N29414:384
A short catechism familiarly teaching the knowledge of God, and of our selves. First…A short catechism familiarly teaching the knowledg of God, and of our selves. First…
A short catechism familiarly teaching the knowledge of God, and of our selves. First composed, and improved, for the private instruction of the younger sort in Cambridge in New-England. / By Thomas Shepard late faithful Pastor of the Church of Christ there. ; And now published at the earnest desire of sundry well-affected persons. ; Together with the doctrine of conviction of sin, and righteousness, and judgment. Delivered in divers sermons upon John 16. 8, 9, 10, 11. and thence summarily drawn into quest: and answers by the same author. ; [Three lines from Peter]A short catechism familiarly teaching the knowledg of God, and of our selves. First composed, and improved, for the private instruction of the younger sort in Cambridg in New-England. / By Thomas Shepard late faithfull Pastour of the Church of Christ there. ; And now published at the earnest desire of sundry well-affected persons. ; Together with the doctrine of conviction of sin, and righteousness, and judgment. Delivered in divers sermons upon John 16. 8, 9, 10, 11. and thence summarily drawn into quest: and answers by the same authour. ; [Three lines from Peter]
printed by Samuel Green, 1654
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.
Q. How may such come to know it that think they never have been thus affected with sin, and yet indeed have been so?
A. Two ways. 1. If the soul doth esteem Christ considered as a Redeemer from sin & wrath of God, as the greatest good, it is a certain sign that such an one hath ben sensible of sin and wrath of God as the greatest evil, though they should think they were never so, for how else could deliverance from sin and the wrath of God be so precious, if sin and wrath were not most heavy; as (for example) ⟨p. 40⟩how can a man esteem bread & water as a greater good then all the gold and silver in the world, if he was not sensible of a hunger-bitten and thirsty condition before.
A. Two wayes. 1. If the soul doth esteem Christ considered as a Redeemer from sin & wrath of God, as the greatest good, it is a certain sign that such an one hath ben sensible of sin and wrath of God as the greatest evill, though they should think they were never so, for how else could deliverance from sin and the wrath of God be so precious, if sin and wrath were not most heavy; as (for example) ⟨p. 40⟩how can a man esteem bread & water as a greater good then all the gold and silver in the world, if he was not sensible of a hunger-bitten and thirsty condition before.
2. If any soul hath a part in Christ without sense of sin (as he thinks) at his first conversion, yet he shall find that it was there indeed by his after conversions to God, for Peter and the rest of the disciples, after they were converted, were to be again converted Math: 18.3. Now many gracious christians shall find much sense of sin, and terror of God affecting them all their life in their humiliations before God which they never felt at first, yet notwithstanding these after-returnings do evidently show what ingredients were in them at first.