Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D.…

Use. And let it be a solemn word of warning and awakening, to every soul that heareth me this day. Oh beware of living unprofitably under the Gospel and means of Grace which you are made to partake of. Consider what hath been spoken concerning the greatness of this sin, and consequently the dreadful danger which is therein. Is there any man willing to be cursed, rejected, burned? If not, in Gods fear take heed that you do not remain unfruitful under those showers of Heaven, which from day to day fall upon your Souls. Remember also, that ⟨p. 77⟩unfruitfulness is the ready way to be deprived of Gospel Ordinances, and all the means of Grace. Sometimes indeed God doth take away men from the means, because of this sin; hence the Lord striketh them with sickness, that they cannot come abroad to the public Assemblies of his People, though they would; nay, with death it self. Thus we see in the Corinthians (ch. 11.) though they were true Believers, and such as should not be condemned with the World at the great Day; yet because they did not come to, and profit by that Ordinance of the Lords Supper as they should have done, therefore sickness and death befell them. Sometimes again, God taketh away the means from men, because of this sin, Oh, I fear, I fear, I fear, this will be the Judgment of God upon New England! I confess sometime, when I have not before my coming into the Assembly had any such thought in my heart, yet as I have been here standing and speaking before the Lord, such words as these have been, as it were forced from me; but now I do upon saddest deliberation speak it. Alas, alas! how are many Professors amongst us too like the Gergesens, Matth. 8.34. that prized their Swine above Christ: Thus do men value their Possessions in the World, above Christ and Gospel. Hence it is that so little encouragement is given to the Gospel all the ⟨p. 78⟩Country over; I am sorry to speak of these things, did not Conscience & Duty constrain me to it) which is a sad evidence, that the Lord Jesus will depart from these Coasts ere long; yea, and there are already lamentable symptoms of the Lords departure: God is never wont to remove his Gospel and Ordinances all at once, but by degrees; but now there begins to be a scarcity of Spiritual Food amongst us already. Look into Plantations round about, and consider how it is;