N29414:401
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.
6 By this principle a man may be in a happy and blessed estate (because united to Christ) without any Repentance or sorrow for sin, which is a ground of all looseness of life.
6 By this principle a man may be in a happy and blessed estate (because united to Christ) without any Repentance or sorrow for sin, which is a ground of all loosness of life.
Quest. But how can the soul be convinced of sin or humbled for it, unless Christ be there to work both: and therefore it seems that Christ is first united to the soul before it be convinced of sin?
Quest. But how can the soul be convinced of sin or humbled for it, unless Christ be there to work both: and therfore it seemes that Christ is first united to the soul before it be convinced of sin?
Answ. It is true, no man can be convinced of sin unless Christ work it by his Spirit, conviction of sin is a fruit or an effect of the Spirit of Christ: but it doth not therefore follow that it is a fruit of our union by the Spirit unto Christ: it is a fruit of the Spirit acting on the soul as an efficient cause, but not a fruit of the Spirit as uniting the soul to Christ and so inhabiting or dwelling in it; Union it self to Christ is a fruit of the Spirit, but it is no fruit of a former union, so conviction of the Spirit is a fruit of the Spirit, but not a fruit of union. The Spirit like a wise carpenter hews and cuts the soul to make it fit for union, as he doth the beams of an house; but this hewing & cutting and humbling the soul is no fruit of union, no more then hewing the rafters of a house are a fruit of union to the main beam.
Answ. It is true, no man can be convinced of sin unless Christ work it by his Spirit, conviction of sin is a fruit or an effect of the Spirit of Christ: but it doth not therefore follow that it is a fruit of our union by the Spirit unto Christ: it is a fruit of the Spirit acting on the soul as an efficient cause, but not a fruit of the Spirit as uniting the soul to Christ and so inhabiting or dwelling in it; Union it self to Christ is a fruit of the Spirit, but it is no fruit of a former union, so conviction of the Spirit is a fruit of the Spirit, but not a fruit of union. The Spirit like a wise carpenter hews and cuts the soul to make it fit for union, as he doth the beams of an house; but this hewing & cuting and humbling the soul is no fruit of union, no more then hewing the rafters of a house are a fruit of union to the main beam.