A93076:22
The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New-England. Or,…The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or,…
The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New-England. Or, An historical narration of Gods wonderful workings upon sundry of the Indians, both chief governors and common-people, in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the ordinances of the gospel; and framing their hearts to an earnest inquiry after the knowledge of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. / By Mr. Thomas Shepard minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England.The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or, An historicall narration of Gods wonderfull workings upon sundry of the Indians, both chief governors and common-people, in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the ordinances of the gospel; and framing their hearts to an earnest inquirie after the knowledge of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. / By Mr. Thomas Shepard minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by R. Cotes for John Bellamy, 1648
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 what doth God threaten herein, but to remove the Candlesticks, to take away the gospel, that precious Gospel, the streams whereof have brought so many ships laden with blessings to our shore, that Gospel under the shadow whereof we have sate down and been refreshed these many years? where the power is lost, God will not long continue the form, where the heat is gone, he will not long continue the light. The temple did not preserve the laws when their hearts were the Synagogues of Satan, nor shall any outward privilege hold us up, when the inward power is down in our spirits. God hath forsaken other Churches as eminent as ever England was: where are the churches of Asia, once famous for the gospel, for general Councils, now places for Zim and Ochim, their habitation desolate? where are those ancient people of the lews who were (segulla micol hagnamim) his peculiar and chosen people of all nations? they are scattered abroad as a curse, and their place knows them no more. And shall I tell you? God hath no need of us, he can call them Gnammi, his people, who were Lo gnammi, not his ⟨image 7⟩people, and them beloved, who were not beloved. Indeed he hath held up us, as if he had not known where to have another people, if he should forsake us we have been a Goshen, when others have been an Egypt, a Canaan, when others an Akeldama, the garden of God, when others have been a wilderness, our fleece hath been wet, when others have been dry: But know, God hath no need of us, he can want no people if he please to call; If he speak, all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and 1all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before him. If he set up his standard, to him shall the Gentiles flock, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. It is not for need but for love that God abides with England, and there is nothing out of himself the incentive of this 2love: there can be no reason given why God should fence us, and suffer other places to lye wast, that we should be his Garden, and other places a Wilderness, that he should feed us with the bread of Heaven, and suffer others to starve, men of the same mould, his offspring as well as we, and such (did he conquer to himself) were likely to do him more service, bring him more glory then we have done.