Cotton Mather's spirituality "at the top of Christianity"

Rick Kennedy's short biography of Cotton Mather speaks of Mather advocating not a moderate Protestantism, but a hot, puritan, daily faith - his "Evangelical interest".  Along those lines, Mather preached and published much, laying out what such a faith might look like for various individuals (farmers, house wives, sailors, pastors, etc.).  He published and widely disseminated several thin tracts which were lightly edited versions of sermons he had preached on the subject.  One of these tracts contained two sermons, together titled The Christian and His Calling.  Kennedy writes:

     The first sermon in the book begins by noting that the fear of God is a pursuit of long-term, ultimate happiness.  This pursuit involves head, hands, and lips, but is primarily a "heart business."  It is a daily walk to the very top of Christianity.  It is an all-day-long faith that begins with a morning "closet time" dedicated to Bible-reading and prayer.  Progress through the day is marked regularly by holiness of thought, word, and deed.  Prayers spring forth at random moments.  Cotton wrote that with these random prayers we "shoot the arrows of our desires away to heaven," and "happy is the man that hath his quiver filled with these arrows."  All day long the evangelical Christian should be promoting happiness in others, especially among children and servants in the household.  At the end of the day the whole household should pray together after reading portions from the Bible.  Yes, Cotton noted, each day will have its sufferings.  "A Christian is a cross bearer and no day ordinarily comes to a Christian without its cross."  But it is God who sends these crosses, and God looks out for our best interest.

      Such is the "general calling" to all Christians.  But Cotton described it as only one oar in our rowboat.  We need two oars so as to properly proceed toward eternal blessedness.  The second oar, described in the second of the two sermons, is a "personal calling," or a particular calling to each Christian.  "God has placed us as in a common hive," and we each must do our part for the whole.  Each of us needs to husband our time.  We need to avoid financial debt, keep our promises, and be content with our situations.  No job should be thought too small.  We must especially value our neighbors - and here Cotton noted that his own neighbors were often sailors who had their own special calling and particular issues concerning the daily living of their faith.  Sabbath keeping, for example, was sometimes impossible for sailors.  Overall, every person must find his or her particular calling and use commonsense in determining how best to serve God with it.  "A Christian," Cotton advised, "should with piety follow his occupation," but should not let piety swallow up his daily occupational obligations.  Every Christian, even Sabbath-breaking sailors, must work out his personal calling while remaining in Christ's service as a member of the common hive.

     But most people do not have a sailor's excuse for Sabbath breaking.  Cotton insisted that the first commitment of people pursuing their particular vocations was to enter God's rest on the Sabbath.  Every Christian should honor the Lord's Day by attending worship services.  As for the rest of the week: "Let obedience to God be the spring and strain of all your business."  Be humble: "When you follow your business have your dependence on God for the succeeding of it."  And be blessed: "May you all follow your good occupation, and may goodness and mercy follow you all in your occupation."

       - Rick Kennedy, The First American Evangelical: A Short Life of Cotton Mather, pp. 89-90.