Increase Mather (1639–1723) on the Lord's Casting Off and Common Love

We proceed therefore to the second Question, viz.

Quest. What is implied in this casting off for ever?

Answ. 1. It implieth a change as to divine Dispensations. In the Scripture, when the Lord threatened to cast off his people, that is intended, viz. that he would make an alteration as to the tenor of his dispensations towards them: here it is set in opposition to finding God, If thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off: Now finding God doth imply the enjoyment of his favour, and therefore in Casting off is implied the deprivement of the Lord's favourable presence. It is indeed most true, that the special favour of God is unchangeable, Rom. 5.2. This Grace wherein we stand. He that hath once access into the special grace and favour of God stands and abideth therein for ever, in respect of that there is no casting off for ever; In the Covenant of grace the Lord hath promised saying, I will not cast off the Seed of Israel for all that they have done, Jer. 31.37. But then there is a common favour, in respect of outward blessings, which are the effects of common love, & that may utterly cease, Hos. 9.15. I will love them no more. I have loved them, (saith the Lord) i.e. bestowed outward mercies on them, but I will do so no more. They shall have no more such days of peace, no more such plenty, no more such means of grace as once they did enjoy. Thus of a friend the Lord may turn to be an Enemy, Isai. 63.10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their Enemy, and he fought against them. Whilst a Covenant people, carry it so as not to break Covenant, the Lord blesseth them visibly, but if they degenerate them blessings are removed, and woeful Judgements come in their room, & that's implied in this casting off which the Text speaketh of, fcil. that mercies shall be taken away, as it was said of Saul that when God cast him off he took away his mercy from him, 1 Chron, 17.13. because he was deprived of that great outward blessing and dignity which once he did enjoy, And the sending of contrary misery to those mercies; that instead of peace there shall be Wars, instead of plenty poverty, instead of health terrible sicknesses, instead of planting, plucking up and destroying, these things are implied in this casting off, thus Psal. 89.38. But thou hast cast off and abhorred; thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. I conceive the Psalmist in those words hath [c] respect to the sad change of Providence which befell the Lord's People in Rehoboams time, for the Psalm was written by Ethan, who was contemporary with Solomon, and probably lived to see the woeful changes which happened five years after Solomon's death, when the Land was invaded and sorely wasted by the Heathen Enemies, and some (though not all) of the wrath of God poured out upon his people, and upon the Apostatized Children of David, strong holds were brought to ruine, and they did not stand in the day of Battle as in former times they had done, now these temporal Judgements are called a casting off.

Increase Mather, A Discourse Concerning the Danger of Apostasy (Boston: Printed in the Year, 1679), 43–45. Or see Increase Mather, A Call from Heaven to the Present and Succeeding Generations (Boston, Printed by John Foster 1679), 43–45. In connection with Matt. 5:45, he also affirms God's common love for all men in The doctrine of singular obedience, as the duty and property of the true Christian: opened and applied (Boston in New-England, : Printed & sold by Timothy Green, at the north end of the town, 1707), 8.

Notice the connection between various aspects of common grace/mercies and common love in Mather's theology. The Lord's "favorable presence" is associated with "common favor," "outward blessings," "the means of grace," "outward mercies," "days of peace," "plenty," "health" and "planting." These are all experienced by some who are finally cast off, i.e. the non-elect.

Increase Mather (1639–1723) on Common and Special Grace

There is the common Grace of God, all Creatures are the subjects of that. Psal. 145.9. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. He does good to all: there is common Grace which all the worlds of God are the subjects of; but then there is also Special Grace that the Elect of God are the subjects of, and this is the Grace that brings Salvation. Psal. 106.4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people, O visit me with thy salvation. Thus we see what is intended by Grace: It is the free favour of God which He is pleased to manifest to His People, tho' they deserve it not.

Increase Mather, "A Dying Testimony to the Sovereign Grace of God in the Salvation of His Elect," in Five Sermons on Several Subjects (Boston: Printed by B. Greene, 1719), 37.

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Increase Mather (1639–1723) on the Means and Motive of Christ's Knocking

Quest. 2. How or by what means is it that Christ doth knock and call at the door of the hearts of men?

Answ. 1. Christ knocketh at the hearts of men by his Word; by his Epistle he knocked at the Laodicea's door: Hence in the Text Christ's voice is spoken of. When Christ's voice, his Word is heard, then is he knocking at the hearts of men; therefore the Word is compared to an Hammer, Jer. 23:29. Is not my Word like a Hammer, &c. An Hammer you know is an Instrument, whereby men sometimes knock and break open doors: So doth the Lord by the Hammer of his Word, knock and break open the doors of the hearts of sinners. The Lord knocks by the Promises of the Word, and by Threatenings also, these are knocking, awakening words indeed; so by Instructions and Exhortations, &c. Hence it is, that as for all men that enjoy the Ministry of the Word, whosoever they be that have the Gospel dispensed among them, Christ knocketh at their doors, and desireth entrance into their hearts.

2. Christ knocketh by his Works. There is a secret voice of the Lord to the Soul in every Providence, though few hear it, few understand it. As now by mercies, Rom. 2:4. The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. It should be so, this is God's end in bestowing mercies and good things upon the Sons of men; it is thereby to awaken and to stir them up to Repentance, that the Lord and they might come together. That Preservation, Provision, Protection, which the Lord in his gracious Providence is pleased to afford unto sinners: Those common mercies which he bestows upon the vilest of men, Food and Rayment, Health, Wealth, nay, every meals, and every nights rest and sleep, by all the Lord is knocking and calling upon men, that they would learn to know, and love, and serve him, that giveth all good unto them; as it is said, Prov. 18:16. A man's gift maketh room for him; even so Christ seeks for a room in the heart, by the gifts which he bestoweth, and is therefore most worthy to be received with the highest entertainment.

Again, the Lord knocketh at the door by Afflictions, as we see in this Context, Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten (saith Christ) and then it follows, I stand at the door and knock. How? even by chastening Dispensations of Providence: Therefore is that Mic. 6:9 Hear ye the rod. Affliction is God's rod; and an iron rod it is, whereby the Lord doth, as it were, rap at the door of secure sinners. If the Lord afflicteth a man, he striketh and giveth blows: Hence David saith, Remove thy [stroke] from me, I am consumed by the [blow] of thine hand, Psal. 39:10.

3. Christ doth call and knock at the doors of men's hearts, by the voice of his Spirit: It is said, Isa. 30:21. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk therein, &c. namely, a word spoken by the secret whisperings of the Holy Spirit, saying to the sinner, Thou art out of the way; if ever thou desirest to be happy, thou must forsake this way thou art going in, and turn into a new, and another way. This is partly meant by the voice which my Text speaketh of, namely, the voice of Christ's Spirit: Sometimes a poor Creature begins to think seriously with himself, Am I in Christ, or out of Christ? Am I in a state of Nature, or in a state of Grace? If I should die in this condition, what would become of my poor Soul? Secret thoughts are darted into the heart of a sinner, that it is high time for him, to think of making his peace with God: He doth, as it were, hear a voice behind him saying, Man look about thee, there's one thing needful, and thou neglectest that, and in the mean time art taken up about needless vanities: Now these are the secret whisperings of the Spirit of Christ, whereby he knocketh and calls upon the hearts of men.

4. Christ knocks and calls upon the heart, by the voice of Conscience. A man's Conscience is God's Messenger, whereby he knocketh at the door, and speaketh home to the heart, Prov. 20:27. The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, searching the inward parts of the belly. So that the inward parts of the belly, that is to say, the most secret corners of the heart, are ransacked by the spirit of a man, by which the Conscience is meant. And when Conscience speaketh, the Lord speaks also; for Conscience is God's Messenger (as was said) it cometh armed with Authority in his name; and hence is said to be the candle of the Lord, because it is of the Lord's sending and setting up. The voice of Conscience is many times a roaring voice, whereby the Lord doth Awaken the most secure and sleepy sinners. Conscience hath a Commission, that I may so speak, not only to knock at the door, but if need be, to break the door down, rather than that the sleepy sinner should not be awakened.

Increase Mather, Some Important Truths About Conversion (London: Printed for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in Pauls Church-yard, 1674), 88–92. This work has a preface to the reader by John Owen.

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Increase Mather (1639–1723) on the Nature of Sinning Against the Gospel

The light of Nature is but a dark glimmering light, and the light of the Law was dark, compared with that of the Gospel; but now the Gospel is the most Clear, Divine, Spiritual, Glorious Light that ever shone into the hearts of men. Hence if men despise it, their sin, guilt and danger is most fearful; yea, and such persons do not only sin against the clearest Light, but against the highest Love that ever was. It was a wonderful Evidence of Divine Philanthropy, even the love and kindness of God towards mankind, Tit. 3.4. that he should find out a way for sinful men to come unto Salvation, and by the Gospel he discovers this way. Now to slight the kind offers of God, must needs be heinously evil. God shewed special favour to that people, upon whom he bestoweth the Gospel and Ordinances therefore, Psal. 89.15. Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance: The silver Trumpets under the Law, by which the people were called together, at the times appointed for Sacred and Solemn Assemblies, did typify the Gospel and holy Ordinances thereof. It is a blessed thing to be often hearing the joyful sound, which is made by the silver Trumpet of the Everlasting Gospel; such have the light of Gods countenance towards them, God from Heaven seems to look on them with a pleasant, favourable countenance. Now then to slight this favour, that is dangerous, Rom. 2.4.5. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness―After thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thy self wrath, against the day of wrath. They that live impenitently under the Gospel, they despise the riches of Divine goodness; therefore cannot expect other, but that treasures of wrath will be laid up against them, and one day laid out upon them. In a word, this sin of slighting the Gospel, is virtually and causally all sin; for all a mans other sins would be forgiven, if this were not superadded to the rest. If men did embrace the Gospel, they should also receive the Remission of sins. Unbelief is the greatest sin that ever any of you were guilty of in your lives: This binds the guilt of all sins against the Law, upon a mans Conscience for ever: Now by Unbelief is not meant, the doubting whether our sins are forgiven, but the refusing of the motion of the Gospel, when the Gospel freely offers Christ and Pardon; Life and Heaven with him: to prefer the World, or it may be a base Lust, before the blessed Son of God, this is that Unbelief which provoketh God more than transgressions of the Law doth.

Increase Mather, Some Important Truths About Conversion (London: Printed for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in Pauls Church-yard, 1674), 63–64. This work has a preface to the reader by John Owen. Elsewhere Mather says all are "fairly offered."

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