N01347:75
A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church…
A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston in New-England. Delivered at Salem, 1636. : To which is prefixed, a retraction of his former opinion concerning baptism, uttered by him immediately preceding the sermon emitted. He dyed on the 23. day of December, 1652. Entering [sic] on the 68 year of his age. : [Seven lines from I Corinthians]A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston in New-England. Deliver'd at Salem, 1636. : To which is prefixed, a retraction of his former opinion concerning baptism, utter'd by him immediately preceeding the sermon emitted. He dyed on the 23. day of December, 1652. Entring [sic] on the 68 year of his age. : [Seven lines from I Corithians]
Boston: : s.n., Printed in the year, 1713
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.
When men have received ease from God, and then are straight laced towards their Brethren, then doth the Lord revoke his Pardon, So that Reformation is no assurance that God hath made an everlasting Covenant with us. And mind you further, All the Graces that you have laid hold upon, have sprung from your own Righteousness. Thou hast taken a Promise, Did it belong to thee? if not it will fail you; you say you have been humbled, and come to Christ, and He hath refreshed you, mark where upon it is built; upon your humiliation? No, but I come to Christ, Do you so? Who brought you to Christ? He saith, No man can come to me except the Father draw him. Now, come to such an one, and say, Go to Prayer; saith the poor Soul, I cannot Pray; Be humbled, I cannot be humbled; apply Promises, ⟨p. 32⟩they belong to any rather than to me: Such a frame of Spirit there is in every one whom the Father draweth: If you come to Christ by virtue of any thing which is in you, it is but a legal work. And I pray consider, what it will amount unto, you will find, that these men will breed distraction in your Churches, such Members will make no choice how they hear, or how they deal with their Brethren; look to it therefore carefully, when they come into the Church, for otherwise you will find everlasting confusion, rather than an everlasting Covenant.
When men have received ease from God, and then are streight laced towards their Brethren, then doth the Lord revoke his Pardon, So that Reformation is no assurance that God hath made an everlasting Covenant with us. And mind you further, All the Graces that you have laid hold upon, have sprung from your own Righteousness. Thou hast taken a Promise, Did it belong to thee? if not it will fail you; you say you have been humbled, and come to Christ, and He hath refreshed you, mark where upon it is built; upon your humiliation? No, but I come to Christ, Do you so? Who brought you to Christ? He saith, No man can come to me except the Father draw him. Now, come to such an one, and say, Go to Prayer; saith the poor Soul, I cannot Pray; Be humbled, I cannot be humbled; apply Promises, ⟨p. 32⟩they belong to any rather than to me: Such a frame of Spirit there is in every one whom the Father draweth: If you come to Christ by vertue of any thing which is in you, it is but a legal work. And I pray consider, what it will amount unto, you will find, that these men will breed distraction in your Churches, such Members will make no choice how they hear, or how they deal with their Brethren; look to it therefore carefully, when they come into the Church, for otherwise you will find everlasting confusion, rather than an everlasting Covenant.