N00254:139
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness: wherein several important duties, are urged, and the evil of divers common sins, is evinced; delivered in sundry sermons. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green upon assignment of Samuel Sewall, 1682
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.
Reas. 1. Because they that truly fear God respect the honour of his Name. They cannot but desire that God might be honoured every where, and more especially in their own Families. Now prayer honours God. Hence is that expression, Mat 15 8. they honour me with their lips: when men pray unto God with their lips, they honour him therewith: and when they pray with their hearts, as well as their lips, they honour him with both. As when they neglect this so great a duty, they withhold that honour from God, which is due unto him from his creatures, Isai. 43.23. thou hast not honoured me with thy Sacrifices So doth the Lord say to Masters of Families, that pray not with their houses, thou hast not honoured me with thy prayers. But […] for those that call upon his Name, their prayers and praises glorify him. When men own the Lord to be the God of their Families they put honour upon him. And so it is when Family worship is duly upheld.
Reas. 1. Because they that truly fear God respect the honour of his Name. They cannot but desire that God might be honoured every where, and more especially in their own Families. Now prayer honours God. Hence is that expression, Mat 15 8. they honour me with their lips: when men pray unto God with their lips, they honour him therewith: and when they pray with their hearts, as well as their lips, they honour him with both. As when they neglect this so great a duty, they withhold that honour from God, which is due unto him from his creatures, Isai. 43.23. thou hast not honoured me with thy Sacrifices So doth the Lord say to Masters of Families, that pray not with their houses, thou hast not honoured me with thy prayers. But 〈…〉 for those that call upon his Name, their prayers and praises glorifie him. When men own the Lord to be the God of their Families they put honour upon him. And so it is when Family worship is duely upheld.
Reas. 2. They that truly fear God, are desirous that the interest of Religion should be upheld and promoted. One that is truly Religious himself can not but desire that others may be so too. Paul being himself a real Christian, earnestly wished that others were in that respect as he was. When Agrippa said to him; thou almost