N01435:39
A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing.…
A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing. Occasioned by the death of that pious gentlewoman, Mrs. Mariah Mather, late consort of Increase Mather, D.D. Who entered into her everlasting rest, on the Lords Day, April.4. 1714. : [Seven lines of Scripture texts]A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing. Occasion'd by the death of that pious gentlewoman, Mrs. Mariah Mather, late consort of Increase Mather, D.D. Who entered into her everlasting rest, on the Lords Day, April.4. 1714. : [Seven lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by T. Green, 1714
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.
Particularly, 1. We should do the Will of God Speedily & without Delay. The Angels in Heaven do so. They wait to know what the Pleasure of God is, and when it is signified, they do it without delaying so much as one Moment. The Angel Gabriel said, I Stand in the Presence of God, Luk. 1.19. As a Servant having done the Business his Master has Employed him, comes and stands in the Presence of his Master, waiting to know what his Pleasure is for him to do next. Psal. 103.20, 21. Bless the Lord, ye his Angels, that do his Commandments, hearkening to the Voice of his Word; ye Ministers of his that do his Pleasure. That hearkening to his Word, implies ready Obedience. When the Great GOD sends his Angels on any Errand to the Earth, they go presently. Therefore in the Scripture they are represented not only as Going, but as Running, as soon as the Lord sends them. It is said of the Living Creatures in Ezekiel's Vision, by which Angels are meant, that they ran and returned as a flash of ⟨p. 17⟩Lightning, Ezek. 1.14. If they are sent on a Message they Run; and when they have done their Message, they return again as swiftly as a flash of Lightning. They are represented not only as Running, but as Flying swiftly: When the Angel Gabriel was sent on a Message to the Prophet Daniel, he came Flying swiftly, Dan. 9.21. Thus when the Will of God is manifested, we may not stand Considering whether we should do it, but Obey presently: Psal. 119.60. I made haste & delayed not, to keep thy Commandments. Paul as soon as he was Converted, desired to know the Will of God concerning his Duty: he said, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? The Lord told him what he should do, and then he Conferred not with Flesh & Blood. He did not Consult with any man in the world, whether he should do that, which was Revealed to be his Duty, but did it Immediately, Gal. 1.16. We have another Example of ready Obedience in Abraham; when God imposed upon him & on his Family the grievous Commandment