N00255:23
A sermon wherein is showed that the church of God is sometimes a subject…A sermon wherein is shewed that the church of God is sometimes a subject…
A sermon wherein is showed that the church of God is sometimes a subject of great persecution; preached on a public fast at Boston in New-England: occasioned by the tidings of a great persecution raised against the Protestants in France. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a church of Christ. ; [Eight lines of quotations]A sermon wherein is shewed that the church of God is sometimes a subject of great persecution; preached on a publick fast at Boston in New-England: occasioned by the tidings of a great persecution raised against the Protestants in France. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a church of Christ. ; [Eight lines of quotations]
printed for 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.
1. Sauls Consenting thereunto: So the Verse begins. And Saul was consenting unto his Death. Gr. [Greek or Hebrew], It pleased him well. The expression intimates that others liked it; and that He liked it also. He did indeed manifest his Approbation of it, both by Words, & Actions. And this is here mentioned as a thing very Observable; that the Grace of God in Converting that Saul; in causing a persecuting Saul, to become a preaching Paul, (of which in the next Chapter there is a large Account) might be rendered the more glorious, and illustrious.
1. Sauls Consenting thereunto: So the Verse begins. And Saul was consenting unto his Death. Gr. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, It pleased him well. The expression intimates that others liked it; and that He liked it also. He did indeed manifest his Approbation of it, both by Words, & Actions. And this is here mentioned as a thing very Observeable; that the Grace of God in Converting that Saul; in causing a persecuting Saul, to become a preaching Paul, (of which in the next Chapter there is a large Account) might be rendred the more gloriose, and illustrious.
2. A great Persecution against Christians. The chief Persecutors had for some Time been restrained from doing what they had a mind unto, doubtless for Fear of the multitude: but when they saw the people patiently bear with Stephens Death, they were encouraged to go on in that way of Violence, and Persecution.
3. A Dispersion of the persecuted Christians at Jerusalem, into other places. Thus the last clause of the Verse. ⟨p. 2⟩They were All scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea & Samaria,