N04855:703
Some select cases resolved. Specially, tending to the right ordering of the heart, that…
Some select cases resolved. Specially, tending to the right ordering of the heart, that we may comfortably walk with God in our general and particular callings: &c. In a letter to a pious friend in England. / By Thomas Shepard, M.A. Formerly of Emmanuel-College in Cambridge in England: afterward Minister of Cambridge in New-England. ; Corrected by four several editions.
Boston: printed by Rogers and Fowle, 1747
MEDITATIONS AND Spiritual Experiences OF Mr. THOMAS SHEPARD.
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.
Octob. 2. On Saturday Night and this Morning I saw, and was much affected with God's Goodness unto me, the least of my Fathers House, to send the Gospel unto me. And I saw what a great Blessing it would be to my Child, if he may have it, that by my Means it comes unto him. And seeing the Glory of this Mercy, the Lord stirred up my Heart to desire the Blessing and Presence of his Ordinances in this Place, and the Continuance of his poor Churches among us, looking on them as Means to preserve and propagate the Gospel. And my Heart was for this End very desirous of Mercy, outward and inward to sustain them, for his own Mercy's Sake. And so I saw, one strong Motive to pray for them, even for Posterity's Sake, rather than in England, where so much Sin and Evil was abounding, and where Children might be polluted. ⟨p. 50⟩And I desired to know the Lord better, that I might make him known to this Generation.
Octob. 6. I saw in Prayer, that my great Sin was my continual Separation, Disunion, Distance from God, (not so much this or that particular Sin) lying out in a loose Spirit from God. Hereupon I saw Jesus Christ near me, next unto me, because he comes in as Mediator between God and my Soul. As one in a Pit, a mid Man holds both him below and him above. I saw that none could come into the Chasm, the Breach Sin had made, but he that satisfied Justice, this Mediator. Hereupon my Heart was stirred up with Thankfulness to lay hold upon this Mediator, Christ Jesus; the Object of Faith being so near unto me, and being of such Worth, as to fill up the Chasm, the Breach; and such Love, as to come so near unto me. I considered also that Christ was most near unto me by his Word and the Voice of that. Christ between God and me that were distant, the Word between Christ and me, and Faith closing with the Word, between the Word and me: the Word on Christ's Part, Faith on our Part. The Word is nigh thee, Rom. 10. which is the Word of Faith. And hence oppose the Word, and you oppose the Lord where he is, and wherein he is most near. Hence receive the Word and you receive the Lord, wherein he is most near.