N00196:54
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.
4. Wait on the Lord; Though the answer do not come presently, yet continu• praying and believing, and let nothing discourage you: say not, I have prayed for my Children's Souls, but no grace, no change wrought in them, and now I am even hopeless and faithless. Remember the woman of Canaan; she cried to the Lord Jesus for her poor child, and yet had repulses one after another, the Lord not s•eming to regard her; this was to try her Faith: at last she had her desire granted; who knoweth but the Lord may deal so with thee? you therefore that fear God despair not concerning your Children, though at present they may be stout hearted, and […] from Righteousness.1 Austin was a long time a vain, lascivious, profane young m•n, but his godly Mothers Prayers and Tears did at last prevail in Heaven, that he became an eminent Convert. O continue to pray hard, and believe strongly, and that Son who at present is the grief of t•y mind, and maketh thy Soul to b• in […], God can make an Austin of him. And that […] (as I•p•ta• said) hath brought thee very low, […] that trouble thee, the Lord can convert her […] Hea•t and thy Reins, even thine shall rejoice. I Remember I have somewhere read of one that had been a very sinful creature, and desperately froward and rebellious but her godly Parents continued praying, and entreated divers faithful Ministers of God to p•ay for her, and God hea•d them, and in answer to Prayer, rescued a forlorn Soul out of the Jaws of Satan and Hell: & when that young Woman lay upon her Death-bed, she said to her godly Friends and Relations, For my sake never despair of any one, let their case a• present be never so bad and desperate, for you know how it was with me, 2and •et see how God hath answered your Prayers for me. Think of it you Fathers and Mothers that have wept and prayed for the Conversion and Salvation of your children full many a time, and as yet you see it not. Though you should never see i, dye trusting in God, and believing that he will remember his Covenant with your Children after you,