N00318:32
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.
O my God, thou hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house, therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now Lord, thou art that God that hast promised this goodness to thy servant; now therefore let it please thee to bless the house (i. e. the Family and posterity) of thy servant that it may be before thee for ever; for thou blessest O Lord and it shall be blessed for ever. So it is a wonderful encouragement to the Children of holy men to seek unto the Lord for grace and Salvation for themselves: The Child of a godly man may come before the Lord, and say Lord thou hast promised to bestow Grace, and give eternal blessings unto those that are the Children of such as fear thy Name, my Father, my Mother thou knowest did fear thy Name, why then may not that promise belong to me?
4. The children of godly parents are the subjects of much faithful prayer. David prayed earnestly for his son Solomon, 1. Chron. 29.19. & 22.16. So did Isaac for his son Jacob, Gen. 28.1, 3, 4. Now it is matter of great encouragement that prayer is going: especially the prayers of godly parents will do much in ⟨p. 14⟩order to obtaining mercy for their children. For they have a great natural affection toward their Children, which wh•n it is sanctified, maketh them to be the more earnest with God for them. If a child were to ask prayers for his Life, let him desire the prayers of his Father, if his Father be indeed one that hath an Interest in Heaven. It is said in the fifth Commandment, Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exod. 20, 12. because as for dutiful Children, their parents are engaged to pray much for them, and by that means do lengthen out their days. In the Hebrew it is they shall prolong thy days h. e. thy Father and thy mother shall do so. How should they do it?