N01667:18
Practical truths, plainly delivered
Practical truths, plainly delivered: wherein is showed, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ, shall as certainly enjoy everlasting life in heaven, as if they were there already. II. That there is a blessed marriage between Jesus Christ the son of God, & the true believer. III. That men are infinitely concerned, not only to hear the voice of Christ, but that they do it, to day. IV. The work of the ministry, described, in an ordination sermon. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Seven lines of Scripture texts]Practical truths, plainly delivered: wherein is shewed, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ, shall as certainly enjoy everlasting life in heaven, as if they were there already. II. That there is a blessed marriage between Jesus Christ the son of God, & the true believer. III. That men are infinitely concerned, not only to hear the voice of Christ, but that they do it, to day. IV. The work of the ministry, described, in an ordination sermon. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Seven lines of Scripture texts]
printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1718
Sermon 1: SERMON, I. True Believers on Jesus Christ shall have Everlasting Life in Heaven.
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.
That declared them to be no true Believers. For there is not a true Believer in the World that loves the praise of Men (though they may love it too much) more than the praise of God. Moreover, their declining to make a Confession of Christ, discovered their want of a Saving Faith. For with the heart Man believeth, and with the Mouth Confession is made to Salvation. If a Man will not Confess Christ before all the World, that's a sure sign that his heart doth not truly believe on him. Believers in the Primitive times would openly Confess the Name of Christ, when they knew they should die for it immediately. It is related concerning one of the Martyrs, ⟨p. 6⟩That the Persecutors could obtain no Answer to their Interrogatives, but I am a Christian. Where doest thou live? I am a Christian. Who are thy Relations? I am -a Christian. It is not necessary to Salvation, that a Man should say, I am Lutheran, or I am a Calvinist, or I am an Episcopalian, or I a Presbyterian; or of this or that Party: but it is necessary that he should say, and confess it freely, I am a Christian. Since then, some that have been convinced of Christs being the Son of God, yet have not confessed him, that shows that a mere doctrinal Faith is not a Saving Faith. Nay, such a Faith is no more than what the Devils and Damned have. To those that have only a Faith of Assent, the Apostle says, Jam. 2.19. Thou believest there is one God, thou dost well, The Devils also believe and tremble. All Religion depends upon this Article of it, There is a GOD, and but One GOD. Deny that and you destroy all Religion at once. Wherefore when it is said, The Devils believe there is One God, it imports that they believe all the Articles of Religion. In particular they believe that Great Article of our Christian Faith, That Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God whom he had promised to send into the World. We read in the Gospel of a Possessed Man, that when the Devils in him saw Christ, they made a sad out cry, Saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth, are ⟨p. 7⟩thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God. So that this Belief is not enough to denominate any One a true Believer in Jesus Christ.
That declared them to be no true Believers. For there is not a true Believer in the World that loves the praise of Men (though they may love it too much) more than the praise of God. Moreover, their declining to make a Confession of Christ, discovered their want of a Saving Faith. For with the heart Man believeth, and with the Mouth Confession is made to Salvation. If a Man will not Confess Christ before all the World, that's a sure sign that his heart doth not truly believe on him. Believers in the Primitive times would openly Confess the Name of Christ, when they knew they should die for it immediately. It is related concerning one of the Martyrs,