N01991:89
A dying legacy of a minister to his dearly beloved people, showing, I. That…A dying legacy of a minister to his dearly beloved people, shewing, I. That…
A dying legacy of a minister to his dearly beloved people, showing, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ may be assured, of the salvation of their souls. II. That spiritual wisdom, or grace in the soul, is of all things the most desirable. III. That there is none whose dignity and glory may be compared with that which belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. / Being the three last sermons preached by Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Five lines from Hebrews]A dying legacy of a minister to his dearly beloved people, shewing, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ may be asured, of the salvation of their souls. II. That spiritual wisdom, or grace in the soul, is of all things the most desireable. III. That there is none whose dignity and glory may be compared with that which belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. / Being the three last sermons preached by Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Five lines from Hebrews]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland for J. Edwards, 1722
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.
APPLICATION.
USE. I. IS CHRIST such a Glorious One, then certainly it is a great Honour to be a Servant of Jesus Christ. John Baptist thought it to be so, therefore said, Mat. 3. 11. I am not worthy to bear his shoes after him. That is to say, I am not worthy of such a Dignity as that is, to be a Servant ⟨p. 83⟩of Jesus Christ. They that are Servants of a great Man are counted happy, on that account, as the Queen of Sheba, said to Solomon, Happy are these thy Servants that wait upon thee. But to be a Servant of Jesus Christ is a greater Happiness than to be a Servant of Solomon. The greatest Happiness in the World is to be a Servant of Jesus Christ. Theodosius the Emperor was wont to stile himself, a Vassal of Jesus Christ. This is an Honour belonging to all Believers. But what is it then to be employed in any Peculiar Service for Christ, to Preach Christ to the Souls of Men, how great is that Honour. Says the Apostle, To me is given this Grace that I should preach the Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Eph. 3. 8. What should a Christian desire to Live for, but that so he may do Service for the Name of ⟨p. 84⟩Jesus Christ. For me to Live is Christ, says Paul. That is the reason I am willing to Live a while longer that I may Serve Christ. Therefore it is, when Ministers grow Old and cannot serve Christ they should long to Die; when they can do no more for Christ the end of Life, the design of Life.
USE II. TO Preach CHRIST is certainly the Duty of His Ministers. They cannot Preach Christ too much. Paul when he was at Rome, he taught the Things that did concern Jesus Christ. So all the Apostles like Paul, did preach and reach Jesus Christ, that was the Sum of their Ministry. There are some Ministers, that there is very little of Christ in their Ministry, there is very good Morality in it. It is true, the Law must be preached that Men may be made sensible of their need of Christ and