N00619:65
Things for a distressed people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the…Things for a distress'd people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the…
Things for a distressed people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the General Assembly of the province, of the Massachusetts Bay, at the anniversary election. May, 27. 1696. Wherein, I. the condition of the future, as well as the former times, in which we are concerned, is considered. II. A narrative of the late wonderful deliverance, of the King, and the three kingdoms, & all the English dominions, is endeavoured. III. A relation, of no less than seven miracles, within this little while wrought by the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, for the confirmation of our hopes, that some glorious works, for the welfare of his church, are quickly to be done, is annexed. / By Cotton Mather.Things for a distress'd people to think upon. Offered in the sermon to the General Assembly of the province, of the Massachusetts Bay, at the anniversary election. May, 27. 1696. Wherein, I. the condition of the future, as well as the former times, in which we are concerned, is considered. II. A narrative of the late wonderful deliverance, of the King, and the three kingdoms, & all the English dominions, is endeavoured. III. A relation, of no less than seven miracles, within this little while wrought by the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, for the confirmation of our hopes, that some glorious works, for the welfare of his church, are quickly to be done, is annexed. / By Cotton Mather.
printed by B. Green for Duncan Campbel, 1696
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.
Consent, O Immortal Souls, That God should be your God, and be unto you, better than all your Idols; that the Lord Jesus Christ should be your Prophet, Priest, and King; that the Holy Spirit should Possess you, and incline you to Glorify Him according to the Gracious Terms of this Covenant for ever. But then, Let them that have Enjoyed the Seals of this Covenant, again, and again, with all possible Solemnity ⟨p. 60⟩Repeat the Consent of their Souls thereunto. Sirs, A most wondrous Reformation would follow hereupon Immediately! Now, In the doing of this Thing, Why should not our Churches, most Explicitly Apply, the Covenant of Grace, unto all the Designs of Reformation, as well as they Apply it unto the particular Designs, of a Particular Church-state before the Lord? Our Covenant will to the most Edification, and the most Satisfaction, be Renewed, when we most of all Express the Spirit of the New•Cov••ant in all that we do. Now, 'Tis the Spirit of the New Covenant, for us to Acknowledge, That our Justification only by Faith in the Righteousness of our Saviour and our Surety, does powerfully oblige us to Depart from all Iniquity: And, Then, to Acknowledge, That this and that Evil Thing, whereof we are advised, is an Iniquity, from which we do, with our very Hearts within us, Desire to Depart for ever: But with such Acknowledgements, we are to Protest in all Sincerity of Soul, That we ask the Grace of Heaven, to Watch against every such Abominable Thing, both in our selves, and in one another. What one Christian upon Earth would scruple to consent unto such Acknowledgements and Protestations? Now, if our Churches, yea, and other Societies too, would thus use the Covenant of Grace, with pertinent Applications thereof, to every New Iniquity, that they Discern arising ⟨p. 61⟩among them, how gloriously might the Spir•• of Grace, then Lift up a Standard against every Flood of Iniquity! As fast as we see any […] gaining of ground upon us, Let us make our Evangelical Acknowledgements and our Evangelical Protestations, against that Sin; These are the Sanctified Ways in which the Almighty Spirit of Christ, will make us Conquerors, and more than Conquerors, over that Sin for ever. And shall I add this one thing more? There are many sorts of Officers among us, that are under very special Oaths, unto God, for Well-Doing;