N00896:65
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.
They may be instrumental of great good to the Souls of men, by b•ing Vigilant against the designs of Satan, who seeketh to sow Tares in the Lords field among the Wheat, which if they be not Watchful will soon over-run and ruin all▪ They may be instrumental of much good by discovering Seducers. The Angel in the Church in Ephesus did a great Service for Christ & for the Church, in discovering the false Apostates that were crept in amongst them, Rev. 2.2. False Teachers are as dangerous to the Souls of men, as Wolves are to a Flock of Sheep. They will come in Sheeps clothing: They'll pretend Love to Truth, and a desire of the Salvation of Souls, and it may be a Zeal to propagate the Christian Faith▪ then their design is to propagate the Romish Faith, or Pelagian and Arminian, errors whereby the Souls of those that are poisoned therewith will be endangered. The Shepherds of the Flocks by preventing such mischief may do much good▪ And above all by being Instrumental in the Conversion of Souls. To Save a body from death is a good work; but to Save a Soul is a greater good than to Save thousands of Bodies Now he that Converts • Soul Saves • Soul, Ja••. 5.20▪ He that converteth a Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from death. Thus then are th•• whose office obligeth ⟨p. 32⟩them to it, concerned to seek the welfare especially the Spiritual and Eternal welfare of their People. In doing which they promote their own welfare. They will (as the Apostle said to Timothy) save themselves in endeavouring to save those that hear them Nor are there any men under Heaven, under such an awful charge as they that have the charge of Immortal Souls committed to the•. How dreadful are the words of God to the Sons of Aaron, Lev. 8.35. Keep my charge that ye die not. And what was spoken to Ezekiel is no less awful. God said to him, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, thou shalt give them warning from me. If thou dost not, the wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand: If thou warn him thou hast delivered thy Soul