N00526:125
Unum necessarium awakenings for the unregenerate. Or, The nature and necessity of regeneration. Handled…
Unum necessarium awakenings for the unregenerate. Or, The nature and necessity of regeneration. Handled in a discourse designed for the service of any that may be thereby assisted in the grand concern of conversion unto God; but especially the rising generation. : With an addition of some other sermons relating to that important subject. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Five lines from Ezekiel]
Boston printed: printed by B.H. i.e for Duncan Campbell, 1693
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.
Tis Another objection of unbelief, Thou art not so prepared for the Lord Jesus Christ, as that thou mayest without presumption dare to come unto him.
Tis Another objection of unbeleef, Thou art not so prepared for the Lord Jesus Christ, as that thou mayest without presumption dare to come unto him.
To this objection let us give that Answer, in Rev. 22.17. Lest him that is athirst, come, & whosoever will, Let him take the water of Life Freely. What is the true End of all those Preparations that are undergone by the Elect of God, in their coming unto the Lord Jesus Christ? they are that we may be made willing to come. So then, if we do but find our selves willing to have the Lord Jesus Christ, we need not scruple our liberty to come unto him. Are we so affected with our Ignorance, as to be willing that the Lord Jesus Christ should be our Wisdom? Are we so concerned about our Guiltiness, as that we are willing to have Righteousness by our Lord Jesus Christ? Are we so troubled for our Pollutions, as to be willing that the Lord Jesus Christ, should be our Sanctification? Is our Captivity so Irksome to us, that we are willing to have Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ? Then Come, in Gods Name; say not, Shall I? ⟨p. 92⟩May I? but, Come, without any further Hesitation. We must not imagine to come unto our Lord Jesus Christ, with any Recommendation but that of our being wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and Naked. It is not under the Notion of prepared, but under the Notion of perishing Sinners, that we are to come unto Him. We would fain come unto Him with, such and such good Frames in our Souls; but we are to come unto Him for, what we cannot come unto Him with. Never stand pausing, whether you have undergone such Degrees of Compunction and Contrition; beware lest you make a Christ of those things; but if you can come, Do; or however Do what you can to come. Do not say, Lord, Depart from me, for I am sinful man; but say, Lord, because I am a sinful man, therefore I will come unto thee. Or argue at such a rate as the Lepers did, Be sure, if I sit still, I die; I may go forth and live: If I stay from the Lord Jesus Christ, I am ruined unavoidably; but I may come to Him, and have a good reception with Him: so this I'll do!