N00213:186
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.
From the good and benefit which doth follow upon Remembering and Turning to God betimes: 1as it is said, Lam.3.27. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his Youth: so it is good for a man to turn to God, and to put his neck under his yoke in his Youth. It was the Saying of one, that if it were lawful fo• him to envy the happiness of any, he would envy the happiness of those that turn to God betimes, because they are freed from a world of sin and sorrow, which otherwise they would become subject unto. And this is the way to become eminent for God. There is a wretched Proverb in the world, viz. That a young Saint will prove an old Devil. I remember [c]Erasmus saith, the Devil was the Author of that Proverb: For nothing can be more contrary to the Scriptu••. The most eminent Saints that we read of there, were such as did Remember God in the days of their Youth. As now, Joseph proved an eminent good man: There ⟨p. 102⟩is reason to think that all Jacobs Children were good men before they dyed, but none of them to be compared with Joseph: and though he were the youngest but one, yet it seemeth evident that he was converted before any of his Brethren who were older then he. Job was an eminent Saint, not a man upon the face of the whole earth so good as he; and Job was one that made Conscience of his ways even from his Youth. Job 31.18. David was a man that attained a great measure of Grace before •e dyed, and he was godly even from his Childhood. Therefore doth he speak as in Psal.71.5. Thou art my hope O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth. & again, v.17. O God thou hast taught me from my Youth & hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. So that David had Faith in Christ, and was savingly taught of God even from his Youth. Obadiah was an eminent Servant of God, and he could say, I fear the Lord from my Youth.