N01732:83
Five sermons on several subjects. I. A birth-day sermon, preached on the day when…
Five sermons on several subjects. I. A birth-day sermon, preached on the day when the author attained to the eightieth year of his age. II. A dying testimony to the sovereign grace of God in the salvation of his elect, containing three sermons. III. Believers encouraged to pray from the consideration of Christs interceding for them, and with them. / By Increase Mather, D.D ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1719
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.
Ye will not come to me that ye might have life. Nor have they any ability of themselves to believe, if God do not enable them. Rom.5.6. Without Christ, and without Strength. As long as a Sinner is without Christ he has no Spiritual Strength, therefore except God shall draw the Soul to Christ it never will come. Joh.6.44. No man can come to me except the Father draw him. Sin draws the Sinner away from Christ, and there is the World to draw him back, and all the Devils in Hell are set to keep him from coming to Christ, therefore unless Almighty Power do draw him he will not come. It is said▪ a corrupt Tree ⟨p. 62⟩cannot bring forth good fruit: Men naturally are corrupt Trees. Faith, Holiness, Repentance are good Fruit; they cannot bring forth this good Fruit. […] is said of the Unbeliever, He is to every good work reprobate; he cannot do any thing pleasing to God. Moreover, th• Truth before us is evident from the things where-unto Regeneration is compared in the Scripture. It is compared unto and called a Creation; a Converted Sinner is made a New Creature. Ep•.2.10. We are his workmanship created […] Christ Jesus unto good works. A work of Creation is a work of Almighty Power▪ The New Creation is no less an effect […] the Almighty Power of God than […] first Creation. Again, Regeneration […] compared unto a Resurrection: So […] this second to the Ephesians, you hath […] quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins: You were dead, aye, but you […] made alive; and can the dead ma•• themselves alive; those that are in woeful Grave of Sin & Misery, have they Power to bring themselves out of their Graves? No, they have not. It was sa•• concerning the Converted Prodigal, […] ⟨p. 63⟩15.32. This my son was dead, but he is alive. So it is with the Sinner when he is Converted, when he truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ; before that he was dead but then he is alive: the Almighty Power of God, the irresistible Grace of God has made him to be alive; then as it is said in the Prophet Ezekiel,