N00896:99
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.
1. By their Prayers. They obtain good for others thereby, Job 22.30 The innocent shall deliver the Island by the pureness of his hand. The righteous by li•ting up pure hands in Prayer unto God, deliver the place where they live from destroying Judgments. It was said to Abim•leck concerning Abraham, in Gen 20.7. He is a Prophet he shall Pray for thee and thou shalt live. ⟨p. 55⟩Verily •h•re is many a man owes his life to the Prayers of righteous ones that have begged it at the hands of God for them. How far did Abraham prevail? he almost obtained the life of five wicked Cities by his Prayer to God for them, and if he could have got ten Righteous men more to have joined with him, he had Saved them all alive. Yea, Lot was delivered out of respect to Abraham's Prayer. Although in this Chapter nothing is said of Ab•ahams Praying particularly for that his kinsman, yet in another place, viz. in Gen 19 29. It is said, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow. The Lord remembered how Abraham had been Praying for his kinsman. It was then his Uncles Prayers that were one special cause of his being so wonderfully saved alive, when all round about him perished in the fire. So likewise Zoar was spared out of respect unto the Prayers of Lot, Gen. 19 21. See (says the Lord) I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, I will not overthrow this City for which thou hast spok•• ▪ Zoar was not overthrown with the Earthquake as the other Cities were, because of Lots Praying and Crying to God to spare it. Sometimes the Prayers of one •mi•ent righteous man, will do very much with God, Jam. 5 16. The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We see it in Moses, when there was a very wicked Generation of men, and the Lord was just ready to kill them all at one blow, Moses held his hand