N01814:83
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.
USE. I. We may here see the Erroneousness of several Opinions that some have taken up: As now that opposition of Universal Redemption, that Christ has died to save all Men whatsoever, if that were true, my Doctrine would not be true, that few are Chosen, for Christ's Redemption, and the Election of God run Parallel, Christ died to redeem only those, and all those God has given to Him, and they are the Objects of His special Love. Christ says, Joh. 15.13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. Those Christ has laid down his life for, are the objects of His special peculiar love. Can any one think that Christ loved Judas as much as ⟨p. 83⟩He loved Peter? Yet it must be so •f he died for Judas's Salvation as much as He did for Peter's. If this be so, then Christ's Death has been in vain as to a great part of those whom he died for, which may not •e imagined. Gal. 2.21. says the Apostle, If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain, which may not be imagined. Thus if Christ dyed for all Men, for those whom the Lord has not chosen, then He died in vain for a very great part of the World, but we must not imagine this. We find in Scripture Christ would not so much as Pray for the Reprobate World. Joh. 17.9. I pray for them which thou hast given me, says Christ, I pray not for the world: But has Christ died for that World, which He would not so much as once Pray and plead with God for the Salvation of? Not but that there is a sufficiency of Merit in the Death, in the Blood of Christ, to save all ⟨p. 84⟩the World, nay Merit enough to save ten thousand Worlds, the Blood of Christ has infinite Merit in it, it must needs be so, because it is the Blood of God, the Scripture so calls it, Acts. 20.28. God has purchased his Church with his ow• Blood; the Blood of God must needs have infinite Virtue and Value in it. The Life of God was given for the Redemption of those that were given to Christ.