Ecclesia Monilia. The peculiar treasure of the Almighty King opened; and the jewels that are made up in it, exposed. At Boston lecture, July 14. 1726. Whereof one is more particularly exhibited, in the character of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, who was laid up a few days before. : And certain instruments and memorials of piety, written by that valuable & Honourable gentlewoman.

Ecclesia Monilia. The peculiar treasure of the Almighty King opened; and the jewels that are made up in it, exposed. At Boston lecture, July 14. 1726. Whereof one is more particularly exhibited, in the character of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, who was laid up a few days before. : And certain instruments and memorials of piety, written by that valuable & Honourable gentlewoman.

Table of contents

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Title page

A Rich Cabinet Opened.

A Few short Memorials of that Vertuous Woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton.

Some further Account of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton; From Another Hand.

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Dr. Mather's SERMON Upon the DEATH of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, July 14.1726.

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Ecclesiae Monilia.

THE PECULIAR TREASURE OF THE Almighty KING OPENED; And the JEWELS that are made up in it, EXPOSED. At BOSTON Lecture, July 14. 1726. Whereof ONE is more particularly Exhibited, in the Character of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, Who was Laid up a few Days before. And Certain Instruments and Memorials of PIETY, Written by that Valuable & Honourable GENTLEWOMAN.

BOSTON, Printed for Daniel Henchman, and Sold at his Shop in Cornhill over against the Brick Meeting House. 1726.

A Rich Cabinet Opened.

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MALACHI III. 17.

They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that Day, when I make up my Jewels.

AND may We, Poor, Mean, Vile Bits of Clay, hope to be chang'd into, and found among, these Radiant Jewels? Lord, make us Thine, and we shall be so!

THE Prophetic Spirit in the Conclusion of the Old Testament foretells four hundred Years before they were accomplished, the Things that were to occur at the Beginning of the New. He foretells the coming of the REDEEMER, and of His Harbinger; and the Frame and the Fate of the People, at the Time when these Illustrious Predictions, were to have their Accomplishment. There would be a wicked People, who should be but Stubble in the Day of Burning Wrath, which would come from GOD upon the Jewish Nation. Unto these GOD would leave neither Root nor [Page]Branch; They were to be rejected of GOD; and they that should be left of them, would be standing Monuments of the Divine Vengeance for the Admonition of the Gentiles. But there would be also a Godly People; who would studiously animate and establish One another, in the Faith of their only SAVIOUR. Of these it is foretold, They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in the Day when I make up my Jewels. None but They shall now be owned by the GOD of Heaven, for True Israelites; They, and the Gentiles associated with them, who should now take the place of the abdicated Jews in the Kingdom of GOD, and be a Surrogate Israel. These the Glorious GOD, would now wonderfully distinguish with His Favour: They should be of as much Regard with Him, as any Jewels can be to the owner of them.

THE DOCTRINE whereto I demand your Attention, is This.

THE Children of GOD, are the Jewels of GOD; And there will be a Day, when GOD our SAVIOUR will do That for His Children, which will be a making up of His Jewels.

IT was a very Instructive Action in a Roman Lady; who, when her Friends Visiting of her, desired her to show them her Jewels, as they [Page]had successively, each in their Turn, Shown her Theirs, brought in her Well-educated Children, and said, If you would see my Jewels, These are They! I have no Jewels comparable unto These? But, How much more Instructively, and with an how much more grateful Entertainment, are the Regenerated Children of GOD now to be brought forth, and have this Declaration made concerning them; These are the Jewels of GOD: When GOD shall make up His Jewels, these will be among them.

I. WE will Enquire, first. On what Accounts it is, that the Children of GOD are to be look'd upon, as the Jewels of the Glorious LORD.

NOW, In general, The Children of GOD, are to Him, what a Valuable Treasure is to the Children of Men. When King Solomon had furnished himself with a store of Jewels, he said, Eccl. II. 8. I gathered me the peculiar Treasure of Kings. In the Wealth of King Hezekiah, we find this Article; 1 Chron. XXXII. 27. He, made himself Treasuries for precious stones, and for all manner of pleasant Jewels. The Children of GOD, are to Him, a much more Valuable Treasure, than those Jewels were to the Kings of the East The Great King whose Name is Venerable, sets a Value on His Children, and they are as a Treasure to Him. Lord, What is Man that thou dost so magnify him! The Hebrew Word, Segullah, which is here translated Jewels, carries a peculiar Treasure, [Page]in the Signification of it. It leads us to the Promise which the Glorious GOD made unto His People; Exod. XIX. 5. If ye will indeed obey my Voice, ye shall be a peculiar Treasure unto me, above all People. There is an Israel, of which we are told Psal. CXXXV. 4. The Lord hath chosen Israel for His peculiar Treasure. All that Fear GOD and work Righteousness in every Nation, are the Israel of GOD. All that Walk according to the Rule which is given us in the Gospel of GOD, are the Israel of GOD. We that are afar off, and the Children of such as were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, yea, though we should be the Children of Ethiopians, yet, if we worship GOD in the Spirit, and Rejoyce in CHRIST JESUS, we are of as much Account with GOD as they that of old had Confidence in the Flesh, and we are the genuine Children of Israel. Of whatever Nation we are, if we Live unto GOD, and Live by the Faith of the Son of GOD, we are Israelites indeed. The Glorious GOD owns us for His Children; and we are His peculiar Treasure. 'Tis but a Translation of the Segullah, which we render Jewels, that the People of GOD, even all the Redeemed of the Lord, and the Believers & Followers of the Great REDEEMER, are called, Tit. II. 14. A Peculiar Treasure.

MY Friends, Let the Fear of the Lord be our Treasure, and let us count our selves Rich, yea, the Rich Heirs of all things, in having the Glorious GOD and His CHRIST, for our [Page] Portion. Then our GOD will make us His Treasure, and we shall be more to Him, than a whole World left lying in Wickedness.

BUT we will proceed more particularly to consider, the Accounts on which these XEIMHAIA as we may call them, of GOD our SAVIOUR, may be call'd, The Jewels of the Glorious Lord.

First. THE Children of GOD, How Dear, How Dear, unto Him are they? No Prince can set such a Price upon His Jewels, as the Glorious GOD sets upon His Children. He says of them, They are the dearly beloved of my Soul. He says to them, I have loved thee with an everlasting Love. About this Cabinet of Jewels, we find Him saying, Isai. XLIII. 4. Thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been Honourable; and I have loved thee; Therefore will I give Men for thee, and People for thy Life. So precious are these Jewels, to the Glorious GOD, that He will Destroy every thing that stands in the way of the Good which He has to do for them. So precious are they, that in Times of common Desolation, He sets a Mark upon them for their Signal Preservation. So precious are they, that He gives His Angels charge over them, and commits them to the Ministring Spirits, with a command unto them, to take these Heirs of Salvation into their Custody. Yea, the Highest among those who Ride upon the High places of the Earth, altho' they should [Page]he those who wear cloth of Gold, all studded with Jewels, are not of such precious Esteem with the Glorious GOD, as His Children that Chuse the things that please Him, though they make never so mean an Appearance, and are the poor People in Vile Raiment, whom the Proud Ones of the Earth, would have to sit under their Footstool. Indeed, They have nothing in and of themselves to recommend them unto a precious Esteem with GOD. If GOD have any Esteem for them, 'Tis even so, Father, because it pleases thee! The only Reason of the Esteem which the Glorious GOD has for any, is that Reason of all Reasons, His Good Pleasure; which says, I loved thee, because I loved thee. And it must be said, as it is, in Ezek. XVI. 11, 12, 14. I decked thee with Ornaments, and I put a Jewel on thy Forchead; it was my comeliness which I put upon thee, faith the Lord GOD. Even so; O Child of GOD, If thou art made a Jewel, 'tis from the Comeliness which the Lord GOD Himself has given to thee.

Secondly. THE Children of GOD, How much Better are they, than the common Children of Men, that are no more than so? Verily, as much Better, as Jewels are better than the common Stones of the Street, and of the Field! He was a competent Judge, who said of such; Psal. XVI. 3. They are the Saints in the Earth, and the Excellent in whom is all my Delight. This Excellent Man had a Son, who [Page]espoused his Fathers Maxims, and has left this unto us; Prov. XII. 26. The Righteous is more Excellent than his Neighbour. They are Desireable Ones: A Change of their Nature has made them so. The Love of GOD and of their Neighbour coming to reign in them, has made them so. These Renewed Ones, by a Sanctifying Work of GOD upon them, come to be Persons of an Excellent Spirit. Yea, If Wisdom excelleth Folly, as far as Light excelleth Darkness, then these Children of Light are more Excellent than they who walk in Darkness. Their Principles are Excellent Principles, and their Practices are Excellent Practices. There are Engravings upon these Jewels; The Image of GOD is Engraved upon them. There is a Worth in them. The Wicked who are little Worth, may truly say to the least of these, Thou art worth Ten Thousand of us. Indeed, they study to Do Good; while the Wicked are but so many Hinder goods. They are the Jewels of the Societies they belong unto; inasmuch as they study to be Blessings unto the Societies. They Exalt the City that has them in it. All that are concerned in them, fare the Better for them. They are called, Profitable Ones. If there were nothing else, yet the very Prayers of these Humble Ones, help to fetch down Blessings on all about them: When the Children of the Wicked One, only pull down Judgments on the Neighbourhood.

[Page] Thirdly. THEY Shine! The Children of GOD have a singular Lustre in them. These Jewe's have a sparkling Beauty in them. Their Wisdom causes their Faces to shine; Their Wisdom gives an Ornament of Grace unto them. GOD is Light; and they have so much of GOD in them, that it may be said of them, Truly, The Light in them is sweet. Yea, it has been said, Phil. II. 15. Ye shine as Lights in the World. No sooner did they turn to GOD, but there was that Voice of Heaven over them, Arise and shine; for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee. Henceforward, they become Lights; Yea, not only Shining but Burning Lights, and such as are to be Rejoyced in. Being Illuminated of GOD, they become the Guides of the Blind, the Lights of them that are in Darkness, the Instructors of the Foolish. They are so Enlightned from the Sun of Righteousness, that GOD shines in them. And their Instruction, and their Example, is for the Enlightening of those that behold them. Their Path is as the shining Light. Of those whom our Lord makes the Teachers of others, we read, Rev. I. 16. He had in His Right Hand seven Stars. Jewels are not unlike to Stars, for their Brightness; and Writers often use the Name of the one for the other. To have Stars in the Hand, is the fame as to have Jewels that are set in Rings on the Hand. Our Lord makes His Faithful Servants to be Jewels, like Stars in His Hand; When He makes them Teachers, [Page]and Light is from Him Communicated by them. Yea, Even with Luminous and Ethereal Bodies bestowed upon them, they shall one Day Shine as the Brightness of the Firmament, and as the Stars forever and ever.

Fourthly. YEA, more than so. The Children of GOD are what the SON of GOD Himself, wears as His Ornaments. He shows them for such, and with Pleasure says, Behold, The Children which GOD has given me! They are the Jewels which our SAVIOUR is not only Arrayed, but even reckons Himself Adorned withal. They are so, when they Adorn the Doctrine of GOD our SAVIOUR in all things. These are they to whom our GOD says; Isai. LXII. 3. Thou shalt be a Crown of Glory in the Hand of the Lord, and a Royal Diadem in the Hond of thy GOD. They may indeed be called, Jewels of the Crown. Our Glorious Lord, uses them for His Crown; and makes His more than Royal Diadem to glitter with them. When our SAVIOUR says, The Righteous shall compass me about; it may be read, The Righteous shall be a Crown unto me. We find this astonishing Dignity put upon some, who were eminent for Holiness, and Watchfulness, and Usefulness; 2 Cor. VIII. 23. They were the Glory of CHRIST. Our Great SAVIOUR Exhibits His Chosen and Called Ones, with the effects of His Grace upon them, and says, This is the People whom I have thus formed for my self; They shew forth [Page]my Praise! When they have such a Mind, and such a Walk, as He had; and when He has prepared them in every good Work to do the Will of GOD, and wrought in them what is wellpleasing in the sight of GOD, & has Forgiven their Iniquities, & Relieved their Infirmities, and Crowned them with His Kindnesses, Now, Helooks on them as a Glory to Him. So He produced a Job of old, as one of His Jewels; & said, Hast thou considered him? Consider what a Perfect and Upright Man, there is of my making in him! And so, when He descends from Heaven, with such as will have His Work finished on them, He will then be Glorified in His Saints, and admired in all them that believe. The King of Tyrus, being surrounded with Jewels, and having every precious Stone for his covering, has his Glory so described unto us; Thou wast upon the Holy Mountain of GOD; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of Fire. Our Blessed JESUS, being surrounded with such as Delight in Him, and such as Derive the Beauties of Holiness from Him, has every precious stone for a covering; and He walks up and down in the midst of the stones of Fire. And He so displays His Glory from the Holy Mountain of GOD unto us.

Fifthly. AND will He suffer any of them to be lost? No, He does Prize them too much for That; They have Cost Him too much for That. The Children of GOD shall be as [Page]much look'd after, as if they were His Jewels. GOD the FATHER has betrusted our SAVIOUR with His Children as His Jewels: And our SAVIOUR says, John X. 27. They shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand. All the Attempts of Hell, to ruin the Children of GOD, or to rob Him of His Jewels, or break the Jewels to pieces, will all come to nothing. Our SAVIOUR will keep a strict Eye upon them, and for any to touch them, will be to Touch the Apple of His Eye. He has purchased them out of the Hands into which they had been forfeited: And not Silver, nor Gold, but His own precious Blood has been paid for them. They are called, His purchased Possession. Hereupon, He is continually polishing of them, and bringing them into the admirable Shape, in the Predestination of GOD intended for them. And, though they are an exceeding great Multitude, which no Man can Number, yet not one of them shall miscarry. He will anon present them all to His Eternal FATHER, with exceeding Joy; and in Terms like those; John XVII. 12. Those that thou bast given me I have kept; and not one of them is lost. Lost! No, They shall be made up. And in the Day of their being so, then, Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read; no one of these shall fail, or be wanting; The Spirit of the Lord shall gather them. The Meaning of this, is what remains to be Enquired into.

[Page] II. WE must Enquire, When and How it is, that the Glorious LORD will make up these Jewels.

Briefly; THERE is a Blessed Bundle of Life, whereof it was once foretold unto a very Bright one among the Jewels of GOD; 1 Sam. XXV. 29 The Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the Bundle of Life with the Lord thy GOD. When a Soul is brought into that Bundle, by being brought unto sincere PIETY, and so into the Life of GOD; And there shall be an Assembling of every such Soul, even, a bringing of them all together in the Enjoyment of Everlasting Life; This is the making up of the Jewels.

THE First Thing to be affirmed, is, That our Glorious LORD makes up His Jewels, when He makes them Jewels. What we read, I make up my Jewels, may be read, I am the Maker of my Jewels. 'Tis verily so; GOD our SAVIOUR, may say of all His Jewels, what is in Isai. LX. 21. They are the Work of my Hands, that I may be glorified. The Children of GOD, are no better than sorry Pebble Stones, till His Good SPIRIT Enter them, and Refine them, and Sublimate them, and make New Creatures of them. That which makes Jewels of them, is This; Eph. II. 10. We are the Workmanship of GOD, created in CHRIST JESUS unto good Works. Learned and Curious Things have been written by Philosophers, about, The Origin of Gems. But the true Origin of these [Page] Jewels, is a marvellous Work of GOD upon a miserable Soul, Transforming of it; and the imprinting His Image upon it, from Glory to Glory. And there is a making up of the Jewels, in His thus making of them to be what now they are; and so making a Seizure on them. There is an Eternal Purpose of Election, in which it is decreed, That such a Number of Jewels is to be the Peculiar Treasure of GOD; and that such and such Persons are to make up the Number. In the Fulness of Time for it, Every Sinner converted from the Error of his way, is brought into the Possession of GOD, and actually logded among his Jewels. On every Repenting Sinner, there is this Joy in Heaven, [Oh! wilt thou make it, O Gospellized Soul, upon thy being told so!] Lo, A New Accession to the Number of Jewels, with which Heaven is to be Irradiated!

BUT then, Secondly. 'TIS to be further expected, That the Final, and more perfect and compleat making up of the Jewels, will be, in the Day, when our Glorious LORD will have his Jewels to be all together with Him, where He is, that they may behold His Glory. We read 2 Thes. II. 1. Concerning the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and our gathering together unto Him. Our gathering together unto our Lord JESUS CHRIST, will be His making up of His Jewels. It is in the Heavenly World, in the Future World, that the Children of GOD will [Page]have those Things done for them, which will make up His Jewels for Him. The Jewels have continually something done towards the Making of them up, and the Spirits of the Faithful are, upon their Expiration, fetch'd away into the Paradise of GOD. While the Jewels are here below, they are in the Jewellers Shop, where they are Grinding, and Cleansing, and Fitting, that they may be made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. The Glorious LORD fetches them away, One after another, in what He will have to be the most proper Season for it. And as these are Taking up, He is therein making up the Jewels, which He will bring with Him, when He comes to the Raising of the Dead. After the Resurrection of the Dead, we shall see that wondrous Thing; Heb. XII. The General Assembly of the First-born, which are enrolled in Heaven, and the Spirits of just Men made perfect. The Day when the General Assembly of the First born, shall be brought all together, and the Departed and Separate Spirits of the Just shall be made Perfect, in the Bodies designed for them; This, This will be the Day in which the Glorious LORD will make up His Jewels. There will then be seen the Strong City of GOD, in which he will shew His Marvellous Kindness unto His Jewels. Oh! That in the Visions of GOD, we may be now carried away, to a Great and High Mountain, where we may see that Great City, the Holy Jerusalem! Christians, Take a View of [Page]the dazzling and charming Spectacle! It has the Glory of GOD in it; and its Light is like unto a Stone most precious: And the Foundations of the Wall of the City, are garnished with all manner of precious Stones. The Glorious LORD will make up His Jewels, by bringing them all into that Holy City, and there filling them with all the fulness of GOD, and causing them to shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father; and GOD shall be All in All unto them.

¶ WE may now at length Enquire, What IMPROVEMENT we are to make of these Things.

AND here, One might indeed propose, What Usage the Children of GOD should of Right meet withal; What Respect is due to the Children of GOD, from a World, which, alas, Knows them not. Certainly, If the Glorious GOD looks upon them as His Jewels, the People among whom they sojourn, should not Mal-treat them, and look on them as their Burdens or their Blemishes. No, They really are the Jewels of the Places wherein they are Pilgrims: And all the Citizens of Zion must count them so; Yea, of such an One we read, Psal. XV. 4. He honours them that Fear the Lord. They that have the Fear of GOD conspicuous in them, and labour to Abstain from all Appearance of Evil, and contrive as they have Opportunity to do good unto all; What are these but the Jewels of the Places where they live? The [Page]People there should honour these, as their Glory, yea, and their Defence,: Not Persecute them with Indignities, and Malignities; Not shut them out, as our Foolish Nation does at this Day many of them, from Capacities to do Good Offices for them. And when these Righteous and Merciful Ones are taken away by Death; and these Godly Ones do cease, and the Faithful fail from among the Children of Men, the People should lay to heart every such Death, and lament it as having their Jewels therein taken from them; Yea, they should speak of such in their Lamentations many Days! But this Advice will be little entertained, by any but such as are also come into the Number and the Temper of the Jewels; For, He that is Right in the way, is an Abomination unto the Wicked!

HOWEVER, To be a little Even with the Wicked, before we leave them; It might be proposed, That a just Contempt may be cast upon those Wicked Ones, whose Transgression says, There is no Fear of GOD before their Eyes. This also is a Character, by which the Citizens of Zion are discovered; A Vile Person is contemned in the Eyes of such an One. Every One who evidently Hates GOD, and Wrongs His Neighbour, is a Vile Person. There is One, who has at this Day more Vassals than any Monarch upon Earth, but one whom the Book of GOD calls, A Vile Person. The Vicar of the Devil at Rome, is that Vile Person. Every Despiser [Page]of GOD, and of Right, is worthy to be Despised: and should be Despicable in our Eyes; The Glorious GOD says, They who despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. Indeed, There are decent Civilities, wherewith we are to Honour all Men, according to the Stations wherein GOD has placed them. The Rules of Good Manners are to be observed with us, towards all that we converse withal. But yet we must preserve in our Mind a Religious Distaste and a Reasonable Disdain for those who declare their Sin as Sodom, and by notorious Impieties proclaim themselves the Seed of the Serpent. These Vipers, let us Trample on them! It is among the Proverbs of Israel, Prov. XXVI. 8. As he that casteth a precious Stone into an heap of Stones, so is he that giveth Honour to a Fool. When Malefactors were Executed, they laid an Heap of Stones on their Graves, and they that passed by usually cast a Stone upon the Heap. Would One throw a precious Stone on such an Heap? There are Impious Ones, worthy to be deem'd Malefactors, who are so far from Jewels, that if they have any Jewels, they are only Jewels in the Snouts of Swine; Even the Harlot in the Revelation, has her Jewels.—But for us to give Honour unto such Fools, and regard-them as we would Jewels: 'Tis as bad as casting a precious Stone, into an Heap of Stones. Good Men, and the Children of GOD, may before they are aware, carry their Complements too far, in falling before the Wicked; [Page]and GOD may chastise them for their Error in it. —

BUT the main Thing to be press'd upon us, is; To press after, to make out for, to make sure of, this Incomparable Felicity; That we may be found among the Jewels of GOD, in the Day when He shall make up His Jewels.

IT is foretold, as the Glory of the Church in the latter Days; Isai. LIV. 11, 12. I will lay thy Foundations with Saphires; and I will make thy Windows of Agates, and thy Gates of Carbuncles, and all thy Borders of pleasant Stones. Oh! That we who belong to this Church, may have our share in this Glory; and that we may be pleasant Stones in the Temple of our GOD.

THE First Thing which we are therefore to be directed to, is; Let us become the Lord's; By a most Voluntary and Immediate Resignation and Consecration of our selves unto Him, let us become the Lord's. They shall be mine, saith the Lord. And That secures their being made up among His Jewels. GOD our SAVIOUR makes His most Gracious Overtures unto us all; Wilt thou be Mine? Art thou willing to be comprehended in the Covenant of Life, which I have made for my People? Art thou willing to be taken under my Conduct; willing that my Sacrifice and my Righteousness procure thy being Forgiven and Accepted of GOD! Willing that my SPIRIT should rectify all [...] out of Order in[Page]thee, & bring thee to be all that I would have thee to be? O Soul-moving Overtures! O Heart-melting Overtures! Let thy Answer to these Overtures be That; Psal. CXIX. 94. Lord, I am Thine, Save me! The Glorious LORD will now own thee for One of His Jewels. And as the High Priest of old, had Jewels on his Breast-plate, whereon the Tribes of Israel had their Names Engraved: Thou art one of those, whose Names are Engraven on the Breast plate of thy SAVIOUR; He sets thee as a Seal upon His Arm. Thou art with Him, and on Him, and in Him, and as One of His Jewels, when He does as the High Priest of His People, Enter within the Vail, with an Intercession that saves to the Uttermost.

THE Second Thing whereto we are to be directed, is This; Let us Have Jewels, and we shall Be Jewels. Let us obtain as much as we can of those things, which are the most Inestimable Jewels. You shall now be pointed unto some Inestimable Jewels; whereof you are to be advised, let not such sorry Barley-Corns, as the best Things of this World, be, (as in the Ancient Parable) preferr'd with you, before such Inestimable Jewels.

First. WHAT Think you of a Glorious CHRIST? Verily, A CHRIST, A CHRIST, is what you read; Mat. XIII. 46. A Pearl of Great Price. An Union with a CHRIST: Oh! [Page]No such Pearl as That; An Interest in a CHRIST; A Dying Hour will teach you to Value it above a Thousand Worlds, if you do not so before. Well; This Glorious CHRIST now offers Himself unto you all; He says, I am willing to be Thine. Oh! Thankfully, Heartily, Presently embrace the Offer, and say, I have Unsearchable Riches for mine, if I have Thee for mine, O my SAVIOUR. We read; Prov. XVII. 8. A precious Stone, whithersoever it turns, it prospers. What? Shall such a precious Stone as This be tendered, and shall it not prosper, and make its way, and find Reception, whithersoever it is tendered? O Criminal Stupidity! O Prodigious Ingratitude!

AGAIN; What think you of those Things, which are called, The Fruits of the Spirit! When we read of, Pure Religion and Undefiled, it is an Allusion to a Jewel, that first is no Counterfeit, and then has no Flaws in it. Let us become full of Pure and Undefiled Religion, and we shall have with us a Jewel, which there can be no Exception to. But Lo, It will transform us into itself; We shall by it be rendred such. A Disposition to Walk with GOD, in all the Exercises of Evangelical Obedience: What are these Graces, but so many Jewels? The Soul that has them, is the Kings Daughter, all Glorious within, from the Splendour of them. The Clothing which covers the Joints or Limbs of such a Soul, is like Jewels, [Page]the Work of the Hands of a Cunning Workman. Here are those Things, which cannot be valued with the precious Onyx and the Sapphires; The Price is above Rubies; The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal them. They are, as we are told, 1 Pet. III. 4. Ornaments of great Price in the sight of GOD. Now, Come to your SAVIOUR for these Graces. Come to Him, Of whose Fulness with them you shall receive. Come to Him, on that Encouragement, If any lack Wisdom, let him ask, and it shall be given him: The Jewels are to be had for Asking for.

ONCE more; What Think you of the Promises, in the Word of GOD? The Good Words provided for the Hearts that are stooping with Heaviness? How can you reckon them any other than so many Jewels? The Value of every One among those Glittering and Peerless Consolations of GOD; Oh! 'Tis beyond all Computation! Whole Rocks of Diamonds are not worth so much as one of these Jewels. We are told, 2 Pet. I. 4. They are exceeding Great and Precious Promises. Now lay hold on these Comforts. The Jewels become your own, upon your laying hold on them. Take them, and you Have them.

Finally; WHATEVER you attain unto, yet never be Jewels in your own Eyes. Ly always in the Dust. Yea, Be not Impatient, if Man as well as GOD lay you in the Dust, and if you see your selves Despised and Rejected of Men. See nothing Valuable in your [Page]selves; But forever say as one of the most fulgent Jewels did; Job XL. 4. And, XLII. 6. Behold, I am Vile; I abhor my self, and repent in Dust and Ashes. Indeed, thou hast a Soul, O Man, a Soul which thou shouldest always esteem as a Jewel too precious to be thrown away. But, for Thy self, Oh! Let not thy Heart be vainly lifted up, for any thing that GOD may do for thee, and by thee.

¶ WHILE I am speaking these Things I call to Mind, that upon the Death of an Excellent Gentlewoman, in the Primitive Church, there was that Expression used; Ex Annulo Ecclesiae Monile Perdidimus: The Ring of the Church has dropt a Jewel that belonged unto it.

AND this draws on a Remark, That thro' the Marvellous Kindness of GOD shown unto this Part of His Holy City, Poor NEW ENGLAND notwithstanding all our Deficiencies and Miscarriages, and very abasing Circumstances, has had His Jewels brightening of it, in as good a Proportion, as perhaps any Region, on the Face of an Earth covered with a Flood of Ignorance and Wickedness. Yea, such the Number of them, that the Adversaries of this poor People, and they that go to Abuse them, and Oppress them, or Damnify that Work of GOD which is continually producing the Precious Stones of Zion among them; Alas, They Know not what they do! The Milstone which [Page]our SAVIOUR has told them of, would not be more uneasy than the Doom to which they Expose themselves. But how great a Proportion the Female Sex has afforded of these, is a Thing to be particularly considered, for the Glory of the REDEEMER, Born of a Woman, who has Glorified His Grace, in what they have received from Him. These have not only been the Grandmothers of all the Good that has been done; and oftentimes, the Instructors that have Qualified and Instigated their Offspring to do it; but also been the Instances of much Good, and the more Immediate and very Notable Doers themselves, of more than a little. The Handmaids of the Lord, who bore their part in the First Planting of this Wilderness, ought forever to have their share in the Memory of the Just, for their Virtues. And how many of their Daughters, have like them, Done Virtuously! — The Handmaids of the Lord, who have had their Souls betimes Espoused unto their SAVIOUR; and Lived by the Faith of the SON of GOD; and had their Lives filled with the Religion of the Closet, and the Devotion of the Temple; and studied how to be Blessings in all Relations; and been Prayerful, Patient, Humble Cross-bearers; and have at last gone away Triumphing over the King of Terrors, and Rejoycing in the Hope of the Glory of GOD.

[Page] AMONG These, there appears a very particular Commemoration due, [Mrs. ELIZABETH COTTON.] to a Valuable & Honourable GENTLEWOMAN, lately retired from us into the Chambers of the Blessed: ONE Descended of a Family, [that of SALTONSTAL] that has for now Four Generations, made a Figure among us; And a Genuine SISTER, to the late most accomplished and never-to-be-forgotten GOVERNOUR of Connecticut, as well as many Years the Consort, and then for some Years the Widow of a worthy Minister, who for some time did worthily in Israel. Her Early PIETY; [which began to show itself at Thirteen Years of Age, but arrived unto a more Confirmed State in an Assurance of an Espousal to Her SAVIOUR, when she was first a Widow forsaken in Youth, by the Praemature Death of a most Hopeful Young Minister, of whom the Bereaved and Sorrowful Flock in Ipswich, had said, This same shall Comfort us!] The Uncommon Prudence of her O Economy; The Large Number of Well-Educated Children, that she has presented unto the Public; whereof this Happy Mother in Israel, had the Consolation to see several become Well-Esteemed Pastors of Churches; The Generous Assistences that she often gave to the Neighbours in their various Afflictions; The Resish that she had for the Enjoyments in the House of her GOD; And indeed her whole Behaviour; [Page]has bespoke a grateful Remembrance of her, and a Name in the Enumeration of those whom our GOD, when he shall make up His Jewels will doubtless allow a place unto.

I have spoke Nothing, but what I am satisfied, All the City of my People do think, that it is True, and that I have done well to speak it.

THERE are several short Monuments of her Pen, wherein she has Written Excellent Things: and what in a more Public View would be highly Serviceable to the cause of PIETY.

THERE is one of them so expressive and so Instructive, that it may well pass for the Best part of my Sermon, if I now give to you all, and particularly the Daughters of our Zion, the Benefit of hearing it Read unto you. Tis the Instrument of her Marriage to her SAVIOUR, which when she was a very Young Woman, she thus Composed;

[LORD, I am Thine, and All that I have; my Soul, my Body, my Name, my Estate: I send a Bill of Divorce to my other Lovers; I give my Heart to thee; I will be Thine Undividedly, Thine Everlastingly: I will set thy Name on all I have, and use it only as thy Goods; as thy Loan during thy Leave; Resigning all to thee. I will have no King but Thee; Reign Thou over me; Other Lords [Page]have had Dominion over me, but now I will make mention of Thy Name only, and I do here take an Oath of Fealty to Thee, Promising and Vowing to Serve and Love and Fear Thee, above all Competitors. I Disavow my own Righteousness, and I despair of ever being Pardoned and Saved for my own Duties and Graces, and lean only on thine Alsufficient Sacrifice and Intercession, for Pardon and Life and Acceptance before GOD I take thee for my only Guide and Instructor; Resolving to be Led and Directed by thee, and to wait for thy Counsel.

COME, Thou SPIRIT of the most High; Here is an House for Thee; Here is a Temple for Thee; Here do Thou Rest for ever; Dwell Here, and Rest Here. Lo, I give up the Possession to Thee; full Possession I send Thee the Keys of my Heart; that all may be for thy Use; that thou mayst put thy Goods, thy Grace, into every Room. I give up the Use of all to thee, that every Faculty & every Member, may be Thine Instrument, to Work Righteousness, and do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven.]

BUT no more at present.

MUCH in a little is best on these Occasions. And having thus given it, [being also in the midst of Lamentations.] I will conclude with [Page]a Text of the Lamentations: and leave it as one of the Admonitions all are concerned in. It is mentioned as a Lamentable Thing; Lam. IV. 1, 7, 8. The Stones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street; The Nozarites that were brighter in Body than Pearls, their polishing was of Saphire; Their Visage is blacker than a Coal. It will be a much more lamentable Thing, if after all that has been said, there should be any of us not willing to be the Stones of the Sanctuary, but chuse to be Blacker than a Coal under the Inquinations of Sin and Hell, rather than to be the Jewels of GOD, and the Nazarites of the Lord.

A Few short Memorials of that Vertuous Woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton.

[Page]

MRS. ELIZABETH COTTON was only Daughter to the late Honourable Colonel Nathanael Saltonstall, and Sister to the late Honourable Gurdon Saltonstall Esq; the Memorable Governour of Connecticut.

SHE was born September 15. 1668. She was Marryed first unto Mr. John Denison, a Young Gentleman of Uncommon Accomplishments and Expectations; of whom the Church of Ipswich hoped, Under his shadow we shall sit many Years! and he was a Pastor to them, of whose Fruit they tasted with an Uncommon satisfaction. By him She had the late Col. John Denison. But became his Disconsolate Widow in the Year 1689.

SHE was after this Married unto Mr. Roland Cotton the Faithful Minister of Sandwich, who [Page]Died in the beginning of the Year 1722. By whom she has Ten Children left Surviving (Five of them Sons) who with Hearts full of Sorrow, and calling her Blessed, followed her unto the Grave in Boston; where she was found Prepared and Ripened for the Heavenly World; on July 9. 1726.

WHEN Dorcas was Dead they produced the Effects of her Needle, as Testimonies for her.

On the Death of this Gentlewoman we will produce Two or Three Effects of her Pen, which we will single out from others, because of a singular Adaptation in them to serve some Designs of PIETY which are of much more Concern to us, than the Praises of the Deceased. And in so doing, though we do not what Peter did for Dorcas, after her Expiration, yet we shall in some sort present her Alive unto the People of GOD, and still in some Degree have her with us.

I. IT may be of considerable Use, especially unto our Young People, and most of all unto those of the Female Sex; to Read what she wrote of, Reflections on the State of her Soul, when she was but Thirteen Years of Age.

IT has pleased GOD by the Striving of his SPIRIT on my Heart (which I a long [Page]time neglected) to put me upon serious Consideration, of the Certainty of Death, the Uncertainty of Life, the Instability and Insufficiency of any of these Creature Enjoyments, the Excellency of the New Birth, and of CHRIST JESUS who so freely offered Himself a Sacrifice for Sin, the Unavoidableness of appearing before the Just Judge of the whole World at the Great and Last Day; The Endless Joy of such who in this Life do make sure to themselves an Interest in CHRIST; the Everlasting Duration of the Wicked in that Torment which is ineffable and intollerable.

THESE Considerations put me on an Enquiry, (with the Jaylor) What shall I do to be Saved? Where I found an Answer ready; Believe on the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be Saved. But I found an impotency in in my self to believe, to repent, to pray, to do any good Thing after a right manner. Sometimes when I was Ruminating on such things as these, I thought it my Duty to ask, If I ever intended to receive; for to such is given a Promise, Matth. 7.7. Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and ye shall find. I was convinced that it was my Duty to pray. But I knew not how to perform this Duty; and was many times discouraged therein, by thinking on such like Texts of Scripture as these. The Prayer of the Wicked is an Abomination[Page]to the Lord —. And, What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy Mouth? I I do verily think and fear, my present Condition is such, that I am as yet alienated and estranged from GOD and His Ways. I take no Delight in doing his Will, and yet go on to Omit known Duties and commit manifest Sins. When I pray, it is but in a cold formal Manner; and though I am thoroughly convinced of the Indispensible Necessity of Regeneration and an Interest in CHRIST, and the Pardon of Sin; and also the readiness of GOD to grant it to them that desire it; Yet such is the backwardness of my Heart, that I am not willing to forsake Sin, though by foregoing the same I obtain everlasting Salvation, and by retaining it I incur Eternal Damnation. Much Comfort I have received from many Places of Scripture of late; In particular these; Isaiah. 1.17, 18. And 43.25. Ezek. 16.6, 8, 9. And 36.26, 27.

I have had many thoughts concerning my future State and Condition; but not so many (I fear) as to put me upon the Practice of the Apostle's Advice, of working out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling; but I do yet continue in a State of Nature, in a Graceless Condition, and in such a State, that if the Judge of the whole World should Summon me this Night to appear before him, I should perish for Ever. So that sometimes when I [Page]seriously consider of these things, The Immortality of my Soul, Eternity, The last Judgment, and the Nature of the Judge, His Justice, Omniscience, Power; I know not which way to turn my self. Then whilst I am in this frame of Spirit (which is not long, for this Zeal is but Temporary and Transient) I put serious Questions to my Soul; such as these.

O Immortal Soul! How canst thou sleep this Night, or take any Repose, whilst thou art in such a perishing State? If thou shouldast be called for this Night, what wouldst thou do? Where wouldest thou appear? Is this thy Condition? Art thou an Heir of Hell? Ah Woful State! Fly then to the Lord JESUS CHRIST for His Mercy! But, Oh, My Fears! That Rock on which I fear most to be dash'd, is, Not Despair, and despondency (as I do think) For I hope by divine Assistance (without which I shall run into all manner of Evils) I shall not fall into Despair; for hi herto I have found no Propensity that way; I am fully convinc'd of the All-sufficiency of GOD, his being able to Save me, and to Pardon my Sins. And as I am convinced of his being able, so also am I of his being willing to Save. For he is a Gracious, Merciful, Tender hearted GOD. He is willing to save all that come to Him by Faith in Christ. But this is that [Page]Rock on which I fear I shall suffer Shipwreck; Carnal Security.

I find this Repentance to be an hard Work; A difficult Work! I must part with Bosom Sins, and a Right Eye, and a Right Hand, if I will be a Disciple of Christ.

I must take up a Cross, follow a Naked Christ, hate Father and Mother; These things make Repentance so repugnant to Flesh and Blood, that I daily say, though not in Word, yet Practically, and by my Actions, that I will sit at Ease in this Life, though I perish for Ever hereafter, rather than take the Pains to Repent. Lord, help me out of this Wosul State!

THE Consideration of the Brevity of Life, the Certainty of Death, and after that of the Judgment, and of Eternity, I upon this thought Solomon's Counsel to be the best that could be given, Eccl. 12.1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, and Health, before the Evil Days of old Age and Death do come.

I have too too much cause to fear, that if I should be taken away by Sudden Death (which I pray GOD prevent while I continue in a State of Nature) I should be Eternally separated from the Presence of GOD, which is the sorest Punishment that can be inflicted on any Creature. Sometimes [Page]when I hear a Sermon, I receive it with Joy, and Purpose Amendment of Life; and when I am in Fear or Danger I Vow and promise to GOD. But when I am delivered I make no Conscience to perform; so that I fear my self to be worse than the Stony Ground; for that kept the Seed of the Word, till Persecution arose; but I forsake it for such and such a sinful Vanity, and hazard Eternal Damnation rather than leave my Sensualities, (for which Sins the Lord humble me!) And so, when I come to GOD's House my mind is not so much on the Word Preached as it should be. I take not that delight in Reading the Scripture, nor make that Conscience of doing it daily as I ought to do, or should do, were I a Child of GOD. I am too negligent in that Duty of Private Prayer; and when I do go to GOD in secret, it is but in a Cold, Formal Manner. I am also too much addicted to Vain Thoughts and Words. But notwithstanding all this, in Reading the Scriptures, I find some Gracious Invitations to Sinners, Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour, and I will give you Rest. Isaiah 55.1. Ho every one that Thirsteth, come, buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price. But I thought, these Promises did not belong to me; for though I had a great weight of Sin, yet I was not weary thereof, I was without Sense of it; I thirsted not after an Interest in Christ. But then I [Page]thought there were Promises and Invitations against which I could bring no Objection; as Matth. 7.7. Seek and ye shall find, Knock, &c. And Rev. 22.17. The Spirit and the Bride say, come, and whosoever will, let him come and take of the Waters of Life freely.

I am throughly convicted, that if I do my part towards the working out of my Salvation, GOD will not be wanting on His. But my Heart is so backward to any good, that I am not so willing as I should be to do any thing towards my Salvation.

II. WHEN she first became a Disconsolate Widow, which was about the Twenty first Year of her Age, that she might not go without the Consolations of GOD, she then more effectually settled her Espousal to her SAVIOUR.

SHE wrote several Instruments on that Occasion. And she set her hand unto a large Form of coming into the Covenant of the Glorious GOD. But we shall here insert only a few lines wherein she declares her Choice of her Portion.

‘LORD, I desire no other Portion but thee; take the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl whoso will! So I may have the light of thy Countenance. I pitch upon Thee for my Happiness. I gladly venture my self on Thee, and trust [Page]my self with Thee; I set my hopes in Thee; I take my Rest with Thee. Let me hear Thee say, I am thy GOD and thy Salvation, and I have enough; All I wish for! I will make no Terms with thee, but for Thy self. Let me but have Thee sure, let me be able to make my Claim and see my Title to Thy self; and for other things I leave them to Thee, give me more or less, any thing or nothing; I will be satisfyed in my GOD!’

III. THERE was nothing whereabout She express'd a greater Sollicitude than the good Education of her Children; and She had her Heart made glad by what Harvest She saw of her Cultivations.

PARTICULARLY, for her Sons at the Colledge where they have all been favoured with a Liberal Education, Her Soul was in a continual Travail, that she might see CHRIST formed in them.

SOME of her Maternal Counsels to these, may do good unto others. And the Copies of two short Letters to them, shall therefore be here inserted.

A Letter to a Son.

I Am glad by your Father to hear of your Welfare: be you Thankful for it [Page]every Day, and Pray for the continuance of it; but above all be concern'd for the Welfare of your Precious Soul. Put away every known Sin; set upon the Conscientious Performance of every known Duty; make Christ your Choice; Embrace him upon his Own Terms; deliver up your self Body and Soul to Him; give him your very Heart. Make Religion your very Business. These things do, and you shall be sure of a Friend in Heaven to take the care of you. You are gone far from me, but I send these Lines to call even thither after you; yea, not only to call but to cry in your Ears: O What is like to become of Your Soul! Where is that Immortal Soul of yours like to be lodged forever; amongst Devils or Angels, upon a Bed of Flames or in the Joys of Paradise? Dear Child, Go aside by your self in Secret, and say, Oh, my Soul, whither art thou going? What seekest thou? What design do I drive at? What is my chief care? Which way do I bend my course? Do I first seek the Kingdom of GOD and the righteousness thereof? Oh, Repent, and Live; lay hold on Eternal Life; Win Christ & you win All. Labour what ever you do for an Humble Heart; be little, be [Page] vile in your own Eyes. Many will entice you to Sin and Vanity; Oh! If you Love me or your own Soul, Look about you, consider your Danger; fear lest you should miscarry for ever, by Vain Sinful Company and Foolish Pastimes, which prove to so many the fearful cause of their Eternal Perdition. I can but Warn, you and Pray for you; but though you have none to oversee you, remember the strict & severe Eye of God is upon you, to observe all your Actions, and that he will surely bring all your Practices into his Judgment.

YOUR Father with my self, commend our Dear Love to you, and Commend you to the Lord; and I remain your Loving and Careful Mother. —

Another.

I Rejoyce to hear you are in health, and have behav'd your self so well in the place where you Live; Be Thankful to God for all the Favours you enjoy. Oh, beware that Evil Company doth not secretly Steal away your Heart from GOD. Consider, [Page]that whatever your Business be, you must and will have an Eating and a Sleeping time. Oh, be as Sollicitous every Day [...] keep your Praying Times, which are a thousand times more necessary than a time to Eat or Sleep in. Be sure that there doth not a Morning or Evening pass over your head in which you have not sought GOD by Solemn & Fervent Prayer. Your very Soul must be employed & Engaged in these Dutys, and the Life and Strength of your Affections be found to go after GOD in them. O Awaken your self with all Godly Fear and Holy Diligence, lest by any means you should come short of the Glory of GOD. Let this be your care, seek first the Kingdom of GOD & the Righteousness thereof, and then all these things shall be added. You have GOD's sure Promise for it. Oh, Make sure of Heaven betimes. Walk Humbly with GOD; beware of a Proud Heart, and a Lofty Spirit; abhor your self, else GOD will not be Pleased with you; condemn your self, that GOD may acquit you. Pride will render your Person, and Prayers and all an Abomination to the Lord, if it prevail in you. Be not high minded but Fear, and by Prayer & Watchfulness, restrain & root [Page]up this Wretched Corruption of Pride, which is a Sin so natural to you, that you had need to use great care and caution to keep it under.

THAT the God of your Life may preserve you Blameless and present you Faultless at the Great Day, shall be the Earnest Desire of your Affectionate Mother.

Some further Account of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton; From Another Hand.

[Page]

BOSTON. Saturday, July 9. 1726. Yesterday Morning deceased here, after a short illness of a Fever, and this Evening is decently interr'd, Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, only Daughter to the late Honourable Col. Nathanael Saltonstall Esq; of Haverhill, and Sister to the late Honourable Gurdon Saltonstall Esq; of Connecticut, Governour. She was born Sept. 15. 1668. First Married to the Rev. Mr. John Denison of Ipswich, who died in Sept. 1689. by whom she had the late Col. John Denison Esq; of the same Town: and then to the Rey. Mr. Roland Cotton of Sandwich, who died in March 1721, 2. by whom she has left Ten Children Surviving, and who followed her to her Grave. Upon the decease of the latter Consort, she removed with her Family to this Town, where she has liv'd and maintain'd [Page]her distinguishing Character to the Day of her Death.

SHE was known to be a Person of very superiour Wit, Knowledge and Virtue from her Youth up. She was of a very agreeable Presence, and every way accomplish'd to shine in the Station wherein Providence set her: She was the Honour and Delight of her Husbands: and being endow'd with a very lively and active Spirit, and a rare Discretion, Her eminent virtue directed her to imploy them in a most exact and industrious care and government of her Household, and in a most ready assistance of her Neighbours in all their Difficulties, wherever she sojourned. Strict in the order of her Family, a great Enemy to Levity and Idleness, abounding in excellent Instructions to her Children, more concern'd to see them Good and Wise than Great in the World. She continually charm'd her Beholders with Wisdom, Piety, Diligence, Goodness and Usefulness in her lovely Example. The Character of the Virtuous Woman in the XXXI. of the Proverbs was in a most lively manner exemplified in Her.

FINIS.

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Title statement

Ecclesia Monilia. The peculiar treasure of the Almighty King opened; and the jewels that are made up in it, exposed. At Boston lecture, July 14. 1726. Whereof one is more particularly exhibited, in the character of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, who was laid up a few days before. : And certain instruments and memorials of piety, written by that valuable & Honourable gentlewoman.

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

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Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2009-10.

ID [DLPS]

N02332

ID [TCP]

N02332

ID [STC]

Evans 2766

ID [NOTIS]

APY4639

ID [IMAGE-SET]

2766

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99031791

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 2766.

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(Evans-TCP ; no. N02332)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 2766)

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Source

— Ecclesia Monilia. The peculiar treasure of the Almighty King opened; and the jewels that are made up in it, exposed. At Boston lecture, July 14. 1726. Whereof one is more particularly exhibited, in the character of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, who was laid up a few days before. : And certain instruments and memorials of piety, written by that valuable & Honourable gentlewoman., Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

Extent

[4], 42 p. ; 18 cm. (8vo)

Printed for Daniel Henchman, and sold at his shop in Cornhill over against the Brick Meeting House.,. Boston, :: 1726.. (Half-title: Dr. Mather's sermon upon the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton, July 14. 1726.) (Caption title: A rich cabinet opened.) (Errors in paging: p. 23, 33-36 misnumbered 27, 35-38.) ("A few short memorials ... "--p. 28-40.) ("Some further account ... from another hand."--p. 41-42.)

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