N00318:127
A call from heaven, to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein…
A call from heaven, to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein is showed I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasy, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in N. England.A call from heaven, to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein is shewed I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasie, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in N. England.
Boston: printed by R.P. i.e for I. Brunning i.e, 1685
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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, 4. There is sad Cause to fear what will at last come on this Generation. There is a Consumption on Religion all the World over, as one well observes [p]the burials of Christians are frequent and their Birth is rare. And as for what concerns our selves more peculiarly, we may fear that their will be greater Apostasy, because they that should have prevented it are gone. Many times the removal o• a few eminent servants of God in a Common-Wealth, or in the Churches, maketh way for great Apostasy quickly to ensue. Was it not so with the Children of Israel? When they had a good Judge over them, they would serve the Lord all the days of that Judge, But it came to pass when the Judge was dead, they returned and corrupted themselves more then their Fathers, Judg. 2.18.19. In Nehemiah's time while he was Governor for twelve years together, things went well, and God blessed the Land wonderfully, but when he was removed in one years time, those sins of Oppression, Sensuality, Sabbath-breaking, were become prevailing common Evils Neh. 13.6. Alas! our Nehemiahs are gone, (I speak it not reflect upon ⟨p. 91⟩those that survive, but to awaken from the solemn Consideration of those Bereavements) our Pauls are likewise departed from amongst us in which respect we may fear Corruption in Religion will follow Act. 20.29. Deut. 31.27. Judg. 8.33. Have we not seen it in some places, how that within a year after the death of such an eminent Servant of Christ, Apostasy to this day irrecoverably hath prevailed? furthermore, the heads of the second Generation, that were most likely to have done good, the Lord has snatched them away, and (like Enoch) translated them to Heaven in the middest of their days: Others that are most likely to prevent backsliding, and to be Instruments of reforming a corrupted Generation are not likely to continue long in this evil World. yea, and of late, even since the present War, (that we are bleeding under) began, the Lord has taken away many young ones either by Sword or Sickness, who were the Hopes of the generation. In many Plantations, they that have dyed of late, were the most hopeful and desirable young men in the places where they lived! an Ominous sign that there is some terrible thing which God will do ere this Generation be passed away.