N00342:101
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Joseph Browning, 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.
Exhort. 2. Believe this Truth, that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD. It is not so easy a matter to believe this as many think for Reason cannot comprehend this Mystery, and thence it is not ea••• after a right manner, with the heart to believe it. Yet It is necessary to be believed, as being a fundamental Principle in Religion. Therefore when Peter in the […] of the Disciples professed that Christ is ⟨p. 45⟩the Son of God, the Lord replied, upon this rock I will build my Church, Mat. 16. 18. so then they that believe not this, do not belong to Christ, nor to the Church of Christ. All Religion, yea whole Christianity would fall to the ground if this Principle should be plucked up. The Sum of the Gospel is contained in this great Truth. Hence Paul's Preaching is summarily expressed by saying, He preached Christ that He is the Son of God. Act. 9. 20. There are many Truths of lesser Concern, which through Ignorance may be disbelieved or denied, and yet a mans Salvation not hazarded thereby: But it is not so as to this Truth respecting the Sonship of Jesus Christ; whosoever disowneth it, will miss of eternal Salvation, 1. Joh. 2. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. Hence Satan hath made it his great design to oppose this Truth. The Devil said to Christ, (Mat. 4. 3.) IF thou be the son of God. The wicked Devil would feign have that questioned. Wherefore in the days of the Apostles, he stirred up Ebion and Cerinthus, and other Heretics who denied the Deity, and so the eternal Sonship of Christ, which is thought to be the occasion of John's writing his Gospel wherein he doth most plainly and abundantly assert ⟨p. 46⟩the Godhead of Christ. Afterwards, Satan stirred up Arius, who maintained that Christ was only a Creature and not the eternally begotten Son of the Father; and the Church was in danger of being carried away with that flood of Arian Heresy which over-whelmed the world