A93085:369
Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances, and appointments, the best means to preserve…
Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances, and appointments, the best means to preserve our liberty. Together with a treatise of ineffectual hearing the word; how we may know whether we have heard the same effectually: and by what means it may be come effectual unto us. With some remarkable passages of his life. By Tho. Shepherd, late pastor of the Church of Christ in Cambridge in New-England. Now published by Mr. Jonathan Michel pastor of the said church in New England.Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances, and appointments, the best means to preserve our liberty. Together with a treatise of ineffectual hearing the word; how we may know whether we have heard the same effectually: and by what means it may be come effectual unto us. With some remarkable passages of his life. By Tho. Shephard, late pastor of the Church of Christ in Cambridge in New-England. Now published by Mr. Jonathan Michell pastor of the said church in New England.
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1652
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.
Brethren, the Lord do's sometimes let light into a mans mind to discover his sin: now this light it do's not sensibly overcome the power of sin: But now the soul blesseth God for that word which hath convinced it; had I never seen my sin, saith the soul, I should never a sought for power a-against it, and pardon of it; and this continues now, and cannot but continue; here is the efficacy of the word, the word of Gods grace; though the flower of it be gone, yet there is an eternal power of the word; that the soul can say, It hath come to me, and helped me against these sins; and the soul wonders at the Lord, it should be so much as it is. So again, a Christian he finds marvellous refreshings and affection whiles he is a hearing; when he is gone away, he ⟨p. 181⟩finds not the same, but he blesseth God for those affections he finds, and there remains an eternal efficacy of the word.
Brethren, the Lord do's sometimes let light into a mans minde to discover his sin: now this light it do's not sensibly overcome the power of sinne: But now the soul blesseth God for that word which hath convinced it; had I never seen my sinne, saith the soul, I should never a sought for power a-against it, and pardon of it; and this continues now, and cannot but continue; here is the efficacy of the word, the word of Gods grace; though the flower of it be gone, yet there is an eternal power of the word; that the soul can say, It hath come to me, and helped me against these sins; and the soul wonders at the Lord, it should be so much as it is. So again, a Christian he findes marvelous refreshings and affection whiles he is a hearing; when he is gone away, he ⟨p. 181⟩findes not the same, but he blesseth God for those affections he findes, and there remains an eternall efficacy of the word.
5. The eternal efficacy of the word, it may be and is preserved, by nourishing, increasing and restoring the new man that is eternal. There is a double efficacy that the word hath; the first is to beget a Christian to life, and this new man is eternal. I conceive all the actions of the new man may be suspended, and the increasings of the new creature may be decayed, though God doth renew it again: But this never do's decay, it never dies: He that is born of God cannot sin, because he is borne of God; and because the seed of God remains in him.