A93091:781
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 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.
Answ. We answer, first, when as you say, they professing the Covenant promised to take God for their God, to keep the words of the Covenant and do them, to seek the Lord with all their hearts, to walk before him in truth and uprightness, this implieth a profession of a work of grace.
Answ. Wee answer, first, when as you say, they professing the Covenant promised to take God for their God, to keepe the words of the Covenant and doe them, to seek the Lord with all their hearts, to walke before him in truth and uprightnes, this implyeth a profession of a worke of grace.
Secondly, They did not immediately enter into Covenant, but the Lord was long before preparing them for it, for they were humbled much in Egypt, in so much as their sighings came up to God, Exod. 2. 23, 24, 25. They had seen the glory of God for their good against Pharaoh, and all that Land, by many miracles, they had Gods visible presence in the Cloud; were instructed by Moses concerning the Covenant of grace made with them in Abraham; they were mightily delivered at the Red Sea, so that they believed Moses and feared the Lord and sang his praise, Exod. 14. 31. Psalm 106. 12. They were also instructed again concerning the Covenant, and were to sanctify themselves three days legally, (which was for spiritual ends, and of spiritual use, Exod. 19. 10.) and thus being prepared as fit matter for Covenant, they then entered thereinto. And they were all of them (for ought we know) thus externally and ecclesiastically holy, though many were internally stiff-necked, blind and profane.
Secondly, They did not immediately enter into Covenant, but the Lord was long before preparing them for it, for they were humbled much in Egypt, in so much as their sighings came up to God,