N00196:30
Pray for the rising generation, or A sermon wherein godly parents are encouraged, to…
Pray for the rising generation, or A sermon wherein godly parents are encouraged, to pray and believe for their children, preached the third day of the fifth month, 1678. which day was set apart by the Second Church in Boston in New-England, humbly to seek unto God by fasting and prayer, for a spirit of converting grace, to be poured out upon the children and rising generation in New-England. / By Increase Mather, teacher of that church. ; [Seven lines of quotations]
printed by Samuel Green, 1678
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.
We come to the third Enquiry, viz. How it doth appear that the pouring of the spirit upon Children is a great blessing? Ans.
1. In that the gift of the Holy Ghost is mentioned in the Scripture as a great and wonderful thing It is said, Act. 10.45. They were astonished, because that on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Yea, it is mentioned as such a gift as is equivalent to all good things, Mat. 7.11. Your Father which is in Heaven shall give good things to them that ask him: Now in Luke it is expressed by saying, Your Heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, Chap 11.13. So then the gift of the Spirit is virtually all good things: Truly if God pour his Spirit upon our Children, he doth more for them then if he bestowed all the good things in the World upon them. This is the great promise of the Gospel: As the great promise of the Old Testament was concerning the coming of the Messiah, so the great promise of the New-Testament doth respect a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit of Grace. Hence the pouring down of the spirit is noted by that expression of the promise of the Father, Act. 1.4. And he is called the spirit of Promise, Eph 1.13. as being the great gift which God hath promised to bestow on his servants.
1. In that the gift of the Holy Ghost is mentioned in the Scripture as a great and wonderful thing It is said, Act. 10.45. They were astonished, be•cause that on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Yea, it is mentioned as such a gift as is equivalent to all good things, Mat. 7.11. Your Father which is in Heaven shall give good things to them that ask him: Now in Luke it is expressed by saying, Your Heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, Chap 11.13. So then the gift of the Spirit is virtually all good things: Truly if God pour his Spirit upon our Children, he doth more for them then if he bestowed all the good things in the World upon them. This is the great promise of the Gospel: As the great promise of the Old Testament was concerng the coming of the Messias, so the great promise of the New-Testament doth respect a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit of Grace. Hence the pouring down of the spirit is noted by that expression of the promise of the Father,