A50172:82
The way to prosperity a sermon / preached to the honourable convention of the…
The way to prosperity a sermon / preached to the honourable convention of the governor, council, and representatives of the Massachuset-Colony in New-England on May 23, 1690 by Cotton Mather.The way to prosperity a sermon / preached to the honourable convention of the governour, council, and representatives of the Massachuset-Colony in New-England on May 23, 1690 by Cotton Mather.
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Benjamin Harris, 1690
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, Let us Return to the Lord. We must Come to Him, if we would Be with Him. We have marvellously backsliden from our God, but He calls after us, Return ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your Backslidings. O that we may all as one man Reply what is in Jer. 3. 22. Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God! If we ask that Question, in Mal. 2. 7. Wherein ⟨p. 25⟩shall we return? Methinks, 'twere an harder Question, Wherein should we not? But, Behold, We have had a great voice out of the Temple in answer thereunto. We have had the Elders and Messengers of our Churches, conven d in a SYNOD, solemnly informing of us, Wherein we shall Return. God forbid the Advice of that Synod, should only serve to Convict us and Condemn us, in the Day when He shall take vengeance on us for our Contemning of it. That were dreadful indeed! But in Compliance with it, Let every man seriously now enquire of himself, What have I done? Mark what I say, That man who does not suspect himself, of having a share in the Sins which have driven away from us the Presence of our God; That man, I may safely affirm it, is one of the principal Troublers of this Israel; I do without any Scruple say it, Thou art the man. Let us all then Examine our selves, and set upon the Reforming of our own Hearts and Lives, and the Renewing of our Covenants with the Lord.
First, Let us Return to the Lord. We must Come to Him, if we would Be with Him. We have marvellously backsliden from our God, but He calls after us, Return ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your Backslidings. O that we may all as one man Reply what is in Jer. 3. 22. Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God! If we ask that Question, in Mal. 2. 7. Wherein ⟨p. 25⟩shall we return? Methinks, t'were an harder Quaestion, Wherin should we not? But, Behold, We have had a great voice out of the Temple in answer thereunto. We have had the Elders and Messengers of our Churches, conven d in a SYNOD, solemnly informing of us, Wherein we shall Return. God forbid the Advice of that Synod, should only serve to Convict us and Condemn us, in the Day when He shall take vengeance on us for our Contemning of it. That were dreadful indeed! But in Compliance with it, Let every man seriously now enquire of himself, What have I done? Mark what I say, That man who does not suspect himself, of having a share in the Sins which have driven away from us the Presence of our God; That man, I may safely affirm it, is one of the principal Troublers of this Israel; I do without any Scruple say it, Thou art the man. Let us all then Examine our selves, and set upon the Reforming of our own Hearts and Lives, and the Renewing of our Covenants with the Lord.