N00830:70
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus…
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by Timothy Green for Nicholas Boone, 1701
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Blessed HOPE, And Glorious Appearing of JESUS CHRIST. › Sermon 2 › Application 2: USE II
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.
USE II
How Miserable are they that have not a well-grounded Hope of Blessedness. The greater the Blessedness the greater will their Misery be that shall not enjoy it, but be deprived of it. And alas! there are many such: All Christless Sinners are without a well-grounded Hope, Eph 2.12 Being without Christ having no hope. Ah Christless Sinner, thou hast no hope: 1 Thes. 4.13 That you sorrow not even as others that have no hope. They that have not an Interest in Christ are described to be such as have no hope. How should they have hope, that are not interested in Christ, who is the sure Foundation for all our hope to be built upon? If our hope is not built upon CHRIST, it is like a house built upon the Sand. All that are in a state of Unregeneracy, have no well-grounded hope, 1 Pet 1.3 He has begotten us again to a lively hope. That man that has a lively hope, that has hope of Eternal Life in another World, if it be ⟨p. 44⟩well-grounded, he is Begotten again. How should they that are in their Unregeneracy have a well-grounded hope, when Christ with his own mouth has said, Joh. 3:3 Verily, verily I say to you, that except you be Born again, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Well then, all Unregenerate Souls have cause to tremble: And, O Lord God, how many are there here this day, that have cause to tremble as being in an Unregenerate Estate, since the Lord has said, they cannot Enter into the Kingdom of God. So as for all Ungodly ones, that Live Ungodly lives; there is no hope that they shall be Blessed, if they go on in their Trespasses: 1 Joh. 3.3 He that has this hope in him, Purifies himself, as He is pure. Have they that live Unholy lives, a well-grounded hope? A Drunkard, has he any hope to be Saved? Poor Wretch, 'tis impossible. So as to every Vicious person. He that lives in Transgressions against the First Table: A profane Swearer, has he any hope to be Saved? Some Ungodly men Sware by their hope, in saying, As I hope to be Saved: Ah poor Wretch! hope to be Saved. if thou hadst any true hope to be saved, thou would not dare to Swear by thy Salvation. So they that live in a careless neglect of God, have they a well-grounded hope? They that live without Prayer: God knows how many such are here this Day. Some that