N00341:206
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.
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.
2. God is the Chief Good. There have ⟨p. 135⟩been great disputes among those whom the world has accounted wise men, about the Chief Good. Austin observes that there were no less than two hundred eighty eight Opinions amongst the old Philosophers about the Chief Good. But we are are sure, that there is no Chief Good but God only. The young Noble-man in the Gospel did not know that Christ was God, and therefore when he called Him good, the Lord said to him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but One, that is God. Matth. 19.17. There is no Chief Good but God. He is infinitely good: He is an all-sufficient good. His Name is Ell-Shaddai: h. e. the God who is sufficiency. He has enough in Himself to satisfy his own infinite Self: And therefore more than enough to satisfy all creatures, whatever the wants, whatever the desires of of the souls of men may be; there's enough in God to satisfy them all. God is a Universal Good; so that it is impossible for a man to be miserable, if he hath God. This, doubtless was the reason why Jacob said, I have all. Gen. 33.9. It is translated, I have enough, but that was no more than Esau said: The Hebrew Expression is, Jeshli-Col, h. e. To me there's all. viz. because of his interest in God. Though a soul should have nothing else, If he hath God, he hath enough, he has all. All ⟨p. 136⟩outward losses are easily made up in God. Hence our Lord said, There is no man that hath left house, or Brethren, or Sisters, or Father or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands for My sake & the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time. Mar. 10.30. Why! he shall have that Comfort in GOD which all these Creatures could afford, and a hundred times more. The Chief good is eminently all good. So that tho a man should loose all his worldly possessions, if he has drawn near to God, he may truly say, I have lost nothing: he may stand upon the ruins of the whole world, and say I have lost nothing. And therefore may rejoice in all afflictive Changes and Bereavements.