N00213:154
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein…A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin…
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein is showed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasy, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin is shewed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasie, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1679
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.
2. Let us make Conver•ing work our main Design. Shall we be content to go to heaven alone, and not strive to carry as many of the Generation we live in, along with us as possibly we can? Alas Apostasy will prevail, and these Churches cannot be kept pure long except converting work go forward. O therefore let us preach for this, and pray for this, & study for this, that precious immortal Souls may be converted to God through Jesus Christ. And to this end it will be good for us to attend personal instruction of those under our charge, as far time as & strength will permit us. I remember it is noted in the lives of Chrysostom and Austin, that besides their public Labours, they did sometimes attend personal Instruction of these and those of their hearers. When the [*]Ministers in Geneva did agree to divide the City, so as to call each Family to an account concerning their Faith: more good was […] thereby then by all their public Teachings. […] me [l]of latter time have ⟨p. 86⟩been blessed with eminent success, as to the Conversion of Souls, so as that whole Towns where they have lived have been wonderfully changed, upon taking this course. I know that where there is but o•e Elder in a Church (as alas that is now the case of these Churches generally) so much cannot be done that way as is to be desired; yet if we do as much as we can, the Lord Jesus will accept of it; and it may be, success will be beyond expectation. Many an one that minds not a Sermon, yet when he is by a Messenger of God particularly spoken to, and told, you are yet in your sins: if you be not new born, better you had never been born; he falls down under conviction. And possibly words that we little think any such thing of now, will be mentioned again to our exceeding joy and rejoicing in the day of Christ when we shall see and hear many Souls stand forth and bless the Lord Jesus that ever they knew us, & that ever we ••ake to them in the Name of the Lord both publicly and privately; even in the day when each of us that hath been faithful in his Generation, shall say, Lord here am I, and the Children that thou •ast given me. Moreover, if we would convert Souls, and be blessings indeed to this Generation, it concerns us to be very careful of our personal Conversation, & what examples we set before others. If we do not live Sermons as well as preach them, we are not likely to do any great good.