N00231:28
Returning unto God the great concernment of a covenant people. Or A sermon preached…
Returning unto God the great concernment of a covenant people. Or A sermon preached to the Second Church in Boston in New-England, March 17. 1679.80. when that church did solemnly and explicitly renew their covenant with God, and one with another. By Increase Mather teacher of that church. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1680
Returning unto God the great Concernment of a Covenant People.
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. The Lords own Servants may possibly fall into scandalous iniquity: and that both as to Judgement and Practice. A godly man may for a time be sainted with a scandalous error: yea, with Heresy in his Judgement, albeit he cannot live and dye so without Repentance and Recovery. Hence, the Apostle said to the Corinthians, How say some among you, there is no Resurrection from the dead? 1 Cor. 15. 12. Whereas the denial of the Resurrection is a fundamental error. Moreover, a godly man may become guilty of scandalous practices, both against the first Table, as we see in Aaron, who was by the people persuaded and prevailed with to set up the golden Calf in the Wilderness: And in Peter, who was once guilty of cursing and swearing falsely. As also against the second Table, as we see in Davids Adultery, and in Noah's and Lot's being guilty of such Intemperance, as is in the Scripture mentioned concerning them.
2. The Lords own Servants may possibly fall into scandalous iniquity: and that both as to Judgement and Practice. A godly man may for a time be sainted with a scandalous error: yea, with Heresy in his Judgement, albeit he cannot live and dye so without Repentance and Recovery. Hence, the Apostle said to the Corinthians, How say some among you, there is no Resurrection from the dead? 1 Cor. 15. 12. Whereas the denial of the Resurrection is a fundamental error. Moreover, a godly man may become guilty of scandalous practices, both against the first Table, as we see in Aaron, who was by the people perswaded and prevailed with to set up the golden Calfe in the Wilderness: And in Peter, who was once guilty of cursing and swearing falsely. As also against the second Table, as we see in Davids Adultery, and in Noah's and Lot's being guilty of such Intemperance, as is in the Scripture mentioned concerning them.
3. They that are the Lords People in respect of a visible Covenant Interest only, may fall totally and finally. I say they may Fall totally: For though special Grace shall not, yet common Grace may be wholly lost. Such Professors may degenerate into mere Formalists, even so as to become dead, sapless, & lifeless altogether, even twice Dead.