N00213:94
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 Chron. 28. 9. But if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
AS there is a peculiar Excellency in all the Books of Scripture, becoming the Majesty of their Author; so it is in special manner true with respect unto this sacred Book of Chronicles; which is [a]not the same with those Chronicles we sometimes read of in the Kings, those being civil Records, but these wholly of a divine Inspiration, containing the History of no less then three thousand & five hundred years; even from the first man Adam unto the Jews Return from the Babylonish Captivi& many years after that also. The Hebrews suppose it, (or at least some part of it) to be the last Book of Scripture that was written, and therefore they are wont to place it last in their Bibles, as the concluding Book of the old-Testament. The Greeks entitle it, [ton paraleipomenon Biblion,] Because divers things most worthy of eternal Commemoration, are related in these Books which are no where else to be found. So in this Chapter, we have Davids solemn dying Exhortation. Words which deserve to be recorded, and yet are no where else seen (at least wise not in that ample manner) but in this Chapter, And it was in a very solemn Assembly that these words were spoken; Indeed in a general Assembly, wh•n all the Lords people, both as to civil and Ecclesiastical order were come together, for the establishment ⟨p. 38⟩of another Ruler amongst them, accordingly David doth here direct his Exhortation, first to the Representatives of the People, ver. 1. And David assembled all the Princes of Israel, the Princes of the Tribes, and the Captains of the Companies unto themselves, &c. Hence they are said to be all Israel, ver. 8. In the sight of all Israel, h. e. the Heads and Representatives of all Israel, and therefore are said to be the Congregation of the Lord. Often in the Scripture by the Congregation, the Heads and Rulers of the Congregation are meant. Now the Exhortation unto them is, that they would keep and seek all the Commandments of the Lord, h. e. that they would observe what they did know, and seek to know more of the mind of God. The motive whereby he rgeth this, is, because the Lord had promised the good Land to them; but it was upon that condition of their keeping his Commandments, therefore it did highly concern them, to be careful about that matter. 2dly, he directs his Exhortation to him that was to be established as chief Ruler, soil.