N00254:364
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.
For 3. It is such an evil as doth hither the conversion of Souls.
Alash […] many that their Souls have miscarried for ever, when others had hopes concerning them as if they had been in the pangs of the new birth; and this evil hath been the cause of it. Some that have been under great awakenings of Conscience; God hath met with them in a Sermon the Arrows of the Almighty have been within them; that they have thought with themselves they would forsake their sins, and become new Creatures; but they have gone into loose and vain company, and so lost all those convictions, yea and provoked God ⟨p. 181⟩so, as that he hath said, his Spirit should strive no more with them. This is that, which keeps poor Creatures from coming up to the terms of the Gospel; that they do not sincerely […] with Jesus Christ when called upon to make sure of an interest in him. Alas! they know not how to part with their vain Companions. If they might have Christ and sit with vain persons. too they would be Christians: but that can never be. What saith the Scripture, Eph. 5. 14. Arises […] the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, Arise soul, come away from thy dead companions if thou wouldst save Christ to give thee the light of Salvation. But occuse distracted sinners will remain amongst the Graves, and lodgeth the Monuments, and take pleasure in being amongst their dead and rotten Companions, they will not hearken to the call of Christ. Christ saith to the sinner, let the dead bury their dead, follow thou me. But his heart is so strangely besotted with love to his vain Companions, as that the calls of Christ in the Gospel, are not regarded. We see Men and Women sometimes, under mighty impressions from the Word and Spirit of God; there are many such in this place at this day. Would you know whether it be like to prove a saving work or no? Then mark this one thing; Are such persons got clear of their old vain Companions? if so, they are like to do well: for wisdom saith, Forsake the foolish and ⟨p. 182⟩