N00946:42
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.
1. 'Tis mans own fault that he cannot come. They have made themselves unable to believe. How then will that Impotency Excuse them? It is true, that the Children of men are become impotent, miserable Creatures. Rom. 5. 6. They are without strength. But they have made themselves to be without strength. They have sinned away that power which once they had. As Sampson when he did hearken to Delilah, his strength departed from him, and he became weak. So Adam and we in him, hearkening ⟨p. 27⟩to Satan, our Strength is departed from us, and we are become weak. Adam had power enough to do whatever God required of him: There was nothing that God enjoined on him, but he had power sufficient to do it. Eccles. 7. 29. God made man upright but they sought out many inventions. So God gave to man in his first-state sufficiency of Power to obey whatsoever he should enjoy• on him. But they have sinned away that power, and made themselves unable to do what once they could have done. If a Servant should make himself sick, and neglect doing his work that his Master hath set him about, and then pretend that he was sick, would that be a sufficient Excuse? When it might be said, You did wilfully make your self sick & weak. That would be no rational Excuse for him.
1. 'Tis mans own fault that he cannot come. They have made themselves unable to believe. How then will that Impotency Excuse them? It is true, that the Children of men are become impotent, miserable Creatures. Rom. 5. 6. They are without strength. But they have made themselves to be without strength. They have sinned away that power which once they had. As Sampson when he did hearken to Delilab, his strength departed from him, and he became weak. So Adam and we in him, hearkening ⟨p. 27⟩to Satan, our Strength is departed from us, and we are become weak. Adam had power enough to do whatever God required of him: There was nothing that God enjoyned on him, but he had power sufficient to do it.