N01911:36
Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D.…
Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D. teacher of a church at Boston, in New-England ; With a preface by Dr. Owen.Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D. teacher of a church at Boston, in New-England ; With a praeface by Dr. Owen.
Boston: printed by John Allen for John Edwards, 1721
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.
These words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ; the occasion of them we may see in the first Verse of the Chapter; viz. An ambitious Enquiry amongst the Disciples, which of them should be the greatest man, or have the greatest Dominion in the heavenly Kingdom of Christ: The Lord tells them in this Verse, that such Ambition was not the way to Heaven; but on the contrary, that if it did continu• […] mortified, it would surely exclude them out of that Kingdom.
THese words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ; the occasion of them we may see in the first Verse of the Chapter; viz. An ambitious Enquiry amongst the Disciples, which of them should be the greatest man, or have the greatest Dominion in the heavenly Kingdom of Christ: The Lord tells them in this Verse, that such Ambition was not the way to Heaven; but on the contrary, that if it did continu• 〈…〉 mortified, it would surely exclude them out of that Kingdom.
In the words we may take notice of three things: 1. The main Truth which is here affirmed, sc. That Conversion is of absolute necessity, in order to obtaining the Kingdom of Heaven, Except there be Conversion, or (which explaineth the other) except there be a becoming as little children, even a Regeneration, & beginning the world anew, as it were, except there be this, there shall be no entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. We have here the Persons unto whom this was spoken so the Disciples of Christ; Except [you] my own Disciples be converted, I say to [you] that [ye] shall nor enter: Not but that they were converted already; yet this may well be spoken, even to converted persons, thereby to convince them further of the necessity of that Conversion which they had already attained. Also, because though they were converted in respect of their state, yet they stood in need of a further Conversion in respect of a particular will, which they were too much unle•• the present prevailing power of. And this showeth, that all men whatsoever are concerned in the truth delivered: For if it be true concerning Disciples of Christ, that they must be either Converted, or not saved, certainly this is