N01545:112
Two discourses showing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of…Two discourses shewing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of…
Two discourses showing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of the righteous. II. The dignity & duty of aged servants of the Lord. : Also, a preface in which the Congregational discipline of the churches in New-England is vindicated, with the authors dying testimony there-unto. / By I. Mather, D.D. ; [Four lines of quotations]Two discourses shewing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of the righteous. II. The dignity & duty of aged servants of the Lord. : Also, a preface in which the Congregational discipline of the churches in New-England is vindicated, with the authors dying testimony there-unto. / By I. Mather, D.D. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1716
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.
Again, It becomes Aged Christians to be Sound in the Faith, and to be steadfast therein, and this not only as to fundamentals in the doctrine of Godliness, but in Truths relating to Worship and Discipline, and that order of the Gospel which is of Divine Institution. Our Fathers came into this Land when it was a Wilderness, that so they might Worship God according to Scripture Pattern without any humane Inventions therein; but there have been some of late who in their Old Age have Apostatized to another Way of Worship differing from that which their Fathers walked in, so have they corrupted themselves, and blemished their Old Age, when just going out of the World. All Men, but especially Old Men ought rather to dye than to forsake the way of righteousness. There was a famous Jew whose Name was Eleazar, some of his Enemies had a reverence for him ⟨p. 126⟩on the account of his great Age. They would have persuaded him to transgress the Law of God only in a Ceremonial Precept, promising him his life if he would do so: but he with a noble courage chose a cruel Death rather than to Sin against his Conscience in a Ceremony. The Jewish Historian says of him, He considered his Ancient Years, and the honour of his grey head. I (said he) am above fourscore and shall I get a stain to my Old Age. I will rather •e & show my self as my Age requires, […] ••nt to the torment, & was tortured to Death. I believe this Eleazar was one of those Hebrew Martyrs the Apostle speaks of, who were tortured not accepting deliverance, Heb. 11.35.
Again, It becomes Aged Christians to be Sound in the Faith, and to be stedfast therein, and this not only as to fundamentals in the doctrine of Godliness, but in Truths relating to Worship and Discipline, and that order of the Gospel which is of Divine Institution. Our Fathers came into this Land when it was a Wilderness, that so they might Worship God according to Scripture Pattern without any humane Inventions therein; but there have been some of late who in their Old Age have Apostatised to another Way of Worship differing from that which their Fathers walked in, so have they corrupted themselves, and blemished their Old Age, when just going out of the World. All Men, but especially Old Men ought rather to dye than to forsake the way of righteousness. There was a famous Jew whose Name was Eleazar, some of his Enemies had a reverence for him