N00341:213
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.
USE. 1. It is matter of heart-bleeding Lam•utation, that there are so few who draw near to God. Alas, how many are there that content themselves to live in a state of estrangement from God! They are Aliens to the Life of God, yea to a life of Communion with Him. The natural man knoweth not what it is to have Communion with God: All our Communion with God in this World is in some Ordinance or other, either Prayer, or Meditation, or Hearing the Word, or Reading, or in some other Ordinance, but are not these neglected? Church-Fellowship and the Lord's Supper are Divine institutions▪ It is lamentable to consider that so many of the rising Generation, do neither prize nor prepare themselves for such enjoyments, they sin grievously against the hope of their Fathers. For our Fathers came into this Wilderness for no other end, but only that so they might ⟨p. 144⟩build a Sanctuary for the Name of God, and enjoy Communion with Him therein. Now that their Children after them should so many of them be careless about things of this Nature, is a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation. And are there not more than a few, that live in the neglect of prayer? Ah ungodly souls! The Scripture saith, every one that is godly shall pray. Psal. 32.6. He then that liveth without prayer, has no godliness, no grace in his soul. Are there not some that don't so much as pray in their Families? Men may make excuses for such neglects if they will, but there is a Scripture which falls upon them like a Thunderbolt of Death, and they cannot escape it, I mean that in Jer. 10.25. Pour out thy fury upon — the Families which call not on Thy Name. If there be a prayerless Family in Boston, if there be a prayerless Family in New-England (as alas there are many) let them look to it, for the Fury of the Almighty is ready to be poured out upon them. Others there are who neglect Closet Prayer. Verily, I cannot see how such a man can have the true fear of God in his heart, that does in his ordinary Course live a whole day together without secret Communion with God.
USE. 1. It is matter of heart-bleeding Lam•utation, that there are so few who draw near to God. Alas, how many are there that content themselves to live in a state of estrangement from God! They are Aliens to the Life of God, yea to a life of Communion wirh Him. The natural man knoweth not what it is to have Communion with God: All our Communion with God in this World is in some Ordinance or other, either Prayer, or Meditation, or Hearing the Word, or Reading, or in some other Ordinance, but are not these neglected? Church-Fellowship and the Lord's Supper are Divine institutions It is lamentable to consider that so many of the rising Generation, do neither prize nor prepare themselvs for such enjoyments, they sin grievously against the hope of their Fathers. For our Fathers came into this Wilderness for no other end, but only that so they might