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

There was a few years ago a Lecture at Dorchester, and at Dedham, at Braintree, &c. But it is not so at this day. All these places (and many other) had Ministers and Sacraments amongst them, when as now they are deprived thereof. Besides, our woeful declinings from First-love to Christ, and to his holy Institutions, and to one another, are a sad sign, that the Lord intends to remove his Candlestick out of this place, Rev. 2.5. What do these things portend, but that these Bethels will become Bethavens, it may be ere this Generation be passed away? But besides these things which have been insisted on, let me spread before you a few Awakening Considerations, which should cause you to dread this sin of unprofitableness under means of Grace.

There was a few years ago a Lecture at Dorchester, and at Dedham, at Braintrey, &c. But it is not so at this day. All these places (and many other) had Ministers and Sacraments amongst them, when as now they are deprived thereof. Besides, our woful declinings from First-love to Christ, and to his holy Institutions, and to one another, are a sad sign, that the Lord intends to remove his Candlestick out of this place, Rev. 2.5. What do these things portend, but that these Bethels will become Bethavens, it may be e're this Generation be passed away? But besides these things which have been insisted on, let me spread before you a few Awakening Considerations, which should cause you to dread this sin of unprofitableness under means of Grace.

Consider 1. That you are not, you cannot be Christians indeed, except you be fruitful. It is given as the Character of a false Christian, or ⟨p. 79⟩an Hypocrite, that though he be a Branch in Christ; that is to say, a Professor of the true Christian Religion, yet he bears no fruit, Joh. 15.1. And it is noted concerning those unsound Professors, which proved Apostates at last, that they were unfruitful,