Cotton Mather's verse in English :: :: University of Virginia Library

3. Part Three: Verse for Children

[I.] Little Children Brought unto the Lord JESUS CHRIST.

On Mat. XIX. 14.

When Little Children once were brought
To our most Gracious Lord:
Them that Oppos'd, He better Taught,
By this most precious Word:

‘Suffer Your Little Children, so,
‘Forbid them not, I say,
‘Their Saviour to come unto;
‘I'm He, and come they may.

‘Acknowledge me a mighty King,
‘That Heavenly Graces give;
‘Infants to me, for Subjects bring;
‘My Heaven does them receive.

Thus does our Blessed Shepherd call,
Our lambs into His Fold:
Lord pour thy Blessings on them all,
Blessings richer than Gold.

Oh! What a Glorious Grace is This,
Which God through Christ will grant,
That HE ours and our Childrens is,
In His Best Covenant.

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[II.] Early Religion.

1 King. XVIII.

O That while I am Young I might
Fear the most Glorious One;
And not my Great Redeemer Slight:
Thine, Lord; I'm THINE alone.

2 Chron. 34-3.

May I while I am very Young,
Seek unto God by Prayer:
And those Lov'd Ones be found among
That Early Seekers are:

Psal. 119.9.

May I, while I am Young, give Heed
Unto thy Holy Word;
Call'd, there to Cleanse my wayes with Speed,
By the most Holy Lord.

2 Joh. 4.

Though I am yet a Child, I wou'd
In my most Forward Youth,
Walk, by the conduct of my God,
In the pure paths of Truth.

2 Tim. 2.22.

Those Lusts that Youthful are, to me
May they most Hateful prove;
And may the Laws of JESUS be
My Sweetest Joy and Love.

Eccl. 12.1.

Lord, THEE, my Maker, Thee, To Day,
God, Father, Son, and Spirit,
I would Remember, that I may
Eternal Life Inherit.

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[III.] The Consent of the Believer unto the Ten Commandments.

LORD, I should have no Lord, beside
Thee, to be Lov'd, Serv'd, Glorify'd.
I should the Glory due to Thee,
In Wayes, pay, that Appointed be.

Thy Names, Thy Words, Thy Works, I should,
Sacred for proper Uses, hold.
The Dayes which thou made Sacred hath,
I should not in Diversions wast.

In their Fit places, every one,
I should with all Fit Honours own.
That Life none may unjustly Loose,
Means I should with all kindness use.

Chast I should be in every part,
Yea, Chast in every Thought of Heart.
To Get and Keep my Worldly Wealth,
I should commit no sort of Stealth.

Truth I should utter, and maintain,
And no Good Name with Slander stain.
With sweet Content I should Receive
All the Wise God will please to give.

Lord, By the Blood of CHRIST, I pray,
Save me, who do not thus obey;
And by the Strength of CHRIST, from hence,
Sav'd, Let me yield Obedience.

[IV.] The Lords Prayer.

Our Father, in the Heavenly Throne,
Inclin'd from thence to Help us all;
For the Sake of thy Blessed Son,
Thy Children thus upon Thee Call.

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We would thy Ever-glorious Name,
As Holy, with Great Fear Adore:
And wish that All may in the same,
Thy Holy One Praise Evermore.

May thy Just Kingdom Come, we Pray
That thou art the Worlds King, we know:
But, Oh! bring on that Happy Day,
When all the World shall own Thee so.

May we thy Righteous Will approve,
And it all Things commanding see,
As it in the New Heaven above,
And the New Earth below, shall be.

Lord, Give us a Convenient Food;
What may be Such, to Thee we leave,
And let us not want any Good;
All we Rely on Thee to give.

Our Faults, by which we are in Debt
To Thy dread Justice, Lord, Release:
Christ Payes our Debt; And we Forget,
For this, our Neighbours Injuries.

We're Frail; Us from Temptation Save;
Sins, Oh! Sins, The worst Evils are:
Us Let not Evil Tempters have,
And hold in any Sinful Snare.

Thou hast the Rule of All; A Word
Of thine can Do All: To Thee then
All Honour's due: We Shout, O Lord,
AMEN, in Faith of thy, AMEN!

[V.] The Lords-Day.

On Rev. I. 10.

This is the Day of Rest, whereon
Our Lord Rose from the Dead;
The Price of mans Redemption,
This Day was fully paid.

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This is to us, the Joyful Day,
Which our Lord made His own,
By his most Wonderful Display
Of Pow'r and Grace thereon.

The Jewish Sabbath Laid Asleep
With our Lord under Earth,
Directs us Now This Day to keep
Of our Lords Second Birth.

This is the Day, our Lord now chose
Thereon still to Appear;
The Day, for Him preferr'd by Those
That His Apostles were.

It is Declar'd, The Lords-Day, Now,
Holy unto the Lord
It will no Worldly Thought allow,
No Worldly Work or Word.

Now, Lord, on this Thy Day, dispence,
Thy Spirit unto me:
And by thy Spirits Influence
Let me now Acted be.

This Day, Oh! Spirit, from on High,
Make thou a Mean and Sign,
Of that Great Sabbacism, when I
Shall in thy Glory shine!

[VI.] Prayer Encouraged.

Matth. 7.7–11. with Luk. II.9.13.

That Lord, on whose Account alone
Our Pray'rs prevail with God,
Bids us Address that Glorious One,
With Prayers for Ev'ry Good.

Ask now, and ye shall have, (saith He)
‘Seek now, and ye shall find.

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‘Heav'ns Doors, at which you Knocking be,
‘Shall Open to your Mind.

‘What Father, to a Sons Request
‘For Bread or Fish, will throw
‘A Stone or Snake? His very best
‘He'l on a Son bestow.

‘God is your Better Father; You
‘In me, His Children are;
You'l Gain, with His Good Spirit now,
‘All Good Things else, by Pray'r.

Joh. 16.23.

‘Children, Then to the Father Go;
‘Go, in my Name, I say:
‘Rich Blessings, He will give unto
‘Them, in that Name, who Pray.

Instructions for CHILDREN.

I. The Ancient Creed.

IN GOD the FATHER I Believe;
He's the Almighty One.
I JESUS CHRIST, our Lord, Receive,
God's Dear and Only SON.
I do Adore the Holy SPIRIT;
Who is to Raise the Dead,
And bring His People to Inherit,
Life that shall never Fade.

II. The Child's Resolution.

Help me my God! For unto thee
I do Resolve to Pray,
To Grant thy Christ and Grace to me;
I'll do it every Day.

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Heavenly Father, Give me thy Christ;
Give me thy Spirit; Pardon my Sins;
Make me thy Servant; Bring me to thy
Kingdom; O Great GOD, who art Father,
and Son, and Holy Spirit; I Desire to be
Thine for evermore. Amen.

III. The Child at his Food.

At Eating, thus I ever shou'd
Devout and Thankful be;
My God, I Bless thee for my Food;
Let it be Bless'd to me.
A Child, that when he goes to Eat,
Thinks not of GOD at all,
Is like the Bruits, which at their Meat
On God do never call.

IV. The Child thinking on his Baptism.

Baptis'd for thee, O Glorious One,
Thee for my GOD I take:
Thee will I Love and Serve alone;
And Thee my Portion make.
My Baptism gave me unto thee;
Possess me then, O Lord;
My Father, Saviour, Leader be,
According to thy Word.

V. The Child on the Lord's Day.

My Saviour's Risen from the Dead,
And Lives Enthron'd Above;
The Price of my Salvation's Paid,
My Life is in His Love.
With Holy Sabbaths He, in Peace,
Hath me Victorious blest;
Lord, Bring thou me, thro' Holiness,
To Victory, and Rest.

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VI. The Child seeing the Funeral of another Child.

I in the Burying Place may see
Graves not so long as I.
From Deaths Arrest no Age is free;
Young Children too may Dy.
My God, may such an awful sight
Awakening be to me!
Oh! that by Early Grace I might
For Death prepared be.

VII. The Body of Divinity Versifyed.

[1.]

A GOD there is, a GOD of boundless Might,
In Wisdom, Justice, Goodness Infinite.

[Heb. XI.6. Psal. CXLVII.5. CXLV.9,17.]

2.

God is but ONE, & yet in Persons Three
The Father, Son, & Spirit, One God we see.

[1 Job. V. 7.]

3.

Our God, by His Great Name JEHOVAH Known
HE the World Made, and Keeps, and Rules Alone.

[Neh. IX.6.]

4.

To Glorify the Glorious GOD, is That
For which He did all Men, & me Create.

[Isai. XLI. 21.]

5.

God a Just Rule doth in our Bible give,
A Rule, both what to Think, and how to Live.

[2 Tim. III. 15,16,17]

6.

Holy & Happy our First Parents came
From Gods Hand, with Gods Image in our Frame.

[Gen. I. 27.]

7.

Tasting Forbidden Fruit our Parents fell;
This Taste has plung'd Mankind all down to Hell.

[Rom. V. 12]

8.

Our Blest Lord JESUS CHRIST, in our Distress,

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Comes to fetch us from Hell to Blessedness.

[Luk. XIX.10.]

9.

Into His Person, the Bright Son of God
A Virgins Son took; There he makes Abode.

[Isa. VII. 14.]

10.

Life as a Priest CHRIST will His People bring,
Light as a Prophet, and Law as a King.

[Psal. CX.4. Acts III.22. Isa. XXXIII.22.]

11.

For us our Surety Liv'd, for us He Dy'd,
And Rising did to Heav'n in Triumph Ride.

[Phil. II. 7, 8, 9.]

12.

By Faith to CHRIST we for Salvation go;
Faith too, as well as That must He bestow.

[Eph. II.8.]

13.

For Sin will the renew'd Believer Mourn,
And from all Sin, hee'l by Repentance Turn.

[Acts XX.21.]

14.

Sinners receiving of Gods Pardon, they
Gods Precept will, made Saints, with Love Obey.

[Tit. II. 12,13,14.]

15.

All Homage we must yield unto the Lord;
In all Directed, by his Heavenly Word.
His Works and Names, we may not use in Vain;
Nor by our Works thereon His Days profane.
With Honours due we must our Neighbours treat;
And sweetly wish them Lives both Long and Sweet.
With Chastity we must our selves Behave;
And do no Wrong in what we get or Save.
Truth we must utter, and Abhor to Lye;
And be Content, tho' in Adversity.

[Exod. XX 3–17. Matth. XXI 1.37,38,39]

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16.

Them who to be in CHRIST thro' Grace, Consent,
God brings into His Gracious Covenant.

[Isa. LV. 3.]

17.

The Baptism of the Lord, assures that we
Both Wash'd from Sin and Rais'd from Death, shall be.

[Rom. V. 4,5.]

18.

To See the Lord, we at His Table Sitt,
And show that we shall in His Kingdom eat.

[1 Cor. XI. 26.]

19.

Gods Children His Good Promises Enjoy;
And Good comes of what Ill may them annoy.

[2 Pet. I.4; Rom. VIII.28.]

20.

His Angels he to them does Guardians make,
And these their Souls, at their Departure take.

[Heb. I.14.]

21.

To Judge the World, CHRIST will descend at Last;
A Righteous Doom shall by that Judge be past.

[Acts XVI. 31.]

22.

The Wicked shall bear bitter Pain and Shame,
With Wicked Spirits in Eternal Flame.
The Godly shall, with their Great GOD, on High,
Reap Joyes, High Joyes, to all Eternity.

[Matth. XXV. 46.]