N00395:112
Work upon the ark. Meditations upon the ark as a type of the church
Work upon the ark. Meditations upon the ark as a type of the church; delivered in a sermon at Boston, and now dedicated unto the service of all, but especially of those whose concerns lye in ships. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green, 1689
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.
OBSERVATION XIII.
The Church of God is Raised and lifted up ⟨p. 44⟩towards Heaven, by the Baptism which is used there. This is that which the Apostle here teaches us; as Water carried up the Ark, so Baptism carries up the Church, towards the Heaven of the Blessed. It is thus upon other Accounts; as now, the Water of Affliction, often serves only to drown many ungodly Souls; they grow thereby more Angry at God, more Fixed in sin; and as 'twas said of him, In the Time of their Distresses, they Trespass yet more against the Lord ▪ Thus at last, They perish in Affliction. But this Water serves to Raise and Lift the serious Christian, up to greater Degrees of Acquaintance with Heaven, and Communion with Him, whose Voice is in the Rod. In like sort, The Water of Baptism, it Ruins many foolish people, by Encouraging their Hopes of Salvation, while they Leave not the Ways of Transgression before the Lord; they think, this Water will put out the Fire that never shall be quenched; Whereas their unsuitable Hearts and Lives do but turn it into the Water of Jealousy unto them. But by th• Water a Good man is Raised and Lifted up to such an Heavenly Fellowship with the Eternal One, that one step more carrie• him into Heaven it self. Hence in Rom. •• •,A Baptised man, is called a Raised man.
The Church of God is Raised and lifted up ⟨p. 44⟩towards Heaven, by the Baptism which is used there. This is that which the Apostle here teaches us; as Water carried up the Ark, so Baptism carries up the Church, towards the Heaven of the Blessed. It is thus upon other Accounts; as now, the Water of Affliction, often serves only to drown many ungodly Souls; they grow thereby more Angry at God, more Fixed in sin; and as 'twas said of him, In the Time of their Distresses, they Trespass yet more against the Lord Thus at last, They perish in Affliction. But this Water serves to Raise and Lift the serious Christian, up to greater Degrees of Acquaintance with Heaven, and Communion with Him, whose Voice is in the Rod. In like sort, The Water of Baptism, it Ruines many foolish people, by Encouraging their Hopes of Salvaion, while they Leave not the Ways of Transgression before the Lord; they think, this Water will put out the Fire that never shall be quenched; Whereas their unsuitable Hearts and Lives do but turn it into the Water of Jealousie unto them. But by th Water a Good man is Raised and Lifted up to such an Heavenly Fellowship with the Eternal One, that one step more carrie him into Heaven it self. Hence in Rom. ,A Baptised man, is called a Raised man.