saying of theirs. There is much, much of the Gospel in it!

[Page]I can give another Instance of such an Comprehensive Sentence. Tis that Golden Rule of our Saviour; Matth. VII. 12. All things whatsoever ye would, that men should do unto you, Do ye even so unto them. A Rule acknowledged among the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews have it in their Talmuds. Tis also in the Apocrypha. Among the Gentiles, the Moral Writers cry it up, an Army of them. One of the Emperors had it in his mouth continually; and made the Officers of the Empire put it into publick Proclamations. But, Oh; how Extensive in this Glorious Rule! First; All the Duty we owe to one another, is comprised in these Few Words. In all our Business, these Few Words, will Suggest All that we have to do. And in the Relations that we sustain, do but mind these Few Words, and our carriage will be marvellously Regulated, you will find it marvellously applicable to the Government of all your Actions, and all your Passions. Yea, Upon further Thoughts, I find this Rule of Reason Extendible beyond what I at first imagined Our Duty towards our Creator may from this very Rule, receive some Direction, For if we had power to Create, we should certainly demand from our Creatures, all the Love, all the Honour, all the Service imaginable.

I will only add, You all know, our Lord gave his Disciples a Platform of Prayer, which in a Few Words does contain the whole matter of all our Prayers. Our Prayers may ask nothing of Our Father who is in the Heavens, (for so the first clause ought to be translated,) but what this Exquisite [Page] Platform allowes and contains. It contains beyond all that we can ask or think!

I will in a Few Words, yea, in One Word, give you the Reason for this Abbreviation of our Duty. Our Gracious God, has had Compassion on our Frail and Weak Faculties in this Abbreviation: Particularly, on the Frailty and Weakness of our Memories. We can't Remember more than a Few Words. Our Duty must be given us in a Few Words, that it may be the more Easily Remembred with us. If it be not Remembred it will not be Practised. I Remember a notable Word; Rom. IX. 28. The work, He will cut it short in Righteousness. Some understand it of, The Gospel. The Gospel is that [...], that Abbreviated word. The Law was Tedious: It had a Multiplicity of observances. But our Lord JESUS CHRIST comes, with a more Compendious work, and requires none of those Long Ʋndertakings. One of the Ancients tells us, By the Short Word here, is meant, that Short word of Faith; Act. XVI. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be Saved. God has thus in Righteousness, and with a sweet Kindness and Goodness, considered our Capacities.

Having offered you this Intimation, I will offer you a very Short Inference and Instruction from it.

Certainly, we may in Like manner Consider the Capacities of those that are under our Instruction.

It is possible, we have poor Stupid Abject Negro's under our Charge. Oh! Remember the Account you must give to the Glorious Lord, about [Page] the Souls of those poor Negro's You complain, you can't make them Learn. Well, But in three short Questions well answered, you may have almost the whole Body of Divinity.

Who Made you and all the World?

The Great GOD Made me to Serve Him.

Who Saves the Children of Men from all their Miseries?

JESUS CHRIST, who is both God and Man, Saves them that Look unto Him

What will become of you when you Dye?

If I Obey JESUS CHRIST, my Soul will go to the Heavenly Paradise; and He will afterwards Raise me from the Dead. If I continue Wicked, I shall be cast among the Devils.

It must be an extraordinary Sottishness indeed, if the Learning of these Three Short Questions can't be infused into them.

And thus, our Children. We may betimes get a whole Body of Divinity into their Little Souls. We are furnished with Abridgments of it. The Abrigments we have in our Hands, may be soon get into their Minds. Yea, Sometimes one Text in the Bible, has All in it. Such an Epitome of Christianity, we have in the Sixteenth Verse, of the III [Page] Chapter of John. You have it again Epitomized in the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, & Fourteenth Verses, of the II Chapter to Titus. To teach them these would admirably Fortify them all their Dayes, against the Error of the Wicked. Plutarch ingeniously compares this brief way of Teaching our Children, unto the Mothers fastening with a Girdle about them, the Fruits wherewith she furnishes them. I Leave the matter with your Consideration.

II. I have yet a Few Words more to say There are Mysteries uttered in the Oracles of God; vast Mysteries, contained in a Few Words very Concisely uttered. The Great Apostle Paul having Written the Two Short Chapters that begin his Epistle to the Ephesians, then sayes, Eph. III. [...], 4. I have wrote a few words, whereby when ye read, you may understand my Knowledge in the Mystery of Christ. In a Few Words, you shall have a Mystery given you, which you shall spend all your Dayes upon, before you comprehend all that is in it; nay it will afford you fresh Matter of contemplation to Eternal Ages. There is one Text in our Book of Life; 'tis in the Beginning of the Book of God; and a very Short one it is. Tis that, Gen. III. 15. I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed, and her Seed; It shall bruise thy Head, and thou shalt bruise His Heel. But a Few Words! And yet, all the Bible is but a commentary on those Few Words. That rich Ingot of Gold, is beaten out, so as to make all the [...] of the Bible. Yea, it would [Page] bear a Beating out, into more Volumns, than there are in a Vatican, or a Bodleian Library. It is a wondrous Thing, that we find out by our microscopes. In a little Body, more than a thousand times smaller than a Grain of Sand, there lye folded up, all the parts of a Plant, or of an Animal, which are afterwards Evolved and Extended, unto mighty Dimensions. Methinks, That Illustrious Text in Genesis, may be compared unto such a little Body. It may be drawn forth into Thousands of admirable Sermons The Fathers of the Old Testament were always Preaching on it, for Four Thousand years together. But the Subject is not Exhausted; we their Children are to this Day still upon it: still hanging on, still drawing at, that Breast of Consolation.

There is that Mystery; 1 Joh V 7 There are Three who testify in Heaven, The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these Three are One. It is comprised in a Few Words.

There is that Mystery; 1 Tim. III. 16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness, God manifest in Flesh. It is comprised in a Few Words.

But verily, There is more in these Few Words, than all the Men on Earth can grasp; Yea, more than can be grasped by all the Angels in Heaven; Yea, tho' they Study Millions of Ages upon it.

There is the Baptismal Covenant, which we are generally brought into. [Matth. XXVIII 19▪] To take the Great God, who is the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, for our God, and Portion; [Page] Wonderful, Wonderful Things are comprehended it. O Baptised Ones, Think what you are obliged unto; Think what will be done for you, if you are mindful of your Obligations! O you that lay Hold on the Covenant, Think what you do, when these Few Words are offer'd you!

There are the Benefits of our Great Saviour Proposed unto us in a Few Words; 1 Cor. I. 30. Ye are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Holiness, and Redemption. Christian, Meditate all thy Dayes on those Few Words; Thou wilt never fetch out all the Sweetness, all the Goodness, all the Glory of those Few Words. All the Dayes of Methuselah, would not suffice to do it in.

Tis only a Scriptural Demonstration, which I have hitherto given you, That much may be said in a Few Words. And such is the most Suitable Demonstration; for a Preacher who would Seek out Acceptable Words. But then, for a more General Demonstration, I need only refer you to the Rules of Implication One Thing will Imply many Things. A Few Words will have many, many Things in them, if the Rules of Implication be duely attended unto; And Wise Men will use to attend unto them. The words of Wise Men have sometimes been called.Golden Words. In Gold, much lies in a Little Room. Gold may be so drawn out, that on Guilded Wire of Silver the hundred thousandth part of a Grain of it, shall be visible to the Naked Eye. Such Golden Words may be Spoken, that when they [Page] are drawn out by the Rules of Implications, they may reach further than could have been imagined. There was a sort of Sentences, that of old were called Laconisms. The Wise men of the Time and Place chose to Speak Laconically. They were very Sententious. They gave a Demonstration, That much may be Spoken in a Few Words. I do not know, why this may not be Practised among other People, as well as the Lacedaemonians. You Know, Vir Sapit; A Wise man will Speak Little; but still much more Wise he that will Speak much in a Little.

But in a Few Words, Let a Two-fold Exhortation arrive unto us.

I. The Art and Skill of Expressing our selves in a Few Words, especially on Some Occasions; Let this be more Studied; The Folly of using too many Words, Let this be Disliked, be Avoided.

It is first, in our Devotions, that such a Study must be maintained. In our Prayers, there is especially One sort of Words, which we should beware of having too many of them. Vowes are such Words. Take heed, Sirs, of having too many such. Thus we are advised, Eccl V. 2. Let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any Word before God; Let thy Words be Few.

Our Saviour has also left another Caution with us; That we should not think, our Prayers will find the more Acceptance with Heaven, because of Many Words used in them. [Page] He has cautioned us; Matth. VI. 7. When ye Pray, use not Vain Repetitions, as the Heathen do; for they think, they shall be heard for their much Speaking.

I will add; Tho' there may be Occasion for us to be Long at Prayer; yet for a man to use Tautologies in his Prayer; to use many Words, and come with one thing over and over, on purpose to Spin out the Prayer; This is to take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain!

One thing more; We should not Slubber and Hurry over our Family-Prayers. They should be made, as by Men, who do not know, but that this is the Last Prayer that over they shall make in this World! Think so, my Friend, when Kneeling down with thy Family. Yet it is for the most part an Inconvenient Thing, to make those Prayers very Long ones. It may be no Service to the Interests of Piety in the Family. In a word, Chrysostom observes it unto us, That CHRIST and Paul, commands us, to make our Prayers, [...], Short and Frequent. Cassianus mentions it, as the Universal consent of the Antients; Ʋtilius censent, Breves Orationes, sed Creberrimas fieri: They thought it best, to Pray Briefly; but Very Often, Very Often, to be Engaged in it.

But then, We are to Watch against the Folly of Talking too much in all our Conversation. Especially, when the Errors of other People, are to be taxed, or when we are to Express our Displeasure, and Resentment of their Miscarriages [Page] towards our selves; You are not ignorant of a common Aphorism, The least said is soonest mended. And thus, to Talk of ones own Self, or Family, here, a Nimietas in dicendo, the Fault which Epictetus decried; if we go beyond a very Few Words, a Fault is fallen into. But at all times, Talkative People, or People of many Words, do very much Expose themselves. They proclame their own Folly, to those, who if they had held their Peace, might have thought them Wise. In multiloquio Stultiloquium. Those Foolish and Wordy and Windy People, often impose upon the Company. They are guilty of Ill Manners; They do what will not be done by a Sober Guest It is true, From the Abundance of the Heart, the Mouth Speaketh. But if there be Abundance of Speech in the Mouth, it often showes, that there is not Abundance of Sense in the Heart: No, but that Folly is bound up there; Abundance of that! But where shall I find a Bridle for these Impertinencies? The Stores of Solomon will afford us One; Prov. X. 19. In the Multitude of Words, there wanteth not Sin; but he that refraineth his Lips, is Wise.

II. What remains, is to bespeak your Meditation, Your Serious, and Frequent Meditation, on those Passages, especially of the Sacred Scripture, which will in a Few Words lay Many and Weighty Things before you Oh! Bestow more than a Few Thoughts upon them!

[Page]The Stewards in the House of God, will Endeavour, not out of Slothfulness, but out of Discretion, at all times to Limit their Dispensations, and at some times very Sensibly to Shorten them T'wil be discretely done of them, so to Measure their Sermons, that no Wise Hearer shall say, What a weariness is it? When shall it be over? But rather, that it shall be said of them, as it was of the famous Orator, Pertimescebamus ne desineret; Or, T'were to have been wish'd he had not done so soon! Indeed Long Sermons have sometimes been so full, and so warm, that the Hearer sayes, He could gladly have Sat an Hour Longer! And, Non sunt Longa quibus nihil est quod demere posses. But short Sermons are sometimes needful for the Preachers, that will not over-do. The Rule for us is, Quiquid Praecipies esto Brevis. They will call to mind what Elihu said, Suffer me a Little, and I will shew what I have to speak on God's behalf. They will not make the Messages of Heaven Tedious and Irksome. They will Stand but a Little while in delivering of them, when either Severe Cold, or Extreme Heat, shall render it uneasy to attend upon them. They will be of Paulinus's Opinion; Brevis Sermo, Dulcedinem simul et Vigorem verbi [...]estis tenet; That is to say, Short and Sweet.

In conformity to this Maxim, I will now address the Auditory with a most Various Application, but in as Few Words as can be imagined.

[Page]Sensus Divitias Verbi Brevitate Coarctans.

First; O Unregenerates, The Misery of your Ʋnregenerate State is to be set before you. It shall be done in a Few Words. Ah, Miserables, Take those Few Words into your Meditation; Eph. II. 1, 2 3. Dead in Trespasses and Sins; Walking according to the Course of this World, and according to the Spirit which works in the Children of Disobedience: fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind; and by Nature Children of Wrath. Oh! What a Black Sea of Death, have these Few Words thrown you into! Think of them; or Think of these Few Words; What am I doing? And, Where am I going?

Secondly; We must now in a Few Words tell these Poor Slaves of Sin and Hell, and Children of Death, What they shall do to be Saved. O Take into your Meditation those Few Words, Mark XVI. 16 He that believeth shall be Saved. The meaning of those Few Words is This. Feel your selves Wretched; See your selves Ʋnable to get out of your fearful Wretchedness. Own your selves Ʋnworthy that God should help you to get out. Behold a Saviour provided for you. Cry to God for Help to Embrace that Only Saviour. Plead the Sacrifice of your Saviour, that your Sin may be Pardoned. Plead the Righteousness [Page] of your Saviour, that you may have a Title to Life. Resign your selves up to the Holy Spirit of your Saviour, that He may Enlighten you, and Purify you, and Rectify you, and fit you for, and bring you to, the Heavenly World. In these Few Words You have All! That One Word, REPENTANCE, has a great deal, Oh! a great deal intended in it. Sinners, Tis more than a meer Crying out, Lord, Have Mercy upon me. But this One Word, and all that is in it, must be complied withal, by all that would find Mercy with God.

But then, Thirdly; In a Few Words we are to show the Believer, What Life he is to Lead; How he is to Live, that he may Dye with Safety and Comfort. Oh! Let your Meditation be much on those Few Words; Eccl. XII. 13.14 Let us hear the Conclusion [and so, the Contraction] of the whole Matter; Fear God, and Keep His Commandments; For God shall bring every work into Judgment. Or, Take it in Other Words; and those not very many neither. Spend your Time now, as those that must give an Account unto God how you have Spent it. Now do nothing, that you may justly apprehend will be Condemned in the Day of Judgment. Now do every thing, that you may be justly apprehensive will in the Day of Judgment be Rewarded. Now employ all your Talents, as Knowing, that in the Day of Judgment, You [Page] must be Accountable for them. Or, if you would have all the Rules of Holy Living in One Word. Even So you shall have them; and that One Word shall be this; Live always as in the Presence of God; and, Act as having the Eye of God always upon you.

Fourthly. Many People are under Discouragements, about the Guilt of their Sins; Discouraged with Fears that the Day of Grace is over with them; Or, perhaps, that they have Sinn'd Ʋnpardonably. I will take away all their Discouragements, with a Few Words. They shall be those; Joh. VI. 37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Ah, Discouraged Souls; These Few Words from the Mouth of a Lovely JESUS; They are Enough to Silence all your Objections. A SAVIOUR: An Able and a Willing Saviour; O all Flesh, be Silent before Him.

Fifthly. There are many Afflictions which our Neighbours Encounter withal. I will direct them in a Few Words, how to Behave themselves. They are those, Heb. XII 5 My Son, Despise not thou the Chastning of the Lord; nor Faint when Rebuked of Him. Or, in Other Words of the like Importance; Think whom thy Afflictions come from; Think what thy Afflictions come for; And be more Studious to Get Good by thy Afflictions, than to get out of thy Afflictions. The famous Two Words of Epictetus, which were Sustine [Page]ot Abstine; that is, Bear, and, Forbear; were not more important ones.

Finally; My Hearers; If you Sleight the Few Words in which you have the Holy Counsils of God, Let a Few Words tell you the Issue of it. Those words; Phil. III. 19. Their End is Destruction, who Mind Earthly Things. But if you Entertain these Few Words with a due Affection and Obedience, a Few Words will tell you the Issue of that also. Those words; Jam. I 25. A Door of the work, this man shall be Blessed in his Deed. SALVATION, is but One Word; Yet, my Friend, it contains all that an Immortal Soul can wish for And it is all Thine, if thou hearken to the Few Words in the Glorious Gospel of God.

I know, You Expect I should observe a Decorum, and not at this Time use Many words. These Few Words may be sufficient, for the present Exercise, May the Grace of God accompany them!

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

Grata Brevitas.

An ESSAY Made in a FEW WORDS, To demonstrate that a Few Words MAY HAVE Much comprised in them. WITH The most Weighty Matters of RELIGION, offered in several ABRIDGMENTS, as particular Demonstrations of it.

A WINTER Sermon Preached at BOSTON Lecture 27 d. 9 m. 1712.

By Cotton Mather, D. D.

N [...]a L [...]ge [...], quis [...] fu [...]ris Brevitatis Amator.

Mich. Verinus.

Boston: Printed by B Green, for Samuel Gerrish at his Shop over against the South Meeting-House. 1712.

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Title statement

Grata brevitas. An essay made in a few words, to demonstrate that a few words may have much comprised in them. With the most weighty matters of religion, offered in several abridgments, as particular demonstrations of it. : A winter-sermon preached at Boston lecture 27.d. 9.m. 1712. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line of quotation]

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

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2011-05.

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N01304

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N01304

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Evans 1552

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APW6368

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1552

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99012502

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 1552.

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— Grata brevitas. An essay made in a few words, to demonstrate that a few words may have much comprised in them. With the most weighty matters of religion, offered in several abridgments, as particular demonstrations of it. : A winter-sermon preached at Boston lecture 27.d. 9.m. 1712. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. ; [One line of quotation], Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

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Printed by B. Green, for Samuel Gerrish at his shop over against the South Meeting-House.,. Boston: :: 1712.. (Caption title: Much in a few words.)

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Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.