What was the behavior of my savior towards His various relatives?
I find that he paid an inviolate respect unto his parents. And he took singular care for the relief and comfort of the person that was more than in the eye of the law one of them.
He had brothers, whose bad carriage towards him for diverse years he bore with patience; and he never gave over, until they were brought home unto God.
He had kinsmen whom he took into a most intimate communion with him, and qualified them for great enjoyments in and services to the kingdom of God.
For the direction of my behavior towards my consort, I often, often, think, “How is the church treated by her Savior?”
I begged help of him to “go and do likewise.”
–Cotton Mather, Personal Diary, November 1718