N00213:55
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 Many times the children of godly men are like their parents. In some godly Families all the children of the family are made partakers of converting saving grace. So in Jacobs Family; there is reason to believe that his twelve sons did repent before they died, and that they are now in heaven, considering that they were Types of the Elect of God, and their names were written upon the breast of the high priest, when he entered into the Holy of Holies. So concerning Jobs children; the Scripture saith, that after the death of his children and the loss of his estate, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before, yet he had but ten children after that, which was the number he had before, wherefore Interpreters probably conclude that his other children were not lost; they might all go to heaven notwithstanding the sad and sudden death which befell them. And experience confirmeth the truth of this, we see that in some families God is pleased to bestow converting grace upon all the children therein; especially if their parents be very much in prayer to God for them. I remember I once heard an holy praying man say, my father had six children, and they are all either with Christ, or in Christ; and he hath given me six children, three of them are already with Christ, and the other (I bless his name) are in Christ. And I have read [c]of one who held much communion with God, that once said to an intimate friend, I have this day obtained mercy from God not only for myself, but for all mine, and evident signs of regenerating grace did afterwards appear in all his Children.
2 Many times the children of godly men are like their parents. In some godly Familyes all the children of the family are made partakers of converting saving grace. So in Jacobs Family; there is reason to believe that his twelve sons did repent before they died, and that they are now in heaven, considering that they were Types of the Elect of God, and their names were written upon the breast of the high priest, when he entred into the Holy of Holyes. So concerning Jobs children; the Scripture saith, that after the death of his children and the loss of his estate, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before, yet he had but ten children after that, which was the number he had before, wherefore Interpreters probably conclude that his other children were not lost; they might all goe to heaven notwithstanding the sad and sudden death which befel them. And experience confirmeth the truth of this, we see that in some families God is pleased to bestow converting grace upon all the children therein; especially if their parents be very much in prayer to God for them. I remember I once heard an holy praying man say, my father had six children, and they are all either with Christ, or in Christ; and he hath given me six children, three of them are already with Christ, and the other (I bless his name) are in Christ. And I have read