N00196:35
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.
Reas: 1 From the exceeding riches of the grace of God: That the Lord most High, who hath an absolute dominion over the works of his hands, should at all deal with man in a Covenant way, or make any promise to him, is from grace; much more that he should deal thus with fallen man: And that he should extend his Covenant, not only to Parents, but to their Children also, that their Off-spring with them are under the wings of the Covenant; and moreover, that he should promise so great • blessing as that of giving his spirit, and yet more, that his Spirit should be poured upon them. We may well cry out, as they did, Z•ch. 4.7. Grace! grace! None but a God of infinite grace would have done thus.
Reas: 1 From the exceeding riches of the grace of God: That the Lord most High, who hath an absolute dominion over the works of his hands, should at all deal with man in a Covenant way, or make any promise to him, is from grace; much more that he should deal thus with fallen man: And that he should •xtend his Covenant, not only to Parents, but to their Children also, that their Off-spring with them are under the wings of the Covenant; and moreover, that he should promise so great • blessing as that of giving his spirit, and yet more, that his Spirit should be poured upon them. We may well cry out, as they did, Z•ch. 4.7. Grace! grace! None but a God of infinite grace would have done thus.
Reas. 2. Because the Children of Gods people do many of them ⟨p. 12⟩belong to Election, As it is expressed in the Context, Jeshurun whom I have chosen; That Election of God is mentioned as the ground of this promise in the Text. The Elect of God are the proper Subjects of this promise: The Lord in the Covenant of Grace hath not only promised that whoever doth truly believe and repent shall be saved, but as to the Elect, there is a promise of the first Grace, even that converting grace shall be poured on them, they shall be made to repent and believe. A new heart shall be given to the house of Israel, h. e. the Elect, typified by the house of Israel,