A89737:624
The orthodox evangelist. Or A treatise wherein many great evangelical truths (not a few…
The orthodox evangelist. Or A treatise wherein many great evangelical truths (not a few whereof are much opposed and eclipsed in this perilous hour of the passion of the Gospel) are briefly discussed, cleared, and confirmed: as a further help, for the begetting, and establishing of the faith which is in Jesus. As also the state of the blessed, where; of the condition of their souls from the instant of their dissolution: and of their persons after their resurrection. By John Norton, teacher of the church at Ipswich in New England.The orthodox evangelist. Or A treatise wherein many great evangelical truths (not a few whereof are much opposed and eclipsed in this perillous hour of the passion of the Gospel) are briefly discussed, cleared, and confirmed: as a further help, for the begeting, and establishing of the faith which is in Jesus. As also the state of the blessed, where; of the condition of their souls from the instant of their dissolution: and of their persons after their resurrection. By John Norton, teacher of the church at Ipswich in New England.
London: printed by John Macock for Henry Cripps, 1654
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.
And thou shalt be called, Sought out, A City not forsaken; that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified: Hosea 2.1. Say to your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
The third Reason is taken from the season of preparatory Work.1 The fittest season to affect the heart with the sensibleness of sin, is between the rest of the Soul in sin, and the infusion of faith. God works upon man not according to his absolute Power, but according to the nature of the subject, and fitness of the second cause. The fittest time to affect the heart of man with fear, is, whilst he looketh at the danger as in being, not when he looketh at the danger as over. If Joseph intend to be an object of fear unto his Brethren, he acts this part, whilst they look at him as a Judg, before he revealeth himself to be a Brother. The time between the rest of the Soul in sin, and the grace of faith, is not only the fittest, but the only season to affect the Soul with the spirit of bondage. The Soul cannot be affected with the spirit of fear whilst it is at ease in sin; to be in fear, and not to be in fear in the same respect, is a contradiction: Neither can the spirit of bondage be in a Believer; Ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, Rom. 8.15. This fear is the work of the Spirit of God, in the working whereof the Spirit doth two things. 1. It threatens the Soul with the Curse, as justly due to and impending over it in that estate. 2. It causeth the Soul to fear this wrath: Now the Spirit cannot cause this fear in a Believer, to whom there is no condemnation, Rom. 8.1. for in so doing, he should affirm, and cause the Soul to believe, and to be affected with an untruth, which were blasphemy to think: besides, the spirit of servile fear, and the spirit of Adoption, are opposite; either then there is no spirit of bondage, or it is between the rest of the Soul in sin, and faith in Christ Jesus.