N01237:53
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of…
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that virtue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that vertue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1710
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.
3. He that has the Grace of Courage will choose rather to Suffer than to Sin. Joseph was Exposed to great Sufferings rather than he would Sin; Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this wickedness and Sin against God? The like holy Resolution we see in Moses: He chose (and it was a choice in which his Courage appeared) rather to Suffer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin, Heb. 11. 25. He knew that he could not enjoy those pleasures which the Egyptian Courtiers indulged themselves in, but he must then Sin against God. He chose rather to suffer the loss of all the honour and riches of a Kingdom. The Three Worthies in Daniel chose rather to Suffer than to Sin, yea, rather to be burnt alive than to Sin against God: with an undaunted Courage they told the greatest Emperor and Tyrant in the World to his face, that he might do his worst, they would never Join with him in his Idolatrous Worship, Dan. 3. 18. The Prophet Daniel when he knew the Emperor ⟨p. 33⟩had Published an Edict against it, he would let the World see that he worshipped the true God and him only, and would venture to be thrown into the den of Lions rather than be guilty of a Sin of Omission. It is noted concerning the Hebrew Martyrs, That they were tortured not accepting deliverance, Heb. 11. 35. Antiochus the King of Syria (an eminent Type of Antichrist) promised those Martyrs that their Lives should be spared if they would eat one Mouthful of Swines flesh, which under the Ceremonial Law, it was not Lawful for them who were Jews to do; Therefore they chose rather to be tortured to Death than to do it. The Martyrologies have many Examples of Christians who have chosen the greatest Sufferings rather than to Sin against their Consciences in the least. To do thus is to be Strong and very Courageous.
3. He that has the Grace of Courage will chuse rather to Suffer than to Sin. Joseph was Exposed to great Sufferings rather than he would Sin; Gen. 39. 9