N01732:98
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.
2. The best works of the best Men […] the World are attended with a great dea• of imperfection. They come very muc• short of that which the holy Law of Go• calls for. Feign they would come upt• ⟨p. 85⟩that perfection, but they cannot. Rom. 218. For to will is present with me, but […] to perform that which is good I find not. There is iniquity in the holy things of the Lords Servants. Well did the Psalmist […], If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, • Lord, who shall stand? Psal. 130. 3. May we not speak as the Church does, Isai.•• ▪6. All our righteousness are as filthy […]. Can we then think to Merit Sal•••ion by them? It is impossible it should […] so, considering there is so much imperfection in the best works we do: Who can make a Prayer without an unsuitable or impertinent thought in his heart? Suppose a Man to confess Sin never so Penitently, he needs pardoning Mercy in respect of that confession. Austin Prayed, Lavo lacrimas Domine, Lord wash my Tears, my sinful polluted tears. Suppose a Man not only to Pray, but to Fast as well as Pray, and to pour out many tears before God, because he has sinned against so good a God, yet that Man, his years need washing in the blood of Christ, that they may find acceptance with God. We see then Men cannot be saved by their own works. The Doctrine of Mens being ⟨p. 86⟩saved by their own good works, their Meriting Heaven thereby is one of the fundamental Errors of Popery. And there is nothing more contrary to the Gospel, the great design where of is to Exalt Christ and Grace, and to abase Man. What could be more proudly spoken than the Speech of a Jesui•ed Papist, who sai•, That if God would give him Heaven gratis he would not accept it so, he wo••• do something to deserve it before e would accept it. Can a Sinner Merit Heaven, that has Merited Hell so often?