N00297:13
Some important truths concerning conversion, and the improving seasons of grace; as also about…
Some important truths concerning conversion, and the improving seasons of grace; as also about prayer in families, and in secret: delivered in several sermons; / by Increase Mather.
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for John Griffin, 1684
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.
Matth. 18. 3. Verily, I say unto you, Except you be Converted, and become as little Children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matth. 18. 3. Verily, I say unto you, Except you be Converted, and become as little Children, you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven.
These Words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ; the occasion of them we may see in the first Verse of the Chapter; viz. An Ambitious Enquiry amongst the Disciples, which of them should be the greatest Man, or have the greatest Dominion in the heavenly Kingdom of Christ: The Lord tells them in this Verse, that such Ambition was not the way to Heaven; but on the contrary, that if it did continue ⟨p. 2⟩unmortified, it would surely exclude them out of that Kingdom.
THese Words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ; the occasion of them we may see in the first Verse of the Chapter; viz. An Ambitious Enquiry amongst the Disciples, which of them should be the greatest Man, or have the greatest Dominion in the heavenly Kingdom of Christ: The Lord tells them in this Verse, that such Ambition was not the way to Heaven; but on the contrary, that if it did continue ⟨p. 2⟩unmortified, it would surely exclude them out of that Kingdom.
In the words we may take notice of three things: 1. The main Truth which is here affirmed, sc. That Conversion is of absolute necessity, in order to obtaining the Kingdom of Heaven, Except there be Conversion, or (which explaineth the other) except there be a becoming as little Children, even a Regeneration, and beginning the World anew, as it were, except there be this, there shall be no entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. We have here the Persons unto whom this was spoken, sc. the Disciples of Christ; Except [you] my own Disciples be converted, I say to [you] that [ye] shall not enter: not but that they were converted already; yet this may well be spoken, even to converted persons, thereby to convince them further of the necessity of that Conversion which they had already attained. Also, because though they were converted in respect of their state, yet they stood in need of a further Conversion, in […] of a particular ill, which they were too much