N01814:53
Awakening soul-saving truths, plainly delivered, in several sermons. In which is showed, I. That…Awakening soul-saving truths, plainly delivered, in several sermons. In which is shewed, I. That…
Awakening soul-saving truths, plainly delivered, in several sermons. In which is showed, I. That many are called, who are not effectually called. II. That men may be of the visible church, and yet not be of the Lord's chosen. III. That the chosen of God are comparatively but few. / By Increase Mather. D.D. ; [Four lines of Scripture texts]Awakening soul-saving truths, plainly delivered, in several sermons. In which is shewed, I. That many are called, who are not effectually called. II. That men may be of the visible church, and yet not be of the Lord's chosen. III. That the chosen of God are comparatively but few. / By Increase Mather. D.D. ; [Four lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland for B. Gray, 1720
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.
when a Church was gathered in Samaria, when Philip gathered a Church there, there were Hypocrites in that Church, and one notorious Hypocrite Simon Magus, who believed with a temporary Faith, and was thereupon Baptized, yet was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity; and we find, (it is a sad truth I am going to speak to you,) we find some particular Churches in the Primitive times, that the greatest part of them were no better than Hypocrites; To the Church of Sardis it is said, Rev. 3.1. Thou hast a name to live, and art dead; thou hast a few names which have not defiled their garments. So those in the Church of Laodicea, what were they! they were a Generation of ⟨p. 43⟩Formalists, luke warm Christians, who provoked Christ to spue them out of his mouth, they thought sure they were good Christians, they if any Men in the World should be saved, they should: they thought they were rich, and had need of nothing; Christ said to that Church, Thou art poor, wretched, miserable, blind and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me eye salve that thou mayst see. So that in particular Churches mentioned in Scripture there have been those and many too, that have not been Sincere.
3. Men may be of the Visible Church, yet after that they may prove total final Apostates. We see there may be such, and there has been such, 1 Joh. 2.19. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us without doubt they would have continued with us. They were only of the Church by an outward Profession, therefore went out never to return again. Such ⟨p. 44⟩there were in the Church of the Hebrews, Heb. 10.25. Not forsaking th• assembling of your selves together, […] the manner of some is; the manner of some was to join themselves to the Church, while they had a min to it, did hold communion with the Church, afterward apostatized; thus it has been with some Christianized Jews, they have proved Apostates; as to their Principles, so as to deny the Truth, and Fundamental Truths also.