N00896:58
The excellency of a public spirit discoursedThe excellency of a publick spirit discoursed
The excellency of a public spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]The excellency of a publick spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Masachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green for Nicholas Boone, 1702
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.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ will take notice of them before all the world at the last day, who have with a sincere heart sought the Welfare of his people If they have done this out of love to the name of Christ, and with an unfeigned desire that God might be glorified, all men and Angels shall hear of it, in that General Assembly, which will be when the whole world shall appear before his Judgment Seat. Whatever Service any man has done for God or for his people, Christ knows it, and has with him a memorial of it. He therefore said to the Angel of the Church in Thya••ra. I know thy Service. Rev. 2 19 He knows both what men do, and wha• principle it is that does act them in what they do. If from a principle of Faith and Love, Christ will acknowledge it, and praise them for it 1 Cor. 4 5. Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will make manifest the counsels of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God; that is every man that has been faithful to the Interest of God, and of his people. Christ when He comes will manifest the fidelity of his Servants before all the world: He will say, this Servant of mine was in such a place, and there did such a Service for my name, and in another place he did another Service. He sustained such and such Relations, and was faithful to my Interest in those several Capacities. Not the least Service has been done to any one of those ⟨p. 25⟩that belongs to Christ, but it shall be gloriously rewarded in that day; if it has been but a cup of cold water it shall not lose a reward. Mark 9 41. Then eminent Services will be much more rewarded. If he that shows kindness to one that belongs to Christ shall not los• his reward, they that have done good to hundreds, to thousands, to many whole Flocks of Christ, shall be considered by him accordingly; who has said, that he will give to every one according as his works shall be. He rewards his Servants with no less then a Crown, yea, with a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away.