N00341:7
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.
To the Reader.
IT is, as the Practice, so the Duty of every Scribe which is instructed to the Kingdom of God, to bring forth things both New and Old. The Law must be preached, inasmuch as thereby is the Knowledge of Sin, without which men will never be duly sensible of their need of Christ. But it is the Gospel (and not the Law) which is the word of Faith. Sinners will never come to Christ except they be persuaded of His Ability and Willingness to save▪ This the Gospel doth make known, as also that the gracious God is ready for His Son• sake, to pardon all those that truly repent, tho their sins are as Scarlet, though they be red like Crimson. The Holy Spirit doth sometimes bless encouraging sometimes awakening Considerations ⟨image ?⟩for saving good to the souls of the Elect of God▪ Nothing […] a greater tendency to awaken unto Repentance than serious Thoughts about the great DAY of JUDGMENT, and […] Infinite Danger which is in mens▪ Delaying their Conversion. A late Writer saith that he had enquired of some whose Ministry had been eminency blessed as to Converting work; and They assured him, that they found greater success in preaching about the Danger of Deferring Repentance, than in their Discourses on any other Subjects. What can be more desirable than that such as are indeed brought home to Christ, should be abundantly fruitful in good works, and grow into greater Intimacies of Communion with God? Such Considerations as these have induced me first to preach, and now to consent to the Publication of the Sermons emitted herewith.