N00318:23
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.
3. This seeking doth imply earnest desire to find God. That which a man seeketh after he would be glad to find. When Job fought after Communion with God, he maketh enquiry, where shall I find him? Chapt. 23.3. No one will seek after that which is not an object of his desires, Psal. 27.4. One thing have I desired, that will I seek after. If thou seek him, that is to say, if thou earnestly desire to find the Lord, then so it shall be. If God be the chief Object of thy desires, if the desire of thy soul be towards the remembrance of his Name, then he will be found of thee. As it was with David himself, Psa. 63.•1. O God thou art my God, early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and ⟨p. 5⟩thirsty Land where no water is. How are the desires and affections of a thirsty man carried out after water, in a thirsty Land where no water is? When the desires of the soul are in like manner carried out after God, that is seeking him.
4. Seeking the Lord does imply Diligence in the use of means in order to obtaining the favour of God. The end implies the means which is necessary in order to obtaining that end, now the favour of God is the end of this seeking. Hence 'tis called a seeking his face, i. e. his •avour. Psal. 10•.4 Seek the Lord's face. and the means in order to obtaining that end is Repentance of former sins, Faith in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, (Jer. 50.5.) walking according to the holy Rules of the Word of God, which is therefore called a walking in all well pleasing before the Lord, Inasmuch as so to walk is the way to find the continuance of Divine Favour.