N01545:94
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.
Inst. 1. They that walk in the way of Righteousness, many times live to Old Age, & it is a Mercy when they do so. We cannot say that all righteous Men shall be Crowned with this Mercy, for some of them dye before they have hoary heads. Promises made concerning Temporal blessings are to be understood not absolutely, but with limitations. If God shall see, that it will be most for His glory, that some who are in the way of righteousness, should die whilst they are Young, they shall not live to Old Age. It may be God will have them Crowned ⟨p. 91⟩with Martyrdom, which is a far more glorious Crown than that of an hoary head. It is said of many who lived in the Primitive Ages of Christianity, that they loved not their lives to the death, Rev. 12.11. According to the ordinary course of Nature they might have lived many years longer, but they laid down their lives for Christ, and by that they brought more glory to Christ in one day, than they could have done by many years active Obedience. Sometimes God in singular love and compassion to righteous Ones takes them out of this evil World whilst they are yet Young in Years. It may be sad Calamities and Desola••ons are coming on the Places where they live, & the Lord would not have them grieved with beholding such sad Spectacles. Isai. 57.1. The righteous is taken away from the evil to come. We have an Instance for this in Josiah, who was one of the most Pious Princes in ⟨p. 92⟩the World, and yet he dyed before he was full Forty Years Old. To him it was said, Thou shalt be gathered to thy Grave in peace, neither shall thine Eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this Place, and upon the inhabitants of the same, 2 Chron. 34 28. Or it may be, there is a righteous Man that doleful misery is coming on his Family and nearest Relations, which if he should live to grey hairs, he must be a sorrowful Spectator of: Therefore he must die before that. Thus concerning Jeroboam's godly Young Son. The Prophet having predicted the lamentable ruin that was to come on his Fathers family, said. He only of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave, because in him there is found some good thing, toward the Lord God of Israel,