N00341:168
The greatest sinners exhorted and encouraged to come to Christ, and that now without…
The greatest sinners exhorted and encouraged to come to Christ, and that now without delaying. Also, the exceeding danger of men's deferring their repentance. : Together with a discourse about the day of judgement. And on several other subjects. / By Increase Mather teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]
printed by R.P. for Joseph Brunning i.e, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Fruitful Christians glorify God.Fruitful Christians glorifie God.
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.
Answ. 1. Because fruitful Christians do make it appear that God is a glorious One. Men are ⟨p. 104⟩not said to glorify God, as though they made him more glorious than he was before, for that is impossible: Their goodness does not extend to Him: God's Essential Glory is infinite, and therefore its impossible that there should be any addition thereunto: But when Christians bear much fruit, they declare His glory before the world. They make it manifest that the LORD is a Glorious GOD. 1. Pet. 2.9. That you should show forth the •raises of Him, or the virtues of Him. The Virtue, the Power of God is showed forth, when his people are made fruitful. When grace is wrought in the soul, the mighty Power of God (which is his Glory) is exerted and manifested. And so it is when they act and exercise grace. e. g. When a Christian does exercise much patience under affliction, the power of God is thereby magnified and manifested to the praise and glory of his Name. Col. 1.11. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with Joyfulness. Its wonderful to see with what patience some Christians endure their Temptations and Afflictions: but it is from the glorious power of God strengthening their hearts and spirits. Again, That such poor, weak creatures as the children of men are, should be enabled by Faith to ⟨p. 105⟩encounter with and to overcome sin, Satan, & the world! this shows the glorious power of God. Besides all this, The more a Christian does abound in fruits of Charity and Holiness, the more like he is unto God. The Lord is good, and He does good: Therefore they that do much good are like to Him. do good (said Christ) that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. Mat. 5.44, 45. that is to say, that you may be like to Him, as children resemble their Father: That the world may in you and by you see something what God is, what glorious perfections are in his Nature.
Answ. 1. Because fruitful Christians do make it appear that God is a glorious One. Men are