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

Use 2. If there be but few that shall find the way to life, then there must needs be many that walk in the way to destruction. Hence is that, Joel 3.14. Multitudes, multitudes, saith the Prophet: Where are they? In the way to life? Nay, but in the valley of Decision, in the place of Destruction, there are multitudes, multitudes,: And Christ here saith, that broad is the way, an• wide is the gate which leadeth unto destruction, and [Many] there be that go in thereat. And the Apostle saith, that there are many whose end is destruction, Phil. 3.19. It will appear that it is so indeed, if we consider who they be that are in the way to destruction: And this is true concerning those many Heathen Nations which are in the World; who remain altogether ignorant of the true God in Christ, and strangers to the Profession of the true ⟨p. 196⟩Religion, Psal. 9.17. The wicked, and all the Nations that forget God shall be turned into Hell. And again, Ps. 79 6. Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that have not known thee, and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. And this is true, not only concerning such as do wilfully refuse and reject the means of Light and Life, as the Jews did; but also concerning those that never heard of the way of Salvation; and are in that respect, as some speak, under invincible ignorance, yet they are in a perishing condition: Witness that Scripture, Prov. 29 18. Where there is no vision the people perish; and that Matth. 4.16. where it is said of such as are destitute of the means of Grace, that they sit in darkness, and in the Region of the shadow of death: which also might be one reason why Christ told the Jews, that they should be cast out into utter darkness, Matth. 8.12. because they should be deprived of the means of Grace, and so, as it were, damned above ground, and in the Suburbs of Hell, while they are yet living upon the Earth Witness also that Scripture,