N00946:21
Soul-saving Gospel truths. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is showedSoul-saving Gospel truths. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is shewed
Soul-saving Gospel truths. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is showed: I. The unreasonableness of those excuses which men make for their delaying to come to the Lord Jesus for salvation. II. That for men to despair of the forgiveness of their sins because they have been great, is a great evil. III. That every man in the world is going into eternity. / By Increase Mather. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]Soul-saving Gospel truths. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is shewed: I. The unreasonableness of those excuses which men make for their delaying to come to the Lord Jesus for salvation. II. That for men to despair of the forgiveness of their sins because they have been great, is a great evil. III. That every man in the world is going into eternity. / By Increase Mather. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]
Boston : Sold by Eleazer Phillips., 1703
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.
ALL Excuses for not Believing on Christ are Unreasonable.
Luk. XIV. 18. And they All with one Consent, began to make Excuse.
THE Lord Jesus Christ was on the Sabbath Day invited to eat Bread in the House of an eminent Pharisee. Being there he did (as he always used to do) set himself to do good unto those with whom he had his Conversation. In the first place he healed a man that was •ick ⟨p. 10⟩of the Dropsy; and then he gave wholesome Counsel unto those that were about him, which tended to promote the health and salvation of their Souls. He Exhorted them to Humility, and also to Charity and Liberality; and that they should extend their Charity not to Rich men only, that could do as much for them again; but unto such as were Poor and could never make them any recompense: and he did assure them that if they did so (from a right, principle, & to a right end,) they should be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just. Upon this one present uttered a saying very frequent among the Jewish Rabbis, namely, That they are Blessed who shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God. They are blessed that shall have Communion with God, & with his Saints in the Resurrection world. Upon this mans thus saying, the Lord Jesus Christ took occasion to speak a Parable ⟨p. 11⟩concerning the Great Supper. By which he did intimate that notwithstanding they pretended an affection to the Kingdom of God, nevertheless the wo•ld had a greater interest in their affections than that Kingdom. For he showed that many who were invited to the Great Supper, refused to come, and made Excuses for their so doing. The first had one Excuse, the second another, & the third another. Nevertheless, in this they all agreed to Excuse their not coming. When they were invited with one consent they made Excuse. Their Excuses were specious and plausible, and yet unreasonable.