A93085:370
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.
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.
5. The eternall efficacy of the word, it may be and is preserved, by nourishing, increasing and restoring the new man that is eternall. There is a double efficacy that the word hath; the first is to beget a Christian to life, and this new man is eternall. 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 remaines in him.
2. There is efficacy in the word when it hath begotten a man to nourish him up; and so the word it is food to him, that was seed to him to beget him, which food is eternal. How is it eternal? Is it in this, that now the sweetness, savour and remembrance of every thing that doth refresh him, shall last in it self? No, bu• in this respect it is eternal, in that it leaveth its secret virtue in the nourishing of that which is eternal. As now Adam when he was in innocency, and had an immortal body, his food it should have been an immortal food to him; but how should that have been? should he always have had the same strength, from the same diet, which he ate long before? No, ⟨p. 182⟩but in this respect it should have been an immortal food to him, in that it was to nourish that which was to be eternal: So it is here, the word of Gods grace it begets a man, it humbles a man, and draws the soul to Christ; but afterwards, there are many things that God speaks to the soul in the word, that hath an eternal virtue, in that it doth nourish up the new creature; the word hath a secret virtue in it for this end. I will show it you thus;