CHAPTER II.

The birth and childhood of Increase Mather. Influence of his nother. His College life. Narrative of his religious experience. He commences preaching. Visits England. His studies and labors there. Returns to New England.

THE sixth and youngest of the sons of Richard Mather, and the fourth of their number who entered the ministry, was Increase Mather ;the more especial subject of the present Memoir. He was born at Dorchester, June 21, 1639, and received his name, Increase, from the increasing and prosperous state of the colony, at that period. Like many other eminent ministers, he was greatly indebted, in early life, to the prayers and counsels of a pious mother. She used to say to him, while yet a child, that she desired only two things on his behalf; one was the grace to love and fear God; the other, that he might have the requisite learning and ability to accomplish something for God in the world. "My child," said she, "if God make thee a good Christian, and a good scholar, thou wilt have all that thy mother ever asked for thee." She earnestly

inculcated upon him the lesson of diligence, and used often to repeat to him that saying of Solomon: "Seest thou a man diligent in his business; he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men."* His excellent mother died, when her son was about fifteen years of age. She exhorted him, at the last, to resolve upon serving Christ in the work of the ministry, and encouraged him to form such a resolution by saying: "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." The impression of this scene and of this declaration, uttered under these solemn circumstances, was never effaced from the mind of her son. It had its influence in the formation of his character, and was precious to him all his days.

It is evidence of the capacity and diligence of young Mather, that he entered Harvard College when only twelve years of age. When he had been a member of College about a year, his parents, fearing that his health might suffer from the confinement and discipline of college life, removed him to the family of the celebrated

*This remark of Solomon, Increase Mather remembered and observed, and it was remarkably fulfilled upon him, as we shall see. He did literally stand before kings.

John Norton, then of Ipswich, afterwards of Boston. Here he remained between one and two years, pursuing college studies, and keeping up with his class.

Hitherto, though moral and amiable in his external deportment, he had made no pretensions to serious religion. He "had walked," as he expresses it," in the vanity of his mind, was alienated from the life of God, and unmindful of the great work and end," for which he had been sent into the world. But in the year 1654, a little before his mother's death, he became the subject of a change, the fruits of which proved it to be saving and eternal. The account of it must be given in his own words.

"The great care of my godly parents was to train me up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; whence I was kept from many visible outbreakings of sin, which else I had been guilty of, and whence it was that I had many good impressions of the Spirit of God upon me, even from my infancy. Nevertheless, I swam quietly in the stream of impiety and carnal security, for many years together, till, in the year 1654, the Lord in mercy was pleased to visit me with a short but distressing sickness. For this happy sickness I have many a time blessed the Lord, and I trust I shall bless him forever; for it was

made the means of the first saving awakenings to my soul. I was brought now to have real thoughts of death, and could see eternity before my eyes. My sins, unrepented of, also stared me in the face. After I was recovered, the arrows of God still stuck fast in my heart, and I was in much distress for months together. I now resolved that I would no more live in any known sin, and thought there was no sin in my heart from which I was not truly willing to part. I also engaged in the practice of duty, and was constant in my secret devotions, which, before these distresses of soul, I had many times neglected. Nevertheless, my wounded conscience still remained with me, and God set my sins in order before me, bringing those to my remembrance, in all their aggravations, which I had long forgotten. He showed me the vanities of my childhood, and made me to possess the iniquities of my youth, until my heart, sometimes, was ready to sink and die within me. I now resolved that I would afflict my soul with fasting, as well as praying, and seek more earnestly unto God for the pardon of mine iniquities. This course I took at Dorchester, shutting myself up, during my father's absence, in his study, and writing down those particular sins which pressed most heavily on my conscience, and

imploring of God that he would pardon them. At this time I thought, that if the whole world were mine, I would freely part with it, to have my hard heart taken from me; and I pleaded earnestly that Divine promise which says, "I will take away from them the heart of stone, and will give them an heart of flesh." But still my flinty heart remained unmoved.

Thus my soul continued in the new birth, and very sore were the pangs of it. Sometimes I was afraid that I had committed the unpardonable sin; but upon discourse with my father about the nature of that sin, I became satisfied that I was not guilty of it. Then I thought my sins were too great to be forgiven; but after reading a book of Mr. Hooker's entitled, "The Doubting soul drawn to Christ,' I saw clearly that the greatness of sin was no hindrance to the exercise of forgiving mercy. Being thus rid of my doubts as to the ability of God to save me, I was next pressed with doubts as to his willingness to do it; and I was foolishly ashamed to acquaint any body with my troubles, I was loth to have any one know that mine iniquities were gone over my head, as a heavy burthen too heavy for me.

"At length, when I could hold out no longer, the hand of God still pressing me sore, I ac