N00341:65
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.
John 6.37. —And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.
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.
1. See thy absolute need of Christ. Without this no one will come to him. For men are naturally averse to nothing so much as to this, so that they will not come to Christ, except sense of extreme necessity compel them to it. Will a man that thinks himself well, run to a Physician for help? The whole have no need of a Physician but the sick. Mat. 9.12. But if men see their absolute need of Christ, then they'll be willing to go to him. When the sons of Jacob saw themselves like to perish by the Famine, they would go to Joseph for bread, that they might live and not dye. An Israelite when he saw the Avenger of blood pursuing of him, was made willing to betake himself to the City of refuge. Behold sinner, the Avenger of blood is at thy heels! if thou dost not make haste to the City of refuge, he'll ⟨p. 32⟩overtake thee and slay thy soul. Know that without Christ, thou hast a soul within thee that must perish to Eternity. If thou hadst been guilty but of one sin in all thy life, thou must lye and dye for ever under the wrath of God, if Christ save thee not. But what wilt thou do then having been guilty of so many and great sins? thou canst not save thy self▪ all thy own Righteousness, all thy Prayers, Sorrows, Tears, if thou couldst weep Seas of blood cannot save thee. Nay Heaven and earth cannot save thee without Christ. None but Christ can deliver from the Wrath to come.
1. See thy absolute need of Christ. Without this no one will come to him. For men are naturally averse to nothing so much as to this, so that they will not come to Christ, except sense of extream necessity compel them to it. Will a man that thinks himself well, run to a Physician for help? The whole have no need of a Physician but the sick. Mat. 9.12. But if men see their absolute need of Christ, then they'll be willing to go to him. When the sons of Iacob saw themselves like to perish by the Famine, they would go to Joseph for bread, that they might live and not dye. An Israelite when he saw the Avenger of blood pursuing of him, was made willing to betake himself to the City of refuge. Behold sinner, the Avenger of bloud is at thy heels! if thou dost not make haste to the City of refuge, hee'll ⟨p. 32⟩