N00255:68
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.
Consider. 3. What Sins there are among us that call for such a scourge at this. Those very sins that are wont to be the Forerunners of persecution, are to be found in the midst of thee, O N-England. I shall not enlarge, but is there not a great decay of First-love? See Rev. 2. 4, 5. Thou hast left thy first Love. What follows? I will come quickly, & remove thy Candlestick out of its place. How was the Ephesian Candlestick removed, but by a storm of persecution, which blew it down? This is the Issue of leaving First-love! And have not we done so? It is indeed seldom known that an Apostatizing people are brought home to God, but in such a way as this. We may then fear it; especially considering that other means have not prevailed unto our Reformation. Are there not Contentions? Have not we been like foolish little Birds, ⟨p. 20⟩Pecking at one another, until the great Kite be ready to come, and devour one as well as another? Of late God hath let loose Indian Wolves upon us; in part, for this very sin, no doubt. And what further He may do unto us, is known unto himself. Is there not Formality? Oh! what Formality! I remember tis observed, that a little before the great Parisian Massacre in France, wherein thirty thousand Protestants perished, there was a great Decay of the power of godliness among them: Formality was grown upon them. Notwithstanding the extreme dangers attending them; there was little earnest seeking unto God: but their minds were taken with worldly matters; the great concernments of Eternity in the mean time neglected. Oh that it were not too much so, with the generality of Christians amongst us! We have then cause to fear, and to be awakened.
Consider. 3. What Sins there are among us that call for such a scourge at this. Those very sins that are wont to be the Forerunners of persecution, are to be found in the midst of thee, O N-England. I shall not inlarge, but is there not a great decay of First-love? See Rev. 2. 4, 5. Thou hast left thy first Love. What follows? I will come quickly, & remove thy Candlestick out of its place. How was the Ephesian Candlestick removed, but by a storm of persecution, which blew it down? This is the Issue of leaving First-love! And have not we done so? It is indeed seldome known that an Apostatizing people are brought home to God, but in such a way as this. We may then fear it; especially considering that other means have not prevailed unto our Reformation. Are there not Contentions? Have not we been like foolish little Birds,