N00213:63
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.
1. Let godly parents that are here before the Lord this day, suffer the word of Exhortation, Do you endeavour to the utmost of your power, that your children may become seekers and servants of the only true God in Jesus Christ. And indeed when you present them to the Lord in Baptism, you promise to do your utmost, that they may become faithful Servants of that God who is Father, Son and Spirit; take heed that you do not become guilty of violating that Engagement. God hath committed Children unto you, that so you might bring them up for him, The Children which thou hast borne unto me, Ezek. 16. 20. If a man had the children of a Prince or great man committed to his care and charge for education, would he not be careful about that matter? It is a solemn thing, which it may be you have not duly considered, that the great God hath entrusted you with those that are his children, that so you may nurse them up for him: O then bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is not enough for Parents to serve the Lord themselves, but they must use utmost endeavours that after they are dead, their children may walk in the ways of God. And if they be duly, careful in that matter, they have reason to expect, that God ⟨p. 23⟩will remember and establish his covenant with their Children. For it is noted concerning Abraham, that his care was that his Family after him (viz. after he should cease to be in the world) might keep the way of the Lord, and so did the Lord bring upon him the thing which he had spoken, and graciously promised with respect to Abraham's posterity. And in special you that are mothers have a great advantage put into your hands, to be instilling [g]good principles into your children's souls betimes; Solomons mother taught him: we do not read that Absaloms and Adonijahs mother taught them, as Bathsheba did her son Solomon. And it is not for nothing, that when children have proved thus or so, particular notice is taken in Scripture, that such or such were their mothers: Rehoboam did not prove well, and it is noted that his mother was an Ammonitess. On the other hand, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, Josiah were eminent Servants of God, and the Scripture doth mention who were their mothers. O then you that are mothers should endeavour that your Children (as Luther speaketh) may suck in Religion from their mothers breasts.