N00318:150
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.
Our Fathers did like David, he prepared Materials for the Temple and then left it to his son to go on with the building 1. Sam. 22.5.14. So did our Fathers leave us Principles of Truth, which they did with much cost and pains, dig out of the Rich veins of the Scripture. We have need therefore to be much in prayer, and Humiliations before the Lord that so he might vouchsafe to show us the Form of the House and the Fashion thereof, and the Goings out thereof, and the Comings in thereof.
2. Let us make Converting work our main design. Shall we be content to go to Heaven alone, and not strive to carry as many of the Generation we live in, along with us as possibly we can? Alas, Apostasy will prevail, and these Churches cannot be kept pure long except Converting work go forward. O therefore let us Preach for this, and Pray for this, and study for this, that precious immortal souls may be converted to God through Jesus Christ. And to this end it will be good for us to attend personal instruction of those under our Charge, as far as time & strength will permit us. I remember it's noted in the Lives of Chrysostom and Austin, that besides their public Labours, they did sometimes attend personal instruction of these and those of their ⟨p. 119⟩Hearers. When the Ministers *in Geneva did agree to divide the City so as to call each Family to an account concerning their Faith, more good was done thereby, than by all their Public Teachings. And some [l]of latter time have been blessed with eminent success as to Conversion of souls, so as that whole Towns where they have lived have been wonderfully changed upon taking this course. I know that where there is but one Elder in a Church (as alas that is now the case of these Churches generally) so much cannot be done that way as is to be desired; yet if we do as much as we can, the Lord Jesus will accept of it, and it may be, success will be beyond expectation. Many an one that minds not a Sermon, yet when he is by a Messenger of God particularly spoken to, and told, you are yet in your sins; if you be not new born, better you had never been born; he falls down under Conviction. And possibly words that we little think any such thing of now, will be mentioned again to our exceeding joy and rejoicing in the day of Christ, when we shall see and hear many souls stand forth and bless the Lord Jesus that ever they knew us, and that ever we spake to them in the Name of the Lord both publicly