N00196:48
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.
Consider 4. What a blessed thing it will be, if we prevail in Heaven for this mercy. 1We cannot pray for a more desirable thing then this blessing! It will help all that is amiss among us. If the Lord pour his Spirit on the body of the present rising Generation, so as to begin a work of Conversion in those that are as yet strangers to the power of godliness, and to carry on that work by renewed Conversions in the hearts of his People, that will save us from those Judgements which otherwise there is no hope that we shall escape them. Ezek. 39.29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: Why? For I have poured out my Spirit, saith the Lord God. And do we not desire the Eternal as well as Temporal prosperity of our poor Children? If the Lord pour his Spirit on them, it shall go well with them, and that for ever Deut. 5.29 you are thoughtful what will become of your Children after you are gone out of the Wo•ld. If you can but pray Grace into their Souls, they shall do well enough. As that Godly, Learned Claviger would sometimes express, if (saith he) I may see the fear of God in my Children,2 Sati• mihi, satis filiis & fi•iabus prosp•xi, I have then portion enough for my Sons, and for my Daughters: They are then sure never to want any good thing as long as they shall live. If the Lord pour his Spirit upon our Children, then shall we have joy in them indeed. No greater joy then that, 3 John 3, 4. Prov. 23.24, 25. The Father of the Righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise (i. e. godly) Child shall have joy of him; thy Father and thy Mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. We shall bless God to Eternity that ever we had such Children: For it will add to the Glory of Parents at the great Day, when they shall behold not themselves alone, but their Off-spring with them partakers of Eternal life and happiness, and withal see and know that their prayers have had an influence towards the obtaining of all that mercy.