N00318:267
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.
4. Wait on the Lord: Tho' the answer do not come presently yet continue praying and believing and let nothing discourage you: say not I have prayed for my Children's souls, but no grace no change wrought in them, and now I am even hopeless and faithless: Remember the woman of Canaan, she cried to the Lord Jesus for her poor child and yet had repulses one after another, the Lord not seeming to regard her, this was to try her faith; at last. She had her desire granted who knoweth but the Lord may deal so with thee? You therefore that fear God, despair not concerning your children, tho' at present they may be stout hearted, and far from righteousness. Austin ‖was a long time a vain, lascivious profane young man, but his godly ⟨p. 195⟩Mother's prayers & tears did at last prevail in heaven, that he became an eminent Convert. O continue to pray hard, and believe strongly, and that son who at present is the grief of thy mind and maketh thy soul to be in bitterness, God can make an Austin of him. And that Daughter which (as Jephthah said) hath brought thee very low &c. the Lord can convert her soul, that thy heart and thy reins, even thine shall rejoice. I remember I have somewhere read of one that had been a very sinful creature, and desperately froward and rebellious, but her godly Parents continued praying, and entreated divers faithful Ministers of God to pray for her, and God heard them, and in answer to prayer rescued a forlorn soul▪ out of the Jaws of Satan and Hell, and when that young woman lay upon her death-bed, she said to her godly friends and Relations *For my sake never despair of any one let their case at present be never so bad and desperate, for you know▪ how it was with me, & yet see how God has answered your prayers for me! Think of it you Fathers & Mothers that have wept and Prayed for the conversion & Salvation of your children full many a time, & as yet you see it not; tho' you should never see it, dye trusting in God, and believing that He will remember his Covenant with your children after you Gen. 50.24. It was an excellent spirit of Faith that breathed in that dying Wor-Worthy